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Athletics: Jamaica’s sprint queen Elaine Thompson (picture, right) again edged her rivals as she set a Diamond League record in the women’s 200m in Zurich to continue the form that brought her two gold medals at last month’s Rio Olympics. Thompson came home in 21.85 seconds to beat Dutch world champion Dafne Schippers and evergreen American Allyson Felix in hot conditions. Schippers ran her best time this season but was still one hundredth of a second behind Thompson with Felix third in 22.02.
Motor Racing: Renault driver Kevin Magnussen expressed confidence in his car after being passed fit for tomorrow’s Italian Grand Prix following his big crash in Belgium last weekend. “After a crash like that it’s clear the car is very safe and there’s not too much to worry about,” the Dane told reporters at the Italian Grand Prix. “I’m going to be flat-out again and pushing as hard as I can.”
Paralympics: Australian Paralympic cyclist Michael Gallagher has been handed a mandatory provisional suspension by Cycling Australia and the Australian Paralympic Committee after testing positive for erythro-poietin (EPO). Scotland-born Gallagher, who won track golds at the Beijing and London Paralympics, was tested out-of-competition at a training camp in Italy in July, the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) said in a statement. The provisional suspension has ruled 37-year-old Gallagher out of competing at this month’s Paralympics in Rio.
Cricket: Former paceman Ryan Harris has taken a major step towards achieving his ambition of becoming Australia’s permanent bowling coach after the 36-year-old was handed the role for the team’s limited-overs tour of South Africa. Harris, who retired from all forms of cricket last year, played 27 tests, 21 one-day internationals and three Twenty20s for Australia. He will join head coach Darren Lehmann and assistant coach David Saker on the tour starting on September 27, where Australia will play a single one-dayer against Ireland and a five-match series against hosts South Africa.
Tennis: Bernard Tomic was sent packing early at the US Open and his minimal earnings were offset by a $10,000 fine levied on him for a crude on-court outburst he directed at a heckler during his first-round loss. The Australian, angered by a heckler in the stands during his upset loss to world number 72 Damir Dzumhur on Tuesday, was caught on camera directing a number of sexually explicit comments toward someone in the crowd. Tomic, who later apologised for his comments, was the 17th seed at the year’s final grand slam and will receive $43,313 for his first-round appearance.