Basketball: Indiana Pacers guard Glenn Robinson won the Slam Dunk title over Phoenix Suns forward Derrick Jones Jr. on Saturday night by leaping over team-mate Paul George, the Pacers mascot and a Pacers dance team member for a reverse slam that merited a perfect 50 in the final round. In the final round of the crowd-pleasing event on All-Star Weekend held in New Orleans, Robinson faced off against the Phoenix rookie, who advanced from the four original competitors. The Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan and the Magic’s Aaron Gordon were eliminated in the earlier rounds.
Golf: Hometown hero Brett Rumford nailed his final drive to beat Thai teenager Phachara Khongwatmai 2&1 in the six-hole matchplay final to win the inaugural World Super 6 title in Perth yesterday and claim back his European Tour card. Despite the innovative format, the 39-year-old Australian put together what was effectively a wire-to-wire victory at the Lake Karrinyup Country Club, having finished the first three rounds of strokeplay with a five-shot lead. It was a sixth European Tour victory for Rumford, who turned professional the year after Phachara was born, and re-secured him the tour rights he lost at the end of last year.
Rugby: Former Australia lock Dan Vickerman died at home in Sydney on Saturday night, the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) said. He was 37. South African-born Vickerman played 63 tests for Australia after his debut in 2002 and featured in three World Cup campaigns before being forced to call time on his career because of a leg injury less than a year after the 2011 tournament. Since retirement, Vickerman had worked in the financial world and as a media pundit.
[attach id=563142 size="medium"][/attach]
Winter Sport: German Laura Dahlmeier (picture) claimed her fifth gold medal in six races at the biathlon World Championships when a strong finish earned her the title in the 12.5-km mass start event in Austria, yesterday. World Cup leader Dahlmeier shot 20/20 and leapfrogged unheralded American Susan Dunklee to add to her titles in the individual, the pursuit, the relay and the mixed relay. Finland’s Kaisa Makarainen produced stunning acceleration in the final lap to grab the bronze. Defending champion Marie Dorin-Habert, of France, cracked in the finale and finished seventh.
Cricket: All-rounder Asela Gunaratne struck a superb 84 off 46 balls to inspire Sri Lanka to a dramatic two-wicket victory over Australia in the second Twenty20 International in Victoria yesterday. The touring side needed 48 runs off the last three overs to clinch the series and Gunaratne, who smashed five sixes and six fours, led them home.