Rallying: Sebastien Loeb claimed an unprecedented eighth successive world title in Cardiff yesterday after a submerged branch stumped closest rival Mikko Hir-vonen’s title hopes. Hirvonen, eight points off Loeb going into the 13th and final rally of the season, damaged the radiator on the Wales GB’s seventh stage.

Snooker: The world’s best snooker players will be back in Newport in Feb-ruary for the 2012 Welsh Open. The world ranking event has been staged at the Newport Centre every year since 2005, and will stay in the city for the next three years thanks to new funding pledged by Newport City Council.

Panam Games: Complaints from athletes about fading medals have taken the shine off Mexico’s widely-praised organisation of the PanAm Games last month. Organisers admitted they had received 15 complaints about the medals so far. The Mexican NOC lamented that some medals, mainly the bronze ones, showed defects.

Golf: Tiger Woods stormed into the lead midway through the second round of the $1.54m Australian Open after an early birdie blitz at The Lakes yest-erday. Relishing early benign con-ditions, the 14-times major win-ner ripped through five birdies in his outward nine holes on the way to carding a five-under 67 to lead by one shot at nine under.

Swimming: A civil lawsuit has been filed against USA Swimming by the family of an Indiana teen who say officials should have done more to protect the girl from sexual assault. The suit lists ex-coach Christopher Wheat among others. He was jailed two years ago after pleading guilty to two counts of felony sexual mis-conduct with a minor.

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