Print

Mail

wiki links

Sports Briefs

■ Auto Racing
Aussies introduce new car
Alan Jones, the 1980 Formula One world drivers' champion, on Wednesday launched the Australian car to contest the new A1 series, which is being billed as the world cup of auto racing. Sheik Maktoum Hasher Maktoum, a member of Dubai's ruling family, is founder of the series that will feature 25 national teams competing on an unusually even footing. Each of the 25 countries -- ranging from Lebanon to China to the US -- will have one entry apiece, owned and driven by a local competitor and with local sponsors. All of the cars will be the same: 550hp Zytec-powered open wheelers that Maktoum has bought from Britain's Lola Cars. The 10-race series is scheduled to start Sept. 25 at Brands Hatch, England, and finish the following April. Real Madrid soccer star Ronaldo will own the Brazilian franchise, Maktoum announced earlier this month.

■ Drug Panel
Big names appointed
Russian ice hockey great Viacheslav Fetisov and Olympic and world champion swimmer Janet Evans were among 13 members appointed to the newly formed athletics committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency on Tuesday in Montreal. The purpose of the committee is to allow WADA closer contact with athletes and to give the agency better insight into their concerns regarding doping. Fetisov was selected chairman of the committee, which was approved by WADA's executive committee in November. He played for the Soviet Union when it was the dominant power in international ice hockey, and later had a long career in the NHL. He is serving as Russia's Minister of Sport. Evans won three gold medals for the USat the 1988 Olympics, and a gold and silver at the 1992 Games.

■ Steroid Testing
NFL pressures union
The NFL reportedly will ask the players' union to agree to stronger testing for steroids. The New York Times reported in yesterday's editions that the league was following the lead of Olympic sports in seeking more stringent testing for testosterone. No date for a meeting with the players has been set, but any changes in the testing procedures require consent from the NFL Players Association.

This story has been viewed 1913 times.