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Boxing: The promoters of Tyson Fury (picture) say they are “baffled” by claims the world heavyweight champion is embroiled in a doping investigation. A report by the Sunday Mirror alleged traces of a banned substance were discovered in a sample taken last year. But Fury’s promoter Hennessy Sports has denied the allegations. A statement read: “We are baffled by today’s story in the Sunday Mirror. Tyson Fury absolutely denies any allegation of doping. He looks forward to recovering from his injury and defending his titles against Wladimir Klitschko in October.”
Cycling: Bradley Wiggins says a record-breaking eighth Olympic medal will mean nothing unless it is gold in Rio, and admits his fear of retirement is tempting him to seriously consider extending his career in search of even more glory. It has been widely assumed the 36-year-old Wiggins will step aside after this summer’s team pursuit, in which a medal will take Wiggins above his former team-mate Sir Chris Hoy and make him the most successful British Olympian of all time. Wiggins said: “For me Rio is about one colour and it’s got to be golden. I’m not really concerned about silver and bronzes. Bronze will be enough to have more medals than anyone else, but with this group anything but gold will be a huge disappointment.”
Gymnastics: An emotional John Orozco has been named on the United States Olympic men’s gymnastics team after a difficult 17-month period in which he experienced the unexpected death of his mother and suffered a torn Achilles tendon. The five-member selection committee picked Orozco, Chris Brooks, Jacob Dalton, Sam Mikulak and Alex Naddour from their performances at the Olympic trials in St Louis on Thursday and Saturday and the national championships earlier this month. The 23-year-old Orozco competed in four of the six events at the trials for the Aug. 5-21 Rio Olympics and finished second behind Brooks in the horizontal bar. “I was the last name they called,” Orozco said. “I thought I was going to stop breathing.”
Rowing: Britain’s most successful female Olympic rower Katherine Grainger will compete at her fifth Games in Rio after being selected yesterday with Victoria Thornley in the double sculls. The 40-year-old was left out of an initial squad of 43 named earlier in June for this year’s Olympics after a failed attempt to win selection for the women’s eight. Grainger won gold in the double sculls at London 2012, with now retired partner Anna Watkins, and also has three silvers. The Scot had switched her focus to the women’s eight in May after she and Thornley failed to make the podium in the double sculls at the Euro championships.
Golf: Four-time major winner Ernie Els kept himself in contention for a first victory in exactly three years with a third-round 65 at the Quicken Loans National. The South African’s effort was the best of the day and moved him to within two of leader Billy Hurley III, whom he will partner in today’s final group at Congressional Golf and Country Club in Bethesda. Els’ round sparked into life at the sixth, where he registered the first of three birdies in a row, but the real boost came at the par-four 12th where the 46-year-old holed his 157-yard approach with a nine iron for an eagle two.
Rugby Union: England beat Ireland 45-21 to win rugby’s Under-20 championship for the third time in four years on Saturday, wrapping up a great day for the country after the senior side triumphed 44-40 in Sydney to complete a 3-0 clean sweep over Australia. England’s youngsters, beaten in the final by New Zealand last year, raced into a 21-0 half-time lead and were never challenged by an Ireland side appearing in the final for the first time. England flyhalf and captain Harry Mallinder scored two tries in a 23-point haul to scoop the man of the match award.