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[Smallville22]

Athletics - Onuora benefiting from change in mindset

200m runner Anyika Onuora insists her mindset has transformed as she prepares to rubberstamp her place on the plane to Moscow for next month's World Championships.
The 28-year-old heads to Birmingham's Alexander Stadium for this weekend's Sainsbury's British Championships, which act as the world trials, off the back of a fantastic start to the season.
Onuora has the 200m A qualifying standard in the bag, having clocked an equal personal best of 22.93 seconds in Hengelo last month, and has run within the 100m equivalent.
She clocked a 100m split of 11.20, 0.08 inside the A standard, while competing over 150m at the Great Manchester City Games however it doesn't stop there for a flying Onuora.
The Liverpool Harrier has run over 400m for the first time in her career this season and taken to it like a duck to water with her best effort of 51.38 another World Championship A standard.
That opens up the possibility of three individual races and two relays, the 4x100m and 4x400m, in Moscow and, whereas before she wouldn't have like it, Onuora insists the busier she is the better.
"I have had a fantastic year and it all bodes well," said Onuora, who is working under new coach Rana Reider. "I have relocated to Loughborough and it is so much better for me.
"I am a lot more comfortable and happy in the training group I am in. I never really thought about the 400m before because I never thought I would be any good at it.
"I thought I would probably get to 300m and hit a brick wall but because my training is different and there have been changes everything is working out so well.
"It is a fantastic position to be in, having already qualified and now I have to guarantee my spot. My whole approach this year is completely different. I try not to over think things.
"Doing three events has been great for me, I know I am fit and healthy and I am just taking each race at a time. I would like to be part of the 4x400m team if they will have me.
"Before it never really crossed my mind to do more than two events at a championships especially two separate relays. But now because I am fit and healthy and a lot stronger I know I can run them."
Onuora isn't entered into the 400m at the British Championships and, while she is on the entry list for the 100m, she won't decide until today whether she'll actually run it.
That could mean racing solely over 200m in Birmingham and Onuora admits she leaves the when's and where's to coach Reider while she concentrates on running fast whatever event it may be.
"I am doing the 200m, I am not sure about the 100m, I will see how it goes," she added. "I used to over think things but now I am just turning up and racing.
"Rana doesn't give you much time to prepare, he expects you to go out and run and that is what is working for me.
"In the past I have been so focussed on running a particular time and having an aim and a target. I am not focussing on particular times, I just want to run fast."

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Hannah England cautious on road to recovery

Hannah England may be setting her sights on a return to the World Championships next month – two years after she won 1,500m silver in Daegu – but is refusing to predict a medal repeat in Moscow.
However, the 26-year-old says she is in good shape and is confident a couple of disappointing runs this season will see her in top form at Birmingham this weekend.
England surprised everyone by powering from seventh to second in the 2011 Championships in Daegu, South Korea.
And she is eager to cement a place in the Great Britain & Northern Ireland team, which will travel to Russia in August, at the Sainsbury’s British Championships, which double up as their World Championship trials.
England was unable to build on her 2011 success when she sustained a freak injury after a spike caught her Achilles tendon.
She remarkably managed to recover ahead of London 2012 but, with her preparations hampered, failed to make the final.
And, with her injury problems behind her, England is thrilled to have the chance to prove she is returning to her best.
“Things are going really well and I’m definitely ready for this weekend and hopefully I can get on this Worlds team,” she said.
“I was gutted to miss last year through injury. The trials mean a lot to me and I’m glad I got here in shape and can have a go.
“It was awesome to win in 2011 and have something to show for all the hard work. Unfortunately it’s set the bar really high and it’s quite hard to match.
“A great World Championships would be getting to the final and running an excellent race. As long as that happens then I’ll be happy. I don’t want to put too much stress and focus on medals.
England was disappointed with recent performances when she finished fifth at the European Team Championships in Gateshead and then seventh at a Diamond League meeting in Birmingham.
But she is confident that with each race her fitness is returning, as well as her tactical awareness and the aggression needed to fight for position on the track.
“It’s a good experience to go through races like that,” she added. “It wasn’t great, but it was better to have bad races there than at the Championships.”

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Chambers shines on day one of British Championships

Dwain Chambers laid down a marker to his rivals at the British Championships on the exact same day that Adam Gemili added the European U23 100m title to his growing trophy cabinet.
Chambers clocked 10.06 seconds, his fastest time this season, to win his 100m heat at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham and qualify for the semi-final as by far the quickest qualifier.
Meanwhile, across the continent in Finland, Gemili, beaten by Chambers at last year's British Championships, added the European U23 100m title to the world junior one he won last year.
However Gemili does not have the A standard for the World Championships unlike Chambers, who ducked under with his 10.06, and James Dasaolu who was joint-fourth fastest in Birmingham, with selections to be confirmed on Monday.
Joel Fearon, another with the A standard, was second quickest in 10.27, Mark Lewis-Francis third in 10.29 before Dasaolu and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Chambers is adamant he can remain unbeaten.
"That actually came as a surprise. I don't want to take anything away from these individuals, it was good for them to get out here," said Chambers.
"In athletics anything can happen. I was pleased to be able to come out here and turn things around.
"I've got the qualifying time out of the way and that's the main thing. I've still got the likes of Harry and James to come.
"I have to have more in the tank. At the end of the day, you've got to be able to push on in the semi and the final.
"I said I want to try to do my best to secure my place on the World Championship team. I'm confident of defending my title, but at the same time I want to be comfortable with what I'm doing.
"It's one thing defending a title and running OK here, but we still have to stand up to the best guys in the world and see what they're doing."
Meanwhile Dai Greene and Rhys Williams are set for a tantalising head-to-head in the 400m hurdles after qualifying for the final as the two fastest from the heats.
Williams was the quickest in 50.37, Greene 0.14 behind, while Andrew Lemoncello produced a stunning sprint finish to win the first title of the 2013 British Championships in the men's 10,000m.
Alyson Dixon was placed in the men's race after a serious of withdrawals in the women's 10,000m and, running solo with the British title assured, she clocked a time of 34:46.75 minutes.
In-form Jessica Judd was the quickest into the 800m final but not by much ahead of Marilyn Okoro, just three hundredths of a second separated the two as they were drawn apart.
Olympic gold and silver medallist Christine Ohuruogu was the fastest qualifier for the women's 400m final by almost a second and where she will be joined by younger sister Victoria.
Elsewhere British indoor 60m champion Asha Philip was the fastest qualifier in the women's 100m heats, Michael Bingham in the men's 400m and David Bishop in the men's 1500m.

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Dasaolu becomes second fastest Brit of all time

James Dasaolu produced a stunning run of 9.91 seconds in the semi-finals of the 100m at the British Championships in Birmingham.
Dasaolu got off to a blazing start and charged to the line, becoming only the fourth British sprinter to beat 10 seconds as he clocked a time that is just 0.04 seconds slower than Linford Christie's British record of 9.87.
The 25-year-old Dasaolu, whose sole international medal is a silver in the 60m at the European Indoor Championships earlier this year, had a previous personal best of 10.03 seconds set just two weeks ago in the same city.
Saturday's semi-final run, which was wind assisted but not beyond the legal limit, is quicker than anything Usain Bolt has produced so far this year. Only Tyson Gay (9.75), Asafa Powell (9.88) and Justin Gatlin (9.89) have run quicker in 2013.
"I knew I was going to run quick from the first step," the Loughborough-based Dasaolu athlete told the BBC.
"Once you get to 60-70m, your body is running as quick as it can and it's all about relaxation. Because I was so far ahead it was much easier to relax."
Dasaolu then disappointed the crowd by pulling out of the 100m final, allowing Dwain Chambers to claim a seventh British crown with a time of 10.04.
The man of the hour had no regrets about not winning his national title, however, as he looks to the World Championships next month.
"My ultimate aim is to be fit for Moscow and I don't want to risk an injury competing in the final," he said.
"As a sprinter, you want to go underneath 10 seconds and I'm happy to do that.
"Sub-10 is a big thing for me and I just hope to continue running sub-10s. I'm happy with 9.91 and I just want to build on that.
He has become the second fastest British man of all time. The only other British sprinters to beat 10 seconds are Christie, Dwain Chambers (9.97) and Jason Gardener (9.98). Chambers did once match Christie's 9.87, but that run was removed from the record books due to his use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Dasalou clearly believed that he was set to put in a fast run this weekend, telling the Daily Telegraph that his career was set to take off after overcoming a string of misfortunes related to a new, lighter training schedule.
“I haven’t been injured now for 18 months since I made the move and started to do things differently,” said Dasaolu.
“The injuries I was getting were all different: hamstrings, calves, my foot. It was never anything specific. It was more about overloading in training.
“I always knew there was talent there. It was just about finding the right programme and the right person to manage it and make it happen. I never stopped believing but I needed to find the programme that worked for me.”
Though the Nigerian descendant ultimately withdrew from the final, his time is enough to take him to the World Championships.
"If you look at my season progression I knew a sub-10 was coming," said Dasaolu, who pulled out due to suffering with cramp. "We knew we were in a good place and I knew it was on the cards.
"It happened and I managed to record a personal best of 9.91 and it feels brilliant.
"I'm just happy to be one of the best sprinters in Britain. Going a sub-10 now gives me that confidence that when I stand with other sub-10 runners I know I can challenge them."
Chambers, now 35, will return to another World Championships and British sprinting - which has had some difficult times in recent years - finally appears on the up.
"That felt good and to be able to secure my spot was important," said Chambers.
"The major pressure is now off and we can just concentrate on keeping fit and healthy for the Sainsbury's Anniversary Games in London and for Moscow.
"I tried so hard (to dip under 10 seconds) this weekend. But, I had to be sensible and do the logical thing and qualify.
"For what it’ s worth, I think it’s fantastic that James (Dasaolu) has been able to do that time. It’s helped motivate me even further to want to run. It also bodes well for our relays."
Asha Philip ran the qualifying time to win the women's 100m title in a personal best 11.20 secs ahead of Anna Lewis and Desiree Henry, who one year ago was selected as one of the young athletes to light the London 2012 flame.
"An A standard, personal best and a win, I don’t know what more I could ask - everything was perfect," said Philip.
"Hopefully there’ll be another PB in Moscow. I’ve been running PB’s all year. I’ve been out for so long, so to come back injury free and run PB’s, it’s like the heavens have opened for me."
Tiffany Porter claimed the 100m hurdles title as expected in 12.68 secs while Chris Tomlinson took the men's long jump in the absence of injured Olympic champion Greg Rutherford - his winning leap 8.03m metres.
Meanwhile, Christine Ohuruogu, a world champion in Osaka five years ago, insists she is brimming with confidence after winning the 400m title.
"It feels nice to win domestically, now I can go tackle the guys abroad," she said.
"It is always a good field and sometimes when you’re so used to running the global events sometimes you can view the domestic events less highly but you always have to work hard regardless and never let your guard down."

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - World champion Greene defends British title

Dai Greene moved a step closer to finding form in time to mount a defence his world title in Moscow with victory at the British Championships.
Greene, who claimed the 400m hurdles world crown in 2011, beat fellow Welshman Rhys Williams with a season's best run of 48.66seconds in Birmingham.
The 27-year-old was at the Alexander Stadium in a bid to find form, having qualified for next month's World Championships by virtue of being the reigning champion.
And he was pleased with the execution of his performance that left Williams in second despite a personal best, though he too has qualified for Moscow.
"I haven't been in top form so far and it was a really close race and exciting for the neutral so I was pleased to come away with victory," he said.
"I felt I went out fairly aggressively. Probably the middle part of my race was a bit slow so I pushed on a bit and managed to pick up a bit of speed and finished it off well.
"I need to carry on doing what I am doing in training - my times are coming down - and I know I will be in the right shape for Moscow."
Double Olympic medallist Christine Ohuruogu showed her pedigree to win over 400m, clocking 50.98 secs, while Marilyn Okoro got the better of rising star Jessica Judd to win the 800m title and James Wilkinson ended Luke Gunn's long domination of the men's 3,000m steeplechase.
"It feels fantastic. I just had to reverse last year, so I am really pleased," said Okoro.
"It was just about execution, I’m healthy and I had a great challenger in Jess Judd and I had to get her back for a couple of weeks ago and I am just so glad to have booked my place to Moscow. I ran for my life in that last ten metres."
Defending champion Yamile Aldama was forced to pull out of the women's triple jump, which was won in her absence by Laura Samuel.
Elsewhere, Emma Nuttall claimed the women's high jump, Andy Frost took the men's hammer, Rachel Wallader emerged victorious in the women's shot and Jade Lally won a third career women's discus national title.
Sainsbury’s British Championships is the second event in the Sainsbury’s Summer Series.

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Olympic champion Kemboi beaten at Kenyan trials

Olympic 3,000m steeplechase champion Ezekiel Kemboi was beaten by teenager Conseslus Kipruto at the Kenyan trials for the world athletics championships on Saturday but still made the team for Moscow next month.
Teenager Kipruto, who won gold medals at the 2011 world youth championships in Lille, France, and the world junior championships in Barcelona last year, reaffirmed his hunger for bigger titles with his third victory over Kemboi this season.
Kipruto bagged automatic qualification to the world championships in Moscow after winning the much-anticipated race in 8:13:50.
Abel Mutai was second in 8:14:00 and Brimin Kipruto, who won the Olympic title in Beijing in 2008, was third in 8:14.90.
Kemboi finished in sixth position, but was still selected to defend the world title he won in Daegu.
Brimin Kipruto was excluded from the team for Moscow.
The top two finishers gained automatic selection for the Aug. 10-18 championships, while the third spot was awarded by the selectors.
Olympic champion and world 800m record holder David Rudisha was left out of the team altogether because he failed to take part in the trials as he is undergoing treatment for a knee injury in Germany.
Rudisha, who set a world record of 1:40.91 in winning the Olympic title last year in London, picked up the knee injury running in Central Park in New York.
Conseslus Kipruto has won in all the Diamond League meetings this year, beating Kemboi in Eugene and Oslo, although Kemobi ran the world-leading time of 7:59.03 in Paris last weekend.
World 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop, who won gold in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, was beaten into second position by world silver medallist Silas Kiplagat, who won in 3:33.70.
Vivian Cheruiyot, who won the 5,000m and 10,000m in Daegu and is expecting a baby, missed the trials as did Sally Kipyego, the 10,000m world and Olympic silver medallist.

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Tyson Gay admits testing positive, pulls out of world championships

Tearful former double sprint world champion Tyson Gay has said he had tested positive for a substance he could not identify and was pulling out of next month's world championships in Moscow.
Gay, who had the year's fastest 100m time of 9.75 seconds, said in a telephone conference call to two reporters that he was notified by the US Anti-Doping Agency on Friday that his A sample from an out-of-competition test on May 16 had returned a positive.
"I don't have a sabotage story. I don't have lies...I basically put my trust in someone and I was let down," said Gay, who added he had never knowingly taken a performance-enhancing drug.
"I made a mistake," added the 30-year-old sprinter from his training base in Amsterdam.
"I am pulling out of Monaco (Diamond League meeting on Friday) and the world championships."
The B sample is yet to be tested, said Gay.
Gay, the world 100 and 200 champion in 2007, said he could not divulge the substance or how the positive occurred.
"I am not allowed to talk about those things right now.
"I know exactly what went on, but I can't discuss it right now," he added.
Healthy after years of injury, Gay, the joint second-fastest man in history over 100m, had been considered a strong challenger for Jamaican world record holder Usain Bolt at the August 10-18 world championships after winning the American trials in blazing times.
He had put down the year's three fastest 100m times, topped by his 9.75 at last month's US meeting. Only Bolt has run faster than Gay's 19.74 seconds in the 200m this year.
"It has been tough for me," said the soft-spoken Gay. "I have always been a drug-free athlete."
USA Track and Field, the sport's US governing body, said in a statement: "It is not the news anyone wanted to hear, at any time, about any athlete.
"As we approach the world championships, we will remain focused on the competition at hand and winning the right way."
The governing body said it did not know the facts of the case and looked to USADA to adjudicate it and handle it appropriately.
Gay appeared set to win his first Olympic individual gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games but the emergence of Bolt and injuries ended that chance.
He ran an American record 9.69 seconds, at the time the second fastest ever, in 2009 but was never fully healthy at ensuing Olympic and world championships.
He finished a heart-breaking fourth at the London Olympics but won a silver medal in the 4x100m relay.
"I hope I am able to run again," he said. "But I will take whatever punishment I get like a man."

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Grabarz hitting form after retaining national title

Robbie Grabarz retained his national high jump title at the British Championships in Birmingham, edging out local favourite Tom Parsons to claim gold with a 2.28 metre clearance.
Grabarz now insists he is coming back into form just in time for next month's World Championships in Moscow.
The 25-year old European champion arrived at last year's Olympics as one of the world's in-form high jumpers and duly delivered on his podium potential with a memorable bronze.
But this season has not been so easy. Injury niggles caused early season problems while his 2.31 metre season's best ranks him only seventh in the world - with key rivals Bohdan Bondarenko and Mutaz Essa Barshim both clearing over 2.40m.
"For Moscow I’m looking to come in under the radar and clean sweep it," said Grabarz.
"Now we’ve just got to get all the technical stuff right that we haven’t been able to and we’ll be laughing.
"I had a couple of setbacks early in the season but I'm feeling good and I'm confident in my body. I can't effect what anybody else is doing and heights they are getting.
"It's about doing it at a major championship, like I did last year at the Europeans and Olympics. This isn't new to me any more, I'm confident, I know what I can do."
Anyika Onuora continued her impressive recent form to regain her 200m national title in 22.71 seconds.
It was her quickest ever time, although an illegal wind means it won't erase the personal best she set in Hengelo last month.
The 26-year old looks a new athlete following her decision to relocate to switch coaches and join Rana Reider's Loughborough based training group.
"It was a little bit special wasn’t it?" said Onuora.
"I’d like to think I’m in the form of my life. I’m feeling really good and I just hope it all bodes well for Moscow. I’ve got that opportunity now I’ve secured the actual ticket for the plane.
"I’m more than in shape and this just proves that and it's great to get my title back. We’ve been training non-stop and my coach has made some changes to our programmes and about 95 per cent of his athletes are going to Moscow, so it’s working well.
"Although it was an illegal wind, it wasn’t that much of a wind and it was a great race."
James Ellington edged out British number one Richard Kilty to win the men's 200m in 20.45 seconds, William Sharman ran a season's best 13.44 secs to win the 110m hurdles and Perri Shakes Drayton clocked 54.36 secs to confidently retain her 400m hurdles crown.
"I couldn’t really ask for more if I’m honest," she said.
"I just had to get past that line first, that’s all I wanted. My aims for Moscow are simple - make the final and get a medal. That’s what I want."
Hannah England held off the determined challenge of Emma Jackson to win over 1500m, in a race that saw two fallers and former world silver medallist Lisa Dobriskey pull out with an injury.
"I’m pleased to have won, I am delighted to have booked myself on the plane to Moscow, but I am disappointed to have won in that way," said England, a world silver medallist two years ago in Daegu.
"I wanted to beat the others fair and square so I am disappointed I didn’t get to do that. I wanted to execute my tactics but with the falls that didn’t really happen.
"Falls are a part of the 1,500m, but it’s rare to see that in a British only race, but I think that’s just a mark of the quality of the field we have."
Shara Proctor continued her impressive recent form to retain her long jump title but the British record she predicted never materialised, though a narrowly illegal third round effort could have smashed the 6.95m best she set in Birmingham last year.
Elsewhere, Andy Vernon won the men's 5000m and Greg Beard produced a 18.29m personal best to win the men's shot.

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Rimmer looks to Moscow after sixth national title

Michael Rimmer is not getting carried away after winning a sixth 800m national title at the British Championships in Birmingham.
Olympic champion and world record holder David Rudisha will be absent from the World Championships in Moscow where Rimmer believes he's in the shape to finally make the final at the fourth attempt.
"I need to get some good training in before Moscow," he said, after holding off Mukhtar Mohammed to win in 1:47.79.
"Leading into this race I’ve been the most consistent that I’ve ever been but even without Rudisha it’s going to be tough going in Russia.
"I’ll take one race at a time. Obviously I’ve got goals but I'm not getting ahead of myself.
"My preparation hasn’t been the best with getting injured. It was the worst possible race in some ways, scrappy, pushing, dodging and weaving but I got through it."
Brett Morse claimed his first British title but insisted his best was still to come.
Last year's the men's discus was the most competitive event in British athletics - with four men jostling for three slots on the Olympic team.
But national record holder Lawrence Okoye is now attempting to crack the NFL while Carl Myerscough and Abdul Buhari were both absent at the Alexander Stadium - giving Morse a clear run at the title.
He duly threw a best of 62.05 metres to take gold by nearly eight metres - though he insisted he was in the shape to better the 66.84m personal best he set in Cardiff last month.
"I'm just relieved because I've guaranteed selection for the World Championships but I'm a bit disappointed with the distance and performance," said Morse.
"I'm in much better shape than I've shown here and training has been going really well. I really think I'm in the condition to get a big personal best in Moscow."
Eilish McColgan clocked 9:56.02 as she retained her 3,000m steeplechase title to book her spot on the plane to Russia.
But she admitted it wasn't easy.
"The past four weeks have been a total nightmare for me as I am carrying a calf niggle," she said.
"I was actually told not to race but I knew that the only way I could cement my definite place in the team, so I’ve sort of gone against what they told me.
"I was determined to be on the start line, I wanted to race. It’s just pure relief that I managed to get round unscathed and also that I managed to win it."
Elsewhere, Sally Peake's clearance of 4.23m secured the women's pole vault title in the absence of injured Olympic finalist Holly Bleasdale while Julian Reid's 16.79m edged out Nathan Douglas to claim the men's triple jump by five centimetres.
Rosie Semenytsh threw 49.76m to win the women's javelin while there were race walk wins for Bethan Davies and Alex Wright.
Steph Twell won the women's 5,000m in convincing fashion while Nigel Levine ran a season's best 45.23 secs to claim the 400m.
"I’m super happy to win the senior trials for the first time," said Twell.
"Most of my races this season have pretty much been time trials and me racing against myself, so it’s fantastic to have a championship race and when the girls were running with me. I just wanted to see how hard they would go, and I was able to respond."

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Asafa Powell among five Jamaicans to test positive

Former 100m world record holder Asafa Powell is among five Jamaican athletes to have tested positive for taking banned substances.
Powell tested positive for a stimulant at last month's national championships, his agent told Reuters on Sunday.
Powell, who has never won an individual global sprint title, held the 100m world record between 2005 and 2008 when his then-best of 9.74 seconds was broken by current record holder and fellow-Jamaican Usain Bolt.
In a statement, Powell said: "I will confirm that a sample I gave at the national trials in June earlier this year has returned 'adverse findings'. The substance oxilofrine (methylsynephrine) was found, which is considered by the authorities to be a banned stimulant.
"I want to be clear in saying to my family, friends and most of all my fans worldwide that I have never knowingly or wilfully taken any supplements or substances that break any rules.
"I am not now - nor have I ever been - a cheat," he added.
"This result has left me completely devastated in many respects. Professionally, this finding fully negates any possibility of me being a part of Jamaica's contingent of athletes competing at (the) world championships in Moscow later this summer."
Olympic 4x100m relay silver medallist Sherone Simpson said on Sunday she had tested positive for a stimulant at last month's national championships.
Simpson, 28, was a member of the Jamaican team that finished second in the 4x100 relay at last year's London Olympics.
She finished equal second in the 100 metres at the 2008 Beijing Games and won a gold medal in the 4x100 relay four years earlier in Athens.
"This is a very difficult time for me," Simpson said in a statement to Reuters. "I was notified on July 14, 2013 that my urine sample taken at the National Senior Championship, June 21, 2013 after the 100m finals returned a positive analytical finding for a stimulant, oxilofrine (methylsynephrine).
"As an athlete, I know I am responsible for whatever that goes into my body. I would not intentionally take an illegal substance of any form into my system."
The sources said two of the athletes were sprinters while three competed in field events. They said one of the athletes was a junior.
Jamaican Anti-Doping Commission chairman Herb Elliott confirmed the body had received "reports of adverse analytical findings from "A" samples".
"The process of the result management has commenced in accordance with the JADCO Anti-doping rules," he told Reuters.
"We cannot disclose any further information until the athletes have responded to notification of the "A" sample."
Last month Jamaica's most successful female athlete Veronica Campbell-Brown tested positive for a diuretic, which can be used to mask the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
The twice Olympic 200m champion has been suspended by the Jamaican Athletics Administrative Association pending the outcome of a disciplinary panel hearing.

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Shakes-Drayton breaks British Championships record

Perri Shakes-Drayton claimed a new British Championship record in the 400m hurdles as she successfully defended her national title in Birmingham.
The European indoor champion finished clear of rival Eilidh Child in a time of 54.36seconds to secure her place at the World Championships.
Shakes-Drayton controlled the race at the Alexander Stadium from the start, holding off a late surge from Child for a commanding victory.
And now she is ready to turn her attention to Moscow and the World Championships.
"I am pleased to retain my title," said the 24-year-old. "As much as I may have come here as the fastest I still wanted to come and perform well in front of the crowd.
"I would love to come home with a medal from Moscow but I will get to the final first and see what happens then."
Sainsbury’s British Championships is the second event in the Sainsbury’s Summer Series.

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - Robertson swats aside Cope in Australia

Neil Robertson moved into the third round of his home tournament at the Australian Goldfields Open in Bendigo.
The Melbourne cueman won 5-3 against Jamie Cope to seal a spot against either Joe Perry or Stuart Bingham in the last eight.
Cope opened with a 74 break to take the lead but Robertson levelled with an 82 run then moved ahead.
Cope drew level only to fall two frames behind as the Thunder from Down Under compiled breaks of 83 and 91.
Cope edged a scrappy seventh frame to stay in the match, but the reprieve was short-lived as a 68 from Robertson finished the job.

Results

Round 2

Neil Robertson 5-3 Jamie Cope

Dominic Dale 5-2 Fergal O’Brien

Round 1

Robert Milkins 5-3 Ben Woollaston

Mark Davis 5-4 Paul Davison

Marco Fu 5-2 Ken Doherty

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - Fu recovers to knock out Murphy in Australia

Marco Fu moved into the quarter-finals of the Australian Goldfields Open with a 5-2 victory over Shaun Murphy in Bendigo.
Fu actually lost the first two frames of the match and was 56-0 down in the third before a break of 80 saw him nick that frame and from then on he never looked back.
In three of the final four frames Murphy wouldn't even pot a ball as Fu flew away to take the victory.
A run of 61 helped the Hong Kong potter make it 2-2 and then a break of 70 in the fifth edged him in front.
Murphy did score 13 points in the next frame but Fu still took it with two mini-breaks and a fine 115 in the next saw him secure the match.
Fu will play Dominic Dale in the quarter-finals.
Defending champion Barry Hawkins is also out after he crashed to Tom Ford 5-4.
The final frame was a nail-biter with both players fouling four times.
There were no problems for world number one Mark Selby though as breaks of 69, 71, 76 and 90 helped him to a 5-1 win over Zhang Anda.
There were also victories for Robert Milkins, Joe Perry and Mark Davis over Rory McLeod, Stuart Bingham and Alfie Burden respectively.

Thursday results (all second round)

Marco Fu 5-2 Shaun Murphy

Joe Perry 5-3 Stuart Bingham

Tom Ford 5-4 Barry Hawkins

Robert Milkins 5-2 Rory McLeod

Mark Davis 5-3 Alfie Burden

Mark Selby 5-1 Zhang Anda

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - Robertson stays on course in Australia

Neil Robertson beat Joe Perry 5-2 in the quarter-final of the Australian Goldfields Open to remain on course to win his home tournament for the first time.
At the two previous events in Bendigo, Robertson has crashed out in the second round but rattled in three century breaks against Perry in an impressive performance.
Robertson was flying early with runs of 111 and 102 putting him 2-0 in front.
Perry came from over 40 points down to take the next but Robertson went into the interval with a 3-1 lead after winning a tight fourth.
Perry closed the gap again in the fifth but breaks of 81 and 125 in the final frame wrapped up the win for the world number one who won the only other ranking event played so far this season – the Wuxi Classic.
He will now face Mark Selby in a mouth-watering semi-final after the world number two defeated Mark Davis 5-3.
Selby managed to win the contest despite his high break being only 65.
The other semi-final will be between Marco Fu and Robert Milkins.
Fu was in scintillating form against Dominic Dale as he fired breaks of 131 and 130 in a 5-1 demolition, while Milkins got the better of a scrappy contest with Tom Ford 5-3.

Quarter-final results

Robert Milkins 5-3 Tom Ford

Neil Robertson 5-2 Joe Perry

Mark Selby 5-3 Mark Davis

Marco Fu 5-1 Dominic Dale

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - Robertson turns on style to make Melbourne final

Neil Robertson will face Marco Fu in the final of the Australian Goldfields Open in Melbourne after both turned on the style late in their semis.
World number one Robertson looked set for a classic battle with world number two Selby, the local man edging the opener 73-65 then losing three of the next four frames as Selby clattered in breaks of 68, 63 and 76.
Just as Selby looked to be in control of the game, however, Robertson went up a gear, levelling the match with an 86, clinching two slightly scrappier frames to pull 5-3 ahead, then finishing in style with a break of 138 to come out a 6-3 winner and clinch a place in the final against Fu.
In the first semi-final Hong Kong's Fu had beaten Robert Milkins 6-4.
Fu took charge of a scrappy match quickly, racing into a 4-1 lead after a series of error-strewn frames in which both players had chances.
Milkins then reeled off three frames in a row to level things before a break of 60 put Fu ahead once more.
The 10th frame was a nailbiting thriller that could have gone either way, but it was Fu who held his nerve best to edge it 51-49 on the black and set up a final against Robertson.

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - Fu beats Robertson in Melbourne finale

Marco Fu beat Neil Robertson 9-6 to win the Australian Goldfields Open after a dazzling final in Melbourne.
It is just the second ranking tournament victory of Fu's 15-year professional career, with his other coming at the Grand Prix back in 2007.
He came into the tournament ranked 18th in the world but will climb much higher when the new list is published next week - and he will also enjoy a huge confidence boost after a week which saw him beat world number four Shaun Murphy as well as Robertson.
The Hong Kong star shared the opening four frames of the match with world number one Robertson, with Fu producing breaks of 98 and 80 either side of Robertson's frame-winning contributions of 78 and 92.
Fu won three of the next four frames to pull clear before Robertson closed back to within a frame with a 57 in the ninth.
The next frame proved crucial, however: after Fu blew an early chance, Robertson made a break of 60 that seemed good enough to square the match.
But he faltered on frame ball, and Fu stepped in with a 58 to go 6-4 clear, then immediately made it 7-4 with a 70 in the next.
Again Robertson responded as he clinched two cagier frames, but Fu then won a tightly-contested 14th frame to make it 8-6 before finishing with a flourish thanks to a break of 102 to claim the title.

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Adidas suspends contract with Tyson Gay

Sportswear company Adidas has suspended its contract with Tyson Gay after the former double world sprint champion failed an out-of-competition dope test.
"We are shocked by these recent allegations, and even if we presume his innocence until proven otherwise, our contract with Tyson is currently suspended," a spokesman for the Germany-based company said.
Under its agreements with athletes, Adidas has the right to terminate the contract "if the athlete is found guilty of the possession or use of drugs or any other prohibited substance by the relevant governing sports body having jurisdiction over the athlete."
Also on Sunday, former world 100m record holder Asafa Powell and Olympic 4x100m relay silver medallist Sherone Simpson said they had both tested positive for the stimulant oxilophrine at last month's Jamaican championships.

 

[Smallville22]

Summer Universiade - Rumyantsev wins 100th gold for Russia

Host nation Russia reached 100 gold medals at the Summer Universiade in Kazan after Pavel Rumyantsev's sambo victory.
Rumyantsev brought up the landmark with gold in the men's under 90kg category of the self-defence martial art, defeating Komroshoh Ustopiriyon of Tajikistan 1-0 in the final.
Serbia's Nikola Milosevic, who beat Shigeyuki Uehara of Japan, and Uzbekistan's Sukhrob Ustonayevm, who defeated Valentin Jourdan, shared bronze.
Meanwhile, Hikari Sugawara won the title in the women's freestyle wrestling under 58kg weight category, toppling Sumiya Erdenechimeg of Mongolia for the win.
Earlier, the bronze medals were claimed by Russia's Ekaterina Krasnova, who defeated Elena Turcan of Moldova, and Yulia Blahinya, who was stronger than Azerbaijan's Anzhela Dorogan.
I-chen Lee/Chia-hui Lin from Chinese Taipei won gold in the women's doubles in the table tennis tournament at the Kazan Tennis Academy.
In the final, the pair defeated Xiaoxi Che and Yue Jiang 4-3, while host nation duo Yana Noskova and Elena Troshneva claimed one of the sets of bronze medals.
Russian tennis player Victor Baluda, who took part in the men’s doubles with Konstantin Kravchuk, has said their victory over Belarusian duo Aliaksandr Bury - an Olympian last year - and Andrei Vasilevski was a perfect result.
The duo won the semi-final clash in straight sets 6-4 6-3.
“We knew those rivals and seriously psyched ourselves up for the game with them, one of them took part in the London 2012 Olympic Games, so that is why it is very cool to have beaten them," Baluda said.
He added that he was not disappointed with his defeat in the singles draw.
“I was absolutely concentrated on playing double," Baluda said. "The doubles competition features the same medal, so it is necessary to keep our chin up.
In the final, the Russians will play number one ranked Lee Hsin-han/Peng Hsien-yin from Chinese Taipei.
Zhiguo Liu won gold while Russian Nazar Luginets claimed silver in a tight men’s 10m air rifle finals. Another Russian Sergey Kruglov took bronze.
Russian canoeist Kirill Shamshurin, who won silver in the men's canoe, says he is aiming to win two more medals during his time in Kazan.
Shamshurin, along with Rasul Ishmuhamedov, Pavel Petrov and Vladimir Fedossenko, came off second best in the 1000 metres race, stopping the clock at 3 minutes 38.476 seconds. Winners a Ukraine set a time of 3:37.893, while bronze went to the Poles (3:38.619).
"It's nice to get a medal of the Universiade," said Shamshurin. "Ahead of me there are still two distances in Kazan - the 200 and 500 metres in the fours. I'll try to rehabilitate myself and take two gold medals. I have a personal plan for three medals, I want to do it."
Shamshurin added that his crew missed out on gold in the 1,000m after they failed to make a dash at finish.
"Today, we were psyched for a heavy finish, because we knew that our rivals speed up at this part of the race. Therefore, we tried to lay the groundwork in advance and went confidently ahead of the others. We were waiting for a finishing spurt, but failed. Maybe the weather affected us, I do not know," Shamshurin said.
Ruslan Albegov, the Russian weightlifter, has revealed that his Universiade gold medal was a wedding present for him.
Albegov, bronze medallist at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, won the over 105kg category in Kazan after lifting 459 kg on Saturday.
"I am very glad that I have this medal, but I am not going to take a break now. Tomorrow I will go to the gymnasium in Ossetia because I cannot relax. The world championship is ahead and I would not like to be unfit, I would like to gain more weight," Albegov said.
"On July 27 I will get married. We have been together for two years, and now I have decided to start an adult life. The Universiade medal and my result are good wedding presents for my family and me."
Albegov, who won gold in the European championships in April, added: "Personally I have three-four competitions this year. It is useful because every competition is experience whether it is the world championship or a local championship. Every medal costs a lot, both in terms of emotion and strength, and every medal is worth its weight in gold."

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker heading to India in October

World Snooker has announced that a world ranking tournament will be held in India for the first time this year.
The Indian Open will run from October 14 to 18 in Delhi as World Snooker aims to tap into a new global market, following a notable move into China.
The total prize money on offer will be £300,000, with the winner of the 64-player tournament taking home £50,000.
A qualifying round will be held in August in Doncaster to determine who makes the trip to India.
World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn said: "This is a momentous announcement for snooker as we stage a world ranking event in India for the very first time. If we can replicate the phenomenal success we have had in China then India will be a very exciting prospect.
"It's amazing to think that snooker was invented in India in 1875, and now nearly 140 years later we are taking the world's leading players back for a major ranking tournament.
"This is fantastic opportunity for the players to showcase their skills in a new territory and I hope they grasp it."
WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson added: "I have been in Delhi this week to finalise the agreement for the event and I have witnessed first-hand the enthusiasm for snooker in India. The people really love our game and I've no doubt that this event will be a great success and provide a basis for snooker's growth in India.
"We now have two Indian players on the professional tour, Aditya Mehta who reached the last 16 of the International Championship last season, and Pankaj Advani who got to the semi-finals of the Paul Hunter Classic and the quarter-finals of the Welsh Open ranking event. Both of these players are excellent role models for snooker and hopefully their success will help increase participation levels among the youth in India.
"Delhi is a wonderful city with a rich and deep history of billiard sports and we look forward to working with our new partners in the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India. For the players who earn a place in the tournament it's going to be an amazing experience in Incredible India.
"We believe that snooker is the world's fastest growing sport and this is another huge step forward in our globalisation plan."

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Randall is third Jamaican to admit positive dope test

Olympic discus thrower Allison Randall became the third athlete to confirm a positive drugs test from the Jamaican trials in June following Sunday's revelations by sprinters Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson.
Randall, who competed at last year's London Games but failed to make the final, acknowledged receipt of the Jamaica Anti-doping Commission's notification of her adverse finding for a banned diuretic but, like Powell and Simpson, denied knowingly taking a performance-enhancing substance.
"I have not intentionally taken any banned substance. I have been vigilant with everything I consume, so I am extremely shocked and surprised by this incident," Randall said.
The 25-year-old, who holds the Jamaican discus record with a distance of 61.21 metres, said she did not have the desire or the means to cheat.
Reuters sources said she had tested positive for the banned drug Hydrochlorothiazide, which reduces blood volume.
"I have never even seen steroids and don't know the first thing about them," Randall said.
"I am willing to undergo any other testing methods to prove my innocence. I love throwing the discus for my country and I hope this incident clears up after my 'B' sample has been tested."
Powell and Simpson confirmed that they tested positive for the stimulant Oxilofrine (methylsynephrine) while two more Jamaican athletes are reported to have failed tests at the same championships.
Agent Paul Doyle told Reuters that both athletes would request their 'B' samples are tested.
"We'll have to make the request this week, so from that point I'm not sure how long it takes, but I would imagine within the next 10 days to two weeks it will be tested," Doyle said.
Italian media reported on Monday that police had raided a hotel in the north of the country where sprinters had stayed and that several products had been seized.
Police said that the rooms of Canadian trainer Chris Xuereb had also been searched but that nobody had been arrested.
Stephen Francis, the coach of Powell and Simpson at the MVP track and field club, told Reuters from Lignano, Italy on Monday that Doyle had introduced Xuereb to Powell in May.
"This has nothing to do with us (MVP track club) and we are not disowning Asafa ... all we are saying is that this is his personal employee.
"He was not recommended by us, we don't know anything about him. He's not an MVP employee or MVP staff," Francis added.
American former double world champion Tyson Gay also said on Sunday that he had tested positive for a yet-to-be-revealed substance.
Gay, who has run the year's three fastest 100 metres times, had been expected to challenge Jamaican Olympic champion Usain Bolt at next month's world championships in Moscow.