Times wires
Thursday, February 24, 2011
figure skating
denney-barrett team ends 3-year run
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett, the 2010 U.S. champions, announced the end of their three-year partnership Thursday. Barrett is retiring, but Denney will continue skating.
"I feel I'm just starting to scratch the surface when it comes to what I'm capable of," said Denney, a Wesley Chapel resident who turns 18 in June. "My goal is to find a new partner and begin competing again by next season."
Barrett, who turns 27 in April and is engaged to pairs skater Amanda Evora, plans to coach and do ice shows. He said he is pleased with his accomplishments.
The split is a setback in the long U.S. quest to find a pair to contend internationally. A U.S. pair hasn't won an Olympic medal since Jill Watson and Peter Oppegard's bronze in 1988, and the Americans have made the world championships podium once in the last decade.
That medal, a bronze by Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman in 2002, came against a watered-down field.
et cetera
tennis: Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, winners of six of the past eight Dubai Championships, remained on course to play for the title by winning quarterfinal matches in straight sets. Federer next plays Richard Gasquet; Djokovic faces Tomas Berdych. … Vera Zvonareva rallied from 5-3 down in the deciding set to defeat Daniela Hantuchova 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5 in the quarters of the Qatar Ladies Open. She faces Jelena Jankovic; Caroline Wozniacki plays Marion Bartoli in the other semifinal. … Tampa resident and No. 2 seed Mardy Fish beat Ricardo Mello 6-2, 6-1 in the second round of the Delray Beach International Championships. He next faces qualifier Alejandro Falla, who beat Adrian Mannarino.
autos: With the season-opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg a month away, IndyCar driver Tony Kanaan is looking for a new ride. Kanaan had planned to join de Ferran Dragon Racing, but the deal fell through because of lack of sponsorship. Team co-owner Gil de Ferran says the team will likely not participate in the upcoming season. Kanaan finished in the top five in the first five IndyCar races in St. Petersburg and 10th last year.
horses: Garrett Gomez won the George Woolf Memorial Jockey award in a nationwide vote of fellow riders. He outpolled Joe Bravo, Javier Castellano, Corey Lanerie and Gallyn Mitchell.
soccer: FC Tampa Bay loaned midfielder Jonny Steele to the NASL Carolina RailHawks. In 10 appearances last season, he had one goal and three assists. ... David Beckham reported to the Los Angeles Galaxy's MLS training camp, two weeks late after an extended stay to train with Tottenham.
running: Haile Gebrselassie fell and injured a knee while training in Ethiopia, then continued running and injured the other knee compensating for the first injury. He withdrew from Sunday's Tokyo Marathon and will miss about six weeks.
Times wires