Reuters Sports News Summary
Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
IOC sees 2020 golf course row being resolved by June
The club scheduled to host golf at the 2020 Tokyo Games appears to be moving towards a policy of accepting women as full members and the issue will likely be resolved by June, International Olympic Committee Vice President John Coates said. The private Kasumigaseki Country Club, which is set to host the men's and women's tournaments in the summer of 2020, has sparked outrage for barring women from playing on Sundays and from full membership.
Athletics wants clean Russia back, says Europe chief Hansen
The track and field circuit wants Russia to eradicate doping so the country's athletes can return to action in full force, the head of the European Athletic Association said on Thursday. After revelations of widespread doping and corruption, Russian athletes were banned from international competition by the International Association of Athletics Federations, and last month the IAAF said the ban probably would not be lifted before November of this year.
Luis Enrique followed Guardiola's achievements but never got the same credit
Luis Enrique's announcement that he will quit Barcelona at the end of the season was expected, but the timing - at the end of a news conference after his side thrashed Sporting Gijon 6-1 - came as a surprise. In fact, he had first considered not renewing his contract beyond next summer during pre-season, he said, after a dramatic slide at the end of the second campaign. Barca had exited the Champions League and could only claim a league title that had looked to be sewn up on the final day of the season.
Bedene loses appeal to have Britain Davis Cup ban lifted
Slovenian-born tennis player Aljaz Bedene has failed in his latest attempt to overturn his ban from playing for adopted nation Britain in the Davis Cup. An arbitration hearing of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said on Thursday that Bedene, 27, remained ineligible because he has already represented Slovenia three times in the team competition.
French cyclist 'Mr 1,000 volts' fires jolt into Sky
The French former Olympic cyclist Marc Madiot, known as "Mr 1,000 Volts" on Thursday fired a jolt into Team Sky, telling Reuters the British outfit had done little to dispel suspicions of doping. Madiot, a twice Paris-Roubaix champion and now head of the French Cycling League and manager of the FDJ team, questioned a number of Sky's statements regarding an investigation into a package delivered to rider Bradley Wiggins in 2011.
Nadal, Djokovic advance in Acapulco
Second-seeded Rafael Nadal remained perfect in matches at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel ATP event in Acapulco, Mexico, by easing past Italian Paolo Lorenzi 6-1, 6-1 in a second-round match Wednesday. Nadal improved his record to 12-0 at this event, needing only 66 minutes to get past Lorenzi.
Motor racing: Thrilled Hamilton sees turbulence ahead
Triple world champion Lewis Hamilton has warned that Formula One's new cars, while better looking and thrilling to drive, may not do much for the racing when the season starts in Australia on March 26. The Briton, clear title favorite after the retirement of Mercedes team mate and champion Nico Rosberg, said overtaking could be even more of a problem than it was before.
British Cycling says it 'failed' athletes in medal factory
Embattled British Cycling says its gold-at-all-costs approach will be softened after accusations of a bullying and sexist culture within a system that has become a medal factory. Funding body UK Sport opened an independent investigation into the culture within British Cycling last year after former technical director Shane Sutton quit over allegations of sexual discrimination against track cyclist Jess Varnish.
Norway take gold, Swedes pip Finns to silver in 5 km relay
Sweden pipped Finland to the silver medal after an epic sprint finish in the 4 x 5 km relay in Lahti on Thursday as Norway added another easy victory at the Nordic World Ski Championships. The most successful athlete in the history of the competition, Norway's Marit Bjoergen anchored the last leg, leading Norway to victory by a margin of 61.6 seconds and even having the time to collect a Norwegian flag to wave as she crossed the finish line.
Motor racing: Williams call time on testing after Stroll crash
Williams pulled out of the final day of Formula One's first pre-season test for safety reasons after Canadian teenager Lance Stroll crashed the car into a tyre wall on Wednesday. The former champions said that a thorough inspection of the new FW40 car overnight had revealed some damage to the chassis.
