Neymar representatives deny links to big Brazil party

SAO PAULO » Representatives for soccer superstar Neymar are trying to distance him from claims he has flouted pandemic warnings with a huge, multiday New Year’s bash at or near his home in Brazil while on break from his French club team.

Day Crespo, the main spokesperson for Neymar, said in an message Wednesday that the Paris Saint-Germain forward isn’t even at the exclusive neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro state where the party is taking place.

“Neymar Jr. will not throw any party this year, we are in a full blown pandemic and he is with his friends and family members,” she said. Earlier on Wednesday the footballer published on his social media channels a picture of himself and a friend on a boat in a Southern Brazil beach, Praia do Caixa D’Aço.

The Brazilian daily O Globo reported on Saturday that the player had organized a party it called a “Neymarpalooza” in the Rio state city of Mangaratiba, where he owns a mansion. It said many guests had already landed at a nearby airfield rented by Neymar.

Brazil has recorded nearly 200,000 deaths from COVID-19.

Querrey handed suspended fine

LONDON » American tennis player Sam Querrey was handed a suspended $20,000 fine by the ATP tour for breaching coronavirus protocols at the St. Petersburg Open in October.

Querrey left Russia on a private plane after testing positive for COVID-19, despite having been placed in isolation by local authorities. The ATP said its investigation into the incident concluded that Querrey’s conduct was “contrary to the integrity of the game.”

However, the fine will be lifted if Querrey, 33, does not commit any further violations of health and safety protocols.

Mayer edges Kriechmayr for Austrian 1-2 in downhill

BORMIO, ITALY » Matthias Mayer ended Austria’s wait for its first victory of the Alpine skiing World Cup season by winning the classic downhill on the Stelvio in the last event of 2020.

In a spectacular race on one of the circuit’s most challenging courses, Mayer edged teammate Vincent Kriechmayr by four-hundredths of a second for an Austrian 1-2 finish.

Austria had failed to win any of this season’s previous 12 men’s and 10 women’s World Cup races.