Reuters Sports News Summary
Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
IAAF hails Semenya decision as victory for 'parity'
The governing body of world athletics has hailed the Swiss court decision that ruled Caster Semenya out of their world championships as a victory for "parity and clarity". Olympic 800 meters champion Semenya is fighting an International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) regulation that middle distance female runners with a high natural level of testosterone must take medication to reduce it.
MLB trade roundup: Astros stun baseball, land Greinke
When the 4 p.m. ET trade deadline passed Wednesday, the biggest names in the rumor mill in recent days hadn't gone anywhere and the new July 31 drop-dead cutoff seemed to be a dud. Then the Houston Astros stepped in. While Madison Bumgarner remained in San Francisco, the Mets held on to starter Zack Wheeler, and Pittsburgh never came down from its asking price enough for a team to deal for closer Felipe Vazquez, the Houston Astros in the closing minutes before the deadline acquired Zack Greinke from the Arizona Diamondbacks, part of a late surge in which they also got Aaron Sanchez and Joe Biagini from Toronto.
Long and winding road finally takes Holzner to the Olympics
For almost every athlete the road to Olympics is a long and winding path negotiated over years if not decades, a physically and emotionally exhausting journey to a sporting Shangri La. Canadian syncronised swimmer Claudia Holzner completed such a journey on Wednesday -- twice.
MLB roundup: Donaldson's HR lifts Braves over Nats in 10
Josh Donaldson hit a solo home run with one out in the top of the 10th inning to lead the Atlanta Braves over the Washington Nationals 5-4 on Wednesday. Donaldson's 25th homer of the season came on a 1-2 pitch from closer Sean Doolittle (6-3). Sean Newcomb (5-1) got the win after blowing a save opportunity in the ninth. Josh Tomlin worked the bottom of the 10th for his second save.
Tennis-Fiery Kyrgios advances, Tsitsipas survives in Washington
An argumentative Nick Kyrgios hammered 24 aces in a dominating service display to defeat Gilles Simon 6-4 7-6(5) in the second round of the Citi Open in Washington on Wednesday. The 24-year-old Australian offered his critique of the chair umpire's performance prior to match point and continued to provide his thoughts following the conclusion of the match on a hot and humid night in the U.S. capital.
NFL notebook: Saints' Thomas gets $100 million extension
All-Pro Michael Thomas and the New Orleans Saints agreed to a five-year, $100 million contract with a $20 million signing bonus that will make him the league's highest-paid wide receiver. According to multiple reports, the deal includes $61 million in guaranteed money.
Young skaters challenge old dudes at Minneapolis X Games
Skateboarding has always been a young person's game but when the X Games kicks off in Minneapolis on Thursday, competitors as young as 10 will be fighting it out for the most prestigious prizes in the sport. With skateboarding set to make its Olympic debut in Tokyo next year, the competition is hotting up with qualification events for the Games already underway.
No fun playing since Australian Open, says out-of-form Osaka
World number two Naomi Osaka admitted on Thursday that the last few months have been "the worst of my life" and that she hasn't had fun on the tennis court since winning the Australian Open in January. Osaka's triumph in Melbourne was her second successive grand slam, following her victory at last year's US Open, and propelled the 21-year-old to number one ranking in the world.
FA increases minimum ban for racist abuse to six matches
The English Football Association has increased its mandatory minimum ban for first-time offenders found guilty of discriminatory behavior to six matches from five ahead of the 2019-2020 season. The move follows an annual report from British anti-discriminatory body Kick It Out that showed a 43% rise in reports of racist abuse in English football last season.
Top seeds reign as Svitolina and Sabalenka advance in San Jose
Top-seeded Elina Svitolina crushed Daria Kasatkina 6-3 6-1 and second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka put an end to CoCo Vandeweghe's comeback bid with a 6-3 6-3 win in second-round action at the Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose on Wednesday. Svitolina's superior serving was the difference in the one-sided match as the Ukrainian set up a tantalizing quarter-final meeting with Greece's Maria Sakkari on Thursday.
