Other sports
Swimming
Polish Olympic gold-medallist Otylia Jedrzejczak will go on trial this week over a road crash in October 2005 which killed her younger brother.
Prosecutors said that Jedrze-jczak, who won three Olympic and six World Championship butterfly medals, was driving at 120 kph, 30 kph above the speed limit. She could face a prison term from six months to eight years.
Volleyball
Bulgaria volleyball coach Martin Stoev has turned down a lucrative offer to take the reins of Iran due to safety concerns.
The 35-year-old, who guided Bulgaria to third place at the World Championships last year, was unmoved even when he was offered an oil well by the Iranian federation's representative.
"I told them that Iran may go to war soon, so I'd need a gun to keep the well," he said.
Dakar Rally
Portuguese Carlos Sousa, driving a Volkswagen, won the first stage of the Dakar Rally yesterday. Volkswagen proved in a class of its own with first five places in the 260 kms stage.
Sousa completed the timed leg two minutes 31 seconds ahead of Giniel de Villiers. Carlos Sainz finished third, seven seconds behind De Villiers.
The second stage today will take the field from Portimao to Malaga in Spain over 545 kms, including a 67-kms timed leg.