Swimming: Australia’s former world champion swimmer and double Olympic silver medallist Christian Sprenger announced his retirement yesterday, citing injury and a lack of motivation only months before the Rio Games. “The realisation was I was trying to push myself to the Olympics because that’s what I’ve always done,” said the 30-year-old. “I have no sort of feeling towards the water right now. I look at it and I don’t really want to dive in at this moment.”

Rugby Union: Otago Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph said the lure of leading Japan on home soil at the 2019 Rugby World Cup was too good to refuse after he agreed yesterday to take over at the end of the Super Rugby champions’ 2016 season. “The decision to move on from the Highlanders was the toughest... I have ever had to make in my coaching career,” Joseph said in a statement on New Zealand Rugby’s allblacks.com website “For me, the challenge of the next few years with Japan is what I need to keep moving forward.” Japan had been in the market for a new head coach after Eddie Jones, who guided them to an unprecedented three wins at last year’s Rugby World Cup, left the post to take charge of England.

Basketball, NBA: The Golden State Warriors took a few minutes to warm up but they eventually caught fire and rolled to a 125-94 thumping of the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. Stephen Curry had 25 points, Klay Thompson 20 and Harrison Barnes finished with 19 to lead the Warriors (39-4), who also got double-digit bench scoring from Andre Iguodala (10 points), Leandro Barbosa (12) and Shaun Livingston (12). Derrick Rose led all scorers with 29 points and Jimmy Butler added 23 points for the Bulls (24-17), who were swept by Golden State in the two-game season series.