PODCAST: Reflecting on the greatest major duel in golf history It was the greatest golf duel in major championship history, and, on this week’s pocast, the lead topic is Henrik Stenson vs. Phil Mickelson at the 2016 British Open, including what it could mean for both players at the PGA Championship. I’m then joined by Billy Casper Golf CEO Peter Hill and Fisher House Foundation president … [Read more...]

Russian athletics chief: We did everything possible to ensure Rio place - R-sport (Reuters) MOSCOW (Reuters) - Dmitry Shlyakhtin, the head of the Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF), said on Thursday his organization had done everything it could to ensure Russian athletes were able to compete at the Rio Olympics, the R-Sport news agency cited him as saying. He was speaking after the Court of … [Read more...]

Kremlin says regrets decision by court on Russian athletes (Reuters) MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Thursday it deeply regretted that the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected a legal challenge by a group of Russian track-and-field athletes against their exclusion from the Rio Olympic Games. "I certainly regret such a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport which refers to … [Read more...]

Russia's Isinbayeva says court ruling on sports doping is 'funeral of athletics': TASS (Reuters) MOSCOW (Reuters) - Olympic pole vault champion Elena Isinbayeva said on Thursday a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to reject a challenge by a group of Russian athletes against a ban on them competing in the Rio Olympics amounted to a "funeral of athletics", TASS news agency … [Read more...]

Gougeard leads early in Tour de France mountain time trial (The Associated Press) MEGEVE, France (AP) -- Alexis Gougeard holds the early lead in Stage 18 of the Tour de France, a 17-kilometer (10.5-mile) mountain time trial featuring majestic views of Mont Blanc. … [Read more...]

Saratoga Race Course set to open for its 148th season (The Associated Press) Opening day for Saratoga Race Course is Friday, with gates opening at 11 a.m. and the first race post time scheduled for 1 p.m. Racing with be held on 40 days through Labor Day, Sept. 5, with the track closed on Tuesdays. The New York Racing Association, which runs Saratoga along with the Belmont and Aqueduct … [Read more...]

Bob Baffert-trained Pretty N Cool wins at Del Mar (The Associated Press) DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) -- Pretty N Cool rallied in the stretch to win the $77,600 C.E.R.F. Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths Wednesday at Del Mar. … [Read more...]

Jockey Patrick Valenzuela loses license bid in California (The Associated Press) Former Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Patrick Valenzuela has lost his bid to ride in California for now. The California Horse Racing Board has accepted a hearing officer's recommendation to deny Valenzuela a jockey's license, although he may re-apply in one year. Valenzuela's license to exercise horses in … [Read more...]

WADA reinstates Rio Olympic drug-testing laboratory (Yahoo Sports) The World Anti-Doping Agency said Wednesday it has reinstated the laboratory that will carry out drug testing for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, which start in just over two weeks. The statement will be a relief for local organizers and the International Olympic Committee, which would have been forced to send thousands of … [Read more...]

19-year-old Chloe Dygert ready to chase gold at Rio Olympics (Yahoo Sports) The Olympics were never something to which Chloe Dygert paid much attention, not when there were pick-up basketball games and a million other things on her mind while growing up near Indianapolis. Not even four years ago, when the London Games captured the world's imagination. Dygert is a relative newcomer to bike … [Read more...]