An independent investigation commissioned by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) found that more than 10 boxing matches at the 2016 Rio Olympics were likely corrupted by officials involved in manipulating bouts.

An independent investigation commissioned by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) found that more than 10 boxing matches at the 2016 Rio Olympics were likely corrupted by officials involved in manipulating bouts. Richard McLaren, the head of the independent investigation, revealed that a "system for the manipulation of bouts" by officials existed at the Rio Olympics. The official Twitter handle of AIBA posted: "Prof. McLaren's investigation revealed a system for manipulating results at Rio 2016. Our boxers deserve a fair fight." "AIBA is committed to uncovering the truth and acting on it. AIBA will take all necessary steps to ensure justice for the past, and a fair future," it added. ALSO READ | Manny Pacquiao retires from boxing: From street kid to superstar, here's a look at his career As per the report, the investigators had not been able to ascertain the exact number of manipulated fights, although it could be as high as 11. McLaren said the first of three stages of the investigation looked into the refereeing and judging at Rio, where controversial decisions in certain bouts made the headlines. Prof. McLaren's investigation revealed a system for manipulating results at Rio 2016. Our boxers deserve a fair fight. AIBA is committed to uncovering the truth and acting on it. AIBA will take all necessary steps to ensure justice for the past, and a fair future. pic.twitter.com/qErQYSoL1n — AIBA (@AIBA_Boxing) September 30, 2021 × "The seeds of this were sown years before, starting from at least the Olympic Games of the 21st century through the events around 2011 and London 2012," McLaren told a news conference in Lausanne. "The qualifying competitions along the route to participation in Rio in 2016 were the practise ground for the corruption and manipulation of bouts at Rio. "At the Olympic qualifiers, the manipulation methodology was fine-tuned in anticipation of use in Rio." McLaren said he could not comment on whether the results of manipulated bouts would be overturned, saying that was not up to him to decide as the lead investigator. ALSO READ | Beijing Olympics rules out overseas fans over virus threat "The information we have will be turned over to the boxing federation," he added. "If they think there's justification in declaring that the bout was manipulated then, based on the rules at the time, the decision will have to be made." The report said a comprehensive study suggested at least nine bouts were suspicious while two bouts caused the system to "publicly collapse". Those include the gold medal heavyweight bout between Russia's Evgeny Tischenko and Kazakhstan's Vassily Levit as well as the bantamweight quarter-final between Ireland's Michael Conlon and Russia's bronze medallist Vladimir Nikitin. Tishchenko won the gold medal to a chorus of boos from the crowd on a unanimous points decision even though Levit seemed to have landed more punches. Conlan lost on a controversial split decision to Vladimir Nikitin, leading to the Irishman going on an expletive-laden rant on live television after the loss. Ching-Kuo Wu, then-president of the International Boxing Association (AIBA), and then-executive director Karim Bouzidi had been complicit in allowing the corruption to happen, it added. Taiwan's Wu and Frenchman Bouzidi were, McLaren said, "key actors in organising the field of play to allow the manipulation to flourish". (With inputs from agencies)

Was boxing in Rio Olympics 2016 rigged? Independent probe reveals shocking details of 'bout manipulation'

Consistency, assurance, and her never-say-die the bucket mentality have effectively been seen by everybody in sports. Her ascent to the highest levels of the game has been sensational, as she has moved to focus in a brief time frame. To catch her very own position in a brief time frame, within the sight of a set-up headliner like Saina Nehwal, has been an excellent accomplishment for P.V. Sindhu.&nbsp;

The fantasy about turning into a badminton player for the nation was consistent with her from the earliest starting point of her life.&nbsp;Her desire and goal were spotted by her previous mentors and generally saw her creating a major match-player.&nbsp;

Before long she joined the Pallule Gopichand's academy, she was brought into the spotlight by the nation's previous star shuttlers and gave her a reasonable stage to perform and deal with the better parts of her game. She was consistently in the great books of her mentors. She earnestly acknowledged the mix-ups in her game and revised it immediately. Her energy to perform very much drove her to learn new methods and train harder than previously.&nbsp;

The greatest part of her profession so far has been that regardless of whether she has not won matches, she has done as well as she possibly can at everything and kept on prevailing upon the admiration of individuals all over the globe.

With an uplifting outlook, forceful soul, and extraordinary artfulness in play, a genuine hero has arisen out of Rio, who looks all set to prearrange some magnificent sections in occasions to come. Her siphoning of the clench hand, addressing herself, articulating her thoughts on the court; everything that was inseparable from PV Sindhu at Rio, showed a viewpoint never found in Indian Olympians.&nbsp;

She was severe in completing games and hoped to obliterate rivals, things that prior used to happen to Indian competitors, however, PV Sindhu turned the tables. Venturing into her 26th year today, PV Sindhu has uniquely been the torchbearer of Indian badminton throughout the most recent years.&nbsp;

Rio Olympics 2016: The apex of PV Sindhu's profession likewise turned into the zenith of Indian badminton history. With a silver award execution at that Rio Olympics, her exceptional ability rose to new fame. She may have fallen at the penultimate obstacle, yet her runner-up finish was one better than India's best in the occasion in its 116-year Olympic history.&nbsp;

India Open 2017: PV Sindhu retaliated for her mishap at the Rio Olympics by crushing Marin in straight matches to dominate her first India Open 2017 Superseries title. Marin, however, was not by any means the only enormous name to tumble before Sindhu at the competition. Sindhu crushed 2012 London Olympics bronze medalist Saina Nehwal in the quarter-finals, then, at that point, she crushed world number 2 Sung Ji Hyun in the semi-finals on the way to her title win.

PV Sindhu's ride to the semi-final was smooth, with her improving Laura Sarosi, Tai Tzu-Ying, Wang Yihan in transit to the semi-final to set up a date with a long-lasting opponent Nozomi Okuhara. One move back from a medal, she pulled off a thrilling execution to down the Japanese with scores of 21-19, 21-10.&nbsp;

Going into the 2021 Tokyo Games, she is a significant award competitor, as she additionally made several years prior by laying hands on the World Championship title in Basel.&nbsp;

This is the sort of development she has created over the most recent couple of years and to believe, she's just 26! Her future is extremely, brilliant and this looks good for a great period for India in Badminton. We, Indians, once more place trust in you Pusarla Venkata Sindhu. Wishing you a Happy Birthday and all the absolute best for the forthcoming Tokyo Olympics.

Consistency, assurance, and her never-say-die the bucket mentality have effectively been seen by everybody in sports. Her ascent to the highest levels of the game has been sensational, as she has moved to focus in a brief time frame.

Consistency, assurance, and her never-say-die the bucket mentality have effectively been seen by everybody in sports. Her ascent to the highest levels of the game has been sensational, as she has moved to focus in a brief time frame. To catch her very own position in a brief time frame, within the sight of a set-up headliner like Saina Nehwal, has been an excellent accomplishment for P.V. Sindhu. The fantasy about turning into a badminton player for the nation was consistent with her from the earliest starting point of her life. Her desire and goal were spotted by her previous mentors and generally saw her creating a major match-player. Before long she joined the Pallule Gopichand's academy, she was brought into the spotlight by the nation's previous star shuttlers and gave her a reasonable stage to perform and deal with the better parts of her game. She was consistently in the great books of her mentors. She earnestly acknowledged the mix-ups in her game and revised it immediately. Her energy to perform very much drove her to learn new methods and train harder than previously. The greatest part of her profession so far has been that regardless of whether she has not won matches, she has done as well as she possibly can at everything and kept on prevailing upon the admiration of individuals all over the globe. With an uplifting outlook, forceful soul, and extraordinary artfulness in play, a genuine hero has arisen out of Rio, who looks all set to prearrange some magnificent sections in occasions to come. Her siphoning of the clench hand, addressing herself, articulating her thoughts on the court; everything that was inseparable from PV Sindhu at Rio, showed a viewpoint never found in Indian Olympians. She was severe in completing games and hoped to obliterate rivals, things that prior used to happen to Indian competitors, however, PV Sindhu turned the tables. Venturing into her 26th year today, PV Sindhu has uniquely been the torchbearer of Indian badminton throughout the most recent years. Rio Olympics 2016: The apex of PV Sindhu's profession likewise turned into the zenith of Indian badminton history. With a silver award execution at that Rio Olympics, her exceptional ability rose to new fame. She may have fallen at the penultimate obstacle, yet her runner-up finish was one better than India's best in the occasion in its 116-year Olympic history. India Open 2017: PV Sindhu retaliated for her mishap at the Rio Olympics by crushing Marin in straight matches to dominate her first India Open 2017 Superseries title. Marin, however, was not by any means the only enormous name to tumble before Sindhu at the competition. Sindhu crushed 2012 London Olympics bronze medalist Saina Nehwal in the quarter-finals, then, at that point, she crushed world number 2 Sung Ji Hyun in the semi-finals on the way to her title win. PV Sindhu's ride to the semi-final was smooth, with her improving Laura Sarosi, Tai Tzu-Ying, Wang Yihan in transit to the semi-final to set up a date with a long-lasting opponent Nozomi Okuhara. One move back from a medal, she pulled off a thrilling execution to down the Japanese with scores of 21-19, 21-10. Going into the 2021 Tokyo Games, she is a significant award competitor, as she additionally made several years prior by laying hands on the World Championship title in Basel. This is the sort of development she has created over the most recent couple of years and to believe, she's just 26! Her future is extremely, brilliant and this looks good for a great period for India in Badminton. We, Indians, once more place trust in you Pusarla Venkata Sindhu. Wishing you a Happy Birthday and all the absolute best for the forthcoming Tokyo Olympics.

Happy Birthday, PV Sindhu: The ace shuttler

World leader Trayvon Bromell put up another blistering sub-10-second performance to win the Track Meet 100 metres in Irvine, California, on Saturday, an auspicious sign as he prepares for next month's US&nbsp;Olympic trials.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/tokyo-2020-olympic-stadium-holds-track-and-field-test-event-without-fans-383869" hreflang="en">Tokyo 2020: Olympic Stadium holds track and field test event without fans</a>

The 25-year-old Bromell outclassed the competition with a time of 9.92 to win by three-tenths of a second, just short of his season-best of 9.88.

"This week has been a real hard week for me for training," Bromell said in a televised interview. "I can’t let off, I can’t stop thinking about what (God) wants me to do."

The race marked his latest chapter in a remarkable comeback since he was carried off the track at the 2016 Rio Games with an Achilles injury and missed two years of racing rebuilding his body.

Fellow Olympians fine-tuned their form, with opportunities to compete dwindling ahead of the July 23 start of the COVID-delayed Tokyo Games.

Jamaican Omar McLeod, who earned a gold medal at the 2016 Rio&nbsp;Olympics, won the 110 metres hurdles in 13.11, defeating a high-class field that included 2012 London Games gold medalist Aries Merritt.

"Feeling good to be back out there –- thank God for health," said McLeod, 27, who won the event at the 2017 world championships as well. "I have mad respect for everyone out there."

Olympic gold medalist Matt Centrowitz won 1,500 metres by more than a second with a time of 3:35.26.

World leader Trayvon Bromell put up another blistering sub-10-second performance to win the Track Meet 100 metres in Irvine, California, on Saturday, an auspicious sign as he prepares for next month's US Olympic trials.

World leader Trayvon Bromell put up another blistering sub-10-second performance to win the Track Meet 100 metres in Irvine, California, on Saturday, an auspicious sign as he prepares for next month's US Olympic trials. ALSO READ: Tokyo 2020: Olympic Stadium holds track and field test event without fans The 25-year-old Bromell outclassed the competition with a time of 9.92 to win by three-tenths of a second, just short of his season-best of 9.88. "This week has been a real hard week for me for training," Bromell said in a televised interview. "I can’t let off, I can’t stop thinking about what (God) wants me to do." The race marked his latest chapter in a remarkable comeback since he was carried off the track at the 2016 Rio Games with an Achilles injury and missed two years of racing rebuilding his body. Fellow Olympians fine-tuned their form, with opportunities to compete dwindling ahead of the July 23 start of the COVID-delayed Tokyo Games. Jamaican Omar McLeod, who earned a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, won the 110 metres hurdles in 13.11, defeating a high-class field that included 2012 London Games gold medalist Aries Merritt. "Feeling good to be back out there –- thank God for health," said McLeod, 27, who won the event at the 2017 world championships as well. "I have mad respect for everyone out there." Olympic gold medalist Matt Centrowitz won 1,500 metres by more than a second with a time of 3:35.26.

Trayvon Bromell continues comeback to win Track Meet 100 metres

Wrestling had been one of India's most successful sports at the Olympics with 4 medals since Independence. Wrestling however was a male-dominated sport and female wrestlers were frowned upon in the state of Haryana. Sakshi Malik charted a journey against the odds at a very young age and at the Rio Olympics, she scripted an amazing comeback to win Bronze in the 58kg event. It ended India's wait for a medal at those Olympics and also shattered mindsets and opened the door for more parents to send their daughters to Wrestling arenas.

Wion Broadband Olympic Edition | Comeback Queen Sakshi Malik adds to India's Wrestling legacy at Rio

Gymnastics had always been on the margins of Indian sport and it was only Ashish Kumar's medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games that saw the sport being taken seriously. But within Indian Gymnastics it was all about the men and the female gymnasts were accorded step-motherly treatment. Dipa Karmakar harnessed that hurt and channeled it first to a Commonwealth Games medal in 2014 and then qualification for the Rio Olympics. Karmakar shocked the world by reaching the final of the Women's Vault and narrowly missed out on a medal. Karmakar looks back on her journey in this conversation with Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo and 2016 Olympic medalist Sakshi Malik

Wion Broadband Olympic Edition | The Small Wonder, Gymnast who stunned the world | Dipa Karmakar

Success at the Olympic Games isn't always about medals. Some performances act as a trigger and change mindsets. At the 2016 Rio Games Dipa Karmakar finished 4th in the Women's Vault and shocked the world. India had no history in Gymnastics to write home about but that did not deter the fiercely driven gymnast from Tripura. Sakshi Malik also broke barriers as she ended India's wait for that elusive medal in Rio. Wrestling was regarded as a male-bastion but Malik never allowed the criticism to come between her goal and inspired a new generation to come forward and take up female Wrestling.

Wion Broadband Olympic Edition | The Trailblazers from Rio 2016 | Sakshi, Dipa shatter stereotypes

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, the Indian shooting team drew a blank. &nbsp;Three years later, India's rifle and pistol shooters are the toast of the world, some of them are still in their teens but for them only winning gold matters.&nbsp;

World domination which was a pipe dream a decade ago, especially after no-show at the 2016 Rio Olympics, has been achieved in some style. India's shooters have dominated four ISSF World Cups in rifle and pistol, topping the medal tally at every edition for a total of 16 gold medals. It is an unprecedented gold rush which has sealed India's position as a superpower in world shooting.

"Shooters across the world look up to us now, they say Indians have come, it is a kind of reverse psychology. The difference now and Rio is that earlier they were hoping to win, now they want to win, "Raninder Singh, president, national rifle association of India, said.

Just nine months ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, Indian shooting has the perfect launchpad. The benchmark remains the two medals won by Vijay Kumar and Gagan Narang at the 2012 Olympics but on current form, Indian shooting can claim to be in the running for at least three big medals at the Tokyo games.

Jaspal Rana, head coach of the junior pistol team told WION: "We have several shooters now who can win a medal at any given time. We are no longer dependent&nbsp;&nbsp;on one or two names which is very good for the country."

The unprecedented success is a byproduct of the national rifle association's course correction post the debacle at the Rio Olympics. The emphasis on grooming juniors and blooding them at the tender ages of 15 and 16 has taken world shooting by storm. Saurabh Chaudhary and Manu Bhaker went undefeated through an entire season in the mixed air pistol event, winning all four&nbsp;gold medals.

"It has been an epic year for mixed doubles," Manu Bhakar, the seventeen-year-old Commonwealth Games gold medalist, said, adding,"we won medals with no expectation."

Chaudhary and his teammate Abhishek Verma won two World Cup gold medals each in the 10m air pistol - the first time India achieved a shutout in an Olympic event. Twenty-year-old rookie Elavanil Valarivan won the women's 10m air rifle gold at the Rio World Cup, capping a successful run for India.

Apurvi Chandela, Anjum Moudgil and Valarivan are now ranked 1, 2 and 3 respectively in the world rankings. Chandela has already&nbsp;won two World Cup golds and a mixed air rifle gold this year. Moudgil has bagged qualifying spots for the Tokyo Olympics, yet they are being pushed all the way by teenagers Valarivan and Mehuli Ghosh.

"Manu, Saurabh&nbsp;and everyone else doing well really motivates us, winning every time now matters most," Anjum Moudgil says, while informing, "everyone motivates each other, it is such a good environment."

The depth is such that established stars are having a tough time. Olympic medalist Narang and former air pistol world no-1 Heena Sidhu are already out of the race for the Olympics. However, the senior pros haven't given up yet, Sanjeev Rajput clinched his fourth successive Olympic quota recently exemplifying&nbsp;perfect balance between experience and fresh blood.

"I feel like an elder brother in the group,"&nbsp;Rajput says. "Everyone comes to me to get tips, whenever they are somewhere else and cannot share something, they come to me later which really makes me feel good," he adds.

The pioneers of Indian shooting - Jaspal Rana, Rajyavardhan Rathore, Abhinav Bindra and Narang built Indian shooting brick-by-brick and showed it was possible to win at the top level. Now, the new generation only wants to win gold, it seems Tokyo 2020 can't come sooner for the young guns of Indian shooting.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, the Indian shooting team drew a blank. Three years later, India's rifle and pistol shooters are the toast of the world, some of them are still in their teens but for them only winning gold matters.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, the Indian shooting team drew a blank. Three years later, India's rifle and pistol shooters are the toast of the world, some of them are still in their teens but for them only winning gold matters. World domination which was a pipe dream a decade ago, especially after no-show at the 2016 Rio Olympics, has been achieved in some style. India's shooters have dominated four ISSF World Cups in rifle and pistol, topping the medal tally at every edition for a total of 16 gold medals. It is an unprecedented gold rush which has sealed India's position as a superpower in world shooting. "Shooters across the world look up to us now, they say Indians have come, it is a kind of reverse psychology. The difference now and Rio is that earlier they were hoping to win, now they want to win, "Raninder Singh, president, national rifle association of India, said. Just nine months ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, Indian shooting has the perfect launchpad. The benchmark remains the two medals won by Vijay Kumar and Gagan Narang at the 2012 Olympics but on current form, Indian shooting can claim to be in the running for at least three big medals at the Tokyo games. Jaspal Rana, head coach of the junior pistol team told WION: "We have several shooters now who can win a medal at any given time. We are no longer dependent on one or two names which is very good for the country." The unprecedented success is a byproduct of the national rifle association's course correction post the debacle at the Rio Olympics. The emphasis on grooming juniors and blooding them at the tender ages of 15 and 16 has taken world shooting by storm. Saurabh Chaudhary and Manu Bhaker went undefeated through an entire season in the mixed air pistol event, winning all four gold medals. "It has been an epic year for mixed doubles," Manu Bhakar, the seventeen-year-old Commonwealth Games gold medalist, said, adding,"we won medals with no expectation." Chaudhary and his teammate Abhishek Verma won two World Cup gold medals each in the 10m air pistol - the first time India achieved a shutout in an Olympic event. Twenty-year-old rookie Elavanil Valarivan won the women's 10m air rifle gold at the Rio World Cup, capping a successful run for India. Apurvi Chandela, Anjum Moudgil and Valarivan are now ranked 1, 2 and 3 respectively in the world rankings. Chandela has already won two World Cup golds and a mixed air rifle gold this year. Moudgil has bagged qualifying spots for the Tokyo Olympics, yet they are being pushed all the way by teenagers Valarivan and Mehuli Ghosh. "Manu, Saurabh and everyone else doing well really motivates us, winning every time now matters most," Anjum Moudgil says, while informing, "everyone motivates each other, it is such a good environment." The depth is such that established stars are having a tough time. Olympic medalist Narang and former air pistol world no-1 Heena Sidhu are already out of the race for the Olympics. However, the senior pros haven't given up yet, Sanjeev Rajput clinched his fourth successive Olympic quota recently exemplifying perfect balance between experience and fresh blood. "I feel like an elder brother in the group," Rajput says. "Everyone comes to me to get tips, whenever they are somewhere else and cannot share something, they come to me later which really makes me feel good," he adds. The pioneers of Indian shooting - Jaspal Rana, Rajyavardhan Rathore, Abhinav Bindra and Narang built Indian shooting brick-by-brick and showed it was possible to win at the top level. Now, the new generation only wants to win gold, it seems Tokyo 2020 can't come sooner for the young guns of Indian shooting.

Young guns of Indian shooting ready for gold rush at Tokyo Olympics

A Kenyan athlete tells AFP anonymously that he has used EPO (Erythropoietin) without being aware of the risks to his health and regretting the choice that forced him to interrupt his athletic career. Kenya barely survived a string of high-profile doping scandals in 2016 that almost saw the African nation celebrated for its distance runners barred from the Rio Olympics

'I feel pain': a Kenyan runner's downfall from doping

Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar, who has recovered well following a knee injury that forced her to withdraw from the 21st edition of the Commonwealth Games, on Thursday said that she is looking forward to give her absolute best and stand on people's expectation in the upcoming Asian Games.

Karmakar suffered a knee injury while practising for the trails of Asian Championships 2017.&nbsp;

She immediately underwent an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) surgery in April last year and has been out of action since then.

She also opted to skip 2018 edition of the Commonwealth Games, where she bagged a bronze medal in 2014.

Talking to ANI regarding the same, the 24-year-old said that she is absolutely fit now and that she and her coach Bishweshwar Nandi are looking for a good show in the upcoming events."I am absolutely fit. I will try my best to give a good performance. I and coach are working hard for the same. We are practicing vault. We are hopeful to perform well and do something good at the Asian Games. Injury is a part and parcel of the sport, especially in Gymnastic. I have recovered well following an injury and now I am concentrating entirely on my practice," Karmakar said.

When asked why she opted to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games, Karmakar reiterated that she didn`t want to risk her injury knowing that there are many other crucial events coming in."I did not play in Commonwealth Games because I did not want to risk my injury. I might have bagged the medal, had I participated in the event. However, it was important to recover from my injury first. I did not want to spoil upcoming important events like 2020 Olympic qualification and Asian Games as well as World Championship in 2019 because of one tournament. That is why I withdrew from Commonwealth Games," she said.

Karmakar, who also won a bronze medal at the 2014 Asian Championships, missed the bronze medal at last year`s Rio Olympics by 0.150 points as American gymnast Simone Biles won her third gold medal.

She, however, had created history when she became the first Indian gymnast to enter the final on her debut at the quadrennial multi-discipline games after finishing eighth in the qualifying round.

And Karamakar admitted that people have had high hopes from her since making a fourth-place finish at the Rio Olympics."After making a fourth-place finish at the Olympics, many people have high hopes that I would perform well wherever I go. Now, it is also my responsibility to stand on people`s expectation. I am getting good support. So, I and coach are hoping to give our best," she said.

Karmakar, however, insisted that she couldn`t assure anyone of winning a medal in the upcoming Asian Games."I can't assure of clinching a medal. Anything can happen in sports. If I get injured just two minutes prior to the event, then my performance can get affected. But I will try my level best to put a good show," she said.

Karmakar is one of the only five women who has successfully landed the `Produnova`, which is regarded as the most difficult vault currently performed in women`s gymnastics.

On a related note, the Asian Games is slated to be held from August 18 and will run till September 2 in Indonesia.

Karmakar suffered a knee injury while practising for the trails of Asian Championships 2017

Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar, who has recovered well following a knee injury that forced her to withdraw from the 21st edition of the Commonwealth Games, on Thursday said that she is looking forward to give her absolute best and stand on people's expectation in the upcoming Asian Games. Karmakar suffered a knee injury while practising for the trails of Asian Championships 2017. She immediately underwent an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) surgery in April last year and has been out of action since then. She also opted to skip 2018 edition of the Commonwealth Games, where she bagged a bronze medal in 2014. Talking to ANI regarding the same, the 24-year-old said that she is absolutely fit now and that she and her coach Bishweshwar Nandi are looking for a good show in the upcoming events."I am absolutely fit. I will try my best to give a good performance. I and coach are working hard for the same. We are practicing vault. We are hopeful to perform well and do something good at the Asian Games. Injury is a part and parcel of the sport, especially in Gymnastic. I have recovered well following an injury and now I am concentrating entirely on my practice," Karmakar said. When asked why she opted to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games, Karmakar reiterated that she didn`t want to risk her injury knowing that there are many other crucial events coming in."I did not play in Commonwealth Games because I did not want to risk my injury. I might have bagged the medal, had I participated in the event. However, it was important to recover from my injury first. I did not want to spoil upcoming important events like 2020 Olympic qualification and Asian Games as well as World Championship in 2019 because of one tournament. That is why I withdrew from Commonwealth Games," she said. Karmakar, who also won a bronze medal at the 2014 Asian Championships, missed the bronze medal at last year`s Rio Olympics by 0.150 points as American gymnast Simone Biles won her third gold medal. She, however, had created history when she became the first Indian gymnast to enter the final on her debut at the quadrennial multi-discipline games after finishing eighth in the qualifying round. And Karamakar admitted that people have had high hopes from her since making a fourth-place finish at the Rio Olympics."After making a fourth-place finish at the Olympics, many people have high hopes that I would perform well wherever I go. Now, it is also my responsibility to stand on people`s expectation. I am getting good support. So, I and coach are hoping to give our best," she said. Karmakar, however, insisted that she couldn`t assure anyone of winning a medal in the upcoming Asian Games."I can't assure of clinching a medal. Anything can happen in sports. If I get injured just two minutes prior to the event, then my performance can get affected. But I will try my level best to put a good show," she said. Karmakar is one of the only five women who has successfully landed the `Produnova`, which is regarded as the most difficult vault currently performed in women`s gymnastics. On a related note, the Asian Games is slated to be held from August 18 and will run till September 2 in Indonesia.

Dipa Karmakar looking to give her best in Asian Games

The madness associated with viewers when ace shuttlers PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal lock horns is nothing new. But little is known about their relationship off the court.

So when Sindhu was asked to throw some light on her relationship with Nehwal, she said they are friends but hi and bye types only.&nbsp;

&ldquo;We&rsquo;re friends, like hi-bye&hellip; and that&rsquo;s it,&rdquo; Sindhu told a leading daily.

The Rio Olympics silver medallist also admitted that there was a rivalry between the two but clarified that it was not a big issue as people often mistook the aggression players showed during a match. &nbsp;

&ldquo;Rivalry is always there. When you play on court, everybody wants to win, both have the aggression to win. The rivalry is good in a way, everybody has that nowadays.&rdquo;

Sindhu and Saina are being trained under the same roof ever since the former made a surprise return to Gopichand&rsquo;s academy, but says that despite that they don&#39;t have time to talk.&nbsp;

&ldquo;We play together during practice but there&rsquo;s not much time to get interactive and talk to each other because we have our training sessions,&rdquo; said Sindhu.

Sindhu is currently involved in PBL with Chennai Smashers while Saina is part of Awadhe Warriors.

Rio Olympics silver medallist also admitted that there was a rivalry between the two

The madness associated with viewers when ace shuttlers PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal lock horns is nothing new. But little is known about their relationship off the court. So when Sindhu was asked to throw some light on her relationship with Nehwal, she said they are friends but hi and bye types only. “We’re friends, like hi-bye… and that’s it,” Sindhu told a leading daily. The Rio Olympics silver medallist also admitted that there was a rivalry between the two but clarified that it was not a big issue as people often mistook the aggression players showed during a match. “Rivalry is always there. When you play on court, everybody wants to win, both have the aggression to win. The rivalry is good in a way, everybody has that nowadays.” Sindhu and Saina are being trained under the same roof ever since the former made a surprise return to Gopichand’s academy, but says that despite that they don't have time to talk. “We play together during practice but there’s not much time to get interactive and talk to each other because we have our training sessions,” said Sindhu. Sindhu is currently involved in PBL with Chennai Smashers while Saina is part of Awadhe Warriors.

PV?Sindhu on friendship with Saina Nehwal: We are hi and bye types friends

The man who won the 1500 metres at the Rio Paralympics ran faster than the man who won the same race at the recently-concluded Rio Olympics.&nbsp; 
 
Algeria&rsquo;s Abdellatif Baka won the T13 1500m in a record-breaking time of 3 minutes and 48.29 seconds while the man who won at the Rio Olympics -- the USA&rsquo;s Matthew Centrowitz -- did so in 3:50:00 minutes.&nbsp; 
 
In short, Baka was more than 1.7seconds faster than Centrowitz.&nbsp; 
 
And while that would have been surprising (and smile-inducing enough), there was still more to the story.&nbsp; 
 
The men who came second, third, and fourth also ran faster than Centrowitz.&nbsp; 
 
T13 is a classification for athletes who suffer visual impairment. There are two other classes -- T12 and T11. The lower the numbers, the more severe the impairment.&nbsp; 
 
WION)

Algeria?s Abdellatif Baka won in 3 mins & 48.29 secs; he was more than 1.7 seconds faster than the Olympic winner

The man who won the 1500 metres at the Rio Paralympics ran faster than the man who won the same race at the recently-concluded Rio Olympics. Algeria’s Abdellatif Baka won the T13 1500m in a record-breaking time of 3 minutes and 48.29 seconds while the man who won at the Rio Olympics -- the USA’s Matthew Centrowitz -- did so in 3:50:00 minutes. In short, Baka was more than 1.7seconds faster than Centrowitz. And while that would have been surprising (and smile-inducing enough), there was still more to the story. The men who came second, third, and fourth also ran faster than Centrowitz. T13 is a classification for athletes who suffer visual impairment. There are two other classes -- T12 and T11. The lower the numbers, the more severe the impairment. WION)

Rio Paralympics: First four 1,500m finishers run faster than man who won gold at OIympics

India&#39;s 2012 Olympics bronze medallist wrestler, Yogeshwar Dutt, does not want his award to be upgraded to a silver medal on &#39;humanitarian grounds&#39;, PTI news agency reported today.&nbsp; 
 
Dutt&#39;s medal is being upgraded as late Besik Kudukhov, the silver medallist&#39;s dope test resulted positive recently. 
 
&quot;Besik Kudukhov shandaar pehelwaan the (Besik Kudukhov was a magnificent wrestler). Unke mirtyu ke baad dope test mein fail ho jana bahut dukht hai (His dope test returning positive after his death is very sad). Main khiladi ke roop mein main unka samaan karta hoon (As a wrestler, I respect him),&quot; Yogeshwar wrote on his twitter handle. 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Besik Kudukhov ?????? ?????? ??? ???? ?????? ?? ?????? dope test ??? fail ?? ???? ???? ???? ??? ??????? ?? ??? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ????
&mdash; Yogeshwar Dutt (@DuttYogi) <a href="https://twitter.com/DuttYogi/status/770876284721328129">August 31, 2016</a> 
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??? ?? ??? ?? ?? ???? ????? ?? ??? ???? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ?? ??????????? ????? ???? ??? ?????? ??????? ???????? ???
&mdash; Yogeshwar Dutt (@DuttYogi) <a href="https://twitter.com/DuttYogi/status/770876403424325633">August 31, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&quot;Agar ho sake toh yeh medal unhi ke paas rehne diya jaaye (If possible, the medal should stay with him). Unke pariwar ke liye bhi samaan purna hoga (It will keep his family&#39;s honour intact). Mere liye manaviya samvedana sarvopari hai (For me humanity is above everything else),&quot; he further wrote. 
 
Kudukhov was a four-time world champion and a two-time Olympic medallist. He died in a car crash in 2013 in southern Russia. 
 
Kudukhov failed a World Anti-Doping Agency dope test which was conducted before the Rio games on a sample given by him in 2012. Consequently, Dutt is added as a silver medallist in men&#39;s 65kg freestyle wrestlers in London Olympics 2012. 
 
Dutt also said he would like to dedicate the medal to countrymen.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from PTI)

Dutt's medal is being upgraded as late Besik Kudukhov, the silver medallist's dope test resulted positive recently

India's 2012 Olympics bronze medallist wrestler, Yogeshwar Dutt, does not want his award to be upgraded to a silver medal on 'humanitarian grounds', PTI news agency reported today. Dutt's medal is being upgraded as late Besik Kudukhov, the silver medallist's dope test resulted positive recently. "Besik Kudukhov shandaar pehelwaan the (Besik Kudukhov was a magnificent wrestler). Unke mirtyu ke baad dope test mein fail ho jana bahut dukht hai (His dope test returning positive after his death is very sad). Main khiladi ke roop mein main unka samaan karta hoon (As a wrestler, I respect him)," Yogeshwar wrote on his twitter handle. Besik Kudukhov ?????? ?????? ??? ???? ?????? ?? ?????? dope test ??? fail ?? ???? ???? ???? ??? ??????? ?? ??? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ???? — Yogeshwar Dutt (@DuttYogi) August 31, 2016 ??? ?? ??? ?? ?? ???? ????? ?? ??? ???? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ?? ??????????? ????? ???? ??? ?????? ??????? ???????? ??? — Yogeshwar Dutt (@DuttYogi) August 31, 2016 "Agar ho sake toh yeh medal unhi ke paas rehne diya jaaye (If possible, the medal should stay with him). Unke pariwar ke liye bhi samaan purna hoga (It will keep his family's honour intact). Mere liye manaviya samvedana sarvopari hai (For me humanity is above everything else)," he further wrote. Kudukhov was a four-time world champion and a two-time Olympic medallist. He died in a car crash in 2013 in southern Russia. Kudukhov failed a World Anti-Doping Agency dope test which was conducted before the Rio games on a sample given by him in 2012. Consequently, Dutt is added as a silver medallist in men's 65kg freestyle wrestlers in London Olympics 2012. Dutt also said he would like to dedicate the medal to countrymen. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Yogeshwar Dutt prefers keeping bronze for London Olympics

Gabby Douglas, a&nbsp;member of the US women&#39;s national gymnastics team, missed the MTV Video Music Awards due to an illness. 
 
Douglas and her teammates, dubbed as the &#39;Final Five&#39; by the media, were scheduled to present the award for Best Female Video. 
 
Douglas posted a photo of herself wrapped in a blanket on Instagram, explaining why she did not attend the award function. 
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BJqzQLBhvlo/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Out of the hospital &amp; resting comfortably! #FinalFive so sad I can&#39;t be with u all to present tonite?? @MTV thank u? xoxo ?? #VMAs #myview</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Gabby Douglas (@gabbycvdouglas) on <time datetime="2016-08-28T22:14:45+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Aug 28, 2016 at 3:14pm PDT</time>
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&quot;Gabby is back in the hospital tonight being treated for a seriously infected past mouth injury,&quot; Douglas&#39; publicist was reported by the celebrity news website PEOPLE as saying. &quot;She continues to have deep swelling and adverse reactions to medications.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Simone Biles, the 2016 Olympic individual all-around, vault and floor gold medalist, acknowledged her teammate when presenting the award and said, &quot;Feel better, Gabby!&quot; 
 
Ali Raisman, one of Douglas&#39; teammates posted a picture of the other four members on Instagram, wishing her well. 
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BJreSlrAMd0/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">We missed you @gabbycvdouglas we hope you&#39;re feeling better ??</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Alexandra Raisman (@alyraisman) on <time datetime="2016-08-29T04:30:49+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Aug 28, 2016 at 9:30pm PDT</time>
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Douglas became the first African-American to win the Olympic title in London in 2012. But in Rio she finished seventh in the eight-woman uneven bars final. 
 
Other Olympians attending the gala included US swimmer Michael Phelps who introduced the rapper Future whom he called an inspiration. 
 
Beyonce dominated the Video Music Awards with a near-record eight wins. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)&nbsp;

Douglas and her teammates ?- dubbed as the 'Final Five' by the media - were scheduled to present the award for Best Female Video

Gabby Douglas, a member of the US women's national gymnastics team, missed the MTV Video Music Awards due to an illness. Douglas and her teammates, dubbed as the 'Final Five' by the media, were scheduled to present the award for Best Female Video. Douglas posted a photo of herself wrapped in a blanket on Instagram, explaining why she did not attend the award function. Out of the hospital & resting comfortably! #FinalFive so sad I can't be with u all to present tonite?? @MTV thank u? xoxo ?? #VMAs #myview A photo posted by Gabby Douglas (@gabbycvdouglas) on Aug 28, 2016 at 3:14pm PDT "Gabby is back in the hospital tonight being treated for a seriously infected past mouth injury," Douglas' publicist was reported by the celebrity news website PEOPLE as saying. "She continues to have deep swelling and adverse reactions to medications." Simone Biles, the 2016 Olympic individual all-around, vault and floor gold medalist, acknowledged her teammate when presenting the award and said, "Feel better, Gabby!" Ali Raisman, one of Douglas' teammates posted a picture of the other four members on Instagram, wishing her well. We missed you @gabbycvdouglas we hope you're feeling better ?? A photo posted by Alexandra Raisman (@alyraisman) on Aug 28, 2016 at 9:30pm PDT Douglas became the first African-American to win the Olympic title in London in 2012. But in Rio she finished seventh in the eight-woman uneven bars final. Other Olympians attending the gala included US swimmer Michael Phelps who introduced the rapper Future whom he called an inspiration. Beyonce dominated the Video Music Awards with a near-record eight wins. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Olympic gold medallist Gabby Douglas hospitalised, misses MTV Music Awards

Hope Solo, the US women&#39;s football goalkeeper, was banned for six months from international football following her &quot;bunch of cowards&quot; comment at the Rio Olympics. 
 
The comment was directed at the (defensive-minded) Swedish football team, who beat the United States 4-3 on penalty kicks after their quarter-final match ended 1-1. 
 
&quot;The comments by Hope Solo after the match against Sweden during the 2016&nbsp;Olympics were unacceptable and do not meet the standard of conduct we&nbsp;require from our national team players,&quot; US Soccer President Sunil Gulati said&nbsp;in a statement. 
 
&quot;Taking into consideration the past incidents involving Hope, as well as the&nbsp;private conversations we&#39;ve had requiring her to conduct herself in a manner&nbsp;befitting a US national team member, US Soccer determined this is the&nbsp;appropriate disciplinary action,&quot; it stated. 
 
Solo, who was previously suspended for 30 days in 2015,&nbsp;will start her suspension immediately. 
 
The 35-year-old also made news in January last year over a domestic violence case&nbsp;that was dismissed after she pleaded not guilty. 
 
Solo has been a part of US Olympic gold medal-winning teams in 2008 and 2012. 
 
&quot;For 17 years, I dedicated my life to the US women&#39;s national team and did the&nbsp;job of a pro athlete the only way I knew how - with passion, tenacity, an&nbsp;unrelenting commitment to be the best goalkeeper in the world, not just for my&nbsp;country, but to elevate the sport for the next generation of female athletes. In&nbsp;those commitments, I have never wavered,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;I think we played a bunch of cowards. The best team did not win today,&quot; Solo&nbsp;had said after the match against Sweden in Brasilia on August 12. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

Solo had made the comment at the Rio Olympics after Sweden beat USA

Hope Solo, the US women's football goalkeeper, was banned for six months from international football following her "bunch of cowards" comment at the Rio Olympics. The comment was directed at the (defensive-minded) Swedish football team, who beat the United States 4-3 on penalty kicks after their quarter-final match ended 1-1. "The comments by Hope Solo after the match against Sweden during the 2016 Olympics were unacceptable and do not meet the standard of conduct we require from our national team players," US Soccer President Sunil Gulati said in a statement. "Taking into consideration the past incidents involving Hope, as well as the private conversations we've had requiring her to conduct herself in a manner befitting a US national team member, US Soccer determined this is the appropriate disciplinary action," it stated. Solo, who was previously suspended for 30 days in 2015, will start her suspension immediately. The 35-year-old also made news in January last year over a domestic violence case that was dismissed after she pleaded not guilty. Solo has been a part of US Olympic gold medal-winning teams in 2008 and 2012. "For 17 years, I dedicated my life to the US women's national team and did the job of a pro athlete the only way I knew how - with passion, tenacity, an unrelenting commitment to be the best goalkeeper in the world, not just for my country, but to elevate the sport for the next generation of female athletes. In those commitments, I have never wavered," she said. "I think we played a bunch of cowards. The best team did not win today," Solo had said after the match against Sweden in Brasilia on August 12. (WION with inputs from agencies)

US goalkeeper Solo slapped with six-month ban over 'bunch of cowards' comment

A ban on Russia&#39;s Paralympic team competing in Rio next month is cynical and immoral, Russian President Vladimir Putin said today.&nbsp; 
 
He lashed out the anti-doping organisations, saying they singled out Russia because they were subjected to &quot;political pressure&quot;. 
 
&quot;I used to say this before and I still believe that these international anti-doping structures should be rid of political pressure,&quot; Putin told Russian Olympians in a speech at Kremlin ceremony to welcome home participants of Rio Olympics 2016.&nbsp; 
 
Putin said the decision to ban atheletes, even those who had tested negative for consuming banned drugs, shows &ldquo;how the humanistic foundations of sport and Olympism are shamelessly flouted by politics&quot;. 
 
He, however, added that Moscow has acknowledged its mistakes and will try to rectify them in the most &ldquo;transparent ways&rdquo;.&nbsp;He also pledged to organise competitions for the banned Paralympians to show how skilled its atheletes are.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The decision to disqualify our Paralympic team is outside the law, outside morality and outside humanity,&quot; Putin said. 
 
Russia narrowly escaped a blanket ban from the Rio Olympics last month after the world doping authorities accused Moscow of running a state-sponsored sports doping programme. Its track-and-field team was, however, excluded from the Games.&nbsp; 
 
Russia&#39;s Paralympic team has been suspended over the same doping allegations.&nbsp; 
 
Russia had last week appealed a decision to suspend the country over evidence of state-sponsored doping. The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) however said that Russia had lost its appeal.&nbsp; 
 
Russia finished fourth in the Olympic medal table with 56 medals, including 19 gold. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

He said the anti-doping organisations targeted Russia under 'political pressure' and pledged to organise competitions for banned athletes

A ban on Russia's Paralympic team competing in Rio next month is cynical and immoral, Russian President Vladimir Putin said today. He lashed out the anti-doping organisations, saying they singled out Russia because they were subjected to "political pressure". "I used to say this before and I still believe that these international anti-doping structures should be rid of political pressure," Putin told Russian Olympians in a speech at Kremlin ceremony to welcome home participants of Rio Olympics 2016. Putin said the decision to ban atheletes, even those who had tested negative for consuming banned drugs, shows “how the humanistic foundations of sport and Olympism are shamelessly flouted by politics". He, however, added that Moscow has acknowledged its mistakes and will try to rectify them in the most “transparent ways”. He also pledged to organise competitions for the banned Paralympians to show how skilled its atheletes are. "The decision to disqualify our Paralympic team is outside the law, outside morality and outside humanity," Putin said. Russia narrowly escaped a blanket ban from the Rio Olympics last month after the world doping authorities accused Moscow of running a state-sponsored sports doping programme. Its track-and-field team was, however, excluded from the Games. Russia's Paralympic team has been suspended over the same doping allegations. Russia had last week appealed a decision to suspend the country over evidence of state-sponsored doping. The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) however said that Russia had lost its appeal. Russia finished fourth in the Olympic medal table with 56 medals, including 19 gold. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Russian President Putin slams Paralympic ban, calls it immoral

Swimwear maker Speedo and luxury retailer Ralph Lauren Corp ended their sponsorship contracts with Ryan Lochte, days after the US swimmer admitted to exaggerating his story about being robbed at gunpoint in Rio during the Olympics. 
 
The incident embarrassed the host city, angered the local police and government and dominated news coverage of South America&#39;s first Olympics, leading the US Olympic Committee to issue an apology. 
 
Lochte, a 12-time Olympic medalist, apologised on Saturday in an interview to Brazil&#39;s largest broadcaster, Globo TV. &quot;I wasn&#39;t lying to a certain extent,&quot; he said. &quot;I over-exaggerated what was happening to me.&quot; 
 
Within hours of the Games coming to a close, Speedo USA issued a statement saying it would drop Lochte as one of its endorsers, while Ralph Lauren said it would not be renewing its contract with the swimmer. 
 
Hair removal company Syneron Candela also ended its partnership with Lochte, four months after naming him its global brand ambassador for one of its products. 
 
Nottingham, UK-based Speedo&#39;s US unit said on Monday it would donate $50,000 of Lochte&#39;s fee to Save The Children, a global charity partner of Speedo. 
 
Lochte said in an email that he respected Speedo&#39;s decision. 
 
&quot;I was immature and I made a stupid mistake. I&#39;m human. I made a mistake and I definitely learned from this,&quot; Lochte said in an interview on the Today show. 
 
&quot;They (the people of Rio) put on a great Games. And my immature, intoxicated behavior tarnished that a little,&quot; Lochte said. 
 
Another sponsor, Japanese mattress maker Airweave, had said on Friday that it would continue to monitor the investigation. 
 
&quot;As long as he is a respectable athlete, he will remain a US ambassador for Airweave as long as our partnership agreement remains effective,&quot; Motokuni Takaoka, CEO of Airweave, had said in an email. Airweave could not be reached for comment today. 
 
Ralph Lauren said its endorsement agreement with Lochte was specifically for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The company had taken down references to the gold medalist from its website last week. 
 
Lochte, 32, won one gold medal at the Rio Olympics. He was the breakout star of the 2012 London Olympics, landing a short-lived reality TV series called &quot;What Would Ryan Lochte Do?&quot; and appearing, as himself, on top shows like &quot;30 Rock&quot; and &quot;90210&quot;. 
 
(Reuters)

Lochte said in an email that he respected Speedo's decision. 'I was immature and I made a stupid mistake,' he apologised in an interview

Swimwear maker Speedo and luxury retailer Ralph Lauren Corp ended their sponsorship contracts with Ryan Lochte, days after the US swimmer admitted to exaggerating his story about being robbed at gunpoint in Rio during the Olympics. The incident embarrassed the host city, angered the local police and government and dominated news coverage of South America's first Olympics, leading the US Olympic Committee to issue an apology. Lochte, a 12-time Olympic medalist, apologised on Saturday in an interview to Brazil's largest broadcaster, Globo TV. "I wasn't lying to a certain extent," he said. "I over-exaggerated what was happening to me." Within hours of the Games coming to a close, Speedo USA issued a statement saying it would drop Lochte as one of its endorsers, while Ralph Lauren said it would not be renewing its contract with the swimmer. Hair removal company Syneron Candela also ended its partnership with Lochte, four months after naming him its global brand ambassador for one of its products. Nottingham, UK-based Speedo's US unit said on Monday it would donate $50,000 of Lochte's fee to Save The Children, a global charity partner of Speedo. Lochte said in an email that he respected Speedo's decision. "I was immature and I made a stupid mistake. I'm human. I made a mistake and I definitely learned from this," Lochte said in an interview on the Today show. "They (the people of Rio) put on a great Games. And my immature, intoxicated behavior tarnished that a little," Lochte said. Another sponsor, Japanese mattress maker Airweave, had said on Friday that it would continue to monitor the investigation. "As long as he is a respectable athlete, he will remain a US ambassador for Airweave as long as our partnership agreement remains effective," Motokuni Takaoka, CEO of Airweave, had said in an email. Airweave could not be reached for comment today. Ralph Lauren said its endorsement agreement with Lochte was specifically for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The company had taken down references to the gold medalist from its website last week. Lochte, 32, won one gold medal at the Rio Olympics. He was the breakout star of the 2012 London Olympics, landing a short-lived reality TV series called "What Would Ryan Lochte Do?" and appearing, as himself, on top shows like "30 Rock" and "90210". (Reuters)

Speedo, Ralph Lauren drop Ryan Lochte after Rio incident

The Indian government will confer the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award? on PV Sindhu, Dipa Karmakar, Jitu Rai and Sakshi Malik. 
 
Fifteen other sportspersons, including Ajinkya Rahane, Lalita Babar, Shiva Thapa and Apurvi Chandela, will be given the Arjuna Award. 
 
The government had announced earlier this year that athletes who win at the Olympics would automatically&nbsp;qualify for the honour. 
 
With Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the four atheletes will join the league of sporting giants like Sachin Tendulkar (cricket), Leander Paes (lawn tennis) and Viswanathan Anand (chess). 
 
Sakshi Malik, 23, was the first Indian woman to clinch an Olympic bronze in wrestling, and the first athlete to win a medal for the Indian contingent at the Rio Olympics. 
 
World Championships bronze-medallist Shiva Thapa was the only boxer recommended for this year&#39;s Arjuna&nbsp;award, the country&#39;s second highest sporting honour, by the selection committee headed by Justice (Retd) S&nbsp;K Agarwal and comprising cricketer Gautam Gambhir and shooter Anjali Bhagwat among others. 
 
The 22-year-old, who lost in the opening round of the ongoing Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, has been&nbsp;picked for his fineperformances in the past four years, which included two Asian Championships medals (a&nbsp;gold in 2013 and a bronze in 2015), besides the World Championships bronze. 
 
This year&rsquo;s Dronacharya Award winners include Nagapuri Ramesh (Athletics), Sagar Mal Dhayal (Boxing),&nbsp;Raj Kumar Sharma (Cricket), Bishweshwar Nandi (Gymnastics), S Pradeep Kumar (Swimming) and&nbsp;Mahabir Singh (Wrestling). 
 
National Sports Awards are given every year to recognise and reward excellence in sports. Rajiv Gandhi&nbsp;Khel Ratna Award is given for the most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a&nbsp;sportsperson over a period of four years while the Arjuna Award is given for consistently outstanding performance for four years. 
 
The Dronacharya Award is given to coaches for producing medal winners at prestigious international sports events and Dhyan Chand Award for life time contribution to sports development.

The Indian government had announced earlier that athletes who win at the Olympics would qualify for the highest sporting honour

The Indian government will confer the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award? on PV Sindhu, Dipa Karmakar, Jitu Rai and Sakshi Malik. Fifteen other sportspersons, including Ajinkya Rahane, Lalita Babar, Shiva Thapa and Apurvi Chandela, will be given the Arjuna Award. The government had announced earlier this year that athletes who win at the Olympics would automatically qualify for the honour. With Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the four atheletes will join the league of sporting giants like Sachin Tendulkar (cricket), Leander Paes (lawn tennis) and Viswanathan Anand (chess). Sakshi Malik, 23, was the first Indian woman to clinch an Olympic bronze in wrestling, and the first athlete to win a medal for the Indian contingent at the Rio Olympics. World Championships bronze-medallist Shiva Thapa was the only boxer recommended for this year's Arjuna award, the country's second highest sporting honour, by the selection committee headed by Justice (Retd) S K Agarwal and comprising cricketer Gautam Gambhir and shooter Anjali Bhagwat among others. The 22-year-old, who lost in the opening round of the ongoing Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, has been picked for his fineperformances in the past four years, which included two Asian Championships medals (a gold in 2013 and a bronze in 2015), besides the World Championships bronze. This year’s Dronacharya Award winners include Nagapuri Ramesh (Athletics), Sagar Mal Dhayal (Boxing), Raj Kumar Sharma (Cricket), Bishweshwar Nandi (Gymnastics), S Pradeep Kumar (Swimming) and Mahabir Singh (Wrestling). National Sports Awards are given every year to recognise and reward excellence in sports. Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award is given for the most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a period of four years while the Arjuna Award is given for consistently outstanding performance for four years. The Dronacharya Award is given to coaches for producing medal winners at prestigious international sports events and Dhyan Chand Award for life time contribution to sports development.

India's Olympic medal winners to be conferred with Khel Ratna, 15 others to get Arjuna award

As Olympic under-achievers India head home from&nbsp;Rio&nbsp;having failed to win a gold medal, its gate-crashing, selfie-taking officials have been accused of failing to help its athletes taste success.

A string of below-par performances saw India win just two medals at the Games, fewer than the six clinched during their best-ever performance in London four years earlier.

Badminton champion PV&nbsp;Sindhu&#39;s silver towards the end of the&nbsp;Rio&nbsp;Games sparked an outpouring of national pride and celebrations, along with wrestler Sakshi Malik&#39;s bronze.

But reports during the competition of Indian officials seemingly living it up in&nbsp;Rio, while athletes struggled to make it through qualifying, sparked anger back home and raised questions about the commitment of those in charge.

&quot;Officials do not have the welfare of the athletes on their mind. All they are bothered about is having a good time,&quot; Aslam Sher Khan, India&#39;s former hockey Olympian, said.

&quot;While other countries have scripted a turnaround in their fortune like the UK, we sadly continue to languish in mediocrity,&quot; he said.

&quot;We have become the laughing stock of the world.&quot;

Indian sports minister Vijay Goel has described as a &quot;misunderstanding&quot; reports that his entourage tried to muscle unaccredited people accompanying him into Olympic venues.

Rio&nbsp;organisers reportedly accused his entourage of &quot;aggressive and rude behaviour&quot; and threatened to cancel his accreditation, prompting Goel to deny any involvement. 
 
The minister also sparked ridicule on social media after praising one of India&#39;s athletes on Twitter, only to use a photo of a different one.

And the Indian Express newspaper accused him of spending his time in&nbsp;Rio&nbsp;taking selfies with &quot;exhausted Indian athletes&quot;,&nbsp;after posting a picture of himself ringside with just defeated boxer Vikas Krishan Yadav.

The incidents come as little surprise to observers who have long accused sport administrators of being more concerned about protecting their own fiefdoms than targeting success.

At the 2014 Winter Olympics, India suffered the humiliation of being banned from flying its flag at the opening ceremony following corruption concerns.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) suffered a 14-month ban which was only lifted after it elected new leaders, excluding those who had been accused of corruption over the chaotic organisation of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

India&#39;s only individual Olympic gold medallist, shooter Abhinav Bindra, said he was fed up with apathetic officials, some of whom were unqualified for the job and were not being held accountable for a lack of success on the field.

&quot;I won&#39;t get angry and spoil my own health. It happens every time and that is the way it is,&quot; the shooter, who won gold in Beijing in 2008 and finished fourth in&nbsp;Rio, told NDTV network.

&quot;We need a complete overhaul of the system. We need more experts coming in... I have no problem with a politician if he can bring something to the table.&quot; 
 
India&#39;s anti-doping officials were also left red-faced in&nbsp;Rio&nbsp;after wrestler Narsingh Yadav was banned for four years for failing drug tests -- overturning India&#39;s earlier decision to allow him to compete.

Indian officials had cleared Yadav just days before&nbsp;Rio, accepting his defence that a rival spiked his food supplements, after failing two tests for a banned steroid.

The World Anti-Doping Agency swiftly challenged the decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport which found &quot;no evidence&quot; of such contamination.

&#39;Not bothered&#39;

India, a country obsessed with cricket, has never finished high on the medal table, winning just 28 from 24 Olympic appearances.

But India, with a population of more than a billion people and enjoying strong economic growth, had been targeting 10 medals in&nbsp;Rio&nbsp;and sent its largest ever squad.

India&#39;s government spent about 1.2 billion rupees ($18 million), however, preparing the athletes, according to the sports ministry, a fraction of the amount forked out by China, Britain and other countries.

With the lack of silverware becoming evident, media began focusing on the officials, including a former IOA chief, currently facing trial in a corruption case, seen attending the Games with an accreditation pass.

Veteran journalist K. Jagannadha Rao who has covered six Olympics said such incidents involving officials were not unusual.

Khan, one of the few Indians to have tasted success when the hockey team won bronze at the 1972 Munich Olympics, agreed, saying few lessons had been learnt over the years. 
 
&quot;They are simply not bothered if the country is winning medals or not.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Former athletes were unanimous in their condemnation of callous officials at the Games

As Olympic under-achievers India head home from Rio having failed to win a gold medal, its gate-crashing, selfie-taking officials have been accused of failing to help its athletes taste success. A string of below-par performances saw India win just two medals at the Games, fewer than the six clinched during their best-ever performance in London four years earlier. Badminton champion PV Sindhu's silver towards the end of the Rio Games sparked an outpouring of national pride and celebrations, along with wrestler Sakshi Malik's bronze. But reports during the competition of Indian officials seemingly living it up in Rio, while athletes struggled to make it through qualifying, sparked anger back home and raised questions about the commitment of those in charge. "Officials do not have the welfare of the athletes on their mind. All they are bothered about is having a good time," Aslam Sher Khan, India's former hockey Olympian, said. "While other countries have scripted a turnaround in their fortune like the UK, we sadly continue to languish in mediocrity," he said. "We have become the laughing stock of the world." Indian sports minister Vijay Goel has described as a "misunderstanding" reports that his entourage tried to muscle unaccredited people accompanying him into Olympic venues. Rio organisers reportedly accused his entourage of "aggressive and rude behaviour" and threatened to cancel his accreditation, prompting Goel to deny any involvement. The minister also sparked ridicule on social media after praising one of India's athletes on Twitter, only to use a photo of a different one. And the Indian Express newspaper accused him of spending his time in Rio taking selfies with "exhausted Indian athletes", after posting a picture of himself ringside with just defeated boxer Vikas Krishan Yadav. The incidents come as little surprise to observers who have long accused sport administrators of being more concerned about protecting their own fiefdoms than targeting success. At the 2014 Winter Olympics, India suffered the humiliation of being banned from flying its flag at the opening ceremony following corruption concerns. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) suffered a 14-month ban which was only lifted after it elected new leaders, excluding those who had been accused of corruption over the chaotic organisation of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. India's only individual Olympic gold medallist, shooter Abhinav Bindra, said he was fed up with apathetic officials, some of whom were unqualified for the job and were not being held accountable for a lack of success on the field. "I won't get angry and spoil my own health. It happens every time and that is the way it is," the shooter, who won gold in Beijing in 2008 and finished fourth in Rio, told NDTV network. "We need a complete overhaul of the system. We need more experts coming in... I have no problem with a politician if he can bring something to the table." India's anti-doping officials were also left red-faced in Rio after wrestler Narsingh Yadav was banned for four years for failing drug tests -- overturning India's earlier decision to allow him to compete. Indian officials had cleared Yadav just days before Rio, accepting his defence that a rival spiked his food supplements, after failing two tests for a banned steroid. The World Anti-Doping Agency swiftly challenged the decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport which found "no evidence" of such contamination. 'Not bothered' India, a country obsessed with cricket, has never finished high on the medal table, winning just 28 from 24 Olympic appearances. But India, with a population of more than a billion people and enjoying strong economic growth, had been targeting 10 medals in Rio and sent its largest ever squad. India's government spent about 1.2 billion rupees ($18 million), however, preparing the athletes, according to the sports ministry, a fraction of the amount forked out by China, Britain and other countries. With the lack of silverware becoming evident, media began focusing on the officials, including a former IOA chief, currently facing trial in a corruption case, seen attending the Games with an accreditation pass. Veteran journalist K. Jagannadha Rao who has covered six Olympics said such incidents involving officials were not unusual. Khan, one of the few Indians to have tasted success when the hockey team won bronze at the 1972 Munich Olympics, agreed, saying few lessons had been learnt over the years. "They are simply not bothered if the country is winning medals or not." (AFP)

Rio Olympics 2016: 'Selfie-clicking' officials draw flak for India's dire performance

PV Sindhu and Sakshi Malik did not just win medals and the hearts of millions of Indians with their feat at the Rio Olympics, they are also on Google&#39;s list of the most searched Indian athletes. The states which have generated the maximum search interest in the Olympics include Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Meghalaya, Manipur and Sikkim, possibly since many of the players in the Indian contingent belong to these states. 
 
According to the Olympics search trends curated by the search engine on August 18, seven out of 10 of the most searched athletes in India in the last three days have been&nbsp;women. Top Searched Indian athletes in the last three days included PV Sindhu, Sakshi Malik, Srikanth Kidambi, Dipa Karmakar, Sania Mirza, Saina Nehwal, Vinesh Phogat, Lalita Babar, Vikas Krishan Yadav, and Narsingh Pancham Yadav. On August 8, Deepa Karmakar was the most searched athlete on Google as she created history moving into the final of one of the most difficult gymnastic vault. Last week, Google searches peaked as fans cheered for her in the final battle. 
 
Besides their favourite atheletes, people also kept a close watch on their opponents. Lin Dan, the Chinese badminton player who defeated Srikanth Kadambi, Nozomi Okuhara from Japan and Wang Yihan from China, who lost to P V Sindhu in their respective battles, also made it to the top five searches. Overall, badminton and wrestling remained the top searched sports by Indians. 
 
The country is currently ranked 11th in the global trends in terms of searches for the &#39;Olympics&#39; over the last seven days.Indian fans also showed a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm for Jamaican sprinter and the world&#39;s fastest man, Usain Bolt, who remained the most searched foreign athlete on Google India. US swimming sensation Michael Phelps was also much-searched by Indian fans.&nbsp;

(ANI)&nbsp; 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

Dipa Karmakar, Sania Mirza and Saina Nehwal also feature in the line-up by the search engine

PV Sindhu and Sakshi Malik did not just win medals and the hearts of millions of Indians with their feat at the Rio Olympics, they are also on Google's list of the most searched Indian athletes. The states which have generated the maximum search interest in the Olympics include Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Meghalaya, Manipur and Sikkim, possibly since many of the players in the Indian contingent belong to these states. According to the Olympics search trends curated by the search engine on August 18, seven out of 10 of the most searched athletes in India in the last three days have been women. Top Searched Indian athletes in the last three days included PV Sindhu, Sakshi Malik, Srikanth Kidambi, Dipa Karmakar, Sania Mirza, Saina Nehwal, Vinesh Phogat, Lalita Babar, Vikas Krishan Yadav, and Narsingh Pancham Yadav. On August 8, Deepa Karmakar was the most searched athlete on Google as she created history moving into the final of one of the most difficult gymnastic vault. Last week, Google searches peaked as fans cheered for her in the final battle. Besides their favourite atheletes, people also kept a close watch on their opponents. Lin Dan, the Chinese badminton player who defeated Srikanth Kadambi, Nozomi Okuhara from Japan and Wang Yihan from China, who lost to P V Sindhu in their respective battles, also made it to the top five searches. Overall, badminton and wrestling remained the top searched sports by Indians. The country is currently ranked 11th in the global trends in terms of searches for the 'Olympics' over the last seven days.Indian fans also showed a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm for Jamaican sprinter and the world's fastest man, Usain Bolt, who remained the most searched foreign athlete on Google India. US swimming sensation Michael Phelps was also much-searched by Indian fans. (ANI)

PV Sindhu, Sakshi Malik among most searched on Google's list of Indian athletes

Matthew Centrowitz produced a stunning gun-to-tape 1500m run on Saturday to claim the United States&#39; first gold in the event since 1908. 
 
Centrowitz, fourth in the London Games four years ago and twice a world championship medallist, timed 3min 50.00sec. 
 
Algerian defending champion Taoufik Makhloufi added silver to second place in the 800m, in 3:50.11, while New Zealand`s Nicholas Willis claimed bronze (3:50.24). 
 
&quot;There&#39;s nothing like it. It doesn&#39;t compare to anything else I&#39;ve won in my life,&quot; said Centrowitz. 
 
The last American to win the 1500m in the Olympics was Mel Sheppard in the 1908 London Games, and Centrowitz was left shell-shocked by his performance. 
 
&quot;It hasn&#39;t sunk in yet. I had an email from Jim Ryan before the race, Seb Coe gave me the medal and Hicham El Guerrouj is back there,&quot; he said in reference to the US 1968 1500m silver medallist, IAAF president and two-time Olympic gold medallist in the event and the Moroccan world record holder respectively. 
 
&quot;Seb said: welcome to the club! 
 
&quot;Everything leading up to it, during and after has been surreal. 
 
&quot;I saw my dad on my victory lap and I yelled &#39;are you kidding me?!&#39; and he yelled back &#39;are you effing kidding me?!&#39; and it kept going back and forth. I don&#39;t think any of us believed it.&quot; 
 
Centrowitz added, &quot;There&#39;s no achievement in sport that tops Olympic gold, no world record, no other medal. The Olympics are the pinnacle of track and field. This is the best that it gets. I&#39;ve been joking since I got this medal that I don&#39;t have to do anything else in my career!. On the best day I thought I could have got silver. Coming away with gold is unbelievable.&quot; 
 
The American and Spain&#39;s David Bustos set a slow early pace, Makhloufi boxed in the chasing pack with Kenyan favourite Asbel Kiprop. 
 
The opening two laps were timed at a relatively pedestrian 66 and 69.7sec respectively. 
 
Kiprop saw his teammate Ronald Kwemoi take a tumble that left him at the back of the pack, effectively leaving him unable to offer the 2008 Olympic gold medallist and three-time defending world champion any tactical help in the close-run race.&nbsp; 
 
Kiprop decided to move, and motored up through the field as the pace accelerated. 
Morocco&#39;s reigning world and Olympic bronze medallist Abalaati Iguider and Djibouti` Aynaleh Souleiman pushed Centrowitz through the bell for the last lap, with all eyes on Kiprop and Makhloufi. 
 
As expected, the Kenyan made his move with 300 metres to run, the Algerian sweeping in on his coat-tails. 
 
But Centrowitz kept his nerve as the pack entered the home stretch. 
 
&quot;After the first 800 metres when no one came around me, I thought ok no one&#39;s going around me now,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
His face gritted in determination, the 26-year-old American, coached by Alberto Salazar, held on for a shock victory, timing 50.62sec for the last lap. 
 
Kiprop was reeled in down the straight by Souleiman and Willis and eventually finished sixth, 0.87 off Centrowitz&#39;s pace. 
 
Willis, who won silver at the 2008 Games in Beijing, said the moment was not as &quot;joyous&quot; as he thought it would be. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s more that I can still do it at 33,&quot; the Kiwi said, adding, &quot;It doesn&#39;t have that euphoria I was expecting - maybe because the race was so slow, we didn&#39;t expend that much energy, it came a bit too easy. After 2008, I had three different surgeries, it took me four years to get back in to form. A lot of people write you off in your 30s. This is for all the 30-year olds.&quot; 
 
Willis also didn&#39;t count himself on whether he could still compete at a fifth Olympics:&nbsp;&quot;What do you think? I think I can do five.&quot;

(AFP) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

'Everything leading up to it, during and after has been surreal,' the US athlete said

Matthew Centrowitz produced a stunning gun-to-tape 1500m run on Saturday to claim the United States' first gold in the event since 1908. Centrowitz, fourth in the London Games four years ago and twice a world championship medallist, timed 3min 50.00sec. Algerian defending champion Taoufik Makhloufi added silver to second place in the 800m, in 3:50.11, while New Zealand`s Nicholas Willis claimed bronze (3:50.24). "There's nothing like it. It doesn't compare to anything else I've won in my life," said Centrowitz. The last American to win the 1500m in the Olympics was Mel Sheppard in the 1908 London Games, and Centrowitz was left shell-shocked by his performance. "It hasn't sunk in yet. I had an email from Jim Ryan before the race, Seb Coe gave me the medal and Hicham El Guerrouj is back there," he said in reference to the US 1968 1500m silver medallist, IAAF president and two-time Olympic gold medallist in the event and the Moroccan world record holder respectively. "Seb said: welcome to the club! "Everything leading up to it, during and after has been surreal. "I saw my dad on my victory lap and I yelled 'are you kidding me?!' and he yelled back 'are you effing kidding me?!' and it kept going back and forth. I don't think any of us believed it." Centrowitz added, "There's no achievement in sport that tops Olympic gold, no world record, no other medal. The Olympics are the pinnacle of track and field. This is the best that it gets. I've been joking since I got this medal that I don't have to do anything else in my career!. On the best day I thought I could have got silver. Coming away with gold is unbelievable." The American and Spain's David Bustos set a slow early pace, Makhloufi boxed in the chasing pack with Kenyan favourite Asbel Kiprop. The opening two laps were timed at a relatively pedestrian 66 and 69.7sec respectively. Kiprop saw his teammate Ronald Kwemoi take a tumble that left him at the back of the pack, effectively leaving him unable to offer the 2008 Olympic gold medallist and three-time defending world champion any tactical help in the close-run race. Kiprop decided to move, and motored up through the field as the pace accelerated. Morocco's reigning world and Olympic bronze medallist Abalaati Iguider and Djibouti` Aynaleh Souleiman pushed Centrowitz through the bell for the last lap, with all eyes on Kiprop and Makhloufi. As expected, the Kenyan made his move with 300 metres to run, the Algerian sweeping in on his coat-tails. But Centrowitz kept his nerve as the pack entered the home stretch. "After the first 800 metres when no one came around me, I thought ok no one's going around me now," he said. His face gritted in determination, the 26-year-old American, coached by Alberto Salazar, held on for a shock victory, timing 50.62sec for the last lap. Kiprop was reeled in down the straight by Souleiman and Willis and eventually finished sixth, 0.87 off Centrowitz's pace. Willis, who won silver at the 2008 Games in Beijing, said the moment was not as "joyous" as he thought it would be. "It's more that I can still do it at 33," the Kiwi said, adding, "It doesn't have that euphoria I was expecting - maybe because the race was so slow, we didn't expend that much energy, it came a bit too easy. After 2008, I had three different surgeries, it took me four years to get back in to form. A lot of people write you off in your 30s. This is for all the 30-year olds." Willis also didn't count himself on whether he could still compete at a fifth Olympics: "What do you think? I think I can do five." (AFP)

Matt Centrowitz Clinches 1st 1500m Olympic gold for US in a century

His legs were tired, but Britain&#39;s Mo Farah produced blistering pace in the final straight to become the first man in 40 years to retain the two Olympic distance titles. 
 
The 33-year-old, who fought back from a stumble to claim the 10,000m last week, said his victory in the 5,000m on Saturday night had been the most satisfying of the four golds. 
 
Farah won his second straight 5,000m in 13min 3.30sec to match the feat of Finland&#39;s Lasse Viren who retained the same Olympic titles in 1976. 
 
&quot;Oh my God I can&#39;t believe it,&quot; said Farah. &quot;It&#39;s every athlete&#39;s dream but I can&#39;t believe it. 
 
&quot;My legs were tired after the 10,000m and people had to bring me food in my room. 
 
&quot;This is the most satisfying win of the four, it is incredible.&quot; 
 
Farah, who trains in Oregon under ex-marathon great Alberto Salazar, said watching Ethiopian distance legend Kenenisa Bekele medalling had been an inspiration. 
 
&quot;When Bekele won all those medals I said I just want one. 
 
If you have dreams they can come true and I always wanted to achieve these for my kids because for so much of the year you don&#39;t see them and thus you want to show them something or rather the reason for the absences.&quot; 
 
Never lose&nbsp; 
 
Kenyan-born American Paul Chelimo took silver in a personal best of 13:03.90. He was initially disqualified but quickly reinstated. 
 
Ethiopian Hagos Gebrehiwet claimed bronze in 13:04.35. 
 
Dejen Gebremeksel, the Ethiopian silver medallist behind Farah in London four years ago, and Gebrhiwet set out on a fast pace, Farah sat at the end of the strung-out field at the Olympic Stadium in perfect conditions. 
 
Chelimo, one of three foreign-born Americans in the field along with the 41-year-old former Kenyan Bernard Lagat and Somali-born Hassan Mead, was happy tagging along in third as Farah moved up to sixth. 
 
The Ethiopians alternated the lead, with Kenyan-born Bahraini Albert Rop also in the mix. 
 
With five laps to run, Farah was well positioned in second and then took over the lead, immediately dropping the pace so the pack bunched back up. 
 
Farah led the 15-strong field through the 4km mark in 10:39.4 as the pace again picked up for the final kilometre under pressure from Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei. 
 
Farah went through the bell head-to-head with Gebrewihet, who punched down the back straight. 
 
But Farah held firm and surged again from 200m. Chelimo looked like he might have had the beating of the Somali-born Briton as they entered the home stretch. But Farah found an extra step in his stride, timing 52.83sec for the final lap for a famous win. 
 
&quot;When I hit the front I wasn&#39;t going to let them past me,&quot; said Farah.&nbsp; 
 
I wasn&#39;t going to let the inside lane go. I didn&#39;t want to get boxed in. There was pushing but that is part and parcel of the race. I hate to lose, I have been like that ever since I was a kid, I&#39;m really driven. That&#39;s just me,&quot; he added. 
 
The victory sealed a distance double for Farah last achieved when Viren triumphed in the 1972 and 1976 Games in Munich and Montreal. 
 
In a stellar career, Farah has already achieved the world double-double at the 2015 and 2013 championships in Beijing and Moscow. 
 
Salazar has faced doping suspicions, but no charges have ever been made and Farah has stayed loyal to the Cuban-born coach. 
 
(AFP) 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

Briton Mo Farah won his second straight 5,000m in 13min 3.30sec to match the feat of Finland's Lasse Viren

His legs were tired, but Britain's Mo Farah produced blistering pace in the final straight to become the first man in 40 years to retain the two Olympic distance titles. The 33-year-old, who fought back from a stumble to claim the 10,000m last week, said his victory in the 5,000m on Saturday night had been the most satisfying of the four golds. Farah won his second straight 5,000m in 13min 3.30sec to match the feat of Finland's Lasse Viren who retained the same Olympic titles in 1976. "Oh my God I can't believe it," said Farah. "It's every athlete's dream but I can't believe it. "My legs were tired after the 10,000m and people had to bring me food in my room. "This is the most satisfying win of the four, it is incredible." Farah, who trains in Oregon under ex-marathon great Alberto Salazar, said watching Ethiopian distance legend Kenenisa Bekele medalling had been an inspiration. "When Bekele won all those medals I said I just want one. If you have dreams they can come true and I always wanted to achieve these for my kids because for so much of the year you don't see them and thus you want to show them something or rather the reason for the absences." Never lose Kenyan-born American Paul Chelimo took silver in a personal best of 13:03.90. He was initially disqualified but quickly reinstated. Ethiopian Hagos Gebrehiwet claimed bronze in 13:04.35. Dejen Gebremeksel, the Ethiopian silver medallist behind Farah in London four years ago, and Gebrhiwet set out on a fast pace, Farah sat at the end of the strung-out field at the Olympic Stadium in perfect conditions. Chelimo, one of three foreign-born Americans in the field along with the 41-year-old former Kenyan Bernard Lagat and Somali-born Hassan Mead, was happy tagging along in third as Farah moved up to sixth. The Ethiopians alternated the lead, with Kenyan-born Bahraini Albert Rop also in the mix. With five laps to run, Farah was well positioned in second and then took over the lead, immediately dropping the pace so the pack bunched back up. Farah led the 15-strong field through the 4km mark in 10:39.4 as the pace again picked up for the final kilometre under pressure from Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei. Farah went through the bell head-to-head with Gebrewihet, who punched down the back straight. But Farah held firm and surged again from 200m. Chelimo looked like he might have had the beating of the Somali-born Briton as they entered the home stretch. But Farah found an extra step in his stride, timing 52.83sec for the final lap for a famous win. "When I hit the front I wasn't going to let them past me," said Farah. I wasn't going to let the inside lane go. I didn't want to get boxed in. There was pushing but that is part and parcel of the race. I hate to lose, I have been like that ever since I was a kid, I'm really driven. That's just me," he added. The victory sealed a distance double for Farah last achieved when Viren triumphed in the 1972 and 1976 Games in Munich and Montreal. In a stellar career, Farah has already achieved the world double-double at the 2015 and 2013 championships in Beijing and Moscow. Salazar has faced doping suspicions, but no charges have ever been made and Farah has stayed loyal to the Cuban-born coach. (AFP)

Rio Olympics 2016: Mighty Mo wins first distance double-double in 40 years

Celebrated Indian wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt failed to sign off his Olympic career with a medal, losing in the opening round to Mongolian Ganzorigiina Mandakhnaran whose quarterfinal defeat dashed the Indian&#39;s hopes of a repechage at the Rio Games today. 
 
Expectations were high from Yogeshwar, a London Olympics bronze-medallist, and he was touted as a strong medal prospect. But he looked a pale shadow of his previous gritty self in the 0-3 loss to Mandakhnaran in the qualification round bout. 
 
After his loss in the qualification, Yogeshwar&#39;s only hope of making the medal round depended on his Mongolian opponent reaching the gold medal bout. 
 
However, Mandakhnaran went down 0-6 to Russia&#39;s Soslan Lyudvikovich Ramonov, the gold medallist at the 2014 World Championship in Tashkent, in the quarterfinals to end the Indian grappler&#39;s dream of signing off with a medal. 
 
The five-member Indian wrestling team finished its campaign with just a solitary bronze won by Sakshi Malik in the women&#39;s 58kg category. The squad was originally six-strong but Narsingh Yadav was ousted after being slapped with a doping ban by the Court of Arbitration for Sports. 
 
Yogeshwar, competing in his fourth and last Olympics, hardly looked aggressive against the Mongolian, a gold-medallist from the 2010 Asian Games besides being a two-time World Championships bronze-winner. 
 
The 33-year-old grappler from Haryana&nbsp;had bagged a bronze in the 60kg category at the London Games and was expected to repeat the feat in the 65kg weight division. However, from the very beginning, Yogeshwar failed to get around Mandakhnaran during his qualification bout as the Mongolian moved at a very fast pace. 
 
In the opening period, Mandakhnaran earned a point due to Yogeshwar&#39;s passivity in 30 seconds to take a 1-0 lead. Mandakhnaran then turned a defensive position into an attacking one and successfully took down Yogeshwar to quickly bag two points and surge ahead. With a minute to go, Yogeshwar tried hard but could not get around his opponent and, as a result, went into the break 0-3 down. 
 
Yogeshwar, who qualified only in March this year for the Rio Games after struggling with a niggling knee injury, was expected to turn the tables in the second period but he simply failed to script a comeback. 
 
In the last minute of the bout, he tried very hard to get the hold of his rival and pin him down but all his efforts went in vain. The Mongolian wrestler could not earn a point either in the second period as he solely focused on defending. 
 
But in the end, the three points, which he scored in the first half, were enough to it make the pre-quarterfinal round. 
 
Mandakhnaran survived one more round before running into the tough Russian, who dominated the bout to march ahead.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

He lost to the Mongolian Ganzorigiina Mandakhnaran whose quarterfinal defeat dashed hopes of a repechage

Celebrated Indian wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt failed to sign off his Olympic career with a medal, losing in the opening round to Mongolian Ganzorigiina Mandakhnaran whose quarterfinal defeat dashed the Indian's hopes of a repechage at the Rio Games today. Expectations were high from Yogeshwar, a London Olympics bronze-medallist, and he was touted as a strong medal prospect. But he looked a pale shadow of his previous gritty self in the 0-3 loss to Mandakhnaran in the qualification round bout. After his loss in the qualification, Yogeshwar's only hope of making the medal round depended on his Mongolian opponent reaching the gold medal bout. However, Mandakhnaran went down 0-6 to Russia's Soslan Lyudvikovich Ramonov, the gold medallist at the 2014 World Championship in Tashkent, in the quarterfinals to end the Indian grappler's dream of signing off with a medal. The five-member Indian wrestling team finished its campaign with just a solitary bronze won by Sakshi Malik in the women's 58kg category. The squad was originally six-strong but Narsingh Yadav was ousted after being slapped with a doping ban by the Court of Arbitration for Sports. Yogeshwar, competing in his fourth and last Olympics, hardly looked aggressive against the Mongolian, a gold-medallist from the 2010 Asian Games besides being a two-time World Championships bronze-winner. The 33-year-old grappler from Haryana had bagged a bronze in the 60kg category at the London Games and was expected to repeat the feat in the 65kg weight division. However, from the very beginning, Yogeshwar failed to get around Mandakhnaran during his qualification bout as the Mongolian moved at a very fast pace. In the opening period, Mandakhnaran earned a point due to Yogeshwar's passivity in 30 seconds to take a 1-0 lead. Mandakhnaran then turned a defensive position into an attacking one and successfully took down Yogeshwar to quickly bag two points and surge ahead. With a minute to go, Yogeshwar tried hard but could not get around his opponent and, as a result, went into the break 0-3 down. Yogeshwar, who qualified only in March this year for the Rio Games after struggling with a niggling knee injury, was expected to turn the tables in the second period but he simply failed to script a comeback. In the last minute of the bout, he tried very hard to get the hold of his rival and pin him down but all his efforts went in vain. The Mongolian wrestler could not earn a point either in the second period as he solely focused on defending. But in the end, the three points, which he scored in the first half, were enough to it make the pre-quarterfinal round. Mandakhnaran survived one more round before running into the tough Russian, who dominated the bout to march ahead. (PTI)

Rio Olympics 2016: Indian wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt crashes out of Games after first-round loss

As he blazes through the Rio Games aiming for his historic third batch of three sprint gold medals, Jamaica&#39;s Usain Bolt has been clear this is his last time on the Olympic track, where he feels he has nothing left to prove. 
 
Bolt, the most famous Jamaican since Bob Marley, has repeatedly declined to say what he will do after he hangs up his spikes. Unlike the reggae great, who died of cancer at 36, Bolt has the option of planning his next career move. 
 
With his 30th birthday on Sunday, Bolt should have a long second career ahead of him and a lot of people, from his sponsor Puma to Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, want a say in his plans. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s important to use the fame and the achievement of Usain Bolt for the benefit of Jamaica. It does open doors,&quot; Holness told the BBC during a brief visit to Rio on Monday. 
 
Holness said he would have a seat in his cabinet ready for Bolt&#39;s 1.96 metre (6&#39;5&quot;) frame, if the athlete would accept. 
 
&quot;Usain Bolt could be minister of anything he wants,&quot; he said. 
 
Bolt would be far from the first Olympian to make the jump into politics. 
 
Former New York Knicks player Bill Bradley, a member of the 1964 U.S. Olympic team, served 18 years in the U.S. Senate after retiring from competition. 
 
Fellow Rio competitor Wesley Korir is on a break as a member of Kenya&#39;s parliament to run Sunday&#39;s Olympic marathon. 
 
Bolt has not said if he would consider the post, and in any case has committed to run at next year&#39;s World Championships before bowing out from competition. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t know what I am going to do, you just stress me out,&quot; Bolt told reporters in the early hours of Friday after winning the 200 metres. 
 
The only thing he would rule out was coaching. 
 
&quot;I want to stay in the sport, I want to stay around the sport,&quot; he said. &quot;We will see what happens. Definitely not as a coach though.&quot; 
 
&#39;INSPIRATION&#39; 
 
Some among the thousands of fans who turned out on Friday to see him race in the 4x100m relay, the final leg of his &#39;triple triple&#39; said they did not much care what he did next, so long as he continued to create goodwill for the country. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s been such an inspiration to Jamaican kids, showing them they can be so much more,&quot; said Charles Russell, a 32-year-old from Kingston. &quot;He should do whatever it is he wants to do. He&#39;s earned it.&quot; 
 
George Freeman, 54, who was born in Kingston and now lives in Miami, said that Bolt had done much to improve Jamaica&#39;s profile on the world stage. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a small country with limited resources. To be number one in something in special,&quot; Freeman said. 
 
&quot;He has done a lot of good things for Jamaica. Whatever he does, I hope he continues to make a lot money and do a lot of good things for Jamaica.&quot; 
 
Bolt has already built the beginnings of a business empire, including sports bar Tracks &amp; Records in the Jamaican capital. 
 
He has also toyed publicly, though not with much seriousness, with continuing as an athlete in another sport, perhaps cricket or soccer. 
 
German sportswear firm Puma, which has sponsored Bolt for half his life, hopes to lure him into a job, Chief Executive Bjorn Gulden told reporters just before the Games. 
 
&quot;Usain is part of the Puma family,&quot; Gulden said. 
 
&quot;If he decides not to run, we will probably work even closer with him.&quot; 
 
Regardless of what he does next, the charismatic Jamaican has clearly been relishing his last Olympic performance, smiling broadly as he barrels toward the finish line. 
 
&quot;I just wanted to say goodbye.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

He has so far declined to announce what he will do after he hangs up his spikes

As he blazes through the Rio Games aiming for his historic third batch of three sprint gold medals, Jamaica's Usain Bolt has been clear this is his last time on the Olympic track, where he feels he has nothing left to prove. Bolt, the most famous Jamaican since Bob Marley, has repeatedly declined to say what he will do after he hangs up his spikes. Unlike the reggae great, who died of cancer at 36, Bolt has the option of planning his next career move. With his 30th birthday on Sunday, Bolt should have a long second career ahead of him and a lot of people, from his sponsor Puma to Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, want a say in his plans. "It's important to use the fame and the achievement of Usain Bolt for the benefit of Jamaica. It does open doors," Holness told the BBC during a brief visit to Rio on Monday. Holness said he would have a seat in his cabinet ready for Bolt's 1.96 metre (6'5") frame, if the athlete would accept. "Usain Bolt could be minister of anything he wants," he said. Bolt would be far from the first Olympian to make the jump into politics. Former New York Knicks player Bill Bradley, a member of the 1964 U.S. Olympic team, served 18 years in the U.S. Senate after retiring from competition. Fellow Rio competitor Wesley Korir is on a break as a member of Kenya's parliament to run Sunday's Olympic marathon. Bolt has not said if he would consider the post, and in any case has committed to run at next year's World Championships before bowing out from competition. "I don't know what I am going to do, you just stress me out," Bolt told reporters in the early hours of Friday after winning the 200 metres. The only thing he would rule out was coaching. "I want to stay in the sport, I want to stay around the sport," he said. "We will see what happens. Definitely not as a coach though." 'INSPIRATION' Some among the thousands of fans who turned out on Friday to see him race in the 4x100m relay, the final leg of his 'triple triple' said they did not much care what he did next, so long as he continued to create goodwill for the country. "He's been such an inspiration to Jamaican kids, showing them they can be so much more," said Charles Russell, a 32-year-old from Kingston. "He should do whatever it is he wants to do. He's earned it." George Freeman, 54, who was born in Kingston and now lives in Miami, said that Bolt had done much to improve Jamaica's profile on the world stage. "It's a small country with limited resources. To be number one in something in special," Freeman said. "He has done a lot of good things for Jamaica. Whatever he does, I hope he continues to make a lot money and do a lot of good things for Jamaica." Bolt has already built the beginnings of a business empire, including sports bar Tracks & Records in the Jamaican capital. He has also toyed publicly, though not with much seriousness, with continuing as an athlete in another sport, perhaps cricket or soccer. German sportswear firm Puma, which has sponsored Bolt for half his life, hopes to lure him into a job, Chief Executive Bjorn Gulden told reporters just before the Games. "Usain is part of the Puma family," Gulden said. "If he decides not to run, we will probably work even closer with him." Regardless of what he does next, the charismatic Jamaican has clearly been relishing his last Olympic performance, smiling broadly as he barrels toward the finish line. "I just wanted to say goodbye." (Reuters)

Politics to Puma, Bolt considers his options

Gymnast Simone Biles, winner of four gold medals in her first Olympic Games in Rio, will carry the US flag at the closing ceremony on Sunday, the US Olympic Committee said Saturday. 
 
Biles was chosen by a vote of fellow Team US members and is just the second gymnast to be named flag bearer for the US, after Alfred Jochim in the opening ceremony in 1936. 
 
Biles won team and individual gold medals in the women&#39;s all-around, vault and floor exercise, also adding a fifth medal, bronze, on the&nbsp;balance beam. 
 
Cementing her claim to the status of best gymnast of her generation, the 19-year-old became the first American gymnast to win four golds at a single Games. 
&nbsp; 
She is one of only four women to accomplish the feat in Olympic history, joining Larissa Latynina (1956), Vera Caslavska (1968) and Ekaterina Szabo (1984). 
 
(AFP)

The 19-year-old became the first American gymnast to win four golds at a single Games ?

Gymnast Simone Biles, winner of four gold medals in her first Olympic Games in Rio, will carry the US flag at the closing ceremony on Sunday, the US Olympic Committee said Saturday. Biles was chosen by a vote of fellow Team US members and is just the second gymnast to be named flag bearer for the US, after Alfred Jochim in the opening ceremony in 1936. Biles won team and individual gold medals in the women's all-around, vault and floor exercise, also adding a fifth medal, bronze, on the balance beam. Cementing her claim to the status of best gymnast of her generation, the 19-year-old became the first American gymnast to win four golds at a single Games. She is one of only four women to accomplish the feat in Olympic history, joining Larissa Latynina (1956), Vera Caslavska (1968) and Ekaterina Szabo (1984). (AFP)

Olympics 2016: Simone Biles to carry US flag at closing ceremony

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