Reuters Sports News Summary

08/26/2016 3:59

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Blatter appears at CAS for appeal against ban

Disgraced former FIFA president Sepp Blatter appeared before sport's highest tribunal, the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS), on Thursday to appeal against his six-year ban from soccer. The 80-year-old, who headed soccer's global governing body for 17 years until he resigned in June last year, was banned from all football-related activity last December along with the then European soccer boss, Michel Platini.

Lochte signs new endorsement deal, legal woes persist in Brazil

U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte landed a new endorsement deal on Thursday days after losing all his major sponsors even as the fallout from the Rio Olympics continued as Brazilian police recommended he be charged with falsely reporting a crime. Pine Bros Softish Throat Drops, which makes cough drops, said it had signed Lochte, a 12-time Olympic medalist, for a television commercial and print ads.

Dodgers land Ruiz in catcher swap with Phillies

The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired Carlos Ruiz from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for A.J. Ellis, the teams announced on Thursday. The Dodgers also received $1 million while the Phillies got one minor league pitcher along with a player to be named later or cash considerations in the deal.

Ace of Diamond Thompson is sprint queen in Lausanne

Elaine Thompson underlined her new status as the sprint queen of athletics by winning the 100 meters at a Diamond League meeting in Lausanne on Thursday. The 24-year-old Jamaican, who won the 100 and 200 meters at this month's Rio Olympics, clocked a time of 10.78 seconds, well ahead of second-placed American Jenna Prandini (11.11). The race was re-run five minutes after a false start that saw only one runner stop as Thompson and the rest of the field sprinted to the finish only to have to go all the way back.

Putin calls ban on Russian Paralympic team 'immoral'

A ban on Russia's Paralympic team competing in Rio next month is cynical and immoral, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, but he said that Moscow acknowledged mistakes it had made in tackling sports doping. Russia's track-and-field team was excluded from the Rio Games that just ended after world anti-doping authorities alleged Moscow ran a state-sponsored sports doping program. The entire Russian Paralympic team has also been barred over the same doping allegations.

Motor racing-Hamilton to take hefty grid penalty in Belgian GP

Lewis Hamilton will start Sunday's Belgian Formula One Grand Prix from near the back of the grid due to an engine-related penalty, but the championship leader is confident the setback will not halt his momentum. The Mercedes driver is set to take a hefty penalty for exceeding his allowed allocation of engine components after early-season reliability woes left him short of parts.

Ko starts strongly in quest for fourth Canadian Open title

New Zealand's Lydia Ko, seeking her fourth Canadian Women's Open title before the age of 20, made a promising start when she carded a five-under-par 67 in the first round in Alberta on Thursday. The Korean-born teenager, four days after her silver medal- winning performance at the Rio Olympics, wasted no time getting back into the bread-and-butter swing of regular LPGA competition.

Golf-Reed and Laird set pace at Bethpage, Day two back

Patrick Reed gave his Ryder Cup hopes a timely boost as he charged into a share of the first-round lead at The Barclays on Thursday with defending champion Jason Day in hot pursuit, two strokes back. American Reed opened with a sizzling five-under-par 66 in the first of the PGA Tour's four lucrative FedExCup playoff events, finishing level with Scotland's Martin Laird on a sunny but breezy day at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York.

Kenya removes Olympics committee over Rio performance

Kenya has disbanded its National Olympics Committee (NOC-K) because of the poor handling of the east African country's team during the Rio Olympics, sports minister Hassan Wario said on Thursday. Wario has set up a committee to investigate the misconduct and it will report its findings by Sept. 30. The Directorate of Criminal Investigation has also been asked to begin a probe.

Kvitova advances, Vinci ousted in Connecticut Open

Petra Kvitova moved closer to a third straight Connecticut Open crown after defeating Ekaterina Makarova 6-3 6-1 to reach the semi-finals on Thursday. Kvitova, who won this event the last two years as well as in 2012, stormed past her Russian opponent as she looks to join Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki as a four-time winner in the tournament. To do that she will have to take down top seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, who had little trouble winning her quarter-final match, topping Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens 6-1, 6-4.

08/26/2016 3:59