SKIING
Shiffrin grabs victory in parallel slalom city event
In absence of her main rival, Mikaela Shiffrin strengthened her position in the race for the overall World Cup title Tuesday by winning a parallel slalom city event in Stockholm, while Linus Strasser became the surprise winner of the men’s competition.
Shiffrin’s 28th win in her 99th World Cup start stretched the American’s lead over defending champion Lara Gut to 180 points. The Swiss skier skipped the event to rest a sore right arm and thigh.
In the men’s competition, both prerace favorites lost in the opening round.
Five-time overall champion Marcel Hirscher got edged in both runs by Aleksander Aamodt Kilde. Hirscher’s 60-point lead in the discipline standings remained intact as the runner-up, defending World Cup slalom champion Henrik Kristoffersen, also went out in the first round.
• Lindsey Vonn and Shiffrin highlight the U.S. Ski Team roster for the world championships starting next week in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
Julia Mancuso also will compete as she steadily regains her form following hip surgery. Missing from the American team will be Ted Ligety (back) and Steven Nyman (knee). Bode Miller will appear in St. Moritz as an announcer.
SOCCER
MLS: Dropped by the NFL, St. Louis and San Diego are among bidders from 12 areas applying for four Major League Soccer expansion teams.
Two of the teams, which have $150 million expansion fees, will start play in 2020.
The expansion committee, led by New England’s Jonathan Kraft, will start to review applications in February. MLS will pare the field in the next few months and plans to announce its two selections by the end of the year.
• Chicago’s Soldier Field will host this year’s Major League Soccer All-Star game, the league announced.
The match on Aug. 2 will feature the MLS All-Stars against an international team that has not been named yet. The Chicago Fire, who play at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois, will host the event.
COLLEGE
FOOTBALL: The NCAA and helmet maker Riddell are named as defendants in separate class-action lawsuits alleging they failed to protect football players from long-term head injuries and didn’t educate them about the risks.
The Fort Worth firm of Circelli, Walter & Young filed the lawsuits Monday in federal courts in Indianapolis and San Francisco.
The lawsuits ask for damages for health care costs, lost wages and other personal injury damages.
BASKETBALL: Police in North Carolina say there is no sign of foul play in the death of former NBA player Charles Shackleford, 50, who was found dead Friday morning at his house in Kinston, North Carolina.
FOOTBALL
NFL: Saints Coach Sean Payton hired former San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Nolan as New Orleans’ new linebackers coach and former NFL long snapper Bradford Banta as special teams coordinator.
• The Bills will not retain Kathryn Smith, the first full-time female assistant coach in the NFL. Smith is one of 14 assistants who will not remain on new coach Sean McDermott’s staff.
• The New York Jets hired New Orleans Saints wide receivers coach John Morton as their offensive coordinator.
– From news service report
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