ODT Online looks at some of the biggest stories in sports this week.
Highlanders lose opener
The Highlanders got their Super Rugby title defence off to a less than stellar start, as they were beaten 33-31 by the Blues. While there were plenty of positives to take from the game, including how threatening they looked at times, it was not the result they were looking for. A lack of ball, particularly in the second half, saw them make twice as many tackles as their opposition as they struggled to create chances after the break.
Australia cricket tour concludes
New Zealand finished their home summer of cricket when they went down 2-0 to Australia in their test series. The highly anticipated series saw New Zealand get poor starts with the bat in both tests, leaving them chasing the games from the outset. While not the ideal result, Kiwi fans can take solace in the fact that the one-day series was won and the side has shown at times that it can compete with its trans-Tasman rivals.
Daytona 500 close finish
Nascar's biggest race had its closest finish, as Denny Hamlin beat Martin Truex Jr by 0.011 seconds to win the Daytona 500. Hamlin trailed teammate Matt Kenseth on the last lap, but was able to pass him on the outside lane and squeezed through to set up thrilling finish.
New FIFA president elected
After months of controversy, FIFA elected a new president to take over from Sepp Blatter. Gianni Infantino, a 45-year-old lawyer from Switzerland, was the clear winner in the vote.
Tai Webster beats guy slapping floor
Players sometimes slap the floor while playing defence in basketball to hype up themselves or their team. There is a time and place for it though, as Ohio State guard Jae'Sean Tate discovered. Tate slapped the floor while Kiwi Tai Webster, playing for Nebraska, had the ball right in front of him. Webster took advantage of the opportunity, driving past Tate and drawing the foul in a play which has gone viral on the internet.
Adam Voges' amazing average
Adam Voges has turned heads over the past two weeks with his Bradman-like test cricket average of 95.50. Just under four and a half short of Bradman's mark, Voges' average now counts, with 21 innings to his name. At 36 years of age, he is unlikely to have time for his average to fall away too drastically and it is likely he will finish his career at least second on the all-time great list. Whether that means he'll be one of the all-time great test batsmen is another thing. Either way, it is impressive figure, considering how far in front Bradman has been up until now.
Backwards full-court shot
Not much to say here. Check out this incredible shot from an intramural basketball game at Georgia Southern University.
Watch @LoyWaters15 AMAZING backwards full-court shot! @NIRSAChamp @NIRSAregion2 @GeorgiaSouthern #SCTopTen #TeamUp pic.twitter.com/ZpcMdwyvkW
— GSU Intramurals (@GSUIntramurals) February 25, 2016
