BASKETBALL
Russia ban remains
Russia is to remain banned from international competition with its men’s national team prohibited from participating in this year’s pre-Olympic qualification tournaments, the FIBA Executive Committee announced on Tuesday. The committee said it was following the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee in banning Russia and Belarus over the war in Ukraine.
ATHLETICS
Runner uses vehicle in race
A Scottish runner has been stripped of third place in an ultramarathon after data showed she had used a vehicle for part of the route, the race director said. Data from the tracking system at the GB Ultras Manchester to Liverpool 80km race on April 7 showed that Joasia Zakrzewski, who represented Scotland in the marathon at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, used a car for a 4km stretch of the race, the BBC reported. Race director Wayne Drinkwater said he had received information that a runner had gained an “unsporting, competitive advantage during a section of the event.” Zakrzewski has not commented publicly on the incident, but the BBC quoted a running friend of hers as saying she had felt sick and wanted to drop out. “She has cooperated fully with the race organizers’ investigations, giving them a full account of what happened,” Adrian Stott said. “She genuinely feels sorry for any upset caused.”
SOCCER
Maradona trial to continue
An Argentine appeals court on Tuesday confirmed that eight medical professionals accused of responsibility in the death of soccer legend Diego Maradona would stand trial. Neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov and six others had appealed a decision issued last year to put them on trial for homicide with potential aggravating circumstances. Maradona died in November 2020 aged 60 while recovering from brain surgery for a blood clot, and after decades of battles with cocaine and alcohol addictions. Prosecutors accused the medical professionals of being involved in “reckless” and “deficient” home treatment of a patient.
TENNIS
Sabalenka speaks out
Aryna Sabalenka on Tuesday said she cannot control what Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says about her and that while his comments might make her even more unpopular on the WTA she would “stop the war” in Ukraine if she could. The world No. 2 spoke last month about the “hate” she encountered in the locker room amid strained relations between some players following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which was supported by Belarus. Lukashenko celebrated Sabalenka’s Australian Open victory in January and said more recently that people knew which country she hailed from even if she was playing under a neutral flag. “I’m pretty sure that it’s not helping,” Sabalenka told reporters in Stuttgart when asked about Lukashenko’s comments. “I don’t know what to say because he can comment [on] my game, he can comment whatever he wants to. I have nothing to do with politics ... If Ukrainians will hate me more after his speech, then what can I do? If they feel better by hating me, I’m happy to help them with that. They can do that.”
Manchester City have reached do-or-die territory in the UEFA Champions League earlier than expected ahead of what Pep Guardiola has described as a “final” against Club Brugge today. City have disproved the suggestion a new format to Europe’s top club competition would remove any jeopardy for the top clubs as Guardiola stares down the barrel of failing to make the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in his career. The English champions have endured a torrid season both in their English Premier League title defense and on the continent. A run of one win in 13 games, which included Champions League
BACK-TO-BACK: The League One club, which is owned by stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, is sparing no expense to clinch promotion to the Championship Hollywood endings are pricey, even in England’s third division. In pursuit of their third straight promotion, Wrexham AFC splashed some cash at League One rival Reading to secure the services of striker Sam Smith. The Welsh club owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney confirmed the signing of the 26-year-old Smith on Friday. He is one of the top scorers in the third division. The transfer fee was not disclosed, but British media widely reported it to be about ￡2 million (US$2.48 million) — not extravagant, but a hefty price at this level and it would be about the same figure that
Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Sunday poured in 35 points as the Thunder grabbed a bounce-back 118-108 victory in Portland to push their NBA-best record to 37-8. The Thunder, surprised by the short-handed Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, fended off a late surge from the Trail Blazers to snap their four-game winning streak. Jalen Williams scored 24 points and Isaiah Joe added 16 off the bench. Center Isaiah Hartenstein, back after a five-game absence with a calf injury, added 14 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and a big block. The Western Conference leaders were under pressure late as Portland, trailing by 15 heading
The Golden State Warriors on Wednesday withstood Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 52-point outburst to beat the Western Conference leading Thunder 116-109. Andrew Wiggins scored 27 points and Warriors superstar Stephen Curry scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half as Golden State erased a double-digit deficit and pulled away late for the victory. “We just stayed solid,” said Curry, who entered the contest mired in a shooting slump and had just four points on one basket in the first half. “Just all-around effort.” The Thunder, fueled by 31 first-half points from Gilgeous-Alexander, led by as many as 14 in the
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