NASCAR star Elliott sidelined after injuring leg snowboarding
Chase Elliott injured his leg in a snowboarding accident in Colorado on Friday and will miss this weekend's NASCAR race at Las Vegas.
Hendrick Motorsports said NASCAR's most popular driver was scheduled to have surgery Friday night. No additional details about Elliott's condition or the accident were provided.
Josh Berry will drive the No. 9 Chevrolet on Sunday in place of Elliott.
“Chase's health is our primary concern,” team owner Rick Hendrick said. “He's spoken with several members of our team and is understandably disappointed to miss time in the car. Of course, he has our full support and we'll provide any resources he needs.”
Elliott is a second-generation driver and the son of NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott. The Georgia native is NASCAR's five-time fanvoted most popular driver.
Elliott blossomed into a bona fide elite racer and won the Cup title in 2020. The 27-year-old has 18 career Cup victories and has advanced into the championship finale the last three consecutive years.
Golf
KITAYAMA TWO SHOTS UP ON SPIETH >> Kurt Kitayama
is used to battling some of the best players as he searches for his first PGA Tour win. His biggest challenge was windy Bay Hill, and he handled that just fine with a 4-under 68 for two-shot lead over Jordan Spieth in the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, Fla.
Jon Rahm finally looked human. His final five holes included a double bogey, three bogeys and a birdie. He shot 76, his highest score since a 76 in the PGA Championship last May.
Xander Schauffele shot 70 and was three behind along with Corey Conners, who had the low round of the day at 66.
KANG TAKES WOMEN'S
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD >> Danielle Kang avoided distractions during a rain-soaked day and shot a 9-under 63 for a oneshot lead after the second round of the Women's World Championship in Singapore.
Allisen Corpuz (65), Hyo Joo Kim (67) and firstround leader Elizabeth Szokol (71) were a shot back at the Sentosa Golf Club. YOUNG STRETCHES PUERTO RICO OPEN LEAD >> Carson Young posted a 5-under 67 and built a four-shot lead going into the weekend at the Puerto Rico Open.
Young, a 28-year-old rookie on the PGA Tour, was at 14-under 130.
Another tour rookie, Nico Echavarria of Colombia, had a 67 and was four shots back along with Paul Haley II (66).
Tennis
MEDVEDEV SNAPS DJOKOVIC'S WIN STREAK >> Daniil Medvedev ended Novak Djokovic's 20-match winning streak by beating the world's top-ranked player 6-4, 6-4 to reach the final at the Dubai Championships.
The third-seeded Medvedev will face defending champion Andrey Rublev in an all-Russian final.
Medvedev hadn't beaten Djokovic since the 2021 U.S. Open final for his first — and only — major title. That win denied Djokovic the first calendar-year Grand Slam in men's singles since 1969. Djokovic then won their next four meetings.
Rublev advanced by beating Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6 (9) in the other semifinal.
College football
NCAA PROPOSES RULES TO SHORTEN GAMES >> The NCAA Football Rules Committee approved a proposal to keep the clock running when a team makes a first down except in the last two minutes of a half. Since 1968, the clock has stopped on a first down until the referee gives the ready-forplay signal.
The committee forwarded two other proposals to keep games moving. One would have penalties that are accepted at the end of the first and third quarters enforced at the start of the following quarter rather than having an untimed down. The other would take away the option for a coach to call back-toback timeouts during the same dead ball period.
The committee gave no serious consideration to a proposal to keep the clock running after an incomplete pass.
The proposed changes would go into effect in the 2023 season if approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel on April 20.
Women's hockey DECKER RETIRES FROM U.S.
NATIONAL TEAM >> Threetime Olympian Brianna Decker announced her retirement from the United States national hockey team.
The forward from Wisconsin was a core member of USA Hockey's next generation of female players. She was a member of the gold medal-winning team at the 2018 Winter Games in South Korea.
Decker, 31, also won Olympic silver medals in 2014 and 2022, along with six world championships.