ATHLETICS
Bolt hopes to run in summer
Jamaican track star Usain Bolt, who has yet to run a race this year, said on Thursday he still hopes to be ready to compete in the Commonwealth Games this summer. Bolt said he does not wish to bump another worthy athlete so he only plans to take part in relays in the July 23 to Aug. 3 Games in Glasgow, Scotland. The Jamaican track-and-field championships are taking place this weekend in Kingston and are doubling as a qualifying event for the Commonwealth Games. Bolt, who is the world record holder in the 100m and 200m, has been unable to race this year because of swelling in his foot.
ATHLETICS
No appeal on Gay’s ban
The International Athletics Federation (IAAF) says it will not appeal Tyson Gay’s reduced one-year ban for doping, saying the US anti-doping authorities properly handled the former world 100m champion’s case. The 31-year-old Gay, who is set to return from his suspension in next week’s Diamond League meeting in Lausanne, received a reduced ban for cooperating with the US Anti-Doping Agency’s investigation. In a brief statement on Thursday, the IAAF says the sanction “was appropriate under the circumstances and in accordance with IAAF rules. Consequently, the IAAF decided not to exercise its right of appeal.” The World Anti-Doping Agency decided on June 4 that it would not appeal. Gay tested positive for an anabolic steroid at the US championships last year. He was stripped of all of his results since July 2012.
FORMULA ONE
F1 to replace rolling restarts
Safety car periods are to be followed by standing race restarts from the grid next season, Formula One’s governing body announced on Thursday. The measure, which replaces rolling restarts, is aimed at making grands prix more exciting. Other changes include measures to reduce costs in areas such as testing and design and to make cars more attractive than the current “ugly-nosed” ones. Three pre-season tests of four days each are to be scheduled next year and restricted to Europe, ruling out more costly excursions to Bahrain. In 2016, this is to be reduced to two tests of four days each. There is also to be two in-season tests of two days each, also in Europe, with two of the four days reserved for young drivers.
ATHLETICS
Pregnant Montano runs 800m
Thirty-four weeks pregnant, Alysia Montano ran the 800m on Thursday in the US Track and Field Championships. The five-time national champion finished in 2 minutes, 32.13 seconds in the qualifying rounds, only seven weeks before she is scheduled to give birth to her first child. That the 28-year-old former University of California star finished last in her heat did not matter one bit to the crowd gathered at Hornet Stadium. Trailing the lead pack by more than 120m for most of the race, Montano received a rousing ovation as she finished her first lap and the cheering grew louder when she finally crossed the finish line. “I’ve been running throughout my pregnancy and I felt really, really good during the whole process,” Montano said. “I just didn’t want to get lapped and be the first person to get lapped in the 800.” Montano, who won the 800m national titles the past four years, was never in trouble of being lapped. She took a nice relaxed pace from the start and maintained it throughout.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two