DWYER RETIRES AFTER DOPING BAN
U.S. Olympic gold-medal swimmer Conor Dwyer, who grew up in Winnetka and attended Loyola Academy, announced his retirement Friday after receiving a 20-month doping ban for having testosterone pellets inserted into his body.
The 30-year-old Dwyer, who won relay gold medals in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics and an individual bronze in the 2016 Games, tested positive three times between Nov. 15 and Dec. 20 last year. His ban was made effective Dec. 21, which means he won’t be eligible for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
A three-person arbitration panel heard the case. In its decision, the panel wrote Dwyer worked with a nutritionist who suggested the pellets, which are inserted into the skin tissue near the hip. But the report said neither Dwyer nor his nutritionist followed up with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which makes its rules and list of banned substances public and also has a hotline to respond to questions.
NFL RUDOLPH OUT; HODGES TO START FOR STEELERS
The Steelers ruled quarterback Mason Rudolph out for their game Sunday against the Chargers while he continues to recover from a concussion, meaning undrafted rookie free agent Devlin Hodges will get the start.
Rudolph was limited in practice all week after getting knocked unconscious by Ravens safety Earl Thomas in the third quarter last Sunday. Hodges, whom the Steelers signed after a tryout in May, was 7-for-9 for 68 yards and scrambled once for 21 yards after coming in for Rudolph.
♦ The Eagles will be without several key players Sunday against the Vikings, including receiver DeSean Jackson (abdomen), cornerbacks Ronald Darby (hamstring) and Avonte Maddox (neck) and running back Darren Sproles (calf ).
♦ The Jaguars listed cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who has asked for a trade and missed the last two games with an apparent back injury, as questionable to play Sunday against the Saints.
TENNIS DJOKOVIC, FEDERER UPSET IN SHANGHAI
Top-seeded Novak Djokovic lost to sixth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 and secondseeded Roger Federer fell to fifth-seeded Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-7 (7-9), 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters.
♦ U.S. teenager Coco Gauff, 15, reached her first WTA Tour semifinal with a 7-6 (7-1), 6-4 upset of top-seeded Kiki Bertens in Linz, Austria. ✶