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Thursday 30 April 2015

USA Golf announces 4-person Pan Am squad

Kristen Gillman, Beau Hosler, Andrea Lee and Lee McCoy comprise Team USA for the upcoming Pan Am Games, the USA Golf Federation announced Thursday.

The four golfers will compete on the South Course at Angus Glen Golf Club, July 16-19, in Ontario, Canada. The Pan Am Games will be held in Toronto from July 10-26.

Gillman is the reigning U.S. Women's Amateur champion. Hossler, who plays for the University of Texas, qualified as a teenager for the 2011 and 2012 U.S. Opens. He also won the 2014 World Amateur Team Championship.

Lee is currently ranked No. 1 in the women's World Amateur Golf Ranking, while McCoy is the top-ranked American in the men's version of the standings.

Hamlin headlines U.S. luge national team

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. -- Olympic bronze medalist Erin Hamlin is one of 14 sliders selected for Team USA Luge's 2015-16 national squad.

Hamlin and men's Olympians Chris Mazdzer and Tucker West are exempt from qualifying for next season's World Cup team based on their 2014-15 results. They led a haul of 13 World Cup medal wins by U.S. sliders, tying the federation's single-season record.

Hamlin, Mazdzer and West all won World Cup gold medals last season.

Hamlin is joined on the women's team by veterans Julia Clukey, Summer Britcher and Emily Sweeney, along with graduating junior Raychel Germaine.

Mazdzer and West are joined on the men's team by Aidan Kelly, another 2014 Olympian.

The doubles teams will be Matt Mortensen and Jayson Terdiman; Jake Hyrns and Anthony Espinoza; and Justin Krewson and Andrew Sherk.

Bolt to run 200 again at Golden Spike in May

PRAGUE -- Usain Bolt will compete again at the Golden Spike in the Czech city of Ostrava in May.

Organizers said the Jamaican great will run the 200 meters on May 26 at the meet, which is part of the IAAF world challenge series. They said it will be his only European meet in the first part of the season.

The six-time Olympic champion will race for the seventh time at the meet, and returns after a two-year break.

"I look forward to the race and coming back to run in the new stadium for the first time," Bolt said.

Bolt previously said his goal still was to break his 200 world record of 19.19 seconds he set in 2009.

Bolt has publicly said he will race in the Diamond League meets in New York in June, and in Paris and Lausanne, Switzerland, the next month.

Kovalchuk to captain Russia for upcoming worlds

MOSCOW -- Former New Jersey Devils player Ilya Kovalchuk says he will captain the Russian national team at this year's hockey world championship.

Kovalchuk, who left the NHL for SKA St. Petersburg in 2013, tells Russian media that coach Oleg Znarok gave him the captain's role on Tuesday, a day before the Russian team departs for the tournament in the Czech Republic.

Kovalchuk has captained the Russian team before, but was overlooked in favor of Pavel Datsyuk for last year's Olympics in Sochi. A knee injury kept him out of Russia's team as it won the world championship three months later.

The Russian team was to visit the grave of Soviet player Valery Kharlamov on Tuesday before departing for the Czech Republic, where its group stage opponents include Finland and the United States.

Kahrl: The 'real' and 'reality' of Jenner's truth

I don't know Bruce Jenner. But I do have a dim childhood memory of an Olympic hero who smiled at me from Wheaties boxes in the grocery store, a friendly face that encouraged fitness before America really started losing its battle of the bulge.

If you're a bit older, you know what Jenner's 1976 decathlon gold-medal win in Montreal meant for a country crazed by every glimmer of Olympic success during the gloom of the Cold War. If you're a bit younger, you might think of Jenner only as the kooky supporting cast member on "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." Jenner is a cross-generational brand of celebrity, simultaneously iconic and artificial in the way that only today's manufactured reality of infotainment can convey.

Wednesday 29 April 2015

Kahrl: The 'real' and 'reality' of Jenner's truth

I don't know Bruce Jenner. But I do have a dim childhood memory of an Olympic hero who smiled at me from Wheaties boxes in the grocery store, a friendly face that encouraged fitness before America really started losing its battle of the bulge.

If you're a bit older, you know what Jenner's 1976 decathlon gold-medal win in Montreal meant for a country crazed by every glimmer of Olympic success during the gloom of the Cold War. If you're a bit younger, you might think of Jenner only as the kooky supporting cast member on "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." Jenner is a cross-generational brand of celebrity, simultaneously iconic and artificial in the way that only today's manufactured reality of infotainment can convey.

Volleyball, soccer top list of hot Olympic tickets

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Rio's Olympic committee says volleyball and soccer are the most popular sports for fans seeking tickets for the 2016 Games.

With two days left until the end of the first phase of sales, Rio organizers said other sports with a high number of requests are swimming, basketball and athletics.

Brazilians have until April 30 to make their requests online, and a random draw in June will determine who gets the tickets.

Nearly 7.5 million tickets are available, with about 70 percent reserved for Brazilians. International fans can buy tickets through an official reseller in their own country.

Ticket prices start at about $12 for Brazilians, who can pay for them in up to five installments.

A second sales phase is scheduled later in the year.

Kovalchuk to captain Russia for upcoming worlds

MOSCOW -- Former New Jersey Devils player Ilya Kovalchuk says he will captain the Russian national team at this year's hockey world championship.

Kovalchuk, who left the NHL for SKA St. Petersburg in 2013, tells Russian media that coach Oleg Znarok gave him the captain's role on Tuesday, a day before the Russian team departs for the tournament in the Czech Republic.

Kovalchuk has captained the Russian team before, but was overlooked in favor of Pavel Datsyuk for last year's Olympics in Sochi. A knee injury kept him out of Russia's team as it won the world championship three months later.

The Russian team was to visit the grave of Soviet player Valery Kharlamov on Tuesday before departing for the Czech Republic, where its group stage opponents include Finland and the United States.

Crosby to play for Canada at world championship

Bolt to run 200 again at Golden Spike in May

PRAGUE -- Usain Bolt will compete again at the Golden Spike in the Czech city of Ostrava in May.

Organizers say the Jamaican great will run the 200 meters on May 26 at the meet, which is part of the IAAF world challenge series. They say it will be his only European meet in the first part of the season.

The six-time Olympic champion will race for the seventh time at the meet, and returns after a two-year break.

Bolt says: "I look forward to the race and coming back to run in the new stadium for the first time."

Bolt previously said his goal still was to break his own 200 world record of 19.19 seconds he set in 2009.

Bolt has publicly said he will race in the Diamond League meets in New York in June, and in Paris and Lausanne, Switzerland, the next month.

Crosby to play for Canada at world championship

Tuesday 28 April 2015

Bolt: Gay should have received lifetime ban

Usain Bolt says Tyson Gay should have been "kicked out" of athletics after being found guilty of using a banned substance in 2013.

Gay's ban was reduced after he agreed to co-operate with authorities -- a decision Bolt describes as "the stupidest thing I've ever heard" -- and the American sprinter is now set to return to action.

Speaking to Runner's World magazine, six-time Olympic champion Bolt said: "I was really upset about that. He got a year just because he talked to the authorities about how it was done and who helped him.

"That sends the wrong message. 'If you do it and get caught, just tell us all you know and we'll lower your ban'.

"It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. The message should be: If you cheat you're going to be kicked out of the sport."

Bolt said he used to regard Gay, the joint-second fastest man in the world, as a rival but will no longer enjoy competing against the American.

"I'm not worried about him beating me," Bolt, who runs for Jamaica, said. "I think it's because I respected him so much over the years. He was a competitor, kept me on my toes and he pushed me to always do my best.

"Then to find out that he was on drugs -- it's a bit like I think parents must feel when they have a kid who does something bad and lets them down. I feel like he let me down and he let the sport down.

"It really bothers me."

Canadian swim coach Randy Bennett dies at 51

VICTORIA, British Columbia -- Longtime Canadian swim coach Randy Bennett has died at 51.

Swimming Canada, the sport's domestic governing body, says he died Monday night. Bennett recently was diagnosed with skin cancer.

Bennett was the national coach at the 2012 London Olympics and has coached Canada's top senior teams at every major international competition since 2009.

He helped Ryan Cochrane win a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Games and a silver in London, both in the 1,500-meter freestyle. He worked with 2013 world championship medalist Hilary Caldwell and 2012 Olympian Alec Page.

Swimming Canada CEO Ahmed El-Awadi said: "He loved our sport, he cherished his athletes and he proudly represented his family and Canada."

Bennett is survived by wife, Lesley, and teenage sons Brett and Kyle.

Volleyball, soccer top list of hot Olympic tickets

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Rio's Olympic committee says volleyball and soccer are the most popular sports for fans seeking tickets for the 2016 Games.

With two days left until the end of the first phase of sales, Rio organizers said other sports with a high number of requests are swimming, basketball and athletics.

Brazilians have until April 30 to make their requests online, and a random draw in June will determine who gets the tickets.

Nearly 7.5 million tickets are available, with about 70 percent reserved for Brazilians. International fans can buy tickets through an official reseller in their own country.

Ticket prices start at about $12 for Brazilians, who can pay for them in up to five installments.

A second sales phase is scheduled later in the year.

Kahrl: The 'real' and 'reality' of Jenner's truth

I don't know Bruce Jenner. But I do have a dim childhood memory of an Olympic hero who smiled at me from Wheaties boxes in the grocery store, a friendly face that encouraged fitness before America really started losing its battle of the bulge.

If you're a bit older, you know what Jenner's 1976 decathlon gold-medal win in Montreal meant for a country crazed by every glimmer of Olympic success during the gloom of the Cold War. If you're a bit younger, you might think of Jenner only as the kooky supporting cast member on "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." Jenner is a cross-generational brand of celebrity, simultaneously iconic and artificial in the way that only today's manufactured reality of infotainment can convey.

IOC promises help for Nepal after earthquake

NEW DELHI -- IOC president Thomas Bach says the Olympic body will do everything possible to help sports in Nepal recover from the devastating earthquake in the Himalayan kingdom.

Bach says the International Olympic Committee has "full sympathy" for Nepal, where more than 4,000 people died after the earthquake hit Saturday.

Bach says the IOC will help assist Nepal "to build infrastructure" and "help revive the Olympic movement" after widespread damage across the country.

Kovalchuk to captain Russia for upcoming worlds

MOSCOW -- Former New Jersey Devils player Ilya Kovalchuk says he will captain the Russian national team at this year's hockey world championship.

Kovalchuk, who left the NHL for SKA St. Petersburg in 2013, tells Russian media that coach Oleg Znarok gave him the captain's role on Tuesday, a day before the Russian team departs for the tournament in the Czech Republic.

Kovalchuk has captained the Russian team before, but was overlooked in favor of Pavel Datsyuk for last year's Olympics in Sochi. A knee injury kept him out of Russia's team as it won the world championship three months later.

The Russian team was to visit the grave of Soviet player Valery Kharlamov on Tuesday before departing for the Czech Republic, where its group stage opponents include Finland and the United States.

Bolt: Gay should have received lifetime ban

Usain Bolt says Tyson Gay should have been "kicked out" of athletics after being found guilty of using a banned substance in 2013.

Gay's ban was reduced after he agreed to co-operate with authorities -- a decision Bolt describes as "the stupidest thing I've ever heard" -- and the American sprinter is now set to return to action.

Speaking to Runner's World magazine, six-time Olympic champion Bolt said: "I was really upset about that. He got a year just because he talked to the authorities about how it was done and who helped him.

"That sends the wrong message. 'If you do it and get caught, just tell us all you know and we'll lower your ban'.

"It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. The message should be: If you cheat you're going to be kicked out of the sport."

Bolt said he used to regard Gay, the joint-second fastest man in the world, as a rival but will no longer enjoy competing against the American.

"I'm not worried about him beating me," Bolt, who runs for Jamaica, said. "I think it's because I respected him so much over the years. He was a competitor, kept me on my toes and he pushed me to always do my best.

"Then to find out that he was on drugs -- it's a bit like I think parents must feel when they have a kid who does something bad and lets them down. I feel like he let me down and he let the sport down.

"It really bothers me."

Team USA wins 4 of 6 events at Penn Relays

PHILADELPHIA -- Porscha Lucas led Team USA to victory in the women's 800-meter relay at the Penn Relays on Saturday, and the Americans won four of six events in the U.S.A. vs. The World races.

Leslie Cole, Tawanna Meadows and Cambrya Jones also were on the relay team that beat Jamaica by seven-thousandths of a second in the first 800 relay at the meet since 2004.

The Americans finished in 1 minute, 31.972 seconds at Franklin Field.

Bolt wins 100m Rio exhibition with 10.12 time

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Usain Bolt won a 100-meter exhibition race Sunday in Rio de Janeiro in a time of 10.12 seconds.

The six-time Olympic gold medalist said he'd hoped to run under 10 seconds.

The exhibition was staged on a track set up at a horse racing venue in central Rio.

Bolt holds the world record of 9.58 and hopes to add three more Olympic golds next year at the Rio Olympics.

Stowers stuns with win in Drake Relay hurdles

DES MOINES, Iowa -- The field for the women's 100-meter hurdle race at the Drake Relays was so stacked that hometown favorite Lolo Jones' late scratch was barely noticed.

All those stars couldn't touch unheralded Jasmin Stowers, who likely won't be an afterthought much longer.

Stowers blew past a field that included 2008 Olympic gold medalist Dawn Harper-Nelson and Queen Harrison, winning Saturday in a meet-record 12.40 seconds.

Stowers stuns with win in Drake Relay hurdles

DES MOINES, Iowa -- The field for the women's 100-meter hurdle race at the Drake Relays was so stacked that hometown favorite Lolo Jones' late scratch was barely noticed.

All those stars couldn't touch unheralded Jasmin Stowers, who likely won't be an afterthought much longer.

Stowers blew past a field that included 2008 Olympic gold medalist Dawn Harper-Nelson and Queen Harrison, winning Saturday in a meet-record 12.40 seconds.

Stowers stuns with win in Drake Relay hurdles

DES MOINES, Iowa -- The field for the women's 100-meter hurdle race at the Drake Relays was so stacked that hometown favorite Lolo Jones' late scratch was barely noticed.

All those stars couldn't touch unheralded Jasmin Stowers, who likely won't be an afterthought much longer.

Stowers blew past a field that included 2008 Olympic gold medalist Dawn Harper-Nelson and Queen Harrison, winning Saturday in a meet-record 12.40 seconds.

Bolt: Gay should have received lifetime ban

Usain Bolt says Tyson Gay should have been "kicked out" of athletics after being found guilty of using a banned substance in 2013.

Gay's ban was reduced after he agreed to co-operate with authorities -- a decision Bolt describes as "the stupidest thing I've ever heard" -- and the American sprinter is now set to return to action.

Speaking to Runner's World magazine, six-time Olympic champion Bolt said: "I was really upset about that. He got a year just because he talked to the authorities about how it was done and who helped him.

"That sends the wrong message. 'If you do it and get caught, just tell us all you know and we'll lower your ban'.

"It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. The message should be: If you cheat you're going to be kicked out of the sport."

Bolt said he used to regard Gay, the joint-second fastest man in the world, as a rival but will no longer enjoy competing against the American.

"I'm not worried about him beating me," Bolt, who runs for Jamaica, said. "I think it's because I respected him so much over the years. He was a competitor, kept me on my toes and he pushed me to always do my best.

"Then to find out that he was on drugs -- it's a bit like I think parents must feel when they have a kid who does something bad and lets them down. I feel like he let me down and he let the sport down.

"It really bothers me."

Bolt: Gay should have received lifetime ban

Usain Bolt says Tyson Gay should have been "kicked out" of athletics after being found guilty of using a banned substance in 2013.

Gay's ban was reduced after he agreed to co-operate with authorities -- a decision Bolt describes as "the stupidest thing I've ever heard" -- and the American sprinter is now set to return to action.

Speaking to Runner's World magazine, six-time Olympic champion Bolt said: "I was really upset about that. He got a year just because he talked to the authorities about how it was done and who helped him.

"That sends the wrong message. 'If you do it and get caught, just tell us all you know and we'll lower your ban'.

"It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. The message should be: If you cheat you're going to be kicked out of the sport."

Bolt said he used to regard Gay, the joint-second fastest man in the world, as a rival but will no longer enjoy competing against the American.

"I'm not worried about him beating me," Bolt, who runs for Jamaica, said. "I think it's because I respected him so much over the years. He was a competitor, kept me on my toes and he pushed me to always do my best.

"Then to find out that he was on drugs -- it's a bit like I think parents must feel when they have a kid who does something bad and lets them down. I feel like he let me down and he let the sport down.

"It really bothers me."

Ford: Will Lance's latest move yield a genuine result?

Drehs: Michael Phelps says he's a changed man

Phelps' comeback wins 100 free, 2nd meet title

MESA, Ariz. -- Michael Phelps felt something coming off the wall in the 100-meter freestyle, a sensation he hadn't experienced since resuming training four months ago.

It was like a switch flipped in the 18-time Olympic gold medalist.

He zoomed off the wall in Lane 7, rallying from last to win in 49.72 seconds Saturday night in his comeback from a six-month suspension at the Arena Pro Swim Series.

Bolt wins 100m Rio exhibition with 10.12 time

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Usain Bolt won a 100-meter exhibition race Sunday in Rio de Janeiro in a time of 10.12 seconds.

The six-time Olympic gold medalist said he'd hoped to run under 10 seconds.

The exhibition was staged on a track set up at a horse racing venue in central Rio.

Bolt holds the world record of 9.58 and hopes to add three more Olympic golds next year at the Rio Olympics.

IAAF: Russia can compete in athletics programs

SOCHI, Russia -- Russia will not be barred from major athletics competitions because of allegations of systematic doping, IAAF President Lamine Diack said Tuesday.

Russia is being investigated by the IAAF ethics commission and the World Anti-Doping Agency over claims its officials ran a sophisticated doping program. Four Olympic track champions from Russia have been banned this year alone.

However, suggestions that Russia could be excluded from the world athletics championships or Olympics are "a joke."

"They are in. They are in," Diack said. "It's a great nation of athletics."

In December, a German TV program reported that doping is organized in Russian sports, and that almost all athletes used banned substances.

"We had a declaration in Russia, that they are 99 percent doped and so on. I said: 'What?' It is exaggerated," Diack said. "It is ridiculous."

Diack compared Russia's doping problem to the scandals in the United States in the 1990s and said it should be solved in a similar way, with stricter enforcement by an independent agency.

Separately, new Russian athletics coach Yuri Borzakovsky defended controversial race-walking coach Viktor Chegin, who has trained several Olympic champions but also seen more than 20 of his athletes banned for doping.

He is currently under investigation by the IAAF as part of its probe into Russian doping, but he has not been suspended.

"He's a professional in his field, even though people are slandering him with doping scandals," Borzakovsky said, praising Chegin's record in producing medal-winners. "I have a lot of respect for any coach with that kind of experience."

With the world championships coming up this year in Beijing and the Olympics next year in Rio de Janeiro, Borzakovsky said Chegin will remain on the Russian team "until there's an official piece of paper saying he's accused of something or other."

IIHF: NHL players to '18 Olympics not easy

SOCHI, Russia -- The process of getting NHL players to come to the 2018 Winter Olympics has begun.

International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he has been consulting players and officials over a deal to ensure the NHL's best are available to play at the games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Silva says he will try to earn Rio Games spot

SAO PAULO -- Mixed martial arts fighter Anderson Silva will fight for a spot in the Brazilian taekwondo team at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

The announcement was made Wednesday after a meeting with Brazilian taekwondo officials.

"I know there will be difficulties, but it's a challenge I want to face."

Anderson Silva

Considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the history of mixed martial arts, Silva said he is "trying to give back to the sport" in which he began his career.

"I know there will be difficulties, but it's a challenge I want to face," said Silva, who remains a black belt in taekwondo and an ambassador for the sport in Brazil.

Taekwondo confederation president Carlos Fernandes called it "a historic moment" for the sport, but made it clear that Silva will have to fight his way into the Olympics and won't be helped because of his Ultimate Fighting Championship stardom.

"I know that I would not be able to compete at a high level today, I need to get back to training," the 40-year-old Silva said. "But I have high expectations. You can't give up on your dreams. It's the greatest event in the world -- every athlete wants to be there."

The competitions that will decide which Brazilian fighters will make it to the team are scheduled to begin early in 2016.

Silva tested positive for steroids in January and is trying to overturn a temporary suspension imposed by UFC. He said he is not retiring from MMA, but his focus now will be on taekwondo.

"I always wanted to do this but I never had the chance because of my commitments with UFC," he said in a news conference in Rio.

Silva could be further sanctioned by the Nevada Athletic Commission in the next few weeks.

He said he "will respect" any decision by the commission but doesn't think it will hinder his participation in the Olympics.

The director general of the World Anti-Doping Agency, David Howman, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that WADA policies would not prohibit Silva from competing because his failed drug tests did not come under the WADA code. Howman said the decision on whether Silva could take part in the 2016 Games would need to come from taekwondo's international governing body.

Fernandes also dismissed concerns with the doping case and said Silva's attempt to be in the Olympics will be great for taekwondo's development in Brazil.

"Marketing is expensive these days," Fernandes said. "We won the lottery with him wanting to be part of our team."

Vizer sorry for approach, stands by message

SOCHI, Russia -- Marius Vizer apologized Wednesday for the manner of his attack on the IOC but stood by the harsh criticism that prompted Olympic sports federations to suspend ties with his umbrella body.

With IOC President Thomas Bach in attendance as a guest, Vizer demanded more power for sports federations Monday and branded the IOC system as "expired, outdated, wrong, unfair and not at all transparent."

That sparked an immediate backlash among some of SportAccord's members, who are Olympic and non-Olympic federations.

The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations, which represents the 28 sports in the Games, suspended its involvement with SportAccord in protest. Four individual federations withdrew or suspended their membership.

"Sincerely I regret ... regarding my way and moment to choose this opportunity, but regarding the content, I expressed my voice and that is my opinion," Vizer told the ASOIF assembly Wednesday, appearing in his capacity as head of the International Judo Federation.

"For the rest, I am sorry, but I think everybody in the world of sport is free to express their opinion, to have vision."

Shortly after delivering his remarks, Vizer left the ASOIF meeting and did not take part in later discussions on Olympic revenue distribution and preparations for next year's Rio de Janeiro Games.

Vizer, who was re-elected Monday to a four-year term as SportAccord president, was defiant in a television interview broadcast Tuesday night.

"I expressed the reality of sport today," he said on Euronews. "I don't care if some people are afraid to say that but I say that. We don't need cardinals of sport. We don't need popes."

ASOIF's meeting was a hostile environment for Vizer after 27 of its member federations, all except his own judo organization, signed a letter condemning Monday's speech.

Reaction to Vizer's apology was mixed.

"We believe the IOC is a very strong machine," ASOIF president Francesco Ricci Bitti told Vizer. "It is a waste of time to make a war, in our opinion, from our side, or to try to destabilize the system."

Vizer should have apologized to Bach and the IOC personally, said ASOIF vice president Hassan Moustafa, who also runs the International Handball Federation.

"We have to respect [Bach], we have to respect the IOC," Moustafa told The Associated Press. "You have to apologize to the president of IOC."

Brian Cookson of the International Cycling Union was also critical.

"This time last year I expressed some views about the reorganizing of the Winter and Summer Olympics and Mr. Vizer slapped me down publicly and said that I should be more diplomatic and tactful and so on," he told the AP. "I'm therefore surprised that he has not taken that approach himself."

Mario Pescante, a senior Italian IOC member and former IOC vice president, said he was shocked by Vizer's comments.

"It showed a lack of respect for the manners that have always been present in the Olympic movement," Pescante said in a statement to the AP. "It's never occurred that an IOC president who is a guest at a convention of that sort is attacked in that manner. I don't ever remember that happening before."

Pescante said he had spoken with 15 fellow IOC members and all shared his view.

"It was an unappreciated lack of style," Pescante said. "I believe, together with these IOC members, that Vizer does not possess the titles, the professional know-how or background to make criticisms of that sort."

Olympic sports leaders praise Brazil's progress

SOCHI, Russia -- A year after blasting organizers for delays, leaders of summer Olympic sports praised Brazil on Wednesday for getting preparations back on track for next year's games in Rio de Janeiro.

Rio organizers were sharply criticized for severe construction holdups and political wrangling when they appeared before the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations at their meeting in Turkey in April 2014.

Armstrong: WADA, others are 'owed an apology'

AUSTIN, Texas -- Lance Armstrong said Wednesday that the World Anti-Doping Agency and others are "owed an apology" from him for cheating during his cycling career, but noted that the agency's chief rebuffed efforts to meet back in 2013.

David Howman, director general of WADA, told The Associated Press this week that he is disappointed Armstrong had not apologized for costly and time-consuming lawsuits before the former cycling champion admitted using performance-enhancing drugs.

Faehn leaves Florida for USA Gymnastics

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida gymnastics coach Rhonda Faehn, who led the team to the past three NCAA titles, is leaving the program to become senior vice president of USA Gymnastics.

The school made the announcement Friday, a week after Faehn guided the Gators to another title in her 13th season.

Florida has won three straight NCAA championships, the only team titles in the program's 43-year history. Faehn thanked Florida for a "rewarding and supportive atmosphere" and called the USA Gymnastics job a new opportunity to "impact young lives."

She was a member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic team and competed four years on the U.S. national team.

Athletic director Jeremy Foley says "she's taken this program from nationally prominent to national champion. She's done an absolutely spectacular job."

Jagr returns to play for home Czechs at worlds

PRAGUE -- Star forward Jaromir Jagr is coming out of international retirement to play for the Czech Republic at the upcoming world championship in his native country.

Czech Republic coach Vladimir Ruzicka announced Friday that the 43-year-old Jagr will be on the team.

Jagr retired from international ice hockey after last year's worlds in Minsk, Belarus. The Czech team lost 3-0 to Sweden in the bronze-medal game.

The veteran has 722 goals and 1,080 assists in his NHL career, which was rejuvenated after he joined the Florida Panthers from the New Jersey Devils in February. He had six goals and 12 assists in 20 games for the Panthers.

The worlds open on May 1.

Prosecution rests in Tsarnaev trial penalty phase

BOSTON -- A video played Thursday at the trial of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev showed a mother crouched over her 8-year-old son as he lay dying on the sidewalk, a scene prosecutors hoped would linger in jurors' minds while they determine whether Tsarnaev lives or dies. Prosecutors rested their case after playing the video during the testimony of a man who lost his leg in the bombings, and jurors watched as the mother pleaded with her little boy.

"I heard 'please' and 'Martin' being uttered by Denise Richard,'' said Steve Woolfenden, who was lying on the pavement next to Martin and his mother after the second bomb exploded. "Just pleading with her son.''

The boy bled to death.

Prosecutors presented the testimony and searing images to give the jury one last reminder of the brutality and heartbreaking consequences of the bombings before the defense begins to present its case next week. Prosecutors argue Tsarnaev, now 21, deserves to be executed for his crimes, while his lawyers say his life should be spared because his late older brother, Tamerlan, was the mastermind of the attack.

Woolfenden's left leg was sheared off below the knee. He described frantically trying to get his 3-year-old son, Leo, out of his stroller after he heard him screaming and saw he was bleeding from the side of his head. As he lay helpless on the pavement, he spotted Martin and Denise Richard.

"I saw Martin's face,'' Woolfenden said. "I could see a boy that was, looked like he was fatally injured.''

Three people were killed and more than 260 others were wounded when the bombs exploded near the finish line of the marathon on April 15, 2013.

Tsarnaev was convicted this month of all 30 charges against him. The jury that found him guilty must decide whether to sentence him to life in prison or to death.

Also Thursday, several relatives of Tsarnaev, who's originally from Kyrgyzstan, flew into Boston, according to a law enforcement official who wasn't authorized to release that information and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Tsarnaev's mother, who faces a 2012 shoplifting charge in a Boston suburb, was not among them, the official said.

Tsarnaev's lawyers are scheduled to begin presenting their witnesses on Monday, and some of his relatives may be called to the stand.

Woolfenden described the terror he felt as he tried to help his son while trying to stanch blood pouring from his own leg.

"I took off my belt, and I applied it on my thigh as tight as I possibly could,'' he said. "Leo was crying and screaming uncontrollably. He was saying, 'Mommy, Daddy, Mommy, Daddy, Mommy, Daddy, Mommy, Daddy, Mommy, Daddy.' ''

A bystander came over and offered help.

Woolfenden said he told the man, "Please get my son to safety.''

The man tied another tourniquet on Woolfenden's leg and then took his son.

"I was completely terrified because I didn't know if I was ever going to see my son again,'' he said.

Leo was hospitalized with a skull fracture, lacerations, small burns and a perforated eardrum.

An FBI field photographer, Michelle Gamble, showed the jury a paper mock-up of a metal grate where Tsarnaev placed the second bomb. She said the bomb exploded about 3½ feet from Martin Richard.

Trauma surgeon Dr. David King testified Martin didn't die instantly and his liver, spleen and intestines were painfully twisted and stretched by the blast.

Martin's parents recently said they want the Department of Justice to take the death penalty off the table in exchange for a life sentence and Tsarnaev agreeing to give up his rights to appeal.

Also testifying Thursday was Heather Abbott, whose left leg was amputated after the bombing.

Abbott, of Newport, Rhode Island, said she was catapulted through the entrance of a restaurant when the second bomb exploded. She said her foot felt as though it were on fire, so she began crawling through the restaurant to follow a crowd of people trying to get away.

Later, in a hospital, a doctor recommended amputating her left leg below the knee. Her heel had been blown off, and her foot was severely damaged.

"It was probably the hardest decision I've ever had to make,'' she said.

Abbott identified photos of 16 other people who lost limbs. The photos showed the amputees wearing prosthetic limbs, in wheelchairs and on crutches.

Another amputee, Marc Fucarile, testified from a wheelchair and glared at Tsarnaev as he sat about 10 feet away with his lawyers. Tsarnaev did not look at him and stared straight ahead impassively.

Fucarile, whose right leg was blown off, said he has had more than 60 surgeries. Two years after the bombing, it's still unclear whether his left leg can be saved, he said.

"We are going to try,'' he said.

Battling Radcliffe finds a new fight

  • Simon Barnes, Writer for ESPN.co.uk, ESPN FC and ESPNcricinfo

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      • UK Sports Columnist of the Year in 2001 and 2007
      • Former Chief Sports Writer at The Times
      • Author of more than 20 books including The Meaning of Sport
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    There was a time when Paula was ordinary. Ordinary, at least, by the standards of elite athletics. Paula Radcliffe was first class of the second class, and it seemed that she would always be that way: forever found wanting at the highest level. Always just out of the medals. Then one Sunday morning in London she got up and ran straight from ordinariness to greatness. It was like seeing a butterfly emerge from a chrysalis and take wing.

    She ran the London Marathon for the first time in 2002, and for the first time she found an event of which she was master. She ran faster and faster across the streets of London, the TV commentator Steve Cram imploring her to slow down. This was crazy, he said, she'd never be able to sustain this pace. He was right. She didn't sustain it. She went faster.

    "I ran how I felt," she says now. "I had no plans about splits and timing. I was in control and the longer it went on the stronger I felt. And I thought: I've found my event!" She had found she had all the tools needed for the big distance: even the sprint finish that forever eluded her on the track. "I could do that and be strong."

    What a joy it is to remember this moment of pure sporting drama. On Sunday Radcliffe will run the London Marathon once again and it's a kind of Frank Sinatra farewell tour in a single morning: she'll run a club-runner's time, get cheered silly and then retire as gracefully and graciously as she does most things. Even a mid-race pitstop.

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