Swimming: Russian Yulia Efimova (picture, right) is free to compete at the Olympic Games after the World Swimming Federation dropped doping charges against her. Efimova, a bronze medallist from the 2012 London Olympics, announced in March that a doping test from February had shown she had taken the banned drug meldonium. Meldonium was added to the WADA list of banned substances as of January 1, 2016. However, after a wave of positive tests, WADA admitted in April that positive tests could be overturned due to a lack of clear scientific information on how long the drug takes to be excreted from the body.
Rugby: A pure gold rugby ball, made in honour of Japan’s shock win over South Africa at last year’s rugby World Cup, went on sale in Tokyo yesterday for $360,000. The shining 2.8kg ball was displayed at Japan’s oldest department store chain, Mitsu-koshi, alongside other valuable items in the annual ‘Large Gold Exhibition’. The Brave Blossoms produced arguably the biggest shock in World Cup history when they beat twice champions South Africa 34-32 in September, their first win at the tournament in 24 years.
Rowing: Italian rower Niccolo Mornati will miss the Rio Olympics after being suspended for four years by the country’s Anti-Doping Tribunal, the Italian National Olympic Committee said in a statement. The 35-year-old rower, who is the brother of Olympic silver medallist Carlo Mornati, tested positive for anastrozole, a breast cancer drug which can be used as a masking agent, on April 6 on his way back from a training camp in South Africa. Niccolo Mornati, who had qualified for the Rio Olympics, was provisionally suspended in May pending an inquiry by the tribunal but has now been banned until February 5, 2020.
Golf: Masters champion Danny Willett and former US Open tournament winner Justin Rose will represent Great Britain in next month’s Rio Games, the British Olympic Association announced yesterday. World number nine Willett and 11th ranked Rose will compete in the August 11-14 men’s 72-hole stroke play event, which has been hit by several high-profile pullouts citing concerns of the Zika virus. Twenty-year-old Charley Hull, the youngest member of the squad, will compete alongside former Women’s British Open winner Catriona Matthew in the women’s competition.
Basket, NBA: The NBA approved rule changes on fouls away from the ball which could help reduce intentional fouling. Previously, if a foul occurred away-from-the-play in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime, it resulted in one free-throw and possession of the ball. That rule has been extended to apply to the last two minutes of all quarters. Intentionally fouling poor free-throw shooters has become a frequent strategy of the game, an often criticised one, and the rule tweak will limit the opportunities for teams to employ that ploy.