SKIING

Miller won’t rush return to slopes

Additional Photos

Skier Bode Miller likely won't start his season until February as part of his cautious return from left knee surgery. 2012 file photo/The Associated Press

Bode Miller likely won’t start his season until February as part of his cautious return from left knee surgery. There’s also a chance he might sit out the entire season.

Meanwhile, Miller is taking care of his new wife, who he hit in the eye with a golf ball Wednesday.

Miller’s knee first bothered him last winter when he was competing on an icy hill in Sochi, Russia, during a test race for the 2014 Olympics. He needed microfracture surgery, during which doctors also mended cartilage that’s hampered him since a crash in 2001.

Meanwhile, Miller reported on Twitter on Wednesday about the accident involving his wife: “Hit wife w golfball. (hash)worstfeelingever.”

Attached photos of his wife, the pro volleyball player Morgan Miller, showed her left eye completely closed and badly bloodied.

WORLD CUP: Lindsey Vonn will seek to extend her perfect record of four straight wins in speed races this season in the downhill on Friday. The American is third in the overall standings led by Tina Maze of Slovenia, who was seventh in training.

GOLF

AUSTRALIAN PGA: Australia’s Daniel Popovic shot an 8-under 64 to take a two-stroke lead after the first round of the Australian PGA in Coolum, then revealed that his father, Radi, is battling incurable bone cancer.

Greg Norman pulled out after two holes — both bogeys — because of food poisoning.

DUNHILL CHAMPIONSHIP: France’s Gregory Bourdy shot a 6-under 66 at South Africa’s Leopard Creek to take the first-round lead in the Alfred Dunhill Championship.

SOCCER

U.S. WOMEN: Abby Wambach scored twice Wednesday night to become only the second soccer player to reach 150 international goals, and the United States beat China 4-0 in an exhibition game in Houston. Carli Lloyd and Amy Rodriguez also scored to help the Americans extend their unbeaten streak to 22.

MLS: Defender Rafa Marquez was released by the New York Red Bulls following 21/2 frustrating seasons known more for ejections than success and immediately signed with Leon of the Mexican league. Marquez, whose $4.6 million salary was the second-highest in Major League Soccer, will play for a Mexican team for the first time since 1999, when he left Atlas to play for Monaco.

ITALIAN CUP: AC Milan beat second-division Reggina 3-0 on Thursday night to set up a showdown with Serie A leader Juventus in the Italian Cup quarterfinals.

CLUB WORLD CUP: Chelsea reached the final by scoring twice in the first three minutes of the second half to beat Monterrey 3-1 in Yokohama, Japan.

OLYMPICS

IBAF: The International Baseball Federation formally approved a merger with softball’s governing body in a joint bid to return to the Olympics. IBAF said the creation of a single international federation received unanimous approval. The International Softball Federation approved the move in October.

AUTO RACING

FORMULA ONE: Mercedes is parting with motorsports chief Norbert Haug this month after more than 22 years together.

The Formula One team said Haug, who is also Daimler’s vice president, is ending his career “by mutual agreement” and that “preparations for the forthcoming season continue as planned.”

Mercedes won six F1 championships and 87 races since Haug took over on Oct. 1, 1990.

HOCKEY

NHL: Detroit Red Wings prospect Riley Sheahan pleaded guilty to drunken driving following his arrest in a Teletubby costume in western Michigan earlier this year, and was placed on probation for a year and sentenced to 49 hours on a work crew.

— From news service reports

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