Burrito defense fails for banned U.S. runner
Shelby Houlihan, the American record holder in the 1,500 and 5,000 meters, was banned for four years after failing to prove that tainted pork caused her positive test for an anabolic steroid, sport’s highest court said Tuesday.
Houlihan, 28, blamed a pork burrito bought at a Mexican street food truck when she revealed her doping case in an announcement on her Instagram account Monday.
A case that went ahead in secret for five months was published days before the start of U.S. Olympic track and field trials in Eugene, Ore., where the top three in each event earn a spot to the postponed Tokyo Games. Houlihan finished 11th at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics in the 5,000 meters.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed Tuesday its panel of judges “unanimously determined that Shelby Houlihan had failed” to prove how the anabolic steroid nandrolone got into her system.
The case was fasttracked with the consent of all parties to be heard on June 4 by video link with the court in Lausanne, Switzerland. The verdict was announced without a detailed verdict.
It stayed confidential until Houlihan’s own announcement of the positive doping test and ban that runs to January 2025. It also rules her out of the 2024 Paris Olympics and the first track worlds to be held in the United States, next year in Eugene.
Open water swimming star Hundeby dies
Former Woodbridge High standout swimmer Chad Hundeby, who became a renowned competitor in open water events, died at age 50 on Saturday, his brother, Coleman said.
The Tustin resident suffered an apparent heart attack, his brother said.
Coleman said the sudden loss of his brother — a husband and father of three boys — was shocking but his record-setting swimming career left a legacy.
“He was a very, very humble person,” said Coleman, who swam with his brother at Woodbridge. “He didn’t do things for (personal) recognition.”
Hundeby won six CIF Southern Section individual titles in the late 1980s — three in the 200-yard freestyle and three in the 500 freestyle — and led the Warriors to the CIF Division 2AA title as a senior in 1989. From 1987-89, his times in the 200 and 500 free were the fastest in any division at CIF.
Hundeby swam at SMU but was best known for his long races in open water.
In 1991, he captured the 25K at the FINA World Championships, racing on the Swan River in Perth, Australia. In 1994, he set a then world record for swimming the English Channel in a time of seven hours, 17 minutes.
Hundeby also set a record for swimming the Catalina Channel in eight hours and 14 minutes.
Hundeby was named U.S. open water swimmer of the year in 1991, 1993 and 1994, long before the discipline was added to the Olympic lineup. He was elected to the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2012.
Hundeby is survived by his wife, Jean Marie, sons Anders, Hayden, and Marcus, brother, Coleman, and parents Ted and Jan of Irvine. Funeral arrangements are pending, Coleman said.
Lopez positive for virus, fight postponed
Lightweight champion Teófimo López is symptomatic after testing positive for COVID-19, and his bout with mandatory challenger George Kambosos was postponed until Aug. 14.
López and Kambosos were scheduled to fight Saturday night at the Miami Marlins’ home stadium. The entire card has been pushed back eight weeks, according to Triller Fight Club co-founder Ryan Kavanaugh.
Parachuting protestor injures fans at Euro
Several spectators were treated in the hospital for injuries caused by a protestor who parachuted into the stadium before France played Germany at the European Championship in Munich, UEFA said.
Debris fell on the field and main grandstand, narrowly missing France coach Didier Deschamps, when the parachutist struck wires for an overhead camera attached to the stadium roof.
The governing body of European soccer called it a “reckless and dangerous” act and said “law authorities will take the necessary action.”
“This inconsiderate act ... caused injuries to several people attending the game who are now in hospital,” UEFA said.
The incident happened just before the start of the Euro 2020 match between the last two World Cup champions. Deschamps was shown ducking into the team dugout to avoid falling debris.
The protestor’s parachute had the slogan “KICK OUT OIL!” and “Greenpeace”
written on it.
He glided into the stadium and seemed to lose control after connecting with the wires. He veered away from the playing area toward the main grandstand and barely cleared the heads of spectators.
The parachutist managed to land on the field and Germany players Antonio Rüdiger and Robin Gosens were the first to approach him. He was led away by security stewards and given medical attention on the side of the field.
UEFA and one of its toptier tournament sponsors, Russian state energy firm Gazprom, have previously been targeted by Greenpeace protests.
In the match, Mats Hummels’ return to the national team went better for France than it did for Germany.
The experienced defender was recalled by Germany coach Joachim Löw for the European Championship for his leadership qualities, but he ended up scoring an own-goal to give France a 1-0 victory.
• Cristiano Ronaldo set the record for most goals at the European Championship with two of them in Portugal’s 3-0 victory over Hungary at a packed Puskas Arena.
Ronaldo scored his 10th goal at the tournament from the penalty spot in the 87th minute and then added a second in injury time. He has now scored 11 goals over five continental tournaments. He entered the match even with Michel Platini at nine goals.
• A hat trick in six minutes by Ado Onaiwu highlighted Japan’s 5-1 victory over Kyrgyzstan in Asian qualifying for the World Cup in Seoul, South Korea.
• China advanced to the third round in Asian qualifying for the World Cup by beating Syria 3-1 in Seoul.
• Brazil’s health ministry raised the number of COVID-19 cases related to the Copa America to 52, including 33 players or staffers. The ministry said that the increase, from 41 total cases earlier, includes 19 workers hired for the tournament.
Murray emotional after comeback win
Former world No. 1 Andy Murray defeated Benoit Paire 6-3, 6-2 at The Queen’s Club grass-court tournament in London, dispatching the Frenchman in 65 minutes for his first match victory in more than a year.
It was Murray’s first grass-court match in three years and he felt right at home, converting all three break points and never facing one himself.
Murray hadn’t played on grass since Eastbourne in 2018. His last match win came in the first round of the 2020 U.S. Open, where he came back from two sets down to narrowly defeat Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan.
After beating Paire, the often-injured Murray, who has undergone two hip surgeries, had to pause to gain his composure before speaking.
“I love playing tennis,” he said, shaking his head as the crowd stood and cheered. “Sorry. Obviously, competing is why you put in all the hard work. The last few years I have not got to do that as much as I would have liked. Great that I’m out here and able to compete again.”
• Daniil Medvedev’s grass-court season got off to a bad start after the topseeded Russian lost his first-round match at the Halle (Germany) Open to Jan-Lennard Struff. Medvedev was broken three times in a 7-6 (6), 6-3 loss. He was coming off reaching the French Open quarterfinals last week.
Biles-Thomas murder charges dismissed
A judge in Ohio dismissed murder charges filed against the brother of Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles, ruling that prosecutors did not present evidence to sustain a conviction in a 2018 New Year’s Eve party shooting in Cleveland that left three men dead.
Biles-Thomas, a U.S. Army soldier, has maintained his innocence. His first trial ended in a mistrial last month after jurors said they had read legal paperwork that inadvertently was included in evidence given to them to review.
• Former WNBA All-Star Game MVP and Louisville All-American guard Shoni Schimmel is being held in an Oregon jail on multiple charges including felony assault and criminal mischief.
Schimmel, 29, was arrested early Monday and remained in the Umatilla County jail on $48,750 bail. The sheriff’s office website also lists several misdemeanor charges including domestic abuse, menacing, reckless endangerment and harassment.
VeeKay uncertain for IndyCar Road America
Rinus VeeKay was injured in a cycling accident and his status for IndyCar’s race at Road America this weekend is uncertain, Ed Carpenter Racing said.
The team said VeeKay, 20, was being treated for a clavicle injury by IndyCar’s medical staff. The team said in a statement he was injured the day before on a cycling trail during a training ride.