BEIJING -- Marvin Bracy clocked 9.95 seconds to win the men's 100 meters at the World Challenge Beijing meet Wednesday, a day after American teammate Justin Gatlin withdrew from the event.
Wednesday 20 May 2015
Armstrong 'cult' hurts fight against doping - Cooke
Lance Armstrong has the media in thrall to his "cult", according to 2008 Olympic road-race champion Nicole Cooke, who claims that it still "pays to dope" for young cyclists.
Disgraced drugs cheat Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and given a life-time ban by the United States Anti-Doping Agency in 2012, but is set to ride the Tour route again in July for charity.
"The role of the media and the coverage given to it is very sad," Cooke said in The Times. "The whole Livestrong charity was a massive cover for Armstrong. He used it as a justification for what he did and it was a convenient operation for him.
"It reflects poorly on the media that Lance Armstrong can come back and be welcomed, but they are still absolutely in awe of him; not everyone, but the majority. It's the cult of Lance.
"We're still seeing the fallout of Lance Armstrong. The mechanisms that were going on then are still in the sport.
"You've got George Hincapie, big-brother domestique, running his own team. I can't see things changing."
A recent report by the Cycling Independent Reform Commission had found there to be high-level corruption and cover-ups in the sport, but Cooke still believes efforts by the UCI to curb doping are laughable.
The Briton pointed to the world governing body's treatment of doping compared to their willingness to hand out six-month bans to riders found guilty of using electric motors on bikes, with teams facing fines of SWFr 1 million (about £600,000).
"Brian Cookson [UCI president] says it's beneath contempt. What about doping?" she added. "We're good at sanctions for mechanical cheating, but with doping it's still very, very weak. Not enough is being done.
"Why has the guy who created the biological passport, Michael Ashenden, resigned [from the passport panel]? He should be running it. What's wrong with the culture when this guy is not driving everything along?
"I think young cyclists weighing up the pros and cons would probably still decide that it pays to dope."
Rehm wants study into advantages of prosthesis
BERLIN -- German Paralympian Markus Rehm is calling for a new scientific study to determine whether his carbon-fiber prosthesis gives him an unfair advantage.
Rehm, who won the long jump at the German nationals last year but wasn't nominated for the European Athletics Championships because of his prosthesis, told Sport Bild "the investigation last year didn't take enough factors into account. Only the potential advantages were considered. But the disadvantages that I have through the prosthesis have to be included in the results."
German athletics federation president Clemens Prokop had said there was a "significant difference" between jumps with a blade-like prosthesis and natural jumps in the run-up and liftoff, and that Rehm's artificial limb might give him an unfair "catapult effect."
Rehm says he doesn't believe he gets any advantage from the prosthesis.
IOC president to Vizer: 'I'll get back to you'
LONDON -- IOC president Thomas Bach is keeping Marius Vizer waiting on his invitation for a clear-the-air meeting.
Vizer, who heads the umbrella body SportAccord, wrote to Bach on Tuesday asking for a meeting to mend fences following his blistering attack on the International Olympic Committee in Sochi, Russia, last month.
At least a dozen sports federations have suspended or cut ties with SportAccord in protest over Vizer's speech, with rowing and modern pentathlon the latest to withdraw on Wednesday.
Bach replied to Vizer's invitation on Wednesday, saying he would need to discuss the matter with his executive board and the "representatives of our main stakeholders, in this case, the international federations."
A copy of Bach's letter was obtained by The Associated Press.
"As the president, I have the obligation to express the opinion of my organization rather than just a personal one," Bach said. "Therefore, I will come back to you after the next IOC executive board meeting."
The next board meeting is scheduled for June 7-8 in Lausanne, Switzerland.
In Vizer's letter, also obtained by the AP, he said a meeting with Bach would be "for the benefit and the unity of the world sports movement" and also "for the clarification of some essential aspects in the activity and development of the sport family."
Vizer asked Bach for a place and dates that would be convenient. Separately, Vizer also requested a meeting with the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations, which represents the 28 sports in the Games.
Bach's noncommittal reply indicated he would not be dictated by Vizer's wishes and preferred to deal with him from a position of strength with the backing of his board and the federations.
SportAccord represents a grouping of about 100 Olympic and non-Olympic sports federations. It also organizes some multisports events, such as the World Combat Games.
Vizer, who also heads the international judo federation, has been increasingly isolated since delivering his strongly-worded speech at the opening of the SportAccord convention in Sochi a month ago.
Vizer called the IOC system "expired, outdated, wrong, unfair and not at all transparent," said Bach's reform program was of little use to the federations and accused him of blocking SportAccord's plans for more multisports competitions.
ASOIF and at least 12 individual federations have suspended ties with SportAccord. Vizer has accused the IOC of pressuring them to leave.
Rowing and modern pentathlon follow weightlifting, triathlon, wrestling, taekwondo, boxing, athletics, archery, canoeing, shooting and bobsled in suspending or cutting relations with SportAccord. Others are expected to follow suit.
Boxing and taekwondo also have pulled out of the 2017 World Combat Games in Lima, Peru.
The IOC has had a tense relationship with Vizer ever since he was elected in 2013 to succeed former cycling federation president Hein Verbruggen as head of SportAccord.
Vizer ruffled Olympic leaders by proposing to organize a "United World Championships" for all federations every four years, a potential direct challenge to the IOC and the Olympics. The plan has never materialized.
Semenya 'couldn't have survived' without family
Caster Semenya, the former 800m world champion who was forced to take a humiliating gender test aged 18, says she "couldn't have survived" the resulting furore without her family.
Semenya, now 24, burst onto the scene after winning gold for South Africa in 800m at the World Championships in Berlin six years ago.
However, her muscular build and rapid improvement - she improved her personal best by seven seconds in nine months - led to accusations that she was not eligible to run as a woman.
The International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) was condemned after demanding Semenya take a gender test. She passed the test, but remains indignant at how she was treated.
"It was upsetting, you feel humiliated," she told the BBC. "If it wasn't for my family, I don't think I could have survived."
The IAAF was particularly criticised for its decision to make the test public, with Dame Kelly Holmes among those who questioned why the IAAF kept suspicious drugs tests private until an athlete had been charged, but chose to publicise Semenya's situation.
Semenya continued: "I was world champion but I was never able to celebrate it. It was a joke for me. When I grew up, I grew up like that. I grew up with boys, I grew up around boys, I cannot change it.
"You cannot control what people think. It is about yourself, controlling yourself - what is in you. But now I want to focus more on the future, I don't want to go back there. What is done, is done."
Despite her abhorrent treatment at such a young age, Semenya never entertained ideas of quitting athletics.
"Running is what I will always do," said Semenya. "Even if, maybe, the authorities could have stopped me from running in 2009, they could not have stopped me in the fields. I would have carried on with my running, it doesn't matter. When I run I feel free, my mind is free."
Semenya has struggled in recent years after dislocating her knee, but is determined to represent South Africa at the Olympics again, four years after taking silver in London.
"Coming back from a 24-month setback is hard," she says.
"I am a dreamer. And what I dream of is to become Olympic champion, world champion, world record holder - I can't stop running because of people.
"If you have a problem with it, you have to come straight to me and tell me. I cannot stop because people say 'no, she looks like a man, this and that.' It is their problem. Not mine."
Semenya 'couldn't have survived' without family
Caster Semenya, the former 800m world champion who was forced to take a humiliating gender test aged 18, says she "couldn't have survived" the resulting furore without her family.
Semenya, now 24, burst onto the scene after winning gold for South Africa in 800m at the World Championships in Berlin six years ago.
However, her muscular build and rapid improvement - she improved her personal best by seven seconds in nine months - led to accusations that she was not eligible to run as a woman.
The International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) was condemned after demanding Semenya take a gender test. She passed the test, but remains indignant at how she was treated.
"It was upsetting, you feel humiliated," she told the BBC. "If it wasn't for my family, I don't think I could have survived."
The IAAF was particularly criticised for its decision to make the test public, with Dame Kelly Holmes among those who questioned why the IAAF kept suspicious drugs tests private until an athlete had been charged, but chose to publicise Semenya's situation.
Semenya continued: "I was world champion but I was never able to celebrate it. It was a joke for me. When I grew up, I grew up like that. I grew up with boys, I grew up around boys, I cannot change it.
"You cannot control what people think. It is about yourself, controlling yourself - what is in you. But now I want to focus more on the future, I don't want to go back there. What is done, is done."
Despite her abhorrent treatment at such a young age, Semenya never entertained ideas of quitting athletics.
"Running is what I will always do," said Semenya. "Even if, maybe, the authorities could have stopped me from running in 2009, they could not have stopped me in the fields. I would have carried on with my running, it doesn't matter. When I run I feel free, my mind is free."
Semenya has struggled in recent years after dislocating her knee, but is determined to represent South Africa at the Olympics again, four years after taking silver in London.
"Coming back from a 24-month setback is hard," she says.
"I am a dreamer. And what I dream of is to become Olympic champion, world champion, world record holder - I can't stop running because of people.
"If you have a problem with it, you have to come straight to me and tell me. I cannot stop because people say 'no, she looks like a man, this and that.' It is their problem. Not mine."
Justin Gatlin 'kicked out' by Beijing meeting organisers
Justin Gatlin claims organisers at the Beijing World Challenge sent him home on the eve of the event.
The American was due to race in China on Wednesday after running his fastest ever 100 metres time of 9.74 seconds at the Diamond League opener in Doha last week, despite concerns over a thigh injury.
Gatlin, who has served two doping bans, initially told organisers he was suffering from a tight hamstring and dehydration following a flight to Beijing, but came through a training session on Monday.
"I was happy to stay. I'm fit and ready to run. I was cramping a lot after the fastest my body has ever run," Reuters claim Gatlin told reporters at Beijing airport as he left to fly home.
"They didn't have any respect for me so they said 'you better leave' and they kicked me out."
Beijing organisers have yet to respond to Gatlin's claims at this stage.
"I thought I was competing," Gatlin added. "I ran the fastest time by anyone since 2012 in Doha and my body was a little whacked.
"I had respect for the organisers telling them that I felt dehydrated but they didn't have any respect for me. It's crazy. I have no idea what they were thinking. I think they thought I wasn't man enough and I might pull up in the race, or not finish it and then still ask for money.
"But I'm not a man like that. I'm not the kind of guy to cheat people of their money or let the fans down ... that's not what I do."
Justin Gatlin 'kicked out' by Beijing meeting organisers
Justin Gatlin claims organisers at the Beijing World Challenge sent him home on the eve of the event.
The American was due to race in China on Wednesday after running his fastest ever 100 metres time of 9.74 seconds at the Diamond League opener in Doha last week, despite concerns over a thigh injury.
Gatlin, who has served two doping bans, initially told organisers he was suffering from a tight hamstring and dehydration following a flight to Beijing, but came through a training session on Monday.
"I was happy to stay. I'm fit and ready to run. I was cramping a lot after the fastest my body has ever run," Reuters claim Gatlin told reporters at Beijing airport as he left to fly home.
"They didn't have any respect for me so they said 'you better leave' and they kicked me out."
Beijing organisers have yet to respond to Gatlin's claims at this stage.
"I thought I was competing," Gatlin added. "I ran the fastest time by anyone since 2012 in Doha and my body was a little whacked.
"I had respect for the organisers telling them that I felt dehydrated but they didn't have any respect for me. It's crazy. I have no idea what they were thinking. I think they thought I wasn't man enough and I might pull up in the race, or not finish it and then still ask for money.
"But I'm not a man like that. I'm not the kind of guy to cheat people of their money or let the fans down ... that's not what I do."
On the block: Bannister milestone shoes for sale
LONDON -- The running shoes worn by Roger Bannister when he broke the 4-minute mile will be going on sale.
Christie's says the leather shoes will be up for auction on Sept. 10 in London and are expected to fetch between $47,000 and $78,000.
The shoes, made by GT Law and Son, had long, thin spikes and weighed 4½ ounces, much lighter than other shoes at the time.
Christie's says Bannister is expected to donate some of the proceeds to a charity for medical research.
Bannister became the first runner to break the fabled 4-minute barrier when he clocked 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds on May 6, 1954, at the Iffley Road Track in Oxford.
Bannister is now 86 and lives in Oxford. He is coping with the effects of Parkinson's.
Justin Gatlin 'kicked out' by Beijing meeting organisers
Justin Gatlin claims organisers at the Beijing World Challenge sent him home on the eve of the event.
The American was due to race in China on Wednesday after running his fastest ever 100 metres time of 9.74 seconds at the Diamond League opener in Doha last week, despite concerns over a thigh injury.
Gatlin, who has served two doping bans, initially told organisers he was suffering from a tight hamstring and dehydration following a flight to Beijing, but came through a training session on Monday.
"I was happy to stay. I'm fit and ready to run. I was cramping a lot after the fastest my body has ever run," Reuters claim Gatlin told reporters at Beijing airport as he left to fly home.
"They didn't have any respect for me so they said 'you better leave' and they kicked me out."
Beijing organisers have yet to respond to Gatlin's claims at this stage.
"I thought I was competing," Gatlin added. "I ran the fastest time by anyone since 2012 in Doha and my body was a little whacked.
"I had respect for the organisers telling them that I felt dehydrated but they didn't have any respect for me. It's crazy. I have no idea what they were thinking. I think they thought I wasn't man enough and I might pull up in the race, or not finish it and then still ask for money.
"But I'm not a man like that. I'm not the kind of guy to cheat people of their money or let the fans down ... that's not what I do."
Justin Gatlin 'kicked out' by Beijing meeting organisers
Justin Gatlin claims organisers at the Beijing World Challenge sent him home on the eve of the event.
The American was due to race in China on Wednesday after running his fastest ever 100 metres time of 9.74 seconds at the Diamond League opener in Doha last week, despite concerns over a thigh injury.
Gatlin, who has served two doping bans, initially told organisers he was suffering from a tight hamstring and dehydration following a flight to Beijing, but came through a training session on Monday.
"I was happy to stay. I'm fit and ready to run. I was cramping a lot after the fastest my body has ever run," Reuters claim Gatlin told reporters at Beijing airport as he left to fly home.
"They didn't have any respect for me so they said 'you better leave' and they kicked me out."
Beijing organisers have yet to respond to Gatlin's claims at this stage.
"I thought I was competing," Gatlin added. "I ran the fastest time by anyone since 2012 in Doha and my body was a little whacked.
"I had respect for the organisers telling them that I felt dehydrated but they didn't have any respect for me. It's crazy. I have no idea what they were thinking. I think they thought I wasn't man enough and I might pull up in the race, or not finish it and then still ask for money.
"But I'm not a man like that. I'm not the kind of guy to cheat people of their money or let the fans down ... that's not what I do."
USOC board member: Boston bid no sure thing
Boston's troubled bid for the 2024 Olympics took another ding Monday when a key U.S. Olympic leader suggested the city was no sure thing to remain the American candidate to bid for the Games.
U.S. Olympic Committee board member Angela Ruggiero was the first in the federation's leadership group to suggest anything other than the USOC's unwavering support. Her comments came during a Q&A that followed her prepared remarks at a Boston City Council meeting devoted to the bid.
She said the USOC is working hard to make sure Boston succeeds in its attempt to bid for the Games. But in a nod to the always-fluid nature of Olympic politics, she said the federation was still vetting Boston to make sure it was the right city to bid, and that there was no guarantee.
The USOC chose Boston as its candidate city in January but doesn't have to make that selection official until the International Olympic Committee's deadline of Sept. 15. Ruggiero did not immediately return a telephone message left by The Associated Press.
The comment from the four-time Olympian, former Harvard hockey player and IOC member came as the city deals with a leadership team that hasn't found its footing along with polls that show fewer than half the city's residents are in favor of hosting the Summer Games.
In a statement he has previously issued twice this month, USOC CEO Scott Blackmun reiterated the federation's support for the Boston bid and said there was no truth to rumors and reports that the USOC is considering other options.
"Boston can deliver a great Games," Blackmun said.
But the IOC's Sept. 15 deadline has left plenty of room for speculation that the USOC could pull the plug on Boston and sit out the race or choose a new candidate, such as Los Angeles.
Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., were the finalists in a domestic race that lasted about two years.
Rome and Hamburg, Germany, are already in the international race, with other cities expected to join. The 2024 Olympics will be awarded in 2017.
City Council president Bill Linehan, the chairman of the committee considering the 2024 Olympics, said he took Ruggiero's message not as a threat but as encouragement for the city to get to work on the bid.
"It was in the context: 'These things change,'" Linehan said. "I thought it was interesting, but on the front end, she talked about Boston being the city."
Tuesday 19 May 2015
Jorgensen extends triathlon win streak to 9
YOKOHAMA, Japan -- Gwen Jorgensen of the United States won her fourth world series triathlon event of the year on Saturday to extend her winning streak to nine races.
Jorgensen, who won the past two races in Yokohama, crossed the finish line with a time of 1 hour, 57 minutes, 20 seconds to finish 73 seconds ahead of Australia's Ashleigh Gentle. Emma Moffatt, also of Australia, was third with a time of 1:59:03.
Jorgensen tops the overall standings with 3,200 points, 295 points ahead of compatriot Katie Zaferes. She has also won this year in Abu Dhabi, Auckland and Gold Coast, Australia.
Defending champion Javier Gomez Noya of Spain won the men's race with a time of 1:47:00, just two seconds ahead of London Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee of Britain. Mario Mola of Spain was third with a time of 1:47:20.
The sixth event of the International Triathlon Union's world series will be in London on May 30.
Phelps moving to Arizona to work with Bowman
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Michael Phelps is happy for a change of scenery.
His biggest rival, Ryan Lochte, can relate.
Phelps said Thursday he will relocate to Tempe, Arizona, to continue training under longtime coach Bob Bowman. Phelps currently lives and trains in Baltimore but is making the move after Bowman was hired as the men's and women's swimming coach at Arizona State.
What on earth draws athletes to 'Dancing With the Stars'?
LOLO JONES HAS her game face on, and she desperately wants me to know it.
"Every fast dance, honestly, I pick them up really fast. I picked up the jive in, like, seven minutes. It was ridiculous. And that's one of the hardest dances." She's on a patio behind a dance studio, baking in the Los Angeles sun, a pair of oversized sunglasses hiding her eyes. But to stand before her is to feel the confidence of her gaze, a bravado both reassuring and surprising. Reassuring because Jones is in training for her debut on Season 19 of "Dancing With the Stars," that televised orgy of sequins and salsas, and one might fear she's out of her depth. Surprising because Jones -- who has competed in three Olympics and, well, let's say it, famously choked her way through each -- is hardly someone you might think would be (or, frankly, should be) this confident heading into any event. She has repeatedly told practically everyone who will listen that her senior prom date ditched her because she couldn't slow-dance. Lolo Jones is on a mission of redemption.
"Every race is different," Jones says. "There's going to be something that happens that you're going to have to adjust for, something that tries to stress you out, and you just have to stay calm. But that, I think, will be a huge advantage for me. Athletes, we're used to having to step it up for competition." When I ask if she's prepared for the possibility of getting voted off the show first, she lowers the shades and stares at me like I've just run over her cat. "Dude, that would be awful."
Keo Motsepe, the sinewy South African who is Lolo's professional dance partner this season, arrives, and the two head into the studio to rehearse their cha-cha. Jones certainly looks the part of a dancer -- tall and lean, her body all sharp angles, a tangle of cheekbones, clavicles, knees and ribs. But then the music starts and her confidence leaks like the air from a punctured tire. If you saw her in the Olympics, you've seen it before: Jones breaking stride, losing rhythm, a progressive panic gripping her body, stiffening her movements, slowing her down. Keo tries to keep her focused ("C'mon! Open, hit, open, hit, cha-cha-cha!"), but with each passing attempt, she visibly stiffens. "I just feel so awkward in the opening," Jones confesses, fidgeting with her ponytail for the 11th time.
Vizer plots talk with IOC head to repair ties
LONDON -- A month after launching a scathing attack on the IOC, the head of SportAccord said Tuesday he wants to meet with Thomas Bach to repair the damage that has led multiple sports to cut ties with the umbrella body for international federations.
Responding to the backlash that followed his blistering criticism of Olympic leaders, SportAccord chief Marius Vizer said he has proposed a meeting with the IOC president "in order to define the way forward and relieve pressure" from the federations.
The meeting, Vizer said, "needs to be held for the benefit and the unity of the sports movement."
Vizer said he is also seeking a meeting with the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations, which represents the 28 sports in the Games.
"I look forward to open and honest discussions which are for the benefit of sport," Vizer said in a statement from SportAccord's headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. "I hope to have positive discussions which will lead to tangible solutions."
Vizer has been increasingly isolated since delivering a strongly worded speech blasting Bach and the International Olympic Committee at the opening of the SportAccord convention in Sochi, Russia.
Vizer, who also heads the international judo federation, called the IOC system "expired, outdated, wrong, unfair and not at all transparent." He said Bach's reform program was of little use to the federations and accused him of blocking SportAccord's plans for multi-sports competitions.
ASOIF and 10 individual federations have suspended ties with SportAccord since Vizer's speech. SportAccord represents Olympic and non-Olympic sports bodies.
Vizer has defended his point of view several times since the speech. In Tuesday's statement, he did not back down but expressed a less strident tone and made clear he was interested in mending fences.
"Unity is paramount and I do not have a personal agenda," Vizer said. "My statement in Sochi on 20th of April was meant to launch proper reforms that would result in a better future for sport.
"My intention has been and will always be to safeguard and further the interests of the international federations. My aim is to unite them and support them as they are the elected representatives of the national federations and moreover, of the athletes."
Vizer claimed there "has been an increased interest in applications for SportAccord membership from various international sport bodies" since his speech.
His statement came shortly after the international weightlifting federation became the latest to join the exodus from SportAccord.
Weightlifting followed triathlon, wrestling, taekwondo, boxing, athletics, archery, canoeing, shooting and bobsled in suspending or cutting relations with SportAccord. Modern pentathlon is expected to follow suit next.
Boxing and taekwondo have also pulled out of the 2017 World Combat Games, a multisport event run by SportAccord.
Vizer's outburst in Sochi against the IOC has left the future of his organization in question. It's uncertain whether the SportAccord convention will be held again in Russia for the next four years as originally planned.
The IOC, meanwhile, has made it clear it can live without SportAccord. The IOC decided not to hold an executive board meeting in Sochi during the SportAccord conference, breaking with tradition going back to the first convention in 1993.
The IOC has had a tense relationship with Vizer ever since he was elected in 2013 to succeed former cycling federation president Hein Verbruggen as head of SportAccord.
Vizer ruffled Olympic leaders by proposing to organize a "United World Championships" for all federations every four years, a potential direct challenge to the IOC and the Olympics. The plan has never materialized.
Judge: Tsarnaev sentencing hearing set for June
BOSTON -- Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will be formally sentenced to death next month after at least 20 victims describe the impact the terror attack had on their lives.
Judge George O'Toole Jr. said during a status conference in federal court Tuesday that Tsarnaev's formal sentencing hearing will be held in June. He did not immediately set an exact date.
A jury last week determined that Tsarnaev should get the death penalty in the 2013 attack. Three people were killed and more than 260 were injured when Tsarnaev and his brother placed two pressure-cooker bombs near the marathon finish line.
The jury rejected the defense's claim that Tsarnaev, then 19, was "a good kid" who was led down the path to terrorism by Tamerlan Tsarnaev, his 26-year-old brother.
The defense suggested Tamerlan Tsarnaev engineered the attack to punish the U.S. for its wars in Muslim countries. Prosecutors noted Dzhokhar Tsarnaev scrawled a message on the day of his arrest that read, "Stop killing our innocent people and we will stop."
About 20 victims have asked to speak at the sentencing hearing, prosecutor William Weinreb told the judge. He said it was unclear whether that number will grow. Tsarnaev will also be given the opportunity to speak.
O'Toole granted a request to give Tsarnaev's lawyers 90 days to file post-trial motions, including an expected request for a new trial.
Tsarnaev was not in the courtroom for the status conference. His likely appeal of the death sentence would take years.
Lance: Postal deal worth more to government
AUSTIN, Texas -- Lance Armstrong's legal team argued Tuesday that his Tour de France victories were worth far more to sponsor U.S. Postal Service than they were to him as it detailed part of his defense against a fraud lawsuit filed by the federal government.
In documents filed in federal court, Armstrong's lawyers said the Postal Service's own reviews of its contracts estimated their value at up to $140 million in global exposure in the form of public relations, revenue and product sales. The documents also include a June 2000 presentation to the Postal Service Board of Governors that showed sales spiked $8 million in 1999, the year Armstrong won the first of seven consecutive Tour de France titles.
Armstrong's former teammate, Floyd Landis, sued Armstrong in 2010. The federal government joined the case in 2013 after he confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs during most of his career. The government wants to recover nearly $40 million the Postal Service paid to sponsor his team and damages in the case could soar into the $100 million range.
The court filing came as Armstrong and the government feud over interviewing potential witnesses. Armstrong's team wants to interview Postal Service employees about the sponsorship deal and what suspicions they had about doping, while simultaneously fighting the government's attempts to depose Armstrong's girlfriend, Anna Hansen.
The sponsorship paid for itself "many times over," Armstrong's attorneys argue, noting that Postal's commissioned studies from 2001 to 2004 found the contract was worth about $140 million in exposure in the U.S. and overseas.
Armstrong has long held out the consultant reports as a key element to defense, but the latest filings included new documents found in his legal team's probe of government records. For example, the 2000 presentation noted that Armstrong's 1999 win had given the Postal Service a morale boost to overcome negative stereotypes of mail carriers portrayed on the television shows "Cheers" and "Seinfeld."
Another document, a talking points memo for a 2003 Postal Service news conference, said the sponsorship "may be one of the most effective public relations ventures the Postal Service, and for that matter, any other global service agency, has ever undertaken."
Armstrong's lawyers say documents also will show that in 2003 alone, the government earned $500,000 in retail sales from a store at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota.
But that was years before Armstrong's cheating was exposed. The Postal Service ended its contract with Armstrong's team in 2004, after his sixth victory.
Armstrong wants to interview potentially dozens of government employees in an attempt to show that the Postal Service was willing to sponsor his team despite allegations of doping throughout his career, which he denied until 2013.
According to Armstrong's lawyers, documents produced by the government have shown that Postal Service employees were "well aware of extensive doping" in cycling and "eye-witnessed its consequences."
Prosecutors are still waiting for the trial judge to decide if the government will be allowed to depose Hansen, who has been with Armstrong since 2008. They have two children together.
Armstrong insists Hansen knows nothing about the case, and his lawyers called a subpoena for her testimony harassment. Prosecutors say they should be allowed to question Hansen about his history of lying and noted an incident earlier this year when she initially took the blame for a car accident caused by Armstrong in Aspen, Colorado. He later pleaded guilty to careless driving.
Monday 18 May 2015
England Sevens secure Olympic qualification
England Sevens have secured Team GB's berth at the Olympic Games after, aptly, beating 2016 hosts Brazil at Twickenham.
Simon Amor's side romped to victory over Brazil in their opening fixture of the final Sevens World Series round in London on Saturday.
England put Brazil to the sword, finishing with a 56-7 victory and eight tries in front of a vociferous home crowd to guarantee a fourth-place finish in the World Series overall standings and claim the final automatic spot on offer for Olympic qualification.
The hosts then scored a further six tries as they demolished Kenya 40-0 in their second match of the afternoon. England play rivals Scotland in their final Pool C game later on Saturday.
Head coach Amor told England Rugby's official website: "I am so proud of the boys. They have worked so hard this year and there have been some real challenges but they have kept their mental focus and managed all the expectations.
"We have had a few rocky bumps along the way but the work ethic from the team and leadership from Tom Mitchell has been great. I am so proud of them.
"This is a very special and exciting group. I am excited about what this group can do in the future. I have to say the atmosphere here at the London Sevens is incredible as well."
Fiji, South Africa and New Zealand had already secured the top three qualification spots for Rio 2016.
England, who are fourth in the overall standings, saw their unbeaten start ended in their evening match as they were upset 22-19 by Scotland, who preserved their own 100 percent record at Twickenham.
Scotland finished top of Pool C and will face Australia in the last eight on Sunday, while England take on New Zealand.
Triathlon latest sport to leave SportAccord
LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- Triathlon has joined the exodus from umbrella body SportAccord following Marius Vizer's attack on the International Olympic Committee.
The International Triathlon Union says its executive board voted unanimously to suspend its membership in SportAccord, which represents Olympic and non-Olympic sports federations.
The ITU says "we are looking forward to seeing this issue resolved in the near future in the best interest of sport."
Triathlon follows wrestling, taekwondo, boxing, athletics, archery, canoeing, shooting and bobsled in suspending or cutting relations with SportAccord. The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations has also suspended ties.
Vizer, president of SportAccord, blasted the IOC and President Thomas Bach in a speech at the SportAccord convention in Sochi, Russia, last month. Vizer said the IOC system was "outdated" and Bach's reform program was of no use.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic stadium plans scaled back
TOKYO -- Japan plans to scale back the main stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as the government runs short of money and time, the country's sports minister said Monday.
Hakubun Shimomura said a planned retractable roof wouldn't be built in time for the games, and some of the 80,000 seats would be temporary ones, according to Japanese media reports.
Shimomura, whose ministry oversees sports, education and science, made the remarks in an exchange of views with Tokyo Gov. Yoichi Masuzoe.
He asked if the city of Tokyo could shoulder 50 billion yen ($418 million) of the 169 billion yen construction cost. Masuzoe was non-committal, Kyodo news service said.
Plans for the new stadium have been criticized by some prominent architects, who say the design is too big and expensive. It is due to be completed in time to host the Rugby World Cup in Japan in 2019.
Shimomura told Masuzoe that Tokyo would benefit from the stadium and that the roof would be installed after the games, public broadcaster NHK said. The sports minister said further details of a final estimate for the stadium construction will be out later this month.
Tokyo Olympic organizers have been looking for ways to reduce costs. The IOC executive board gave them the go-ahead in February to change three venue locations to save money and said it was weighing more. The 2020 Olympics will make more use of existing venues than initially proposed.
The IOC said Tokyo has saved more than $1 billion so far in costs.
USOC board member: Boston bid no sure thing
Boston's troubled bid for the 2024 Olympics took another ding Monday when a key U.S. Olympic leader suggested the city was no sure thing to remain the American candidate to bid for the Games.
U.S. Olympic Committee board member Angela Ruggiero was the first in the federation's leadership group to suggest anything other than the USOC's unwavering support. Her comments came during a Q&A that followed her prepared remarks at a Boston City Council meeting devoted to the bid.
She said the USOC is working hard to make sure Boston succeeds in its attempt to bid for the Games. But in a nod to the always-fluid nature of Olympic politics, she said the federation was still vetting Boston to make sure it was the right city to bid, and that there was no guarantee.
The USOC chose Boston as its candidate city in January but doesn't have to make that selection official until the International Olympic Committee's deadline of Sept. 15. Ruggiero did not immediately return a telephone message left by The Associated Press.
The comment from the four-time Olympian, former Harvard hockey player and IOC member came as the city deals with a leadership team that hasn't found its footing along with polls that show fewer than half the city's residents are in favor of hosting the Summer Games.
In a statement he has previously issued twice this month, USOC CEO Scott Blackmun reiterated the federation's support for the Boston bid and said there was no truth to rumors and reports that the USOC is considering other options.
"Boston can deliver a great Games," Blackmun said.
But the IOC's Sept. 15 deadline has left plenty of room for speculation that the USOC could pull the plug on Boston and sit out the race or choose a new candidate, such as Los Angeles.
Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., were the finalists in a domestic race that lasted about two years.
Rome and Hamburg, Germany, are already in the international race, with other cities expected to join. The 2024 Olympics will be awarded in 2017.
City Council president Bill Linehan, the chairman of the committee considering the 2024 Olympics, said he took Ruggiero's message not as a threat but as encouragement for the city to get to work on the bid.
"It was in the context: 'These things change,'" Linehan said. "I thought it was interesting, but on the front end, she talked about Boston being the city."
IIHF to punish Russia for Canada anthem snub
MOSCOW -- Russia faces punishment from the International Ice Hockey Federation after its players left the ice before the victorious Canadian team's anthem was played after the world championship final.
Canada beat Russia 6-1 in Sunday's final in Prague, after which most of the Russian team opted to head for the dressing room before the trophy presentation and the playing of the Canadian anthem.
IIHF president Rene Fasel told Russian agency Tass that he had been left "rather upset" by the Russians leaving the ice and that "some sort of punishment" would be handed down.
The incident has already reached governmental level, with Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko blaming tournament organizers for opening a gate in the boards. According to Mutko, the Russian team took this as an invitation to leave.
Worlds MVP Jagr retires from international play
Jaromir Jagr, who scored six goals to lead the Czech Republic during the IIHF World Championship, announced his retirement from international competition on Sunday.
The 43-year-old Jagr, who leads all active NHL players with 722 career goals, was named MVP of the tournament after finishing in a tie for fourth among goal-scorers in the tournament, which was held in Prague.
"I wanted it for the fans, coaxed my dad," Jagr told NHL.com about playing in his homeland. "But now ... I don't have it anymore. It's time to move on."
The Czech Republic lost 3-0 to the United States in the bronze-medal game.
"Obviously, I'd rather finish with a better game and with a win, but that's how it is," Jagr told NHL.com. "Life goes on. I'm not finishing my career, I'll play for Florida for at least one more season. And after an [NHL retirement] I'm still planning to come back and play in the Czech League. But it's time to move on."
Jagr had 17 goals and 43 points for the New Jersey Devils and Florida Panthers this season.
The veteran boasts an impressive international resume, having won gold medals at the 1998 Olympics and twice at the world championships in 2005 and 2010.
Figure skater Asada ready to attempt comeback
TOKYO -- Mao Asada is back into serious practice in a bid to return to figure skating at the elite level after taking a year off competition.
Speaking at a news conference Monday, the Vancouver Olympic silver medalist said she misses competition and decided by herself to attempt a comeback.
The 24-year-old Asada captured her third world title at the 2014 figure skating world championships in Japan, which followed a sixth-place finish at the Sochi Olympics.
A year ago, Asada said she needed to take a break from skating.
"As time passed, I realized that I missed competing and wanted the sense of fulfillment again," the Japanese figure skater said. "I'm practicing every day to get back into competitive form again."
Asada said she isn't sure when her first competition will be and that she hasn't thought yet about the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Asada began figure skating at the age of five and made her senior debut in the 2005-06 season. She won her first world title in 2008.
Sailboat race to Cuba sign of better relations
HAVANA -- U.S. sailors raced across the Florida Straits to Cuba on Saturday in a regatta propelled by strong winds and an easing of tensions between the two countries.
An amateur race billed as the "Havana Challenge" took place for the first time with U.S. government authorization thanks to the historic easing of tensions that began in December.
Five 16-foot catamarans departed early Saturday, along with 14 support boats, from Key West. They began to reach Marina Hemingway in Havana by sunset, propelled by strong winds on the 90-mile-wide Florida Straits.
They planned to race Cuban sailors on Tuesday.
"It's going to be a historic event, a reunion of the sailing communities of Cuba and Florida," said Jose Miguel Diaz Escrich, commodore of the Cuban Nautical Club.
Diaz said the last regatta of this kind was in 2000 but couldn't be held with formal permission again because of U.S. restrictions on pleasure craft traveling to Cuba.
One of the organizers, Joe Weatherby, said he and other participants have raced to Cuba in the past, but without the license required by the U.S. government. They received one in April from the Commerce Department and now hope to make it an annual event.
American Oliver wins 110 hurdles in Shanghai
SHANGHAI -- Retired Chinese star Liu Xiang watched from the crowd as American rival David Oliver won the men's 110-meter hurdles in 13.17 seconds at the Shanghai Diamond League meet Sunday.
Liu still got the loudest ovation from the hometown fans. He got the victory lap too.
One of China's most celebrated athletes after winning hurdles gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics, Liu retired a month ago at the age of 31 due to recurring injuries, depriving Chinese fans of farewell races in Shanghai and at the world championships in Beijing in August.
Sunday 17 May 2015
Bobsled group joins exodus from SportAccord
LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- Bobsled's world governing body has become the latest federation to freeze ties with umbrella body SportAccord following Marius Vizer's attack on the International Olympic Committee.
The FIBT says its executive committee voted unanimously to suspend its SportAccord membership following Vizer's "inappropriate presentation of criticism and sharp words" toward the IOC.
Vizer is president of SportAccord, which represents Olympic and non-Olympic sports federations. He blasted the IOC and president Thomas Bach in a speech at the SportAccord convention in Sochi, Russia, last month. He restated his views this week in Tokyo.
The FIBT says Vizer's "sharp words did not reflect the opinion" of the federation.
Bobsled follows wrestling, taekwondo, boxing, athletics, archery, canoeing and shooting in withdrawing or suspended SportAccord membership. The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations has also suspended ties with Vizer.
U.S. shuts out Czechs to win bronze medal
PRAGUE -- The United States blanked the host Czech Republic 3-0 at the hockey world championship Sunday to claim a second bronze medal in three years.
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck of the St. John's IceCaps made 39 saves for the shutout.
Sagan wins Tour of California with final-stage 3rd
PASADENA, Calif. -- Slovakian Peter Sagan surged late and won the Tour of California by three seconds Sunday with a close third-place finish.
Britain's Mark Cavendish won his fourth stage of the eight-stage event and 13th victory of the season in a mass sprint in the final of nine circuits around the Rose Bowl.
Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo), who began the final day trailing Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-Quick Step) of France by two seconds, gained four bonus seconds for the third-place finish and a one-second bonus during a midrace sprint.
Wouter Wippert (Drapac) of the Netherlands was second in the final stage. Sagan edged American Tyler Farrar (MTN-Qhubeka) by a few inches for third to secure the title.
Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Sky) of Colombia finished third overall, 37 seconds behind Sagan.
"I almost thought that I didn't do it," Sagan said. "Farrar was third, I thought, but after my team said that I was third and I came here [to the podium], and I can't believe that I did it."
Sagan, who won two stages of the event and has four Tour de France stage wins, held the race lead after winning the Stage 5 time trial. He collapsed at the finish line after finishing sixth in the mountainous Stage 7 to Mount Baldy and relinquished his lead.
"It was very hard to get this victory," Sagan said. "I did surprise myself from the effort yesterday, and I believed that I could do it today. I never thought about going for the general classification at the Tour of California. This year it was very hard to finish on the climb."
Cavendish (Etixx-Quick Step), who earned his ninth Tour of California career stage win, completed the 65.3-mile road race from Los Angeles to Pasadena in 2 hours, 14 minutes, 55 seconds.
"We tried our best, but Tinkoff rode very well, especially Peter," Cavendish said. "He chased down breaks all by himself. It was impressive."
Sagan finished second to Cavendish in a midrace sprint in a photo finish, gaining two bonus seconds and moving to a one-second race deficit to Alaphilippe, who placed third and gained one second.
Guillaume Boivin (Optum-Kelly Benefit) of Canada crashed out of the final stage before it started. Approaching the start from the back of the pack, Boivin's handlebars malfunctioned and he fell into the starting barriers.
The eight-day race began May 10 in Sacramento with a field of 143 riders from 18 teams. There were 121 finishers.
Lochte wins 200 IM at Arena Pro Swim Series
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- U.S. Olympian Ryan Lochte won the men's 200-meter individual medley during the final day of the Arena Pro Swim Series meet Sunday, while rival Michael Phelps failed to make the finals in two events.
Lochte, the world record-holder in the 200 IM, won in 1 minute, 57.20 seconds, the third-fastest time in the world this year. He also finished third in the 200 backstroke, won by Serbia's Arkady Vyatchanin.
"What I really want to take out of this meet is not winning or losing," Lochte said. "It's about me putting 110 percent effort into it. Doing seven events in a fully-loaded swim meet, just getting up there racing and trying to be as tough as I can, it was really good."
Meanwhile, Phelps was relegated to the 'B' finals in the 200 IM and 100 freestyle after the preliminaries, but bounced back with a strong swim in the evening session at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center.
Phelps won the 'B' final in the 200 IM in 2:00.25, which would have put him sixth in the 'A' final, then tied for third in the 100 freestyle 'B' final with Italy's Michele Santucci in 49.96 seconds.
"That about sums it up," Phelps said after making a raspberry sound. "It's just frustrating. One of the most frustrating parts was just not setting myself up in the morning like I should have. What I want most is to be racing the competition I need to be racing. I want to race Ryan and those guys. It's frustrating falling short."
Also winning Sunday were Brazil's Felipe Lima in the 50 breaststroke, Nathan Adrian in the 100 freestyle, and Connor Jaeger in the 1,500 freestyle.
Vyatchanin, who won the 100 backstroke on Saturday, added the 200 backstroke title in 1:56.31, the fourth-fastest time in the world this year. He beat 2012 London Olympics gold medalist Tyler Clary by 2.12 seconds. Clary touched in 1:58.43.
Lima won the 50 breaststroke in 27.72, beating Cody Miller by 0.23 seconds. Miller touched in 27.95.
Adrian, who won the gold medal in the 100 freestyle at the 2012 London Olympics, won that same event Sunday in 48.85, edging Italy's Marco Orsi by 0.21 seconds. Orsi touched in 49.06.
Hungary's Katinka Hosszu added to her medal count Sunday, winning two more events, the 200 individual medley and 200 backstroke. That gave her six wins in seven events during the four-day meet.
Hosszu won the 200 IM in 2:08.66, the fastest time in the world this year, beating Melanie Margalis, by nearly two seconds. Less than 20 minutes later, Hosszu added the 200 backstroke title in 2:07.79, the third-fastest time in the world, beating Dominique Bouchard by nearly 2½ seconds.
"I always try to do my best, but for me it's pretty important to look at what I did at the same time last year," said Hosszu, who also won six events at last year's Charlotte meet. "That really shows me if I'm making the steps forwards, the improvements that we are set up to do. Looking at my times from last year, it's definitely working. We're on the right track."
Other women's winners were Denmark's Lotte Friis in the 800 freestyle, Jamaica's Alia Atkinson in the 50 breaststroke, and Natalie Coughlin in the 100 freestyle.
Friis, who won the 1,500 freestyle on Thursday, added the 800 freestyle title by winning in 8:25.07, more than 3½ seconds ahead of Becca Mann. Mann touched in 8:28.82.
Atkinson, who finished fourth in the 100 breaststroke at the 2012 London Olympics, won the 50 breaststroke in 30.54, the second-fastest time in the world this year. She edged Jessica Hardy by 0.07 seconds.
Coughlin, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, won the 100 freestyle in 54.24, edging the Bahamas' Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace by 0.07 seconds. Vanderpool-Wallace, who won the 50 freestyle and 50 butterfly Saturday, touched in 54.31.
Canada routs defending champ Russia for gold
PRAGUE -- Sidney Crosby led Canada to its first hockey world championship title since 2007 on Sunday with a goal and an assist in a dominant 6-1 victory over defending champion Russia in the final.
In a meeting of the two most decorated teams in world championship history, Canada claimed its 25th title with another attacking display that Russia simply couldn't cope with.
American Oliver wins 110 hurdles in Shanghai
SHANGHAI -- Retired Chinese star Liu Xiang watched from the crowd as American rival David Oliver won the men's 110-meter hurdles in 13.17 seconds at the Shanghai Diamond League meet Sunday.
Liu still got the loudest ovation from the hometown fans. He got the victory lap too.
One of China's most celebrated athletes after winning hurdles gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics, Liu retired a month ago at the age of 31 due to recurring injuries, depriving Chinese fans of farewell races in Shanghai and at the world championships in Beijing in August.
WADA: Small doses could escape detection
MONTREAL -- The World Anti-Doping Agency has acknowledged that a French documentary "did raise questions" about the ability of athletes to take micro-doses of banned substances and escape detection under biological passport rules.
A week ago, WADA criticized the documentary on French TV network France 2. WADA director general David Howman said at the time the study "does not accurately follow the Athletes Biological Passport guidelines."
WADA backed off Tuesday and said the documentary indicated that athletes could take "minimal amounts of performance enhancing substances without testing positive."
In a statement, WADA says, "We are very alert to 'micro-dosing'; it is an issue that we are exploring in great detail with experts from across the anti-doping community."
In the documentary, eight athletes were given micro-doses of EPO, human growth hormones and blood transfusions.
Bode keeps open possibility of return to ski team
At the moment, Bode Miller is preparing to change diapers, not charge down a mountain.
But he is keeping his skiing options open even as his wife gets ready to deliver their child anytime now.
Stuttgart to host '19 gymnastics championships
MELBOURNE, Australia -- The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has awarded the 2019 world championships to Stuttgart, Germany.
The federation said on its website Sunday that Stuttgart was chosen over Rotterdam, the Netherlands, the only other competing city, during the FIG council meeting in Melbourne on Saturday.
FIG said under a new Olympic qualification system accepted by the council, the top nine teams from the 2019 worlds -- not including teams already qualified from 2018 -- will qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Games.
On Saturday, FIG said it had approved a new format that will see the number of gymnasts in the team competition reduced from five to four for the Tokyo Olympics. There were five-person teams at the 2012 London Games and six in Beijing in 2008.
Stuttgart to host '19 gymnastics championships
MELBOURNE, Australia -- The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has awarded the 2019 world championships to Stuttgart, Germany.
The federation said on its website Sunday that Stuttgart was chosen over Rotterdam, the Netherlands, the only other competing city, during the FIG council meeting in Melbourne on Saturday.
FIG said under a new Olympic qualification system accepted by the council, the top nine teams from the 2019 worlds -- not including teams already qualified from 2018 -- will qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Games.
On Saturday, FIG said it had approved a new format that will see the number of gymnasts in the team competition reduced from five to four for the Tokyo Olympics. There were five-person teams at the 2012 London Games and six in Beijing in 2008.
Stuttgart to host '19 gymnastics championships
MELBOURNE, Australia -- The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has awarded the 2019 world championships to Stuttgart, Germany.
The federation said on its website Sunday that Stuttgart was chosen over Rotterdam, the Netherlands, the only other competing city, during the FIG council meeting in Melbourne on Saturday.
FIG said under a new Olympic qualification system accepted by the council, the top nine teams from the 2019 worlds -- not including teams already qualified from 2018 -- will qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Games.
On Saturday, FIG said it had approved a new format that will see the number of gymnasts in the team competition reduced from five to four for the Tokyo Olympics. There were five-person teams at the 2012 London Games and six in Beijing in 2008.
Phelps, Lochte still winless in Charlotte meet
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Olympic champions Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte remained winless heading into the final day of the Arena Pro Swim Series-Charlotte meet.
Lochte finished fourth Saturday in the 100-meter backstroke, won by Serbia's Arkady Vyatchanin.
Phelps, Lochte still winless in Charlotte meet
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Olympic champions Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte remained winless heading into the final day of the Arena Pro Swim Series-Charlotte meet.
Lochte finished fourth Saturday in the 100-meter backstroke, won by Serbia's Arkady Vyatchanin.
Phelps, Lochte still winless in Charlotte meet
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Olympic champions Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte remained winless heading into the final day of the Arena Pro Swim Series-Charlotte meet.
Lochte finished fourth Saturday in the 100-meter backstroke, won by Serbia's Arkady Vyatchanin.
Phelps, Lochte still winless in Charlotte meet
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Olympic champions Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte remained winless heading into the final day of the Arena Pro Swim Series-Charlotte meet.
Lochte finished fourth Saturday in the 100-meter backstroke, won by Serbia's Arkady Vyatchanin.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
