Horse Racing: Jockey Kirsty Milczarek has been forced to retire on medical advice following a freak accident at Brighton last October. She damaged her neck coming out of the stalls on the John Long-trained Microlight. Milc-zarek, 29, had to undergo a major operation and her decision came after she was told she risked being paralysed if she suffered another fall from the saddle. “I received the news on Friday which I had never really considered. I was told I would never be able to race-ride again,” Milczarek said. “Being a jockey is all I’ve known for the last 10 years, so to be told your career has ended was shocking.”
Cricket: Australia have returned to the top of the one-day international rankings following their 3-0 whitewash of Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates, the ICC said yesterday. Australia had slipped from the top spot after a shock three-wicket defeat to Zimbabwe in a tri-series, also involving South Africa, at the end of August. India claimed the number one ranking after Australia also lost to South Africa in the final of that tournament. India had a chance to hold on to their position by winning the remaining three ODIs of the five-match series at home against the West Indies. But with the cancellation of the third match in Visakhapatnam due to a cyclone, India will no longer be able to win the required four matches in the series to retain top spot. South Africa are currently second with India third in the latest ICC rankings.
Athletics: It took 10 years for an Argentine to win the Buenos Aires Marathon – and that after Mariano Mastromarino was nearly thrown out as a suspected intruder. Officials at Sunday’s race, stunned to see an Argentine surge past Kenyan leader and title holder Julius Karinga, ordered Mastromarino to leave the race around the 37km mark. “They thought I was an intruder. ‘Get out of the race, get out’,” Mastromarino told ESPN the officials had shouted at him. They soon realised their mistake and Mastromarino, who had narrowly missed qualifying for the 2012 Olympics in London, went on to win in two hours, 15 minutes and 28 seconds with two Chileans completing the podium. The previous Argentine winner was Oscar Cortinez in 2004.
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Basket, NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant (picture) could miss six to eight weeks with a foot fracture. The team confirmed the injury but could not pinpoint a specific time frame for when Durant would return. Durant, the reigning NBA most valuable player, injured his right foot during practice on Saturday.
Rugby League: Wigan Warriors prop Ben Flower has been charged with a Grade F offence for punching St Helens back Lance Hohaia in the second minute of the Super League grand final on Saturday. Flower was sent off for hitting Hohaia as he lay on the ground and although the New Zealander also played no further part in the showpiece match at Old Trafford, St Helens went on to win it 14-6. Lancashire neighbours Wigan and St Helens are two of the biggest clubs in English rugby league with a history of bitter rivalry in the sport but the incident was widely condemned. The Rugby Football League is now under pressure to impose a severe punishment in a bid to clamp down on violent offences.
Golf: South Korean Bae Sang-moon built a big lead but had to survive a mid-round slump to earn a two-shot victory at the $6 million Frys.com Open in Napa, California on Sunday. Bae carded a final round of 73 to finish on 15-under-par 273 at Silverado Country Club in the opening event of the 2014-15 season on the PGA Tour. Australian Steven Bowditch (67), boosted by an eagle at the par-five 16th, finished second on 13-under. Bae posted four bogeys in a seven-hole stretch mid-round but the 28-year-old held on to take the win and pocket $1.08 million for his second victory on the PGA Tour.