■ SWIMMING
Ian Thorpe cleared of doping
Australia's sports doping agency has cleared champion swimmer Ian Thorpe of doping charges fueled in March when urine tests showed elevated levels of two banned substances. "The evidence available does not indicate the use of performance enhancing substances by Mr Thorpe. He has no case to answer," the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority said in a statement. Thorpe became embroiled in the doping investigation when a urine sample taken in May last year showed elevated levels of testosterone and epitestosterone.
■ SOCCER
Sparta Nazi salutes probed
The Czech soccer federation has begun investigating alleged Nazi salutes by Sparta Prague midfielder Pavel Horvath during a league match. Federation spokesman Vit Pavlusek said Horvath's conduct was judged "unsportsmanlike," according to initial findings on Thursday by the federation's disciplinary committee. Horvath allegedly twice saluted Sparta fans with his right arm outstretched seconds before the end of the match against Viktoria Zizkov on Saturday, which Sparta won 4-1. The committee resumes its investigation next Thursday. Pavlusek said the federation also asked for TV footage of the incident. "It is a big misunderstanding," Horvath was quoted as saying by the Lidove Noviny daily newspaper Thursday. "I am really not a fascist." Sparta backed Horvath, saying he was trying to calm fans down.
■ GOLF
US tour finishing dope policy
The US tour's comprehensive anti-doping policy is nearing completion, and testing could start as early as next year, commissioner Tim Finchem said on Thursday. He updated the Player Advisory Council in Norton, Massachusetts, on Monday about the tour's progress. "We believe now that we'll complete work on a policy this year, and the elements of the policy could very well be executed during '08," he said at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Finchem said testing would be only one part of the policy. Still to be determined are exemptions for therapeutic use.
■ SOCCER
Dein sells stake in Arsenal
Former Arsenal chairman David Dein has sold his 14.58 percent stake in Arsenal to a consortium led by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov. Red and White Holdings Ltd said in a statement Thursday that it had paid ?75 million (US$151.1 million) for the stake and appointed Dein as the company's chairman. Red and White said it had "committed funds" to enable it to increase its stake in Arsenal. "However, Red and White confirms that it has no current intention to make a takeover offer for Arsenal," the statement said. Arsenal managing director Keith Edelman was not concerned. "David's free to do what he wants to do," Edelman said at the Champions League group stage draw in Monte Carlo, Monaco. "Clearly it's not a change in shareholding structure."
■ SOCCER
Everton signs up Gravesen
Everton signed Thomas Gravesen on loan from Celtic for the rest of the season on Thursday. The move returns the Danish midfielder to the Premier League club where played from 2000 to 2005. "I really look forward to coming back to Everton and to once again play at the top level," he said. The 31-year-old Gravesen had been at Celtic since August last year. He spent the previous season at Real Madrid.
Badminton world No. 3 Anders Antonsen clinched his first Indonesia Open title yesterday after beating Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen, while South Korea’s An Se-young won her second championship in Jakarta. The 28-year-old Dane sank world No. 7 Chou at the Indonesian capital’s Istora Senayan arena, winning 22-20, 21-14 in a 60-minute match to secure the prestigious Super 1000 event. Antonsen came out on top in a tightly contested first game before cruising to victory in the second. In a more closely fought women’s singles final, South Korean ace and world No. 1 An fought back from one game down to beat China’s
Italy crashed to a 3-0 loss away to Norway, as the four-time FIFA World Cup champions made a disastrous start to their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign on Friday, while Belgium had to settle for a draw in North Macedonia. Alexander Sorloth, Antonio Nusa and Erling Haaland all scored in the first half in pouring rain in Oslo as Norway made it a night to forget for Italy, who missed out on the past two World Cups. “I have no explanation. Our supporters don’t deserve this kind of match. We need to do some soul-searching. It’s unacceptable,” Italy captain and goalkeeper Gianluigi
‘STILL’: In front of a packed New Jersey arena attended by Donald Trump and Mike Tyson, UFC 316 delivered high drama as Merab Dvalishvili retained his title Georgia’s Merab Dvalishvili scored a second-round submission win over Sean O’Malley to retain his bantamweight title at Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 316 on Saturday, with Kayla Harrison also winning by submission in the co-main event, tapping out Juliana Pena to claim the women’s bantamweight crown. In front of a packed crowd at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, which included US President Donald Trump and retired heavyweight great Mike Tyson, Dvalishvili, a 34-year-old from the country of Georgia, won the belt in a convincing, although not aesthetically pleasing, unanimous decision. Dvalishvili (19-4) sat on top of the cage and shouted
Manchester City on Monday completed the signing of left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a reported ￡31 million (US$41.8 million). The 24-year-old Algeria international has signed a five-year contract and will be available for the FIFA Club World Cup, which begins later this week. Ait-Nouri is expected to be just one of a trio of new City faces for that tournament with deals close to completion for AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders and Olympique Lyonnais playmaker Rayan Cherki. After missing out on a major trophy in the recently completed season for the first time since 2016-2017, City are hoping
RSS