Freestyle Motocross rider dies before exhibition at Texas Motor Speedway

Jim McNeil

- By Nick Bromberg

Freestyle Motocross rider Jim McNeil died Sunday after suffering injuries while practicing for a FMX exhibition before Sunday's AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

McNeil, 32, was practicing in the midway area outside the frontstretch grandstands before the area was open on Sunday morning. He was taken by CareFlight to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

McNeil, who was known as "Jumpin' Jimmy," had competed in Freestyle Motocross for 11 years, and finished fourth overall in FMX at the X Games in 2006. He had been part of the Boost Mobile FMX team for nine years.

In Freestyle Motocross, riders are scored by judges based on a series of jumps and tricks. The most famous FMX rider may be Travis Pastrana, who is transitioning to NASCAR, or Carey Hart, who is married to the singer Pink.

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Tennis: Fed Cup final, Russia and Czech Republic back to back

Kvitova

AFP - Russia and the Czech Republic are back to back (1-1) in the Fed Cup final after victories N.1 of each camp, and Petra Kvitova Svetlana Kuznetsova on Saturday in Moscow. Everything will play Sunday when the first single from Kuznetsova and Kvitova looks decisive. Given what she has shown in recent months and again Saturday against Maria Kirilenko (6-2, 6-2), the Czech favorite part. But the experience of Russian, very useful against Lucie Safarova (6-2, 6-3), gives the equilibrium between two players that are never encountered. It will then be in two N.2, Kirilenko and Safarova, trying to bring the final blow. In equal to two victories over the fate of the final and the estate of Italy will be decided in the doubles.

Saturday, the two leaders of each side were perfectly into their ranks, winning on scores quite similar and clear. Kuznetsova, the 19th World was a little more difficult, particularly struggling to conclude the first set against Safarova who was very ill in the entry. The Czech, who has followed most of the part of Kvitova in the stands, contrary to the practice whereby it is concentrated in the privacy of the locker room, never recovered from the loss of the first four games. Kuznetsova, known for his emotions, has shown some excitement. But the double Grand Slam winner (Roland Garros 2009, US Open 2004) was able to draw on his enormous experience to cash the big pressure off his shoulders and allow Russia to stay in the race for fifth coronation.

Kvitova has it, shown in the impressive first single to put on track the Czech Republic is its first Fed Cup victory since independence in 1993. "It was much harder than the score would indicate," she said. Nevertheless, the world No.2, never worried about his service, his game has held powerful left-handed, do not hesitate to enter the net to win an ace after a recital almost 1:10 perfect. Confident after winning the Masters Sunday, she has regularly outstripped Kirilenko, after the defection of tenured Vera Zvonareva who beat her in their two previous meetings in 2009. Since the Czech champion at Wimbledon this year, has grown a lot. Click here to find out more!

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Masters Women's Tennis: Azarenka and Kvitova qualified for the semi-finals

Vitoria Azarenka

AFP - The Belarussian Victoria Azarenka and Czech Petra Kvitova are the first qualified for the semifinals of the Masters women, after their victories respectively on China's Li Na and World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki on Thursday in Istanbul. Azarenka (world No.4) has imposed the same score as yesterday against the Australian Samantha Stosur, 6-2, 6-2. The Belarus took revenge against Li Na (N.5), who had beaten this year in two Grand Slams, the Australian Open and Roland Garros.

The Chinese suffered from a too many unforced errors (39 to 17 against his opponent) to hope worry his opponent. The winner of Roland Garros has not given up hope of qualifying as one of the white group tickets will be played Friday between it and Stosur (N7). In the red group, Kvitova (N.3), winning at Wimbledon this year, dominated a very pale Wozniacki 6-4, 6-2. Little verve on his first ball (only 54 winning %), Denmark's never seemed able to disturb his opponent. Wozniacki, who has not won major titles on the WTA Tour, is now dependent on the outcome of the meeting between Russian Vera Zvonareva and Agnieszka Radwanska, following Thursday to advance to the semis. Only a victory of the Polish would allow him to retain some hope.

Euroleague Basketball: Nancy already under pressure

Basketball

AFP - After initial setbacks Cantu (69-80), Nancy no longer has any room for error against Bilbao, received Thursday (20.45) during the second day of the Euroleague Basketball Men -ball. With eight games still to play after this one, it might seem premature to speculate on the future and the champion of France. The Sluc have ample time to recover from the first two defeats. Yes, but here it is: Cantu and Bilbao are a priori the two teams are relegated to the locals as behind to hope to become the first French team since Pau-Orthez in 2007, reaching the Top 16.

Other clubs in Group A, Fenerbahce, Olympiakos Vitoria and seem well above the rest. Although the Greeks have done something wrong last week in ... Bilbao, winning 76-61. The indication that this is not a small team that comes Thursday night in Lorraine, while Bilbao is participating for the first time in the Euroleague. The Basque club last season reached the final of the Spanish Championship, after having eliminated Real Madrid in the semifinals, and had only yielded to the great FC Barcelona, ​​with no demerits. "Bilbao is now even better with the arrival of new players, good players who have experience in the Euroleague. After their victory against Olympiakos, who can doubt of their potential," says coach Nancy Jean Luc Monschau.
While inside the Belgian Axel Hervelle, injured his knee before the Euro in Lithuania, is hardly restored and should leave a few minutes from the bench, the team coached by Greek Fotios Katsirakis has many other advantages . 

Always dangerous offensively, Spanish winger Alex Mumbrú should provide an interesting challenge to Nicolas Batum. Croatian winger Marko Banic, MVP (best player) of the Eurocup in 2009-2010, was the leading scorer (23 points) against Olympiakos. But Nancy shall not overlook another player, who had many hardships to the team of France in the Euro: the leader of Latvia Janis Blum, author of 32 points against the Blues. To beat the Spanish, Nancy must first be more regular than Cantu. In Italy, he managed the first twenty minutes of top flight. But Cantu had then found a way to slow the tempo of the match and were locals as runaway.

"We're a little disappointed because we had the means to beat them at home," observes Adrian Moerman. "But you learn ... There is still a little young in the Euroleague." "It will lose less balls (20 to Cantu, Ed) and play better in the second half," takes the power forward. The private Sluc will always be the young pivot Abdelkader Sylla. Injured left wrist, it is still available for two weeks.

Sepp Blatter promises to tackle corruption within FIFA.

Sepp Blatter

AFP - FIFA president Joseph Blatter said Friday that his body would open in December "folder ISL" alleged corruption to the BBC for the "transmit" to "external organization" in order to obtain "the consequences ". The BBC said in a release about last year that International Sports and Leisure (ISL), a marketing company which had obtained exclusive rights for several World Cups, before its liquidation in 2001, had paid "pots of wine"  to certain members of FIFA.

Issa Hayatou, President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), is one of three members of the executive committee of FIFA accused in this BBC documentary to have received money through corruption . Hayatou had dismissed the charges in late November on France 24, arguing that the CAF had received funding from ISL in "a spirit of solidarity" to mark the 40th anniversary of the proceedings. "We do not deny that ISL gave the CAF (...) 25,000 Swiss francs. No one disputes that," he said about this "wave of solidarity". "We do not see how we are affected by what the BBC said, had said Hayatou. This is something that dates back 16 years. Why did not the BBC revealed that in 16 years if it had proof that it was the corruption? ".

Hayatou had also assured the end of November not be opposed to the initiation of an investigation requested by the NGO Transparency International. "If they want to investigate that can stop them? It has nothing to hide, if they want to investigate as they come. Doors open," he said.

IndyCar: Wheldon, who died in the race, worked to improve safety.

AFP - The Englishman Dan Wheldon, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500, died Sunday after a terrible accident at the Grand Prix of Las Vegas, last race of the IndyCar season, died before the application of security measures that it was testing.

Wheldon, 33, was working on new security structures on a chassis for the 2012 North American IndyCar series. They shall include an expanded cockpit for better driver protection, facilities, and aerodynamic reducing the speed limit the risk of flying cars. That of Wheldon flew in Sunday's fatal accident that involved 15 competitors.

"Some things happened in this race, and it is hoped that with these changes he could not," said the American Eddie Cheever, former Formula 1 driver and Indy. "We all had a bad feeling before the race," added the Spaniard Oriol Servia: "The track was too much slope. We were too close to each other. We knew what could happen." The organizers must listen to the drivers and make sense of things between races excitement and safety, Cheever continued: "Maybe we went a little too far away to make more show." "They would make service if they listened a little more drivers (...) and the concerns they express," he said. "Let's get started, and find a solution," approved the Scot Dario Franchitti, who won for the third consecutive year the IndyCar championship.

In Formula 1, no drivers are more dead in the race for the Brazilian star Ayrton Senna in 1994 in Imola (Italy). In stock cars, since the star Dale Earnhardt, the arrival of the Daytona 500 in 2001.

In both cases, the death of famous drivers also resulted in a major overhaul of safety regulations. Moreover, the English and American Pippa Mann JR Hildebrand who had been hospitalized after the accident were able to leave the hospital Monday, the first having had an operation on a finger severely burned and the second with injury the sternum.

The Australian Will Power, the second of the final championship standings behind Franchitti IndyCar underwent tests Sunday for back pain and then left the hospital. Click here to find out more!