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Milos Raonic (CP)

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Lindsay Vonn (CP)

Canuck coach on U.S. team

KEARNS, Utah -- U.S. Speedskating has named former Canadian national coach Stephen Gough as one of three coaches to take over while a scandal within its short-track program continues.

The federation announced Monday that Gough and Pat Wentland will work with U.S. National Racing Program skaters headed to the fall World Cups events. Athletes still in the program who failed to qualify will be coached by Tony Goskowicz.

The coaching changes follow news Friday that Jae Su Chun and assistant Jun Hyung Yeo are both suspended for failing to report skate tampering by Simon Cho on the skate of Canadian rival Olivier Jean. Both coaches and Cho face disciplinary action.

Gough, a native of Fredericton, coached Canada's short-track national team from 2007-2010.

Goskowicz is a 1994 short-track Olympian and Wentland worked with American star Apolo Anton Ohno when he was younger.

Canada's Raonic rises to 14

CANADA'S Milos Raonic has reached a new career high, reaching No. 14 in the latest ATP Tour rankings.

Raonic moved up one spot in the rankings after reaching the final of the Japan Open on the weekend. He lost in three sets to Japan's Kei Nishikori, who improved to 15th.

Swiss star Roger Federer continues to hold on to top spot, with Serbia's Novak Djokovic second and Britain's Andy Murray third.

Rafael Nadal, who has missed several tournaments and the Olympics after tearing his patella tendon at Wimbledon in June, is fourth with fellow Spaniard David Ferrer rounding out the top 5.

Slams Porsche into gas station

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Belgian player Jonathan Legear will face court and be banned from driving for at least two weeks after driving his sports car at high speed into a gas station convenience store, injuring one customer.

Security video taken early Sunday shows Legear's Porsche crashed through the glass doors of the store in the eastern town of Tongeren, rammed through several stalls of food and drinks before stopping at the cash register and forcing a customer to jump to avoid the car.

Court spokesman Michel Zegers said Monday that the midfielder, who plays for Russian club Terek Grozny and made two appearances for Belgium in 2010, would be charged with involuntary assault and, possibly, intoxication.

Zegers says there is no reason to prevent Legear from rejoining Grozny "as long as he does not drive there himself."

Through his lawyer, Legear said he apologizes to all who "have been directly or indirectly affected by what happened."

"I will accept the consequences of the accident according to the law," his statement said. He denied he was severely drunk, as some media claimed.

City teams wins U-18 nationals

WINNIPEG'S FC Northwest defeated Ontario's Erin Mills Eagles 2-1 on Monday to become the first Manitoba team to claim gold in the boys' Under-18 National Club Championships, in Sydney, N.S.

FC Northwest took control of the final early on when Brendan Rattai, the tournament's top scorer, found the range at the 15-minute mark. Genio Cisterino added to Manitoba's lead with a goal in the 22nd minute.

"This is a really big deal for the team," said Mabel Garcea, mother of FC Northwest midfielder Enrique Garcea. "It's the first time a Manitoba team has won the gold."

Erin Mills cut into the lead in the 63-minute mark when Marc Medeiros put one past Manitoba's keeper.

FC Northwest was only unbeaten club in this year's Under-18 Cup Canadian Soccer Association National Club Championships.

Vonn challenges male skiers

GENEVA -- Lindsey Vonn wants to challenge the men's downhill skiers in a World Cup race next month, though her wish still needs the support of the United States team and Alpine skiing's governing body.

The U.S. ski federation said Monday that it had not had a "formal discussion" about the possibility of its star racer challenging the men Nov. 24 in Lake Louise, Alta.

Vonn, the women's Olympic downhill champion, has written the International Ski Federation to ask whether she can make the historic start at a venue where she has earned nine of her 26 World Cup downhill victories. The Canadian course -- often dubbed "Lake Lindsey" for her dominance there -- stages women's races, including two downhills, the following weekend.

FIS, however, can't make a decision on Vonn until the U.S. ski team makes a formal request to let her enter.

-- from the news services, staff

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 9, 2012 C2