IN BRIEF (Page 22)

Cycling

Malaysian wins stage but Russian keeps jersey

Maylaysian rider Anuar Manan won the second stage of the Haima Tour in the Hainan Island, but Denis Galimzyanov of the Russian national team kept the yellow jersey on Monday.

While Manan won the 158.8-km stage from Xinglong to Wenchang, Galimzyanov, who won the individual time trials on Saturday and finished third in the first stage on Sunday, stayed in the peloton to retain the yellow jersey.

Ma Haijun of the China Skoda Team kept the green jersey for being the best Asian rider.

Yesterday's 125-km third stage stretched between Wenchang and Haikou.

Athletics

Liu joins short list for Athlete of the Year

World and Olympic 110m hurdles champion Liu Xiang of China is one of three finalists in the running for the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) Male Athlete of the Year award.

Liu, who holds the world record in 110m hurdles, is up against 100m and 200m world sprinting champion Tyson Gay of the US and Ethiopian marathon-runner Haile Gebrselassie.

Gay also won gold in the 4x100m relay at the world championships in Osaka, while Gebrselassie set a marathon world record in Berlin in September.

Liu has gained more and more popularity since becoming China's first male track world champion.

Distance runner Meseret Defar, heptathlete Carolina Kluft and high-jumper Blanka Vlasic are all nominated for the women's award.

The winners of the 2007 World Athlete of the Year Awards will be announced live during the 2007 World Athletics Gala, which will take place in Monaco, on November 25.

(China Daily 11/07/2007 page22)