AFP Sports

Croatia's Ivica Kostelic won the last super-combined race of the season to successfully defend his World Cup title in the discipline here on Sunday on the 2014 Sochi Olympic course. Kostelic, who was 1.52secs behind downhill section winner Beat Feuz, produced a flawless performance in the deciding slalom to eventually finish 1.16secs ahead of the Swiss. Thomas Mermillod-Blondin, who was only 1.07secs off Feuz's downhill pace, finished third at 1.77secs behind Kostelic to hand France their...Read Full Story

Croatia's Ivica Kostelic stayed in contention to defend his World Cup super-combined title in what is the finale of two-discipline event Sunday at the 2014 Sochi Olympics alpine venue. On-form Swiss Beat Feuz topped the times for the downhill part of the super-combined, which will be decided by a slalom beginning at 1000 GMT. But with a deficit of only 1.52secs to the Swiss, slalom specialist Kostelic is well poised to claim the points he needs to claim his second successive super-combined...Read Full Story

The Texas Rangers and Nelson Cruz agreed on a $16 million contract that will keep the slugging outfielder with the Rangers for two more Major League Baseball seasons. In a story posted on the team's website, Rangers executive Thad Levine says the team is willing to discuss a longer-term contract. Cruz himself said he was happy to agree to terms and avoid salary arbitration. "Everything is great," Cruz said on a conference call to discuss the deal. "We wanted to take care of this first," Cruz...Read Full Story

The United States friendly against five-time World Cup champions Brazil on May 30 will be held at FedEx Field, the home of the Washington Redskins NFL team, US Soccer said Thursday. The May 30 fixture had been announced last month as part of Brazil's three-match friendly tour of the United States, but the venue had not been named. Brazil will face Argentina in a battle of South American giants on June 9 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey , the 80,000-seater stadium that is home to the NFL's...Read Full Story

A stadium, hit by a massive earthquake last March, is one of candidate venues for the under-20 women's football World Cup to be hosted by Japan this summer, the country's football chief said Thursday. "We will need at least four venues. One of them will be located in the disaster area," Japan Football Association president Junji Ogura said. "We want to encourage the disaster area." The 16-nation tournament will be held from August 19-September 8 with the final expected to be held at Tokyo 's...Read Full Story

Houston will host the 2013 All-Star game, the third time the Texas city has staged the NBA's mid-season showcase. The league said Wednesday that its 62nd All-Star exhibition will be played on Sunday, February 17, 2013 at the Houston Rockets ' Toyota Center arena. The arena will also play host to the attendant NBA Rising Stars Challenge -- which features first- and second-year players -- and NBA All-Star Saturday night festivities. "Houston is a spectacular sports city, and for one week it...Read Full Story

Stuart Lancaster confirmed he has applied to become England's next full-time coach after demonstrating his passion for the post by shedding blood during the side's Calcutta Cup win away to Scotland. The first match of Lancaster's reign as acting head coach saw a revamped England team begin the defence of their Six Nations Championship title with a 13-6 victory at Murrayfield on Saturday. And so taken was Lancaster with England fly-half Charlie Hodgson's try early in the second half, he...Read Full Story

Austria's Romed Baumann won Sunday's super-combined race at Chamonix for his second World Cup win, three years after he last topped a podium. The Austrian timed 2min 56.10sec to finish 1.10sec ahead of Frenchman Alexis Pinturault, with Switzerland's Beat Feuz a further 0.09sec adrift. Baumann dominated the downhill portion of the race where he opened up a 3.27sec advantage over Pinturault to give the 26-year-old a vital cushion, as the Austrian continued on from his good form of Saturday...Read Full Story

Old hurts and new hopes will all be in the air when Scotland and England start their Six Nations campaign with the latest edition of international rugby union's oldest match on Saturday. England could hardly have a more awkward start to life under acting head coach Stuart Lancaster than a trip to Murrayfield, a ground where they have not won on their three most recent visits. Scotland, not that they've needed it in a fixture dating back to 1871, have an added incentive for beating England...Read Full Story

Spain's Iker Martinez matched the achievement of one of the Volvo Ocean Race greats on Saturday when he became the first skipper in 22 years to win three legs in a row. The 2011 World Sailor of the Year steered his Team Telefonica boat to a handsome 90-minute victory to claim his hat-trick triumph in the leg from Abu Dhabi to Sanya in Hainan Province, southern China. The last boat to win three legs running was Steinlager 2 in 1989-90, which was skippered by New Zealander Peter Blake and went...Read Full Story