ALPINE SKIING: Four-times overall World Cup champion Lindsey Vonn will make her return to competition this week in Austria’s Altenmarkt-Zauchensee. The 32-year-old American skier had surgery on a broken upper right arm in November after a training crash in Colorado, and returns to action after completing an intensive program of rehabilitation. “Words cannot describe how excited I am to be returning to the slopes this week,” the 2010 Olympic downhill champion.
BASKETBALL, NBA: CJ McCollum scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half, and Allen Crabbe came off the bench for 24 points as the Portland Trail Blazers hammered the Cleveland Cavaliers 102-86 at Moda Center on Wednesday. McCollum hit the 25-point barrier for the seventh consecutive game, and Crabbe was 9-of-11 from the field as the Trail Blazers (18-23) won a second straight game for the first time since early December. LeBron James collected 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Kevin Love had 17 points and eight boards for the Cavaliers.
MOTOR RACING: Renault were not shocked by Frederic Vasseur’s sudden departure as Formula One team principal and have no immediate plans to replace him, F1 managing director Cyril Abiteboul said yesterday.“We don’t feel shocked, we don’t feel weakened by yesterday’s announcement, which is something that had been discussed at length with Fred,” he told reporters. “The team principal role is something unique from team to team... as far as I am concerned, we will not replace Fred in the capacity of team principal,” said Abiteboul.
BOXING: Floyd Mayweather said he has offered UFC champion Conor McGregor $15 million and a percentage of pay-per-view sales for a crossover boxing bout. Mayweather, who retired in September of 2015 after accumulating a perfect 49-0 record, told ESPN he would require a guaranteed $100 million to make the fight happen. “I’m a businessman and it makes business sense,” the 39-year-old American said. “Bring him over to the boxing world, and I’ll show him what it’s like.”
RUGBY UNION: Fiji-born winger Semi Radradra will join French club Toulon on a two-year deal after completing the 2017 season with Australia’s Parramatta Eels, the National Rugby League (NRL) club said yesterday. The powerful 24-year-old, who has played test rugby league for Fiji and Australia, was named Winger of the Year in the NRL in 2014 after scoring 19 tries in 24 matches and again in 2015 when he crossed 24 times in 18 outings.
TENNIS: Top seed Dominic Thiem was dumped out of the Apia International in the quarter-finals as Dan Evans claimed his first win over a top-10 player. The 26-year-old from Great Britain, ranked 67, hit back after losing the first set in Sydney to defeat world number eight Thiem 3-6 6-4 6-1. The Austrian became increasingly erratic as his preparations for next week’s Australian Open suffered a blow. In his second ATP Tour semi-final, Evans will play Russia’s Andrey Kuznetsov, who upset fourth seed Pablo Carreno Busta 2-6 6-4 6-1.