In brief - 2006-05-03

  • 2006-05-03
Latvia's most popular ice-hockey defenseman, Sandis Ozolins, has decided to end his career, the Latvian daily Diena reported on May 2. Ozolins informed his coach, Pyotr Vorobjov, of the news over the phone, adding that he wouldn't be able to play in the World Ice-hockey Championship, which begins in Riga this week. Ozolins started the season playing for Anaheim's Mighty Ducks, and after the Turin Olympic Games, was exchanged to the New York Rangers.
Ozolins has played in six NHL clubs since 1992 - San Jose Sharks, Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Anaheim Mighty Ducks and New York Rangers - and has participated in 815 NHL championship games, scoring 164 goals and 381 assists.

Former Swiss World Cup skier Corinne Rey-Bellet (photo) was shot dead at her home on April 30. The 33-year-old's brother, Alain, was also killed and her mother was injured during the attack in the Swiss village of Les Crosets. Police said an unidentified gunman fled the scene when they arrived, and is still at large. Rey-Bellet, who retired in 2003, won five World Cup races including a rare feat of two wins on the same day in January 1999. She also won a silver medal in downhill at the 2003 world championships in St. Moritz.

CSKA Moscow upset Maccabi Tel-Aviv 73-69 to win the European basketball league final on April 30, ending the Israeli's bid for a third consecutive title. David Vanterpool and Theo Papaloukas led CSKA Moscow throughout the game. With the score tied 25-25 before halftime, CSKA turned their defense up a notch and quickly took the lead. American forward Vanterpool scored nine points for Moscow in the second half. The teams then traded the lead several times until Papaloukas scored eight points in the final quarter to finish on 18 points and seven assists. Spain's Tau Ceramica beat Barcelona 87-82 to take third place in the league.

In preparation for the 2006 World Ice-hockey Championship, the Latvian National Border Guard has stepped up its control and begun monitoring all foreigners arriving in Latvia, including EU citizens. The computerized monitoring of arrivals will be carried out not only on the Latvian border, but also on the Lithuanian-Polish border, registering entries to Lithuania.