OLYMPICS
Committees join Russia case
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) want to have a say on Russia’s doping ban. With Russia facing a four-year ban on its name and anthem at major events, including the Olympics and Paralympics, the IPC on Friday said that both bodies filed a formal “notice of intervention” in the Court of Arbitration for Sport case that is to decide the matter. The committees said they want to make sure the punishment is clear-cut. “The only purpose of this intervention is limited to the interest of the IOC and the IPC that the pronounced sanctions are clear, leave no room for any interpretation and can be applied without any further procedures,” the two organizations said in a statement.
GOLF
Man makes one-armed ace
One-armed Canadian amateur Laurent Hurtubise made a hole-in-one playing alongside two PGA Tour pros at the American Express pro-am event. Born without a right hand, Hurtubise aced the 151 yard par-three fourth hole at PGA West’s Stadium Course in the first round on Thursday. The ball landed near the front of the green and rolled in. “As a kid, sports was a way for me to prove that even though I had a difference that I could perform as well as normal people ... as they call them,” Hurtubise told the Desert Sun. “People have differences and handicaps and whatever, but it was my way to prove that I could be as good as everybody else.” Hurtubise was paired with professional Troy Merritt. “The coolest experience I’ve had on the course,” Merritt told PGA Tour.com.
SOCCER
Cyprus suspends games
The Cyprus Football Association on Friday suspended all matches after a referee walkout because of a bombing attack against a colleague’s car. The federation said all matches are on hold indefinitely. Police said the predawn detonation of an explosive device placed on the hood of the car caused extensive damage. The federation earlier condemned the attack against referee Andreas Constantinou’s vehicle as an “act of terrorism” that breeds fear among referees and harms the sport.
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
Grasso misses weight
Strawweight contender Claudia Gadelha’s bout with Alexa Grasso on the pay-per-view portion of UFC246 has been canceled after Grasso badly missed weight. The Nevada State Athletic Commission made the decision on Friday after Grasso weighed in at 121.5 pounds (55kg), missing the strawweight allowance by 5.5 pounds. The bout has been replaced by bantamweight veteran Brian Kelleher’s bout with Jamaica’s Ode Osbourne. Kelleher (19-10) and Osbourne (7-2) had been previously scheduled for the second fight of the entire show. Because Gadelha made weight at 115.5 pounds, the weight difference between the competitors was too big to allow the fight to go on, with a financial penalty for Grasso (11-3). Strawweight fighters must be only three pounds apart at the weigh-in to allow such a consideration, according to the commission. “I worked so hard for this and I was so excited to put in a show for you all tomorrow,” Gadelha wrote on Instagram. “We will run it back!” UFC246 is topped by Conor McGregor’s return to the cage against Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in a welterweight bout. Both headliners easily made the 170-pound limit and no other fighters missed weight.
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