SKIING

Back surgery sidelines Ligety for rest of season

Ted Ligety will miss the rest of the ski season because of back surgery, denying him a chance to win a fourth straight giant slalom title at the world championships.

The 32-year-old American has five world titles, including three in giant slalom from 2011, ’13 and ’15. The next world championships will be Feb. 6-19 in St. Moritz, where Ligety won in February 2014 in the last World Cup race before the Sochi Olympics.

Ligety expects to compete next season and defend his Olympic giant slalom title at the Pyeongchang Games.

BASEBALL

MAJORS: First baseman Wil Myers and the San Diego Padres finalized an $83 million, six-year contract, the largest deal in the team’s history.

Myers, 26, hit 28 homers and drove in 94 runs last season and also stole 28 bases.

• Texas Rangers reliever Jake Diekman is expected to miss at least half the season after upcoming surgery to treat colitis, a digestive condition.

• The Rangers agreed to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training for the oft-injured Josh Hamilton, 35.

Hamilton was released in August, closing the books on a $125 million, five-year deal signed with the Angels.

• A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press that free-agent outfielder Jose Bautista is staying with the Toronto Blue Jays after agreeing to an $18 million, one-year contract with mutual options for more years.

HIGh SCHOOLS

VOLLEYBALL: Kayley Cimino of Greely was named the Gatorade Maine Volleyball Player of the Year.

Cimino, a senior setter and right side hitter, led the Rangers to a 17-0 record and the Class A state championship this season. Cimino recorded 180 kills, 124 assists, 82 service aces and 23 blocks.

Cimino, who is the third player from Greely to receive the award, was the Maine Volleyball Coaches Association Player of the Year and was a three-time first team All-State selection.

SPORTS BETTING

NEW JERSEY: Supporters of legalized sports gambling in New Jersey and several other states were handed a small victory when the U.S. Supreme Court delayed a ruling on whether it will take up the states’ challenge to a federal ban.

The court invited the solicitor general to file a brief on behalf of the government, which means a decision on whether the court will hear the challenge could take several more months.

DOPING

RUSSIA: A Russian skier who is suspended after being implicated in a doping inquiry could face further sanctions after it emerged he has continued to compete.

Maxim Vylegzhanin won three silver medals at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi but was suspended last month by the International Ski Federation after he was accused of being one of 12 medalists whose doping samples were allegedly swapped for clean ones.

Despite his suspension, Vylegzhanin has carried on competing in Russian events, winning two races this month organized by a regional member federation of the Russian Cross-Country Skiing Federation.

FIS says this appears to break its rules on suspensions, and could result in Vylegzhanin serving a longer ban if he is found guilty of a doping offense.

– From staff and news report

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