International Capsules: Toronto awarded 2015 Pan American Games

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — The 2015 Pan American Games are going to Toronto.

The Pan American Sports Organization awarded the games in a secret vote on Friday with Toronto receiving 33 votes to win on the first ballot. Lima, Peru, received 11 votes and Bogota seven. One vote of the 52 was null.

"This is a day of celebration, a moment of joy. We won this honor and are very thankful," said Dalton McGuinty, the premier of Ontario. "The quality of the competition was very hard. Lima and Bogota were great rivals and I’m sure that they will host the games someday."

Canada has held the event twice — in Winnipeg in 1967 and 1999. Toronto has failed in two bids to host the summer Olympics.

The 2007 Pan American Games were held in Rio de Janeiro, which used that success as a springboard to its winning bid for the 2016 Olympics last month.

The 2011 games are to be held in Guadalajara, which has faced major delays in organizing the event.

In its presentation on Friday, Toronto emphasized that many of the facilities needed for the games were already built. Officials suggested their option was "risk free" and said they were planning to build an athletes’ village and an aquatic center, no matter the outcome of the vote.

Toronto officials said the games would be held from July 10-26, with the Parapan American Games set for Aug. 7-14.

The Toronto delegation was headed by McGuinty and Mayor David Miller.

The delegations from Colombia and Peru were both led by heads of government — President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia and President Alan Garcia of Peru.

"We had hoped Bogota would be the venue, but we have to accept the results and move ahead. It was a clean fight," Uribe said.

In his presentation just before the vote, Garcia urged voters to choose the venue on something other than financial concerns. Peru has never hosted the Pan American Games. Colombia held them once, in Cali in 1971.

"This is not a real estate auction, nor is it a competition about who is the richest," Garcia said.

The first Pan American Games were held in 1951 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Only 10 of the 42 member nations in the Pan Am Sports Organization have hosted the games.

Former Olympic skier Bogner to head Munich bid

MUNICH — Willy Bogner has been named head of Munich’s bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

The former two-time Olympian skier, who won the famed Wengen downhill as a 17-year-old, later became a movie maker and directed and filmed skiing scenes in four James Bond movies, as well as movies from several Winter Games.

Bogner was responsible for some film scenes used in the Russian city of Sochi’s successful bid to land the 2014 Olympics.

The 67-year-old was a longtime member of Germany’s National Olympic Committee. The sports apparel company he inherited from his father has supplied clothing to German Olympic teams for years.

Figure Skating

Wagner leads after short program at NHK Trophy

NAGANO, Japan — Ashley Wagner of the United States finished first in the women’s short program at the NHK Trophy on Friday, edging Miki Ando of Japan.

Wagner opened with a triple flip, double toe loop in a routine to the soundtrack from "Once Upon a Time in America." Her only mistake came on a double axel that was downgraded, and she finished with 56.54 points. Ando was second with 56.22 points, while Yukari Nakano of Japan was third with 54.92.

"First place is a good place to be but it wasn’t my best performance," Wagner said. "My double axel was downgraded but hopefully I can do it cleanly tomorrow in the long program."

Wagner, who finished second in the Rostelecom Cup, is bidding for a place in the Grand Prix final, which will be held in Tokyo on Dec. 3-6.

Ando, who won the Rostelecom Cup two weeks ago in Russia, fell on her second element — a triple flip — but recovered to keep herself in position for a second Grand Prix title.

"I wasn’t pleased with my program today. It was poor from my viewpoint," Ando said. "It wasn’t just that I fell but the overall performance wasn’t good. I was able to finish second perhaps because of the support of the fans but the result today just wasn’t good enough."

Nakano two-footed the landing on a triple lutz and botched her opening combination jump.

"It’s a shame I missed that opening combination," Nakano said. "Because other than that I was pleased with the way things went."

In the men’s short program, Brian Joubert of France finished first and Jeremy Abbott of the United States was second.

Joubert opened his routine with a quadruple toe loop, triple toe loop combination and received 85.55 points. Abbott was second with 83.00 points and American skater Johnny Weir was third with 78.35.

"I’m very happy because my first Grand Prix was difficult," said Joubert, who finished fourth at the Trophee Bompard in Paris. "I was very disappointed with the result (in Paris) so it was important for me to get a good result today and for the rest of this competition."

Joubert, the 2007 world champion, stumbled on the landing of a triple lutz but otherwise skated a clean program.

Abbott, the U.S. champion skating in his first GP of the season, opened with a triple flip, triple toe loop combination and hit all his jumps.

"I was pleased that I got everything done and did everything with quality," Abbott said. "I didn’t miss any jumps and that was important."

Abbott left his coach of 10 years, Tom Zakrajsek, in May and is training with former world champion Yuka Sato.

"Last season was a big breakthrough for me," Abbott said. "But the end of the season wasn’t that good and I felt like I needed a change. My new coach has made me skate with a lot of confidence and even when I feel bad I am able to be comfortable on the ice."

Weir, battling a cold he picked on the 13-hour flight to Japan, turned in his best performance of the season.

"I skated well today," Weir said. "I wasn’t thinking about skating. I was just trying to save energy for Saturday’s free skate."

Daisuke Takahashi of Japan, skating in his first GP since returning from knee surgery, had a solid performance but made a weak landing on a triple lutz and fell during a step sequence.

American pair Meryl Davis and Charlie White were first after the compulsory dance, and Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov of Russia topped the pairs short program.

-- Jim Armstrong

Track & Field

Keflezighi honored in San Diego

SAN DIEGO — Five days after winning the New York City Marathon, Meb Keflezighi was back where it began for him.

Keflezighi, who moved from his native Eritrea to San Diego when he was in the sixth grade, was honored Friday at the San Diego Hall of Champions for becoming the first U.S. man in 27 years to win the New York City Marathon. His time of 2 hours, 9 minutes, 15 seconds was a personal best.

"It’s great to be back in beautiful San Diego," Keflezighi said. "I’m just thrilled to be here. My dream became a reality on Sunday, and it was a great field assembled nationally and internationally. What a beautiful weekend it was."

The 34-year-old Keflezighi spoke in front of an audience of many of the same people who coached and taught him during his school years, including from nearby San Diego High.

"It’s good to see all of these familiar faces that have seen me through sixth grade on," Keflezighi said. "From not being able to speak English, to be featured on TV and to run the city of New York and finally win it. I can’t put it into words, but I’m going to try: It’s just the most gratifying moment of running."

The marathon victory was Keflezighi’s first, and came after he recovered from a stress fracture in his hip that hindered the 2004 Olympic silver medalist for more than 18 months. He trained for the comeback in California as well, choosing to rehab in the mountain town of Mammoth Lakes.

"I was ready to hang it up in 2007 when I couldn’t walk," Keflezighi said. "Once I made that commitment to come back, we worked hard. What a better way to finish so strong in New York and a tough course and run a personal best ever for me and probably one of the top U.S. times on that course."

Keflezighi has continually competed for U.S. teams in international events despite his African roots, and will do the same in attempts to qualify for the 2012 Olympics in London.

Since returning from the injury, Keflezighi has also won a half-marathon in San Jose and set personal bests at seven-mile distances.

Athletics South Africa suspended by governing body

JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s Olympic governing body has suspended Athletics South Africa in the fallout over Caster Semenya’s gender tests.

The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee said in a statement it was suspending the track organization immediately.

The action comes after Athletics South Africa’s attorneys sent a letter saying the decision by the committee a day earlier to suspend the ASA president Leonard Chuene and board was "unreasonable" and "unfair."

The Olympic committee said the letter indicated ASA "will not respect (its) directives and/or resolutions."

Semenya won the 800-meters at the world championships at Berlin in August after the IAAF said it had ordered gender tests. Chuene later said he lied about his knowledge of the tests.

Jamaica track and field coach quits after 22 years

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Usain Bolt’s coach will continue working with the Olympic champion and world record holder even though he is stepping down as Jamaica’s national team coach after 22 years.

Glen Mills told The Associated Press on Friday he felt it was time to resign, saying, "There are a lot of coaches who are making their mark."

Bolt set three world records last year at the Beijing Olympics and broke those marks again in the 100 and 200 meters in August at the world championships.

Under Mills, the team won 71 world championships medals and 33 Olympic medals.

Sailing

America’s Cup feud could be nearing end

There might be a thaw coming in the long, bitter America’s Cup legal fight between defending champion Alinghi of Switzerland and American challenger BMW Oracle Racing.

Apparently with some prompting from a New York State Supreme Court justice, the powerhouse syndicates agreed Friday to meet during the weekend to discuss their dispute over where to sail their best-of-three series in their fast, monster multihulls.

They are to report back to Justice Shirley Kornreich on Monday.

The syndicates announced the development after Kornreich left the lawyers in the courtroom and met in her chambers with the syndicates’ principals, Lucien Masmejan of Alinghi and Russell Coutts, a three-time America’s Cup winner who’s the CEO and skipper of BMW Oracle Racing.

Masmejan, a spokesman for Alinghi boss Ernesto Bertarelli, is a lawyer but hasn’t been arguing the case.

Masmejan told The Associated Press that he and Coutts agreed not to discuss what was said in chambers.

Both sides said the hearing was productive and expressed optimism.

"Maybe there’s good chance to make progress over the weekend," Masmejan said. "You never know what happens but I’m entering into this discussion with a very positive mind."

Tom Ehman, a spokesman for Golden Gate Yacht Club, which backs BMW Oracle, echoed Masmejan’s thoughts.

"We are hopeful an agreement can be reached," Ehman said in a statement.

The racing appears headed to either Valencia, Spain, or Australia’s east coast. Alinghi originally picked Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, but Kornreich ruled last week that the Persian Gulf port was ineligible based on the 19th-century Deed of Gift.

Alinghi has appealed Kornreich’s ruling. On Thursday, the Swiss offered the compromise of sailing in Australia.

That compromise came with a stipulation, though. The Swiss said that if the Americans dropped their legal proceedings, they would select a specific location within 10 business days.

GGYC, noting that Australia’s east coast is 2,500 miles long, responded that it needed to know a specific venue in order to determine whether it would be possible to prepare on short notice.

Also pending is GGYC’s breach of fiduciary duty complaint seeking to remove Alinghi’s yacht club, Societe Nautique de Geneve, as America’s Cup trustee.

Racing is scheduled to start Feb. 8.

BMW Oracle Racing has been testing its 90-by-90-foot trimaran in San Diego since last fall. Alinghi’s equally immense catamaran, Alinghi 5, has been in RAK for several weeks, along with the sailing team and some 100 support personnel.

The carbon-fiber giants are capable of sailing at 2 to 2 1/2 times the speed of the wind. BMW Oracle Racing had a temporary setback on Tuesday when its 200-foot mast came tumbling down, breaking in two as it hit the aft beam during a sail on the Pacific Ocean. No crewmen were injured.

After listening to arguments at Friday’s hearing on the venue spat, Kornreich called attorneys for both sides to the bench. The lawyers then told Coutts and Masmejan that Kornreich wanted to talk with them in private.

"I think this is a positive movement, pushing for this, and I think it is a very smart move," Masmejan said.

Sailing’s marquee regatta has been beset by a two-year legal tussle between bickering billionaires Bertarelli and Larry Ellison, the Oracle Corp. CEO who owns BMW Oracle Racing.

Coutts sailed unbeaten through three straight America’s Cup matches, the first two with his native New Zealand and again with Alinghi in 2003. He had a falling out with Bertarelli and was fired in 2004.

Coutts was barred from sailing for anyone else in the 2007 America’s Cup. Ellison hired him shortly after that regatta ended, perhaps adding an extra layer of bitterness to this feud.

-- Bernie Wilson

Speedskating

CAS rejects Pechstein’s plea to race this weekend

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — The Court of Arbitration for Sport has rejected Claudia Pechstein’s request to compete in speedskating World Cup races while she awaits a ruling on her appeal of a doping suspension.

The five-time Olympic champion from Germany is appealing a two-year ban imposed by the International Skating Union for suspected blood doping.

Pechstein had been told she cannot race before the court delivers a verdict, which is expected within two weeks.

A CAS panel of three arbitrators on Friday refused to change an interim ruling that lets her train but not compete.

"In particular, (Pechstein) had not established in her request that her non-participation ... would cause her ‘irreparable harm,"’ the court said in a statement.

Pechstein wanted permission to race in Berlin this weekend and at the World Cup meet held Nov. 11-13 in Heerenveen, Netherlands.

Germany’s most successful Winter Olympian hopes to be cleared by the court and then compete in her sixth games in Vancouver next February.

Pechstein has won a gold medal at four straight Olympics, and also has two silvers and two bronzes.

The ISU banned the 37-year-old Pechstein in July, saying she returned blood samples with abnormal levels at the World Allround Championships held last February at Hamar, Norway.

The governing body compared samples Pechstein had given since 2000 before banning her until Feb. 9, 2011.

Pechstein denied doping and was supported by the German skating federation at her two-day appeal hearing last month.

Cycling

Floyd Landis 17th in New Zealand road race

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Floyd Landis dropped to 17th on the final day of the Tour of Southland, which included two stages on New Zealand’s South Island.

Landis began Saturday in 14th place, but was 21st among the 95 riders in the 50-mile eighth stage. He finished 1 minute, 12 seconds behind Alabama native Michael Olheiser.

Landis fell further off the pace in the final stage, a 40-mile ride from Winton to Invercargill. He finished the stage in 40th place, 2:51 behind Romain Fondard of France.

After Landis won the 2006 Tour de France, he was disqualified and banned for two years when doping tests revealed elevated levels of testosterone. He returned to racing in January.

The American finished the nine-stage race 16 minutes behind overall winner Heath Blackgrove of New Zealand. Jack Bauer was second overall, 1:03 behind, and Tom Findlay finished another 13 seconds back in third.

Landis’s cyclingnzshop.com-Bio Sport team was 13th of the 21 teams that competed the race.