CYCLING
Rider suspended over tweets
Team Trek on Thursday suspended 19-year-old American cycling hopeful Quinn Simmons from racing “until further notice” after he posted messages on Twitter in support of US President Donald Trump, which the team described as “divisive, incendiary and damaging.” Simmons, who is white, responded to a tweet by cycling journalist Jose Been that read: “If you follow me and support Trump, you can go,” by posting the word “bye” and a hand-waving emoji in a black skin tone. In a statement, the team said that Simmons had acted in a way that was “inappropriate for a Trek athlete.”
HORSE RACING
Jockey tests for cocaine
The champion jockey of British horse racing has tested positive for cocaine, the Professional Jockeys Association said on Thursday. Oisin Murphy returned a positive test for metabolites of the drug in a test undertaken in France on July 19, the association said. The 25-year-old rider from Ireland, who denied taking the drug, arranged for a hair sample test at an independent laboratory, which returned a negative result, the association said. He has shared those results with France Galop and is awaiting the result of its analysis of his B sample.
ATHLETICS
Runners’ shoes face scrutiny
Kenyan duo Brigid Kosgei and Ruth Chepngetich are tomorrow to use controversial shoes worn by Eliud Kipchoge in the London Marathon. Kenya’s Kipchoge broke the two-hour barrier in an unofficial event in Vienna in October last year, when he wore the platform Alphafly Next% shoes. While the shoes are allowed by World Athletics, they are estimated to improve running economy by up to 8 percent. Kipchoge’s record led to calls for the Nike shoes to be banned, but women’s marathon world record holder Kosgei is adamant the runner makes the difference. “It is someone who can run, it’s not the shoes, it does not depend on the shoes,” she said.
RUGBY LEAGUE
Burgess under investigation
Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL) yesterday said it would investigate allegations of drug abuse and domestic violence involving former England international Sam Burgess and the South Sydney Rabbitohs team. The Australian newspaper said in a report that South Sydney had covered up misconduct by former captain Burgess during his playing career at the club. Burgess, who represented England in rugby league and rugby union at the 2015 World Cup, retired from the NRL last year, but has worked in a coaching role at the Rabbitohs. Hours after the NRL said they would investigate, Burgess stepped down from his coaching role at the Rabbitohs and his TV job with Fox League, a rugby league channel.
ATHLETICS
Athens Marathon canceled
This year’s Athens Marathon, scheduled for Nov. 7 and Nov. 8, has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers said in a statement. The Greek athletic federation, SEGAS, said they considered a number of scenarios, including conducting only the full 42km race and reducing the number of participants, but were forced to call it off as they could not guarantee the safety of the runners.
Freddie Freeman homered and drove in four runs, Shohei Ohtani also went deep and Roki Sasaki earned his first major league win as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 10-3 on Saturday night for their seventh straight victory. The Dodgers have won the first two games of the series to improve to 5-0 against Atlanta this year. Los Angeles’ three-game sweep at home early in the season left the Braves 0-7. Sasaki allowed three runs and six hits over five innings. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up a home run to Ozzie Albies, but received plenty of offensive support in his
Bayern Munich on Sunday were crowned German champions for the 34th time, giving striker Harry Kane his first major trophy, after second-placed Bayer 04 Leverkusen drew 2-2 at SC Freiburg. Bayern’s 3-3 draw at RB Leipzig on Saturday, when the Bavarians came from two goals down to take the lead before conceding a stoppage-time equalizer, meant defending Bundesliga champions Leverkusen needed to win at Freiburg to delay the title party. Leverkusen were two goals down before scoring twice in the final 10 minutes, but Xabi Alonso’s side could not find a third, as Bayern reclaimed the title at the first attempt after
A man fell from the 6.4m-high Clemente Wall in right field at PNC Park in Pittsburgh during Wednesday night’s game between the Pirates and the Chicago Cubs. Right after Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run double in the seventh inning to put the Pirates ahead 4-3, players began waving frantically for medical personnel and pointing to the man, who had fallen onto the warning track. The fan was tended to for approximately five minutes by members of both the Pirates and Cubs training staffs as well as PNC personnel before being removed from the field on a cart. The team issued a statement shortly
PAINFUL VICTORY: Ruud said that felt pain in his rib during the warmup and was put on painkillers so that he could finish the match against Argentine Francisco Cerundolo With the help of painkillers, Casper Ruud overcame a rib ailment to defeat Francisco Cerundolo in straight sets and reach the Madrid Open final on Friday. Ruud is to face Jack Draper, who beat Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the other semi-final to make his third final of the year. Ruud received treatment on his rib three games into the match and went on to win 6-4, 7-5 on the Caja Magica center court. The 15th-ranked Norwegian saved 15 of the 18 break points he faced against the 21st-ranked Argentine. Ruud said he felt something in his rib during the warmup, just before
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