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Olympics: The umbrella body representing national Olympic committees paid Patrick Hickey’s (picture, right) bail to allow him to return home after he was arrested in a probe into an illegal ticket-scalping ring during the Rio de Janeiro Games. The former head of the Olympic Council of Ireland and the European Olympic Committee, who was released from prison in August, has maintained he is innocent of all charges. Irishman Hickey, 71, was allowed to leave Brazil in November on condition he paid 1.5 million reais ($432,201) in bail.
Athletics: Jamaica’s Usain Bolt and Ethiopian distance runner Almaz Ayana were crowned as the IAAF’s athletes of the year yesterday. Bolt completed his amazing Olympic “triple triple” of 100 metres, 200 metres and 4x100m relay golds at the Rio Games in August despite missing much of the season through injury and took the award for the sixth time. Ayana produced a stunning run on the first day of athletics in Rio when she shattered the 10,000m world record that had stood for 23 years. Her time of 29 minutes, 17.45 seconds smashed the mark of 29:31.78 that was set by Wang Junxia of China in 1993.
Snooker: Mark Selby won a brutal baize battle against John Higgins in York to reach the Betway UK Championship semi-finals, yesterday. He took it 6-5 after five hours of captivating snooker climaxed in a nail-biting deciding frame that saw more swings in momentum than many a match. The tension inside the Barbican venue could hardly have been greater before Higgins fluked the yellow and had a priceless opening, but he then failed to cut back the green into its own pocket and Selby capitalised. Selby will face Shaun Murphy today for a place in the final. Murphy swept into the last four with a 6-1 victory over Belgian Luca Brecel.
Other QF: O’Sullivan bt Williams 6-2.
Basketball: Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James earned 2016 Sportsperson of the Year honours from Sports Illustrated after leading Cleveland to their first pro championship in 52 years last season. James, 31, helped the Cavaliers erase a 3-1 deficit in a best-of-seven NBA Finals series with Golden State Warriors, preserving the comeback victory with his iconic block of Warriors forward Andre Iguodala in Game 7. James also earned Sportsperson of the Year in 2012 after winning his first title, his third MVP and his second gold medal with USA Basket.