Killian Peier jumps to 3rd place in the Innsbruck qualification and FC Basel foregoes the trip to the training camp in Dubai at the last minute. The most important sports news at a glance.
The new darts world champion Peter Wright has the nickname «Snakebite» (snakebite).
Scotsman Peter Wright world darts champion for the second time
(dpa) The Scot Peter Wright has won the title of world darts champion for the second time. On Monday evening, the 51-year-old with the nickname «Snakebite» prevailed 7: 5 against the Englishman Michael Smith and thus crowned himself again at the most important tournament of the year after 2020. Always brightly dressed and coiffed, Wright won prize money of 500,000 pounds (around 595,000 euros) in London and the 25 kilo Sid Waddell Trophy. Wright remains number two in the world rankings, but is coming very close to Primus Gerwyn Price from Wales.
For the “Bully Boy”, as Smith is called, the second World Cup final after 2019 was also lost. The 31-year-old had previously taken the two favorites Price and Jonny Clayton (also from Wales) out of the tournament. Smith is still waiting for his first major major title. The tournament at Alexandra Palace was overshadowed by several corona cases and took place over the entire three weeks in front of full stands.
Alpine skiing: Twice canceled Super-G will be made up in Wengen
The men’s World Cup Super-G, which was canceled in Lake Louise and Bormio, will be made up for in Wengen. The race will take place in the Bernese Oberland on Thursday, January 13th.
The Super-G opens the program on the Lauberhorn, which now comprises four races. Downhill runs are planned on Friday and Saturday, with the slalom ending on Sunday. A World Cup Super-G has so far taken place in Wengen. 28 years ago, Marc Girardelli from Vorarlberg, who drove for Luxembourg, won ahead of the Norwegians Jan Einar Thorsen and Atle Skaardal.
Nordic skiing: Top place for Peier in the qualification in Innsbruck
Kilian Peier convinces on the Bergisel ski jump in Innsbruck.
(sda) Killian Peier feels right at home again on the hill where he won the bronze medal in February 2019. The Vaudois ranks third in the qualification in Innsbruck.
Only the tour leader Ryoyu Kobayashi from Japan and the Austrian Jan Hörl scored more points. At the third station of the Four Hills Tournament, Peier is aiming for the first podium this season. Before Christmas he finished fourth twice in Engelberg.
Simon Ammann and Gregor Deschwanden will also push off the bar on Tuesday. Toggenburg was in 33rd place, Deschwanden in 39th place. Ammann has to assert himself in the knockout duel against Andrzej Stekala from Poland, Deschwanden against Naoki Nakamura from Japan. Both solvable tasks.
Nordic skiing: Neprjajewa and Klaebo win the 5th stage of the Tour de Ski
Natalia Neprjajewa moves into pole position in the Tour of Skis before climbing the Alpe Cermis. The Russian wins in Val di Fiemme the 5th stage over 10 km classic with a mass start.
In the overall standings, Neprjajewa is 1:12 minutes ahead of Ebba Andersson. The Swede may not yet be written off in the overall ranking. A year ago she was one and a half minutes faster than Neprjajewa in the climb to the finish line of the Tour de Ski, who is now aiming for her first overall victory after two second places. The race on the Alpe Cermis will be held as a mass start and not as a pursuit, which suits the Russian.
The Swiss women did not convince on Monday. Nadine Fähndrich took a couple of World Cup points as 27th. Lydia Hiernickel has to worry about an Olympic selection after her 45th place.
With the men, Johannes Hösflot surprised Klaebo. The Norwegian did not decide the classic mass start race over 15 km on the home straight, but ran away from the opponents in the final phase. With the 46th World Cup victory, Klaebo equalized Björn Dählie’s record.
Klaebo won 20 seconds ahead of the Finn Iivo Niskanen, who had triumphed at the start of the tour in Lenzerheide. Alexander Bolschunow had to be content with fifth place, half a minute behind. In the Tour classification, the Russian is now second, 2 minutes behind Klaebo. The best Swiss in the overall standings is after Dario Cologna Jonas Baumann in 17th place.
Soccer: Basel isn’t going to Dubai after all
(sda) FC Basel does not travel to the training camp in Dubai. At the last minute, the club management changed their plans due to the corona situation. The Basel delegation was already at Zurich Airport to start the journey to the United Arab Emirates. Because the number of corona infections in the Middle East has recently risen sharply, the FCB went over the books again and came to the conclusion that the situation represents “too much uncertainty in relation to a good and orderly training camp”.
The club assured that the decision had nothing to do with the health situation within the team. In the run-up to the planned trip, three people in the vicinity of the 1st team had tested positive for Corona. You are in isolation and would not have traveled to the training camp anyway, which was criticized by Basel fans for the precarious human rights situation in Dubai.
Until further notice, FCB will train at home. Some players who were on vacation in Dubai or who traveled there privately now have to travel home. It cannot be ruled out that the Basel players will come to their training camp abroad at a later date. Alternatives are being examined, announced FC Basel.
At FC Luzern, four players who are now in isolation have tested positive. However, the training operations can be carried out as planned, announced the new central Swiss who have been supervised by Mario Frick.
Alpine skiing: Rast, Danioth and Meillard are missing in Zagreb due to Corona
(sda) The women’s World Cup slalom in Zagreb will take place on Tuesday without Camille Rast, Aline Danioth and Mélanie Meillard. The trio have tested positive for Covid-19 in internal tests over the past few days, says Swiss-Ski. The subsequent PCR tests would have confirmed the result.
Swiss-Ski will therefore only be represented by Wendy Holdener, Michelle Gisin, Elena Stoffel and Selina Egloff in this winter’s fifth World Cup slalom above Croatia’s capital.
Ice hockey: Third win in a row for Hischier and the Devils
Nico Hischier scores the fifth and sixth goals of the season in the NHL against Washington.
(sda) Nico Hischier leads the New Jersey Devils to their third win in a row. The Valais striker scored two goals in the 4: 3 away match against Washington Capitals, including the one in extra time.
After 22 seconds in the middle third, Hischier was successful for the first time when he steered a shot from compatriot Jonas Siegenthaler into the goal to make it 3-1. It was the ninth assist of the season for the Zurich defender.
After the Capitals had made up the two-goal deficit in the final third, Hischier made his sixth goal of the season for the Devils’ first win against Washington in almost two years and nine lost games.