Bans for bribery, doping are upheld
Lifetime bans for the son of former IAAF President Lamine Diack and Russia’s former top athletics official have been upheld in a doping and bribery case.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport said Monday that its judging panel dismissed appeals by Papa Massata Diack and former IAAF treasurer Valentin Balakhnichev against bans by the governing body.
The court also confirmed the lifetime ban of a coach, Alexei Melnikov, who led Russia’s long-distance running program.
“The panel concluded that on the evidence adduced, the charges against Balakhnichev, Melnikov and Diack were established beyond reasonable doubt,” the court said in a statement. The full verdict is expected to be published at a later date.
Papa Massata Diack, then an IAAF marketing consultant, is subject to an international arrest warrant and believed to be in his native Senegal. He is wanted for questioning by France authorities in a corruption case linked to Russian doping and blackmail that also implicates his father.
An IAAF ethics committee imposed lifetime bans in January 2016 for an alleged conspiracy to extort money from Russian runner Liliya Shobukhova, a former winner of the Boston, Chicago and London marathons who later turned whistle-blower. ELSEWHERE
Man City gets tie, thanks to late goal
Raheem Sterling scored an 82nd-minute equalizer as Manchester City fought back to draw with Everton 1-1 while playing with 10 men for more than half of the English Premier League game.
Wayne Rooney, who was jeered relentlessly by City’s fans owing to his Manchester United connections, scored in the 35th minute to put City in front. It was Rooney’s 200th Premier League goal, and second in two league games since returning to his boyhood team this summer.
Rooney wheeled away in delight after his close-range goal, cupping both ears with his hands in front of the home supporters. He is enjoying something of a career renaissance since leaving United in the offseason.
Alan Shearer (260) is the only other player to have reached 200 goals in the Premier League. Hockey: Defenseman Francois Beauchemin agreed to an incentive-laden one-year contract to return for a third stint with the Anaheim Ducks. Golf: Maverick McNealy of Stanford and Collin Morikawa of Cal are among 10 amateurs named to the U.S. Walker Cup team. The U.S. will face amateurs from Great Britain and Ireland in Los Angeles on Sept. 9 and 10. NBA: The Dallas Mavericks signed free-agent center Jeff Withey, who averaged 2.9 points and 2.4 rebounds in 51 games with Utah last season. College football: Sophomore linebacker Maciah Long was dismissed from the Kansas team after being charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly threatening a woman with a handgun.