07072017 sports

SPORTS SECTION E

FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

‘Trial by fire’ on day two of Basketball Without Borders

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

he NBA and FIBA’s Basketball Without Borders Americas Camp has introduced its Bahamian participants to a myriad of new experiences to aid the development of their respective games.

After an opening day of evaluations, players were drafted by the four coaching staffs represented at the event for a series of scrimmages that produced position changes for some and a “trial by fire” on the court for others.

Derryn Johnson said the move from his position last season with the St Anne’s Blue Waves comes with a new skillset.

“Usually, I play the four on a regular basis but I’m a wing here so it was an adjustment. It’s coming along very well, my jump shot is getting better every day and that’s a good change,” he said.

“The pace of the game is a lot faster. We like to drive the ball to the basket over here, but with these guys, you have to be able to make your jump shots and when you drive to be ready to kick the ball out to the open man. You have to be able to do a little of everything. You have to be quick on your feet or you will get beat every time because these guys are fast and they jump really high. I just have to keep shooting the ball, and getting better at my shot, it’s not where it needs to be right now but it’s getting there.”

Johnson was drafted to Team Spurs along with fellow Bahamian Dominic Bridgewater. Each team is coached by one NBA personality and assisted by a local coach.

The Spurs is coached by San Antonio Assistant James Borrego and Nigel Ingraham.

T

A CAMPER participates in a series of drills and scrimmages on day two of the NBA/FIBA 9th Basketball Without Borders Americas Camp at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

Photo: Tim Aylen/Bahamas Visual Services Bridgewater routinely scored pass to a teammate but I was just Hawks, called the camp a learnover defenders in traffic and con- listening to the coaching staff and ing experience. Team Hawks cluded one scrimmage with a running the plays to get people in- is coached by Atlanta assistant game-winning three-pointer. volved.”

Darvin along with local coaches “From day one I knew I could Each of the players echoed Wayde Adderley and Derek Cumplay with them, but the scrimmag- Johnson’s sentiments on the speed mings. “It’s been a great experies really boosted my confidence,” of the game as one of the major ad- ence, the competition has been he said. “At any time I was able to justment factors. blow by them and make the open Kai Jones, drafted to Team SEE PAGE 13

Turnquest and Anand finish 2nd in their divisions at the 30th Caribbean Junior Golf Championships

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

TEAM Bahamas produced a pair of top three finishers against elite junior golf talent in the region at the 30th edition of the Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships.

The team concluded the final round yesterday following the three-day competition hosted at the St Andrews Golf Club in Maraval, Trinidad and Tobago.

Puerto Rico led the field from start to finish and claimed their 10th consecutive title.

The best finishes for the Bahamas came from Haylie Turnquest and Sophie Anand as they both finished second in their respective divisions.

In the girls’ under-15 division, Turnquest closed out the competition with a final round of 83 after she shot a second round 80.

She shot an opening round 83 on day one for a score of 246 (+30).

Ashley Michel finished seventh in the division with a score of 283 (+67) after shooting 98 on day one, a low of 91 on day two 94 on day three.

Anand secured second place in the girls’ under-13 division and finished with a three-day total of 255. She shot three identical rounds of 85 for a score of 255 (+39).

Also in the division, Tyesha Tynes shot a low of 99 on day three after she shot a second round 111, following her opening round 109.

She finished with a score

INECIA ROLLE

XAVIER ROBINSON

ASHLEY MICHEL

AHARON BASTIAN

CAMERON RILEY

HAYLIE TURNQUEST

SAKETH HEDGE

SOPHIE ANAND

of 319 (+103), No. 12 in the division.

Inecia Rolle led the way for the Bahamas in the girls’ under-18 with a score of 264 (+48), good enough for fifth in the division. She shot an 86 on the opening day but fell two spots to fourth when she followed with a second round 85.

She fell behind her pace with a final round of 93.

In the boys’ 11-13 division, the Bahamas fielded a pair of players making their CAJGC debuts, Javontae Pinder and Lexander Antoine.

Pinder closed the tournament with his best round of 84 after rounds of 89 and 94. His total of 267 (+51) finished eighth in the division.

Antoine’s best round

JAVONTE PINDER

TYESHA TYNES

LEXANDER ANTOINE

came on day two when he shot 92, bookended by rounds of 101 and 94. He shot 281 to finish in 11th place.

In the boys’ under-15 division, Saketh Hedge was the lone competitor for the Bahamas.

Hedge shot an 86 on day three after he shot a sec-

ond round 87, following his opening round 93. He finished with a score of 266 (+50), No. 12 in the division.

Cameron Riley and Xavier Robinson finished 15th and 19th respectively in the under-18 boys’ division.

Riley closed out the

competition with rounds of 85 on day three and 83 on day three. He opened with a low score of 80 in round one for a total of 248 (+32).

Robinson produced an 89 in the final round yesterday. He shot a 92 on opening day and followed with a tournament low of 82 for a total of 263 (+47).

TRACK

Diamond League, Pg 14

JONQUEL JONES NAMED WNBA EAST PLAYER OF THE MONTH

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

WEDNESDAY was a milestone day for Jonquel Jones and the Connecticut Sun. Jones was named the WNBAs Eastern Conference Player of the Month and the Sun followed with their most lopsided win of the season as they continue to progress in the Associated Press power rankings.

Jones finished with eight points and eight rebounds in the Sun’s 89-56 rout of the San Antonio Stars at the AT&T Center. It was the third consecutive win for the Sun and their eighth win in the last 10 games.

The 33-point win was also tied for the third-largest win in Sun history.

Jones played just over 18 minutes in the contest as the Sun took control early and improved to 9-7 on the season. Connecticut used a 9-1 run to close out the second quarter and took a 40-24 into halftime. Jones’ layup sparked a 12-0 run to open up the third quarter.

Jones’ Player of the Month honour came during a stretch where she helped lead Connecticut to a 6-2 record in June that reversed the course of the season for the club after an 0-4 start.

In June, the 23-year old Grand Bahama native ranked first in the Eastern Conference in rebounds (11.9 rpg) and blocked

SEE PAGE 13

BUDDY LOOKS TO TAKE ON LEADERSHIP ROLE WITH THE KINGS

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

IN just his second NBA season, Buddy Hield is looking to take on a leadership role with the Sacramento Kings and represent the “culture change” the franchise is eager to make.

Hield turned down an opportunity to appear at this week’s Basketball Without Borders Americas camp and opted instead to attend the Kings’ Summer League mini-camp to set the tone as a leader to the younger players on the roster and better prepare himself for the event.

“It’s my role now, it was a role for me since I was in college and I’m just trying to make that translate.

I know we added some new vets to the team, but I’ll still take on a leadership role, even when they get here, trying to be the leader the young guys need me to be.

Somebody has to make a change and we’re trying to change the culture around here,” Hield said.

“My goal is just to go out there and just be efficient and get better, work on weaknesses, make shots, win games and try to lead these young guys. To try to change the culture here in SAC and start off right, using my experience I’ve had in the NBA so far and try to take that into Summer League. You know it’s going to be chaotic, fast and guys are going to try and be up and down a lot, but just

SEE PAGE 13

PAGE 12, Friday, July 7, 2017

AP SOURCE: MAVERICKS, NOWITZKI AGREE ON 2-YEAR, $10 MILLION DEAL

By SCHUYLER DIXON Associated Press DALLAS (AP) — Dirk Nowitzki has a deal with the Dallas Mavericks that sets him up to join Kobe Bryant as the only players to spend 20 seasons with one NBA franchise.

Nowitzki and the Mavericks have agreed on a twoyear, $10 million contract that carries a team option in the second season, a person with knowledge of the deal said yesterday on condition of anonymity because a deal hasn’t been announced.

The agreement is similar to the one the Mavs and Nowitzki reached last year, although for significantly less money. Last year’s contract was for two years and $50 million, and the club declined its option before free agency opened this year.

The 39-year-old Nowitzki is no longer the primary option for the Mavericks, so a $5 million deal is more in line with his role on a roster that has become significantly younger since the start of last season. The $25 million salary from a year ago was as much about Dallas paying Nowitzki for his loyalty, which included taking less money to help acquire free agents through the years.

Bryant retired following the 2015-16 season, his 20th with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was the fifth player to spend at least 20 years in the NBA. Nowitzki doesn’t seem to have ruled out playing past the coming season. At the NBA awards show last week, he hinted as much during his acceptance speech for the teammate of the year award.

Regardless of how much longer he plays, Nowitzki’s legacy is secure after leading the Mavericks to their only championship in 2011 as the NBA Finals MVP. The 7-foot German is also the only foreign-born player with 30,000 career points, a milestone he reached last season.

PACERS EXPLAIN PAUL GEORGE DEAL WAS BEST FOR TEAM

By MICHAEL MAROT Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kevin Pritchard struggled to make the deal. Eventually, he figured dealing Paul George was the best way to protect the Indiana Pacers.

Yesterday, Pritchard finally made the blockbuster trade official by announcing the four-time All-Star was heading to Oklahoma City in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. “It was difficult both on a personal and professional level,” Pritchard said in a statement issued by the team. “Everyone here knows what Paul meant to this franchise; he was both a tremendous human being as well as player here for seven years. We thank Paul and his family for their contributions to the Pacers and wish him well.”

George essentially forced the move when word leaked that he intended to leave the team as a free agent next summer just before the NBA draft.

That disclosure put the Pacers in a bind: Build around George for one final run at an NBA title, lose their star player and get nothing in return or shop George for the best deal they could find with his public plans hurting his trade value. Pritchard called the news a “gut punch” during last month’s draft. He hasn’t spoken to reporters since then, but under NBA rules the deal could be announced yeserday.

Wimbledon: Federer, Djokovic win in 3 sets

By CHRIS LEHOURITES Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic had to play all three sets at Wimbledon this time.

The former champions both advanced to the third round yesterday, two days after their opening matches ended early when their opponents retired with an injury.

Federer was broken early in his match, but the seven-time champion recovered quickly and beat Dusan Lajovic 7-6 (0), 6-3, 6-2. Djokovic, a three-time champion, defeated Adam Pavlasek 6-2, 6-2, 6-1.

Djokovic won the Wimbledon title in 2011, ‘14 and ‘15. But he has not won a major title since completing a career Grand Slam at the 2016 French Open.

In his opening two matches at the All England Club, Djokovic has only lost eight games.

“It’s perfect. Exactly what I want,” Djokovic said. “I don’t want to have any five-set matches in there.”

Djokovic will next face Ernests Gulbis. The unseeded Latvian defeated Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (3).

Federer has lost 14 games so far and will next face 27th-seeded Mischa Zverev.

Milos Raonic, Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev, Grigor Dimitrov, Gael Monfils and David Ferrer also reached the third round. Ferrer advanced when opponent Steve Darcis retired with an injury while trailing 3-0.

Darcis is the eighth man to retire during a match this week. The Belgian took a medical timeout after 18 minutes of play and was unable to continue.

One of the favourites in the women’s tournament, third-seeded Karolina Pliskova, lost on Centre Court. Magdalena Rybarikova beat Pliskova 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 to reach the third round for the second time in 10 appearances.

Pliskova entered the tournament with a chance to take over the No.

SERBIA’s Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Czech Republic’s Adam Pavlasek during their match yesterday at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London.

(AP Photo/Tim Ireland) also advanced to the third round, along with seventh-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova, ninth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, 14th-seeded Garbine Muguruza and 24th-seeded CoCo Vandeweghe.

Also, American wild-card entry Bethanie Mattek-Sands injured her right knee during a point and retired from her second-round match.

Moving up toward the net in the opening game of the third set against Sorana Cirstea of Romania, Mattek-Sands slipped and fell.

She immediately clutched her right knee. She could be heard screaming in pain and sobbing.

Two players previously eliminated from the tournament were handed fines yesterday.

Bernard Tomic of Australia was fined $15,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct two days after he spoke about feeling “a little bit bored out there” during his match.

Daniil Medvedev of Russia, who threw a handful coins in the direction of the chair umpire after a second-round loss on Wednesday, was given three fines totalling $14,500.

SWITZERLAND’s Roger Federer waves after beating Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic yesterday.

(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) 1 ranking.

“My expectations were a little bit different than to make one round here,” Pliskova said. “That’s tennis, you know. Still, you still can play well and you don’t have to win.

That’s my case today.”

Top-seeded Angelique Kerber

THE TRIBUNE

US DROPS 12 SPOTS TO 35TH, NEAR LOW IN FIFA RANKINGS ZURICH (AP) — The United States dropped 12 spots to 35th in the FIFA rankings, one above the Americans’ low in July and August 2012.

Much of the drop is attributable to a devaluation of points from last year’s Copa America. Under FIFA’s formula, a nation’s ranking is based on adding its average points from matches in the last 12 months to its average points in the three years before.

Germany took over the top spot for the first time in exactly two years, moving up two places yesterday after winning the Confederations Cup last weekend with a second-string roster. Brazil dropped to second and Argentina to third.

Since Germany last led the rankings, exactly Brazil, Argentina and Belgium have held the top spot.

Portugal, which finished third at the Confederations Cup, rose four places to No. 4. Switzerland climbed to No. 5 by beating the Faeroe Islands to extend its perfect record in World Cup qualifying.

Poland, also unbeaten in World Cup qualifying, rose to No. 6, and Confederations Cup runner-up Chile fell three places to No. 7.

Colombia, France and Belgium completed the top 10, though all fell three places.

Mexico, fourth at the Confederations Cup, leads CONCACAF at No. 16.

FIFA usually uses the rankings to decide seeding for the World Cup draw, set for December 1 in Moscow.

BASEBALL CAPSULES BREWERS 11, CUBS 2 CHICAGO (AP) — Ryan Braun homered to ignite a seven-run third inning and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 11-2 yesterday for their fourth straight victory.

The Brewers opened a 4½-game lead over the second-place Cubs in the NL Central and are guaranteed to hold the top spot at the AllStar break. This was a makeup of a May 20 rainout.

Willson Contreras homered for the Cubs. Kyle Schwarber went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in his return following a two-week stint in the minor leagues.

Milwaukee starter Zach Davies (10-4) allowed two runs and five hits in six innings for the win.

Cubs starter Mike Montgomery (1-6) gave up seven runs and six hits in 2 1/3 innings.

REDS 6, ROCKIES 3 DENVER (AP) — Sal Romano tossed five innings to earn his first major league win, and Cincinnati beat Colorado.

Romano (1-1), called up before the game to make his second career start, allowed six hits and allowed two runs to help the Reds split the four-game series.

Adam Duvall hit his 20th home run and drove in two runs and Eugenio Suarez had three hits for Cincinnati.

Colorado starter Tyler Chatwood (6-10) allowed seven hits and walked four in six innings, but limited the damage with some timely double plays. The Reds scored in the first on Billy Hamilton’s leadoff triple and Joey Votto’s single, and Scooter Gennett scored runs in the third and fifth to give Cincinnati a 3-1 lead.

CARDINALS 4, MARLINS 3 ST LOUIS (AP) — Luke Voit homered and drove in three runs and St Louis beat Miami.

Voit, who also doubled, and third baseman Jedd Gyorko each had two hits. The Cardinals’ eight hits backed another good outing from Michael Wacha (6-3), who allowed two runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out nine and walked two.

Marcell Ozuna had three hits and three RBIs for the Marlins.

Dee Gordon had two hits, scored three runs and stole two bases.

Miami starter Tom Koehler (14) allowed three runs and four hits over five innings. He struck out seven and walked three.

Cardinals closer Seung Hwan Oh allowed a leadoff single in the ninth, but locked down his 17th save in 20 chances.

ROOKIE JAKE FARIA TOPS BOSTON’S CHRIS SALE IN RAYS’ 4-1 WIN

By DICK SCANLON Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (AP) — Wilson Ramos homered and drove in three against Chris Sale despite the All-Star’s recordsetting performance, rookie Jake Faria remained unbeaten and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 4-1 last night.

Sale (11-4) struck out 12 while giving up four runs and seven hits in seven innings. He became the first Red Sox pitcher to strike out 10 or more in 12 games before the AllStar break, surpassing the 11 games of Pedro Martinez in 1999.

Ramos hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning to cap the scoring.

Ramos has three homers this season and has nine RBIs in his past five games.

Faria (4-0) gave up a run and four hits while walking four in six innings. The rookie right-hander has pitched at least six innings in each of his six starts and has a 2.11 ERA. Alex Colome pitched the ninth for his 23rd save.

Boston shortstop Xander Bogaerts left in the first inning with a right hand contusion after getting hit by Faria’s pitch. X-rays were negative. Deven Marrero entered for Bogaerts and drove in Boston’s run with a sacrifice fly in the third.

The Red Sox entered with a fourgame lead in the AL East but had only five hits, all singles.

TIGERS 6, GIANTS 2 DETROIT (AP) — Anibal Sanchez pitched six strong innings, and Dixon Machado hit his first career home run to lift Detroit over San Francisco.

Sanchez (1-0) earned his first victory since August 23, allowing two runs and five hits with eight strikeouts and no walks.

Machado’s first home run came in the 146th at-bat of his career.

The 25-year-old infielder hit a tworun shot in the second that put the Tigers up 4-0.

Chris Stratton (0-2) allowed five runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings in his first career start. He took the mound after the Giants scratched right-hander Johnny Cueto before the game because of an inner ear infection. _________________________

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, July 7, 2017, PAGE 13

JONES EAST PLAYER OF THE MONTH FROM PAGE 11

CAMPERS participate in a series of drills and scrimmages on day 2 of the NBA/FIBA 9th Basketball Without Borders Americas Camp at Kendal Isaacs Gym. Photos: Tim Aylen/Bahamas Visual Services

Campers take advantage of the BWB Americas Camp FROM PAGE 11 great, their level is really high and it’s fun to play against some of the best players in the world. I’ve just been trying to get better and learn everything I can and soak up every piece of information from these coaches,” he said.

“The quickness really stands out. These guys are really fast and the speed of play is really fast but it’s easy to adjust to once you play for the first five minutes you get used to it. I just need to take my time because I’ve been rushing, I just need to slow the game down.

That’s my motto for the next two

days, just take it slow.”

Despite his slight 6’7, 185-pound frame, Jones said he has been able to do a few things on the court he has become accustomed to doing.

“When I rebound and I block shots I realise it’s not as tough as it looks because some of these guys are jumping out the gym. Once you time it right. I’ve been grabbing rebounds, I blocked a few shots and I hit a couple jumpers,” he said.

“Getting open has been easy too, I thought it would be tough, but being able to get my shot off has been easier than expected.”

Sammy Hunter, drafted to Team Cavs - coached by Cleveland assistant Jim Boylan and Anton Francis, said: “You have to be quick

with every move you make, you can’t be hesitant and passive, every move has to be quick.”

On the girls’ side, Briontae Riley was drafted to Team Fever while Diondriea Nixon was drafted to Team Sparks.

Riley said she’s learned an immediate weakness she looks to improve on. “It was a really good experience. These girls are obviously better than what we are used to so it was really hard. I had to play really hard to score and make progress in the game,” she said. “I have to improve on my dribbling skills because certain things they ask of me it was really hard to do.

Basically, just about everyone out there has better ballhandling skills

BUDDY HIELD LOOKS TO TAKE ON LEADERSHIP ROLE WITH THE KINGS FROM PAGE 11 try to control the game and have fun and compete.”

The 2017 NBA Summer League takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada July 7-17 at the Thomas and Mack Center and Cox Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Sacramento will play at least five games, beginning with its first contest on tonight against the Phoenix Suns at 10:30pm local time.

The Kings next game will take place on Sunday, July 9 versus the Memphis Grizzlies, followed by the final preliminary round game for Sacramento on Monday, July 10 at 10:30pm against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Hield is expected to lead the Summer League squad that includes fellow secondyear players Skal Labissiere, Georgis Papagiannis and a star-studded rookie class featuring No.5 selection in this year’s draft: De’Aaron Fox, Justin Jackson, Harry Giles and Frank Mason III. “It’s a lot of young guys.

We just have to learn the game and know each other better because we’re going to be playing for a long time and we’re just trying to build that team chemistry,” Hield said.

“I love the competition, Fox is doing well, the game is faster but it’s going to slow down for him. Justin is doing well, Harry is adjusting, Frank is doing well – he’s from the Big 12 and I always want to rep my Big 12 guys. I like them, they’re having fun and they’re asking questions all the time.

They want to get better and they want to learn.

“I’m like a vet to them in Summer League so I’m just trying to lead them. The guys are working hard on their weaknesses and getting better to compete. Skal is working hard, Poppa slimmed down a lot. We play together we compete and have fun, but everything doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time.”

The Grand Bahama na-

SACRAMENTO Kings guard Buddy Hield (24) signals after hitting a three-point shot against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first half of a game in Sacramento, California, on March 27.

(AP Photo/Steve Yeater) tive and Sacramento Kings guard was named to the 2016-17 NBA All-Rookie First Team this offseason.

Hield became the 16th player in Kings franchise history and the 11th during the Sacramento era to earn All-Rookie Team distinction, a list that includes teammate Willie CauleyStein (2015-16 All-Rookie Second Team).

He played 57 games with the New Orleans Pelicans before he was traded to the Kings in February. In 25 games for the Kings, Hield made 18 starts and averaged 15.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game and 42 per cent shooting from three-point range. On the season he averaged 10.6 points, 3.3 rebounds on 42 per cent shooting from the field and 39 per cent from three-point range. He finished fourth in 3-point

and free throw percentage, eighth in field goal percentage and 11th in rebounding among all rookies.

“By the tenth game last year I kind of got what was going on but I continue to get better day by day,” Hield said. “As a basketball player, you get to adjust and you start to know where your shots come from. I picked up quick, watched a lot of film and it’s all second nature to me now.”

The Kings roster continues to fluctuate during the NBA Free Agency period as they look to contend in the Western Conference and improve on last year’s 32-50 record; 12th in the conference and third in the Pacific division.

The Kings have reportedly agreed to free agent deals with veteran forward Zach Randolph and guard George Hill.

than me.”

Nixon said keeping up with the speed of the players has been a challenge.

“It was a very nice experience so far, it gives me an opportunity to play against these great players from around the world. The conditioning stands out, they run the floor better than me and I have to adjust to keep up with them,” she said.

Today, the morning will begin with a 3-point shooting competition, followed by positional skill development and practices, before all campers play in another series of games in the afternoon. A BWB Coaching Clinic will follow the Friday’s games.

shots (2.13 bpg) while she placed 11th in scoring with an average of 15.6 points per game. She also earned five double doubles in an eight-game stretch.

In addition to Jones’ accolades, her teammate Alyssa Thomas was also named Eastern Conference player of the week. Jones earned the same award last month for the June 12-18 period.

WNBA All-Star voting concluded yesterday and Jones was one of the contenders for a starting spot in the East as a leading vote-getter with her averages of 15.6 points, a leagueleading 12 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in just over 28 minutes per game.

WNBA All-Star Voting 2017, presented by Verizon, opened in early June. The Verizon WNBA All-Star 2017 will be played on Saturday (July 22) at KeyArena, home of the Seattle Storm. The game will be broadcast on ABC at 3:30 pm.

All-Star starters will be announced live on ESPN July 11 during the noon edition of Sportscenter.

WNBA head coaches will select reserves for both conferences, which will be announced July 18, live on ESPN2.

JONQUEL JONES (AP)

PAGE 14, Friday, July 7, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

PLATINI LOSES AGAIN AS SWISS JUDGES UPHOLD FOUR-YEAR FIFA BAN

HACKING SHOWS MO FARAH FLAGGED FOR SUSPICIOUS BLOOD DATA

By GRAHAM DUNBAR Associated Press

By JAMES ELLINGWORTH Associated Press

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Switzerland’s supreme court has dismissed an appeal by former FIFA vice president Michel Platini against his four-year ban for financial wrongdoing.

The Swiss Federal Tribunal said yesterday that the ban imposed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport “does not appear to be manifestly excessive.”

Federal judges could intervene if they believed the legal process had been abused when CAS gave its verdict last year.

Platini held little hope of gaining a victory from the Swiss court, according to a statement from the former UEFA president’s lawyers in Paris.

“Michel Platini reserves his rights to continue his fight with other judicial bodies,” the statement said, without specifying which courts this could mean.

The Swiss federal court is the fourth judicial body to find Platini was not entitled to $2 million in backdated salary that he was paid in 2011 for working from 1998-2002 as adviser to then-FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

Platini and Blatter claimed they had a verbal agreement but were banned

by FIFA for a conflict of interest.

The evidence included Blatter’s attempt to increase Platini’s FIFA pension fund with more than $1 million he was not entitled to.

Platini was initially banned for eight years by FIFA’s ethics committee in December 2015. That was cut to six years by FIFA’s appeals committee, then by a further two years at CAS. The case removed Platini from the UEFA presidency and the February 2016 FIFA election to succeed Blatter.

Blatter remains the subject of a criminal proceeding opened by Swiss federal prosecutors for suspected mismanagement of FIFA funds, including the Platini payment.

HAMILTON AND VETTEL ‘MAKE UP’ AFTER ACCIDENT

By JEROME PUGMIRE Associated Press SPIELBERG, Austria (AP) — A contrite and apologetic Sebastian Vettel accepted full blame again for the controversial racing incident with Lewis Hamilton at the recent Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Sitting alongside him at a packed news conference yesterday, Hamilton accepted the apology but maintained justice was not done.

Two weeks ago, an irate Vettel swerved into Hamilton, albeit at slow speed, because he thought the British driver slammed his brakes on recklessly late, right in front of him, seconds earlier. “It was the wrong move to drive alongside him and hit his tire. I guess that’s what you all want to hear,” Vettel said. “Am I proud of the moment? No. Can I take it back? No. Obviously what I did was wrong and I apologised. I did make a mistake and I can understand if he’s upset. It’s good that we can move forward.”

Vettel escaped further punishment this week after Formula One governing body the FIA reviewed the incident in Paris. Vettel travelled to the hearing, apologised, and escaped with a verbal warning from president Jean Todt, which was insufficient in Hamilton’s view. “An intense battle is good for any sport, I don’t disagree with that,” Hamilton said. “But we are used as a platform, we are a role model and we are supposed to inspire and send a message.”

WAYDE VAN NIEKERK (right), of South Africa, and United States’ Michael Cherry compete yesterday in the men’s 400m race at the Athletissima IAAF Diamond League international athletics meeting in the Stade Olympique de la Pontaise in Lausanne, Switzerland.

(Photos:Valentin Flauraud/Keystone via AP)

Wayde van Niekerk sets world-leading 43.62 in 400 metres

By GRAHAM DUNBAR Associated Press LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Olympic 400-metre champion Wayde van Niekerk yesterday ran a world-leading time of 43.62 seconds in his first major race at his favoured distance since the Rio de Janeiro Games.

Van Niekerk chose the Athletissima meeting in the Diamond League series for his first 400 race outside his native South Africa this year, and his first anywhere since April.

On a warm, still evening in Lausanne, the 24-year-old Van Niekerk added the 400 to the world-leading times he also holds in the 200 and 300.

“I didn’t come with a specific time in mind, but I am pleased with this result,” said Van Niekerk, who is favoured to retain his world title in London next month.

Van Niekerk was 0.07 faster than the previous best 400 this season set

by Fred Kerley of the United States.

He set a world record of 43.03 in taking Olympic gold last August.

Four other world-leading performances were set, and the 30-yearold world record in women’s high jump was threatened by world champion Maria Lasitskene.

Lasitskene cleared a season-best 2.06 metres before taking aim at the 2.09 set in 1987 by Stefka Kostadinova of Bulgaria.

The Pontaise stadium fell silent for Lasitskene’s third and final attempt but the bar was sent crashing by the Russian. She competes as a neutral athlete while her country is suspended from competition due to extensive doping.

Van Niekerk has sparkled this season despite skipping his main event since some low-key home meetings.

The South African star set a world best of 30.81 in the seldom-raced 300 last week. He took Michael Johnson’s 17-year-old mark by 0.04 in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

Van Niekerk also has a worldleading 200 time of 19.84, set in Jamaica last month, and a 9.94 in

JUSTIN GATLIN (right), of the US, competes in the 100m race yesterday.

SAM KENDRICKS, of the US, competes in the pole vault yesterday. the 100 that has him seventh in the world list this season.

Justin Gatlin, the former Olympic 100 champion, has a best 0.01 slower than Van Niekerk this season, and he was unable to beat it yesterday as he ran into a slight headwind. The 35-year-old American clocked 9.96 to edge Ben Youssef Meite of Ivory Coast by 0.02.

Olympic javelin champion Sara Kolak set a world-leading mark and national record at 68.43 metres with her final throw.

“People in Croatia have high expectations and I want to live up to that,” Kolak said.

Two Ethopian runners also set world-leading times: Genzebe Dibaba’s 4 minutes 16.05 seconds in the women’s mile, and Muktar Edris with 12:55.23 in the men’s 5,000.

The first three finishers all were faster than Olympic champion Mo Farah’s previous world-leading time set in Eugene, Oregon, in May. World champion Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands won the 200 in 22.10 for her fastest time of the season.

Olympic 800 silver medallist Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi was just outside Caster Semenya’s worldleading time to win in 1:56.82. Runner-up Charlene Lipsey of the US ran a career-best 1:57.38.

Other winners Thursday were: American Sam Kendricks, clearing 5.93 in a fiercely contested pole vault; Olympic champion Ryan Crouser of the United States in the shot put; and Aman Wote of Ethiopia in the men’s 1,500.

MOSCOW (AP) — Data posted by Russian-linked hackers show four-time Olympic gold medallist runner Mo Farah’s blood readings were once flagged by track’s governing body.

The findings were part of his biological passport.

Such passports, unlike traditional drug tests, track athletes’ blood data for signs of doping over a long period. A single suspicious passport sample on its own isn’t considered grounds for a ban and doesn’t mean any trace of a banned substance was found.

The data posted by the Fancy Bears group include alleged IAAF correspondence from April 2016 that lists Farah among athletes whose blood data was considered suspicious.

Farah’s profile is flagged as “likely doping” in one document attached to the April 2016 email, allegedly following analysis by an unidentified expert. Another file attached to the same email says the British runner’s profile is “now flagged as ‘normal’ with the last sample.” It isn’t clear exactly why there was any change or exactly what evidence may have been behind any suspicion.

“Any suggestion of misconduct is entirely false and seriously misleading. Mo Farah has been subject to many blood tests during his career and has never failed a single one,” according to an email from a public relations firm representing Farah. “We have never been informed of any of Mo’s test results being outside of the legal parameters set by the relevant authorities, nor has Mo ever been contacted by the IAAF about any individual result. It is totally incorrect and defamatory to suggest otherwise.”

The data appeared to be genuine and hacked from the IAAF in April, according to the track body, which apologised later yesterday to athletes whose confidentiality had been breached.

“The IAAF offers its sincerest apologies to the athletes who believed their personal and medical information was secure with us,” the Monaco-based body said.

IAAF President Sebastian Coe acknowledged that security needed to be reviewed, though urged against casting suspicion on athletes named in the hack.

“It would be wrong to make assumptions based upon leaked documents without the full evidence and that evidence being put in context,” Coe said.

The US Anti-Doping Agency is investigating Farah’s coach, Alberto Salazar. He has been accused of skirting anti-doping rules while training some of his athletes at the Nike Oregon Project, a high-profile group that promotes distance running.

The 2013 world race-walk champion Robert Heffernan of Ireland also appears in the documents with the note: “Profile Suspicious flagged ‘Normal’ since the very recent sample.” Heffernan’s agent, Denny McVeigh, told The Associated Press that Heffernan had been investigated because of a blood sample he had given shortly after surgery on a hernia. The effects of the operation, and a related dose of an antiblood clotting agent, caused Heffernan’s blood to appear abnormal, McVeigh said.

The IAAF said the data — including numerous emails purportedly written by top IAAF managers — was apparently obtained in a hack the organisation reported in April. The Associated Press has not been able to verify whether the documents are accurate.

Fancy Bears, known under a variety of other names, has been tied to the Kremlin by US and German intelligence, as well as private researchers.