Injured Russian skier can’t feel her legs
Injured Russian skier can’t feel her legs
MUNICH — Olympic skicross racer Maria Komissarova of Russia remains confident of walking again despite having no feeling in her legs.
Komissarova wrote on Instagram, “I don’t feel my body below my navel. But I am strong and I know that I’ll be able to stand on my legs again some day.”
The 23-year-old Komissarova remains in a Munich rehabilitation center after breaking her spine at the Sochi Winter Games. She will remain there for at least three months, a spokesman for the Russian freestyle ski federation told the Interfax news agency.
Komissarova crashed during a training run on Feb. 15, fracturing the 12th dorsal vertebrae in her lower-middle back. She underwent emergency surgery lasting 6½ hours at Krasnaya Polyana, Russia, a day before being airlifted to Germany for further treatment.
Villeneuve returning to IndyCars for May’s 500
INDIANAPOLIS — Jacques Villeneuve will finally get a chance to win a second Indianapolis 500.
Almost two decades after winning his first title, the 42-year-old Canadian will return to the historic 2.5-mile oval in May, driving for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. The official announcement came Wednesday.
In 1995, Villeneuve won the 500 and the CART championship but hasn’t started an IndyCar race since then.
He left for Formula One after the ’95 season where he competed from 1996 through 2006. He won the world championship in 1997, then moved to stock cars in 2007 and has run in a variety of series including Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Le Mans as well as sports cars.
In two IndyCar seasons, Villeneuve won six poles and five races. This year’s 500 is scheduled for May 25.
New sponsor restores Independence name
SHREVEPORT, La. — Independence Bowl Foundation officials say Duck Commander, the company run by the stars of the reality television series “Duck Dynasty,” is the new title sponsor of Shreveport’s annual college football bowl game.
Officials say Duck Commander chief operating officer Willie Robertson also has agreed to bring back the game’s original name.
The move restores the word “Independence” to the bowl’s name after it was called only by the name of its previous sponsor, AdvoCare V100, last season.
Robertson said college football and the tradition associated with the Independence Bowl are important to his family.
The Independence Bowl began in 1976 to honor the United States’ bicentennial.
The bowl has primary partnerships with the Atlantic Coast Conference and Southeastern Conference, and secondary agreements with Conference USA and the American Athletic Conference.
Madrid romps, Chelsea draws in Champions League
GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany — Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema each scored two goals, leading Real Madrid over Schalke 6-1 Wednesday in the opener of their second-round Champions League tournament.
In the day’s other game, Aurelien Chedjou’s goal off Wesley Sneijder’s corner kick in the 64th minute gave Galatasaray a 1-1 tie against visiting Chelsea, which had gone ahead when Fernando Torres scored in the ninth minute.
Ronaldo’s two goals gave him 11 in the Champions League this season and 34 in 34 games overall this season. With 61 Champions League goals in his career, Ronaldo moved one ahead of Ruud Van Nistelrooy for third place, trailing only Raul Gonzalez (71) and Lionel Messi (66).
Benzema scored in the 13th and 57th minutes, while Bale had goals in the 21st and 69th minutes. Ronaldo scored in the 52nd and 89th.
Schalke’s Klaas-Jan Huntelaar had the most spectacular goal on a volley in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
Second legs of the total-goals series are March 18.
By wire sources