GYMNASTICS

Head of USA Gymnastics resigns amid scandal

Embattled USA Gymnastics president Steve Penny resigned Thursday amid potentially the worst sexual abuse scandal in American sports history and mounting pressure from Congress and the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Penny’s resignation came during a USA Gymnastics board of directors conference call Thursday and a week after the USOC recommended that Penny resign or be moved.

Despite Penny’s resignation, USA Gymnastics continues to face legal and political problems on several fronts since the sexual abuse scandal involving Dr. Larry Nassar broke last fall.

Nassar, the longtime USA Gymnastics national women’s team physician, is accused of sexually abusing more than 100 young athletes.

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GOLF

PGA: Emiliano Grillo made it through the cold start at Bay Hill for a 5-under 67 and wound up tied for the lead with Matt Fitzpatrick at Orlando, Florida in the first Arnold Palmer Invitational without the beloved tournament host, who died in September.

Sam Saunders, Palmer’s grandson, reached 2 under par until making a pair of 6s over the last three holes going for the green over water. He had a 74, same as Rory McIlroy.

LPGA: Stacy Lewis made a run at the second 59 in LPGA tour history, settling for an 8-under 64 and a share of the first-round lead Thursday in the Bank of Hope Founders Cup at Phoenix.

Playing in low-90s heat in near-perfect conditions at Desert Ridge, Lewis was 9 under through 11 holes, parred the next six and closed with a bogey after hitting into the deep left greenside bunker.

TENNIS

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BNP PARIBAS OPEN: Kristina Mladenovic outlasted Caroline Wozniacki 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 to reach the semifinals at Indian Wells, California, breaking into the top 20 in the WTA Tour rankings for the first time in her career.

Mladenovic will next play No. 14 Elena Vesnina of Russia, who defeated No. 12 Venus Williams, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

SKIING

WORLD CUP: At 36, Austrian Hannes Reichelt became the second-oldest racer to win a World Cup super-G as he cruised through a challenging course at Aspen, Colorado.

Reichelt navigated the tricky setup in 1 minute, 8.22 seconds to beat Dominik Paris of Italy by 0.11 seconds at World Cup Finals. Swiss skier Mauro Caviezel and Norway’s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde tied for third.

 Tina Weirather turned in a smooth run to win a super-G race at Aspen and overtake Ilka Stuhec of Slovenia for the season-long discipline crown.

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Trailing Stuhec by 15 points in the standings, Weirather of Liechtenstein held nothing back and finished in 1 minute, 11.66 seconds. Two racers later, Stuhec wasn’t as clean and wound up second, 0.35 seconds behind.

Federica Brignone of Italy took third.

SOCCER

EUROPE: Manchester United’s progress to the Europa League quarterfinals came at a cost after Paul Pogba hobbled off hurt in the 1-0 win over Rostov on Thursday.

The world’s most expensive player pulled up off the ball in the 47th minute at Manchester and slumped to the ground with an apparent right hamstring problem.

It proved to be a tough night for United against a Russian team that defended deeply and played on the counterattack in search of the away goal it needed following a 1-1 draw in the first leg.


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