Cycling - UCI passes Paris-Nice racers clean of doping
The International Cycling Union said all doping tests at the weeklong Paris-Nice race were clear of banned drugs. The UCI said the French Anti-Doping Agency's lab at Chatenay-Malabry has completed testing and gave the race a clean report yesterday. Around 120 tests were scheduled to be conducted on riders at the 6-13 March race by cycling's governing body and the French agency, known as the AFLD. They renewed their partnership after a dispute following the 2009 Tour de France.
Athletics - Brazilian race walker suspended 2 years for doping
The Brazilian athletics confederation said it had suspended a local race walker for two years after he failed a doping test last year. Jose Alessandro Bagio tested positive for the steroid called 19-Norandrosterone during a competition in Brazil last September. The confederation says he also tested positive for the substance in a random test that same month. He had been temporarily suspended since December. Earlier this month, the confederation issued a warning to shot putter Geisa Arcanjo after she failed a doping test at last year's junior worlds championship in Canada, when she won a gold medal.
Moto GP- Pedrosa set for second collarbone surgery
Honda Moto GP rider Dani Pedrosa will undergo a second operation on his collarbone after experiencing numbness and lack of strength in his arm. The surgery will come after Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix and Pedrosa is expected to return for the subsequent Portuguese GP on 1 May. The official Moto GP website says Pedrosa decided to take advantage of a long rest period with the Japanese GP cancelled. The Spanish rider first underwent surgery in October and "the titanium plate and screws will be taken out of the collarbone in order to release the compression pressure."
Judo - Olympic silver medalist Heill dies at 29
The Austrian judo federation says former Olympic judo silver medalist Claudia Heill of Austria has committed suicide by jumping out of a sixth-story window in central Vienna. She was 29. The federation said in a statement that "nobody could foresee this act of desperation." It did not provide further details. Federation president Hans Paul Kutschera told national broadcaster ORF yesterday that Heill "was a very active person. Everyone who knew her is devastated." Heill won silver in the under-63 kilogram category at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Heill also won silver at the European championships in 2001 and 2005, but retired one year after finished fifth at the 2008 Beijing Games. She had since been working as a juniors' coach.
Tennis - Petkovic leads Germany in Fed Cup against US
Andrea Petkovic will lead Germany in the Fed Cup playoff against the United States later this month. Julia Goerges, Sabine Lisicki and Anna-Lena Groenefeld complete the German team for the 16-17 April match in Stuttgart. A win would see Germany promoted to the World Group at the expense of the US. The 23-year-old Petkovic will break into the top 20 next week.
Football - Mika-Matti Paatelainen appointed Finland coach
Mika-Matti Paatelainen was appointed as Finland's national football team coach yesterday, on a five-year contract. The Finnish Football Association said the 44-year-old Finn, previously manager of Scottish Premier League club Kilmarnock, will replace Stuart Baxter with immediate effect. Baxter's two-year contract ended in November and was not renewed. Paatelainen said the position of Finland coach was "a dream," which he had worked hard for. "It's great to accept such a challenge," he said.
Football - Reds sponsor wants Asian players at club
The bank that sponsors Liverpool wants the club to bring in high-profile Asian players to capitalize on their marketability on the continent. Standard Chartered's sponsorship executive Gavin Laws outlined his hopes for Liverpool in an interview with The Associated Press yesterday, also saying he would like to see manager Kenny Dalglish stay on as permanent manager. The bank does much of its business in Asian countries and Laws says "the real power for what Liverpool could do for us ... is if there was a way they could nurture foreign players from Asia."
Football - Bayern extend contract of midfielder Kroos
Bayern Munich have extended the contract of midfielder Toni Kroos until 2015. The 21-year-old Germany international has agreed a three-year extension to his contract, that was originally set to expire in 2012. Bayern say the extension is "another step" in building for the future. Bayern's coach Louis van Gaal is leaving at the end of the season and will be replaced by Jupp Heynckes. Heynckes coached Kroos when he was on loan to Bayer Leverkusen during 2009 and 2010.
Football - Scottish FA wants Neymar apology after race claims
The Scottish Football Association wants Brazil striker Neymar to apologize for accusing Scotland fans of racism during a friendly between the two countries. Neymar complained he had been racially taunted by Scotland supporters after a banana was thrown in his direction from the crowd while he celebrated scoring the second of his two goals in Sunday's international at Emirates Stadium. With a German tourist admitting to throwing the banana and London police saying they received no official reports of racist taunts, the Scottish FA has written "to request an apology either from the player involved, or the Brazilian FA."