Latvian hockey fan Dainis Krievs has not managed to auction the sports shoe he threw onto the ice during a controversial game between Latvia and Canada during the recent World Ice Hockey Championship in Riga. The online auction company ebay posted an offer featuring the sneaker. The starting price was set at $2,000. However, there has so far been no interest from potential buyers. Publications from the Latvian press were added to the online offering, informing viewers about the shoe's history. The match between Latvia and Canada was interrupted twice when angered fans started to throw objects onto the ice, protesting the referee's "biased calls." Latvia lost the game 11-0, and later a Latvian court ordered Krievs to pay a 50 lat (71 euro) fine for throwing his sneaker onto the ice.
Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal described his French Open final win over Roger Federer on June 11 as the "best of his career." The 20-year-old put the victory over his debut win last year as he was up against "the best player in history." Nadal won 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6, (7-4) to retain the title he won as a teenager in 2005, and extended his winning streak on clay to 60 matches. "This is a fantastic victory and an incredible moment in my career as a tennis player," said Nadal.
Latvian born Arturs Abolins has become the U.S. NCAA long jump champion. In a nation-wide track and field championship among American universities, Abolins took first place in the long jump with 8.00 meters. The Latvian is the tenth Nebraska University student to win both the winter and summer championship in long jump.
NBA star Shaquille O'Neal has been fined $10,000 for failing to make himself available to the media after the Miami Heat's 99-85 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on June 11, the National Basketball Association announced. The 34-year-old had a career playoff low of five points in Game Two of the NBA Finals, and therefore refused to talk with the press. The Miami Heat organization was also fined $25,000 for failing to ensure that its players comply with league rules concerning media interviews.
World strongman champion Zydrunas Savickas of Lithuania has won the ISFA Grand Prix in the Netherlands, establishing a new world record in the log lift. The Lithuanian lifted a 205-kilogram log. The previous world record, also set by Savickas, was 202.5 kilograms. "I have participated in this competition several times before, but I had never managed to win. The victory in the Netherlands, won by setting a world record, is twice as pleasant. During the competition, I felt I could lift a heavier log, but I have taken part in strongman competitions nearly six weekends in a row. I felt a bit tired and therefore I decided not to risk my health," Savickas said, adding that he hoped to break the record during a strongman competition in Saudi Arabia next month.
