ATHLETICS
AIU suspends Daniel Wanjiru
Kenyan Daniel Wanjiru, the winner of the 2017 London Marathon, has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU). The AIU on Tuesday said on its Web site that a charge had been issued against Wanjiru for “use of a prohibited substance/method.” Under anti-doping rules, the 27-year-old cannot participate in any competition until a hearing has taken place into the allegation. Wanjiru won the 2016 Amsterdam Marathon, and has finished eighth and 11th in the past two London marathons. Last year, Kenyans Asbel Kiprop, Cyrus Rutto and Abraham Kiptum were all given four-year bans, while Vincent Kipsegechi Yator received the same ban earlier this month. Wilson Kipsang, a former marathon world record holder and bronze medalist at the 2012 London Olympics, was provisionally suspended in January for whereabouts failures and tampering with samples. Kipsang’s management company denied the case involved the use of doping and tampering with the doping test.
SOCCER
Yu fired over license plate
Chinese Super League champions Guangzhou Evergrande dismissed Yu Hanchao and the international winger faces 15 days in police custody after he was spotted altering the license plate on his Mercedes 4x4. Guangzhou, who are managed by Italian FIFA World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro, said that the 33-year-old had “severely violated” the club’s strict disciplinary code. Police in the southern city fined Yu 5,000 yuan (US$708), added 12 points to his license and are to hold him for 15 days in “administrative detention.” Footage on Tuesday emerged of the 59-capped Yu, who has scored nine goals for China, appearing to change a letter “E” on his license plate to “F” for reasons that were not immediately clear. “Guangzhou traffic police found an illegal traffic safety act of using a modified vehicle number plate,” police officials said in a statement on a microblog. “After investigation and evidence collection by Guangzhou traffic police, the perpetrator surnamed Yu admitted the illegal facts.” Yu has won the Chinese Super League five times with Guangzhou and lifted the Asian Football Confederation Champions League trophy.
SWIMMING
Group sorry for ‘zoom-bomb’
Scottish Swimming has apologized to its community after an online training session with its elite athletes was crashed by a “zoombomber,” who subjected about 300 participants to “disturbing content” on Tuesday. The event was hosted on video conferencing application Zoom, which has faced a backlash from users worried about the lack of end-to-end encryption of meeting sessions and “zoombombing” — uninvited guests gaining entry and disrupting proceedings. “At the end of last week we shared information about the workout across social media platforms, asking those interested in participating to log into a link that was shared publicly this morning,” Scottish Swimming said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the link was ‘zoombombed’ with disturbing content shared with circa 300 people that had signed in to the event... At a time when the aquatics community was pulling together and supporting one another so positively, it’s upsetting to have a minority cause upset and distress during the lockdown.”
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
Rafael Nadal on Tuesday lost in straight sets to 31st-ranked Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round at the Madrid Open, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced to the semi-finals in the women’s doubles. Nadal said that he was feeling good about his progress following his latest injury layoff. Nadal called it a “positive week” in every way and said his body held up well. “I was able to play four matches, a couple of tough matches,” Nadal said. “So very positive, winning three matches, playing four matches at the high level of tennis. I enjoyed a lot playing at home. I leave here with
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just