Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
Formula One cars to lose their ‘shark fins’ in 2018.
Formula One cars are set to lose their prominent engine cover ‘shark fins’ next season after McLaren failed to back other teams hoping to retain them. The removal of the aerodynamic features was agreed earlier in the year but underwent a re-think, according to Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, as teams sought a place to display driver numbers.
IOC bans Russian bobsledders, speed skaters for Sochi doping.
Two Russian bobsledders, including double gold medalist Alexander Zubkov, and two speed skaters have been banned for life from the Olympics over doping violations at the 2014 Sochi Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Friday. The other athletes banned include bobsledder Olga Stulneva, as well as speed skaters Olga Fatkulina, who won silver in the 500 meters in Sochi, and Alexander Rumyantsev.
Belgium’s Davis Cup hopes boosted as Goffin shines.
Belgium’s chances of claiming a maiden Davis Cup title against hosts France remained intact after Friday’s opening singles, in which David Goffin made a huge impression, were tied 1-1. The world number seven crushed local favorite Lucas Pouille 7-5 6-3 6-1 to take the first point before French number one Jo-Wilfried Tsonga demolished Steve Darcis 6-3 6-2 6-1.
Mourning Theaux tops downhill practice.
Frenchman Adrien Theaux, still mourning the death of team mate David Poisson in a training crash, posted the fastest time in final practice on Friday for the opening men’s alpine World Cup downhill at Lake Louise. After warm weather and poor snow conditions wiped out training on Wednesday and Thursday, skiers finally got a chance to test a soft Lake Louise track ahead of Saturday’s race and no one could catch Theaux, who clocked a time of one minute, 51.54 seconds.
South African appeals court more than doubles Pistorius sentence.
South Africa’s Supreme Court more than doubled Oscar Pistorius’ murder sentence on Friday, accepting prosecutors’ argument that the original jail term of six years for shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp was “shockingly lenient”. The gold medal-winning athlete, a double amputee known as the “Blade Runner” for his carbon-fibre prosthetics, was not in court to hear the new sentence of 13 years and five months handed down.
In rare admission, Trump golfs (quickly) with Woods, Johnson.
U.S. President Donald Trump played a round of golf on Friday with star professionals Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson, a rare admission that he is taking time out for his favorite pastime. Trump regularly spends his weekends at a golf course, but the White House typically declines to confirm that the Republican president is, in fact, golfing.
Source: Reuters