Snooker: Jimmy White has said he lost everything after a fire at his Epsom home on Wednesday. The former Masters and UK Championship winner, and six-time World Championship runner-up, posted a picture on Twitter of smoke coming from the building where he has a flat. He wrote: “Fire at my flat this morning. Everything gone. Gutted. Cue was in car and most importantly no one hurt.” White’s long-time friend Kevin Kelly also posted a picture that showed a window frame hanging down from the third-room residence with fire engines in attendance.
Rugby Union: Maro Itoje looks set to step into England’s blindside flanker void after being named alongside three locks in a 25-man squad for their Six Nations opener against France at Twickenham on Saturday. With Chris Robshaw missing the entire tournament with a shoulder injury, lock Itoje was widely tipped to take the number six shirt. Itoje, who missed the autumn internationals with a broken hand, has played in the back row for Saracens and England previously, notably moving to the position during last summer’s final test in the 3-0 series win over Australia.
Athletics: Former British marathon great Ron Hill has been forced to end his amazing streak of running every day for more than 52 years after the 78-year-old suffered chest pains and decided not to risk it. Hill, the former Commonwealth and European champion who was once the world’s top marathon man, felt ill during his daily run on Saturday and so on Sunday had to opt out for the first time after 19,032 consecutive days of running. “After 400 metres my heart started to hurt and by the time I got to the one mile point I thought I was going to die,” he said.
Winter Games: South Korea launched a support team aimed at helping the home nation finish in the top four at the 2018 Winter Olympics and yesterday announced it had increased a special grant to help athletes prepare for the Games to almost $30 million. The alpine town of Pyeongchang will host Asia’s first Winter Games outside Japan in almost exactly a year’s time. South Korea will send more than 130 athletes to participate in seven sports with the aim of winning 20 medals.