America's Nastia Liukin picked up her fourth medal of the world gymnastics championships yesterday.
Liukin started off the second day of individual finals by winning her latest duel with compatriot Chellsie Memmel to take gold in the beam, one day after capturing the uneven bars title. The 16-year-old scored 9.612 to edge out Memmel (9.512), who also won silver in the uneven bars.
A hat-trick of gold medals was denied Liukin by another compatriot, however, when 17-year-old Alicia Sacramone captured the women's floor title with a polished routine full of artistry and tumbling elements that amassed a winning score of 9.612. Liukin scored 9.425 to win her second silver of the championships with Suzanne Harmes of the Netherlands taking bronze with 9.212.
Golf - Casey takes China Open title
Briton Paul Casey fired a closing-round 65 to surge through the field and set up a play-off victory over compatriot Oliver Wilson in the China Open at Shenzhen Golf Club yesterday.
Casey, who won €184,533 for his fifth European Tour title, had trailed overnight leader Ross Fisher by five strokes in joint 15th place but his superb finish set a 13-under-par (275) target which only Wilson could match.
The result is expected to lift Casey into the world's top 50 from his position at the start of the week of 61st and further boost his chances of another Ryder Cup appearance in next year's European defence against the US in Ireland.
Tennis - Costa puts retirement on hold
Former French Open champion Albert Costa has decided to postpone his retirement and continue on the tennis circuit for another year.
"I still feel like a tennis player and want to carry on playing as long as I keep getting invitations to play in tournaments," the 30-year-old Spaniard said. "I've decided to carry on for at least another year. I want to say goodbye gradually and not all of a sudden."
Costa, who was part of Spain's Davis Cup winning team in 2000 and won at Roland Garros in 2003, had said he was considering retirement after his first-round exit in last month's Madrid Masters Series.