Nadal completes 'roof' double at U.S. Open

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal boasted after his first-round U.S. Open match that he had a video recording of being the first player to hit a ball in practice under the new roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

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Serena continues quest for historic 23rd slam title

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Serena Williams will try to take another step toward a record-setting 23rd grand slam title at the U.S. Open on Thursday while Andy Murray continues his quest to complete a golden summer.

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Harrison goes from U.S. Open sideshow to headliner with win

NEW YORK (Reuters) - When the U.S. Open began Ryan Harrison was one half of a Flushing Meadows feel good story as he and younger brother Christian become the first siblings to come through qualifying into a grand slam main draw.

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Muguruza crashes out of U.S. Open in second round

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Third-seeded Spaniard Garbine Muguruza was knocked out in the second round of the U.S. Open on Wednesday in a shocking 7-5 6-4 upset by 48th-ranked Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia.

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Raonic suffers shock defeat to Harrison at U.S. Open

NEW YORK (Reuters) - American qualifier Ryan Harrison pulled off the biggest shock yet of the U.S. Open by beating fifth seed Milos Raonic 6-7(4) 7-5 7-5 6-1 on Wednesday to reach the third round of the year's final grand slam.

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Wozniacki rallies to upset ninth seed Kuznetsova

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki, one point from falling behind 5-0 in the opening set, rallied to upset ninth-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova in straight sets at the U.S. Open on Wednesday.

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Konta collapses on court but advances to third round

NEW YORK (Reuters) - British 13th seed Johanna Konta recovered from a health scare at a humid U.S. Open on Wednesday to claim her place in the third round with a 6-2 5-7 6-2 win over Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova.

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Solid Kvitova battles into third round

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova battled into the third round of the U.S. Open with a 7-6(2) 6-3 win over Turkey's Cagla Buyukakcay on Wednesday.

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Speedy Vinci races into third round at U.S. Open

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Seventh seed Roberta Vinci will not catch anyone by surprise with a run to the U.S. Open final like she did a year ago but the Italian continued to raise eyebrows on Wednesday with a speedy win over Christina McHale.

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IOC sanctions six Olympians for failing dope tests at Beijing Games

ZURICH (Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee said on Wednesday it had disqualified six sportspeople, including three Russian medalists, for failing doping tests at the Beijing 2008 Games.

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Djokovic advances by walkover past injured Vesely

NEW YORK (Reuters) - World number one Novak Djokovic received a free pass into the third round of the U.S. Open when Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic withdrew from their match on Wednesday due to a left forearm injury.

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Swiss court holds fire on Russian paralympic athletes' Rio ban

ZURICH (Reuters) - Switzerland's highest court declined on Wednesday to issue a preliminary injunction that would have let Russian Paralympic athletes compete at the Rio Games next month, saying instead it will rule later on the team's ban due to state-sponsored doping.

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Argentine Del Potro gets wildcard for Shanghai Masters

(Reuters) - Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro has been handed a wildcard entry into the Shanghai Masters following his battling silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

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Former champion del Potro roars into second round

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro looms as a danger man at the U.S. Open after barreling into the second round in straight sets over fellow Argentine Diego Schwartzman on Tuesday.

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Snubbed Knox admits Ryder Cup will be hard to watch

(Reuters) - Russell Knox has said watching the Ryder Cup will be a bittersweet experience after the Scot was overlooked by Europe captain Darren Clarke despite being the highest-ranked player outside of the nine automatic qualifying spots.

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Rose, Willett confirm Hong Kong Open participation

(Reuters) - U.S. Masters champion Danny Willett will pose a serious threat to compatriot Justin Rose's title defense at this year's Hong Kong Open after the Ryder Cup team mates confirmed their participation in the Dec. 8-11 tournament.

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Czech Olympic champion gymnast Vera Caslavska dies aged 74

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Czech gymnast Vera Caslavska, whose seven gold medals made her the country's most decorated Olympic athlete, has died at the age of 74 after a long illness, according to text messages sent by the head of the Czech Olympic Committee to co-workers.

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Williams sister act through to U.S. Open second round

NEW YORK (Reuters) - World number one Serena Williams opened her U.S. Open account with a tidy 6-3 6-3 win over Ekaterina Makarova on Tuesday, to join her sister Venus in the second round of the year's final grand slam.

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Karlovic sets U.S. Open record with 61 aces in win over Lu

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Ivo Karlovic set a U.S. Open record on Tuesday when he banged down 61 aces on his way to a first round victory over Taiwan's Lu Yen-Hsun.

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Former IOC executive Hickey leaves prison, must stay in Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The former head of the European Olympic Committee (EOC), Ireland's Patrick Hickey, left prison in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday vowing to clear his name as an investigation continues into charges he took part in a ring to illegally sell tickets to the Games.

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Vulnerable Djokovic looks to right ship against Vesely

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic, faltering and looking unusually vulnerable in his opening match at the U.S. Open, will attempt to right the ship on Wednesday when he plays Czech Jiri Vesely in the second round.

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Wawrinka wins revenge against Verdasco

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two-times grand slam winner Stan Wawrinka dealt Fernando Verdasco a rare first-round loss at the U.S. Open, sweeping aside the Spaniard in straight sets on Tuesday.

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Halep pounds Flipkens to reach second round

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fifth seed Simona Halep blasted her way into the second round of the U.S. Open on Tuesday by demolishing Kirsten Flipkens 6-0 6-2 underlining her credentials as a potential grand slam winner.

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Djokovic advances but new concerns rise over fitness

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic opened the defense of his U.S. Open title with a 6-3 5-7 6-2 6-1 win over Poland's Jerzy Janowicz on Monday, but the labored performance gave rise to fresh concerns about the world number one's fitness.

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Kaepernick protest prompts backlash from NFL greats

NEW YORK (Reuters) - San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's sideline protest during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at a National Football League pre-season game last week has generated criticism from current and former NFL stars.

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Ryan Lochte to dance with stars, says Rio scandal overblown

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Disgraced Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte is joining the "Dancing With the Stars" cast, ABC television announced on Tuesday, as the gold medalist said he thought reaction to his tale about being held up at a Rio de Janeiro gas station had been blown out of proportion.

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Pieters, Westwood, Kaymer named as Europe's Ryder Cup wildcards

LONDON (Reuters) - Belgian rookie Thomas Pieters and experienced duo Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer were named by Europe captain Darren Clarke as wildcard picks on Tuesday to complete his Ryder Cup team.

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Pieters, Westwood, Kaymer named Europe's Ryder Cup wildcards

LONDON (Reuters) - Belgian rookie Thomas Pieters and experienced duo Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer were named by European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke as his wildcard picks on Tuesday to complete his team.

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Keys locks out Riske to end busy day for Americans

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Eighth-seeded Madison Keys was forced to stay up late before overcoming fellow American Alison Riske to close out Monday's play at Arthur Ashe Stadium on a busy opening day for the home contingent at the U.S. Open.

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Raonic confident he has learned from Wimbledon final defeat

New York (Reuters) - John McEnroe may not be on hand to offer advice this fortnight but Milos Raonic believes he is ready to go one better than Wimbledon and claim his first grand slam title.

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Court releases jailed IOC exec, bans him from leaving Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - A Rio de Janeiro court on Monday ordered the release of the jailed former top European member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Patrick Hickey, pending further investigation into charges that he took part in a ring to illegally sell tickets.

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Relaxed Serena set to open quest for more history

Twelve months after her bid for the coveted calendar-year grand slam ended with a shock defeat to Roberta Vinci of Italy in the U.S. Open semi-finals, the world number one is back, chasing another piece of history.

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Vinci gives herself tough U.S. Open act to follow

NEW YORK (Reuters) - As far as U.S. Open encores go they don't come much tougher than the act Roberta Vinci has to follow after pulling off one of the biggest upsets ever at a grand slam during her magical run to last year's final.

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Paralympics - Now Russia banned from 2018 Winter Games

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia, already suspended from next month's Rio Paralympics, have also been banned for the winter edition in Pyeongchang, South Korea in 2018 because of a state-sponsored sports doping program.

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Gasquet stunned by Britain's Edmund at U.S. Open

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The year's final grand slam began with an upset as 13th-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet was upended 6-2 6-2 6-3 by Britain's world number 84 Kyle Edmund at the U.S. Open on Monday.

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In-form Cilic eases into second round at U.S. Open

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former champion Marin Cilic, a popular pick to make a deep run in the year's final grand slam, opened his U.S. Open campaign with a solid 6-4 7-5 6-1 victory over Rogerio Dutra Silva of Brazil on Monday.

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Hamilton podium sours Rosberg’s Belgian win

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium, (Reuters) - Nico Rosberg was handed a much-needed break in the Formula One title battle which he duly converted by winning Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix, but victory could have tasted much sweeter for the German. Rosberg went into the weekend knowing this was his race to lose.

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Players may be risking health by popping pain pills

NEW YORK (Reuters) - For all the talk of banned performance-enhancing drugs in sport, mundane over-the-counter anti-inflammatory pain medications may be more of an issue on the tennis tour, according to numerous players.

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McEnroe ends coaching partnership with Raonic

(Reuters) - Seven-times major winner John McEnroe has ended his coaching role with Canada's Milos Raonic ahead of the year's final grand slam, the U.S. Open.

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Reed wins Barclays to secure Ryder Cup spot

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Patrick Reed survived a couple of late bogeys to clinch a one-stroke victory at The Barclays on Sunday.

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Reed seeks 'sweet revenge' against Europe in Ryder Cup

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Patrick Reed clinched a spot on the American Ryder Cup team when he won The Barclays on Sunday and immediately set his sights on gaining "sweet revenge" when the U.S. take on Europe in five weeks' time.

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Olympic champion Puig sets sights on grand slam victory

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Put the rubbish out, get the shopping done, win an Olympic gold medal.

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Confident Nishikori has good feeling about another Open run

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Kei Nishikori is brimming with confidence heading into the U.S. Open starting on Monday, despite acknowledging the presence of a flock of title contenders at Flushing Meadows.

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French players suspended over behavior at Olympics

PARIS (Reuters) - The French Tennis Federation (FFT) has provisionally suspended Benoit Paire, Kristina Mladenovic and Caroline Garcia for "damaging" the organization's image by their behavior at this month's Rio Olympics.

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Belgian GP halted after Magnussen crash

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium,(Reuters) - The Belgian Formula One Grand Prix was temporarily halted on Sunday after a high-speed crash involving Renault’s Kevin Magnussen.

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Cowboys quarterback Romo has broken bone in back

(The Sports Xchange) - Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo suffered a broken bone in his back on the third play of Thursday night's preseason game and coach Jason Garrett said the injury would cost the veteran a chunk of the 2016 season.

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Ariya two ahead in Canada after late stumble cuts lead

(Reuters) - Ariya Jutanugarn threatened to run away with the Canadian Women's Open before stubbing her metaphorical toe late in the third round to end the day with a two-stroke lead in Alberta on Saturday.

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NFL's 49ers support quarterback after he refused to stand for anthem

(Reuters) - National League quarterback Colin Kaepernick of San Francisco 49ers refused to stand for the national anthem before a preseason game on Friday, drawing boos from some fans and criticism on social media, but his team said it backed his right to protest.

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Fowler leads Reed by one at Barclays as Ryder race hots up

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Rickie Fowler sank a four-foot birdie putt at the final hole to earn a one-shot lead over fellow American Patrick Reed after the third round of The Barclays on Saturday.

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Heir-apparent Kerber confident she can handle pressure

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Angelique Kerber says she is ready to deal with the increasing pressure as she targets U.S. Open glory and the world number one ranking.

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Athletics: Kenya arrests three officials over Rio mismanagement

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya has arrested three top members of its Olympic committee, a Reuters witness said, after mismanagement of the contingent nearly derailed the country's participation in the Rio Games.

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Brazil court frees Ireland's Mallon arrested in Rio Olympic ticket scam

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - A Brazilian court authorized the release of Ireland's Kevin James Mallon, the director of international sports hospitality company THG arrested on Aug. 5 for alleged illegal scalping of Olympic tickets, the local G1 news site said late on Friday.

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Challenging early foes for Djokovic, Williams

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Top seeds Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams face challenging early tests at the U.S. Open following Friday's draws for the year's last grand slam starting on Monday.

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Jutanugarn grabs lead, eyes fifth title of the year

(Reuters) - Thailand's Ariya Jutanugarn set her sights on a fifth victory this year as she moved to a three-stroke lead after the second round of the Canadian Women’s Open on Friday. Jutanugarn completed the final two holes of her delayed first round in the morning, where she finished at four-under-par, then fired a bogey-free eight-under-par 64 in the second round to move to 12-under and take command.

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Radwanska crushes Kvitova to ease into Connecticut final

(Reuters) - Top seed Agnieszka Radwanska put on a dominant performance against double defending champion Petra Kvitova to ease into the final of the Connecticut Open with a 6-1 6-1 triumph on Friday.

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Judge rejects prosecutor request to appeal Pistorius sentence

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A South African judge dismissed on Friday a request by state prosecutors to appeal Oscar Pistorius' six-year murder sentence, the latest twist in a trial that has captured global headlines.

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Rosberg on top in opening Belgian GP practice

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium, (Reuters) - Nico Rosberg comfortably topped the timesheets at the end of Friday’s opening practice session for the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix. The German set a pace of one minute 48.348 seconds, 0.730 seconds ahead of Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton, on a glorious sunny day at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Rosberg was one of four drivers to briefly test the "halo" head protection device during the session, even setting his benchmark time with it fitted to

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Lochte signs new endorsement deal, legal woes persist in Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte landed a new endorsement deal on Thursday days after losing all his major sponsors even as the fallout from the Rio Olympics continued as Brazilian police recommended he be charged with falsely reporting a crime.

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Kvitova advances, Vinci ousted in Connecticut Open

(Reuters) - Petra Kvitova moved closer to a third straight Connecticut Open crown after defeating Ekaterina Makarova 6-3 6-1 to reach the semi-finals on Thursday.

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Ko starts strongly in quest for fourth Canadian Open title

(Reuters) - New Zealand's Lydia Ko, seeking her fourth Canadian Women's Open title before the age of 20, made a promising start when she carded a five-under-par 67 in the first round in Alberta on Thursday.

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Reed and Laird set early pace at Bethpage Black

(Reuters) - Patrick Reed gave his Ryder Cup hopes a timely boost as he charged into a share of the early first-round lead at The Barclays on Thursday with defending champion Jason Day in hot pursuit, two strokes back.

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Motor racing-Hamilton to take hefty grid penalty in Belgian GP

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium, (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton will start Sunday’s Belgian Formula One Grand Prix from near the back of the grid due to an engine-related penalty, but the championship leader is confident the setback will not halt his momentum.

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Kenya removes Olympics committee over Rio performance

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya has disbanded its National Olympics Committee (NOC-K) because of the poor handling of the east African country's team during the Rio Olympics, sports minister Hassan Wario said on Thursday.

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Putin calls ban on Russian Paralympic team 'immoral'

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A ban on Russia's Paralympic team competing in Rio next month is cynical and immoral, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, but he said that Moscow acknowledged mistakes it had made in tackling sports doping.

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Briton Weir backs Russia's exclusion from Paralympics

(Reuters) - Britain's Paralympic champion wheelchair racer David Weir has backed the decision to ban Russia from next month's Rio Paralympics for state-sponsored doping.

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Blatter appears at CAS for appeal against ban

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Reuters) - Disgraced former FIFA president Sepp Blatter appeared before sport's highest tribunal, the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS), on Thursday to appeal against his six-year ban from soccer.

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U.S. Olympic swimmer Feigen says he omitted facts to protect teammates

(Reuters) - U.S. Olympic swimmer Jimmy Feigen apologized on Wednesday for omitting key details when he told Rio de Janeiro police this month that he and fellow swimmers had been held up at gunpoint.

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Federer plans January return in Australia

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Roger Federer, who is sidelined for the rest of the year, said on Wednesday he plans to return to competition in Australia in January at the Hopman Cup and the Australian Open.

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Rio Olympics was like a cold war, says Russian Efimova

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Yulia Efimova, who won two Olympic silver medals this month after being cleared to compete in Rio following a doping ban, has compared swimming in the Games to being at war.

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Olympic flag arrives in Tokyo, governor calls for unity

TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike brought the Olympic flag to Japan from Brazil on Wednesday and called for all parties to work together to host a successful Summer Games in 2020.

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FIFA panel opens probes into South Africa match-fixing cases

ZURICH (Reuters) - FIFA's ethics watchdog has opened formal proceedings against ex-South Africa football chief Kirsten Nematandani and two other functionaries over alleged violations connected to fixing international friendlies in 2010, it said on Wednesday.

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Pique expects Barcelona to benefit from Neymar's Olympic glow

(Reuters) - Neymar should return to Spain with renewed enthusiasm after leading Brazil to their first soccer gold medal at an Olympic Games, Barcelona defender Gerard Pique said.

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Weightlifting: Three Chinese 2008 Olympic champions test positive

ZURICH (Reuters) - Three Chinese Olympic champions in women's weightlifting from the 2008 Beijing Games have failed doping tests conducted eight years later, the sport's governing body (IWF) said on Wednesday.

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Ryan Lochte loses all his major sponsors after Rio incident, apology

(Reuters) - U.S. Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte lost all four of his major sponsors on Monday, including Speedo USA and Ralph Lauren Corp , following his apology for an "exaggerated" story about being robbed at gunpoint at the Rio Games.

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Ryder Cup captain Clarke salutes Europe's 'fantastic' mix

LONDON (Reuters) - Europe's Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke has hailed his "fantastic blend of youth and experience" following the confirmation of his nine automatic qualifiers for next month's event at Hazeltine, Minnesota.

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Russia loses appeal against Paralympics ban

ZURICH (Reuters) - Russia has lost its appeal against its ban from next month's Rio Paralympics because of a state-sponsored doping program, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), sports highest tribunal, said on Tuesday.

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Sanchez making an impression with Yankees

(Reuters) - Dominican rookie Gary Sanchez continued the blistering start to his New York Yankees career by blasting two home runs in Monday's 7-5 loss to Seattle.

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Players agree to interviews over PED report

(Reuters) - Green Bay linebackers Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers along with Pittsburgh’s James Harrison have agreed to meet with NFLinvestigators regarding allegations of doping, the league said on its website on Monday.

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Brazil didn't mess up Games, nor did it make most of them

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - As the Olympic hoardings are taken down in Rio de Janeiro and the Carnival atmosphere subsides, there is relief that cash-strapped Brazil avoided making a mess of the Games but also a nagging suspicion it did not make the most of them either.

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Serena Williams and Kerber qualify for Tour finals

LONDON (Reuters) - Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber, battling it out for the world number one ranking, are the first two women to qualify for the season-ending WTA Tour Finals in Singapore, the WTA said on Monday.

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Ethiopia says will welcome Rio marathon runner despite protest gesture

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia will not bar runner Feyisa Lilesa from entering the country after he made an anti-government gesture upon finishing second in the Olympic marathon on Sunday, an official said.

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Rainy Rio wraps up challenging Games on upbeat tropical note

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - A blustery storm, a touch of melancholy and a sense of pride converged at the closing ceremony of the 2016 Olympics on Sunday as Brazil breathed a collective sigh of relief at having pulled off South America's first Games.

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Anti-U.S. mood could hurt Los Angeles in bid for Games

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - A bid by Los Angeles to host the 2024 Olympic Games could fall victim to anti-American sentiment brewing inside the International Olympic Committee, sources inside the IOC said.

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Basketball: U.S. routs Serbia for third straight gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - A ruthless United States pounded Serbia 96-66 to claim a third straight Olympic men's basketball title on Sunday, giving coach Mike Krzyzewski a golden send-off.

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Wrestling: U.S. grab last gold, Mongolian strip-off steals show

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Kyle Snyder of the United States won the last wrestling gold medal of the Rio Olympics on Sunday but Mongolia provided the most vivid drama when two of its coaches stripped off in protest at their man's defeat in an earlier bout.

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Kenya's Kipchoge triumphs in men's marathon

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge won the men's Olympic marathon with a dominating performance, running alone into the Sambadrome and finishing in two hours, eight minutes and 44 seconds on Sunday.

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Basketball: Spain edge Australia for bronze in thriller

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Spain beat Australia 89-88 in a thrilling clash to take bronze in the Olympic men's basketball tournament on Sunday and bring home a medal from a third straight Games.

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Boxing: Shields wears two golds around her neck

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Claressa Shields brought one gold medal to the ring with her and left with two hanging around her neck after retaining her Olympic middleweight title and making U.S. boxing history on Sunday.

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Centrowitz ends America's long wait for 1,500m gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - American Matthew Centrowitz pulled off a shock victory in the 1,500m final on Saturday, stunning pre-race favorite Asbel Kiprop of Kenya to secure his country's first gold medal in the event since 1908.

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Basketball: U.S. rolls past Spain to win sixth straight gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The United States women's basketball team thumped Spain 101-72 to claim a sixth straight gold medal on Saturday to rubber-stamp their credentials as one of the greatest Olympic sporting dynasties of all time.

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U.S. win sixth straight gold in women's 4x400 relay

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The United States maintained their iron grip on the Olympic women's 4x400 meters relay on Saturday when they held off Jamaica for their sixth straight victory in the event to give anchor Allyson Felix her sixth career gold.

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Neymar hands Brazil precious soccer gold medal

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Neymar shed tears of joy after delivering Brazil's first men's soccer gold medal with the winning penalty in a 5-4 shootout triumph over Germany after a thrilling final ended in a draw following extra-time on Saturday.

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Triathlon: American Jorgensen takes gold with perfect race

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Hot favorite Gwen Jorgensen produced the perfect race to win the Olympic women's triathlon gold on Saturday, the American unusually staying with her rivals on the bike before surging clear of defending champion Nicola Spirig-Hug on the run.

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Volleyball - U.S. women beat Dutch to take bronze

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The U.S. women's volleyball team defeated the Netherlands in four sets on Saturday to win the bronze medal, a consolation for the world's top-ranked team in its pursuit of an elusive gold.

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Brazil prosecutors too slow to catch up with U.S. swimmer Feigen

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - A Brazilian judge provided another twist to the saga of four U.S. swimmers embroiled in a scandal at the Rio Games, suspending permission for one of the athletes, Jimmy Feigen, to leave the country - even though he had flown home hours earlier.

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Basketball: U.S. and Serbia to clash in David and Goliath final

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Basketball superpower the United States will face Serbia on Sunday in an Olympic men's basketball David and Goliath gold medal final that will bring down the curtain on the Rio Games.

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U.S. suffer yet another sprint relay disqualification

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - One might think that any American racing a men's sprint relay would take a moment before starting a lap of honor, such is the regularity of the subsequent crash-to-earth disqualification - and that is exactly what happened again at the Rio Games on Friday.

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Athletics: U.S. win women's 4x100m relay, fifth gold for Felix

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The United States won the women's Olympic 4x100 metres relay on Friday as Allyson Felix became the first woman to collect five gold medals in athletics.

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#LochteGate means lesser-known swimmers may miss their pay day

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Veteran swimmer Ryan Lochte's brush with Rio police has already hurt his appeal to sponsors - but for two lesser-known team mates, it means they may never get a chance to sign their first major deal.

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U.S. swimmer Feigen at Rio airport, waiting to leave Brazil : staff

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - U.S. Olympic swimmer Jimmy Feigen has passed security at Rio international airport and is waiting to board a flight home to the United States, a member of airport staff said on Friday.

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U.S. swimmers' tall tale touches a raw nerve in Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - When an angry crowd of Brazilians jeered U.S. Olympic gold medal swimmers Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger, calling them 'liars' and giving one of them a tug on the ear, the young Americans looked shocked by the ferocity of their reaction.

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IOC sets up disciplinary commission for four U.S. swimmers

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has set up a disciplinary commission for United States swimmer Ryan Lochte and his three team mates after they were found to have lied about an armed robbery during the Rio Olympics, an IOC official told Reuters on Friday.

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Away from Olympic track, Bolt inspires a Rio favela

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - One year before millions watched him secure a record third 100 meter gold medal at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Usain Bolt lined up at a very different track in Rio.

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Basketball: U.S. women seek sixth gold with a win over Spain

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The United States women's basketball team will be out to prove their credentials as one of the Olympics' great sporting dynasties on Saturday when they take on Spain in the gold-medal final.

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Exclusive - Aboard AA990: A curtain comes down on U.S. swimmers' gold medal glory

ABOARD FLIGHT AA990 (Reuters) - Standing on a podium in Rio last week with gold medals draped around their necks, swimmers Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz were the pride of America as they sang along to the "Star Spangled Banner."

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Lochte apologizes for behavior in Rio

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - U.S. gold medalist swimmer Ryan Lochte on Friday apologized for his behavior at the Olympics after being accused by Brazilian police of inventing a story about an armed robbery to cover for some bad behavior at a gas station.

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Badminton: Lee shrugs off heartbreak to defeat nemesis Lin

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei shrugged off eight years of Olympic heartbreak on Friday to defeat his nemesis Lin Dan 15-21 21-11 22-20 and reach the final of the men's badminton after another classic encounter.

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Peerless Bolt powers to 200m gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The incomparable Usain Bolt once again proved utterly unbeatable on the Olympic track on Thursday, powering his way to a third straight 200 meters gold and remaining on course for an extraordinary "triple-triple" of sprint titles.

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Muhammad continues U.S. hurdle streak

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Dalilah Muhammad of the United States led from start to finish to take the Olympic gold medal in the 400 meters hurdles on Thursday and complete a U.S. double in the women's and men's events.

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Two U.S. swimmers head out of Brazil after police questioning

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - U.S. swimmers Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger arrived at Rio de Janeiro international airport and checked onto a U.S.-bound flight on Thursday night, after they were questioned by Brazilian police over an incident at a gas station.

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Two U.S. swimmers board flight out of Brazil after Rio incident

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazilian authorities allowed two U.S. Olympic swimmers to board a U.S.-bound flight on Thursday after police accused them and two of their team mates of lying about being robbed at gunpoint at a Rio gas station.

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Rio incident cuts short Ryan Lochte's commercial victory lap

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The week after winning his sixth career Olympic gold in Rio, U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte should have been doing a victory lap, cashing in on his performance with fresh sponsorship deals.

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Boxing: Stevenson gifted a walkover to bantamweight final

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Highly-rated U.S. bantamweight Shakur Stevenson was given a walkover to an Olympic boxing final with Cuba's Robeisy Ramirez on Thursday after Russian opponent Vladimir Nikitin withdrew due to injury.

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U.S. swimmers lied about robbery, should be held accountable : Brazil minister

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazil's Presidential Chief of Staff Eliseu Padilha said on Thursday that U.S. Olympic swimmers had lied to Brazilian police about a robbery at the Rio de Janeiro Games and should be held accountable.

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Basketball: Spain beats Serbia to reach women's gold medal final

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Spain eased past Serbia 68-54 on Thursday to reach the Olympic women's basketball gold medal final for the first time, where a possible showdown with the all-conquering United States awaits.

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Volleyball: Serbian women knock out U.S. favorites

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The Serbian women's volleyball team eliminated the world's top-ranked team, the United States, on Thursday in a shock upset after the undefeated Americans lost their top player to a leg injury.

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Brazil police say U.S. swimmers could 'in theory' be charged

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazil police could "in theory" charge a group of U.S. Olympic swimmers with giving false testimony and vandalism over an incident at a gas station in Rio de Janeiro last weekend, the head of Rio's civil police, Fernando Veloso, said on Thursday.

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Brazil police accuse U.S. swimmers of vandalism, consider charges

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazilian police accused a group of U.S. Olympic swimmers on Thursday of vandalism during an incident at a Rio gas station last weekend, saying they were considering whether to recommend charges against any of them.

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Clement wins 400m hurdles but Culson in tears

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Kerron Clement, of the United States, held off fast-finishing Kenyan Boniface Tumuti to win the men's Olympic 400 meters hurdles on Thursday.

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Ex-NFL star Sharper sentenced to 18 years in prison in drug, rape cases

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Former National Football League star Darren Sharper was sentenced on Thursday to 18 years in federal prison in a case that accused him of drugging and raping nine women in four states while working as a television analyst.

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Felix throws away U.S. relays hopes

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Allyson Felix's hopes of a fifth Olympic gold medal were left in tatters on Thursday when the United States failed to qualify for the final of the 4x100 meters relay after a botched baton exchange.

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'Black girl magic' gives U.S. hurdles sweep

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Like many black American women, Brianna Rollins, Nia Ali and Kristi Castlin have faced a good few hurdles of the metaphorical kind in their lives.

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Rollins leads U.S. hurdles sweep

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brianna Rollins gave the United States its first track medal of the Rio Olympics when she won the 100 meters hurdles final on Wednesday, leading Nia Ali and Kristi Castlin across the line for an American podium sweep.

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Jamaican sprint power on show as Thompson completes double

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Elaine Thompson maintained Jamaica's incredible stranglehold on Olympic sprinting on Wednesday when she added the 200 meters gold to the 100m title she collected earlier at the Rio Games, while Usain Bolt remains on course for a track 'triple-triple'.

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Basketball: U.S. answers critics with blowout win over Argentina

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The United States reaffirmed their status as gold medal favourites blowing away Argentina 105-78 on Wednesday to storm into the semi-finals of the Olympic men's basketball tournament.

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Volleyball: U.S. men head to semis seeking revenge

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - An inexperienced U.S. men's volleyball team defeated Poland in straight sets on Wednesday and moved into the semifinals looking to avenge early upsets that almost knocked the Americans out of the Rio Games.

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Water polo: U.S. women advance to gold-medal game

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The U.S. women's water polo team beat Hungary on Wednesday to reach the finals at the Rio Games where they will look to become the first women's squad to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the sport.

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Boxing: U.S.'s Shields makes sure of another medal

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Reigning Olympic champion Claressa Shields of the United States made sure of another medal after reaching the women's middleweight semi-finals on Wednesday.

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Europe's top Olympic official steps down after arrest

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Europe's top Olympic official, Ireland's Pat Hickey, on Wednesday temporarily stepped down from his position as executive board member on the International Olympic Committee, after his arrest in connection with a probe into ticket touting at the Rio Games.

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Semenya cruises through 800m heats

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Hot favorite Caster Semenya qualified for the Olympic women's 800metres semi-finals with supreme ease on Wednesday and will no doubt be braced for another wave of discussions about her gender should she go on to take the gold medal on Saturday.

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Judge orders Lochte & teammate not to leave Brazil: daily

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - A judge in Brazil has issued an order to prevent U.S. swimmers Ryan Lochte and James Feigen from leaving the country on the grounds they gave conflicting accounts of their robbery outside the Rio Games on Sunday, a Brazilian daily said on Wednesday.

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Kenya's Kipruto wins men's 3,000m steeplechase gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Kenya's Conseslus Kipruto stormed to victory in the men's 3,000 meter steeplechase final on Wednesday, ensuring the East African nation maintained its iron grip on the event it has won in every Games since 1984.

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Brazilian police arrest Irish IOC member in touting probe

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazilian police arrested a member of the IOC's executive board, Ireland's Patrick Hickey, in his hotel in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday in connection with an investigation into ticket touting at the Olympics, a spokesman said.

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Beach volleyball: Walsh Jennings has perfect run spiked

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazilian duo Barbara Seixas and Agatha Bednarczuk dished out a first ever Olympic loss to American great Kerri Walsh Jennings amid a fevered atmosphere on Copacabana beach to reach the final of the women's beach volleyball.

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Athletics: Jamaica, Kenya and U.S. strike gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Jamaica, Kenya and the United States added to their athletics medal tallies in the 110metres hurdles, women's 1,500m and men's triple jump on Tuesday, while Russia's sole track and field competitor survived to compete another day at Rio.

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Athletics: Kenyan Kipyegon in late charge for 1,500m gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Kenya's Faith Kipyegon won the women's Olympic 1,500 meters on Tuesday after unleashing a devastating second half of the race to leave Ethiopia's world record holder Genzebe Dibaba trailing in her wake.

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Russia stripped of 2008 relay gold due to positive retest

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Russia was ordered on Tuesday to return its gold medals from the 2008 Beijing Olympics 4x100m women's relay after Yulia Chermoshanskaya tested positive for a banned substance in a re-analysis of her sample.

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Rio's reputation on the line as organizers struggle for answers

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - With the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in imminent danger of cementing a reputation as the most trouble-plagued Games in recent history, organizers are struggling to convince the world of their good intentions as problems increase by the day.

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Third in the medals table, China faces worst haul since 1996

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Heavy defeats in sports dominated by China in previous Olympics have left the country languishing in an unfamiliar third place in the medals table, with some predicting that Rio 2016 could see the country's worst haul since 1996.

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'Stars align' for American Taylor to claim second Olympic gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Christian Taylor of the United States retained his Olympic men's triple jump title on Tuesday, recording the longest jump of the year to claim the podium top spot.

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Soaring Da Silva is Brazil's new darling

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Thiago da Silva won Brazil's first athletics gold of their home Games on an extraordinary, unforgettable Monday night in Rio, producing an Olympic record of 6.03 meters in the pole vault to beat hot favorite Renaud Lavillenie and send the fans into raptures.

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Singapore swimmer Joseph Schooling eyes more Olympic glory

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore's first Olympic gold medalist, swimmer Joseph Schooling, said on Tuesday he was looking to beat the world record for 100 meters butterfly and planned to compete in two more events at the next Olympics in Tokyo.

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Miller dives over line to deny Felix in 400m

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Bahamian Shaunae Miller launched herself over the finishing line with a desperate dive to pip American Allyson Felix to Olympic 400 meters gold by the slimmest of margins in a thrilling final on Monday.

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Basketball: Argentina to face U.S. in last eight

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Croatia beat Lithuania 90-81 in the final preliminary round game of the Olympic men's basketball tournament on Monday, vaulting from fifth to the top of Group B and avoiding a nightmare quarter-final clash with the unbeaten United States.

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NFL: League sets date to meet players accused of doping - report

(Reuters) - The NFL has set an Aug. 25 deadline for four players to meet with the league regarding allegations of doping or they face the prospect of being handed suspensions, it was reported on Monday.

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Gymnastics: Biles beam slip crushes five-gold dream

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - As expected, gymnast extraordinaire Simone Biles picked up her fourth medal at the Rio Olympics.

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Athletics: Kenya's Rudisha retains 800m title

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Kenya's David Rudisha stormed to victory in the Olympic 800 meters final on Monday, retaining title with a devastating final lap sprint.

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Boxing: U.S. coach angered by judging after Mayer defeat

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - U.S. coach Billy Walsh questioned the judging after his lightweight Mikaela Mayer lost her quarter-final on points to Russian Anastasia Beliakova at the Rio Games on Monday.

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You can run but you can't hide, IOC tells doping cheats

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Doping cheats using designer drugs or gene doping at the Rio Olympics should know they will eventually be found out, the International Olympic Committee said on Monday.

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Imperious Bolt completes amazing 100m triple

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - For 9.81 glorious seconds on Sunday, all the ills that have dogged athletics recently were forgotten as Usain Bolt stormed to victory in the 100 meters final to become the first man to win three successive Olympic titles on the track.

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Gymnastics : Wevers upstages Biles to win beam gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Dutchwoman Sanne Wevers caused a huge upset when she ruined Simone Biles' chances of scooping a record five golds at a single Olympics by winning the balance beam title in Rio on Monday.

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Jebet wins Bahrain's first ever gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Teenager Ruth Jebet won Bahrain's first ever Olympic gold medal on Monday, blowing away the competition in the women's 3,000 meters steeplechase but narrowly missing out on the world record.

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Wlodarczyk shatters world record for hammer gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Poland's Anita Wlodarczyk underlined her absolute dominance of the women's hammer by throwing a world record 82.29 metres to win the Rio Olympic gold by an incredible 554 centimetres on Monday.

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Lochte says he challenged armed robbers in Rio

(Reuters) - Ryan Lochte initially resisted a group of armed men posing as police who robbed the Olympic gold medalist and three fellow American swimmers in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Lochte said in an interview broadcast on Monday on the "Today" show.

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Sharapova could return in January: tennis chief

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Five-times grand slam winner Maria Sharapova, banned in June for two years for doping offences, may be allowed to return in January, according to Russian Tennis Federation president Shamil Tarpishchev.

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Scowling Gatlin booed by Rio crowd

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - American Justin Gatlin felt the full force of the crowd's ire on Sunday and scowled back in response before finishing second to Usain Bolt in the Olympic 100metres final to miss his shot at becoming the oldest man to win the event at age 34.

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Brilliant Van Niekerk smashes 400m world record

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk ran the fastest single lap in history to win the 400 meters gold medal in 43.03 seconds and break a 17-year-old world record at the Olympic Games on Sunday.

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Tennis: Venus matches record but it's silver not gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Venus Williams' record-equaling fifth Olympic tennis medal was silver rather than gold as she and partner Rajeev Ram lost an all-American mixed doubles final to Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jack Sock on Sunday .

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Gymnastics: Whitlock wins men's pommel horse to scoop second gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Max Whitlock made it a day to remember for Britain when he swiveled to the top of the podium with a smooth and silky pommel horse performance which earned him a second gold at the Olympics on Sunday.

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Gymnastics: Bullies are tormenting Douglas, says mother

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Bullies are ruining U.S. gymnast Gabby Douglas's Olympic adventure by attacking her appearance, accusing her of being unpatriotic, and by mocking her with a mean-spirited nickname, "Crabby Gabby", on social media, her mother told Reuters.

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Athletics: Kenya's Sumgong evades protester to win Olympic marathon

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Kenyan Jemima Jelagat Sumgong evaded a protester who leapt onto the Rio marathon course on Sunday to become the first woman from her country to win Olympic marathon gold in two hours, 24 minutes and four seconds.

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Lochte robbed in taxi hold-up after leaving party, friend says

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - U.S. gold medal swimmer Ryan Lochte was robbed in a taxi hold-up in Rio de Janeiro after leaving a party where he had been celebrating the end of the Olympic swimming program, he told fellow competitor Thiago Pereira.

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Golf: Stenson, Rose in two-way race for gold medal

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Britain's Justin Rose and Swede Henrik Stenson were battling it out for golf's first Olympic gold medal in the modern era with Rose fighting to protect a one-stroke lead in the final round.

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Swimming: Phelps wins last relay gold as U.S. dominate

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Michael Phelps captured his 23rd and final Olympic gold medal on Saturday as the United States sealed a week of dominance in the pool by winning the men's and women's medley relays.

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Cycling: The Rio volunteer setting the pace for champions

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - He rides with champions but his name is not on any team list or competition schedule.

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Athletics: Farah reigns supreme, Thompson is new sprint queen

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Elaine Thompson inherited the mantle of Olympic 100 meters champion from fellow Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce on Saturday but Mo Farah simply refused to relinquish his 10,000m crown as the Briton recovered from a fall to retain his title.

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United States wins 1,000th Olympic gold medal

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The United States won its 1,000th Olympic gold medal on Saturday when the American women's 4x100 meter medley relay team clinched victory at the Rio Games.

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Swimming: Manuel anchors medley team to 1,000th U.S. gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Simone Manuel anchored the U.S. women's 4x100 meters medley relay team to the 1,000th gold medal in her country's Olympic history on Saturday, and the second of her career.

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Russia athletics suffers final disgrace as last competitor barred

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Russian track and field suffered a final humiliation at the Rio Games on Saturday when the sport's governing body suspended long jumper Darya Klishina, removing from competition the nation's only athlete to have so far survived a blanket ban for doping.

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Athletics: Jamaica's Thompson wins women's 100 meters

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Elaine Thompson of Jamaica won the women's 100 meters sprint at the Rio Olympics in a time of 10.71 seconds on Saturday.

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Rowing ends with thrills aplenty

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - In a spectacular final day of the Olympic rowing regatta on Saturday, the United States reasserted their extraordinary dominance in the women’s eight, powering home to a third consecutive gold.

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Athletics: Rio gets Bolt fever, Harting snatches discus gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Usain Bolt took the first "sluggish" steps toward his hoped-for Olympic triple-triple on Saturday when he eased through his 100 meters heat as the fans turned out in force to see the sport's superstar bring the athletics program to life.

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IOC disappointed with Solo's 'cowards' comments

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is disappointed that United States goalkeeper Hope Solo branded opponents Sweden as cowards after they knocked her team out of the women's soccer tournament, but will not take any disciplinary action.

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Rowing: U.S. extends unbeaten run with gold in women's eight

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The United States' women's eight powered to the gold medal in the Olympic rowing regatta on Saturday, extending a 10-year unbeaten run.

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Swimming: Schooling wins Singapore's first gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Joseph Schooling beat Michael Phelps and made Singaporean sporting history on Friday when he won the 100 meters butterfly and his country's first Olympic gold medal.

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I'm ready to retire, says Phelps

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - No means no. No amount of cajoling, arm-twisting and pleading by his team mates and swimming fans around the world will make Michael Phelps change his mind about retiring after the Rio Olympics.

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Soccer: Holders U.S. suffer penalty heartache against Sweden

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Favorites the United States crashed out of the women's soccer tournament on penalties on Friday but host nation Brazil advanced from the quarter-finals the same way on a day of surprise and high drama.

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Ledecky smashes 800m record to claim freestyle treble

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Katie Ledecky of the United States finally succumbed to her emotions on the podium after destroying the field in the 800 meters freestyle on Friday and smashing her own world record to complete a rare Olympic swimming treble.

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Swimming: DiRado beats Hosszu to take 200m backstroke in her last race

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Maya DiRado of the United States won the women's 200 meters backstroke in her final race on Friday, reeling in Hungary's Katinka Hosszu in the closing meters to deny her a fourth gold medal of the Rio Olympics.

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Athletics: Last-gasp Carter wins shot gold to deny Adams

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - American Michelle Carter stunned champion Valerie Adams with a throw of 20.63 meters on her final attempt to win Olympic shot put gold and deny the New Zealander a third successive title on Friday.

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Soccer: We lost to 'cowards', U.S. keeper says

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo called Sweden "a bunch of cowards" after they knocked the United States out of the Olympic women's football tournament on penalties on Friday.

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Soccer: Holders U.S. suffer penalty heartache against Sweden

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Sweden knocked the United States out of the women's Olympic soccer tournament on Friday, recording one of the sport's biggest shocks by beating the holders 4-3 on penalties in the quarter-final after the two sides drew 1-1 after extra time.

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Trampoline: Maclennan wins gold in back-to-back triumph

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Canada's Rosannagh Maclennan became the first trampoline gymnast to win back-to-back Olympic golds following a soaring routine packed with difficulty on Friday.

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Archery: Ku wins men's gold to complete South Korean sweep

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Ku Bon-chan outlasted Frenchman Jean-Charles Valladont in the final of the men's individual archery on Friday to capture his second gold of the Rio Olympics and ensure South Korea completed an unprecedented sweep of all four titles.

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Organizers shut pool to treat green water

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Olympic organizers canceled diving training on Friday morning and shut the pool in an attempt to restore the water to its original blue color, three days after its emerald hue stirred concern among competitors.

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Athletics: Ayana wins stunning gold, denies doping

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Olympic athletics got off to an astonishing start on Friday when Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana smashed a 23-year-old world record to win the greatest-ever women's 10,000 meters and then had to deny suggestions that her performance was fueled by drugs.

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Phelps writes new page with four wins in same event

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Michael Phelps of the United States won the Olympic 200 meters individual medley on Thursday to capture the 22nd gold medal of his career and become the first swimmer to win the same event at four consecutive Games.

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U.S. Fab Five step into 'surreal' spotlight

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Fresh from winning the team gold medal and Simon Biles' historic first-place performance in the all-around competition, the U.S. women's gymnasts stepped into the media glare on Friday looking a bit shellshocked by the attention.

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Athletics gets under way amid sea of empty seats

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Ukrainian discus thrower Mykyta Nesterenko got the Olympic athletics program under way on a rainy Friday morning but there was a paltry crowd scattered around the 60,000-capacity stadium to watch him.

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Gymnastics: Coronation complete as Biles wins all around gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - As Simone Biles stood locked in a tight embrace with her team mate Aly Raisman, waiting for her final score to come up on the big screen, the concerned look in her eyes suggested she had no idea who would be crowned Olympic all around champion.

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Swimming: Oleksiak and Manuel tie for 100m free gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Canadian teenager Penny Oleksiak and Simone Manuel of the United States dead-heated for the 100 meters Olympic swimming freestyle gold on Thursday when both women touched the wall in 52.70 seconds.

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Gymnastics: Raisman earns sweet redemption in Rio

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - For American gymnast Aly Raisman, a silver medal in Thursday's all-around event was a moment of redemption after the heartbreak of 2012 when she was on the wrong side of a tiebreak and bumped from the podium.

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Two suspects held in possible Rio Olympics plot : police

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Police arrested two people on Thursday suspected of supporting Islamic State in planning a possible attack during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

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Beach Volleyball: U.S. men relish marathon Italy match

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - United States gold medal hopes Nicholas Lucena and Phil Dalhausser relished Thursday's marathon victory against Italy's Paolo Nicolai and Daniele Lupo, a performance they said put them in good stead for the knockout rounds.

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Gymnastics: Biles lights up Rio, Instagram and the Kardashians

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - She has ratcheted up a million Instagram followers, exchanged tweets with reality star Kim Kardashian and been splashed on the cover of major American magazines.

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Athletics: Sprint superpowers Jamaica, U.S. face off in Rio

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - By most measures, like economics, technology or military might, Jamaica does not rival the United States. Not so on the track, where they stand as the superpowers of sprint.

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Rio organizers put on brave face as Games problems pile up

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Rio Olympics organizers on Thursday put on a brave face as problems plaguing the first Games on the South American continent pile up, admitting preparations could have been better but sounding confident of eventual success.

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Judo: Harrison, Aguiar move closer to 'destiny' clash

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - American Kayla Harrison and Brazil's Mayra Aguiar stayed on course for a mouth-watering clash for gold between two of judo's biggest rivals as both advanced to the semi-finals of the Olympic women's -78kg category on Thursday.

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Gymnastics: King Kohei in no mood to abdicate throne

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The man dubbed as the "Michael Phelps of gymnastics" proved that when it comes to showcasing skills across six apparatus there is no equal to Kohei Uchimura.

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After 112 years golf makes quiet return to Games

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - After 112 years golf made a quiet and subdued return to the Olympics on Thursday with Brazil's Adilson Da Silva hitting the first shot in front of a handful of spectators.

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Swimming: Night of individual firsts in Rio pool

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - First time Olympic winners, including Australian teen Kyle Chalmers in the 100 meters freestyle, plundered three of the four golds in the Rio pool on Wednesday but there was no getting past Katie Ledecky.

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Police patrols beefed up at Rio Games as security concerns mount

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Rio Olympics organizers stepped up police patrols on Wednesday as security concerns mounted over the threat posed by street violence, with a Games bus being hit by stones and a security patrol coming under fire near Rio's international airport.

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Swimming: Relay hands Ledecky third gold of Rio Games

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Freestyle queen Katie Ledecky made sure of her third swimming gold medal of the Rio Olympics, and fourth of her career, after anchoring the U.S. women to victory in the 4x200 meters freestyle relay on Wednesday.

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Basketball: U.S. survive Australia scare to remain unbeaten

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The United States survived a scare before taming scrappy Australia 98-88 in an Olympic men's basketball thriller on Wednesday and extended their winning streak to 20 games.

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Basketball: Easy win brings tough question for Team USA

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The U.S. women's basketball team faced their sternest test of the Rio Games and tougher questions after beating Serbia 110-84 on Wednesday to remain on course for a sixth successive gold.

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Gymnastics: Uchimura win men's all around gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - A spellbinding routine on the horizontal bar lifted Kohei Uchimura into the pantheon of greats as he snatched gold to become the first gymnast in 44-years to win back-to-back Olympic all around titles on Wednesday.

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Cycling: Armstrong turns team mate's inspirational notes into gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - As if she needed reminding, Kristin Armstrong kept finding little notes with the words "You are a champion" in odd places as she prepared for Wednesday's Olympic time trial.

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Cycling: Armstrong defeats Russian for third straight gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - On the one hand there was Kristin Armstrong, hoping to complete a fairytale return to road cycling with a third consecutive Olympic time trial gold the day before her 43rd birthday.

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Swimming: Move over Leonidas, here comes Michael Phelps

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Leonidas of Rhodes would recognize a kindred spirit in Michael Phelps of Baltimore.

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Police find second bullet in equestrian center : source

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Police have discovered a second bullet inside the Olympic equestrian center close to the stable area, a security source said on Wednesday, the second time a stray shot has been picked up at the venue over the past week.

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Cycling: I was breastfeeding so could not have doped - Zabelinskaya

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Russia's Olga Zabelinskaya protested her innocence after winning the silver medal in the women's time trial on Wednesday, a week after almost flying home because a previous doping ban looked like ruling her out of the Olympics.

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Cate Campbell fastest in 100 freestyle heats

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - World record holder Cate Campbell of Australia made quick work of the women's 100 meter freestyle heats at the Rio Games on Wednesday, leading the way to the semi-finals with an Olympic record of 52.78 seconds.

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Aussie turned American medals in eventing

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Phillip Dutton's individual eventing bronze medal was not his first time on an Olympic podium, but it was his first medal for the United States.

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Two more golds for Phelps, Hosszu and Ledecky march on

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Michael Phelps won two gold medals on Tuesday, avenging his 200 meters butterfly defeat from the London Olympics and then anchoring the U.S. 4x200 freestyle team to victory on a night of high drama and emotion in the pool.

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Serena eliminated in third round upset

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Olympic champion and world number one Serena Williams was bundled out of the Rio de Janeiro tennis tournament in the third round of the singles on Tuesday after a shock 6-4 6-3 defeat to Ukraine's Elina Svitolina.

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Ledecky wins women's 200m freestyle, on track for treble

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Katie Ledecky of the United States won the women's Olympic 200 meters freestyle on Tuesday to claim her second individual gold of the Rio de Janeiro Games and stay on track for a rare treble.

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Archery: 'Sucks' beating a team mate, says American Ellison

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Three days after taking their second silver medal in the men's team event at the Olympics, Americans Brady Ellison and Jake Kaminski shared another embrace tinged with regret after facing off in the individual tournament on Tuesday.

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Gymnastics: Americans blow away opposition to win gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - There were a few wobbles here and there, even for Simone Biles, but those imperfections could not stop the United States from blowing away the opposition to capture the Olympic women's team title with a record margin on Tuesday.

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NFL: Eagles tackle Johnson facing 10-game doping ban, says report

(Reuters) - Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson is facing a 10-game suspension for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs, according to multiple media reports on Tuesday.

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Exclusive: Russian great Salnikov says atmosphere like Cold War

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Russian swimming chief Vladimir Salnikov said on Tuesday the atmosphere surrounding his team at the Olympics reminded him of the Cold War, and criticized American breaststroke champion Lilly King for attacking the integrity of her Russian rival.

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Tennis: Britain's Murray eases into third round, Ferrer out

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Britain's Andy Murray enjoyed a routine win over Argentina's Juan Monaco to ease into the third round of the tennis tournament at the Rio Games on Tuesday, while Spain's world number 12 David Ferrer was knocked out.

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Judo: Kelmendi OK to refuse France drug test - IJF

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Judo's governing body said that athletes were not obliged to take unscheduled drug tests when training in France in June and that those who refused, including Kosovo's gold medalist Majlinda Kelmendi, subsequently tested negative the next week.

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Russia vs. U.S.: a tense race, a strained aftermath

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The women's 100 meters breaststroke final at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics on Monday had already crackled with tension in a tight finish but it was nothing compared to what transpired afterwards.

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King denies tearful Efimova in 100m breaststroke

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Lilly King of the United States won the Olympic gold medal in the women's 100 meters breaststroke on Monday, denying Russia's Yulia Efimova who was greeted with resounding boos from the Rio de Janeiro crowd.

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Hosszu wins 100m backstroke to claim second gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Katinka Hosszu of Hungary won the women's Olympic 100 meters backstroke on Monday to claim her second gold of the Rio Games, edging out Kathleen Baker of the United States.

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Murphy maintains U.S. streak in 100m backstroke

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Ryan Murphy won the men's 100 meters backstroke gold at the Rio Olympics on Monday to extend the U.S. run of domination in the event to six successive Games dating back to Atlanta in 1996.

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Judo: Silva wins first gold for host country Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazilians celebrated in the stands after Rafaela Silva won gold in women's judo at the Rio Games on Monday, claiming the first Olympic gold medal for the host country and capping a journey to the podium that began in one of the city's most notorious slums.

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Michael Phelps' purple blotches spotlight 'cupping' trend

NEW YORK (Reuters) - It wasn't just Michael Phelps' big win on Sunday that had people talking about the U.S. swimming star. It was also the dark purple circles on his shoulders.

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Phelps and Ledecky seek even more gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - U.S. team mates Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky moved on from a golden Sunday, somewhat creakily in the case of the former, and returned to the Olympic pool in search of individual glory on Monday.

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Cycling: UCI defends road course after weekend of crashes

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Cycling's governing body the UCI said the Olympic course was not to blame for a series of bone-crunching crashes during the weekend's road races around Rio's stunning coastline.

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Cycling: I'll be fine, says Van Vleuten after horror smash

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Annemiek van Vleuten suffered three fractured vertebrae and a concussion after a horrifying high-speed crash in the Olympic women's road race on Sunday but the Dutch rider said she will be fine and was more disappointed at missing out on a medal.

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Swimming: Vollmer brings home more medals for Arlen

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - With her son's name Arlen written on her foot, Dana Vollmer dove into Rio De Janeiro's Olympic Aquatics Stadium pool on Sunday and less than a minute later she became the second American woman to win an Olympic swimming medal after having a baby.

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Swimming: Record-smashing Ledecky win women's 400m free

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Katie Ledecky of the United States broke her own world record on Sunday on the way to winning the women's 400 meters freestyle gold medal, the first stage of a rare treble she hopes to complete at the Rio Olympics.

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Swimming: Peaty takes 100m breaststroke gold in record time

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Adam Peaty smashed his own world record for the second time in two days on Sunday to win 100 meters breaststroke gold and become the first British male swimmer in 28 years to win an Olympic title.

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Swimming: Phelps named in U.S. 4x100 freestyle relay

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Michael Phelps was on course to win the 23rd Olympic swimming medal of his career after being named in the U.S. 4x100 meters freestyle relay team on Sunday.

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Gymnastics: Biles leads way for sensational Americans

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Simone Biles showed the world why she is an Olympic champion-in- waiting as she and her American team mates blew away the opposition by almost 10 points in women's gymnastics qualifying on Sunday.

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Tennis: Williams sisters crash out of women's doubles in first round

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Serena and Venus Williams, three-time women's doubles Olympic champions, crashed out in the first round of the women's doubles tournament at the Rio Games on Sunday in one of the biggest upsets so far in women's tennis.

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Rio Games far from sold out, ticket sales at 82 percent

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Another day of Olympic sports played out before empty seats led to an admission from organizers that only Friday's Opening Ceremony has so far sold out.

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Swimming: Ledecky lights up pool with Phelps yet to come

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Freestyle queen Katie Ledecky swam the fastest women's 400 meters of the year on Sunday while the U.S. men's team, minus Michael Phelps for now, showed the Australians they mean business in the 4x100 relay.

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Beach Volleyball: Crowd taunts U.S. players with 'Zika' jeers

(Reuters) - The crowd at Copacabana's Beach Volleyball Arena loudly booed and taunted American volleyball players Lauren Fendrick and Brooke Sweat during an Olympic pool match Sunday, shouting "Zika" each time one of the duo served.

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Tennis: Williams cruises through first round despite windy conditions

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - World number one Serena Williams progressed through the first round of the Rio Olympics tennis on Sunday despite an error-strewn performance that was not helped by windy conditions that delayed play on most of the smaller tennis courts.

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Second day of rowing postponed due to weather problems

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The second day of the 2016 Olympic rowing regatta was called off on Sunday due to problems caused by rough weather, organizers said.

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Swimming: Golden start for Australia on day of records

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Hungary's Katinka Hosszu ended her long wait for Olympic victory and Australia captured two gold medals in an exhilarating first day of swimming competition that saw three world records smashed in Rio on Saturday.

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Shooting: American teenager Thrasher wins first gold of Games

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Unflappable American teenager Virginia Thrasher won the first gold medal of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Saturday, holding her nerve against two Chinese Olympic champions to clinch the women's 10m air rifle event.

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Swimming: Ledecky makes Rio debut in relay

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Freestyle phenomenon Katie Ledecky made an impressive Rio debut with the fastest leg for the U.S. women in their 4x100 relay heat on Saturday.

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Swimming: Peaty breaks one record, Hosszu eyes another

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Britain's Adam Peaty smashed his own 100 meters breaststroke world record and Hungary's 'Iron Lady' Katinka Hosszu had another in her sights on an explosive opening day in the pool at the Rio Olympics.

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Shambolic start to Rio Games amid queues, security scares

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The Rio Olympic Games got off to a shambolic and nervous start on Saturday, with organizers apologizing to angry fans kept waiting hours at security checkpoints to enter venues while, outside, shootings and bomb scares kept visitors on edge.

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Swimming: Peaty smashes own 100m breaststroke record in heats

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Adam Peaty demolished his own world record in the heats of the 100 meters breaststroke on Saturday as he launched a bid to become the first British man to win an Olympic swimming gold medal for 28 years.

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Uchimura fall caps a day of errors for favorites Japan

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Dethroning champions China has been the number one target for Japan at the Rio Olympics but after a day of falls and botched landings in men's qualifying on Saturday, Kohei Uchimura and his team mates were left with sore bodies and bruised egos.

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Police detonate backpack near finish line of Rio Olympic cycling race

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - A loud blast shook the media seats near the finishing line of the men's cycling road race on the first day of the Rio Olympics when Brazil's bomb squad detonated an unattended backpack on Saturday, amid tight security at South America's first Games.

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Tommasone makes boxing history as first Games professional

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Carmine Tommasone made boxing history when he became the first fully professional fighter to compete in the Olympics on Saturday, winning his opening bout against an amateur from Mexico.

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Huge queues and angry fans mar the start of Rio Games

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The Rio de Janeiro Olympics got off to a shambolic start on Saturday with fans queuing for hours to enter the stadium and some missing their events as many athletes competed in front of eerily empty stands.

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Brazil casts aside crisis in rousing Rio Games opening

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazil unfurled a vast canvas celebrating its rainforest and the creative energy of its wildly diverse population in welcoming the world on Friday to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, all to the pounding beat of samba, bossa nova and funk.

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American TV viewers slam NBC for delaying Rio broadcast

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - American TV viewers used social media on Friday to vent their anger at U.S. broadcaster NBC for delaying the screening of the opening ceremony of the Rio Games by an hour and then going to repeated commercial breaks during the show.

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Swimming: Lifeguards at the Olympic pool? It's the law

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - It is safe to say Michael Phelps has no need for a lifeguard watching over him in the Olympic pool but the most decorated Olympian of all time, with 18 gold medals among his career haul of 22, will have one anyway at the Rio Games.

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Yankees Teixeira to retire at end of season

(Reuters) - New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira is retiring at the end the season, he said on Friday.

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Kerry says confident Olympic Games will be 'safe, sound, secure'

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday that he is confident the Olympics Games will be "safe, sound, secure" and that the United States and Brazil are working together to ensure they are.

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U.S. officials face tough questions over gymnastics abuse report

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) on Friday defended USA Gymnastics against criticism it turned a blind eye to sexual abuse and said it had no plans to conduct an investigation itself.

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Pele will not light Olympic cauldron due to muscle pain: spokesman

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazilian soccer legend Pele will not light the Olympic cauldron at Friday's opening ceremony of the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics, a spokesman for the 75-year-old, three-time soccer World Cup winner said.

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FIFA president Infantino cleared of wrongdoing in ethics probe

ZURICH (Reuters) - FIFA President Gianni Infantino, elected in February to lead the global soccer body into calmer waters after a series of corruption scandals, was himself cleared of possible ethics violations on Friday.

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Party time in Rio after rollercoaster run-up to the Games

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - With a little bit of chaos and a last-minute sprint on preparations, Rio de Janeiro was ready on Friday to revel in a moment seven years in the making: the opening of the Olympic Games.

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Muscle pains could keep Pele from lighting Rio cauldron

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Pele's doctors have given him the go ahead to light the Olympic cauldron on Friday, but muscle pains may bar the Brazilian soccer great from the torch ceremony that opens the Rio de Janeiro Games.

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Olympics: Only Biles can beat Biles in Rio

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - There is only one person who appears capable of beating gymnast Simone Biles at the Rio Olympics -- Simone Biles.

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Basketball : U.S. 'B Team' kills opponents with kindness

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - If living up to the adage, "if you can't say something nice about someone, don't say anything at all," was an Olympic event the United States men's basketball team would be standing atop the Rio Games podium on Thursday.

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Rio Games preparation chaos hopefully a one-off event : IOC

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The troubled preparations for the Rio Olympics proved that the model for the Games could withstand the toughest challenges but the IOC hoped it would not have to face such a stress test again, president Thomas Bach said on Thursday.

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Exclusive : CAS partially upholds Olympic appeal of Russian swimmer Efimova

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Four-times breaststroke world champion Yulia Efimova was handed an Olympic lifeline on Thursday when the Court of Arbitration for Sport partially upheld her appeal against a Games ban.

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On tight budget, opening ceremony adopts 'MacGyver' approach

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Pulling together an Olympics opening ceremony in the midst of a deep recession required what Brazil's organizers called "MacGyverism" and a lot of bargain hunting at a popular Rio bazaar.

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Russia to compete in most Rio events : Russian Olympic chief

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Russia will compete in the majority of sports at the Rio Olympics with 271 competitors taking part, Russian Olympic chief Alexander Zhukov told a news conference in the host city on Thursday.

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Basketball : It looks like the U.S. and then all the rest

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - With the United States' men's and women's basketball teams having dominated the Olympic tournament for more than two decades, the main battle should be for second on the hardwood when the first game tips off in Rio on Saturday.

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Djokovic to play Del Potro in first round

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Top seed Novak Djokovic faces a hazardous first round at the Rio Olympics after Thursday's draw pitted him against Argentine powerhouse Juan Martin del Potro, the man who denied him a medal four years ago in London.

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IOC clears 29 Russian swimmers to compete in Rio: agency

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has allowed 29 Russian swimmers to take part in the Rio Olympic Games, R-Sport news agency cited swimming's world governing body FINA as saying on Thursday.

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All 11 Russian boxers cleared to compete in Rio

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - All 11 Russian boxers who qualified for the Rio Olympics have been given the all clear to compete at the Games, the International Boxing Association (AIBA) said on Thursday.

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American rivals to feel 'full wrath' of lightning quick Bolt

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Usain Bolt is promising to let American sprinter Justin Gatlin "feel his full wrath" as he zones in on an unprecedented treble-treble of gold medals at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

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Basketball : Winning not always good as gold for U.S

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - For every athlete who wins a gold medal at the Rio Olympics it will be a big deal. For the United States women's basketball team the big deal will be if they do not.

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Baseball, surfing among sports approved for Tokyo 2020 : IOC

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Five sports, including baseball, skateboarding and surfing, will feature at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after the IOC voted them in on Wednesday in an attempt to revamp the Games program to attract a younger audience.

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Weightlifting : CAS upholds ban on Russians

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - There will be no Russian weightlifters at the Rio Olympics after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Wednesday rejected the country's appeal against a ban imposed by the sport's governing body, the IWF.

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Phelps thrilled to be U.S. flag bearer

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time with 18 gold medals among his career haul of 22, said it was a dream come true to be chosen to carry the U.S. flag in Friday's opening ceremony at the Rio Games.

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Tennis champion Murray to carry British flag

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Andy Murray, who won the Olympic tennis title at Wimbledon four years ago, will carry the British flag at Friday's Opening Ceremony in Rio, the British Olympic Association said on Wednesday.

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FIFA corruption trial could start in Sept-Oct 2017: U.S. judge

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The federal judge overseeing the wide-ranging corruption case involving soccer's global governing body FIFA said at a hearing on Wednesday that a trial could begin in September or October of next year.

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Murray relishes 'different' atmosphere in Rio

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Adjusting quickly to the Olympic atmosphere and its unfamiliar environment will be key for Andy Murray as he bids to defend the title he won in London four years ago, the world number two has said.

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Former Ferrari driver Amon dies aged 73

(Reuters) - Former Ferrari driver Chris Amon, often described as one of the best in Formula One never to have won a race, has died at the age of 73 after a battle with cancer, family of the New Zealand motorsport great said on Wednesday.

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Nadal ready to play in all three events in Rio

(Reuters) - Spain's Rafael Nadal has confirmed he will compete in all three tennis events at the Rio Olympics despite being not at his best after being sidelined with a wrist injury since May.

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Pele asked to light Rio pyre, checks with sponsors

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Pele has been invited to light the Olympic pyre for the Rio Games on Friday but the Brazilian soccer great is checking with his sponsors to see if he is free to lead the torch ceremony in the Maracana stadium.

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Athletes say Village much improved but gripes remain

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Despite lingering issues with plumbing and laundry, athletes and training staff say the Olympic Village is much improved, nine days after blocked toilets and exposed wiring forced the Australian team to move.

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Russian swimmers Morozov, Lobintsev 'not cleared for Rio'

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The confusing case of Vladimir Morozov and Nikita Lobintsev took a new twist on Tuesday when swimming's ruling body said, despite earlier reports, that the Russian duo had not been cleared to compete at the Olympics and still await a final decision.

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Wawrinka pulls out of Rio Games due to injury: Swiss Tennis

LONDON (Reuters) - Switzerland's world number four Stan Wawrinka has pulled out the tennis competition at the Rio Olympics because of injury, he said in a statement to the Swiss Tennis Federation on Tuesday.

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WADA in the crosshairs, as IOC members fume at late response

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The World Anti-Doping Agency was told it needed to restore its reputation as the war of words over the timing of its response to the Russian doping scandal escalated on Tuesday.

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Rio opening ceremony to break with opulent traditions

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony on Friday will break with the recent tradition of large-scale and expensive shows, featuring a low-emissions cauldron and an "analogue" experience, executive producer Marco Balich said on Monday.

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Fading Ferrari face summer of introspection

HOCKENHEIM, Germany (Reuters) - Ferrari head into Formula One’s annual break facing a tall order to turn things around in time for the second half of a season that promised much but has so far delivered little.

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Rio changes are down to the Olympics : IOC

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The Olympic Games have been the catalyst for a positive transformation of Rio de Janeiro, the International Olympic committee said on Monday.

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Texas Rangers push trade chips in for pennant push at deadline

(Reuters) - The Texas Rangers moved their chips all in and the once high and mighty Yankees traded talent to build for the future on Monday as the Major League Baseball (MLB) trading deadline came to a dizzying end.

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Rio's Olympic air: Dirty, deadly and no cleaner legacy from Games

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Rio de Janeiro's air is dirtier and deadlier than portrayed by authorities and the Olympics' promised legacy of cleaner winds has not remotely been met, an analysis of government data and Reuters' own testing found.

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U.S. and China to win most gold in Rio : Goldman Sachs

BRASILIA (Reuters) - The world's two largest economies, the United States and China, will again win most gold medals at the Olympics and Britain will push Russia into third place in the overall standings, Goldman Sachs predicted in a survey released on Monday.

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WADA defends timing of Russia report after IOC criticism

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on Monday defended the publication date of a damning report on doping in Russia, a day after the International Olympic Committee blamed it for the uncertainty surrounding Russian athletes at the Rio de Janeiro Games.

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America's summer of racial tension surfaces on road to Rio

LOS ANGELES/RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - America's hot summer of racial tension, violence and politics has spilled on to the basketball court, the track and the Twitter feeds of some of the country's top sports stars.

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Nadal still doubtful over Rio participation

(Reuters) - Rafael Nadal has conceded he is not yet sure that he will be able to represent Spain at the Rio Olympics as his fitness concerns linger.

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Russia teams for Rio to be decided by Aug 2: R-Sport cites minister

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said on Monday all decisions about the participation of Russian sportspeople at the Rio Olympics would be made by Tuesday, R-Sport news agency reported.

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