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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday OCTOBER 1, 2014
Olympic swimming champ Phelps arrested on drunken driving charge By Steve Ginsburg WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - American swimmer Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all-time, was arrested for drunken driving early yesterday after speeding then crossing the doublelane lines inside a Baltimore tunnel, police said. The 18-time Olympic gold medallist later apologised for the incident, saying he was “deeply sorry to everyone I have let down.” Police said Phelps, 29, was clocked by radar around 01:40hrs travelling 84 miles per hour (135 kph) in a 45-mph (72-kph) zone. He was booked and released. Phelps, who has won 22 Olympic medals and
appears to be eyeing a spot on the U.S. team for the 2016 Olympics, was “unable to perform satisfactorily a series of standard field sobriety tests,” authorities said, adding he failed a Breathalyzer test. Police said an officer followed Phelps’s 2014 Land Rover onto northbound Interstate 95, through the Fort McHenry Tunnel under Baltimore Harbor, and pulled him over just beyond the tunnel’s toll plaza. Authorities said the Baltimore-area native was cooperative. “Earlier this morning, I was arrested and charged with DUI (driving under the influence), excessive speeding and crossing double lane lines,” Phelps
his life working feverishly in the pool but admits he likes to have a good time outside of practice and competition. Emerging recently from a two-year retirement, Phelps first tested the comeback waters in April at a low-key meet in Phoenix and his progress has been steady rather than his usual impressive.
Michael Phelps reacts after placing second in the 200m individual medley in 1:56.55 in the 2014 USA National Championships at William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Complex. said in a statement. “I understand the severity of my actions and take full responsibility,” he added. “I know these words may not mean much
right now but I am deeply sorry to everyone I have let down.” The drunken-driving arrest was the second for Phelps, who has spent most
Sunil Narine likely for CLT20 semi-final KOLKATA Knight Riders have accepted the decision taken by the match officials against Sunil Narine, their premier off-spinner, whose quicker ball was reported as suspect by the onfield umpires during the match against Dolphins in Hyderabad and are likely to field him in their XI for the semi-final against Hobart Hurricanes tomorrow. Narine has been put on the warning list, but is allowed to play on in the tournament. However, any subsequent offence will disqualify him from bowling in any BCCIconducted tournament. Narine had finished with figures of 3 for 33 on the day to script a 36-run victory for Knight Riders and is the highest wicket-taker in the tournament. His consistency has been key to Knight Riders qualifying for the semifinals with a clean slate in the group stage. E S P N c r i c i n f o understands that on-field umpires Anil Chaudhary and Chettihody Shamshuddin specifically picked the fourth and fifth deliveries of the 15th over and the fourth ball of the penultimate over of Dolphins’ innings as suspect. All were quicker deliveries. On Monday, Narine’s first over had gone for 12 runs including three fours and he was held in reserve for the
Three balls bowled by Sunil Narine in the Dolphins innings are understood to be under scrutiny. later overs. Dolphins were recovering from a poor start with the middle-order pair of Khaya Zondo and Andile Phehlukwayo adding 44 runs when Narine returned. The equation read 77 runs to win from the last six
overs. Phehlukwayo, the 18-year-old left-hander from KwaZulu Natal, punished Narine for bowling short with consecutive boundaries off his second and third deliveries, including a reverse pull. Narine hit back, bowling a straighter delivery that pegged back Phehlukwayo’s off stump and sent the bails flying. The delivery speed was 98 kph. Narine bowled a carrom ball next, clocked at 99 kph, and deceived new batsman Robbie Frylinck and the edge flew towards third man. Narine was on a hat-trick after he grabbed two wickets off the last two deliveries of his third over. Then, two balls before ending his spell, Narine pitched a length delivery that missed Kyle Abbott’s stumps by a few inches. That ball was measured at 100 kph. Narine was told about the complaint after the game by match referee Andy Pycroft in the presence of the on-field umpires. It is understood that Pycroft told Narine specifically of the three deliveries being under the scanner and nothing else. Pycroft also spoke with Knight Riders coach Trevor Bayliss later. Incidentally Kumar Dharmasena, the ICC Elite Panel umpire, was the TV official for last night’s match and has now been involved in official
complaints for all the four bowlers reported for suspect actions so far in the tournament. Considering the sensitive nature of the issue, officials from various teams have remained tight-lipped on the incident. But one official from a team whose bowler was reported admitted that the exercise seemed to be part of the “same thread” of enforcement by the ICC on suspect actions. He said that the clause on illegal bowling actions had been part of the IPL and CLT20 for a while, but it was only recently that “the decision that we are going to enforce the clause” was taken. “It is not that they are after us specifically,” the official said. This is the second time Narine’s action has come under the scanner. In 2011, after Trinidad & Tobago won the Caribbean T20 championship, Narine was one of the nine players match officials had listed to have had a suspect action. Narine underwent rigorous tests before he announced himself to the world in the 2011 edition of the Champions League Twenty20. After Knight Riders bought him for US$700 000 in the IPL auction in 2012, Narine played a big hand in the franchise winning their maiden crown. (ESPN Cricinfo)
‘UNQUESTIONABLY SERIOUS’ USA Swimming, the national team’s governing body, said: “The news regarding Michael Phelps and his actions are disappointing and unquestionably serious. “We expect our athletes to conduct themselves responsibly in and out of the pool,” it said in a statement. “I was shocked at the news, to say the least,” Dara Torres, a 12-time Olympic medallist who has been on several Olympic and national swim teams with Phelps, told Reuters in a telephone interview. “He was very fortunate that no one was hurt. He’s a good guy. He does work for kids. He does charity work. “He could have given the keys to someone. He could have called Uber, a taxi. He has the means to do stuff like
that. I just don’t understand it,” she said. The U.S. Olympic Committee said it was “surprised by today’s news.” “We are disappointed on a number of fronts, but want to give Michael Phelps and USA Swimming an opportunity to comment before saying anything more,” the USOC said in a statement. Phelps was charged in Maryland in 2004 for drunken driving when he was 19. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of driving while impaired in exchange for 18 months’ probation. Phelps was contrite following his first drunken driving arrest a decade ago. “I recognise the seriousness of the mistake I made,” he told the judge in 2004. “It is wrong to drink when you’re under age. It’s wrong to drive when you’ve had anything to drink, no matter how old you are.” In 2009, British tabloids published a photo of Phelps smoking from a marijuana pipe while at a party at the University of South Carolina. “I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again,” Phelps said at the time.
CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Wednesday October 01, 2014) Compliments of THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market &The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL CO. LTD-83 Garnette Street, Campbellville (Tel: 225-6158; 223-6055) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1)Sir Gary Sobers-365* (WI vs PAK, Jamaica, 1958) (2) WI vs ENG, Scarborough, 1976 Today’s Quiz: (1)
Which two made a hundred on Test debut?
Viv Richards; Carl Hooper; Basil Williams; Len Baichan; Chris Gayle (2) Which two made their ODI debut against England? Courtney Walsh; Carl Hooper; Carlisle Best; David Williams; Ian Bishop Answers in tomorrow’s issue