The 2004 Golden League circuit of six top-class meetings settled into its starting blocks yesterday with the sport of athletics rocked by the doping scandal in the US.
Even Kenenisa Bekele's 10,000m world record in Ostrava on Tuesday failed to lift the gloom which deepened when it was reported on Wednesday that 100m world record holder Tim Montgomery has been warned by American anti-doping authorities that he faces charges of doping violations.
Montgomery and Olympic relay medallist Chryste Gaines were reported to have received warning letters from the US Anti-Doping Agency, relating to the investigation into the California-based BALCO laboratory, which has been linked with the "designer" steroid THG.
Montgomery, who has vowed to fight any charges, was not among the starters yesterday in a meeting moved from its traditional home in Oslo due to rebuilding work on the historic Bislett Stadium.
Just six weeks before the Athens Olympics, many stars are still easing into their competitive season but any athlete hoping to emulate Maria Mutola and win the US$1 million jackpot must win their event at every meeting.
The men's 200m boasts an outstanding lineup including reigning world champion John Capel of the US and veteran Frankie Fredericks, a former world champion, along with rising US prospect Justin Gatlin, whose 2003 season was partly spoiled by injury.
Russia's mercurial Yuriy Borzakovskiy takes on surprise world champion Djabir Said Guerni of Algeria in the 800m with gold in Athens on both of their minds although Wilfred Bungei of Kenya has the year's fastest time and will line up too.
Bernard Lagat has a lot to prove in 2004 after clearing his name of doping allegations last year. The Kenyan tests his form in the 1,500m against Alan Webb, a young man emerging as a new middle distance find for the US.
Felix Sanchez has been invincible in the 400m hurdles for three years and he blew away a series of below-par early season performances with victory in Ostrava. The man from the Dominican Republic takes on the fastest man of 2004 so far, South Africa's Okkert Cilliers.
The big absentee from the women's 100m is Olympic champion Marion Jones and with Kelli White now banned for doping, the American given the world championships gold medal in her place, Torri Edwards, takes on the best Europe can offer.
Ethiopian-born Elvan Abeylegesse, now competing for Turkey, will make a possible world record attempt in the women's 5,000m.
Olympic flame
South Africa's first black president Nelson Mandela will be among those carrying the Olympic torch when it arrives in South Africa for the first time, organizers said on Thursday.
Cape Town Mayor Nomaindia Mfeketo brings the flame here on a flight from Cairo today. It then travels by foot, cable car and helicopter on a journey that takes in the city's impoverished Cape Flats townships, iconic Table Mountain and Robben Island, where Mandela spent most of his 27 years in jail.
Runners along the 57km route represent a cross-section of South African society -- from sports celebrities to music legends, students to a 100-year-old man.
The torch's first trip to South Africa comes as the country celebrates its first decade of all-race democracy.
"Cape Town is going to display what all of South Africa wants to show, passion about the Olympic games, passion about sport, passion about the country," National Olympic Committee of South Africa president Sam Ramsamy was quoted as saying. "We are all looking forward to a great day."
The Olympic torch was lit on March 25 in Athens and is scheduled to travel around the world before returning to Greece for the opening ceremony on Aug. 13. From Cape Town the flame travels to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was