Reuters U.S. Sports Schedule at 2 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Dec. 20

Dec. 20 (Reuters) - Reuters U.S. sports schedule at 2 p.m. EST on Thursday:
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The duty editor is Steve Ginsburg, 202-898-8427
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National Football League
Envelopes, please
Adrian Peterson or Peyton Manning? The worthiest NFL Comeback Player of the Year candidates could also be debated as the league's MVP. (FBN-COLUMN/, expect by 0100 GMT/8 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, by Frank Cooney, 500 words)
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No No. 1
Holiday problems? Well, in New York a third-string seventh-round draft pick is starting the penultimate game of the season. Yes, the New York Jets could be ready to start anew in light of Mark Sanchez's persistent struggles and the unwillingness to go the Tim Tebow route. (FBN-JETS-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 600 words)
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Bengals pin playoff hopes on Dalton, defense
If it doesn't happen now, when? That is the simple question that the Cincinnati Bengals must address as they face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. (FBN-BENGALS-STEELERS-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 600 words)
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Saints lament what might have been
Even though they're still in the NFC playoff picture mathematically, the New Orleans Saints aren't talking like it going into the final two games of the season. (FBN-SAINTS-NEWS/, expect by 5 p.m. ET, The Sports Xchange, 425 words)
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Niners eye division crown
Before the 49ers' upset win at New England, Sunday's meeting at CenturyLink Field in Seattle had the makings of a NFC West championship feel. San Francisco can still lock up the division crown with a win, but even with a loss can clinch the division the following week with a win at home against Arizona. (FBN-NINERS-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 550 words)
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NFL Notebook
The latest news and notes from around the league. (FBN-NOTES/, expect by 0000 GMT/7 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 500 words)
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College Football
Poinsettia Bowl
SAN DIEGO - San Diego St. and BYU are familiar foes with head coaches who've known each other for decades. The Cougars lead the all-time series 27-7-1, but the Aztecs are after their eighth straight win to end the season with 10 victories for the first time since 1977. (FBC-BYU-SANDIEGOSTATE-WRITETHRU/, expect by 11 p.m. ET, The Sports Xchange, by Forrest Lee, 700 words)
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CFB notebook
The latest from around the nation. (FBC-NOTES/, expect by 0000 GMT/7 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 400 words)
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National Basketball Association
Thunder try for No. 13
MINNEAPOLIS - If the blizzard outside Target Center can't stop the Oklahoma City Thunder, they'll aim for a 13th win in a row tonight. The Minnesota Timberwolves should have point guard Ricky Rubio in action. (BBO-THUNDER-TIMBERWOLVES-NEWS/ (PIX), expect by 0230 GMT/9:30 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 700 words)
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Mavericks, Heat duel without Dirk
DALLAS - Dirk Nowitzki says he's getting close to returning to action, but the Dallas Mavericks' star won't be available tonight against Miami. LeBron James and the Heat aim for a third win in a row over the Mavs. (BBO-MAVERICKS-HEAT-WRITETHRU/ (PIX), expect by 0430 GMT/11:30 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 700 words)
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Heat have plenty of room to improve say LeBron, Bosh
MIAMI - LeBron James and Chris Bosh say the Miami Heat have plenty of work to do if they are to reach peak form in time for the playoffs but both like it just that way. (NBA-HEAT/, expect by 1930 GMT/2:30 PM ET, by Simon Evans, 600 words)
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NBA notebook
The latest news and notes from around the league. (BKN-NOTES/, expect by 1245 GMT/7:45 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 400 words)
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Marathon
Storm-canceled NYC marathon offers refunds to runners
NEW YORK - The New York City Marathon is offering refunds to those who paid to run in the 2012 race, which was canceled due to the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. (NEWYORK-MARATHON/, moved, 200 words)

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AP Source: Jets will consider options with Sanchez

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Mark Sanchez is the former face of the franchise. He could soon be a former member of the New York Jets.
The team will consider all their options regarding the beleaguered and benched quarterback in the offseason, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The person, who requested anonymity because the team's personnel plans are private, told the AP that the Jets have not made any determinations involving Sanchez.
That means his status is in limbo and a trade cannot be ruled out.
He's not alone. The futures of Tim Tebow, coach Rex Ryan, general manager Mike Tannenbaum and offensive coordinator Tony Sparano with the Jets also are uncertain.
Parting ways with Tebow, the immensely popular but little-used backup, appears a certainty after he came to New York amid lots of hype but had little impact in his one season with the Jets.
But the Jets could be hard-pressed to trade or cut Sanchez, who is due $8.25 million in guarantees next season.
"Anything dealing with the future past Buffalo (the regular-season finale) will be handled after that," Ryan said Thursday.
There are several complications that could lead to Sanchez actually sticking around in New York — whether it's as a backup or starter. Sanchez, who received a contract extension in March, would cost the Jets a $17.1 million salary cap hit next season. They could, however, spread that amount over the next two seasons if he is cut after June 1.
New York could also find it difficult to find a trading partner to unload Sanchez, who isn't likely a very attractive option at the moment after turning the ball over 50 times since the start of last season. With Tannenbaum's status unclear, teams might not be willing to even talk to him at this point about possible trades. Teams can't make trades until March.
When asked about possible Sanchez trade rumors, Ryan said: "That's news to me."
If the Jets did wind up trading Sanchez, the salary cap hit would still be $8.9 million.
The Daily News reported Thursday, according to sources, that the Jets would be interested in Michael Vick and that the Eagles quarterback would come to New York if it was clear he would be the starter. The newspaper also said Ryan "loves" Vick.
"I'll just focus on the players we have on this roster," Ryan said while laughing.
Sanchez, whom the Jets drafted fifth overall in 2009, was benched in favor of third-stringer Greg McElroy for at least the home finale Sunday against San Diego. Sanchez threw four interceptions and fumbled away the final offensive snap — and the Jets' playoff chances — in New York's 14-10 loss at Tennessee on Monday night.
He once drew comparisons to Joe Namath after helping the Jets to consecutive AFC title games in his first two seasons, but his lack of improvement the last two years have caused him to fall out of favor. Ryan was non-committal Thursday when asked about Sanchez's long-term future.
"Whether it's not a ringing endorsement or whatever, I have absolutely zero focus on that right now," he said. "Everybody knows I've been supportive of Mark Sanchez. I think he still has the skill set to be a good quarterback in this league and we've won a lot of games with him."
Tebow was supposed to be the spark that got the offense going, but instead he spent most of his time on the sideline. His numbers are far from special: He has rushed for 102 yards on 32 carries and is 6 of 8 for 39 yards, and has a stunning zero touchdowns.
Tebow repeatedly said he was "excited" to be a member of the Jets when he first came from Denver in a trade in March, and he reiterated that throughout the season. But he acknowledged that he was "a little bit disappointed" that Ryan chose McElroy to start over him — at least for Sunday.
Now, Tebow could be an ex-Jet less than a year after he came to New York with lots of expectations.

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Barring setback, Redskins' RG3 looks good to go

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Robert Griffin III looks good to go.
The Washington Redskins rookie had a full practice Thursday for the second straight day as the team prepares for this week's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
"I like what I see," coach Mike Shanahan said. "If there is no setback, he should be ready to go."
Griffin missed Sunday's win over the Cleveland Browns with a sprained right knee. On Wednesday, he had his first full practice since the injury, and coaches and doctors were eager to see how the knee would respond.
"There wasn't a setback today, so that's a good sign," Shanahan said.
Also Thursday, right tackle Tyler Polumbus remained unable to practice as he recovers from a concussion. Linebacker London Fletcher (sprained left ankle), linebacker Lorenzo Alexander (right shoulder) and defensive end Stephen Bowen (torn biceps) were limited, and linebacker Rob Jackson returned to practice after the birth of his baby girl.

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NFL-Youtube video wins Norwegian kicker tryout with NY Jets

STOCKHOLM, Dec 20 (Reuters) - A Norwegian whose Youtube clip of spectacular trick shots has been watched over half a million times could be on the verge of a National Football League (NFL) contract as a kicker.
The video caught the attention of professional teams in the United States, and Norwegian state broadcaster NRK has reported that its star, Havard Rugland, had a tryout for the NFL's New York Jets this week.
"It went well," Rugland told NRK. "They tested me on field goals and kickoffs. Obviously you feel a little more pressure here, but I stayed pretty calm."
The video shows the 27-year-old performing some outrageous tricks and kicks, from nailing 60-yard field goals to soccer-style scissor kicks and volleys with American footballs.
Made by Rugland, his brother and some friends, the video has spread rapidly on the Internet, clocking up over half a million hits and garnering interest from three U.S. colleges and the Jets.
Rugland has no prior American football experience but kicking coach Michael Husted says that if he continues to develop, he could reach the NFL.
"Havard has incredible talent as a kicker," Husted, who played nine seasons as an NFL kicker, told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper. "He has a cannon for a leg. As he continues to refine his technique, he could be one of the strongest kickers in the NFL."
Husted says he became aware of Rugland via the Youtube video, and that he was asked to bring the kicker to San Diego to prepare him for a trial with an NFL team.
"A GM (general manager) from an NFL team contacted me about Havard. He wanted Havard to come to train with me in San Diego before they were going to fly him in for a workout."
"He reminds me a lot of (Sebastian) Janikowski in terms of stature and strength," coach Husted said, drawing a parallel between Rugland and the Oakland Raiders' Polish placekicker.
Harvard has quickly gone from practicing on his own in his hometown of Aalgaard in southern Norway to being prepared for tryouts with teams in the game's biggest league.
"On this trip things have evolved rapidly, from just training alone to training to try out for a team. From where I am now, playing in the NFL is a long way to go, but my goal is to get a contract before the preparations begin for next season," says Rugland.
But even if he does get a pro contract, Rugland will have a long way to go before he matches the achievements of fellow Norwegian Jan Stenerud.

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AP IMPACT: Steroids loom in major-college football

WASHINGTON (AP) — With steroids easy to buy, testing weak and punishments inconsistent, college football players are packing on significant weight — 30 pounds or more in a single year, sometimes — without drawing much attention from their schools or the NCAA in a sport that earns tens of billions of dollars for teams.
Rules vary so widely that, on any given game day, a team with a strict no-steroid policy can face a team whose players have repeatedly tested positive.
An investigation by The Associated Press — based on interviews with players, testers, dealers and experts and an analysis of weight records for more than 61,000 players — revealed that while those running the multibillion-dollar sport say they believe the problem is under control, that control is hardly evident.
The sport's near-zero rate of positive steroids tests isn't an accurate gauge among college athletes. Random tests provide weak deterrence and, by design, fail to catch every player using steroids. Colleges also are reluctant to spend money on expensive steroid testing when cheaper ones for drugs like marijuana allow them to say they're doing everything they can to keep drugs out of football.
"It's nothing like what's going on in reality," said Don Catlin, an anti-doping pioneer who spent years conducting the NCAA's laboratory tests at UCLA. He became so frustrated with the college system that it was part of the reason he left the testing industry to focus on anti-doping research.
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EDITOR'S NOTE — Whether for athletics or age, Americans from teenagers to baby boomers are trying to get an edge by illegally using anabolic steroids and human growth hormone, despite well-documented risks. This is the first of a two-part series.
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While other major sports have been beset by revelations of steroid use, college football has operated with barely a whiff of scandal. Between 1996 and 2010 — the era of Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Marion Jones and Lance Armstrong — the failure rate for NCAA steroid tests fell even closer to zero from an already low rate of less than 1 percent.
The AP's investigation, drawing upon more than a decade of official rosters from all 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams, found thousands of players quickly putting on significant weight, even more than their fellow players. The information compiled by the AP included players who appeared for multiple years on the same teams.
For decades, scientific studies have shown that anabolic steroid use leads to an increase in body weight. Weight gain alone doesn't prove steroid use, but very rapid weight gain is one factor that would be deemed suspicious, said Kathy Turpin, senior director of sport drug testing for the National Center for Drug Free Sport, which conducts tests for the NCAA and more than 300 schools.
Yet the NCAA has never studied weight gain or considered it in regard to its steroid testing policies, said Mary Wilfert, the NCAA's associate director of health and safety.
The NCAA attributes the decline in positive tests to its year-round drug testing program, combined with anti-drug education and testing conducted by schools.
The AP's analysis found that, regardless of school, conference and won-loss record, many players gained weight at exceptional rates compared with their fellow athletes and while accounting for their heights.
Adding more than 20 or 25 pounds of lean muscle in a year is nearly impossible through diet and exercise alone, said Dan Benardot, director of the Laboratory for Elite Athlete Performance at Georgia State University.
In nearly all the rarest cases of weight gain in the AP study, players were offensive or defensive linemen, hulking giants who tower above 6-foot-3 and weigh 300 pounds or more. Four of those players interviewed by the AP said that they never used steroids and gained weight through dramatic increases in eating, up to six meals a day. Two said they were aware of other players using steroids.
"I ate 5-6 times a day," said Clint Oldenburg, who played for Colorado State starting in 2002 and for five years in the NFL. Oldenburg's weight increased over four years from 212 to 290.
Oldenburg told the AP he was surprised at the scope of steroid use in college football, even in Colorado State's locker room. "There were a lot of guys even on my team that were using." He declined to identify any of them.
The AP found more than 4,700 players — or about 7 percent of all players — who gained more than 20 pounds overall in a single year. It was common for the athletes to gain 10, 15 and up to 20 pounds in their first year under a rigorous regimen of weightlifting and diet. Others gained 25, 35 and 40 pounds in a season. In roughly 100 cases, players packed on as much 80 pounds in a single year.
In at least 11 instances, players that AP identified as packing on significant weight in college went on to fail NFL drug tests. But pro football's confidentiality rules make it impossible to know for certain which drugs were used and how many others failed tests that never became public.
Even though testers consider rapid weight gain suspicious, in practice it doesn't result in testing. Ben Lamaak, who arrived at Iowa State in 2006, said he weighed 225 pounds in high school. He graduated as a 320-pound offensive lineman and said he did it all naturally.
"I was just a young kid at that time, and I was still growing into my body," he said. "It really wasn't that hard for me to gain the weight. I love to eat."
In addition to random drug testing, Iowa State is one of many schools that have "reasonable suspicion" testing. That means players can be tested when their behavior or physical symptoms suggest drug use. Despite gaining 81 pounds in a year, Lamaak said he was never singled out for testing.
The associate athletics director for athletic training at Iowa State, Mark Coberley, said coaches and trainers use body composition, strength data and other factors to spot suspected cheaters. Lamaak, he said, was not suspicious because he gained a lot of "non-lean" weight.
But looking solely at the most significant weight gainers also ignores players like Bryan Maneafaiga.
In the summer of 2004, Bryan Maneafaiga was an undersized 180-pound running back trying to make the University of Hawaii football team. Twice — once in pre-season and once in the fall — he failed school drug tests, showing up positive for marijuana use but not steroids.
He'd started injecting stanozolol, a steroid, in the summer to help bulk up to a roster weight of 200 pounds. Once on the team, he'd occasionally inject the milky liquid into his buttocks the day before games.
"Food and good training will only get you so far," he told the AP recently.
Maneafaiga's former coach, June Jones, said it was news to him that one of his players had used steroids. Jones, who now coaches at Southern Methodist University, believes the NCAA does a good job rooting out steroid use.
On paper, college football has a strong drug policy. The NCAA conducts random, unannounced drug testing and the penalties for failure are severe. Players lose an entire year of eligibility after a first positive test. A second offense means permanent ineligibility for sports.
In practice, though, the NCAA's roughly 11,000 annual tests amount to a fraction of all athletes in Division I and II schools. Exactly how many tests are conducted each year on football players is unclear because the NCAA hasn't published its data for two years. And when it did, it periodically changed the formats, making it impossible to compare one year of football to the next.
Even when players are tested by the NCAA, experts like Catlin say it's easy enough to anticipate the test and develop a doping routine that results in a clean test by the time it occurs. NCAA rules say players can be notified up to two days in advance of a test, which Catlin says is plenty of time to beat a test if players have designed the right doping regimen. By comparison, Olympic athletes are given no notice.
Most schools that use Drug Free Sport do not test for anabolic steroids, Turpin said. Some are worried about the cost. Others don't think they have a problem. And others believe that since the NCAA tests for steroids their money is best spent testing for street drugs, she said.
Doping is a bigger deal at some schools than others.
At Notre Dame and Alabama, the teams that will soon compete for the national championship, players don't automatically miss games for testing positive for steroids. At Alabama, coaches have wide discretion. Notre Dame's student-athlete handbook says a player who fails a test can return to the field once the steroids are out of his system.
The University of North Carolina kicks players off the team after a single positive test for steroids. Auburn's student-athlete handbook calls for a half-season suspension for any athlete caught using performance-enhancing drugs.
At UCLA, home of the laboratory that for years set the standard for cutting-edge steroid testing, athletes can fail three drug tests before being suspended. At Bowling Green, testing is voluntary.
At the University of Maryland, students must get counseling after testing positive, but school officials are prohibited from disciplining first-time steroid users.
Only about half the student athletes in a 2009 NCAA survey said they believed school testing deterred drug use. As an association of colleges and universities, the NCAA could not unilaterally force schools to institute uniform testing policies and sanctions, Wilfert said.
"We can't tell them what to do, but if went through a membership process where they determined that this is what should be done, then it could happen," she said.

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Wall St climbs on economy bets as it looks past 'cliff'

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S.  stocks rallied on strong volume on Tuesday, capping off the S&P 500's best two-day run in a month, on confidence that a deal would be struck in Washington to avoid painful spending cuts and tax hikes that could hurt the economy.

Banks, energy and technology - sectors that would benefit during economic expansion - led gains as investors remain confident that lawmakers will come to an agreement to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" deadline at the end of the year.

The PHLX oil services sector index jumped 3.1 percent, with eight of its 15 components up 3 percent or more.

"The view is that the economy is getting better, and that is always good for energy demand," said Shawn Hackett, president at Hackett Financial Advisors in Boynton Beach, Florida.

Hackett said the United States would avoid "whatever the cliff means" for the economy, allowing investors to focus on growth.

President Barack Obama's most recent offer to Republicans in the ongoing budget talks makes concessions on taxes and social programs spending. House Speaker John Boehner said the offer is "not there yet," though he remains hopeful about an agreement. Senate Democrats, however, have expressed concern about cuts to Social Security.

Financial stocks shot higher, as traders bet on a greater demand for loans and a steepening of the yield curve. U.S. government debt sold off Tuesday, with the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note's yield briefly hitting its highest since late October.

The S&P financial sector added 1.5 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 115.57 points, or 0.87 percent, to 13,350.96 at the close. The S&P 500 gained 16.43 points, or 1.15 percent, to 1,446.79. The Nasdaq Composite added 43.93 points, or 1.46 percent, to 3,054.53.

It was the S&P 500's first back-to-back gain of more than 1 percent since late July.

Stocks of smaller companies outperformed the broader market, with the Russell 2000 up 1.5 percent.

Shares of firearm makers sank in the aftermath of a school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, on Friday that killed 20 young children and six adults.

Smith and Wesson fell 10 percent to $7.79 on its largest-ever daily volume, though it was still up about 77 percent so far this year. Sturm Ruger and Co slid 7.7 percent Tuesday to $40.60.

Private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management said it would sell gunmaker Freedom Group, whose Bushmaster AR-15 rifle was used in the Connecticut massacre. Dick's Sporting Goods suspended the sale of certain semi-automatic rifles in its stores nationwide.

Technology shares rose, led by Apple, up 2.9 percent at $533.90 after losing nearly 13 percent in the last two weeks. The S&P Information Technology Index rose 1.7 percent.

Arbitron Inc surged 23.6 percent to $47.03 after Nielsen Holdings NV agreed to buy the media and marketing research firm in a deal worth $1.26 billion. Nielsen rose 4.4 percent to $30.92.

About 7.4 billion shares changed hands on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and NYSE MKT, more than the daily average so far this year of about 6.5 billion shares.

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South Korea votes in tight race on economy and jobs

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Koreans  voted on Wednesday in freezing winter temperatures for a new president in a battle between the daughter of their former military ruler and a man her father jailed for political activism.

The next president of Asia's fourth largest economy will have to deal with a hostile North Korea, under young and untested new leader Kim Jong-un, and a slowing domestic economy.

Conservative candidate Park Geun-hye had a thin lead in polls published last week, the last allowed under election rules.

Park's left-wing challenger, Moon Jae-in, has promised to perform global pop sensation Psy's Gangnam Style "horse dance" if turnout hits 77 percent.

That turnout would signify a high level of participation by young voters who pollsters say could propel Moon into the presidential "Blue House".

With three hours until the polls close, turnout was 59.3 percent, higher than the two previous presidential elections and well on track to achieve 70 percent.

If Park wins, the unmarried 60-year old would be the first woman leader of the country, which is still largely run by men in dark suits. {ID:nL4N09K1P3]

"I trust her. She will save our country," said Park Hye-sook, 67, who voted in an affluent Seoul district early in the morning.

"Her father ... rescued the country," said the housewife and grandmother, who is no relation to the candidate, reflecting the admiration many older voters feel for former president Park Chung-hee, which has translated into support for his daughter.

She has pledged dialogue with impoverished North Korea, whose rocket launch last week reinforced fears it is developing a long-range missile. She has promised a tough line on the isolated North's nuclear and missile programs.

Park, wearing a red muffler, was cheered by crowds chanting her name as she entered the polling station and urged voters to "open a new era".

Moon is a former human rights lawyer who has promised unconditional aid for North Korea and to reintroduce an engagement policy that ushered in closer ties between the Cold War rivals.

Those ties started unraveling with the shooting by North Korea of a tourist from the South in 2008, and deteriorated with the sinking of a South Korean warship in 2010, which the North denies, and the shelling of a South Korean island the same year.

Moon cast his ballot in the southern city of Busan and said voters disenchanted by five years of conservative rule under Lee Myung-bak, who is constitutionally limited to a single term, had the chance to "change the world with their vote".

IT'S THE ECONOMY

More than 40 million people are eligible to cast their votes. Polling stations will close at 6 p.m. (0900 GMT) and the three network television stations will announce the result of a jointly conducted exit poll shortly afterwards.

While Park's bid to become president has stirred debate and divisions about her father's rule, and the prospect of a nuclear-armed North Korea also hangs over the country, the main issue in the election has been the economy.

While outwardly successful and home to some of the world's biggest companies, such as Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Hyundai Motor Co, South Korean society has become steadily more unequal.

Park advocated a broader welfare policy than when she ran five years ago, when she failed to win the conservative presidential nomination, but says she will not raise taxes or spend more money to boost the economy, instead relying on cutting wasteful spending.

Moon, by contrast, has proposed an $18 billion jobs package, boosting maternity pay and taxing the super-rich. He has also pledged to repeal a controversial free trade agreement with the United States.

Park's father took power in a 1961 coup and helped push South Korea from poverty to developed nation status, but at the cost of repressing human rights and democracy.

His wife was shot by a North Korean-backed assassin who was gunning for him in 1974 and his then young daughter took on the role of South Korea's first lady until Park's own killing in 1979 by his security chief after a drunken night out.

The younger Park has at times sought to appeal to the spirit that her father embodied. On Tuesday she evoked his economic call to arms of "Let's Live well" in a bid to rally her party faithful.

But at other times she has stumbled over apologies to victims of her father's rule and sought to appeal to her mother's softer image.

Moon, jailed in 1975 when he was a student activist, has attacked Park "for living the life of a princess". His only political experience was as an aide to former President Roh Moo-hyun, who was his law partner.

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