Sun, Aug 06, 2006 page22

• Sports Briefs

  • AGENCIES
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  ■ Athletics
  Hurdler accepts suspension

  US teenage hurdler Cordera Jenkins accepted a deferred three-month suspension after testing positive for marijuana, the US Anti-Doping Agency said on Friday. The 18-year-old Jenkins will be allowed an immediate return to competition because he completed an anti-doping educational program, USADA said. Jenkins tested positive on June 22 at the US junior outdoor championships in Indianapolis and was stripped of his win in the 110m hurdles at the event.

  ■ Champ Car

  Da Matta still in hospital

  Champ Car driver Cristiano da Matta remained in intensive care with a serious head injury on Friday, a day after his race car collided with a deer that wandered onto the track during a test session at Road America. Champ Car series spokesman Eric Mauk said the Brazilian driver was in the intensive care unit at Theda Clark Memorial Hospital in Neenah, where he was airlifted to and had surgery to remove a ruptured blood vessel in his head. Road America media director Julie Sebranek said she had never heard of a similar incident at the track. "The race track has been here for 50 years. It's highly, highly unusual," Sebranek said on Friday. A 2.4m chain link fence topped with barbed wire circles the 250-hectare property, which is surrounded by wooded terrain and farm fields. "It's just a freak thing and we just maintain the property as we do on a daily basis," she said.

  ■ Golf

  Woods, Quigley out in front

  Tiger Woods got off to a quick start to share the lead on Friday when darkness stopped play in the second round of the US$4.8 million dollar Buick Open. The world No. 1 carded seven birdies without a bogey through 15 holes, moving to 13-under. He had four birdies on the front nine, then three in a row from the 12th before a par on his final hole of the day. Brett Quigley was in the clubhouse at 13-under 131, signing for a six-under 66 that included a birdie at 18. Woods and a host of players were due to return to the Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club yesterday morning to finish the second round before third-round play started. Jeff Sluman and Bo Van Pelt, forced to work overtime Friday because of Thursday's suspended first round, were both two back. Two-time defending champion Vijay Singh was also in contention. Singh completed 10 holes at two-under to move to 10-under for the tournament. A total of 11 golfers were within three shots of the lead.

  ■ Athletics

  Gatlin insisted on running

  Justin Gatlin insisted on running at the national championships in June even after officials asked him to withdraw over his positive drug test, a person with knowledge of the meeting said on Friday. Because only the "A" sample result was available from the April test, USA Track and Field (USATF) had no authority to bar Gatlin from competing. Results of the backup "B" sample are required before a doping test is considered positive. Gatlin professed his innocence to USATF officials when they suggested that he drop out of the meet, said the source, who asked not to be identified. The 100m co-world record-holder went on to win the national 100m title. Gatlin tied Asafa Powell's world-record mark of 9.77 seconds three weeks after his fateful drug test. Gatlin and USATF learned of the positive test just days before the US championships began on June 21 in Indianapolis.
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