In brief - 2004-04-01

The Estonian discus thrower Aleksander Tammert beat the Estonian record last week by a huge 73 centimeters in a 68-meter-48-centimeter throw.

It raised him in the world discus throwing rankings from 54th to 37th place. Tammert, 31, set the new record while competing at the Arlington Invitational contest in the U.S.A. on March 27.

The new A.leCoq Arena soccer stadium in Tallinn should be completed by the end of this year as the conflict between the Tallinn city government and FC Flora President Aivar Pohlak has been nearly resolved, according to the SL Ohtuleht daily. Pohlak told the paper it would take about 3.8 million euros to finish the interior decoration and the roof above the stands in what will be the country's most modern stadium. It will be able to hold up to 8,000 spectators.

The teams which will participate in the finals of the Latvian Volleyball Championship were decided March 27 - 28. Lase-Robezsardze and Poliurs/Biolar will be fighting it out in the men's finals, while Ezerzeme and Speks R will be competing in the women's finals. Ezerzeme secured its place in its semifinal with a 3-0 win against MSG, and Speks R beat LU/JRSC 3-0. In the men's semis Poliurs/Biolar beat Incukalns/LU 3-0 and Lase-Robezsardze beat Ezerzeme/DU 3-1.

English Premier League leaders Arsenal set a record by going unbeaten for 30 games when it drew 1-1 with third-placed Manchester United on March 27. The North London side is still on course for the treble (league, cup and Champions League), which is the Holy Grail of soccer. But it has a tough run in facing its fiercest rival Man U in the FA Cup semifinal on April 3, and then London rivals Chelsea in the Champions League on April 6. "As a manager you would say one of the most difficult things to get from a team is consistency. I believe winning trophies is a consequence of consistency," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told the BBC.

The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim defenseman Sandis Ozolins returned to the team's line up March 26, more than two-and-a-half months after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder. Ozolins, 31, the Ducks' top offensive defenseman, missed 42 games, during which the defending Western Conference champions all but dropped out of the playoff race. Acquired from Florida last February, Ozolins contributed to the Ducks' run to the Stanley Cup finals. In 772 NHL games, the seven-time All-Star has 157 goals and 523 assists