BIATHLON
Cape Elizabeth native Clare Egan posted the second-best result of her World Cup biathlon career with a fourth-place finish Friday in a 15-kilometer individual race at Antholz-Anterselva, Italy.
Egan hit 18 of 20 targets, missing once in each of her two standing stages. She finished 1 minute, 55.9 seconds behind winner Justine Braisaz-Bouchet of France, who cleared 19 of 20 targets. Julia Simon of France was second, 51.1 seconds back, and Mona Brorsson of Sweden was 1:37.2 behind in third.
Egan’s only higher finish was third in a mass start race in Oslo, Norway, at the end of the 2018-19 season. Her best previous result this season was 12th in a sprint at Ostersund, Sweden, on opening weekend in November.
Egan will be heading to the Beijing Olympics as a member of the U.S. biathlon squad. She also competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
HOCKEY
ECHL: Tristin Langan scored twice in the first period, then finished his hat trick in the third period as he led the Orlando Solar Bears to a 6-2 win over the Maine Mariners at Cross Insurance Arena.
Ian McKinnon and Pascal Laberge scored for Maine, which couldn’t overcome a 3-0 first-period deficit.
SKIING
OLYMPICS: Two-time Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin leads the 17-member list for the U.S. Alpine team nominated Friday for the Beijing Games.
There are nine first-time Olympians on the roster, which still awaits confirmation from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
Shiffrin heads to her third Olympics. She already owns three medals, including a gold in slalom in 2014 and in giant slalom in 2018.
Other Americans who previously made Olympic teams and are back are Breezy Johnson, Tricia Mangan, Jackie Wiles, Bryce Bennett, Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Tommy Ford and Travis Ganong.
The first-timers are Keely Cashman, Katie Hensien, AJ Hurt, Mo Lebel, Paula Moltzan, Nina O’Brien, Bella Wright, River Radamus and Luke Winters.
WORLD CUP: Aleksander Aamodt Kilde dominated another men’s speed race with a clear win in the downhill on the Streif course in Kitzbuhel, Austria.
It was the Norwegian’s sixth win in 12 speed events this season, and third in a downhill. He leads both the super-G and downhill standings.
Kilde beat Johan Clarey by 0.42 seconds, while French teammate Blaise Giezendanner surprisingly made the podium in third as a late starter with bib No. 43.
GOLF
PGA: Patrick Cantlay fought through gusting wind on his back nine to take a one-stroke lead into the weekend at The American Express in La Quinta, California, in a bid to win for the third time in four starts.
Cantlay shot a 68 on PGA West’s Nicklaus Tournament Course to reach 14-under 130.
Tom Hoge was second after a 66 on PGA West’s Stadium Course.
LPGA: Nelly Korda shot 6-under 66 at Lake Nona to take a one-shot lead over Gaby Lopez and Danielle Kang at the midway point of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Florida.
Through two rounds, Korda is at 10-under 134. Her older sister and the defending champion, 28-year-old Jessica Korda, is two shots back.
ABU DHABI CHAMPIONSHIP: Rory McIlroy rolled in a 6-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole and was set to join Collin Morikawa in making the cut on the number after a brutal second round in the United Arab Emirates that brought some of the world’s best golfers to their knees.
Gusts of up to 40 mph off the coastline of the Persian Gulf caused havoc at Yas Links, with just five of the 93 players who completed their round shooting under par in conditions typically associated with the British Open.
Scott Jamieson ended the day where he started it – in the lead – despite a 2-over 74 that was 11 shots worse than Thursday. Viktor Hovland remained a stroke off the lead at 6 under.
McIlroy (75) and Morikawa (74) were at 3 over.
SOCCER
WORLD CUP QUALIFYING: Jordan Morris, Tim Weah, Sergino Dest and Gyasi Zardes returned from injuries to make the U.S. roster ahead of the next three World Cup qualifiers, while Gio Reyna, Gianluca Busio and Aaron Long missed out.
U.S. Coach Gregg Berhalter announced a 28-man group that will report to Columbus, Ohio, for a match against El Salvador on Jan. 27. The Americans play Canada on Jan. 30 at Hamilton, Ontario, and host Honduras three days later at St. Paul, Minnesota – a tight schedule in frigid weather that is likely to cause Berhalter to make significant rotation in his lineup.
ENGLAND: American forward Josh Sargent scored his first two Premier League goals to help lift Norwich out of the relegation zone with a 3-0 win over 10-man Watford.
Sargent, 21, had not found the net in 18 previous games until his improvised backheel flick broke the deadlock in the 51st minute.
Sargent then headed home from a well-weighted cross by Milot Rashica for his second of the game.
BASKETBALL
WNBA: The Phoenix Mercury hired former Las Vegas Aces assistant Vanessa Nygaard as their next head coach, a person familiar with the hire told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the hire won’t be officially announced until Monday.
Nygaard replaces Sandy Brondello, who didn’t have her contract renewed last month after eight seasons despite taking the Mercury to the 2021 WNBA finals.
HOCKEY
AHL: The American Hockey League suspended San Jose Barracuda forward Krystof Hrabik for 30 games for making a racial gesture toward Tucson Roadrunners forward Boko Imama during a recent game.
Hrabik was suspended for making the gesture during a Jan. 12 game in San Jose. Hrabik is white. Imama is Black.
The Barracuda, the AHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks, immediately removed Hrabik from all team activities, pending an investigation.
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