Reuters Sports News Summary

08/08/2016 12:56

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

More records fall as Phelps collects 19th gold

Michael Phelps picked up his 19th gold medal on a second night of world records in the Olympic pool, with Katie Ledecky cruising to women's 400 meters freestyle victory and Britain's Adam Peaty running away with the men's 100 breaststroke. Sweden's Sarah Sjostrom extended Saturday's record spree in winning the 100 meters butterfly, and Peaty and Ledecky followed suit in the next two finals before the U.S. men's team, with Phelps swimming second, took the 4x100 freestyle relay.

Cycling: UCI defends road course after weekend of crashes

Cycling's governing body the UCI said the Olympic course was not to blame for a series of bone-crunching crashes during the weekend's road races around Rio's stunning coastline. Dutchwoman Annemiek van Vleuten fractured three vertebrae and suffered concussion in a horrible crash on the Vista Chinesa descent close to the finish at the Copacabana beach.

Cycling: I'll be fine, says Van Vleuten after horror smash

Annemiek van Vleuten suffered three fractured vertebrae and a concussion after a horrifying high-speed crash in the Olympic women's road race on Sunday but the Dutch rider said she will be fine and was more disappointed at missing out on a medal. Television pictures showed Van Vleuten slamming into the road and a stone kerb after losing control of her bike when leading on the final descent toward Copacabana beach with around 15km of the race remaining.

Russia: Paralympics ban over doping is grave human rights abuse

The head of the Russian Paralympic Committee said on Monday a decision to bar Russian athletes from taking part in next month's Rio Paralympics over doping allegations was a grave human rights abuse. Vladimir Lukin, president of the committee, told a news conference in Moscow most Russian paralympians were not guilty of doping and that he was ready to prove that the team had fulfilled all its anti-doping obligations.

Ledecky wins women's 400m freestyle

Katie Ledecky of the United States broke her own world record on Sunday on the way to winning the women's 400 meters freestyle gold medal, the first stage of a rare treble she hopes to complete at the Rio Olympics. Ledecky, who had come close to the record in the morning heats, led from start to finish to set a new mark of three minutes, 56.46 seconds, shaving 1.91 seconds off the previous best she set in Australia two years ago.

Former world no. 1 Wozniacki knocked out in Rio

Czech Republic's Petra Kvitova knocked out former world number one Caroline Wozniacki in the second round of the Rio Olympics on Monday, in another poorly attended tennis match on center court. Two-time Wimbledon winner Kvitova overpowered Wozniacki 6-2 6-4 to progress to the third round, where she will face either Russia's Ekaterina Makarova or Slovakia's Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.

Doper turned informer, Conte offers to help clean up sport

Victor Conte is back in business - and this time he says it's legal. The man who was jailed a decade ago for helping athletes be faster, higher, stronger by supplying them with illegal steroids is now providing nutritional supplements to a new generation of elite athletes, mostly from boxing and mixed martial arts.

Swimming: Vollmer brings home more medals for Arlen

With her son's name Arlen written on her foot, Dana Vollmer dove into Rio De Janeiro's Olympic Aquatics Stadium pool on Sunday and less than a minute later she became the second American woman to win an Olympic swimming medal after having a baby. Vollmer clinched bronze in the 100 meters butterfly, surrendering her London 2012 title to an impressive Sarah Sjostrom, who clocked a world record of 55.48 seconds.

Williams sisters crash out of doubles

Three-time Olympic women's doubles champions Serena and Venus Williams crashed out of the Rio Games tournament in the first round on Sunday as the American sisters' unbeaten run dating back to Sydney 2000 came to a surprising end. The top seeds fell 6-3 6-4 to Czech pair Barbora Strycova and Lucie Safarova, ending any hopes of claiming a third successive Olympics doubles crown after they won gold in Beijing eight years ago and again at London 2012.

Del Potro sends Djokovic off in tears

World number one Novak Djokovic was reduced to tears after suffering a shock first round 7-6(4) 7-6(2) loss to Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro in the men's Olympic tennis tournament on Sunday. Djokovic has dominated the men's game in recent years and had made it a priority to win an Olympic gold medal, the only major prize that still eludes him.

08/08/2016 12:56