OLYMPICS

Women’s ski jumping approved for 2014 Games

The IOC approved the inclusion of women’s ski jumping and four other new events for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

The International Olympic Committee executive board also approved ski halfpipe, mixed relay in biathlon and team events in luge and figure skating on Wednesday.

Proposals for inclusion of slopestyle events in snowboard and freestyle skiing and a team Alpine skiing event were put on hold for further review, the IOC said.

The IOC twice rejected women’s ski jumping for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, saying the sport lacked enough elite competitors. Women jumpers took their case all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, but failed to overturn the IOC decision.

The women apparently sealed their case at the Nordic world championships in Oslo in March, when competitors jumped in heavy fog and strong wind. IOC board member Gerhard Heiberg of Norway said he was impressed by the level of competition and would recommend the event’s inclusion to IOC President Jacques Rogge.

Ski jumping and Nordic combined, which features ski jumping and cross-country skiing, had been the only Winter Olympic events open only to men.

PREP SCHOOLS

GIRLS’ LACROSSE: Shannon Sarell scored three goals and Berwick Academy (1-1) scored four unanswered goals to overcome an 11-8 deficit and beat Gould Academy 12-11 at Bethel.

Ella Dorval Hall led Gould with four goals and two assists.

TENNIS

ANDALUCIA TENNIS EXPERIENCE: Top-seeded Victoria Azarenka beat Arantxa Parra Santonja 6-2, 6-3 in the first round at Marbella, Spain.

In second-round matches, second-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova rallied to defeat Agnes Szavay 6-7 (2), 6-1, 6-2, and former No. 1 Dinara Safina ousted fifth-seeded Tsvetana Pironkova, 6-3, 6-4.

Sixth-seeded Klara Zakopalova defeated Lourdes Dominguez Lino 7-6 (3), 1-6, 7-6 (0).

FAMILY CIRCLE CUP: Top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark opened with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over American Irina Falconi at Charleston, S.C.

Other early winners were seventh-seeded Nadia Petrova of Russia and No. 10 Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia.

GRAND PRIX HASSAN II: Russian qualifier Andrey Kuznetsov beat second-seeded Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals at Casablanca, Morocco.

YACHTING

AMERICA’S CUP: South Korea entered the America’s Cup for the first time, one of two teams from Asia that will challenge for the oldest trophy in international sports in 2013 on San Francisco Bay.

Team Korea, representing the Sail Korea Yacht Club, will be known as White Tiger Challenge.

Team Korea’s founder is Dong Young-Kim, an accomplished sailor and the organizer of the Korea Match Cup, which has one of the biggest payouts in sailing.

China Team announced its challenge last month.

The 34th America’s Cup has drawn 14 challengers plus defender Oracle Racing of San Francisco.

GOLF

LOCAL COURSES TO OPEN: Nonesuch River Golf Club in Scarborough will open nine holes today and Toddy Brook Golf Course in North Yarmouth will open nine Friday.

Golfers should call for tee times at both courses (Nonesuch at 883-0007, Toddy Brook at 829-5100).

The nine-hole rate at Nonesuch River is $20 Monday through Thursday and $25 on Friday and weekends. At Toddy Brook, it’s $20 to walk and $31 to ride.

DUAL HOLES-IN-ONE: A Japanese husband and wife who live in Brazil made holes-in-one within seconds of each other while playing at a club near Sao Paulo.

A witness playing with the couple said that 60-year-old Takashi Sasaki made his hole-in-one with a 7-iron on the 166-yard fourth hole at Terras de Sao Jose Golf Club on Sunday. His wife, Marli, was on the women’s tee and hit her ace from about 115 yards.