Other Sports

[Smallville22]

Modern Pentathlon - Second gold for Britain at Euros

Olympic silver medallist Samantha Murray, Kate French and Mhairi Spence may have missed out on individual success at the Modern Pentathlon European Championships but combined they delivered women's team gold.
Murray, who won Team GB's 65th and final medal at London 2012 last summer, placed seventh, French tenth, her highest senior finish, and Spence 12th - but together it was good enough for victory in the team event.
That took Britain's medal tally in Poland to three with Murray and French part of the women's relay trio, along with Katy Burke, that won gold while bronze was claimed in the men's equivalent.
Meanwhile Freyja Prentice just missed out on an individual medal, coming home fourth in Poland at her first major competition since recovering from a hamstring injury.
Pentathlon GB performance director Jan Bartu said: "They dominated the team competition, everything went for them. It was a really well deserved gold medal and a very positive experience for them.
"An individual medal didn't happen, but the competition was really stiff. It was a very successful day and a good stepping stone for the World Championships."

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Injured Dobriskey out of Moscow World Championships

Former medallist Lisa Dobriskey has pulled out of the World Championships 1500m with a leg injury ahead of the announcement of Britain’s team for Moscow.
Dobriskey was hurt in the final of the 1500m at the British Championships, which serve as trials for the Worlds, in Birmingham at the weekend
"Sadly, the scan picked up a grade three tear so I have no choice but to end my season here," she tweeted.
The 29-year-old won silver in the 2009 World Championships in Berlin but suffered injury problems in 2012.
"It is incredibly unfortunate circumstances," UK Athletics performance director Neil Black said after she pulled up in the West Midlands. "I think Lisa was spiked and there was a collision."
At London 2012 she reached the final but finished 10th, having suffered a hip injury then blood clots on her lungs in the lead-up to the Games.
The Worlds in Russia will take place from August 10-18.

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Police investigate Powell, Simpson, trainer over doping claims

Former 100m word-record holder Asafa Powell, fellow Jamaican Sherone Simpson and trainer Christopher Xuereb have all been placed under investigation by Italian police over doping allegations.
Powell and Simpson are among five Jamaican athletes to have tested positive for taking banned substance oxilofrine at last month's national championships.
On Monday police raided a hotel room in Udine used by trainer Xuereb, confiscating supplements found there, and questioned him over the failed tests.
The substances are still undergoing analysis but police have said that the trio are being investigated for allegedly breaking Article 9 of Italy’s doping laws.
Earlier, a spokeswoman for Powell told the Guardian that the search warrant was arranged with their cooperation and that they contacted the World Anti-Doping Agency to guard against contamination of the supplements found.
Xuereb was questioned until 4.30am on Monday after the raid on the Fra i Pini hotel in Lignano Sabbiadoro.
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 on Sunday, 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.
"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."
Powell’s camp added that Olympic 4x100m relay silver medallist Simpson, who was also shown to have taken oxilofrine, had also been given supplements by Xuereb after he started working with the duo on May 8.
Xuereb was recommended to them by a Canadian physiotherapist and worked with them on a trial basis for just one week prior to the Jamaican championships at which they failed the tests.
His contract, which saw him “treating Asafa and keeping him healthy” – according to Powell’s agent Paul Doyle - was then extended by four months.
Powell has withdrawn from the Diamond League event in Monaco on Friday.
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.
Also on Sunday, American former double sprint world champion Tyson Gay 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.

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Gemili misses out on 100m spot, Ennis included

Adam Gemili must settle for competing in the 200m at the World Athletics Championships in Moscow after being passed over for the 100m.
Last year's world junior champion missed out on selection after failing to make the 'A' standard qualifying time in winning European U23 gold in 10:20 in Finland at the weekend.
Instead Harry Aikines-Aryeetey got the final 100m spot after finishing second at the British Championship to Dwain Chambers in an 'A' standard qualifying time of 10:08.
Chambers victory in Birmingham secured his sport while James Dasaolu is also selected for the 100m after his incredible 9.91 in the semi-finals of the British Championship.
Olympic champions Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis-Hill head up Britain's 60-strong team for the championships
Farah, who won the 10,000m and 5,000m double at London 2012, receives an automatic place in the latter as the defending champion and will attempt to become the first Briton to retain a global title in Moscow.
He runs both again while Ennis-Hill is selected despite having yet to complete a heptathlon this summer with her only outing coming in the javelin in Leeds in April as she struggles with injury.
Meanwhile Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford, struggling himself with a hamstring problem, will learn his fate on July 30 after UKA performance director Neil Black opted to use his discretion on athlete selection in the event.
Neither Rutherford nor recently crowned British champion Chris Tomlinson, who was sixth at London 2012, have jumped the 8.25m A standard this season but now still have time to.
Olympic gold and silver medallist Christine Ohuruogu will look to regain the 400m title she won in Osaka in 2007 and is joined on the 4x400m relay squad by younger sister Victoria.
Olympic bronze medallist Robbie Grabarz is automatically selected courtesy of his 2012 Diamond League victory as is Dai Greene as the defending 400m hurdles world champion.
UKA performance director Neil Black said: : "The team selected for GB & NI are a mix of defending champions, potential medallists, finalists and some really exciting young talents that we seen as future medallists.
"Last weekend's British Championships was a brilliant stage for the world trials, and we saw some world class performances. It gave the selectors a real opportunity to see the athletes in championship mode and we were not disappointed.
"A year on from the Games and it is great to look forward to Moscow with the selected team, as we take our first steps in the build up towards Rio 2016 and London 2017."

British squad

MEN:

100m: Harry Aikines Aryeetey, Dwain Chambers, James Dasaolu.

200m: James Ellington, Adam Gemili, Delano Williams.

400m: Nigel Levine.

800m: Andrew Osagie, Michael Rimmer,

1500m: Chris O'Hare.

5000m: Mo Farah.

10,000m: Mo Farah.

110m Hurdles: William Sharman.

400m Hurdles: Dai Greene, Sebastian Rodger, Rhys Williams.

3000m Steeplechase: James Wilkinson.

Long Jump: TBA.

High Jump: Robbie Grabarz.

Pole Vault: Steve Lewis.

Discus Throw: Brett Morse.

Decathlon: Ashley Bryant.

4x100m: Aikines Aryeetey, Chambers, Dasaolu, Ellington, Gemili, Richard Kilty, Andrew Robertso, Deji Tobais.

4x400m: Michael Bingham, Jamie Bowie, Luke Lennon Ford, Levine, Martyn Rooney, Conrad Williams, Delano Williams.

WOMEN:

100m: Asha Philip.

200m: Anyika Onuora, Jodie Williams.

400m: Christine Ohuruogu.

800m: Jessica Judd. Laura Muir, Marilyn Okoro.

1500m:Hannah England, Laura Weightman.

100m Hurdles: Tiffany Porter.

400m Hurdles: Meghan Beesley, Eilidh Child, Perri Shakes Drayton.

3000m Steeplechase: Eilish McColgan.

Long Jump: Shara Proctor, Lorraine Ugen.

Hammer Throw: Sophie Hitchon.

Heptathlon: Jessica Ennis-Hill, Katarina Johnson-Thompson.

Marathon: Sonia Samuels, Susan Partridge.

4x100m: Philip, Hayley Jones, Annabelle Lewis, Ashleigh Nelson, Bianca Williams, Dina Asher Smith, Williams.

4x400m:Margaret Adeoye, Child, Shana Cox, Kirsten McAslan, Kelly Massey, Christine Ohuruogu, Victoria Ohuruogu, Onuora, Shakes Drayton.

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Kenya's Rudisha withdraws from World Championships

Kenya's Olympic 800m champion and world record-holder David Rudisha has withdrawn from next month's World Championships in Moscow.
Rudisha's participation had been in doubt because of a slow-healing knee injury sustained while running in New York's Central Park.
"It is just not possible for David to effectively defend his world title in Moscow, so we announced this morning his withdrawal," his coach, Colm O'Connell, told Reuters on Tuesday.
Speaking from Iten, some 400km north-west of Nairobi, the Irishman said Rudisha's manager James Templeton had informed Athletics Kenya and the IAAF of the decision.
"He is improving, but the time factor is essential and a matter of concern to us. It's only one month to the worlds and we don't want to push and make it difficult for him and risk a recurrence of the injury," said O'connell.
The east African nation held its trials on Saturday and Anthony Chemut, Ferguson Rotich and Jeremiah Mutai earned 800 metre places in the squad heading for Moscow.

 

[Smallville22]

Modern Pentathlon - Weale, Woodbridge and Cooke miss out at Europeans

Britain's medal tally at the Modern Pentathlon European Championships in Poland remains at three after Sam Weale, Nick Woodbridge and Jamie Cooke narrowly missed out in the team event.
Weale and Woodbridge, both of whom competed at the London 2012 Olympics as well as Beijing 2008, placed 16th and 23rd respectively individually while Cooke ranked 22nd in Drzonkow. Combined together that placed them fifth in the team competition, a day after Samantha Murray, Mhairi Spence and Kate French took Britain's medal tally to three with gold in the women's equivalent. Woodbridge was as high a third after clocking 1:56.19minutes in the pool, his best time since Beijing 2008 while at that stage as a team Britain were also in bronze-medal position. Together the trio were still third after the ride however they fell to fifth after the combined run-shoot as Hungary took gold with France claiming silver and Italy bronze. The European Championships come to a close on Wednesday with Britain's last remaining hopefuls being Cooke and double gold medallist French in the mixed relay.

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Coach defends dope test sprinters Powell, Simpson

The coach of Jamaican sprinters Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson said on Tuesday they were not to blame after the Olympic medallists failed dope tests.
"It came as a big surprise, I think, to them," Stephen Francis told Reuters outside the Fra i Pini hotel which has long hosted training camps for Jamaican athletes and is adorned with the island's national flag and memorabilia.
"Asafa has been somebody who doesn't use that kind of stuff. Over the 10 years I have coached him we have had great difficulty getting him to take basic stuff like protein, like vitamins," said Francis, who is the coach of Powell and Simpson at the MVP track and field club.
Italian police are investigating the two sprinters and their Canadian trainer Christopher Xuereb on suspicion of violating doping laws, Italian media reported.
Newswire Ansa said the Udine military police health protection unit had seized some 50 boxes during a search of the hotel in north-east Italy, and would analyse pills, vials, sprays and creams to see if they contained banned substances.
Former world 100 metres record-holder Powell and Olympic 4x100 metres relay silver medallist Simpson said this weekend they had tested positive for the banned stimulant oxilophine.
Francis criticised Xuereb. "(Xuereb) kept to the outskirts of the training and he basically only dealt with Asafa. I tried to instruct others in the group that 'Look, I don't agree with this guy'."
The Fra i Pini hotel said the athletes had left their rooms. Powell won a relay gold medal at the 2008 Olympics.
Discus thrower Allison Randall has become the third athlete to confirm a positive drugs test from the Jamaican trials in June.
She tested positive for a banned diuretic but, like Powell and Simpson, denied knowingly taking a performing-enhancing substance.

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Blake ruled out of world 100m title defence

World 100 metres champion Yohan Blake will not defend his title at next month's World Athletics Championships in Moscow due to a nagging hamstring injury.
The 23-year-old Jamaican suffered the injury at the Utech Classic in Kingston in April and missed last month's Jamaican trials but had qualified for the 100m in Moscow as defending champion.
"This decision was made after continual assessment and re-evaluations since his withdrawal from the Jamaican Senior Championships," Cubie Seegobin told Reuters.
"Yohan has made vast improvement, although the injury sustained in April of this year has prevented him from attaining the necessary fitness levels that we have grown accustomed to seeing in his competition performances."
Blake won the world 100m title in Daegu, South Korea, in 2011 following the disqualification of compatriot Usain Bolt for a false start.

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Jamaica to ramp up education, testing programmes, says PM

The Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission will be step up its education and testing programmes following five athletes, including Olympic medallists Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson, testing positive for banned substances, the country's Prime Minister said.
Portia Simpson-Miller, who is also the country's Minister for Sports, added the country's anti-doping body had uncovered 15 positive tests from 860 samples in the past four years.
Powell and Simpson said on Sunday they had tested positive for stimulant Oxilofrine (methylsynephrine) at the Jamaican national championships last month.
Discus thrower Allison Randall said on Monday she had also tested positive at the championships.
All have denied knowingly taken banned substances.
"We (JADCO) intend to ramp up the public education programme in the high schools and commence the sensitization programmes at the primary school level," Simpson-Miller said in Jamaica's Parliament.
"We need to initiate a system for high school level testing for athletes involved in training and competition in sport, in accordance with appropriate approvals from the Ministry of Education, ISSA (Inter-econdary School Sports Association) and the parents and guardians of these youngsters."
Simpson-Miller said JADCO had notified the five athletes of their positive tests in writing last week.
One, a junior athlete, is yet to confirm the notification of the doping violation.
She said all five had until July 19 to indicate whether they want their 'B' sample tested, though one had already said they would like the second sample analysed.
Powell and Simpson's agent Paul Doyle told Reuters earlier this week his two clients would ask for their 'B' samples to be tested.
JADCO could also ask for the 'B' sample to be analysed, Simpson-Miller added.

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Powell trainer: I'm a scapegoat for athletes

The trainer accused of causing the failed dope tests of former 100m word-record holder Asafa Powell and fellow Jamaican Sherone Simpson has said they should accept "responsibility for their doping instead of looking around for a scapegoat".
Chris Xuereb, Powell and Simpson are being investigated by Italian police for allegedly breaking Article 9 of the country’s doping laws after a raid on a hotel room in Udine used by trainer Xuereb from which supplements were confiscated.
Powell and Simpson are among five Jamaican athletes to have tested positive for taking banned substance oxilofrine at last month's national championships.
Powell’s agent Paul Doyle alleged that Xuereb provided the duo with supplements which caused the failed tests – but the trainer contends that this is not the case.
"It is time the athletes took responsibility for their doping instead of looking around for a scapegoat, whether that person is their therapist, bartender or anyone else," he stated in an email to the Associated Press.
"Athletes keep using the same story, which is to blame the scapegoat for their own wrongdoing.
“I did not provide any banned or illegal substances to Asafa Powell or Sherone Simpson. I do not know what these athletes were taking in addition to what I suggested to them.
"Although I suggested certain vitamins to these athletes, it is ultimately the athlete's responsibility to accept or reject my suggestion.
"Unfortunately, it appears that these athletes were not solely following my suggestions or WADA's guidelines. These guidelines are in place so all athletes can have a clean sport.
“Both athletes are clearly looking for a scapegoat. I am confident, and I have also spoken to researchers and the police, that I have done nothing wrong."
Xuereb started working with the duo on May 8 after a recommendation to the athletes by a Canadian physiotherapist. He then worked with them on a trial basis for just one week prior to the Jamaican championships.
His contract, which saw him “treating Asafa and keeping him healthy” – according to Doyle - was then extended by four months.
Doyle told AP: "Asafa and Sherone have been tested more than 100 times each through their career ... and never turned in a positive test.
"Now they change their supplements and the first time they get tested, they have a positive test? It has to be something in those new supplements that has caused it. Chris is the one that provided those.
"We're not saying he did anything deliberate, but it's in those supplements."
However, admitted that they should have been more careful themselves.
“In hindsight, we should've made sure we got a list… I said to [Xuereb] in a text message, that all supplements have to be cleared by me first. He never cleared them with me.
“He did send them in an invoice that had the names of supplements in there that he had purchased. But that was it. I didn't have the ingredient list."
In a statement on Sunday, 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.
"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."
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.
He has withdrawn from the Diamond League event in Monaco on Friday.
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.
Also on Sunday, American former double sprint world champion Tyson Gay 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.

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Cancer claims Olympic hero Bennett

British Olympic silver medallist Todd Bennett has died aged 51 from cancer.
Bennett won silver alongside Kriss Akabusi, Garry Cook and Philip Brown in the 4x400m relay at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.
The Southampton-born sprinter, who also won a silver medal in the world indoor championships in 1985 and was a twice European indoor champion, moved into coaching with UK Athletics following retirement.
Roger Black, who won Olympic silver in the 400m at Atlanta 1996, tweeted: "krissakabusi and I were privileged to spend time with Todd Bennett during his battle with cancer.
“He fought hard, never complained - legend."
Akabusi also paid tribute on Twitter.
“#toddbennett 45.56 sec gun to tape #worldrecord #europeanchampion 1985 you've completed the journey& dipped us on the line #rip & cya soon x"
Bennett ran 45.56 to briefly hold the world indoor 400m record.
Many of the nation’s other sprint stars paid tribute to their friend and mentor.
Athens 4x100m goal medallist Jason Gardener, speaking on behalf of the board of UK Athletics, said: "It is a very sad day for athletics and my thoughts are with Todd's family.
“I, like many, was inspired as a child watching Todd achieve such great success on the track representing Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
"He inspired thousands of young people throughout the UK to take part and enjoy sport as well as raising funds for school sport.
“He will be greatly missed but I am sure his legacy will continue."
Gardener’s team-mate in Greece Darren Campbell worked in business with Bennett.
"Thank you Todd Bennett for allowing me to know a special man, father, husband, athlete and friend. You will always be in my heart! #RIP," he tweeted.
Paula Radcliffe tweeted: "Sad, sad news that Todd Bennett has lost his battle with cancer. RIP.”

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Powell ditched by another sponsor

Leading Chinese sportswear brand Li Ning has suspended its sponsorship deal with Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell after he failed a drugs test.
Former 100 metres world record holder Powell said last week that he had tested positive for a banned stimulant at the Jamaican national trials last month.
"The company will be following the incident closely and has suspended its sponsorship with Powell pending the outcome of the investigations," Li Ning said in a statement.
"If he is found to be involved in the use of banned stimulants, Li Ning Company will immediately terminate its sponsorship contract with Powell."
German sportswear company Adidas has also suspended its contract with U.S. sprinter Tyson Gay after the former double world champion tested positive.

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Smikle fourth Jamaican to admit positive test

Olympic discus thrower Traves Smikle has become the fourth Jamaican athlete in four days to reveal a positive doping test but said he did not knowingly ingest a banned substance.
Smikle said the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission notified him that his urine sample from the Jamaica National Trials in June returned an adverse analytical finding. He did not identify the substance for which he tested positive.
"As an athlete, I must take responsibility for whatever is found in my body; however I wish to state that I did not knowingly or wilfully ingest any banned substance," Smikle said.
"Personally, I am very saddened and surprised by these findings, as I have never attempted to cheat and have always considered myself an ambassador for the sport and a strong supporter of drug testing."
Smikle, who competed for Jamaica at last year's London Olympics but did not make the discus final, also said he regretted the "hurt and embarrassment" his failed test caused a country still digesting news of positive tests from two high-profile sprinters and another discus thrower.
He joined former world 100 metres record-holder Asafa Powell, Olympic 4x100m relay silver medallist Sherone Simpson and fellow discus thrower Allison Randall, as athletes to confirm doping violations from the Jamaican trials.
Sources close to Jamaican athletics said a fifth athlete, a junior who has not been identified, had also tested positive for banned performance-enhancing drugs at the championships.
Smikle, 21, has requested analysis of his 'B' sample and was willing to work with JADCO in any investigation to get this matter dealt with in the best way possible.

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Olympic 1500m champ Makhloufi joins world champs absentees

Algeria's Olympic 1500m champion Taoufik Makhloufi has become the latest big name to withdraw from the world athletics championships after failing to recover from a viral infection.
The 25-year-old had was taken ill in Ethiopia in January and has struggled since then, managing only an 11th-placed finish in a Diamond League mile race at Eugene in the United States on June 1 in a rare outing.
His manager Mohamed Azzoug told the El Watan website that Makhloufi had not recovered sufficiently to take part in the Aug. 10-18 world championships in Moscow, although Algerian athletics officials said they had not been officially notified of his withdrawal.
Makhloufi was a controversial figure at the London Olympics, where he was disqualified from the Games by the IAAF for not making a "bona fide effort" after dropping out early in his 800m heat to preserve his energy for the 1,500 metres final, for which he had already qualified.
He then produced a doctor's certificate saying he had suffered an unspecific injury and he was duly re-instated and went on to take the 1,500 gold having improved his personal best over the distance by more than two seconds during the year.
Women's 1,500 metres champion, Asli Cakir Alptekin of Turkey, will also miss the world championships after failing a drugs test.
Leading sprinters Tyson Gay of the United States and Jamaica's Asafa Powell are also out after drugs test failures while world 100m champion Yohan Blake will not defend his title because of a hamstring strain.
Kenya's world and Olympic 800m champion David Rudisha is also absent with a knee injury.

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Semenya set to miss world championships

Former world 800 metre champion Caster Semenya is likely to miss next month's world championships in Moscow after being left off South Africa's provisional list of 30 athletes released on Friday.
Semenya, who won the world title in 2009 and ran second two years later, before grabbing the silver medal at the London Olympics, clocked a slow time in her first competitive race in over a year on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old would ordinarily be considered a good bet for a medal, but a knee injury that has plagued her since the Olympics and a pedestrian 800 metres win in a time of 2:06.58 in Finland have cast doubts over her readiness for Moscow.
Semenya would need to run 2:00.00 or quicker by July 29 to qualify for the championships, but her agent, Jukka Harkonen, told reporters earlier in the week that she had no more races lined up before the deadline.
The provisional South African list consists of 22 track and field athletes, six marathon runners and two race walkers.
Women's javelin thrower Sunette Viljoen and 400 metre hurdler LJ van Zyl, who both won bronze two years ago, are among the selected athletes for the championships that get underway on August 10.
Semenya rose to global recognition after winning the world championships, but then spent a year on the sidelines after being forced to undergo gender tests.

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Race walker Wright wins selection appeal

British race walker Alex Wright has won his appeal to be selected for next month's athletics World Championships in Moscow.
Wright secured the A standard qualification criteria with a 1:23.05 20km time in Lugano in March and then won the 5km event at last weekend's Sainsbury's British Championship in Birmingham.
But the latter race was not an official part of the trials but, after consideration by the team performance director, he has been named in the team - bringing the squad size to 61.
Wright said: “I am absolutely thrilled to have been selected for Moscow, and would like to thank Neil Black for reconsidering the initial decision.
“I am looking forward to heading out to for the British Athletics altitude camp in Font Romeau tomorrow and I look forward to putting in my best ever performance over the 20k distance for the team next month.”

 

[Smallville22]

Athletics - Farah loses to Kiprop but breaks European 1500m record in Monaco

Mo Farah broke the 16-year-old European 1500m record at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco but still only finished second in the race to Asbel Kiprop.
With the world championships in Moscow just over three weeks away, world leads and minor records were set with seeming abandon on a still, warm evening in the Stade Louis II.
Kiprop pulled ahead of the field shortly before the bell and raced away to win in three minutes 27.72 seconds to make him the fourth fastest man of all time over the distance.
Britain's Olympic 5,000 and 10,000 metres champion Farah said before the event that he was dropping down to the shorter distance to work on his speed and the move paid off as he was dragged round in a European record of 3:28.81.
"I'm definitely pleased, training has been going pretty well," the 30-year-old, who goes sixth on the all-time list, told the BBC.
"The aim was to come out here and work on my speed. It would have been nice to get closer to Asbel but he's got another gear and he kept stretching away," added Farah who plans to move up to the marathon next year.
Controversial sprinter Justin Gatlin won the men's 100 metres, which was run against the backdrop of last weekend's revelations that leading sprinters Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell had failed dope tests.
American Gatlin, who served a four-year doping ban from 2006, got a great start and won in 9.94 seconds, in a race missing world-record holder Usain Bolt, to show he is likely to be the Jamaican's main contender in Moscow.
Murielle Ahoure of the Ivory Coast put herself in the mix for the world 200 title after blasting out of the blocks and holding off American Tiffany Townsend and Olympic 100 metres champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce for victory in a national record of 22.24.
Farah would have watched the 5,000 metres, for which he is world champion, with interest as Kenyan Edwin Soi ran the fastest time of the year, 12:51.34, to beat the Briton's meeting record set in 2011. Former Kenyan Albert Rop, now competing for Bahrain, was second in an arena record of 12:51.96.
Time is running out for world and Olympic 100 hurdles champion Sally Pearson, who is still a way off her best after returning from a hamstring injury last month.
The Australian faded badly over the last three hurdles to finish fifth behind American Queen Harrison who won in 12.64.
Olympic silver medallist Brigetta Barrett treated the crowd to a dance routine after clearing 2.01 first time in the high jump which was enough for victory.
Renaud Lavillenie of France dominated the pole vault competition, securing victory with a Diamond League record and world-leading 5.96 metres, 18 centimetres higher than American Brad Walker in second.

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - Selt sinks 142 break in victorious Rotterdam opener

Matthew Selt registered an excellent 142 break in a 4-2 win over Peter Lines on day one of the Rotterdam Open.
Selt, who made his World Championship debut in the spring, racked up the impressive total clearance in the second frame to take a 2-0 lead against Lines, before a 67 break at 3-2 secured his progress to the second round proper.
Also progressing on opening day were Ricky Walden, Jamie Cope, Joe Perry and Stuart Bingham.
Simon Bedford was the first pro player to be knocked out by an amateur opponent after a final-frame decider against Joe Roberts.
The European Tour event runs until Sunday at the Topsport Centrum and is the first professional snooker event in The Netherlands for over 20 years.

Rotterdam Open results - round one

Tony Drago 4 - 3 Alexander Ursenbacher

Lee Page 4 - 2 Luca Brecel

Dominic Dale 4 - 1 Alex Davies

Kyren Wilson 4 - 1 Sydney Wilson (a)

David Grace 4 - 1 Christopher Keogan (a)

Rod Lawler 4 - 0 Reanne Evans (af)

Mark Davis 4 - 2 Michael Georgiou (a)

Shaun Murphy 4 - 0 Wales Ben Jones (a)

Ricky Walden 4 - 3 Ben Woollaston

Joe Swail 4 - 1 T Thirapongpaiboon

Matthew Stevens 4 - 3 Ben Harrison (a)

Gary Wilson 4 - 2 Qatar Ahmed Saif

Robbie Williams 4 - 2 Paul S Davison

Jamie Cope 4 - 3 Shane Castle (a)

Chris Wakelin 4 - 2 Ian Burns

Liam Highfield 4 - 1 Jamie Burnett

Joe Perry 4 - 2 Oliver Brown (a)

David Gilbert 4 - 0 Martin Ball (a)

Joe Roberts (a) 4 - 3 Simon Bedford

Matthew Selt 4 - 2 Peter Lines

Hammad Miah 4 - 1 Marc J Davis (a)

Martin O'Donnell 4 - 0 Benji Buckley (a)

Kurt Maflin 4 - 2 Ross Muir

Tom Ford 4 - 2 Noppon Saengkham

Robert Milkins 4 - 2 Craig Steadman

Marcus Campbell 4 - 1 Belgium Jurian Heusdens (a)

Stuart Bingham 4 - 0 Adam Duffy

Sam Baird 4 - 1 Belgium Tomasz Skalski (a)

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - Swail into Rotterdam last 16

Joe Swail capped a fine opening day performance with a 4-2 win over Ricky Walden to progress to the fourth round of the Rotterdam Open.
The world number 113 blazed a trail through the draw with three victories on day one of the action at the Topsport Centrum.
The Northern Irishman claimed the scalps of Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon (4-1), Shaun Murphy (4-3) and Ricky Walden (4-2) to reach the last 16 of the European Tour event, where he will now meet Gary Wilson for a place in the quarter-finals.
Also through to the fourth round were David Grace, Mark Davis, Stuart Bingham, Martin O'Donnell, Sam Baird and David Gilbert. The remaining third round matches will play out on Saturday.
The Rotterdam Open is the first professional snooker event to be held in the Netherlands for over 20 years. It concludes on Sunday.

Round three results:

Joe Swail 4 - 2 Ricky Walden

David Grace 4 - 1 Kyren Wilson

Mark Davis 4 - 2 Tony Drago

Stuart Bingham 4 - 3 Hammad Miah

Martin O'Donnell 4 - 3 Marcus Campbell

Sam Baird 4 - 2 Norway Kurt Maflin

Gary Wilson 4 - 1 Jamie Cope

David Gilbert 4 - 0 Chris Wakelin

Round two results:

Joe Swail 4 - 3 Shaun Murphy

David Grace 4 - 2 Passakorn Suwannawat

Tony Drago 4 - 3 Rod Lawler

Stuart Bingham 4 - 1 Ryan Causton (a)

Mark Davis 4 - 1 Lee Page

Marcus Campbell 4 - 3 Matthew Selt

Martin O'Donnell 4 - 2 Robert Milkins

Jamie Cope 4 - 1 Liam Highfield

Kyren Wilson 4 - 1 Dominic Dale

Sam Baird 4 - 3 Joe Perry

Ricky Walden 4 - 1 Matthew Stevens

Gary Wilson 4 - 1 Patrick Einsle

Chris Wakelin 4 - 1 Nigel Bond

David Gilbert 4 - 3 Robbie Williams

Hammad Miah 4 - 1 Joe Roberts (a)

Kurt Maflin 4 - 0 Tom Ford

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker star Ali Carter gets the cancer all clear

Ali Carter will return to the snooker tour in September after being given the all-clear by doctors from testicular cancer.
The two-time World Championship finalist was diagnosed with the illness last month but had successful surgery and has now received more good news from his oncologist.
"Just had the best news ever! I've got the all clear!" he wrote on Twitter.
"Will be back in action in the Shanghai Masters. Thank you everyone for all your support!"
Carter has won three ranking events in his career and has been ranked as high as number two in the world.
He reached the World Championship final at the Crucible in both 2008 and 2012 losing to Ronnie O'Sullivan on both occasions.