International Capsules: Lysacek won't compete in 2010
Olympic gold medalist Evan Lysacek is taking some time off. How much time off, he hasn't decided.
Lysacek said Thursday he won't compete the rest of this year, meaning he will skip the Grand Prix season. But he still wants to skate, and hasn't ruled out the U.S. championships in mid-January.
"I miss it. I miss competing. I miss training," Lysacek said. "Obviously I love doing all the work I'm doing with charities and sponsors. At the same time, I'm a skater and I love to skate. I'm itching to get back on the ice as much as I can. I guess I would know if I felt my career was done.
"The fact I still love to skate and I'm really happy when I get the chance to get back on the ice is a great sign."
Lysacek's decision to take a break hardly comes as a surprise considering his whirlwind schedule since Vancouver, where he became the first American since Brian Boitano in 1988 to win the men's figure skating title. He was the runner-up on "Dancing with the Stars," and has crisscrossed the globe doing ice shows and promotional appearances.
He was a judge at the Miss Universe pageant and is hosting an event next week as part of New York's Fashion Week. He also recently signed on with Help USA, a charity devoted to helping the homeless.
"It was such a stark contrast to my training mentality, which was, say no to everything and block out all the distractions," Lysacek said. "The last couple of months, I've said yes to everything."
That, however, leaves little time to train.
"Most of the time I'm only home for only two or three days at a time. And I'm usually only home once a month," he said.
But Lysacek said he's already started getting himself back in competitive shape. He did his short program from Vancouver during shows in Japan last week. And while he hasn't had new programs done yet, he was thinking about what music he might want to use while he trained Thursday.
The national championships are Jan. 23-30 in Greensboro, N.C. Lysacek said he plans to spend time in Sun Valley, Idaho, in late December. Training there will give him a good indication on whether he'll be ready for nationals.
"My decision about whether to jump back into skating will basically be dominated by if I'm ready. If I'm trained and ready," he said. "Athletes know. I'm doing my best to try and get back to where I think I should be in order to compete. Hopefully I'll get there in time."
Olympics
Rogge: Cricket scandal highlights bigger problem
BRUSSELS (AP) — IOC president Jacques Rogge believes the cricket match-fixing scandal shows that illegal betting has become as big a blight on sports as doping.
Without taking any stand on the fixing allegations against three Pakistan cricketers, Rogge said Thursday the main problem for sports across the globe was illegal companies betting on incremental parts of a game.
"It is far more widespread than it really emerges. Yes, absolutely," he said.
After the doping scandals of the last decades, "now we have a second threat of the same magnitude — illegal betting," he said.
British newspaper the News of the World alleged Sunday that two Pakistani players were paid to deliberately bowl no-balls in the opening day of the fourth test against England at Lord's last week. The captain has also been implicated
Rogge says it's essential to increase cooperation with judicial authorities and Interpol, because phone tapping, house raids and luggage checks could be essential elements in investigations.
The IOC and sporting federations are working closely with legal betting companies to contain any fixing of matches or irregularities, but Rogge complained shadowy companies, mainly in Asia, still escape their grasp.
Since the major events are thoroughly checked, illegal betting syndicates have moved further down the chain, to lower-division games or centering on elements of a game that may not affect the overall outcome. He said the issue of no-balls fit the description.
"There are many (betting sites) in Asia that come up on the net, then disappear, that transform themselves. The identity of these websites who are not regulated by law is a very difficult one," Rogge said. "The website is unknown and the action on the match is very veiled. It could be a double-fault in tennis, a no-ball in cricket, a first corner in football.
"I am afraid we are in the situation we were with doping before, where people knew there was some doping but could not quantify it. Today, we can quantify doping. We need to quantify illegal betting."
The three Pakistan cricketers facing allegations of fixing insisted they were innocent Thursday, but withdrew from the rest of their team's tour of England. Their omission should allow Pakistan to play its two Twenty20 and five one-day international matches against England without objection from the England and Wales Cricket Board or International Cricket Council.
In other comments, Rogge said he was saddened to see the new anti-doping allegations surface against seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. He added that U.S. authorities would be extremely exhaustive in their probe.
Jeff Novitzky, a Food and Drug Administration agent, and a federal prosecutor have been handling an inquiry into allegations of organized doping in professional cycling, including whether Armstrong and members of his U.S. Postal Service team may have been involved. Armstrong rode for the team when he won six of his record seven Tour titles.
"You know how thorough the judicial authorities are in the United States. They will go the long way to find anything, if possible. But, will they find something? That is the question mark," Rogge said.
Armstrong became a focus this spring after disgraced cyclist Floyd Landis, who won the 2006 Tour but was stripped of his title for doping, dropped long-standing denials and admitted he used performance-enhancing drugs. He also accused Armstrong of doping.
-- Raf Casert
Ducks beware: 2012 triathlon heads to Hyde Park
LONDON (AP) — Triathletes at the 2000 Olympics had to negotiate Sydney's shark-infested harbor, so the ducks and geese of London's Hyde Park seem unlikely to cause much fear in 2012.
Revealing their plans for the first "downtown" triathlon since the event's debut at the Sydney Games, the London 2012 Olympic organizers also promised that the park's thriving wildlife would not be unduly disturbed.
"We have no plans to round up the ducks and geese," Royal Parks chief executive Mark Camley said. "They'll waddle off in their own way."
Hyde Park is set to provide a picturesque backdrop to two of the games' more grueling events: the triathlon and the marathon swim. Its central location, close to Knightsbridge and Marble Arch, could also make those events some of the most popular with the public.
Half a million people lined the streets to watch the triathlon in Sydney. In 2012, a temporary stand overlooking the start-finish line by Hyde Park's Serpentine lake will hold 3,000 spectators, but thousands more will be able to watch along the course.
London 2012 sports director Debbie Jevans described it as "ultimately a free-ticket event."
"It's right in the middle of London, you look around you and it's just a wonderful venue," said British marathon swimmer Cassie Patten, a bronze medallist at the 2008 Beijing Games. "I got goosebumps when I arrived this morning, butterflies in my stomach.
"I've swum at Albert Dock in Liverpool in front of maybe 50 people, so to swim in London in front of a home crowd is going to be unreal. Every day when I wake up, it's in the back of my mind, but you've just to keep training as if it wasn't there because you could become overwhelmed by it."
Patten had to contend with being stung by jellyfish as she captured silver at the 2007 swimming world championships in Melbourne.
Nothing so dangerous lurks in the Serpentine, and the lake's size is likely to provide the main challenge.
"The water here is a really nice quality, a good temperature," she said. "Normally, we do four laps of 2.5 kilometers, here we'll be doing six laps, which obviously means there are more turns.
"But with open water swimming, you have to embrace the fact that no event will be the same as the one before, and we've got two years to get used to it."
-- Caroline Cheese
Rio picks 2016 Olympics logo for N.Y. Eve unveiling
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Rio organizers have chosen the logo for the 2016 Olympics, but it won't be unveiled until an official ceremony on New Year's Eve on Copacabana beach.
The logo's design was picked from eight finalists on Thursday and will now be sent to the International Olympic Committee for approval.
Rio 2016 committee president Carlos Arthur Nuzman says "a historic" phase of the games has been concluded and that the logo will be successful and "please all."
Twelve judges picked by the organizing committee participated in the selection process, including Nuzman.
The Rio Games will be the first time the Olympics will take place in South America.
Track & Field
Semenya aiming for 800m gold at Commonwealth Games
MILAN (AP) — World champion Caster Semenya has set a goal of winning the 800-meter gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.
Despite poor results in her recent return to the track, the South African said Thursday that she is gearing up for the Commonwealth Games next month and the 2011 world championships in Daegu, South Korea. Her next race will be in Milan on Thursday.
"Of course, I'm going to Delhi to run for gold in the Commonwealth Games," said Semenya, who was cleared to run after being sidelined by an 11-month gender dispute following her 800 world title last year in Berlin. "That's my main event this year."
The 19-year-old Semenya ran 2 minutes, 7.16 seconds at a meet in Italy on Tuesday — much slower than her season's best of 1:59.65 — for her second consecutive loss. She finished third at the Diamond League meeting in Brussels on Friday.
"I'm just preparing for the Commonwealth Games and the world championships next year," Semenya said of her form. "There's the chance to defend my title and then there's the Olympic Games (in 2012). These are all things I am aiming for."
Semenya, however, has been criticized for her lackluster performance in Rovereto, Italy, in which she finished ninth.
"We took the view that if she tried to win all these meets, when it comes to the Commonwealth Games she wouldn't be able to run well," said her coach, Michael Seme. "So we had to stick to the plan and we are still following these goals for the Commonwealth Games."
On Aug. 28, Semenya won the 800 in 1:59.90 before a crowd of nearly 50,000 at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, the site of her triumph at the world championships last year. It was 4.5 seconds slower than her winning time at worlds.
On Thursday, Semenya also spoke about 800 rival Pamela Jelimo, the 2008 Olympic champion from Kenya who has struggled since failing to reach the final at the last worlds.
"She just needs to do the basic things," Semenya said. "For Pamela to come back, she needs to do the small meetings, build up step by step and that should put her back."
-- Jeremy Inson
USADA bans distance runner Chris Lukezic
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has suspended retired distance runner Chris Lukezic for two years for refusing to take an out-of-competition doping test.
Lukezic's ban started Tuesday. He declined to take the test on April 20, so his results since that date also were thrown out.
Colorado Springs-based USADA (yoo-SAH'-dah) says the 26-year-old Lukezic, of San Francisco, didn't file the proper paperwork announcing his retirement before refusing to take the test. The agency says the 2006 U.S. Indoor 1,500-meter champion has properly retired from competition since that date.
USADA announced the ban on Thursday.
Slovak shot putter Haborak banned for life
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovak shot putter Milan Haborak has been banned for life after a second doping offense.
Haborak tested positive for the banned steroid stanozolol in an out-of-competition control in June.
He had previously been suspended for two years for use of a banned hormone in 2004.
IAAF rules call for a lifetime ban after a second doping violation. Haborak's ban was announced Friday by Slovakia's national athletics federation.
The 37-year-old Haborak is Slovakia's outdoor record holder with a throw of 68 feet, 5 3/4 inches six years ago.
Cycling
Hushovd wins 6th Vuelta stage, Gilbert keeps lead
MURCIA, Spain (AP) — Thor Hushovd of Norway won the sixth stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Thursday, while Philippe Gilbert kept his overall lead for the fourth straight day.
Hushovd, who rides for Cervelo, finished the 93.2-mile leg in 3 hours, 36 minutes, 20 seconds. Daniele Bennati of Italy and Grega Bole of Slovenia crossed the line next in the same time as Hushovd.
"I was motivated for this stage, I knew this climb," Hushovd said. "I hung on and then the team did a great job for me."
Hushovd said taking a conservative approach on the steep descent from the peak of Cresta del Gallo near the close of the stage was key.
"Everybody said it was dangerous and technical, so I stayed easy there and on the bumps afterward," he said.
Gilbert held on to the leader's red jersey once again after finishing sixth behind Allan Davis of Australia and Filippo Pozzato of Italy in the same time as Hushovd.
The Belgian cyclist for Pharma-Lotto holds a 10-second lead over Spanish duo Joaquin Rodriguez and Igor Anton, while Vincenzo Nibali of Italy trails by 12 seconds. Gilbert's time is 22:36:26.
Frank Schleck of Luxembourg was 66th in the same time as Hushovd to stay 50 seconds behind Gilbert while defending champion Denis Menchov of Russia placed 23rd. He's 1:11 off the red jersey.
The stage Friday is a relatively flat, 116.3-mile leg from Murcia to Orihuela.
Trek to sponsor Schleck-led cycling team
WATERLOO, Wis. (AP) — American bicycle manufacturer Trek will sponsor the new pro cycling team led by two-time Tour de France runner-up Andy Schleck.
Schleck and his brother Frank announced earlier this season that they would leave the Saxo Bank team to start their own team based in their native Luxembourg beginning in 2011.
The deal with Trek was announced Thursday.
Trek has provided bikes for Lance Armstrong's teams for years, including his Radio Shack team that competed in this year's Tour de France. Trek will continue to provide bikes for Radio Shack next season, even though Armstrong has announced he is retiring.
The new Luxembourg-based team has yet to announce its full roster and title sponsor.
Cheerleading
USA Gymnastics to sanction cheerleading
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The national governing body for gymnastics has agreed to sanction college cheer competitions, a step aimed at getting competitive cheerleading recognized as a sport.
USA Gymnastics will sanction events held by the National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association, a group formed last year by six schools with varsity competitive cheerleading teams, the organizations said Thursday.
The college group is changing its name from the National Collegiate Stunts and Tumbling Association, and will now call what its athletes do "team acrobatics and tumbling" rather than "competitive cheerleading."
It's an effort to end the confusion between the activity of sideline cheerleading and the gymnastic and tumbling competitions that make up competitive cheerleading, said Oregon coach Felecia Mulkey.
"What you are seeing is the birth of a new sport," she said.
The partnership comes after a federal judge in Connecticut ruled earlier this summer that competitive cheer had not developed enough to be considered a college sport in meeting federal gender equity requirements under Title IX. In ruling that Quinnipiac University could not replace its volleyball team with a competitive cheer squad, Judge Stefan Underhill said competitive cheer lacked standardized rules and a sanctioning body, among other things.
Under this agreement, the athletes and coaches will become members of USA Gymnastics and adhere to that group's rules and policies.
Previously, competitive cheerleading championships were put on by two private organizations with ties to Varsity Brands Inc., which makes cheerleading apparel and runs camps.
The schools will participate in six to eight team acrobatics and tumbling meets. The events will no longer look like dance competitions, but will have standardized rules and scoring, with the teams participating in six rounds — compulsory, stunt, pyramid, basket toss, tumbling and a team routine, officials said.
"It's another step toward meeting the criteria that the judge laid out and we are aggressively pursuing those exact steps to make this an emerging sport," said John Blake, the executive director of the NCATA.
He said the schools plans to seek emerging sports status with the NCAA next May.
USA Gymnastics president Steve Penny said that would mean giving many more young women the chance to become college athletes.
"As you get to the higher level of gymnastics there are just a couple of different paths you can take," he said. "Now we are creating another one. If we can help grow opportunities for young gymnasts, then we are doing something positive."
Currently only Quinnipiac, Oregon, Baylor, Maryland, Azusa Pacific University, and Fairmont State University have competitive cheer or acrobatics and tumbling teams.
Blake said the agreement with USA Gymnastics means that is likely to change in the near future.
"There is no doubt that with the credibility this adds to the sport and with the strides we've made, along with our aggressive communication with schools that this will grow, and it will grow rapidly," he said.
-- Pat Eaton-Robb
