Sailing: Portugal’s Olympic committee has banned a female windsurfer for life for concealing she was pregnant but attending the London Games anyway to see her husband. Carolina Borges travelled to Britain as part of the Portugal team but then sent an email during the Games saying she was quitting before her RS-X event had even started. Brazil-born Borges represented Brazil at the 2004 Olympics but later joined Portugal. She is married to US sailor Mark Mendelblatt, who competed in London in the Star class regatta.
Motor Racing: Formula One tail-enders Marussia put themselves on a more level playing field with rivals Caterham yesterday. The Russian-licensed team, who for cost reasons have competed without the KERS energy recovery systems that every other team had last year, finally took the technological plunge with their new MR02 car. Principal John Booth said that it was a big moment and a ‘massive step forward” for a team that has yet to score a point. “I think it is our first real baby,” the Briton told reporters.
Swimming: Britain’s double Olympic champion swimmer Rebecca Adlington (picture) has retired from competition to concentrate on grassroots coaching, the 23-year-old said yesterday. Adlington, who currently holds the world record in the 800 metres freestyle, won two golds in Beijing in 2008 and two bronze medals at London 2012. “I’m very proud of what I have achieved so far, but my journey is not finished yet. My vision is that every child in Britain will be able to swim 25 metres by the time they leave primary school,” Adlington said. “Being able to swim is such a wonderful life skill, and I see this as my greatest challenge in swimming.”
Athletics: Britain’s Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis will skip this year’s indoor season in order to concentrate on her preparation for August’s worlds in Moscow. “I went back into tough winter training with an open mind on whether or not I would want to compete indoors this year – training has been going well but I feel that my focus really has to be attempting to win another world title in Russia this summer,” Ennis said. The 27-year-old Ennis won the world title in Berlin in 2009 but finished second to Russian Tatyana Chernova in 2011.
Cricket: Hashim Amla occupies the top spot in both the test and one-day rankings but would not call himself the best batsman even in the South African dressing room. Amla’s 74 not out in the second innings of South Africa’s 211-run win over Pakistan on Monday elevated him above Australian Michael Clarke to the top of the test batting rankings. The 29-year-old, however, remained characteristically modest. “It’s been a great year for our squad, and to be honest I still don’t think that I am the best batsman in our team,” he said.
Alpine Skiing: Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn will miss the rest of the Alpine skiing season after fracturing her shin and tearing knee ligaments in a crash during the opening super-G at the world championships yesterday. “She will be out for the remainder of this season but is expected to return to racing for the 2013-14 Audi FIS World Cup season and the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi,” the US team said. The American four-times overall World Cup champion tumbled down the piste after a jump halfway down the race, which started three-and-a-half hours behind schedule in poor visibility. Vonn, who nearly somersaulted across the snow, was heard screaming in pain on the side of the course. She was flown to hospital in Salzburg by helicopter.