Tokyo governor confronts IOC over moving Olympic marathon
TOKYO >> The IOC has a full-blown fight on its hands trying to move next year’s Olympic marathon from steamy Tokyo to the cooler northern city of Sapporo.
The powerful Olympic body is up against Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, who was once viewed as a possible Japanese prime minister candidate and is one of the country’s most astute politicians.
She’s now casting herself as the champion of the 35 million people who live in greater Tokyo, who want their metropolis showcased as runners wind over streets lined by shrines, temples and skyscrapers.
At the opening Wednesday of three days of meetings with the International Olympic Committee and Tokyo officials, Koike lashed out at the proposed change announced suddenly two week ago by the IOC.
“It is my wish for the marathon and race walk to be held in Tokyo,” Koike said, speaking both in English and Japanese.
The IOC said it made the move after seeing runners collapse in extreme heat at marathons at the world track and field championships earlier this month in Doha, Qatar.
Djokovic, Nadal reach 3rd round
PARIS >> Four-time champion Novak Djokovic overcame a first-set wobble against unheralded Corentin Moutet, beating the 97thranked Frenchman 7-6 (2), 6-4 to reach the third round of the Paris Masters.
The top-ranked Djokovic lost his serve in game seven and needed to save two set points in order to hold the ninth game at
5-3 down. The 16-time Grand Slam winner broke back for 5-5 against his 20-year-old opponent, who has never won a title while Djokovic chases a 77th.
U.S. Open champion Rafael Nadal, who is battling with his old rival Djokovic for the year-end No. 1 ranking, won 7-5, 6-4 win against unseeded Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.
The second-seeded Spaniard next faces Stan Wawrinka, with an 18-3 lead in their career meetings.
Svitolina qualifies for semifinals
SHENZHEN, CHINA >> Defending champion Elina Svitolina qualified for the semifinals of the season-ending WTA Finals by beating Simona Halep 7-5, 6-3 on Wednesday.
Svitolina, the only competitor in the eightplayer field not to win a title this season, last won a tournament at last year’s WTA Finals.
In the late match, Bianca Andreescu retired with a left knee injury after losing the first set to Karolina Pliskova 6-3.
Santa Anita explores possible return to synthetic surface
ARCADIA >> Santa Anita is looking into the possibility of removing its dirt surface, where the majority of the track’s 36 horse deaths since December have occurred, and going back to a synthetic surface.
That’s according to Dr. Dionne Benson, chief veterinary officer for The Stronach Group, which owns the track. “We haven’t ruled anything out,” she said Wednesday.
The drastic measure is being explored as a way to curtail the spate of deaths at the track, which is hosting the Breeders’ Cup world championships this weekend for a record 10th time.
Saban: Tua game-time decision?
TUSCALOOSA, ALA. >> Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is returning to practice, but tight end Miller Forristall could be out for the next six weeks.
Coach Nick Saban says that Tagovailoa could be “a game time decision” with a sprained right ankle but he was set to practice Wednesday.
Saban says Forristall got hit in the throat in the Arkansas game and had surgery to repair an injury to his voice box.