National Sports

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Nick Taylor of Canada birdied four of his last five holes on Friday at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am to take his first 36-hole lead on the PGA Tour. Taylor, of Abbotsford, B.C., shot a 66 and was at 14-under 129.

CALGARY — Russia won the majority of medals while host Canada was shut out Friday in World Cup speedskating. The Russians claimed seven of a dozen medals, including two gold and a podium sweep, at Calgary's Olympic Oval.

LOS ANGELES — A witness to the deadly crash of a helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant and eight others said it sounded normal just before slamming into a hillside and wreckage examined by experts at the scene showed no sign of engine failure, federal inve

TORONTO — S.J. Green is getting a head start on CFL free agency. The Toronto Argonauts granted the veteran American receiver's request to be released Friday. He was scheduled to become a free agent Tuesday.

Toronto FC has signed Argentine winger Pablo Piatti as its new designated player. The 30-year-old Piatti leaves Barcelona-based Espanyol for Major League Soccer on a free transfer.

WAYCOBAH, N.S. — An investigation into allegations an Indigenous hockey player faced racist taunts during a recent game in Cape Breton concluded the verbal abuse did occur but that it was not based on race.

MONTPELLIER, France — Canada's Vasek Pospisil defeated Richard Gasquet of France 6-1, 1-0 on Friday to reach the semifinals at the Open Sud de France. Pospisil, from Vancouver, advanced when Gasquet retired due to injury.

BIEL, Switzerland — Switzerland won the first two rubbers Friday in its best-of-five Fed Cup qualifier against Canada at the Swiss Tennis Arena. Jil Teichmann opened with a 7-6 (4), 6-4 win over Leylah Annie Fernandez of Laval, Que.

Marc Trestman heads into the start of the XFL season looking for answers. The eight-team XFL begins its reincarnation Saturday with two games (D.C. Defenders vs. Seattle Dragons, LA Wildcats vs. Houston Roughnecks).

Major League Rugby kicks off its third season this weekend with three new teams and some big-name additions in South Africa's Tendai (The Beast) Mtawarira and former All Blacks Ma'a Nonu and Rene Ranger.