Reuters Sports News Summary

07/29/2016 19:50

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Head of Rio lab: Security paramount for Olympic doping tests

Security is the top focus for the laboratory that will conduct doping exams at the upcoming Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the lab's director said Friday, amid global scrutiny following the recent scandal surrounding Russian athletes. Citing major breaches that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) described at a Russian laboratory, chemist Francisco Radler said the lab must ensure that cheating, through infiltration by outsiders or other efforts to manipulate testing, is "impossible."

Ferrari will miss former technical chief Allison, says Clear

Former Ferrari technical director James Allison, whose sudden departure was announced by the team on Wednesday, will be missed by the Maranello-based squad, its track operations head Jock Clear said on Friday. "Someone of his caliber is not going to go unnoticed," Clear told reporters ahead of this weekend's German Grand Prix.

Laser's 'El Demolidor' seeks last medal at home

Robert Scheidt, one of three Olympic sailors to win five medals, two of them gold, reckons he has a good chance of making it six when racing begins on Aug. 8 at home in Rio de Janeiro. And if the medal is gold, even better.

Grillo passes Stenson for lead late in second round

Young Argentine Emiliano Grillo shot into the lead with a birdie barrage that put him four-under at the turn and eight-under for the tournament late in Friday's second round of the PGA Championship. The 23-year-old Grillo, who said after his 66 on Thursday that putting was the weakest part of his game, belied that with four birdie putts in his first nine holes at Baltusrol on Friday, including a a 40-foot bomb that fell in at the 15th.

NHL players union says Bettman can't restore defenseman's ban

The National Hockey League's players union on Friday urged a U.S. court not to grant Commissioner Gary Bettman broad power to override arbitrators when deciding how severely to discipline players for improper on-ice conduct. Citing a recent appeals court ruling against New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, the NHL Players Association said Bettman should not be allowed to restore a 20-game suspension of Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman for hitting a linesman, after an arbitrator cut the ban to 10 games.

Wawrinka, Nishikori reach last four in Toronto

Swiss second seed Stan Wawrinka advanced into the semi-finals at the Rogers Cup with a comprehensive 6-1 6-3 victory over big-serving South African Kevin Anderson at the Aviva Centre in Toronto on Friday. Wawrinka raced into a 4-0 lead as he swept through the opening set in 30 minutes, and then overcame tougher resistance by Anderson in the second before wrapping up the win in one hour, 14 minutes.

Australia team safe after Rio Olympic Village fire evacuation

The Australian team said they evacuated their building at the Olympic Village in Rio de Janeiro because of a fire in the basement on Friday, one week before the Games open. The fire, which filled the stairwells of the building with smoke, caused no injuries and the team was back in the building after around half an hour, a team spokesman said.

Russian weightlifters barred from Rio Games

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) on Friday formally suspended Russia's eight-strong weightlifting team, effectively excluding it from next month's Rio Olympics, because of doping offenses. Last month, the IWF said its Executive Board had decided to suspend for a year national federations that produced three or more doping violations in re-tests from the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games - made possible by improved detection techniques.

U.S. sailor lends hand to clean Rio's bay before Games

Bobbing on Rio de Janeiro's Guanabara Bay in a blue and white fishing boat, American sailor Brad Funk uses a plastic bin to scoop rubbish from the waters where Olympic sailing races will take place next month. Funk missed out on his dream of competing in Rio 2016 in the two-man 49er sailing class, but traveled to Brazil anyway with the aim of clearing the path for those who did, including his girlfriend British windsurfer Bryony Shaw.

Pregnant Young bows out after brave effort at Woburn

Liz Young's husband-caddie provided a perfect summary after his expectant wife's brave bid to qualify for the last two rounds of the Women's British Open ended in disappointment on Friday. "The heart was willing but the body gave up on her," Jonathan Young told Reuters after the blonde Englishwoman, who is seven months pregnant, tired over the closing holes and missed the cut on 149, five over par.

07/29/2016 19:50