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Track and field sets Sept. 1 deadline for female eligibility gene tests ahead of worlds in Tokyo
Associated Press MONACO (AP) — Clarifying promised rules on female eligibility, track and field's governing body set a Sept. 1 deadline Wednesday for athletes to pass a gene test for competing at the world championships. World Athletics said in March it would require chromosome testing by cheek swabs or dry blood-spot tests for female athletes to be eligible for elite-level events. The next worlds open Sept. 13 in Tokyo and Sept. 1 is 'the closing date for entries and the date the regulations come into effect,' World Athletics said in a statement. The latest rules update gives certainty for the 2025 championships in an issue that has been controversial on the track and in multiple courts since Caster Semenya won her first 800 meters world title as a teenager in 2009. Semenya won a ruling at the European Court of Human Rights three weeks ago in Strasbourg, France, in the South Africa star's years-long challenge to a previous version of track and field's eligibility rules affecting athletes with medical conditions known as Differences in Sex Development. That legal win because she did not get a fair hearing at the Swiss supreme court did not overturn track's rules. World Athletics drew up rules in 2018 forcing two-time Olympic champion Semenya and other athletes with DSD to suppress their elevated natural testosterone levels to be eligible for international women's events. Semenya refused to take medication. Now, the Monaco-based track body requires a 'once-in-a-lifetime test' to determine athletes it says are biologically male with a Y chromosome. 'We are saying, at elite level, for you to compete in the female category, you have to be biologically female,' World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said. The governing body is covering up to $100 of the costs for each test with the protocol overseen by its member federations at national level. Test results should be ready within two weeks. 'The SRY test is extremely accurate and the risk of false negative or positive is extremely unlikely,' World Athletics said. World Athletics has combined its eligibility framework for DSD and transgender athletes, with transitional rules that let 'a very small number of known DSD athletes' continue competing if they are taking medication to suppress natural testosterone. 'The transitional provisions do not apply to transgender women as there are none competing at the elite international level under the current regulations,' World Athletics said. Now age 34, and her track career effectively over, Semenya should now see her legal case go back to the Swiss federal court in Lausanne, where she lost her original appeal against track and field's rules at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. ___ AP sports: in this topic
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15 minutes ago
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Léon Marchand breaks world record in 200 individual medley in 1 minute, 52.69 seconds
Associated Press SINGAPORE (AP) — Léon Marchand broke the world record in the 200-meter individual medley on Wednesday at the world championships in Singapore, clocking 1 minute, 52.69 seconds to surpass the 1:54.00 set in 2011 by American Ryan Lochte. The Frenchman set the mark swimming in the semifinals and, in theory, could break it again in Thursday's finals. Marchand won four Olympic gold medals a year ago in Paris, but he's swimming only the 200 and 400 medley – and relays – in Singapore. Planning the lighter schedule in what he calls a 'transition year' keeps him fresh to chase the world marks. Marchand didn't just break the 14-year-old record, he shattered it. 'What's crazy is that it's a whole second — and it's still hard to believe,' he said. '1:52 on the 200 meters — that's insane.' Marchand will swim the 400 IM on Sunday, the final day of the world championships. He holds that record of 4:02.50 set in the 2023 worlds in Fukuoka, Japan. And it seems likely to go. 'Today I felt really good before the race,' he said. 'In the water, I felt light, I was taking in a lot of water and technically everything felt clean.' Asked about swimming a lighter schedule he replied in an understatement: 'It was probably the right decision.' Marchand was about 1.8 seconds under the world record after 150 meters and powered home with the final freestyle leg. Though this race did not yield a world title — that will come on Thursday in the final — it did win Marchand a check for $30,000. 'In the end I went out hard from the start,' he said. 'But I stayed super-relaxed. I didn't make many mistakes. I didn't realize I was going that fast but I gave it absolutely everything. Arms at full speed all the way to the wall. At that point I wasn't even thinking about technique anymore.' More than Marchand Despite being only a semifinal, Marchand overshadowed the five finals on Day 4 of the worlds — the halfway mark with four days more to go. Those finals produced medals for the United States, Australia, Italy, Tunisia, and the Neutral Athletes. American Luca Urlando picked up the third gold medal for the United States in the championships, winning the 200 butterfly in 1:51.87. Krzysztof Chmielewski of Poland was second in 1:52.64 with bronze for Harrison Turner of Australia in 1:54.17. Urlando has battled back from several surgeries for his first big title on the world stage. 'It was a great race – all great -- a great moment,' he said. 'I'm trying to have as much fun as I can with it.' He was asked how he overcame the setbacks and he replied: 'The belief that I could get back to a moment like this. Internal belief.' Mollie O'Callaghan of Australia, the defending Paris Olympic champion in the 200 freestyle, repeated her title in the worlds, pulling away in the last 50 to finish in 1:53.48. Li Bingjie of China was the silver medalist in 1:54.52, with bronze going to American Claire Weinstein in 1:54.57. O'Callaghan has had a difficult time coming back after the Olympic victory, dealing with the stress and the post-games letdown. 'I've had an amazing coach Dean (Boxall) to guide me through this difficult time,' O'Callaghan said. 'It's hard for a lot of people to come back after the Olympics.' Weinstein, like many of the Americans, has been dealing with what team officials call 'acute gastroenteritis' picked up at a training camp in Thailand before arriving in Singapore. A new name, missing name Ahmed Jaouadi of Tunisia won the 800 free, clocking 7:36.88 — the third fastest time ever swum in the event. Sven Schwarz of Germany claimed silver in 7:39.96 with fellow German Lukas Martens taking bronze in 7:40.19. American Bobby Finke, the three-time Olympic gold medalist, was fourth, far off the pace in 7:46.42. Sam Short of Australia, who had the second-quickest qualifying time in the 800, pulled out of the race with what the team said was food poisoning. One big shock came in the men's 100 freestyle semifinals where world-record holder Pan Zhanle of China failed to reach the top eight for Thursday's final. American Jack Alexy had the best time of 46.81 with David Popovici across in 46.84. Pan finished in 47.81, far off his world-record time of 46.40 set last year in Paris. In the men's 50 breaststroke, Simone Cerasuolo of Italy won in 26.54 with silver for Kirill Prigoda swimming as a Neutral Athlete, and bronze for Qin Haiyang of China. McIntosh and Yu In the women's 200 butterfly semifinals, Canadian Summer McIntosh qualified in 2:06.22. Yu Zidi, the 12-year-old Chinese, swam 2:07.95 to make the final eight. Her time was the eighth best. McIntosh has already won two gold medals and is trying for five in Singapore. Yu finished fourth earlier in the championships in the 200 individual medley. In the final event, the Neutral Athletes won the mixed 4x100 medley relay in 3:37.97. China was second (3:39.99) and Canada was third (3:40.90). The United States failed to reach Wednesday's final after finishing 10th in qualifying. They were Olympic champions last year in Paris. Britain and France also missed reaching the final. __ AP sports: in this topic
Los Angeles Times
31 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
French ministers condemn ‘excessive use of force' after Jewish youths were removed from a flight
PARIS — A summer camp counselor has accused Spanish law enforcement officers of using brute force against her during the removal of a group of French Jewish teenagers from a plane bound for Paris from Spain, French government ministers and her lawyer said Wednesday. Ministers Aurore Bergé and Benjamin Haddad met with the counselor on Tuesday after French authorities last week contacted the CEO of the Spanish low-cost airline Vueling and the Spanish ambassador to France to determine whether the youngsters had been discriminated against on the basis of their religion. Forty-four minors and eight adult French passengers were kicked off flight V8166 from Valencia to Paris on July 23, for what Spanish police and the airline described as unruly behavior. But the ministers said the counselor, who asked to remain anonymous and is described as 'shocked,' disputed that account. They say she described the crew as hostile from the outset, saying a child briefly sang but stopped when asked, and claimed no behavior warranted the group's removal or the Civil Guard's response. 'No action justified the disembarkation or the excessive and brutal use of force by the Civil Guard against the young woman, who has just been notified of 15 days of total incapacity to work,' the ministers said in a statement, adding that her testimony had been corroborated by other passengers on board. The counselor's lawyer, Muriel Ouaknine Melki, told the Associated Press that she was left with bruises on her legs, arms and body after she was brutally handcuffed and held in an arm lock. Ouaknine Melki said her team is collecting evidence before lodging a complaint. The Club Kineret association, which organized the summer camp, did not immediately answer requests from The Associated Press for direct testimonies from people who were removed from the plane. A Vueling spokesperson said the passengers were removed after the minors repeatedly tampered with the plane's emergency equipment and interrupted the crew's safety demonstration. A Civil Guard spokesperson said the plane captain ordered the group's removal at Valencia's Manises Airport after they repeatedly ignored crew instructions. Bergé and Haddad also lashed out at a statement from the Spanish Minister of Transport 'equating French children of Jewish faith with Israeli citizens, as if that somehow justified the treatment they received.' Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente has deleted a tweet from July 26 in which he called the minors 'Israeli brats.' 'At a time when antisemitic acts have been on the rise across Europe since the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, in Israel, the ministers call on Vueling and the Spanish authorities to fully investigate and clarify the events,' Bergé and Haddad said. 'We will never accept the normalization of antisemitism. We will always stand with our fellow citizens who suffer from antisemitic hatred, and we will never compromise.' Vueling has denied that the incident was related to the passengers' religion. Some Israeli news outlets reported that the students were Jewish and that their removal was religiously motivated, a claim that was repeated by an Israeli minister online. The Civil Guard spokesperson said the agents involved were not aware of the group's religious affiliation. Petrequin writes for the Associated Press.
Fox Sports
31 minutes ago
- Business
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Buffalo Sabres home arena to remain KeyBank Center after reaching 10-year naming rights extension
Associated Press BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Sabres' home arena will continue being called the KeyBank Center after the two sides announced a 10-year naming rights extension on Wednesday. The new deal will kick in next year and run through 2035-36. The Cleveland-based bank has a large regional presence in Buffalo, and took over the downtown arena's naming rights after acquiring First Niagara Bank in 2016. As part of the extension, the bank's name will be featured on the Sabres' helmets for away games starting this season. The arena is undergoing a series of long-needed renovations since first opening in 1996. Last year, the Sabres replaced the roof and installed a new video scoreboard over center ice. The next series of renovations are expected to address upgrading the seats and fan amenities. The Sabres' control the building, which is also home to the three-time defending National Lacrosse League champion Bandits, and have placed an emphasis on adding more events since Pete Guelli took over as the team's chief operating officer last year. In November, the arena will host one of Paul McCartney's 20 North American tour stops, as well as host a pre-Olympic U.S. vs. Canada women's hockey Rivalry Series game. The Sabres, meanwhile, have been struggling on the ice with the team in the midst of an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought. ___ AP NHL: in this topic
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an hour ago
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Léon Marchand breaks world record in 200 individual medley in 1 minute, 52.61 seconds
Associated Press SINGAPORE (AP) — Léon Marchand broke the world record in the 200-meter individual medley on Wednesday at the world championships in Singapore, clocking 1 minute, 52.61 seconds to surpass the 1:54.00 set in 2011 by American Ryan Lochte. The Frenchman set the mark swimming in the semifinals and, in theory, could break it again in Thursday's finals. Marchand won four Olympic gold medals a year ago in Paris, but he's swimming only the 200 and 400 medley – and relays – in Singapore. Planning the lighter schedule in what he calls a 'transition year' keeps him fresh to chase the world marks. Marchand didn't just break the 14-year-old record, he shattered it. 'What's crazy is that it's a whole second — and it's still hard to believe,' he said. '1:52 on the 200 meters — that's insane.' Marchand will swim the 400 IM on Sunday, the final day of the world championships. He holds that record of 4:02.50 set in the 2023 worlds in Fukuoka, Japan. And it seems likely to go. 'Today I felt really good before the race,' he said. 'In the water, I felt light, I was taking in a lot of water and technically everything felt clean.' Asked about swimming a lighter schedule he replied in an understatement: 'It was probably the right decision.' Marchand was about 1.8 seconds under the world record after 150 meters and powered home with the final freestyle leg. Though this race did not yield a world title — that will come on Thursday in the final — it did win Marchand a check for $30,000. 'In the end I went out hard from the start,' he said. 'But I stayed super-relaxed. I didn't make many mistakes. I didn't realize I was going that fast but I gave it absolutely everything. Arms at full speed all the way to the wall. At that point I wasn't even thinking about technique anymore.' More than Marchand Despite being only a semifinal, Marchand overshadowed the five finals on Day 4 of the worlds — the halfway mark with four days more to go. Those finals produced medals for the United States, Australia, Italy, Tunisia, and the Neutral Athletes. American Luca Urlando picked up the third gold medal for the United States in the championships, winning the 200 butterfly in 1:51.87. Krzysztof Chmielewski of Poland was second in 1:52.64 with bronze for Harrison Turner of Australia in 1:54.17. Urlando has battled back from several surgeries for his first big title on the world stage. 'It was a great race – all great -- a great moment,' he said. 'I'm trying to have as much fun as I can with it.' He was asked how he overcame the setbacks and he replied: 'The belief that I could get back to a moment like this. Internal belief.' Mollie O'Callaghan of Australia, the defending Paris Olympic champion in the 200 freestyle, repeated her title in the worlds, pulling away in the last 50 to finish in 1:53.48. Lin Bingjie of China was the silver medalist in 1:54.52, with bronze going to American Claire Weinstein in 1:54.57. O'Callaghan has had a difficult time coming back after the Olympic victory, dealing with the stress and the post-games letdown. 'I've had an amazing coach Dean (Boxall) to guide me through this difficult time,' O'Callaghan said. 'It's hard for a lot of people to come back after the Olympics.' Weinstein, like many of the Americans, has been dealing with what team officials call 'acute gastroenteritis' picked up at a training camp in Thailand before arriving in Singapore. A new name, missing name Ahmed Jaouadi of Tunisia won the 800 free, clocking 7:36.88 — the third fastest time ever swum in the event. Sven Schwartz of Germany claimed silver in 7:39.96 with fellow German Lukas Martens taking bronze in 7:40.19. American Bobby Finke, the three-time Olympic gold medalist, was fourth, far off the pace in 7:46.42. Sam Short of Australia, who had the second-quickest qualifying time in the 800, pulled out of the race with what the team said was food poisoning. One big shock came in the men's 100 freestyle semifinals where world-record holder Pan Zhanle of China failed to reach the top eight for Thursday's final. American Jack Alexy had the best time of 46.81 with David Popovici across in 46.84. Pan finished in 47.81, far off his world-record time of 46.40 set last year in Paris. In the men's 50 breaststroke, Simone Cerasuolo of Italy won in 26.54 with silver for Kirill Prigoda swimming as a Neutral Athlete, and bronze for Qin Haiyang of China. McIntosh and Yu In the women's 200 butterfly semifinals, Canadian Summer McIntosh had the top qualifying time in 2:06.22. Yu Zidi, the 12-year-old Chinese, swam 2:07.95 to make the final eight. Her time was the eighth best. McIntosh has already won two gold medals and is trying for five in Singapore. Yu finished fourth earlier in the championships in the 200 individual medley. In the final event, the Neutral Athletes won the mixed 4x100 medley relay in 3:37.97. China was second (3:39.99) and Canada was third (3:40.90). The United States failed to reach Wednesday's final after finishing 10th in qualifying. They were Olympic champions last year in Paris. Britain and France also missed reaching the final. __ AP sports: in this topic
