ATHLETICS
Barnaby drowns off St Kitts
Canadian Olympic athlete Daundre Barnaby drowned while swimming in the ocean on Friday during a training camp on the Caribbean island of St Kitts, Athletics Canada said in a statement. The 24-year-old Jamaican-born 400m runner represented Canada at the 2012 Olympic Games. “This is such a sad and profound loss, Daundre was an outstanding athlete and an even better young man,” Atheltics Canada CEO Rob Guy said. The organization said Barnaby disappeared when was swimming in the ocean with teammates. Barnaby became a Canadian citizen in 2012 and his most recent international competition was at last year’s Commonwealth Games.
WINTER OLYMPICS
Experience key to China bid
Beijing’s Olympic experience and infrastructure are key in delivering a successful 2022 Winter Games, senior bid official Wu Jingmi said on Friday, pledging also free Internet during the event. The bid’s deputy secretary-general told reporters that the use of the venues from the 2008 summer Games fit with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Agenda 2020 reforms of keeping costs low and using more existing or temporary venues. Beijing, along with the nearby city of Zhangjiakou are jointly bidding for the Games to return to China. Beijing and Kazakhstan’s Almaty are the only two cities left in the race after Stockholm, Lviv, Krakow and Oslo pulled out over a lack of support or financial concerns among other reasons. The IOC will elect the winning bid in July at its session in Malaysia with Beijing pitching access to a growing winter sports market.
BASEBALL
Rollins gets 80-game ban
Left-handed hurler David Rollins will not start the season in the Seattle Mariners bullpen after he was handed an 80-game Major League Baseball ban for doping. Rollins, 25, was vying in Spring Training for a spot on the Mariners’ opening day roster. In eight exhibition innings he had allowed just one run on five hits with seven strikeouts and no walks. The MLB said Rollins, who was acquired from the Astros in December’s Rule 5 draft of professional players, tested positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol. He was notified of the positive test and suspension a few days ago and MLB officials said he will not appeal. “It was a mistake on my part,” Rollins told the Seattle Times. “It was very bad judgment and I’ve been regretting it ever since. It was when I got back from winter ball and I was sore and I was trying to speed up my recovery,” he said.
RUGBY UNION
North struck on head again
Wales winger George North suffered another head injury in Northampton’s English Premiership match against the Wasps on Friday. North, who sustained two head injuries in Wales’ Six Nations game against England last month, appeared to be knocked out as he scored his team’s second try in a 52-30 victory. He was struck by the knee of Wasps forward Nathan Hughes, who was sent off, and received several minutes of treatment on the pitch before being taken off on a stretcher. “He clearly took a bang straight to the head, but he came round and he sat up in the changing room and managed to have a little sing-song,” Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder told BT Sport. North suffered two blows to the head in the opening Six Nations defeat by England and appeared to lose consciousness before controversially finishing the match. He missed the next game against Scotland, but returned for the last three matches in the tournament.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
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
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely