Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Thursday 27 december 2018

Serena voted AP Female Athlete of the Year for 5th time

By BRIAN MAHONEY to withdraw in Paris be-
AP Sports Writer cause of a right pectoral
She showed up in Paris injury and didn’t play again
wearing a black catsuit, a until Wimbledon, where she
reminder that nobody can lost to Angelique Kerber in
command the Grand Slam the final.
stage quite like Serena Wil- Williams came up short
liams. again in New York, where
She reached the finals at her loss to Naomi Osaka
Wimbledon and the U.S. in the final will be remem-
Open, proving again how bered best for her outburst
well she can play no mat- toward chair umpire Carlos
ter how little she practices. Ramos, who had penal-
Williams didn’t win those ized Williams for receiving
or any other tournaments, coaching and later penal-
which in every other situa- ized her an entire game for
tion might have made for a calling him a “thief” while
forgettable year. arguing.
In 2018, it was a remarkable That loss leaves her one
one. Her rapid return to major title shy of Marga-
tennis after a health scare ret Court’s record as she
following childbirth was a starts play next year in a
victory in itself, and for that, WTA Tour that will look dif-
Williams was voted The As- ferent in part because of
sociated Press Female Ath- new rules coming about af-
lete of the Year for the fifth In this Sept. 6, 2018, file photo, Serena Williams celebrates after defeating Anastasija Sevastova, ter issues involving Williams.
time. Williams received 93 of Latvia, during the semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, in New York. Players returning to the tour
points in balloting by U.S. Associated Press may use a “special rank-
editors and news directors weren’t even born when be able to play even hope- Williams developed blood ing” for up to three years
announced Wednesday, she turned pro in 1995, Wil- fully better.” clots after giving birth to from the birth of a child,
while gymnast Simone Biles liams isn’t the same person The Male Athlete of the daughter Alexis Olympia and the exemption can
was second with 68. Notre who ruthlessly ran her way Year will be announced Ohanian Jr. on Sept. 1, be used for seedings at big
Dame basketball player to 23 Grand Slam singles Thursday. 2017, and four surgeries events. Also, the tour says
Arike Ogunbowale was titles — the last of which The women’s award has would follow. She returned players can wear leggings
third, while Olympic snow- came at the 2017 Austra- been won more only by to the WTA Tour in March or compression shorts at its
boarder Chloe Kim and lian Open when she was Babe Didrikson Zaharias, and played in just a pair of tournaments without a skirt
swimmer Katie Ledecky, pregnant. whose six wins included events before the French over them.
the 2017 winner, rounded “I’m still waiting to get to be one for track and five for Open, where she compet- Williams insists she is still driv-
out the top five. the Serena that I was, and golf. ed in a skin-tight, full-length en to play and win as much
All of those players won a I don’t know if I’ll ever be Williams’ previous times black catsuit . if not more than before she
title or titles in 2018, while that, physically, emotional- winning the AP honor, in She said the outfit — worn was a mother. That drive
Williams had to settle for ly, mentally. But I’m on my 2002, 2009, 2013 and 2015, partly for health reasons be- is the focus of a Nike ad
just coming close a couple way,” Williams said on the were because of her domi- cause of the clots — made showing her in action.
of times. eve of the U.S. Open final. nance. her feel like a superhero, “Getting this far, crazy,”
Now 37 and a new mother “I feel like I still have a ways This one was about her per- but her game was rarely in it says. “Stopping now,
facing some players who to go. Once I get there, I’ll severance. superstar shape. She had crazier.”q

Comanche takes lead in Sydney to Hobart

surged into the lead in reached the first rounding Jim Cooney, set the race
the 74th Sydney to Hobart mark at Sydney Heads in record of 1 day, 9 hours, 15
Yacht Race on Wednes- a little over 13 minutes just minutes, 24 seconds while
day. After three hours of ahead of InfoTrack and winning the 628 nautical
racing, line honors favor- Wild Oats X, with Coman- mile passage to Hobart,
ite Comanche was set- che rounding the mark in Tasmania last year in con-
ting a fast pace of around sixth place. troversial circumstances.
27 knots, benefiting from International entry Sun First-place finisher Wild
north-easterly winds along Hung Kai Scallywag from Oats XI, which has won
the New South Wales state Hong Kong was fourth line honors nine times, was
coast and had a lead of through Sydney Heads, given a one-hour time
four nautical miles from but soon became one of penalty for an illegal tack
supermaxi rivals InfoTrack, two early retirements from on Comanche while still
The bowman of Blackjack is sprayed with water as the yacht Wild Oats XI and Black the 85-strong fleet when in Sydney Harbour, giving
heads the field during the start of the Sydney Hobart yacht Jack. the supermaxi sustained Comanche the win.
race in Sydney, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. Earlier, In front of tens of a broken bow sprint. The This edition is also the 20th
Associated Press thousands of onlookers on other retiree was TP52 Zen anniversary of the infa-
SYDNEY (AP) — Super- ney Heads for the second the shore and a flotilla of which withdrew due to rig mous 1998 race where six
maxi Black Jack was the successive year, but 2017 spectator boats on Syd- damage. sailors died after the fleet
first yacht through Syd- winner Comanche has ney Harbour, Black Jack Comanche, skippered by was hit by a large storm.q