Page 18 - AT

A18 SPORTS
Tuesday 3 March 2020
Pinturault wins GS to take Dustin Johnson

World Cup lead from Kilde decides against playing

in the Olympics

HINTERSTODER, Austria (AP)
— Alexis Pinturault won a By DOUG FERGUSON Johnson was the lead-
men's World Cup giant sla- AP Golf Writer ing American for the 2016
lom on Monday for his sec- On the fence about the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro
ond win in two days as the Olympics at the start of the when he decided at the
French skier returned to the year, Dustin Johnson de- last minute to withdraw be-
top of the overall standings. cided he won't be going. cause of concerns over the
Pinturault added 250 points Johnson's manager said in Zika virus.
to his tally over the three- a text message Monday This was more about the
day event in the Austrian that the FedEx Cup play- FedEx Cup and the lucra-
Alps to overtake Alek- offs hold as much impor- tive prize Johnson has yet
sander Aamodt Kilde. tance to Johnson as chas- to win. The top prize is now
The Norwegian finished ing a gold medal in Tokyo worth $15 million.
Monday's race in sixth and this summer. Asked about the Olym-
now trails Pinturault by 26 "I feel certain he would pics at the beginning of
points with six races left on France's Alexis Pinturault competes in an alpine ski, men's World choose otherwise if the the year, Johnson said he
Cup giant slalom, in Hinterstoder, Austria, Monday, March 2,
the calendar. 2020. timing were different, but wasn't sure how his sched-
Kilde's Norwegian team- Associated Press feels he is making the best ule would be in the sum-
mate Henrik Kristoffersen is decision under the circum- mer with the Tokyo Games
third, 107 points behind Pin- end regarding the next rac- day. He won two giant sla- stances," said David Winkle coming after the final ma-
turault. es," said Pinturault, referring loms on consecutive days of Hambric Sports Man- jor and before the FedEx
The intermediate lead in to this weekend's downhill when the World Cup last agement. Cup playoffs.
the overall standings could and super-G, events which visited the Austrian resort Johnson's name was re- "Having had a few close
be essential with the re- would usually suit speed four years ago. moved from the Olympic calls in the playoffs, he real-
mainder of the World Cup specialist Kilde better. "Winning four races from six golf ranking Monday after- ly wants to win them before
season in doubt because "We will see what happens starts here is very special, noon. At No. 5 in the world his time is done and feels
of possible travel restric- with the virus but I have that is sensational," Pin- ranking, he currently would that he wouldn't be giving
tions regarding the spread done my best," said Pin- turault said. have been No. 3 among himself the best opportu-
of the virus in Europe. turault, who considered Having carved out a lead Americans behind Brooks nity to do so if he added a
The men's World Cup has a rare start in the downhill of 0.90 seconds over Philip Koepka and Justin Thomas. lengthy international trip,"
further stops scheduled on Saturday to protect his Zubcic in the opening run, Countries are allowed a Winkle said.
in Norway and Slovenia overall lead. Pinturault lost half of his ad- maximum of four players Johnson plans to play five
ahead of the March 16-22 Pinturault finished fourth in vantage over his Croatian in golf provided they are out of seven weeks through
finals in Italy. a super-G on Saturday and competitor as he posted among the top 15 in the the British Open. He then
"I had to earn as many dominated an Alpine com- only the 21st-fastest time in world ranking. would have a week off be-
points as possible this week- bined event the following the final run.q Golfweek first reported fore heading to Japan for
Johnson's decision. the Olympics. q

Continued from page 17 against Pulev, whose only ready to go again, but
``Nothing is set in stone but loss was to former champi- we're going to change
that's certainly the date on Wladimir Klitschko nearly a lot of things in camp,''
we're talking about,'' Arum 5 1-2 six years ago. It will be Wilder said. Arum said the
said Monday. ``We have to the second try at a world economics of a third fight
meet with the Wilder camp title by Pulev, who has won make sense, even if some
and everybody else and eight straight since being in boxing believe the sec-
zero in on it, but right now stopped by Klitschko. ond fight under-performed
that's the date we're look- Arum, who promotes Pu- in pay-per-view sales. The
ing at.'' lev as well as Fury, said the fight drew a record heavy-
Promoter Eddie Hearn an- two fights could lead to a weight title gate of $17.9
nounced the Joshua-Pulev heavyweight unification million and Arum said he
fight on Monday, with Josh- fight by the end of the year. believes the pay-per-view
ua meeting the once-beat- ``What we're trying to do sales will hit 1.1 million when
en Bulgarian before what is is by the end of the year all are tallied up.
expected to be 70,000 fans in some manner, shape or ``A lot of people say a third
at the new stadium. form, have a unified heavy- fight won't do as well and
``A spectacular stadium weight champion,'' Arum Tyson Fury, of England, knocks down Deontay Wilder during a a lot of people say it will be
WBC heavyweight championship boxing match Saturday, Feb.
has been built in north Lon- said. ``One champion for 22, 2020, in Las Vegas. bigger,'' Arum said. ``Who
don and I'm honored to the entire division. It would Associated Press really knows?''
bring the boxing communi- certainly help the image of Joshua, meanwhile, returns
ty from all over the world to boxing.'' ing in December 2018 that his corner should have nev- home after losing his titles
witness us make history with Fury, who is unbeaten in ended in a draw. er thrown in the towel in the in a huge upset last June
the stadium's first heavy- 31 fights, staked his claim Wilder had 30 days under seventh round to end the to Ruiz. He won them back
weight world title fight,'' to being the best heavy- the contract between the bout. by out-boxing Ruiz in their
Joshua said. ``The belts weight around when he two boxers to formally ask Wilder told The Associated rematch in December in
go back up in the air and knocked down Wilder for a third fight with Fury. Press last week that he had Saudi Arabia. Pulev was
nothing will stop me from twice before stopping him Wilder blamed the weight no intention of delaying a originally supposed to fight
being victorious.'' in the seventh round in Las of a costume he wore into third fight and wanted it as Joshua in October 2017 but
Joshua will defend his piece Vegas. The fight was a re- the ring for taking away his soon as possible. was forced to withdraw be-
of the heavyweight title match of their first meet- legs in that fight and said ``I'm a warrior and I'm cause of injury.q