Reuters Sports News Summary

08/11/2016 0:59

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Basketball: Unbeaten U.S. survive Australia scare

Carmelo Anthony came to Team USA's rescue with a record-breaking effort on Wednesday as the defending Olympic basketball champions beat Australia 98-88 in a thrilling encounter to extend their overall winning streak to 20 games. Trailing the Boomers 72-70 early in the fourth quarter, Anthony tied the game from inside the paint then hit two big three-pointers to put the U.S. ahead for good as they remained top of the Group A standings with a 3-0 record.

From injury to come-from-behind gold for Spain's Belmonte

A year ago, Mireia Belmonte was injured and unsure whether she would even be able to compete at the Rio Olympics. Now, after a come-from-behind victory in the 200 meters butterfly, the 25-year-old is the first female swimmer to win a gold medal for Spain and a contender for a fifth career medal if she qualifies on Thursday for Friday's 800 freestyle final.

Athletics: Walker Schwazer loses appeal, banned for eight years

Italy's 2008 Olympic 50km race walk champion Alex Schwazer has lost his appeal against a provisional ban for a doping violation and was suspended for eight years, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Thursday. Schwazer, who returned from a previous doping ban to lead Italy to the 50km world race walking team title in Rome this year, tested positive in May for a steroid that he said he had not knowingly taken.

Swimming: Move over Leonidas, here comes Michael Phelps

Leonidas of Rhodes would recognize a kindred spirit in Michael Phelps of Baltimore. After 2,160 years of history, give or take a decade, the greatest athlete of ancient Greece is no longer alone on his pedestal.

Swimming: Belmonte wins breakthrough gold for Spain

Mireia Belmonte won the 200 meters butterfly on Wednesday to become the first Spanish woman to win an Olympic swimming gold medal. The silver medalist in London four years ago went a step better in Rio with a winning time of two minutes, 4.85 seconds, the fastest time so far this year.

Athletics: Coe lauds 'landmark changes'

IAAF President Sebastian Coe announced a shake up of the organization on Wednesday aimed at ensuring there can be no repeat of the corruption scandals that have dogged athletics' governing body during his first, tumultuous, year in office. The most eye catching of a raft of "governance reforms" is a commitment for the all-powerful Council to be split equally between men and women.

Baseball: Neck injury forces Fielder into retirement

Texas Rangers power-hitter Prince Fielder bid an emotional goodbye to baseball on Wednesday due to neck ailments. Wearing a neck brace and joined by his two young sons and Rangers team mates, the six-time All Star Fielder said his body would no longer allow him to play.

Gymnastics: All-around good guy Uchimura seals repeat win

Kohei Uchimura left it late - very, very late - before a heart-stopping final horizontal bar routine lifted him into the pantheon of greats as he became the first gymnast in 44 years to win back-to-back Olympic all around titles on Wednesday. In the end, all it took was a razor-thin 0.099 of a point to separate triumph and disaster.

Police patrols beefed up at Rio Games as security concerns mount

Rio Olympics organizers stepped up police patrols on Wednesday as security concerns mounted over the threat posed by street violence, with a Games bus being hit by stones and a security patrol coming under fire near Rio's international airport. In the latest incident, gunmen fired on a military police car which strayed into the entrance of a slum near the airport, off a highway used by visitors traveling between there and the Olympic Park, security sources and the country's justice minister said.

Ledecky gets third gold, Franklin a first in Rio

Freestyle queen Katie Ledecky won her third gold medal of the Rio Olympics by anchoring the U.S. women to victory in the 4x200 meters freestyle relay on Wednesday while struggling Missy Franklin opened her account without being in the water for the final. Australia, who led until Ledecky dived in and turned the race around, took silver and Canada the bronze.

08/11/2016 0:59