ATHLETICS
Donato cleared of doping
Olympic triple jump bronze medalist Fabrizio Donato was among eight Italian athletes, including several hoping to compete at the Rio Games, cleared of doping violations on Monday by the country’s anti-doping tribunal. Donato, the 2007 world long jump silver medalist, Andrew Howe and Daniele Greco, the 2013 European indoor triple jump champion, had been part of a group of 26 athletes facing two-year bans after they were accused of failing to provide doping samples. In December last year, Italy’s anti-doping agency called for the athletes to be suspended for “evading, refusing or failing to submit themselves to provide samples,” as well as breaching rules about informing doping authorities of their out-of-competition whereabouts. The cases were then sent to the national anti-doping court, with a decision over the remaining 18 athletes expected to be returned in the next few weeks. No reason was given for the court’s decision on Monday, but Italian media reported that the national anti-doping agency is likely to appeal the ruling.
CYCLING
Bouhanni wins first stage
French sprinter Nacer Bouhanni made up for his Milan-San Remo disappointment over the weekend by dominating the opening bunch sprint at the Volta a Catalunya on Monday. The Cofidis rider pulled on the leader’s jersey after crossing a full length ahead of Britain’s Ben Swift, who finished second in the Milan-San Remo, after the 175km stage around Calella. Several escape bids were reeled in over the afternoon, including a wily late bid from Ireland’s Nicolas Roche, whom Sky went after and neutralized with 1km remaining. Top-drawer competitors Chris Froome, Alberto Contador, Nairo Quintana and Richie Porte all went through the motions on Monday on a stage favoring a highly competitive cast of sprinters. It was a third win of the season for the 25-year-old Cofidis captain after he won a stage of the Vuelta a Andalucia and another on the Paris-Nice.
MOTORCYCLING
Smith to join KTM next year
British motorcycle racer Bradley Smith is to quit Yamaha after four seasons of MotoGP in favor of Austrian mark KTM for the 2017 and 2018 seasons. The Austrian manufacturer is planning to join the MotoGP circuit next year alongside the likes of Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Ducati and Aprilia. The 25-year-old, whose three grand prix wins all came at the 125cc level, ended last season in sixth place in the world championship standings and was eighth in Sunday’s season-opening Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar.
SOCCER
Brazil train by truck’s light
Brazil’s Olympic soccer team on Monday trained in the headlights of a truck after the floodlights failed at their training ground, local news media reported. Officials called for a truck to be parked alongside the pitch after the lights went out at the Estadio Engenheiro Alencar Araripe, allowing the players to practice ahead of tomorrow’s friendly against Nigeria. The match is to be played in Espirito Santo, a small coastal state where no games were held during the 2014 World Cup. Brazil built or renovated 12 stadiums for the competition. Rafinha Alcantara (Barcelona), Andreas Pereira (Manchester United) and Felipe Anderson (SS Lazio) are among the biggest names in a squad that is to try to win Olympic gold for the first time in August in Rio de Janeiro.
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
Arne Slot has denied that Darwin Nunez was dropped from Liverpool’s win against West Ham because of a training-ground row with a member of his coaching staff. The Liverpool head coach on Sunday last week said that Nunez was absent from the 2-1 victory at Anfield, having felt unwell during training the day before, although the striker sat behind the substitutes throughout the game. Speculation has been rife that the Uruguay international, whom Slot criticized for his work rate against Wolves and Aston Villa in February, was left out for disciplinary reasons. Asked on Friday to clarify the situation, Slot said: “He
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