The sub-zero temperatures in Ruka in northern Finland took their toll on Swedish cross-country skier Calle Halfvarsson during a 20 km mass start event on Sunday as he lost all feeling in his private parts.Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Hugh LawsonAs the race began the mercury plummeted to minus 15 Celsius (5 Fahrenheit). The 34-year-old eventually crossed the line in 18th place before rushing to the tents where the athletes were warming themselves back up."I had frozen my penis for real - I had to lie in there for 10 minutes to warm it up," Halfvarsson told Swedish newspaper Expressen.The temperatures in Ruka have proven hazardous for male athletes before, with their thin suits and under-layers providing minimal protection against the cold."It's lucky my second child is on the way because it's going to be difficult in the future if I continue like this," Halfvarsson said with a laugh.

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Cross-country skier's private parts freeze in sub-zero Finland event

Italy returned to the Davis Cup final after a gap of 25 years as Jannik Sinner beat Novak Djokovic in both singles and doubles to secure a 2-1 victory over Serbia on Saturday that earned the 1976 champions a title clash with Australia.Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru;
Editing by Pritha Sarkar, Clare Fallon and Toby DavisSinner and doubles partner Lorenzo Sonego beat the Serbian duo of Djokovic and Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3 6-4 to secure a famous victory that sent the former champions packing and sparked wild celebrations at a heaving Martin Carpena Arena in Spain.Up next for Filippo Volandri's side, who will be playing in an eighth final and seeking a second trophy, are 28-times champions Australia after Lleyton Hewitt's team eased past giant-killers Finland on Friday.Sinner earlier saved three matchpoints to stun Djokovic 6-2 2-6 7-5 in an extraordinary singles match to help Italy draw level with Serbia at 1-1 after Kecmanovic had put the 2010 champions ahead by beating Lorenzo Musetti 6-7(7) 6-2 6-1.Sinner was facing Djokovic for the third time in 11 days and the world number four, who beat the top-ranked Serbian early in the ATP Finals before losing to him in the title clash, made a quick start to ease through the opening set with two breaks.The 22-year-old, who had sparked Italy's comeback in their quarter-final against the Netherlands, took his foot off the gas in the next set to allow Djokovic back in but kept chipping away in the hope of sealing a second win over him in six meetings.He saved three matchpoints from 0-40 at 4-5 in the decider and then broke Djokovic for a 6-5 lead before holding his nerve to make a forehand pass and pull off one of the most remarkable wins of his career amid deafening cheers."It was for sure the game-changer today," Sinner said of his singles heroics at 4-5. "I just tried to push in every single point and the 0-40 game helped the confidence and also after I broke him. It's all part of tennis."Obviously playing doubles in the decider of a Davis Cup tie is not easy. There's a lot of pressure, I think we both handled it really well. We are a very complete team and each one of us is really happy to be here."Tomorrow we'll try our best. Let's see what's coming."Defeat was a bitter pill for Djokovic, the winner of three of the four Grand Slams in a stellar season, as the 36-year-old lost his first Davis Cup singles match since the semi-final in 2011 when he retired against Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro.It was only the fourth time Djokovic had lost a tour-level match after having a matchpoint and Sinner also became the first player to beat the 24-times Grand Slam champion twice in singles in the same season since Daniil Medvedev in 2019.Kecmanovic had earlier rallied from a set down to power past Musetti and leave Serbia one win away from their third final in the elite men's team competition and first since 2013.Musetti made a slow start against the high-flying Kecmanovic and narrowly avoided going down a double break, before the world number 27 found his range to level the first set at 5-5 and come from behind again in the tiebreak to clinch it.Kecmanovic's level barely dropped, as the world number 55 breezed through the next set and broke twice in the third for a 4-0 lead, which was enough for the 24-year-old to see off Musetti who was battling a thigh issue.

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Sinner stuns Djokovic then doubles up to send Italy into Davis Cup final

Formula One's governing body barred overtaking in the pitlane exit during the season's final qualifying in Abu Dhabi on Saturday after triple world champion Max Verstappen forced his way past rivals in practice.Writing by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Pritha SarkarRace director Niels Wittich issued a change to the event notes to prohibit overtaking in the pit exit road unless a car slowed with an obvious problem.Verstappen overtook both Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell as well as an Alpine during Friday's second session in the exit tunnel that leads to the track at Yas Marina."They have to move," the Red Bull driver explained. "They are all driving slow, and I want to go out because we are limited on time, and they just keep on driving in the middle."Then, when I tried to pass, they tried to squeeze me in the wall. So yeah....a bit silly."Verstappen and Red Bull won both championships long ago, with the Dutch driver chasing a record-extending 19th win of the season on Sunday. Red Bull have won all but one race so far in 2023.Once-dominant Mercedes are facing their first season without a win since 2011.

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FIA clamps down on pitlane exit overtakes after Verstappen move

Oscar Pistorius's life story from before and after Valentine's Day 2013 reads like the script to two markedly different films – the first an inspirational sporting biopic and the second a grim tale of murder.Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew HeavensIn the first he was the "Blade Runner", the multiple Paralympic gold medallist with carbon-fibre prosthetic legs who also took on the best in the 2012 London Olympics.In the second he was the man who murdered his 29-year-old girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp - a model and promising law graduate - by shooting her through the door of a bathroom in his Pretoria home.On Friday, he was back in the spotlight when he was granted parole more than 10 years after the killing and told he would finally get to leave prison on Jan. 5 next year.Pistorius, who was born without fibulas and had both legs amputated below the knees before his first birthday, was once seen as the embodiment of human triumph over adversity.The Johannesburg-born athlete was first catapulted on to the world stage in the early 2000s, when he won Paralympic gold in the 200 metres at the Games in Athens.After his victory, Pistorius set his sights on running against able-bodied athletes at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but was barred from competing in the event by World Athletics - then called the International Association of Athletics Federations.The ban was eventually overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but Pistorius failed to qualify for the Olympics, coming within 0.70 seconds of the qualifying standard for the 400 metres in Beijing.Undeterred, he swept that year's Paralympics, taking home the 100, 200 and 400 metre gold medals, before launching another bid to qualify for the 2012 Olympics in London.This time he was successful.At London in 2012, Pistorius became the first double amputee to run in the Olympics, reaching the 400m semi-finals and competing for South Africa in the 4x400m relay.He added the icing on the cake with another three Paralympic medals.Then, five months after the games, on Feb. 14, 2013, Pistorius shot and killed Steenkamp.A gun enthusiast, he told the trial he had believed Steenkamp was an intruder when he shot her several times with ammunition designed to inflict maximum damage to the human body. It was an account he repeated over the years.He was initially jailed for five years in 2014 for culpable homicide by a high court. But the Supreme Court of Appeal in late 2015 found him guilty of the more serious charge of murder after an appeal by prosecutors.He was jailed in 2016, initially for six years which was later increased to more than 13 after an appeal by prosecutors who argued the initial sentence was too lenient.In 2022, Pistorius met Steenkamp's father Barry when participating in a process known as victim-offender dialogue - part of South Africa's restorative justice programme that brings parties affected by a crime together in a bid to achieve closure.Few details were made public about the meeting. "The dialogue is a private and confidential matter, hence we ask that our clients' privacy be respected," the Steenkamps' lawyer Tania Koen saying at the time.Steenkamp's father died earlier this year. Her mother June said she did not believe Pistorius, who turned 37 this week, was rehabilitated in a statement at the parole hearing.But she added that she had forgiven him "long ago as I knew most certainly that I would not be able to survive if I had to cling to my anger".

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Oscar Pistorius, track star turned murderer, granted parole

Walt Disney said on Thursday its TV channels in India and digital streaming platform both set new viewership records in the recently concluded men's cricket World Cup.Reporting by Munsif Vengattil in Bengaluru and Aditya Kalra in New Delhi
Editing by Bernadette Baum and David EvansThomson ReutersMunsif Vengattil is a Reuters' India technology correspondent, based in New Delhi. He tracks how policymaking is influencing the business of tech in India, and how the country is now vying more aggressively to be a powerhouse in the global electronics supply chain. He also regularly reports on big tech giants, including Facebook and Google, and their strategies and challenges in the key Indian market.Thomson ReutersAditya Kalra is the Company News Editor for Reuters in India, overseeing business coverage and reporting stories on some of the world's biggest companies. He joined Reuters in 2008 and has in recent years written stories on challenges and strategies of a wide array of companies -- from Amazon, Google and Walmart to Xiaomi, Starbucks and Reliance. He also extensively works on deeply-reported and investigative business stories.A record 518 million viewers from India watched matches during the 48-day event on TV, while Disney's streaming app recorded a peak concurrent viewership of 59 million during the finals.Disney's disclosure comes as it competes aggressively with billionaire Mukesh Ambani's JioCinema in the streaming sector.In recent months, Ambani has sought to promote his platform by saying mobile streaming is the way to watch live matches, not TV.On Thursday, Disney said 300 million users tuned into watch World Cup finals alone on TV, citing data from broadcast industry body BARC. "This becomes the most watched event in Indian television history," said Sanjog Gupta, head of sports at Disney Star.Disney is currently exploring options of finding a joint venture partner or even a sale of its India business.The company has offered free streaming of World Cup cricket on smartphones via Hotstar, part of a strategy to boost advertising revenue and offset the impact of a subscriber exodus. JioCinema too have made cricket free to watch on phones.Cricket-mad India hosted the 13th edition of the showpiece event Oct. 5-Nov. 19, where it lost to Australia's national team in the final match.The International Cricket Council (ICC) has said that a record 1.25 million attended the matches from the stands during the World Cup this time.Disney had bought digital and streaming rights to show the ICC tournaments in India from 2024 to 2027 by paying around $3 billion.

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Disney sets India cricket viewership record for TV, streaming during world cup

Italy's Jannik Sinner beat Tallon Griekspoor 7-6(3) 6-1 as the former champions levelled their Davis Cup quarter-final against dark horses the Netherlands at 1-1 on Thursday and set up a deciding doubles match.Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris and Toby DavisBotic van de Zandschulp earlier rallied from a set down to beat Matteo Arnaldi 6-7(6) 6-3 7-6(7) as the Dutch took a 1-0 lead in their bid to match their best result of reaching the semi-finals of the premier men's team competition in 2001.Current Dutch captain Paul Haarhuis, who was a part of the team that lost to eventual champions France 22 years ago, will need doubles veterans Wesley Koolhof and Jean-Julien Rojer to beat Simone Bolelli and Lorenzo Sonego to progress.Filippo Volandri's Italy were boosted by the return of world number four Sinner and the 22-year-old, who was beaten by Novak Djokovic in the ATP Finals title clash on Sunday, got them back into the tie with an impressive display against Griekspoor.He edged the opening set before breezing through the next in only 20 minutes.In the day's opener, Arnaldi squandered two set points and saved one as the world number 44 won a tight opening set in the tiebreak when Van de Zandschulp sent a forehand long.The Dutchman drew level after Arnaldi dropped serve in the eighth game of the next set and the world number 51 saved match points in the decider to seal victory after nearly three hours.Italy won their only Davis Cup title in 1976 and are looking to reach back-to-back semi-finals for the first time since three straight last-four appearances in 1996-98.The winners of the tie will take on a Serbia side featuring world number one Novak Djokovic or Britain, who face each other in their quarter-final later on Thursday.

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Sinner draws Italy level with Dutch in Davis Cup quarters

Paris will not be ready for the Olympics and Paralympics in terms of transport and sheltering the homeless, city mayor Anne Hidalgo has said.Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Ken Ferris"There will be places where (public) transport will not be ready because there will not be enough trains and not frequently enough," Hidalgo told news show Quotidien in thinly veiled criticism of Paris region president Valerie Pecresse.The Ile de France (Paris region) Regional Council, led by right-winger Pecresse, is in charge of transports in the region.Hidalgo said the government was also, "a little bit" responsible for the situation, adding: "But we do this all together so I'm also concerned".Socialist Hidalgo said the RER (regional express train) station at Porte Maillot in western Paris would not be ready for the July 26-Aug 11 Games.However, Pecresse wrote on social media platform X, formerly Twitter: "We will be ready. It's a huge collective effort that shouldn't be denigrated by an absent mayor".Hidalgo added that the situation of the homeless in the capital was another major issue."I don't want to take them out and hide them (during the Olympics). There should be a social legacy," Hidalgo said."We want to set up housing where they could be as soon as this winter and we're dealing with it with the regional authorities and the state and we all agree that we have to move forward - but we are not ready."(This story has been refiled to remove an extraneous word in the headline)

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Transport won't be ready, Paris mayor says ahead of 2024 Games

Argentina captain Lionel Messi accused the Brazilian police of brutality as the start of their World Cup qualifier against Brazil was delayed by half an hour after clashes between police and visiting fans at Maracana Stadium on Tuesday.Reporting by Fernando Kallas, Writing by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by Stephen CoatesBrazilian and Argentinian fans started fighting behind one of the goals during the national anthems, prompting police to charge at the travelling contingent with night sticks drawn.Some Argentina fans responded by ripping up and throwing seats at the officers as other fans panicked and came onto the pitch to escape the fighting.One Argentina fan lay on the pitch with a bloodied face before being taken from the stadium on a stretcher.The Argentina team, led by Messi, went over to the terraces to try to calm the situation before leaving the pitch and returning to the dressing room."It was bad because we saw how they were beating people ... The police, as it already happened in the Libertadores final, were once again repressing the people with night sticks, there were players who had families over there," Messi said in a pitchside television interview."We went to the locker room because it was the best way to calm everything down, it could have ended in tragedy."You think about the families, the people who are there, who don't know what's going on and we were more concerned about that than playing a match that, at that point, was of secondary importance."Brazil captain Marquinhos, who could be seen interacting with Messi and the Argentinian players as they tried to calm the situation, shared the concerns."We were worried about the families, women and children, that we were seeing in panic up there in the stands," Marquinhos told reporters."Down on the pitch it was hard for us to understand what was going on, it was a very scary situation."There were violent clashes between fans of Argentina's Boca Juniors and Brazil's Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro ahead of the Copa Libertadores final between the clubs this month.On Tuesday, the Argentina players eventually returned, after police corralled the visiting fans in a pen and the match started after a lengthy delay.Argentina won 1-0 with a 63rd-minute headed winner from defender Nicolas Otamendi and celebrated the victory over their fiercest rivals in front of their fans at the same end of the ground where the trouble had occurred.It was a third straight defeat for five-times World Cup winners Brazil, who had midfielder Joelinton sent off 18 minutes from time.

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Violent clashes mar Brazil v Argentina World Cup qualifier

U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said Sergino Dest needs to be held accountable for his behaviour after the full back picked up two yellow cards within seconds in their 2-1 defeat to Trinidad and Tobago in the CONCACAF Nations League on Monday.Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; editinbg by Robert BirselThe U.S., which won the quarter-final 4-2 on aggregate thanks to a 3-0 victory in Austin last week, earned a spot in the 2024 Copa America despite the loss in Trinidad.Dest, 23, assisted Antonee Robinson's opening goal before being sent off in the 39th minute. He received the first yellow for kicking the ball off the pitch and the second for showing dissent as his team mates tried to calm him down.Trinidad levelled minutes later, with Alvin Jones giving them the lead in the 57th minute."It is concerning because that's not what we want to represent," Berhalter told reporters. "As a team, players, the staff, we need to hold him accountable because it's inexcusable."It really is and we were very firm with our words after the game. He put a number of guys in jeopardy and made a number of guys do a lot of extra work in this weather and it's inexcusable."Berhalter said he does not want this situation to become a "witch hunt" and that Dest had apologised to the team."He's a young player, he's a fantastic part of this team. He's going to learn, he's going to grow. He made a dumb mistake and he knows that," Berhalter said.Dest also apologised on Instagram, saying his behaviour was "unacceptable, selfish and immature"."It's something I have to learn from and it won't happen again!," Dest said.

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Dest must be 'accountable', US coach says after red against Trinidad

India played the tournament's best cricket for nearly six weeks but it was the familiar sight of Australia celebrating with the trophy as fireworks exploded overhead when the 13th edition of the World Cup came to a close on Sunday.Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in Ahmedabad; editing by Peter RutherfordBarely five months after beating India in the World Test Championship final at The Oval, the Australians outplayed the same opponents, this time in their own house, to claim the game's most coveted knockout trophy.It was a remarkable journey for Australia, who began their campaign with back-to-back defeats yet still finished with the 50-overs World Cup in their arms for the sixth time.In addition to taking on India, the tournament's only unbeaten team, in the final they were also up against the vast majority of the 93,000 noisy fans who thronged the colossal Narendra Modi Stadium.Cummins took the bold decision to chase under the lights and was vindicated when Travis Head smashed a match-winning hundred in front of a silent sea of crestfallen Indian fans.While the final match-up was not entirely unexpected, there were a few surprises along the way in a tournament taking place without twice champions West Indies, who failed to qualify for the first time in the tournament's history.England's title defence evaporated after six defeats in their first seven matches, prompting demands for a complete overhaul of the Jos Buttler-led side, while fans feasted on Afghanistan's giant-killing exploits.Coached by Jonathan Trott, the Afghans upstaged three former champions -- England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka -- before Australia's Glenn Maxwell brought them back down to Earth with arguably the best ever ODI knock.They left with their heads held high, but other teams' failures to progress to the semi-finals triggered familiar knee-jerk reactions in the sub-continent.Babar Azam stepped down as Pakistan's all-formats captain, Shakib Al Hasan's leadership was questioned in Bangladesh, while government interference in the functioning of the Sri Lanka board earned the country a suspension.Shakib had already caused controversy over his appeal that led to Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews becoming the first player in international cricket to be 'timed-out'.Mathews, who blamed his failure to take strike within the stipulated two minutes on a broken chin strap, called Bangladesh "disgraceful" and flayed the umpires. He had plenty of support.<h2 data-testid="Heading" class="text__text__1FZLe text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__medium__1kbOh text__heading_6__1qUJ5 heading__base__2T28j heading__heading_6__RtD9P article-body__heading__33EIm">THE CRICKET WORLD STOPS</h2>More than a million fans attended the group matches and the governing International Cricket Council (ICC) reported record-breaking viewership even amid growing concerns about the future of the 50-overs format in a landscape dominated by T20 cricket.Cummins, for one, had no doubts about the stature of the original World Cup."I think it's the pinnacle of international cricket," said Cummins, who was part of Australia's victorious 2015 squad."Every international team comes together. You only get a shot at it every four years. Even if you have a 10-year career, you might only get two chances at it."The whole cricket world stops with this World Cup."India, barring the final, were all but flawless in their cricket but far from it as tournament hosts.The schedule, usually announced a year before the event, was released only 100 days before the start with a subsequent revision further disrupting the travel plans of fans.The early matches not involving India had plenty of empty seats, despite organisers declaring that tickets had sold out.England skipper Buttler called the sandy outfield in Dharamsala "not ideal" for World Cup matches, while the toxic air in New Delhi forced Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to cancel practice sessions in the Indian capital.Equally embarrassing was the boorish behaviour of the Indian fans towards Pakistan players during an Oct. 14 clash between the arch-rivals in Ahmedabad.The commercial success of the tournament, however, has given the ICC reason to be optimistic about the health of 50-overs cricket ahead of their meeting in Ahmedabad this week."The news of the demise of ODI cricket has been grossly exaggerated," chief commercial officer Anurag Dahiya said after the group stage in a reworking of Mark Twain's famous response to reports of his death."We can clearly say that with what we have seen in the last one month."

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REVIEW Cricket-One-day format revived as Australia gatecrash India's World Cup

India rode battling half-centuries by KL Rahul and Virat Kohli to post 240 all out in exactly 50 overs against Australia in the final of the World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in Ahmedabad; editing by Pritha SarkarPat Cummins's decision to field, primarily to avoid operating with a dewy ball in the night, bemused many but Australian bowlers, aided by some superb fielding, stifled their opposition.India captain Rohit Sharma had been playing tone-setting knocks in their batting template in the tournament and it was no different in the final despite the early loss of Shubman Gill.Gill nearly edged the first ball he faced to the slip fielder but the opener did not linger much, pulling Mitchell Starc (3-55) to Adam Zampa at mid-on after making four.Rohit smashed three sixes in his entertaining 47 but fell just before the end of powerplay.The opener stepped out against Glenn Maxwell but miscued his shot on the offside. Travis Head ran backwards from cover to take a tumbling catch to get rid of the India captain.Kohli (54) hit Starc for three boundaries in a row but India slumped to 81-3 in the 11th over when Cummins dismissed Shreyas Iyer caught behind.Kohli and Rahul (66) then combined in a dour rebuilding job even if it meant going 16.1 overs without a boundary.Kohli, the tournament's leading scorer, brought up his ninth 50-plus knock in 11 innings but soon departed after chopping a Cummins delivery on to his stumps.Rahul hit just one four in his half-century illustrating how difficult the pitch was for shot-makers like him.Australia wicketkeeper Josh Inglis took five catches, which is a record in a World Cup final.

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Australia bowl out India for 240 in cricket World Cup final

The much-maligned Las Vegas Grand Prix crossed the finish line in style on Saturday night, delivering a dramatic race on the famed Las Vegas Strip to help offset earlier missteps.Reporting by Rory Carroll in Las Vegas; Editing by William MallardThomson ReutersLos Angeles-based sports reporter who interviews the most impactful athletes and executives in the world. Covers breaking news ranging from the highs of championship victories to the lows of abuse scandals. My work highlights the ways in which sports and the issues of race, gender, culture, finance, and technology intersect. The announcement of a third U.S. grand prix was initially met with enthusiasm, but the mood began to sour in the days leading up to the event as street closures choked traffic and public interest began to wane.Making matters worse, a disastrous first practice session on Thursday night lasted just eight minutes before being cancelled for track repairs, leading to a class action lawsuit by disgruntled fans.But on a crisp and clear Nevada night, even LVGP's biggest critic - inaugural event winner Max Verstappen - had to admit that it was a success."It was a lot of fun out there," the Red Bull star said after securing his record-extending 18th victory of the Formula One season.Verstappen, who had wrapped up the championship well before coming to Vegas, raised eyebrows this week when he was critical of the spectacle surrounding the race and even the crowds themselves.But he pulled a U-turn after Saturday's triumph."A great crowd," Verstappen said in the winner's circle as the famed Bellagio fountains danced in the background."I hope everyone enjoyed it, we definitely did. Excited to come back here next year and try to do something similar."Red Bull Principal Christian Horner said Verstappen relished the experience."I think he changed his mind about Vegas," he said.On Thursday, a loose drain cover along the 3.8-mile (6-km) street course wrecked Carlos Sainz's Ferrari and led to concerns about the quality of the brand new circuit, but Lewis Hamilton praised it after his seventh place finish."Lots of great overtaking opportunities," Hamilton said."And I think for all those who were so negative about the weekend, saying it was all about show blah blah blah, I think Vegas proved them wrong."Residents and workers expressed mixed feelings this week about F1's return to the city after a nearly 40-year absence.Some told Reuters it was unacceptably disruptive to their daily lives, while others argued it was the exactly the kind of event the city needs to attract if it is to continue to grow.Second-place finisher Charles Leclerc offered a final word of praise for the LVGP, which is scheduled to be held on the Saturday before Thanksgiving for the next decade."There was no better race to be the first race in Vegas," he said. "The energy around the city is incredible and I'm just really, really happy. I really enjoyed today."