MOTORCYCLING: Former Superbike World Champion Max Biaggi (picture) was badly injured and airlifted to hospital yesterday after an accident during practice ahead of a Supermoto race this weekend near Rome. Biaggi, a two-times Superbike champion, lost control of his bike during a test run at the Sagittario circuit in Latina. La Repubblica’s website said that Biaggi never lost consciousness but appeared to have suffered injuries to his spine and thorax.He was flown by helicopter to Rome’s San Camillo hospital for treatment and his life did not appear to be in danger, state television RAI said. Biaggi, 45, was a four-times 250cc world champion before switching to the bigger 500cc bikes in 1998.
CRICKET: The Surrey County Cricket Club are planning to redevelop The Oval stadium to increase it’s capacity to 40,000. The Oval currently has a capacity of 25,000 but Surrey plans to rebuild Bedser Stand and Laker-Lock Stand after the 2019 World Cup, to boost capacity and make it the biggest cricket ground in the country. The club has held talks with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) regarding the plan that will make The Oval one of the top venues for the region.
TENNIS: Milos Raonic and coach Richard Krajicek have decided to part ways after less than six months working together, the Canadian said in the wake of his exit from the French Open. The world number six did not win a title under the former Wimbledon champion, who was appointed in December, and progressed to the final in two of nine tournaments. Raonic lost to Pablo Carreno Busta in the fourth round at Roland Garros on Sunday.
SWIMMING: Australian Olympic swimmer Thomas Fraser-Holmes will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to overturn a 12-month ban for missing anti-doping tests. Athletes are required to file information on their whereabouts every day to allow drug testers to locate them for random out-of-competition tests. Fraser-Holmes, who won a 200 metres freestyle relay bronze at the 2015 world championships, had fallen foul of the ‘whereabouts’ rule and missed three tests, local media reported.
ATHLETICS: Kenyan Hellen Obiri destroyed the field to win the women’s 5,000 metres at the Rome Diamond League meeting on Thursday night, upstaging Genzebe Dibaba who was expected to make a world record attempt. Obiri, the Olympic silver medallist, ran the fifth fastest time in history and the quickest of the season as she finished in 14 minutes 18.37 seconds, nearly 15 seconds ahead of compatriot Agnes Jebet Tirop in second place. Obiri broke the field with a 64.75 second lap and from that point on was racing against the clock.