Auto Racing
MONACO – A spectator was killed after being hit by a car during the first stage of the season-opening Monte Carlo rally, race organizers said.
Organizers said the spectator was struck by a car driven by New Zealand driver Hayden Paddon during the first of two night stages held on Thursday night.
Stage 1 of the race was cancelled, although stage 2 was held later Thursday night. The race concludes Sunday.
Paddon’s Hyundai Motorsport team subsequently withdrew Paddon’s car from the race.
Golf
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – New year, same old story for Martin Kaymer at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
The two-time major winner from Germany set up another chance for a fourth victory at his regular year-opening tournament, shooting a second straight 6-under 66 Friday to take a one-stroke lead after the second round.
Kaymer has averaged 68.73 in 38 rounds over the 7,583-yard National Course, a long track that suits his eye and his game. He feels extremely confident on the greens — he already has 14 birdies and an eagle this week — and the course’s many doglegs is perfect for a player who fades the ball off the tee.
Kaymer’s round on Friday took off after rolling in a 20-foot eagle putt on No. 8, allowing him to rebound from a bogey on No. 6. He birdied six holes on the back nine as the wind died down, having been quite strong in the early afternoon.
NFL
LONDON – The NFL says the Jacksonville Jaguars will play the Baltimore Ravens in the first game at Wembley Stadium next season on Sept. 24.
The Miami Dolphins will take on the New Orleans Saints the following weekend at English soccer’s national stadium.
They are two of four regular-season games being played in London next season. Twickenham, England’s national rugby stadium, is hosting two games later in October.
Skiing
KITZBUEHEL, Austria – Matthias Mayer gave the host country a winning start to the traditional Hahnenkamm races by taking Friday’s super-G.
Under crisp blue skies, the Olympic downhill champion beat Christof Innerhofer of Italy by 0.09 seconds. Beat Feuz of Switzerland was 0.44 behind in third.
The win is Mayer’s fourth, but his first since he broke two vertebrae in a downhill crash in Italy 13 months ago.
The result ended Kjetil Jansrud’s three-race unbeaten streak in super-G this season. With another win, the Norwegian would have matched the record of four straight wins set by Austrian great Hermann Maier in 1998, but he finished 0.92 off the lead in ninth.
ZAO, Japan – Yuki Ito won a women’s ski jumping World Cup event on Friday, and overall leader Sara Takanashi missed the podium for the second consecutive competition.
Ito had jumps of 89.5 and 94.0 meters for a total of 213.6 points, 0.3 points of Manuela Malsiner. The Italian had jumps of 90.5 and 93.
It was Ito’s second straight win following her victory in Sapporo a week ago.
Irina Avvakumova of Russia was third with 210.6 points, while Carina Vogt of Germany was fourth, 1.8 points behind Avvakumova.
Takanashi, who also missed the podium at the previous World Cup meet in Sapporo, finished fifth with 208.3 points. She still leads the overall standings with 735 points, 103 ahead of Ito.
Associated Press
