Woods lets loose his inner daredevil
By Wire services
Published April 25, 2006
HUNTLY, New Zealand - It was driving, but not the kind Tiger Woods is renowned for, and the world's top-ranked golfer still ended up on the leaderboard.
Woods won the second of two celebrity stock car races Monday on a dirt track in New Zealand - even after starting at the back of the grid.
Woods, in New Zealand as the best man in caddie Steve Williams ' wedding, was a designated "blocker" in the first race, which also included several full-time V-8 circuit drivers.
In the second race, he started at the back of the field but worked his way up through the grid to win. He hit the wall on the third lap but remained in the race.
Before the races, Woods said he expected to be involved in crashes but added his insurance was "taken care of."
Woods warmed up for the race with another daredevil deed - diving 440 feet from a cable car holding New Zealand's highest bungee jump Sunday. Woods and Williams both made the 8.5-second jump from the Nevis Highwire near Queenstown.
SOCCER FIFA drug rules not up to Olympic standardLONDON - Soccer could be out of the Olympics if FIFA doesn't change its antidoping rules after sport's highest court said it didn't comply with the World Anti-Doping Code.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport said Monday that soccer's world governing body was not compliant with the rules of the code, issued by the World Anti-Doping Agency. WADA dictates doping policy for all 35 Olympic sports federations.
The main sticking point is the length of bans for positive doping tests. WADA has an automatic two-year ban. FIFA wants each case to be individually determined, with bans of between six months and two years.
WADA's executive committee meets May 13 in Montreal to discuss whether it should declare FIFA noncompliant with the code. If it does, the International Olympic Committee would need to consider if soccer could be contested in the games.
MORE SOCCER: Germany has told the European Union it will impose passport checks at its borders during this summer's World Cup in an effort to minimize hooligan violence and terrorism. The Schengen Treaty normally allows passport-free travel throughout much of Europe, but it can be suspended for major events. ... Baltimore Blast coach Tim Wittman has been suspended for the next two seasons by the Major Indoor Soccer League for putting a game official in a chokehold. Wittman was charged with battery by Stockton, Calif., police, the (Baltimore) Sun reported.
ET CETERA
TENNIS: Former champions Juan Carlos Ferrero and Albert Costa advanced Monday to the second round of the Open Seat Godo in Barcelona, Spain. Ferrero defeated Belgium's Kristof Vliegen 6-1, 6-2, and Costa beat American Vince Spadea 7-6 (7), 4-6, 6-1. Ferrero won the event in 2001 and Costa in 1997. Costa, the former French Open champion, announced his 14th straight appearance at Real Club would be his last. He plans to retire after the Barcelona Open next week. ... Fifth-seeded Arnaud Clement of France beat Juan Monaco of Argentina 6-4, 6-1 in the first round of the Grand Prix Hassan II in Casablanca, Morocco. Also, sixth-seeded Jurgen Melzer of Austria followed his run to the singles and doubles final at Houston with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 win over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain.
HORSE RACING: Trainer Barclay Tagg says plans have been made for Showing Up to run in the Kentucky Derby on May6, but first the colt must recover from a puncture wound in his right front leg suffered during his victory in the Lexington Stakes. Showing Up, 3-for-3 in races, earned a shot at the Derby by winning the $350,000 Lexington and earning enough graded stakes money to get in if more than 20 horses are entered.