Reuters Sports News Summary

09/08/2016 12:55

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Broncos extend Sanders contract by three years

The Denver Broncos have agreed on a new three-year contract with wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, the team said on Wednesday. The contract, which runs through 2019, is worth $33 million and will include $27 million in guarantees, according to the NFL's website.

Ex-NFL player Tebow to be signed by New York Mets: reports

Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow is expected to sign on with the with New York Mets in a minor league deal, ESPN and other media outlets reported on Thursday. Tebow, who played in the NFL for three years before moving on to become a television broadcaster, recently showcased his baseball skills for scouts and media in a bid to launch a second sports career.

Soccer team plays U.S. national anthem early to prevent player protest

The Washington Spirit women's soccer team on Wednesday played the U.S. national anthem while players were still in their locker rooms, preventing visiting star Megan Rapinoe from continuing her protest for social equality. Rapinoe knelt during "The Star Spangled Banner" before her game on Sunday in Chicago and vowed to continue to do so in support of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who did not stand for the song before his NFL team's last two pre season games to protest against racial injustice and police brutality.

Brook says he will feel the fear and shock Golovkin

Kell Brook admits to feeling fear but says he is ready to inflict a first career defeat on Kazakh knockout specialist Gennady Golovkin when they meet in a London ring on Saturday. Golovkin, who boasts a perfect 35-0 record with 32 KOs, puts his WBC and IBF middleweight belts on the line against unbeaten IBF welterweight champion Brook who has moved up two weight divisions for the biggest fight of his career.

Williams wary of another semi-final slip-up

Serena Williams will be wary of another semi-final slip-up when she takes to the Arthur Ashe Stadium court on Thursday to face 10th seed Karolina Pliskova for a spot in the U.S. Open final. A year ago Williams arrived at the semi-finals on the cusp of a rare calendar slam when unseeded Italian Roberta Vinci, a 300-to-1 long shot to reach the final, recorded one of the biggest upsets in grand slam tennis.

Nishikori upsets Murray to reach U.S. Open semis

Japan's Kei Nishikori overcame second seed Andy Murray for a grueling 1-6 6-4 4-6 6-1 7-5 see-saw victory on Wednesday to reach the U.S. Open semi-finals. Nishikori, who became the first Asian man to reach a grand slam final when he finished runner-up here in 2014, broke the Scotsman in the 11th game of the fifth set with a brilliant reflex volley and served out to complete the triumph.

Teams offered chance to invest in F1 after takeover

Formula One teams will be given the chance to invest in the sport after Liberty Media's takeover but the smaller ones are hoping the new owners will also help them become more competitive on the track. "The philosophy of American sports franchises is to try and keep it as equal as possible and as competitive as possible," Force India deputy principal Bob Fernley told Reuters on Thursday.

Nielsen sprints to victory to mark Grand Tour debut

Dane Magnus Cort Nielsen edged his way to victory in stage 18 of the Tour of Spain on Thursday, leading out the sprint in the final 500 meters of the 200.6km race and taking the stage win in his first appearance in a Grand Tour. The peloton kept close to the breakaway group in the second longest stage of the Tour, from Requena to Gandia, so leader Nairo Quintana maintained his 3:37 lead over nearest challenger Chris Froome before Friday's individual time trial.

Lochte banned for 10 months by USOC

American swimmer Ryan Lochte has been suspended for 10 months and will miss next year's world championships for his part in a scandal involving the U.S. athlete and three other swimmers at the Rio Olympics, the United States Olympic Committee said on Thursday. Lochte, who won gold in the 4x200 meters freestyle relay in Rio, will also forfeit bonus money from the Games, the monthly funding he receives from USOC and USA Swimming and will not be allowed access to USOC training centers.

Paralympics: Belarus delegate banned after carrying Russian flag at ceremony

A member of the Belarus delegation who carried a Russian flag at the Paralympic opening ceremony to support his country's near-neighbor that is banned from the competition was stripped of his accreditation, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said on Thursday. The man, identified by Russian media as Andrei Fomochkin, director of the Republican Centre of Olympic training for Athletics in Belarus, was hailed as a hero by both Russian and Belarusian officials.

09/08/2016 12:55