APRIL’S EXTRAVAGANZA!

IMG Media Archive April Newsletter !

APRIL’S EXTRAVAGANZA!

Surfing: Rip Curl Pro ASP World Tour Event. Bell’s Beach, Australia. The 2008 Bell’s Beach Rip Curl Pro Event took place last month slightly behind schedule due to adverse weather conditions. When the swell finally picked up, world no. 1 Kelly Slater lived up to the hype and picked up his third title at this event, beating Australian Bede Durbridge into second. Durbridge led going into the final few minutes of the final, but Slater showed all his class to clinch the title with a phenomenal double grab aerial. The American now joins his friend Sunny Garcia in having ‘rung the bell’ on three separate occasions. The Rip Curl Pro has been held every Easter since 1973, and is one of the most prestigious titles on the tour.

For more information visit the ASP Archive collection

Soccer: CIS Insurance Cup Final

Hampden, Scotland. Heavy favourites Rangers twice came from behind to beat Dundee United in a penalty shoot out in the first Scottish domestic Cup Final of the season. Substitute Kris Boyd proved the hero for Rangers, scoring both their equalisers before sending the blue half of Glasgow delirious with his winning penalty. It had all looked so good for the Tangerines when they led an entertaining game with 6 minutes to go through a Noel Hunt goal and then again when Mark de Vries had given them the lead early in extra time. The trophy was Rangers’ first for 3 years.

For more information visit the Soccer Archive Collection

Golf: World Golf Championships-CA Championship

Doral Resort, USA. ‘Aussie Voodoo’ was how Geoff Ogilvy had said he was going to stop Tiger Woods in the WGC event at Doral Resort last month, but in the end it was his refusal to drop a shot in his rain affected final round that saw him home on the testing Blue Monster Course. Ogilvy held off a chasing group comprising Retief Goosen, Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk and of course Tiger Woods to pocket the US$1.35 million prize and lift the Gene Sarazen Trophy. The win means Ogilvy is just the third player to claim more than one WGC title, although both he and Darren Clarke (also 2 titles) have some way to go to overhaul Woods’ 15! Tournament favourite Woods could only manage 5th place, bringing to an end his run of 4 straight titles at Doral, and his PGA Tour streak of 5 wins on the bounce.

For more information visit the European Tour Archive Collection

FAST FACT

Last month Justine Henin was named the 2007 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Player of The Year. She won 10 of the 14 tournaments she entered and took home more than US$5 million in prize money!

DID YOU KNOW

Stephen Fleming, the recently retired stalwart of New Zealand cricket, is the only man to have ever scored 7,000+ test runs without making at least 10 test centuries. Incredibly, despite having 46 fifties and three double centuries to his name, Fleming retires having scored just 9 test hundreds!

UPCOMING EVENTS IN APRIL

3 - 5	Rodeo	Pro Bull Riders BFTS Nampa Invitational. USA
3 - 6	Golf	PGAET Open de Portugal. POR
4 - 6	Motorsport	Le Mans Series. ESP
6	Triathlon	Panthers Ironman Australia Triathlon. AUS
7 - 13	Tennis	WTA Bausch & Lomb Championships, Florida. USA
11 - 13	Tennis	Davis Cup World Group Quarter Finals
12	Rodeo	Pro Bull Riders BFTS Omaha Classic, Omaha. USA
12	Rugby Union	EDF Energy Cup Final. ENG
12 - 20	Tennis	WTA Family Circle Cup, Charleston. USA
17 - 20	Golf	PGAET Volvo China Open. CHN
18	Rodeo	Pro Bull Riders BFTS NILE Invitational. USA
21 - 27	Tennis	ATP Masters Series Monte-Carlo. MCO
24 - 27	Golf	PGAET BMW Asian Open. CHN
26	Mixed Martial Arts	Pro Elite IconSport, Honolulu. USA
26	Speedway	FIM Speedway Grand Prix, Krsko. SLO
26 - 27	Tennis	Fed Cup World Group Semi Finals
28 - 4	Tennis	WTA ECM Prague Open. CZE
29	Cycling	Tour de Romandie, Start. SUI
29	Cricket	Asia Cup, Start. PAK