■ SWIMMING
Klochkova retires at 26
Ukraine’s Yana Klochkova, winner of four swimming Olympic
gold medals, announced her retirement from competitive sport on Thursday at the age of 26. “It wasn’t easy for me to take this decision,” Klochkova told reporters in Kiev. “I believe that there is life beyond sport, and that it, too will be interesting, though perhaps a little different. I achieved all I could. Now I want to be a success in ordinary life too.” Klochkova won gold in the 200m individual medley and 400m individual medley at the 2000 Games in Sydney and repeated the feat four years later in Athens. She also picked up a silver in the 800m freestyle in Sydney. She made way for her younger teammates for last year’s Games in Beijing. She said she would continue to work with a foundation set up last year to develop and popularize swimming in Ukraine.
■ RACE WALKING
Yurin avoided urine tests
Ukrainian race walker Andriy Yurin was suspended from competition for one year after missing three doping tests. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) said in a statement on Thursday that Yurin was banned by the Ukrainian Athletic Federation. The IAAF said he was found guilty of a doping violation after missing three out-of-competition tests between May 2007 and May last year. Yurin, who finished 11th in the 20km walk at the 2005 world championships in Helsinki, will be banned until Feb. 16 next year, and his results from May 24 last year have been disqualified, according to the IAAF.
■ BOXING
Pacquiao dumps TV station
Philippine boxing superstar Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao faces a potential scrap with two local television stations after he abruptly dumped one of them ahead of his May 2 showdown with Ricky Hatton. Listed GMA Network said in a statement it was “very disappointed” with his decision to transfer to rival ABS-CBN after ending a broadcast contract with cable television outfit Solar Sports, which buys air time from GMA. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, GMA said Pacquiao switched to the rival network after it allegedly offered him “full media support” in next year’s elections. The boxer is expected to launch a second bid for a congressional seat in the polls. GMA said offering him such an option would be against the law. Spokesmen for Pacquiao and ABS-CBN could not be reached for comment.
■ GYMNASTICS
US pioneer dies aged 87
Glenn Marlin Sundby, an acrobat who co-founded USA Gymnastics and the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame, has died. He was 87. Sundby had been in failing health the past year and was admitted last week to Tri-City Hospital in Vista, California, USA Gymnastics said. He died on Wednesday. “The US gymnastics family has lost one of its pioneers,” USA Gymnastics president Steve Penny said on Thursday. “He was an original, and his lifelong love and passion for gymnastics helped transform the sport into what it is today.” As a high school gymnast, Sundby created a traveling acrobatic act with George Wayne Long that became the Wayne-Marlin Trio when Sundby’s sister, Dolores, joined in 1945. Four years later, Sundby drew national attention by walking down the steps of the Washington Monument on his hands. In 1962, Sundby helped found the US Gymnastics Federation — now USA Gymnastics — and served as its vice president. He also co-founded the US Sports Acrobatics Federation and the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
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