LYLES ‘HURT’ BY COLEMAN SUSPENSION
Un-Nooh! Thai player faces fastest-ever defeat at Crucible
WORLD 200 metres champion Noah Lyles has slammed fellow American sprinter Christian Coleman over his suspension for missed drug tests.
Coleman, the 100m world champion, narrowly escaped a ban last year for missing three doping tests, but was suspended in June after again breaching the rules.
And he may now miss next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Lyles, who along with Coleman was part of the US relay team that won the 4x100m gold at the world championships in 2019, said a potential ban for his 24-year-old team-mate could hurt their chances in Japan.
“You are just hoping for a little more responsibility,” Lyles said.
“It hurts because we want to go to Tokyo and aim to get the world record.”
Lyles, 23, had previously told American media outlets that his relationship with Coleman was not good, but he said he did not want to see his compatriot banned.
Three failures to properly file whereabouts information, or being absent at the hour stated – all within a 12-month period – can result in a one or two-year suspension.
“You do not wish anyone to be missing tests,” added Lyles.
“That’s the quickest way to an accidental suspension. It hurts to see it in the track world.”
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN produced a display worthy of a standing ovation in an empty Crucible Theatre.
The Rocket is on recordbreaking pace after racing into an 8-1 lead against Thailand’s Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in his Betfred World Championship opener yesterday.
The session took just one hour and 22 minutes, at an average of nine minutes and 18 seconds a frame. And the five-time world champion is on course to smash the record for the quickest match seen at the iconic venue.
That is two hours 29 minutes when Shaun Murphy beat Luo Honghao 10-0 in last year’s first round. O’Sullivan, who had worries about allowing spectators during the pandemic, could not have looked more relaxed.
He shared a Thai greeting with his opponent, clasping hands and bowing. Then, fortified by tough practice and sessions with mind guru Steve Peters, he showed UnNooh no mercy with beaks of 101, 85, 115, 74, 88, 76 and 65.
O’Sullivan said: “In a way no crowds has helped getting in and out of the venue, that’s been a lot less hectic. I’d voiced concerns about the crowd but this isn’t point-scoring – common sense prevailed. We’ve been told for the last four months to have no gatherings and especially indoors.
“Then to say you’d have a crowd indoors went against what everyone was saying. I think the right decision’s been made and I feel a lot safer.”
Stuart Bingham called for the
HIGGINS IN CAREER TWILIGHT
JOHN HIGGINS admitted it was like “the twilight zone” playing in an empty Crucible.
The four-time world champion (left) eased into the last 16 of the Betfred World
Crucible to be filled with cardboard cut-out fans, describing beating debutant Ashley Carty 10-7 as “like a practice match”.
“It felt very echoey with no one there,” said Bingham (right).
“I think they should do like the Premier League and put faces on the seats to make a bit like normal. might lighten the arena up.”
Championship with a 10-5 win over Wales’ Matthew Stevens.
It is a 26th straight appearance at the iconic venue for Higgins but a first with no crowd present.
The 45-year-old said: “It
It was like the twilight zone out there – really surreal.
“I think the crowd noise used today in the arena is an improvement. It was like going to Mass in the first session yesterday.”