LAUSANNE: The International Olympic Committee said Wednesday it would take up to a week to decide whether to ban Russia from the Rio Olympics over its “state” doping machine.
Amid widespread agonizing within the IOC over how to handle its biggest doping scandal, the final verdict could come less than 10 days from the Rio opening ceremony on Aug. 5.
The, Russia’s Olympic Committee pressed on Wednesday with its preparations for the Rio Olympic Games despite the threat of a ban for state-run doping hanging over the country.
At a regular meeting in Moscow the executive board approved a 387-strong team to compete at this summer’s games starting on August 5.
The team’s line-up includes the 68 track and field athletes, whose fate hinges on the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, which will rule Thursday on whether the IAAF had grounds to impose a blanket ban on Russia’s athletics federation.
“The (Olympic) squad’s line-up has been formed according to the applications of the country’s sports federations,” the committee chief Alexander Zhukov told the press.
The Olympic Committee released a statement on their website saying that 387 competitors were included in the list.
The preparations come despite a mammoth scandal that sees Russia under threat of a blanket Olympic ban following bombshell allegations of state-controlled cheating.
The IOC executive decided on Tuesday to wait until after a Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS) ruling expected Thursday before deciding whether a blanket Olympic ban on Russian competitors should be imposed.
The IOC, which said it needed to study all “legal options,” has now signaled it will take every day possible for one of the most important decisions in Olymnpic history.
“We expect a decision within seven days on the participation of Russian competitors in Rio,” IOC media relations chief Emmanuelle Moreau said.
The IOC has already banned Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko and all other ministry officials from the Rio Games and withdrawn backing for international events in Russia over the doping program revealed by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren this week.
McLaren, who produced a report for the World Anti-Doping Agency, said there was a “state-dictated failsafe system” of drug cheating. IOC president Thomas Bach called Russia’s actions a “shocking and unprecedented attack on the integrity of sport and on the Olympic Games.”
WADA has called for Russia to be banned and are believed to have backing from the United States, Canada, Germany, Japan and other nations.
“It’s a complex issue to ban a country, but we’re delighted to see they’re considering it,” New Zealand Olympic Committee secretary-general Kereyn Smith said.
But some senior officials have expressed doubts whether the IOC wants to expel Russia.
Dick Pound, an IOC member and former WADA president, said it was right for the IOC to take time to make a decision.
But he added: “I do get the impression reading between the lines, however, that the IOC is for some reason very reluctant to think about a total exclusion of the Russians.”
Pound said an Olympic ban “would force Russia to acknowledge that the rest of the world is not prepared to play with them unless they change.”
Several national Olympic committees have also voiced support for Russia’s case that it would be wrong to exclude Russian athletes who have not failed drug tests.
Italian Olympic committee president Giovanni Malago said athletes were right to complain about Russian drug cheats.
But he said none can say all Russian athletes are cheats and added: “In the public’s imagination participation in the Olympics is for everyone. So I cannot imagine it without Russia.”
The Association of Summer Olympic Federations has also urged caution.
The IOC said after Tuesday’s executive talks it will “explore the legal options with regard to a collective ban of all Russian athletes” against “the right to individual justice.”
Evan Bach has called for a way to let clean athletes compete in Rio.
It must first wait for the CAS ruling on an appeal by 68 Russian athletes against an Olympic ban ordered by the International Association of Athletics Federations.
The IAAF suspended all Russian track and field competitors after an earlier inquiry, chaired by Pound, found widespread “state-sponsored” doping in athletics.
While waiting for the legal opinions, the IOC has barred Mutko, a long-time ally of President Vladimir Putin, from the Rio Games.
The IOC also ordered a disciplinary commission to look into the sports ministry’s role in the drug cheating that included Russia’s secret service swapping dirty urine samples for clean ones through a hole in a wall at the Sochi Olympics.
The IOC said it will not grant any Rio accreditation “to any official of the Russian Ministry of Sport or any person implicated in the (McLaren) report.”
Mutko has denied any wrongdoing. He said he has suspended five top deputies, including his number two Yury Nagornykh, described as the point man for running the cheating scheme.
The IOC executive also ordered a reanalysis of all samples by Russian athletes taken at the Sochi Olympics. That means several more weeks and months of inquiries.
And the IOC said it would not give backing to any international sports events in Russia.
It called on winter sports federations to “freeze” preparations for major events in Russia and look for alternative organizers.
The McLaren case against Russia followed allegations made by the former boss of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory Grigory Rodchenkov who is in hiding in the United States and is wanted by Russia.
IOC to take a week to decide on Russia Olympic ban
IOC to take a week to decide on Russia Olympic ban
Three things we learned from the Monaco Grand Prix
By winning a dull and processional Monaco Grand Prix with a flawless drive from pole position to chequered flag, while Verstappen started and finished sixth, the 26-year-old Monegasque lifted a monkey from his back as the Dutchman bemoaned his fate.
After a troubled weekend for the champion team, which saw second driver Sergio Perez crash out on the opening lap, AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from the star-studded spectacle in the Mediterranean principality:
Ferrari team chief Fred Vasseur cut through the emotional aftermath of Leclerc’s victory to identify how important it can be for him in future races. “Firstly, everyone will stop asking him each year what will happen next time, what happens this weekend and blah blah blah.... It’s over now. It’s behind us all.
“He had a kind of weight on his shoulders for years here now. Sometimes, he made a small mistake, sometimes he was unlucky, like with a brake failure, and he was under pressure.
“Now, I think he can make a big step forward, for sure. His self-confidence and approach at other events will change.”
Vasseur spoke before his team began celebrations at Jimmy’z nightclub, but shortly after a tearful Arthur Leclerc, Charles’ younger brother, led widespread tributes by wishing their father Herve had been alive to see him win.
His victory was a realization of a family dream shared with their father Herve, who died in 2017, before Charles entered Formula One.
“I am so happy,” said Arthur, a Ferrari academy driver. “It’s the first time I cried seeing my brother win. It’s just such an incredible feeling and I just wish my father was there as well to see this moment.”
Leclerc is now only 26 points behind Verstappen in the drivers’ title race after eight of this year’s 24 races, while Ferrari are only 24 points behind in the teams’ contest. He may protest that it too soon to judge, but many believe Verstappen faces a fight ahead to keep his crown.
Max Verstappen and his father Jos issued clear signals that Red Bull have been caught by their rivals and now require emergency action if they are to remain the dominant team.
“We’ve had this problem since 2022,” said the three-time champion, referring to his car’s sensitivity to bumps and riding kerbs.
His father Jos Verstappen went further and suggested Red Bull’s era of dominance is over and the team need to reconsider their priorities after a period of controversies surrounding team boss Christian Horner’s alleged inappropriate behavior and the exit of technical chief Adrian Newey.
“The era when Red Bull had the dominant car really seems to be over now,” said Verstappen senior. “Maybe they should start focusing a bit more on racing and mutual communication again, rather than on other things.”
With Ferrari and McLaren winning races and closing in, and Mercedes advancing, Red Bull face a challenge on and off the track.
The future of the calendar’s most glamorous and historic event was the subject of fresh speculation after Sunday’s ‘snooze-fest’ race amid calls for F1 to revise some rules specifically to enliven the Monaco Grand Prix.
“I got myself a yoghurt and an espresso,” said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. “I’ve never done that in 12 years.”
“I should have brought my pillow,” said Verstappen. “How boring was that?“
Mercedes driver George Russell replied: “They need to change something... maybe compulsory pitstops...”
“Or a compulsory nap,” replied Verstappen.
Alexander-Arnold adamant tame finish cannot disguise Liverpool’s progress
- When the Merseysiders won the English League Cup in February they were in contention for an unprecedented quadruple of trophies
When the Merseysiders won the English League Cup in February they were in contention for an unprecedented quadruple of trophies.
But Liverpool then lost to bitter rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup and then dropped out of the Europa League before fading in the race for the Premier League title during two damaging weeks in April.
As a result, Klopp was denied the fairytale finish to his Liverpool career but for Alexander-Arnold a third-place finish in the Premier League, and with it a return to the Champions League, was evidence of the club’s progress.
“It was a good season, built on last season, got better as a team, challenged for the title, took it far and we improved,” Alexander-Arnold told Liverpool’s website.
“Any time you improve means that it’s a good season. Take the positives and move forward and hopefully (do it) again next season.”
The 25-year-old, bidding to be a member of England’s Euro 2024 squad, suffered personal frustrations after two months out a knee injury.
“Of course it’s never nice to be injured. You want to play as many games as you can and help the team, but sometimes these things happen,” he added.
“It was a tough time, it was one that taught me to be patient and a time that was difficult. It just makes you stronger, appreciate the times when you’re fit and able to play games.”
Ancelotti has ‘really difficult’ decision to make in goal for Madrid ahead of Champions League final
Ancelotti has ‘really difficult’ decision to make in goal for Madrid ahead of Champions League final
- Lunin was nursing a fever and was the only Madrid player who didn’t train on Monday as Madrid began its final week of preparations
MADRID: Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti knows he will have a tough decision to make in goal for the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
Will he pick Andriy Lunin, who has played in goal nearly the entire season, or Thibaut Courtois, the veteran who has won the Champions League before but has just returned from injury?
“It’s really difficult,” Ancelotti said Monday. “Of course it’s really difficult, because both of them deserve to play this final. Lunin because he did a fantastic season, and Courtois because he is back from his injury and everyone knows the quality of Courtois. It’s a difficult decision but I think I’m going to take into the game this decision, no doubt.”
Lunin was nursing a fever and was the only Madrid player who didn’t train on Monday as Madrid began its final week of preparations. But Ancelotti said the 25-year-old Ukrainian was expected to be available for Saturday’s final in London.
The illness surely doesn’t help Lunin’s chances, though, and many had already expected Ancelotti to go with the more experienced Courtois despite his lack of minutes this season.
Courtois ruptured a left-knee ligament in August, just two days before the start of the season. The 32-year-old Belgian then also ruptured the meniscus in his right knee in March, when he was close to making a comeback.
He was sidelined until the beginning of this month, when he started in a 3-0 win over Cadiz, a victory that secured Madrid’s 36th Spanish league title.
Lunin was back in goal as Madrid beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinals. He had saved two penalties in the decisive shootout win over Manchester City in the quarterfinals.
Lunin had earned the starting position over Kepa Arrizabalaga, the former Chelsea player who is Madrid’s other reserve goalkeeper. Ancelotti said Lunin was the best goalkeeper in the world right now.
Courtois has proven experience in finals, though, having won the 2022 Champions League with Madrid, the FA Cup with Chelsea, the Europa League with Atletico Madrid, and two Copa del Rey titles (one for Madrid, one for Atletico), among several other titles.
“Both deserve to play for various reasons,” Ancelotti said.
Ancelotti joked that he will wait as long as possible to announce the starting goalkeeper because otherwise the debate would be over, and “I like the debate.”
Da Costa wins Shanghai E-Prix, Hughes on podium for NEOM McLaren
- The TAG Heuer Porsche driver secured his second win of Season 10 with Hughes and Andretti’s Nato completing the top three
- Nearly 40,000 spectators enjoyed the doubleheader weekend in what was the series’ first time racing in China since Season 5
SHANGHAI: Antonio Felix da Costa (TAG Heuer Porsche) clinched his second victory of Season 10 in Round 12 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship at the Shanghai E-Prix, leading NEOM McLaren’s Jake Hughes and Andretti’s Norman Nato in second and third respectively.
After superior energy management and performance, Da Costa seized the lead from Nato on Lap 16 and maintained his position until the end of the 28-lap race, despite Hughes’ late push. Hughes, who had secured the Julius Baer Pole Position by a mere 0.001 seconds earlier in the day, succeeded in securing his first-ever Formula E podium amid fierce competition, ultimately finishing second.
Nato finished third, with Nick Cassidy (Jaguar TCS Racing) in fourth after a collision damaged his front wing. Cassidy’s closest title rival and Da Costa’s teammate Pascal Wehrlein faced a setback with a punctured tire, finishing outside the points.
“I’m super happy with the momentum that we’ve been able to build. It’s been a big run of races now since Sao Paulo, racing almost every two weeks, so we’ve been able to crack on and keep building a little bit more every weekend,” said Da Costa. “We’ve had some sixth places, some fifth places and now we’ve had three wins in the last six or seven races, so definitely good momentum. A real shame how the year started, plus that loss of win in Misano, but otherwise I think we’ve been having a run with a championship-contending car and driver.
“I think Mitch (Evans) has got two victories, (Nick) Cassidy and Pascal (Wehrlein) are on a roll as well so obviously it shows that the Jags and the Porsches at these types of races, where efficiency is key, have a little bit of an edge on the others I think, and that’s good.”
Jaguar TCS Racing’s Evans followed Cassidy in fifth, contributing to a strong team result for the current leaders of the Teams’ FIA World Championship. The DS PENSKE duo Stoffel Vandoorne and Jean-Eric Vergne finished sixth and seventh, respectively. Maximilian Gunther (Maserati MSG Racing), Robin Frijns (Envision Racing), and Oliver Rowland (Nissan) rounded out the top 10. Reigning champion Jake Dennis (Andretti Formula E Team) finished just outside the points in 11th.
The results see Cassidy extend his lead to 25 points over Wehrlein in the Drivers’ FIA World Championship standings. Jaguar TCS Racing now holds 299 points in the Teams’ standings, with TAG Heuer Porsche on 226. Porsche leads the Manufacturers’ standings with 337 points to Jaguar’s 328.
Next, the championship heads to Portland for a double-header on June 29-30, marking the beginning of the decisive final four rounds of Season 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving each score 33 points as Mavs beat Wolves for 3-0 lead in West finals
- Luca Doncic and Kyrie Irving score 33 points apiece and Dallas put together a decisive run in the final five minutes
DALLAS: Luka Doncic lunged for the ball after a steal by Anthony Edwards, knocking it far enough away to create a scramble and a jump ball the Dallas superstar won.
The Mavericks made all the big plays again — on both ends of the court — and are a win away from their first trip to the NBA Finals in 13 years.
Doncic and Kyrie Irving scored 33 points apiece and Dallas put together a decisive run in the final five minutes to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-107 on Sunday night for a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.
The 14-3 finish gave the Mavs a fifth consecutive playoff victory after Dereck Lively II left with a sprained neck when the rookie center took an accidental shot to the back of the head from Karl-Anthony Towns’ knee.
No team in NBA playoff history has rallied from 3-0 down.
“Don’t even say it,” said Doncic, who will try to clinch his first trip to the NBA Finals in Game 4 on Tuesday night in Dallas. “But it feels great. But we’ve got to think about next game. Gotta play with the same mentality. They’re not going to go away. No way.”
P.J. Washington Jr., who scored 16 points, put Dallas ahead for good on a tiebreaking corner 3-pointer with 3:38 remaining after Doncic passed to Irving, who sent the ball to Washington.
The co-stars took over from there.
Doncic hit a shot in the lane for a four-point lead, Irving sent the crowd into a frenzy on a falling-down jumper and Doncic found Daniel Gafford for an alley-oop dunk and a 113-105 lead with 34 seconds left. Gafford had just blocked Mike Conley’s layup attempt at the other end.
“They’re trying to double me the whole game, trying to double Kai, so that just makes us better,” Doncic said. “Everybody touches the ball, everybody plays. We come down to the stretch, and we execute.”
Edwards had 26 points for the Wolves, but just four after scoring eight consecutive points for Minnesota to get the Wolves even in the third quarter.
“I never think the sky is falling,” Edwards said. “I’m always positive, always happy. Been through the works, so the sky’s never falling for me.”
Towns scored 14 points but missed all eight 3s, including a rushed 27-footer early in the shot clock when the deficit was four with 1:25 remaining.
After taking a 104-102 lead on Kyle Anderson’s floater with five minutes to go, Minnesota — which couldn’t hold leads of 18 points in the first half and five points in the final 90 seconds of Game 2 — missed seven consecutive shots.
“You’ve got to try to score alongside of them,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said. “The whole series, we’ve struggled to close games. These three-minutes games that we’re playing, we’re losing.”
Doncic, whose game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds of Game 2 in Minnesota put Dallas firmly in control of the series, was 10 of 20 and 5 of 11 from deep.
Irving, who won the 2016 title alongside LeBron James with Cleveland, scored 14 points in the fourth quarter and finished 12 of 20 and 3 of 6 from long range.
The Mavs, with 2011 NBA Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki watching from center court, are the closest they’ve been to the NBA’s biggest stage since the big German led them to their only championship.
Edwards was 11 of 24, but took just three shots in the fourth quarter, making two. The 22-year-old star who has acknowledged fatigue in the series had nine rebounds and nine assists.
“We can’t be anything but positive at this point,” Edwards said. “We can’t be negative. Try to get one win at a time.”
In the second quarter, Lively absorbed the kind of contact normally found on football fields not far from Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, the quarterback-tight end pair sitting courtside.
The rookie from Duke stayed on the court holding his head after it snapped forward on the accidental contact. Lively was down for several minutes before appearing dazed as he was helped off the court and taken to the locker room.
Lively fell as Mike Conley, who scored 16 points, was driving for a missed shot, and Towns was pursuing an offensive rebound when his knee hit Lively’s head in the second quarter.
The 20-year-old Lively and Gafford, the starter, played a big role in helping Dallas take a 2-0 lead. Lively is 12 of 12 from the field in the series, including three makes in Game 3.
