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Disappointed Scott in solid start |
Allan Scott is confident of winning a medal at next week's European Indoor Championships after a solid debut on the international circuit. |
The 22-year-old Scot finished fourth in the 60m hurdles at the Jose M Cagigal Memorial meeting in Madrid. "It was definitely a learning curve and I certainly haven't ruled out challenging for a medal next week," said the East Kilbride athlete. The race was won by Felipe Vivancos, who equalled the Spanish record. |
Sweden's Robert Kronberg was second, with Haiti's Dudley Dorival in third. Scott was slightly disappointed with his run in the final. He won his heat in 7.64secs but ran 0.04secs slower in his first IAAF Indoor Grand Prix circuit final. "I should have done better than that," he said. "I felt I could have won it. I got a poor start - but I still felt I should have ran faster." Vivancos slashed his personal best to equal the Spanish record with a time of 7.60secs while Kronberg and Dorival clocked 7.62secs and 7.63secs respectively. |
GB quartet get cross country call |
Four British athletes have been pre-selected to compete at the World Cross Country Championships in March after impressive starts to the season. |
Hayley Yelling, Jo Pavey, Karl Keska and Adam Hickey will represent Team GB at the event in France. Yelling clinched the women's European cross country title last month and Pavey followed up with bronze. Keska helped the men's team to overall third place while Hickey finished in 10th place on his junior debut. "Winning the European cross country title meant so much to me," said Yelling. "And being pre-selected for the Worlds means that I can focus on preparing in the best way possible." The 32-year-old will race alongside Olympic 5,000m finalist Pavey in the women's 8km race on 19 March. Keska, who has made a successful return from a long-term injury lay-off, contests the men's 12km race on 20 March, while 16-year-old Hickey goes in the junior men's 8km on the same day. The rest of the team will be named after the trials at Wollaton Park in Nottingham, which take place on 5 March. |
Jones files lawsuit against Conte |
Marion Jones has filed a lawsuit for defamation against Balco boss Victor Conte following his allegations that he gave her performance-enhancing drugs. |
The Sydney Olympic gold medallist says Conte damaged her reputation and she is seeking $25m (£13m) in the suit. Conte, whose company is at the centre of a doping investigation, made the claims in a US television programme. He and three others were indicted in February by a federal grand jury for a variety of alleged offences. In an email to the Associated Press on Wednesday, Conte said: "I stand by everything I said". Jones won three gold medals and two bronzes in Sydney in 2000. Her lawsuit, filed in the US District Court in San Francisco, said the sprinter had passed a lie detector test and that she "has never taken banned performance-enhancing drugs". Conte's statements, the suit added, were "false and malicious". After the ABC television program earlier this month, Jones' lawyer Richard Nicholls said: "Marion has steadfastly maintained her position throughout: she has never, ever used performance-enhancing drugs. "Victor Conte is a man facing a 42-count federal indictment, while Marion Jones is one of America's most decorated female athletes. Mr Conte's statements have been wildly contradictory. "Mr Conte chose to make unsubstantiated allegations on television, while Marion Jones demanded to take and then passed a lie detector examination. |
"Mr Conte is simply not credible. We challenge him to submit to the same lie detector procedure that Marion Jones passed." The sport's ruling body, the IAAF, is taking a cautious approach to Conte's allegations but contacted the US Anti-Doping Agency. Communications director Nick Davies said the IAAF would seek to contact Conte "for further information". But Davies stressed it would be up to the American authorities to decide whether they will take action against Jones in light of Conte's television interview and the world governing body would monitor the situation closely. "If it is felt there is case to answer, it would be for its national governing body (USA Track and Field) to take the appropriate disciplinary action," he added. "The US Anti-Doping Agency has proved itself to be very diligent in its anti-doping war. "And I am sure, like ourselves, they will be watching the television programme with great interest." Jones, who is under investigation for steroid use by the US Anti-Doping Agency, has continually denied ever taking illegal substances since being investigated in the Balco scandal, although she praised a zinc supplement Conte marketed. Jones, who did not win any medals in Athens in August, has never failed a drugs test. Meanwhile, Conte, who has been charged along with three other men of distributing illegal steroids and money laundering, is due to face trial in March. |
Thanou desperate to make return |
Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou says she is eager to compete again after being cleared of missing a drugs test by an independent Greek tribunal. |
Thanou, 30, was provisionally suspended for missing a test before the Olympics, but the decision was overturned. "The IAAF will decide if we can compete again in Greece and abroad," Thanou told To Vima newspaper in her first interview since the Athens Olympics. "If given the green light I will run again - that's the only thing I want." Thanou, 30, and her compatriot Kostas Kenteris were provisionally suspended by the IAAF in December for missing three drugs tests. The third was alleged to have been on the eve of the opening ceremony of the Athens Olympics. |
But an independent tribunal of the Greek Athletics Federation overturned the provisional ban on 18 March. The IAAF - which said it was "very surprised" by the decision of the Greek tribunal - is deciding whether to appeal against the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. However, Dick Pound, the chairman of the World Anti-Doping Authority, has said he will appeal against the decision if the IAAF does not. And Thanou and Kenteris face a criminal trial later this year for allegedly avoiding the test and then faking a motorcycle accident. Thanou said: "I can see how people can think the accident seemed like a childish excuse. "I cannot deny that we made a lot of mistakes during that time. I always said we needed a PR person. "An athlete would have to be very stupid to take illegal substances when he or she knows that they will undergo tests at any given moment. "I am a champion. I cannot risk everything I've achieved in such a silly way." |
Off-colour Gardener storms to win |
Britain's Jason Gardener shook off an upset stomach to win the 60m at Sunday's Leipzig International meeting. |
Gardener clocked 6.56 seconds to equal the meeting record and finished well ahead of Germany's Marc Blume, who crossed the line in 6.67 secs. The world indoor champion said: "I got to the airport and my stomach was upset and I was vomiting. I almost went home. "I felt a little better Sunday morning but decided I'd only run in the main race. Then everything went perfectly." Gardener, part of the Great Britain 4x100m quartet that won gold at the Athens Olympics, will now turn his attention to next weekend's Norwich Union European Indoor trials in Sheffield. |
"Given I am still off-colour I know there is plenty more in the tank and I expect to get faster in the next few weeks," he said. "It's just a case of chipping away as I have done in previous years and the results will come." Scotland's Ian Mackie was also in action in Leipzig. He stepped down from his favoured 400m to 200m to finish third in 21.72 secs. Germany's Alexander Kosenkow won the race in 21.07 secs with Dutchman Patrick van Balkom second in 21.58 secs. There were plenty of other senior British athletes showing their indoor form over the weekend. Promising 60m hurdler |
clocked a new UK record of 7.98 seconds at a meeting in Norway. The 24-year-old reached the mark in her heat but had to settle for joint first place with former AAA champion Diane Allahgreen in the final. |
, who broke onto the international scene at the Olympic Games last season, set an indoor personal best of 16.50m in the triple jump at a meeting in Ghent. That leap - 37cm short of Brazilian winner Jadel Gregorio's effort - was good enough to qualify for the European Indoor Championships. At the same meeting, |
finished third in 7.27 seconds in a high-class women's 60m. The event was won by European medal favourite Christine Arron of France while Belgium rival Kim Gevaert was second. Britain's Joice Maduaka finished fifth in 7.35. Olympic bronze heptathlon medallist |
made a low-key return to action at an indoor meeting in Birmingham. The 28-year-old cleared 1.76m to win the high jump and threw 13.86m in the women's shot put. |
Relay squad thrilled with honours |
Jason Gardener says being made an MBE in the New Year Honours List underlines the achievement of Great Britain's 4x100m relay squad at the Olympics. |
Gardener, Darren Campbell, Marlon Devonish and Mark Lewis-Francis have all been awarded MBEs after beating pre-race favourites USA to gold. "I think this award reinforces what we did on that fantastic night," he said. "This recognition is really inspiring and makes me want to have more success," said Lewis-Francis. The British sprint quartet produced a string of faultless baton changes in the final to put pressure on the Americans. |
And when the USA stumbled with a poor switch between Justin Gatlin and Coby Miller at the 300m stage, Britain edged ahead going into the final bend. Then, on cue, Lewis-Francis ran a textbook final leg, holding off Maurice Greene to bring Team GB home in 38.07 seconds - just one hundredth of a second ahead of their rivals. "Winning the gold medal was the highlight of my athletics career so far," said the Birchfield Harrier. "This award is not just for me, but for all my friends, family and the people who have helped me to get to this level in my sport." Gardener added: "All of us had worked very hard for a long, long time to carry off what most believed was an impossible task. "Of course this award is very special, but for me nothing will ever take away winning an Olympic gold medal. It's all I ever wanted. "All my life that is what I dreamed of doing. Life since then has been fantastic." Campbell agreed receiving the honour capped off what has been a difficult year for the sprinter. "I think the MBE is important because the people closest to me know my journey," said the Newport-based athlete. "I've not just stumbled upon this. "It gives me a lot of joy and satisfaction to know the stuff you do for your country does mean something." |
- There was also recognition for James Clarke, chairman of the London Marathon. He becomes an OBE. |
Balco case trial date pushed back |
The trial date for the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative (Balco) steroid distribution case has been postponed. |
US judge Susan Illston pushed back a preliminary evidentiary hearing - which was due to take place on Wednesday - until 6 June. No official trial date has been set but it is expected to begin in September. Balco founder Victor Conte along with James Valente, coach Remy Korchemny and trainer Greg Anderson are charged with distributing steroids to athletes. |
Anderson's clients include Barry Bonds, and several other baseball stars have been asked to appear before a congressional inquiry into steroid use in the major leagues. The Balco defence team have already lost their appeal to have the case dismissed at a pre-trial hearing in San Francisco but will still argue the case should not go to trial. The hearing in June will focus on the admissibility of evidence gathered during police raids on Balco's offices and Anderson's home. Conte and Anderson were not arrested at that point but federal agents did obtain statements from them. The defence are expected to challenge the legality of those interviews and if Ilston agrees she could could reject all the evidence from the raids. Balco has been accused by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) of being the source of the banned steroid THG and modafinil. |
Former double world champion Kelli White and Olympic relay star Alvin Harrison have both been banned on the basis of materials discovered during the Balco investigation. Britain's former European 100m champion Dwain Chambers is currently serving a two-year ban after testing positive for THG in an out-of-competition test in 2003. And American sprinter Marion Jones has filed a lawsuit for defamation against Conte following his allegations that he gave her performance-enhancing drugs. |
Collins calls for Chambers return |
World 100m champion Kim Collins says suspended sprinter Dwain Chambers should be allowed to compete in the Olympics again. |
Chambers was banned for two years after testing positive for the anabolic steroid THG and his suspension runs out in November this year. But Collins says the British Olympic Association should reverse the decision to ban him from the Olympics for life. "It was too harsh," Collins told Radio Five Live. "They should reconsider." Chambers has been in America learning American football but has not ruled out a return to the track. Collins added: "He is a great guy and I have never had any problems with him. We are friends. "I would like to see Dwain come back and compete again. He is a good person. "Even though he made a mistake he understands what he did and should be given a chance once more." |
Costin aims for comeback in 2006 |
Jamie Costin should be paralysed. |
He says so himself in a matter-of-fact way as he recalls the car accident which occurred nine days before he was scheduled to step out into the Olympic Stadium in Athens for the 50K Walk. There is an ironic chuckle as he talks of his immediate thoughts after a lorry, driving on the wrong side of the road, had ploughed into his rental car. "I was in a lot of pain and I guessed that one of my toes was broken," says the Waterford man. "But I was thinking maybe with a cortisone injection you never know. "In my back, it felt as though all the muscles had been ripped off my pelvis but I was thinking maybe we could do something with laser therapy and ultra sound and hopefully I'd be able to race." It took over 10 hours before Jamie knew with certainty that he would not be competing in his second Olympics. "My back had been broken in two places and with one of my vertebrae, the bottom part had exploded so I'm fierce lucky not be paralysed. "I'd fractured my big toe as well which was on the brake." Jamie didn't finally arrive at hospital in Athens until some nine and a half hours after the accident. |
"For the first nine hours, I had no pain killers which was ridiculous in 35 degrees heat. "But once I got the scans and saw them it was a case of moving on and thinking:'OK, I've got a different set of circumstances now'." Within three days he was arriving back in Ireland by air ambulance. Doctors in Athens had wanted to operate on Jamie's back immediately but he insisted on delaying any surgery until he arrived back home - something he is now very relieved about. "The Greek doctors were going to put three or four inch titanium rods either side of my spinal cord up through my vertebrae. "That would have fused all my lower back and I would never have been able to race again. They were really putting a lot of pressure on me to agree to the surgery. "But when I got to the Mater in Dublin they said it was possible for it to heal totally naturally which is giving me the chance to get back into competition which is very important to me. The people at the Mater have been absolutely fantastic." Jamie had to wear a body cast for three and a half months after the accident and spent most of that time flat on his back. |
He then progressed to crutches for six weeks until he was finally able to walk unaided on 10 January. "Walking without the crutches seemed like something finally really measurable in terms of my recovery." Physio sessions with Johnston McEvoy in Limerick have been a vital part of his recovery. "Johnston uses an advanced type of acupuncture and it's very effective. "Needles get put right close up to my spine. A two and a half inch needle went in yesterday and I'm fairly incapacitated today as a result." Jamie has also travelled to receive treatment at the Polish training centre in Spala where he has trained with triple Olympic champion Robert Korzeniowski over the past five years. "I was there for over a fortnight earlier this month and underwent a fair extreme treatment called cryotherapy. "Basically, there's a small room which is cooled by liquid nitrogen to minus 160 degrees centigrade and it promotes deep healing." |
Jamie heads to Poland again on Sunday where he will be having daily cryotherapy in addition to twice-daily physio sessions and pool-work. All these sessions are small steps on the way to what Jamie hopes will be a return to racing in 2006. "It's all about trying to get mobility in my back. Lying down for three and a half months didn't really help with the strength. "There's a lot of work involved in my recovery. I'm doing about six hours a day between physio and pool work. "I'm also going to the gym to lift very light weights to try and build up my muscles. I'm fairly full on with everything I do. "I'd hope to be training regularly by March. But training is just part of the process of getting back. "At the moment, every time I go and do a big bit of movement, my whole pelvic area all down my lower back just tightens up. "It's a case of waiting and seeing how it reacts. Hopefully, after four or five months my back won't tighten up as much." |
Lewis-Francis turns to Christie |
Mark Lewis-Francis has stepped up his preparations for the new season by taking advice from British sprint icon Linford Christie. |
The 22-year-old is set to compete at Sheffield this weekend and will then take on Maurice Greene and Kim Collins in Birmingham on 18 February. "Training in Wales and getting advice from Linford Christie is broadening my mind," said Lewis-Francis. The sprinter has also shed weight since winning relay gold at the Athens Games. "Last year I was 91kg, now I am 86.9kg - hopefully my times will come down," he said. "This has been brought about by eating the right foods and cutting out the snacks. It is just discipline and being more focused about what I am doing. |
"I am still keeping up my weights work and I can see the improvement in my running." Despite playing his part in Britain's successful 4x100m relay team, Lewis-Francis still feels the frustration of missing out on the individual 100m final at the 2004 Olympics. "That was heartbreaking, but I had made it to the semi-final and for me, on a personal level, that was an achievement. "I just have to be patient and build up for the next Olympics. That is my goal and whatever I do between now and then will be geared to making the final." |
Man Utd stroll to Cup win |
Wayne Rooney made a winning return to Everton as Manchester United cruised into the FA Cup quarter-finals. |
Rooney received a hostile reception, but goals in each half from Quinton Fortune and Cristiano Ronaldo silenced the jeers at Goodison Park. Fortune headed home after 23 minutes before Ronaldo scored when Nigel Martyn parried Paul Scholes' free-kick. Marcus Bent missed Everton's best chance when Roy Carroll, who was later struck by a missile, saved at his feet. |
Rooney's return was always going to be a potential flashpoint, and he was involved in an angry exchange with a spectator even before kick-off. And Rooney's every touch was met with a deafening chorus of jeers from the crowd that once idolised the 19-year-old. Everton started brightly and Fortune needed to be alert to scramble away a header from Bent near the goal-line. But that was the cue for United to take complete control with a supreme passing display on a Goodison Park pitch that was cutting up. Fortune gave United the lead after 23 minutes, rising to meet Ronaldo's cross from eight yards after the Portuguese youngster had been allowed too much time and space by the hapless Gary Naysmith. United dominated without creating too many clear-cut chances, and they almost paid the price for not making the most of their domination two minutes before half-time. Mikel Arteta played a superb ball into the area but Bent, played onside by Gabriel Heintze, hesitated and Carroll plunged at his fee to save. United almost doubled their lead after 48 minutes when Ronaldo's low drive from 25 yards took a deflection off Tony Hibbert, but Martyn dived to save brilliantly. And Martyn came to Everton's rescue three minutes later when Rooney's big moment almost arrived as he raced clean through, but once again the veteran keeper was in outstanding form. But there was nothing Martyn could do when United doubled their lead after 57 minutes as they doubled their advantage. Scholes' free-kick took a deflection, and Martyn could only parry the ball out for Ronaldo, who reacted first to score easily. Everton's problems worsened when James McFadden limped off with an injury. And there may be further trouble ahead for Everton after goalkeeper Carroll required treatment after he was struck on the head by a missile thrown from behind the goal. Rooney's desperate search for a goal on his return to Everton was halted again by Martyn in injury-time when he outpaced Stubbs, but once again Martyn denied the England striker. |
- Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson: "It was a fantastic performance by us. In fairness I think Everton have missed a couple of players and got some young players out. "The boy Ronaldo is a fantastic player. He's persistent and never gives in. "I don't know how many fouls he had He gets up and wants the ball again, he's truly a fabulous player." Everton: Martyn, Hibbert, Yobo, Stubbs, Naysmith, Osman, Carsley, Arteta, Kilbane, McFadden, Bent. Subs: Wright, Pistone, Weir, Plessis, Vaughan. Manchester United: Carroll, Gary Neville, Brown, Ferdinand, Heinze, Ronaldo, Phil Neville, Keane, Scholes, Fortune, Rooney. Subs: Howard, Giggs, Smith, Miller, Spector. Referee: R Styles (Hampshire) |
Van Nistelrooy set to return |
Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy may make his comeback after an Achilles tendon injury in the FA Cup fifth round tie at Everton on Saturday. |
He has been out of action for nearly three months and had targeted a return in the Champions League tie with AC Milan on 23 February. But Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson hinted he may be back early. He said: "There is a chance he could be involved at Everton but we'll just have to see how he comes through training." The 28-year-old has been training in Holland and Ferguson said: "Ruud comes back on Tuesday and we need to assess how far on he is. "The training he has been doing in Holland has been perfect and I am very satisfied with it." Even without Van Nistelrooy, United made it 13 wins in 15 league games with a 2-0 derby victory at Manchester City on Sunday. But they will be boosted by the return of the Dutch international, who is the club's top scorer this season with 12 goals. He has not played since aggravating the injury in the 3-0 win against West Brom on 27 November. Ferguson was unhappy with Van Nistelrooy for not revealing he was carrying an injury. United have also been hit by injuries to both Alan Smith and Louis Saha during Van Nistelrooy's absence, meaning Wayne Rooney has sometimes had to play in a lone role up front. The teenager has responded with six goals in nine games, including the first goal against City on Sunday. |
Moyes U-turn on Beattie dismissal |
Everton manager David Moyes will discipline striker James Beattie after all for his headbutt on Chelsea defender William Gallas. |
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