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A18 SPORTS
Tuesday 18 december 2018

Austria's Marcel Hirscher crosses the finish line to win a ski World
Cup men's Parallel Giant Slalom, in Alta Badia, Italy, Monday,
Dec. 17, 2018. In this May 29, 2018, file photo, Serena Williams returns a shot against Krystyna Pliskova during their
Associated Press first-round match of the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, France.
Associated Press
Hirscher wins parallel WTA changes rules affecting players

GS; ties for 3rd on returning from pregnancy

all-time win list ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) position. said she wore the compres-

— The women's tennis tour "These changes," WTA CEO sion suit because of a histo-
LA VILLA, Italy (AP) — Mar- parallel GS. approved rule changes and chairman Steve Simon ry of blood clots, including
cel Hirscher extended his Favrot made the podium Monday that are meant said, "are designed to fully after childbirth.
dominance in Alta Badia in only his 12th World Cup to ensure players are not support players in their re- This fall, the president of
by winning a parallel giant race; his best previous re- penalized after they return turn to competition, while the French Tennis Federa-
slalom night race on Mon- sults were 17th in a GS in from pregnancy or an in- maintaining the highest tion said Williams could
day and tied fellow Austri- Germany last season and jury that causes a long ab- standards of athletic com- no longer wear the black
an Annemarie Moser-Proell 18th on Sunday. sence. petition and fairness." bodysuit at the French
for third on the World Cup's Alexis Pinturault of France The changes were prompt- The tour also said it will en- Open. Azarenka, a mem-
all-time wins list. won the small final for third ed, in part, by the experi- sure women at WTA tourna- ber of the WTA Players'
Hirscher beat unheralded place, beating defending ences of former No. 1 play- ments "are not penalized or Council, said she wants to
Thibaut Favrot of France in champion Matts Olsson of ers Serena Williams and prohibited from wearing make sure the WTA is "the
the final by 0.14 seconds. Sweden by 0.18. Victoria Azarenka, both of leggings or compression most progressive and inclu-
It was Hirscher's second win Pinturault also finished third whom returned to compe- shorts without a skirt, dress sive association in sports."
in two days after taking the on Sunday. tition after giving birth. or shorts over them." "Our players should feel
traditional GS race on Sun- Needing to complete six The WTA announced that Williams wore a black comfortable and confident
day. runs to win in a knockout players returning to the tour bodysuit at the French to take time away from the
He has a record eight ca- format, skiers were shuttled may use a special ranking Open, where she pulled courts to have a family or
reer victories on the Gran back up to the start after for up to three years after out with an injury before recover from injury," Aza-
Risa course. each leg on offroad vehi- the birth of a child, and the the fourth round. Williams renka said.q
It was also the 62nd World cles following brief pit stops exemption can be used for
Cup victory of Hirscher's with their ski technicians. seedings at big events.
career, putting him level Hirscher extended his over- Williams, who owns an
with Moser-Proell and be- all World Cup lead to 139 Open-era record 23 Grand
hind only record-holder In- points over fellow Austrian Slam singles titles, was un-
gemar Stenmark (86 wins) Max Franz, who was elimi- seeded at this year's French
and Lindsey Vonn (82). nated in the first round. Open in her first major since
"In a skiing nation like Aus- Three more technical races the birth of her daughter
tria that is something very — one giant slalom and — despite having won the
special," Hirscher said. two slaloms — are sched- previous major she played,
"Unfortunately, I never uled for Saalbach, Austria, the 2017 Australian Open.
watched (Moser-Proell) and Madonna Di Campi- Williams was seeded 25th
race but it's always nice to glio, Italy, this week. at Wimbledon and 17th
talk to Annemarie. I really "These were two very hard at the U.S. Open, and she
like how much apprecia- days," Hirscher said. "This reached the finals and lost
tion she shows for current whole schedule for all at both of those majors.
ski racing." With his first par- athletes is pretty hard to Players who return from an
allel GS win in his fourth try manage but it is working injury that keeps them out
in Badia, Hirscher has now out amazing at the mo- of competition for a year or
won all types of technical ment and hopefully I can longer may use a special
races: Traditional slaloms take this form with me to ranking in 12 tournaments.
and giant slaloms, city the races in Saalbach and No player will be bumped
event parallel slaloms and Madonna."q from her earned seeded