A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
Roger Federer will return to action at the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart in June after a lengthy break from the sport, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) said on Wednesday.
The 36-year-old world number two opted to follow the same plan as last year, when he missed the European claycourt season, including the French Open, before making a comeback in Stuttgart.
"Excited to announce that I will be coming back to Germany for the Mercedes Cup in June," Federer said. "Looking forward to seeing you at the grass courts in Stuttgart!"
Federer lost to German Tommy Haas in Stuttgart last year but the Swiss went on to win his ninth title at Halle before marching to his eighth Wimbledon triumph.
Defending champion Lucas Pouille, Canadian Milos Raonic, Next Gen ATP finals winner Hyeon Chung and Australian Nick Kyrgios will also compete at the Mercedes Cup from June 11-17.
Federer, 20-times grand slam winner, is also expected to bid for a record 10th title at the Halle Open starting on June 18.
IOC plans medal reallocation ceremonies to honour athletes
Olympic medals will be reallocated within 12 months of the end of any legal procedure and athletes can chose their ceremony, the International Olympic Committee said on Wednesday as it looks to give those cheated out of medals their moment of glory.
Many athletes have had medals stripped, some years after the Olympics, after doping sample re-testing from past Games regularly delivered dozens of positive tests.
More than 100 positive cases were found in re-tests from the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics alone and some 75 medals were reallocated from those Games.
The medals are usually given to the next best athletes but until recently they received the medals with little or no planned ceremony and sometimes years after their performances.
"The Executive Board have accepted the medals reallocation documents," Kirsty Coventry, who heads the IOC athletes' commission, told reporters.
"There were will be very clear communication to the athletes and the federations on these principles."
Kiprop denies doping after positive test report
Former Olympic and triple world 1,500 metres champion Asbel Kiprop of Kenya said on Wednesday he would "prove he was clean" following British media reports that he had tested positive for the banned blood-boosting drug EPO.
The 28-year-old, world champion in 2011, 2013 and 2015 and promoted to Olympic gold in 2008 after Bahrain's Rashid Ramzi tested positive for doping, was reported by Britain's Press Association to have failed an out-of-competition test.
Kiprop posted a link to the story on the Athletics Kenya WhatsApp group and wrote: "I have read the reports linking me to doping. As an athlete, I have been at the forefront of the fight against doping in Kenya. A fight I strongly believe in and support. I would not want to ruin all what I have worked for since my first international race in 2007. I hope I can prove that I am a clean athlete in every way possible."
Kiprop’s Italian agent Federico Rosa was quoted as saying he was aware of the reports but had no further details.
Froome confident he will be cleared of doping allegations
Britain's Chris Froome says he is not even contemplating missing the Tour de France and is confident the investigation into his adverse doping test at last year's Vuelta a Espana will clear him of wrongdoing.
The four-times Tour de France winner is fighting to clear his name after a test at the Vuelta revealed him to have double the permitted limit of the asthma medication Salbutamol in his system.
He has denied any wrongdoing and is free to race as he is not suspended.
If found guilty of doping, however, he will almost certainly face the prospect of a lengthy ban.
"That's certainly not something that I'm coming into this race even thinking of," he told reporters at a Team Sky news conference ahead of the Giro d'Italia.
"I'm not going to entertain that idea. I will be in the Tour."