Sport Center USA

Federer - set to lose top ranking now.
FEDERER BEATEN AGAIN

Roger Federer crashed out of the Western and Southern Financial Group Masters on Thursday at the hands of Ivo Karlovic.

The Swiss top seed found the big-serving Croatian too much to handle as he slumped to a 7-6 (8/6) 4-6 7-6 (7/5) in the third round.

Federer’s failure to reach the quarter-finals could prove even more costly as he will now lose his world number one ranking if Rafael Nadal wins the tournament.

The first set went with serve and the tie-break also proved a close affair, but the key moment came when 16th seed Karlovic stopped mid-point to challenge a line call, with Hawk-eye showing Federer had pushed his shot long.

That gave Karlovic set point on serve and the Croatian took full advantage to wrap up the opener.

Federer was determined to get back into the clash and earned two break points in game three of the second set, but Karlovic used his biggest weapon - his serve - to produce his 14th and 15th aces and save them both.

The Swiss then struggled through his next service game but held thanks to two angled forehands and an ace of his own.

But Federer finally secured the first break of the match in game five as Karlovic sent a forehand long, and it proved vital as the world number one went on to level the match.

Neither player could gain the upper hand in the third set and another tie-break was needed to settle the match.

Karlovic claimed the first two points - the second of which came on Federer’s serve - allowing him to carve out three match points.

And although the Croatian pushed the first two long, Federer then hit a long return of his own to hand the match to Karlovic.

Goosen - out in 32 at Akron.
GOLDEN GOOSEN CLAIMS EARLY LEAD

Retief Goosen was the early front-runner at Firestone Country Club today as the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational got under way in Akron, Ohio.

The South African covered the front nine of the 7,400-yard, par-70 South Course in a three-under-par 32, and had carded the fourth and fifth birdies of his opening round at the 10th and 11th holes to lead the morning starters in the 81-man field by a stroke at five under, having played 13 holes on a warm and sunny morning.

Goosen’s compatriot Tim Clark was at four under, starting from the 10th tee, having made the turn with a three birdie, one bogey 33 and then birdying the first and second holes.

Last weekend’s Canadian Open winner Chez Reavie continued his fine form in a group of four players on two under that also included Chad Campbell, Rocco Mediate, Rory Sabbatini and Vijay Singh.

Open champion Padraig Harrington, however, was struggling on his return to action following his Royal Birkdale triumph.

The Irishman, who successfully defended his Open title with a four-shot victory ahead of Ian Poulter 11 days ago, had been hoping to shake off a little staleness after a week of celebrations at home in Ireland.

Instead, after a solid opening four holes from the 10th tee, he carded a double-bogey six at the 467-yard 14th hole to go two over par.

Harrington grabbed those shots back with successive birdies at the 16th and 17th holes only to bogey the 18th to turn for home in a one-over-par 36.

The rollercoaster continued with a bogey at the first and birdie at the second

Royal Birkdale runner-up Poulter also returned to action following the best major finish of his career to continue his bid for an automatic Ryder Cup place.

With five events to go, and lying just outside the qualifying places in both the world points list and the European points table, Poulter is hoping to secure his place within the next 14 days at the Bridgestone and next week’s final major of the year, the US PGA Championship at Oakland Hills, both of which are big points-scoring events.

The Englishman took a positive step towards his goal with a birdie at the par-three 15th, his sixth hole of the opening round.

A bogey five at the 400-yard 17th gave Poulter an outward even-par 35 before he got back on track with a birdie at the 526-yard, par-five second hole to leave him at one under after 14.

Had it not been for season-ending knee surgery last month, world number one Tiger Woods would have been bidding for a fourth Bridgestone title in a row and seventh overall.

Stewart Cink, one of the pre-tournament favourites and one of only four golfers to have broken Woods’ stranglehold on this event in its 10-year history, started brightly from the 10th tee with birdies at the 11th and 15th holes only to bogey 16 and the first to leave him even after 11 holes.

Another former Firestone champion, 2003 winner Darren Clarke, was one over playing with Harrington, while Colin Montgomerie was among those struggling to find form.

Starting at the 10th, the Scot recorded consecutive bogeys at 11, 12 and 13 to go out in a three-over-par 38 before a birdie at the 399-yard, par-four first clawed a shot back.

Sergeant Cecil - retired after Goodwood run.
SERGEANT RETIRED BY PROUD MILLMAN

Rod Millman called time on his stable star and former Horse of the Year Sergeant Cecil after the veteran came home last of the eight runners in the Royal Bank of Scotland Goodwood Cup.

The immensely popular stayer has shown little in his four starts this season, prompting connections to make an on-the-spot decision about his future.

The nine-year-old captured the hearts of the racing public with his handicap wins of 2005 in the Northumberland Plate, Ebor and Cesarewitch, before successfully graduating to Group company the following year.

Millman said: “He has been wonderful and has taken us to places we never dreamed of going.

“Him winning the Cadran on Arc weekend was probably the most memorable day, along with his win in the Cesarewitch.

“We have had some great days with him and he helped to establish Alan Munro again in this country.

“He has been a credit to the girls who have looked after him but he is now nine, isn’t getting any quicker and is racing against the best group of stayers there has been.

“Coming here I was day dreaming in the car thinking that if Yeats wasn’t quite right we could stalk him and come through and beat him, but obviously he got tired.

“It has been a great ride and I want to thank all of the public for their interest in him.”

Munro added: “For me, that Cesarewitch is the race that stands out.

“I couldn’t believe he would win that but he was always a Group horse running in those handicaps.”

Munro, who partnered Generous to win the 1991 Derby, added: “He is my favourite out of all the horses I have ridden - to have been Horse of the Year as a handicapper says it all.”

Yelena Soboleva - could miss out.
DOPING CHARGES HIT RUSSIA HOPES

Russia look certain to be without Olympic 800metres gold medal hope Yelena Soboleva and several other stars in Beijing after seven of their athletes were provisionally suspended by the International Association of Athletics Federations for doping offences.

The IAAF announced on Thursday that Soboleva, the world indoor champion, and six other Russian athletes were being investigated for allegedly attempting to cheat testing procedures.

In a statement, the IAAF revealed the athletes have been charged due to “a fraudulent substitution of urine which is both a prohibited method and also a form of tampering with the doping control process”.

Middle-distance runners Tatyana Tomashova, Yulia Fomenko, Svetlana Cherkasova, and Olga Yegorova, plus throwers Daria Pishchalnikova and Gulfiya Khanafeyeva were the others named.

The statement added: “These rule violations were established following the deliberate storage of samples by the IAAF and re-analysis using comparative DNA techniques, and were the result of a specific investigation which was instigated and carried out by the IAAF for more than a year.”

Soboleva twice broke the world indoor 1,500m record this year, initially at the Russian indoor championships where she ran three minutes 58.05seconds on February 10, and then at the world indoor championships a month later where she clocked 3min 57.71sec.

Last summer’s world championships runner-up currently tops both the world 800m and 1,500m rankings with recent times of 1min 54.85sec and 3min 56.59sec.

Tomashova won the 2003 world 1,500m title in Paris before successfully defending it two years later in Helsinki.

Fomenko placed second behind Soboleva after winning the 800m title in Moscow in 2006, before going on to claim the silver medal at that year’s European Championships.

Cherkasova has this season clocked 1min 58.37sec and 4min 6.58sec while Yegorova won the 2001 world 5,000m title in controversial circumstances.

Cherkasova and Yegorova were not named in the Russian Olympic team and the suspensions leave the country without a female entrant in the 1,500m in Beijing.

Discus thrower Daria Pishchalnikova is the reigning European champion and heads this year’s rankings with a best of 67.28m.

Khanafeyeva was the European silver medallist two years ago and won this year’s Russian title with a 75.07m.

The athletes have up to 14 days to request a hearing with the Russian federation.

Barton - charged.
FA CHARGE BARTON OVER DABO CLASH

Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton has been charged with violent conduct by the Football Association over his assault on Ousmane Dabo 15 months ago.

The 25-year-old was given a four-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, on July 1 after admitting assault occasioning actual bodily harm on his former Manchester City team-mate during a training session in May last year.

The new charge from the FA comes as a result of that hearing at Manchester Crown Court after football’s governing body received all the relevant documentation from the case.

Barton has until August 13 to respond to the charge.

Earle Connor breaks 100m Amputee World Record… on his birthday

Ottawa – Earle Connor of Calgary, AB bettered his 100 metre amputee T42 class World Record today at the Bayer Meeting in Leverkusen, Germany. Connor won the race in a time of 12.084 seconds, edging out Christopher Hoffmann of Germany in a photo finish. Hoffmann crossed the line in 12.086 seconds. Connor set the old record of 12.14 in 2002 at the same competition.

“Today’s performance was exactly what I have been waiting for all year! I couldn’t have asked for a better day, everything was totally perfect! I have so much history on this track and to run another World Record, on my 32 Birthday nonetheless; nothing could top today.” Connor now has his sights set on the Paralympic Games in September, “My coach Les Gramantik had me extremely ready, the support from my wife and family and Mr. Kevin Reed was unparalleled, in the end all I needed to do was run fast. I am now looking forward to Beijing and winning Canada a Gold Medal… and if everything goes right accomplishing my quest of breaking the 12 second barrier”.

To reach Earle Connor in Germany (after 5pm EST) -
Best Western Leverkusen
011 49 214 3830
room 205

Athletics Canada is the national governing body for the sport of track and field, road running and road racing in Canada.

-AC-

For more information:

Mathieu Gentès
Marketing and Communications Director
Athletics Canada
mgentes@athletics.ca
613-260-5580 ext. 3303

Emily Hooper
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Athletics Canada
ehooper@athletics.ca
613-260-5580 ext. 3332

Barry - staying at Villa.
VILLA: BARRY IS STAYING

Aston Villa remain adamant today that the Gareth Barry transfer saga is over despite Liverpool still maintaining that a deal for the England midfielder can be done.

Several press reports have claimed the protracted deal has been revived and could still go through this week, but Villa sources immediately refuted that claim.

Today, despite strong speculation the deal was still alive, sources at Villa insisted there had been no new bid and nothing had changed.

Villa boss Martin O’Neill last night announced he was delighted to have got “closure” on the matter and that Barry would not be leaving the club.

But from the Merseyside end of the saga, Liverpool insist they are still active in the deal and after they returned from their friendly in Villarreal on Wednesday night more moves are believed to have taken place.

Yesterday, Villa issued a statement on their club website saying the deal was dead because Liverpool had failed to meet a 5pm deadline to meet their demands.

Liverpool insist they did have the cash in place and would use Steve Finnan as a makeweight. Finnan, however, was allowed to play in the second-half of the 0-0 draw with Villarreal, risking injury in the process.

O’Neill said last night: “Naturally we’re all absolutely delighted that Gareth will be staying at Villa Park and relieved that there is resolution and closure to the transfer saga.

“At a very positive meeting on Monday it was agreed between Gareth, his agent, Mr Lerner and myself that a deadline should be communicated to Liverpool to finally resolve the situation.

“Liverpool were informed and that deadline came and passed. Now we can all look forward to the season ahead with relief, anticipation and ambition.”

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez evaded questions about the collapse of the deal in Spain last night, but today he has made it clear, privately, that he will not give up on his goal.

It is believed Barry and his agent have another planned meeting with O’Neill later this week, and it seems that the summer’s most protracted transfer saga is still not over.

The key to the situation now seems to be how Barry will react to O’Neill’s very public assertion that he is staying.

Olympic hopes on APTN!

GATINEAU, July 29th 2008 – As the Beijing Summer Games are on the horizon and Olympic fever is about to consume the world, Nish Media proudly presents its television documentary series “The Journey”. The series, fully produced in HD, is set to air starting on August 4th on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network(APTN). It follows the path of 4 aspiring Olympians and their quest to represent Canada at the summer Olympics.

“In many cases, Olympic athletes give their entire lives in hopes of one day achieving their dream. Obviously, the general public will only remember the athletes that won a medal at the games but no one really knows about the process and the sacrifices put into each athlete’s Journey to get there. That’s what we have tried to express in this series”, explains Jason Brennan, producer and director.

As the viewers watch true drama unfold, they will witness the triumphs and disappointments that elite athletes face throughout their careers. The featured athletes are Richard Peter, with the Men’s National Wheelchair Basketball Team, Monica Pinette, a modern pentathlete, David Gill, middle distance runner and Dallas Soonias, member of the Senior Men’s National Volleyball Team.

Each of these athletes have gone through a unique and memorable Journey.

Broadcast schedule:
August 4th 2008, 9:00 PM The Journey- Dallas Soonias
August 5th 2008, 9:00 PM The Journey- Richard Peter
August 6th 2008, 9:00 PM The Journey- Monica Pinette
August 7th 2008, 9:00 PM The Journey- David Gill
Established in the Outaouais area, Nish Media-Television Productions specialises in television programming for mass audiences and corporate video.

Let Nish tell your story…
For more information, contact Jason Brennan at 819-770-3281 ext. 203.

Five CAAWS affiliated women heading to Beijing for Olympic and Paralympic Games

Ottawa, ON. . . Five women who have been associated with the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) will be involved in significant roles at this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing, China. Two will be involved as technical officials, two with the Canadian team and one will be assisting with media operations.

Betty Dermer-Norris, (Fredericton, NB) who served on the CAAWS Board a few years ago is Director, Team Operations for the Canadian Olympic Committee. She has been working for the last several years to ensure all is in readiness for the Canadian team when it arrives in Beijing. Another former board member, Anne Merklinger (Ottawa, ON), is the Director General of CanoeKayak Canada, and she will be in Beijing as the Press Attaché for the Sprint and Slalom CanoeKayak teams. She will also be the assistant team manager for the sprint team, and is excited about Canada’s athletes heading to the games. “For the first time in twenty years the Canadian Sprint CanoeKayak Team qualified crews in all twelve Olympic events. A phenomenal achievement in itself, qualifying boats for every event is a testament to the strength and depth of Canada’s paddling program.”

Another former board member, Guylaine Bernier (Montreal, QC), will serve as a technical official at both the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games for the rowing competitions. At the Olympics, she has been assigned to be a Member of the Jury of Appeal and the FISA - International Rowing Federation Umpiring Commission Representative. The Jury supervises the work of the 18 international umpires and ensures a smooth technical operation of the event. Rowing will be contested at the Paralympics for the first time. Guylaine will be the President of the Jury and the FISA - International Rowing Federation Umpiring Commission Representative, overseeing all the installations and the operation of the event. She will also be part of giving an International Umpiring Seminar during the games to reconfirm the FISA umpiring licence of the jury members.

Current CAAWS Board member, Moira Lassen (Whitehorse, YT) will be attending her first Olympic Games as an International Technical Official (ITO) in the sport of weightlifting. She is the only technical official selected from Canada, and is only one of 7 qualified women of the 35 ITOs in the sport. She will proudly watch as her daughter Jeane competes for a medal on August 15th in the 75kg weight category. “Being a female in the male dominated sport of weightlifting is an amazing challenge and having faced thirteen years of those challenges I feel extremely prepared for the Beijing Olympic Games,” said Lassen.

Rounding out the CAAWS associated group is Barb MacDonald (Ottawa, ON) who has served as CAAWS’ Communications Consultant since 2001. She will be working with the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) assigned as an advisor to the media operations team at the National Indoor Stadium, which hosts Artistic Gymnastics, Trampoline and the finals of Team Handball. This will be her third Olympic Games working with the organizing committee to ensure smooth working conditions for the journalists who are covering the games.

Executive Director of CAAWS Karin Lofstrom is pleased to see so many Canadian women in leadership roles at these Games. “Canada has an international reputation as a country that develops and promotes women in sport leadership. I am pleased that all of these women who have played a significant role both within CAAWS, and also within their sport and professional activities will be outstanding representatives at the Games.”

The Beijing Olympic Games will take place August 8 – 24, 2008 and the Paralympic Games will run September 6-17, 2008.
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About CAAWS
CAAWS encourages girls and women to participate and lead in sports and physical activity. A not-for-profit organization, CAAWS offers a number of services, programs and resources to a variety of clients, including sport and physical activity organizations, teachers, coaches, health professionals and recreation leaders. CAAWS works in close co-operation with government and non-government organizations on activities and initiatives that advocate for positive change for young girls and women in the sport and physical activity communities. Visit www.caaws.ca for more information.

TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS

I’M BACK MATE: Former No. 1 Patrick Rafter will play competitive singles tennis for the first time in seven years after announcing that he will compete in the BlackRock Tour of Champions event in Graz, Austria, this week. “This year I have decided to get fit again,” Rafter said. “I train about five days a week which is gym, running, and some other interesting fitness techniques. I surf as much as I can as well. I understand quite a few of the players play the tournaments (on the BlackRock Tour of Champions) so while it would be great to win in Graz, I just want to play well.”…

FINALLY NO. 1?: Rafael Nadal will become the new No. 1 next Sunday if he wins the title at the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati and Roger Federer loses before the semifinals…

NEW ATP SPONSOR?: According to the Sports Business Journal, the ATP World Tour is in advanced talks with global insurance giant Aviva to take over the main sponsorship of the men’s circuit…

Blogger Cheryl Murray from TennisTalk at the ATP Toronto stop: “I should qualify that by saying that SOME ATP players are pigs. It just so happened that I ran into at least four players on Monday that have porcine tendancies. Judging by the reaction one particularly attractive journalist got, oggling is de rigeur on the men’s tour. I personally watched a German player look down this woman’s shirt TWICE. Poor form, Tommy. Very poor form.”…

France’s Mary Pierce is out of the Beijing Olympics with a knee injury…Marcos Baghdatis pulled from Toronto with a right wrist injury…Tatiana Golovin pulled from Montreal with a back injury…

Doubles specialists Frantisek Cermak and Michal Mertinak were found guilty of betting on matches by the ATP. Cermak has been suspended for 10 weeks and fined US $15,000, while Mertinak has been handed a two-week suspension and a $3,000 fine. An ATP statement read: “An ATP investigation launched in November 2007 found that Mr. Cermak had wagered on tennis matches during a period dating from 9 September 2006 through 1 February 2007. Additionally, the same investigation found that Mr. Mertinak had wagered on tennis matches during October of 2006.”…

SERENA BOORISH ALL-AROUND? From SI.com’s Jon Wertheim: “In a perverse way, I was relieved that Serena was so typically sour and surly in defeat after the Wimbledon final. She falls in a close, well-played match to the defending champ — who, oh yeah, is her sister — and scarcely musters a word of praise. You know what? Good. It would be so distasteful and lame if Serena talked about Justine Henin’s “lucky” shots or her lacking performance against Katarina Srebotnik in Paris and then was all smiles when she lost to Venus. She might be boorish in defeat. But at least she’s consistently boorish!”…

From the Canadian Press on the upcoming Beijing Olympics: “Jelena Jankovic of Serbia has also played in Beijing, where she said a fine coating of soot covered her body during matches. “It was a quite dirty, quite polluted area, but hopefully they will do the best they can to clear it because sometimes it looks like it’s foggy,” she said. “It can affect your breathing.”…