Olympics: Swedes break Japanese hearts in women's curling
February 18, 2006Japan came within one shot of pulling off a pair of major upsets Saturday before falling 8-7 to world champion Sweden in an extra end in the women's curling tournament at the Turin Olympics on Saturday. Swedish skip Anette Norberg and sweepers perfectly placed a curling shot near the center of the scoring circles around Japanese guard stones with the final shot of the 11th, giving the gold medal favorite its seventh win in eight matches.
Olympics: Japan's curling hopes alive with win over Canada
February 18, 2006Skip Ayumi Onodera made a series of superb shots in pressure-packed situations Saturday as Japan beat medal favorite Canada 5-2 and kept alive its hopes of a place in the semifinals of the Turin Olympic women's curling tournament. Japan took a 2-0 lead in the third end before Onodera made a key double takeout in the next to thwart a comeback by the Canadians, who could get no closer than two points the rest of the way.
Golf: Miyazato 10 shots back in LPGA season opener
February 18, 2006Ai Miyazato struggled on the greens in a round of 3-over-par 75 on Friday and found herself 10 shots off the lead after two rounds of the SBS Open, the season opener on the LPGA Tour. Miyazato, who was at 2-under after 14 holes when darkness suspended play Thursday, completed her first round in the morning with a 70 before flirting with the danger of missing the cut with shaky putting at Turtle Bay Resort's Palmer Course.