Seven Russian female athletes including two-time world 1,500 meters champion Tatyana Tomashova received a two-year doping ban on Monday for manipulating drug samples, the Russian athletics federation said.
Along with Tomashova, world indoor 1,500m champion Yelena Soboleva, distance runners Yuliya Fomenko and Svetlana Cherkasova, European discus champion Darya Pishchalnikova, former hammer world record holder Gulfia Khanafeyeva and former world 5,000m champion Olga Yegorova were banned.
"All seven women were found guilty and thus were banned for twoyears," RAF president Valentin Balakhnichyov told reporters.
The International Association of Athletics Federations suspended the seven women in July and banned them from competing at the Beijing Olympics in August after charging them with manipulating their drug samples.
Source:Xinhua
Monday, October 20, 2008
Last-gasp victory for Real in nail-biting derby
Argentine Gonzalo Higuain scored a penalty five minutes into stoppage time as Real Madrid defeated neighbors Atletico 2-1 on Saturday in a stormy derby where both sides finished with 10 men and referee Clos Gomez came in for some stern criticism.
Portuguese winger Simao thought he had salvaged a point after curling in a 90th minute free-kick to cancel out Ruud van Nistelrooy's opener after just 32 seconds but there was a twist to come.
Higuain converted a penalty in the 95th minute at the Vicente Calderon to crush Atletico's spirits ahead of Wednesday's Champions League duel against Liverpool.
Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain from Argentina reacts after scoring a penalty against Atletico during their soccer match at the Calderon stadium in Madrid on Saturday.
Real sit second in the standings with Villarreal a point ahead after a 0-0 draw at Espanyol on Saturday.
Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez brilliantly saved a 70th minute penalty from Raul Tamudo to maintain his team's unbeaten start.
Atletico have lost four times already and their jinx against Real continues and they have not beaten their city rivals since 1999.
"It is devastating to concede a goal in the first minute and another one in the 95th," admitted Atletico coach Javier Aguirre.
"I don't think there is a mental problem but now we have to pick the players up for the Liverpool game on Wednesday. We are doing well in the Champions League and this game deserves our full attention."
Real, in Champions League action against Juventus on Tuesday, took the spoils but Schuster could not resist a swipe at the referee.
"There were some question marks over the referee as he seemed to be with the home side for the second half," said Schuster. "That was a factor why we didn't win 5-1."
"We scored a penalty in the final minute and fully deserved to win. Late goals happen in football and as the saying goes the game is not over until the referee blows his final whistle."
After just 32 seconds, van Nistelrooy caught Atletico napping with a drilled shot to put Real ahead but the Dutchman's day went sour on 38 minutes when he was red-carded for a late tackle on Maniche.
"It was a mistake by the referee and I told him three times that it was just a yellow card," explained van Nistelrooy. "He also ruled out two perfectly good goals for us."
Eight minutes earlier Atletico had also been reduced to ten men when referee Clos Gomez claimed Colombian defender Luis Perea caught Wesley Sneijder with a stray arm.
Simao equalized but Higuain had the final say in a game that had the spectators on the edge of their seats.
Confidence was low following Atletico's 6-1 rout by Barcelona and Aguirre was relieved to welcome back first teamers Maniche and Diego Forlan.
Atletico were desperate not to concede an ealy goal after the Barca debacle - when they conceded three goals in the first eight minutes - but that plan went out the window with van Nistelrooy scoring after just 32 seconds.
The former Manchester United man caught goalkeeper Leo Franco off guard with a fierce snapshot. Then on three minutes Sneijder fizzed in a shot that Franco tipped on to the crossbar.
Source: China Daily
Portuguese winger Simao thought he had salvaged a point after curling in a 90th minute free-kick to cancel out Ruud van Nistelrooy's opener after just 32 seconds but there was a twist to come.
Higuain converted a penalty in the 95th minute at the Vicente Calderon to crush Atletico's spirits ahead of Wednesday's Champions League duel against Liverpool.
Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain from Argentina reacts after scoring a penalty against Atletico during their soccer match at the Calderon stadium in Madrid on Saturday.
Real sit second in the standings with Villarreal a point ahead after a 0-0 draw at Espanyol on Saturday.
Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez brilliantly saved a 70th minute penalty from Raul Tamudo to maintain his team's unbeaten start.
Atletico have lost four times already and their jinx against Real continues and they have not beaten their city rivals since 1999.
"It is devastating to concede a goal in the first minute and another one in the 95th," admitted Atletico coach Javier Aguirre.
"I don't think there is a mental problem but now we have to pick the players up for the Liverpool game on Wednesday. We are doing well in the Champions League and this game deserves our full attention."
Real, in Champions League action against Juventus on Tuesday, took the spoils but Schuster could not resist a swipe at the referee.
"There were some question marks over the referee as he seemed to be with the home side for the second half," said Schuster. "That was a factor why we didn't win 5-1."
"We scored a penalty in the final minute and fully deserved to win. Late goals happen in football and as the saying goes the game is not over until the referee blows his final whistle."
After just 32 seconds, van Nistelrooy caught Atletico napping with a drilled shot to put Real ahead but the Dutchman's day went sour on 38 minutes when he was red-carded for a late tackle on Maniche.
"It was a mistake by the referee and I told him three times that it was just a yellow card," explained van Nistelrooy. "He also ruled out two perfectly good goals for us."
Eight minutes earlier Atletico had also been reduced to ten men when referee Clos Gomez claimed Colombian defender Luis Perea caught Wesley Sneijder with a stray arm.
Simao equalized but Higuain had the final say in a game that had the spectators on the edge of their seats.
Confidence was low following Atletico's 6-1 rout by Barcelona and Aguirre was relieved to welcome back first teamers Maniche and Diego Forlan.
Atletico were desperate not to concede an ealy goal after the Barca debacle - when they conceded three goals in the first eight minutes - but that plan went out the window with van Nistelrooy scoring after just 32 seconds.
The former Manchester United man caught goalkeeper Leo Franco off guard with a fierce snapshot. Then on three minutes Sneijder fizzed in a shot that Franco tipped on to the crossbar.
Source: China Daily
Red Sox beat Rays to force decider
The Boston Red Sox beat Tampa Bay 4-2 on Saturday to force a deciding seventh game for the American League championship and a spot in the World Series.
The Rays led the series 3-1 and were 7-0 ahead in the seventh inning of Game Five before the Red Sox rallied to win 8-7.
Boston catcher Jason Varitek homered in the sixth inning to break a 2-2 tie and the Red Sox added another run in the inning on a single by David Ortiz after a Tampa Bay error.
"The important thing is that we found a way to win this game," Varitek told reporters.
Kevin Youkilis also homered for the Red Sox and drove in another run with a ground ball. "It's an incredible feeling right now," he said.
Tampa Bay's only runs came on solo homers by B.J. Upton in the first inning and Jason Bartlett in the fifth.
The Rays, who scored 37 runs in the previous four games against Boston, were held to four hits by Boston starter Josh Bartlett and three relief pitchers.
Bartlett had given up eight runs to the Rays in Game Two last Saturday.
"We just didn't hit tonight," Rays manager Joe Maddon said.
Matt Garza was scheduled to start for the Rays on Sunday against Jon Lester of Boston. Garza and the Rays beat Lester 9-1 last Monday.
This is the second year in a row Boston has come back from a three-one deficit to tie the American League championship series. Boston beat Cleveland 4-3 last year and then won the World Series against Colorado.
In 2004, the Red Sox trailed the New York Yankees 3-0, then won the next four games and swept St. Louis in the World Series.
Source: China Daily/Agencies
The Rays led the series 3-1 and were 7-0 ahead in the seventh inning of Game Five before the Red Sox rallied to win 8-7.
Boston catcher Jason Varitek homered in the sixth inning to break a 2-2 tie and the Red Sox added another run in the inning on a single by David Ortiz after a Tampa Bay error.
"The important thing is that we found a way to win this game," Varitek told reporters.
Kevin Youkilis also homered for the Red Sox and drove in another run with a ground ball. "It's an incredible feeling right now," he said.
Tampa Bay's only runs came on solo homers by B.J. Upton in the first inning and Jason Bartlett in the fifth.
The Rays, who scored 37 runs in the previous four games against Boston, were held to four hits by Boston starter Josh Bartlett and three relief pitchers.
Bartlett had given up eight runs to the Rays in Game Two last Saturday.
"We just didn't hit tonight," Rays manager Joe Maddon said.
Matt Garza was scheduled to start for the Rays on Sunday against Jon Lester of Boston. Garza and the Rays beat Lester 9-1 last Monday.
This is the second year in a row Boston has come back from a three-one deficit to tie the American League championship series. Boston beat Cleveland 4-3 last year and then won the World Series against Colorado.
In 2004, the Red Sox trailed the New York Yankees 3-0, then won the next four games and swept St. Louis in the World Series.
Source: China Daily/Agencies
Chelsea on fire as 'Big Four' all win
Chelsea romped to a 5-0 win at Middlesbrough, Manchester United thumped West Bromwich Albion 4-0 and Liverpool and Arsenal produced stirring fightbacks to claim home wins over Wigan Athletic and Everton on Saturday.
The results mean the Premier League now looks more familiar with the "Big Four" filling the top four slots.
Chelsea's lunchtime demolition job gave the leaders 20 points from eight games but Liverpool joined them on the same total after scoring twice in the last 10 minutes against 10-man Wigan to snatch a 3-2 victory.
Arsenal moved up to third on 16 points after netting three second-half goals to record a 3-1 victory against Everton.
United are up to fourth on 14, along with Aston Villa, held goalless at home by Portsmouth, and Hull City, who hosted West Ham United on Sunday.
Chelsea traveled to Middlesbrough shorn of several injured regulars but went ahead through Salomon Kalou after 14 minutes.
They then cut loose with four goals in 16 minutes early in the second half, starting with another stunning 30-meter shot by Brazilian long-range specialist Juliano Belletti.
A second for Kalou and goals by Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda secured their best away league win for five years.
"From the first moment our football, our movement and passing ... that was the best we've played for a long time," Lampard told Sky Sports.
Egyptian striker Amr Zaki scored twice, including a superb scissor kick, as Wigan outplayed Liverpool to lead 2-1 at halftime after Dirk Kuyt had replied for the hosts.
However, Antonio Valencia was sent off 15 minutes from time and Liverpool cashed in with Albert Riera's equaliser and Kuyt's miss-hit winner with five minutes left.
Source: China Daily
The results mean the Premier League now looks more familiar with the "Big Four" filling the top four slots.
Chelsea's lunchtime demolition job gave the leaders 20 points from eight games but Liverpool joined them on the same total after scoring twice in the last 10 minutes against 10-man Wigan to snatch a 3-2 victory.
Arsenal moved up to third on 16 points after netting three second-half goals to record a 3-1 victory against Everton.
United are up to fourth on 14, along with Aston Villa, held goalless at home by Portsmouth, and Hull City, who hosted West Ham United on Sunday.
Chelsea traveled to Middlesbrough shorn of several injured regulars but went ahead through Salomon Kalou after 14 minutes.
They then cut loose with four goals in 16 minutes early in the second half, starting with another stunning 30-meter shot by Brazilian long-range specialist Juliano Belletti.
A second for Kalou and goals by Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda secured their best away league win for five years.
"From the first moment our football, our movement and passing ... that was the best we've played for a long time," Lampard told Sky Sports.
Egyptian striker Amr Zaki scored twice, including a superb scissor kick, as Wigan outplayed Liverpool to lead 2-1 at halftime after Dirk Kuyt had replied for the hosts.
However, Antonio Valencia was sent off 15 minutes from time and Liverpool cashed in with Albert Riera's equaliser and Kuyt's miss-hit winner with five minutes left.
Source: China Daily
England still need Becks, says Capello
England manager Fabio Capello believes David Beckham still has an international future with the World Cup finals just two years away.
Former skipper Beckham, 33, is just one cap away from matching the 108-cap tally achieved by 1966 World Cup-winning captain Bobby Moore after making late substitute appearances against Kazakhstan and Belarus in the last two World Cup qualifiers.
But despite being restricted to cameo roles, and with Theo Walcott having supplanted him in the starting line-up, Capello is adamant that the LA Galaxy midfielder has a role to play both on and off the field.
The Italian even hinted Beckham could start the friendly international against Germany in Berlin next month.
"For the next game, it is possible, Beckham will play," said Capello.
"When I decide the squad, it is not for the few minutes that David Beckham plays. He is good for the group. This is important. In fact, this is very important - his influence.
"He knows everything. He transmits confidence in the other players. This is very important for the group.
"I have to choose the first XI and at the moment I choose Theo Walcott and Shaun Wright-Phillips who are playing well.
"Beckham might have played five minutes against Belarus but, for the next game, it is possible he might play all the game. I have to decide the best 11."
Source: China Daily
Former skipper Beckham, 33, is just one cap away from matching the 108-cap tally achieved by 1966 World Cup-winning captain Bobby Moore after making late substitute appearances against Kazakhstan and Belarus in the last two World Cup qualifiers.
But despite being restricted to cameo roles, and with Theo Walcott having supplanted him in the starting line-up, Capello is adamant that the LA Galaxy midfielder has a role to play both on and off the field.
The Italian even hinted Beckham could start the friendly international against Germany in Berlin next month.
"For the next game, it is possible, Beckham will play," said Capello.
"When I decide the squad, it is not for the few minutes that David Beckham plays. He is good for the group. This is important. In fact, this is very important - his influence.
"He knows everything. He transmits confidence in the other players. This is very important for the group.
"I have to choose the first XI and at the moment I choose Theo Walcott and Shaun Wright-Phillips who are playing well.
"Beckham might have played five minutes against Belarus but, for the next game, it is possible he might play all the game. I have to decide the best 11."
Source: China Daily
China and Kenya streets ahead at Beijing marathon
China's women swept the medals at the 2008 Beijing International Marathon yesterday while Kenya's men also pulled out all the stops for a 1-2-3 finish.
Leading the way from the get-go, Hubei province's Bai Xue won the women's event in 2 hours, 26 minutes and 47 seconds. Chen Rong followed in 2:28:25 and Zhang Yingying fought to the final yard but had to settle for bronze with a time of 2:28:52.
Bai said she was dissatisfied with her performance despite claiming the crown.
"I felt very tired in the second half of the race so I didn't manage to get a good result," she said.
Meanwhile, four-time winner Sun Yingjie added to her woes by finishing outside the top 10 as memories of her drug ban and the loss of a parent continue to haunt the veteran runner.
"My feelings are very complicated right now," she said after the race. "I only resumed training one month ago due to the passing away of my father in August, but this result is even worse than how I've been doing in training."
Sun, a bronze medalist in the 10,000m at the 2003 World Championships, resumed training last year following the completion of a two-year ban after she tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
She did not qualify for this summer's Beijing Olympics and she has publicly stated her intention to retire next year.
"The National Games will be my last race and I will train harder this winter to make sure I medal there," she said.
Benjamin Kiptoo, winner of this year's Brescia Marathon, clocked 2:10:14 to seize gold on the men's side, while compatriots Luka Chelimo and Simon Wangai took silver and bronze.
"The whole race was excellent. We only know we've done our best," said Kiptoo.
The evergreen Kenyans showed their strength in the final 7km by creating an unassailable lead over the rest of the pack with their pace and stamina.
"The winners always come from my country because we just trained very hard. There's no tips for our success hard training," said Chelimo.
The men set off from Beijing's Tian'anmen Square some 15 minutes before the women at 8am and wove their way north through the city before ending at the Olympic Sports Center. About 30,000 runners took part in the race including the full marathon , half marathon , 10 km and mini marathon .
Kiptoo and Bai each collected a winner's purse of $20,000 but missed out on the $42,915 bonus on offer for smashing the course records of 2:07:35 and 2:19:38 .
Source: China Daily
Leading the way from the get-go, Hubei province's Bai Xue won the women's event in 2 hours, 26 minutes and 47 seconds. Chen Rong followed in 2:28:25 and Zhang Yingying fought to the final yard but had to settle for bronze with a time of 2:28:52.
Bai said she was dissatisfied with her performance despite claiming the crown.
"I felt very tired in the second half of the race so I didn't manage to get a good result," she said.
Meanwhile, four-time winner Sun Yingjie added to her woes by finishing outside the top 10 as memories of her drug ban and the loss of a parent continue to haunt the veteran runner.
"My feelings are very complicated right now," she said after the race. "I only resumed training one month ago due to the passing away of my father in August, but this result is even worse than how I've been doing in training."
Sun, a bronze medalist in the 10,000m at the 2003 World Championships, resumed training last year following the completion of a two-year ban after she tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
She did not qualify for this summer's Beijing Olympics and she has publicly stated her intention to retire next year.
"The National Games will be my last race and I will train harder this winter to make sure I medal there," she said.
Benjamin Kiptoo, winner of this year's Brescia Marathon, clocked 2:10:14 to seize gold on the men's side, while compatriots Luka Chelimo and Simon Wangai took silver and bronze.
"The whole race was excellent. We only know we've done our best," said Kiptoo.
The evergreen Kenyans showed their strength in the final 7km by creating an unassailable lead over the rest of the pack with their pace and stamina.
"The winners always come from my country because we just trained very hard. There's no tips for our success hard training," said Chelimo.
The men set off from Beijing's Tian'anmen Square some 15 minutes before the women at 8am and wove their way north through the city before ending at the Olympic Sports Center. About 30,000 runners took part in the race including the full marathon , half marathon , 10 km and mini marathon .
Kiptoo and Bai each collected a winner's purse of $20,000 but missed out on the $42,915 bonus on offer for smashing the course records of 2:07:35 and 2:19:38 .
Source: China Daily
Rejuvenating China through science and education makes much headway
Eugenio L.G., an expert in atomic physics, and also a professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico , has just wrapped up his fifth visit to china at the invitation of the related Chinese authorities. When asked about the differences he felt this time compared with his previous visits, he grinned, 'China has seen a radical change in the past decades.'
'I can say that I have witnessed what has taken place in China since its reform and opening up to the outside world, and especially what has happened since China endeavored to achieve its goal of revitalizing the country through science and education,' Eugenio L.G. was cited as saying when he reminisced the days he and his wife spent in China in 1970s and 1980s, when the country initially ushered in the reform and opening up policies.
The couple came to China in 1973, when China and Mexico has just established the diplomatic relationship. Eugenio took considerable interest in his debut visit to the ancient country he had long been attached toward, as he made a hurried journey to lecture at almost every privileged university across China and shared with his Chinese counterparts the latest development in physics of the time. 'Even if it was my first visit to China, I wished I had stayed any longer,' he smiled.
In 1981, he paid a second visit to China, and this time worked as a visiting professor at University of Science and Technology of China teaching modern physics. He said his second visit to China coincided with a time when China began to open its door to the outside world, and more and more Chinese youths were dreaming of going abroad for further study. Therefore, he found his English- speaking wife was even more popular then, as the entire campus of the USTC was bathed in a frenzy of preparing for assorted tests of English levels, and both professors and students there were bent on English study in order to win scholarships and fulfill their dream to go abroad.
Eugenio could not help but express his worries about China's 'brain drain', which he thought could result in the shortage of talents, and affect China's ongoing progress in science and technology. But his worries were finally settled in 1986 when he came to the university again, as he found most of the Chinese scholars who had gone with the rush of 'going abroad' returned, and some of them even became lecturers and professors at the USTC. Much to his pleasure, many returning Chinese scholars have grown more mature in their research work and some have established notable academic positions. He quoted the returning Chinese scholars as saying, 'by going abroad and absorbing others' advantages, we have greatly sharpened the competitive edge in the academic studies and research,' which Eugenio thought would also greatly contribute to China's scientific development and speed up China's link with the most advanced international science and technology.
In 1995, before his departure for China as a fourth visit, Eugenio learnt from some authoritative international journals that China has made much headway in particle physics, and this later proved to be a much broader platform for his exchanges of scientific ideas with the Chinese academia. Through the effective exchanges of academic ideas and closer contact with the Chinese scientific staff, he was convinced that China's science and technology are thriving with each passing day, and China's younger generation of scientists is exhibiting a much broader horizon in thoughts as well as in the actual research work.
In Eugenio's eyes, the year of 2008 acts as the milestone to China. He felt quite proud that he made the fifth visit to China in such a colorful year. He especially felt delighted to find that both work conditions and living conditions for the Chinese scientists and technological staff have greatly improved. Most of them now boast spacious and computerized offices and labs, which Eugenio thought not only indicates a significant change to facilitate the scientific research work but also embodies the governmental determination to revitalize the country through science and technology.
He also noticed that China's government has attached great importance to the transfer of the fruits from scientific research into productivity. 'The Chinese people have fully realized the significance of converting the wells of knowledge into the resources of wealth,' said Prof. Eugenio L.G.
The senior scholar also touched on the recent success China has made in space exploration, saying, 'the space walk is a splendor, and I believe China will fulfill its dream to land on the moon in the foreseeable future.'
By People's Daily Online
'I can say that I have witnessed what has taken place in China since its reform and opening up to the outside world, and especially what has happened since China endeavored to achieve its goal of revitalizing the country through science and education,' Eugenio L.G. was cited as saying when he reminisced the days he and his wife spent in China in 1970s and 1980s, when the country initially ushered in the reform and opening up policies.
The couple came to China in 1973, when China and Mexico has just established the diplomatic relationship. Eugenio took considerable interest in his debut visit to the ancient country he had long been attached toward, as he made a hurried journey to lecture at almost every privileged university across China and shared with his Chinese counterparts the latest development in physics of the time. 'Even if it was my first visit to China, I wished I had stayed any longer,' he smiled.
In 1981, he paid a second visit to China, and this time worked as a visiting professor at University of Science and Technology of China teaching modern physics. He said his second visit to China coincided with a time when China began to open its door to the outside world, and more and more Chinese youths were dreaming of going abroad for further study. Therefore, he found his English- speaking wife was even more popular then, as the entire campus of the USTC was bathed in a frenzy of preparing for assorted tests of English levels, and both professors and students there were bent on English study in order to win scholarships and fulfill their dream to go abroad.
Eugenio could not help but express his worries about China's 'brain drain', which he thought could result in the shortage of talents, and affect China's ongoing progress in science and technology. But his worries were finally settled in 1986 when he came to the university again, as he found most of the Chinese scholars who had gone with the rush of 'going abroad' returned, and some of them even became lecturers and professors at the USTC. Much to his pleasure, many returning Chinese scholars have grown more mature in their research work and some have established notable academic positions. He quoted the returning Chinese scholars as saying, 'by going abroad and absorbing others' advantages, we have greatly sharpened the competitive edge in the academic studies and research,' which Eugenio thought would also greatly contribute to China's scientific development and speed up China's link with the most advanced international science and technology.
In 1995, before his departure for China as a fourth visit, Eugenio learnt from some authoritative international journals that China has made much headway in particle physics, and this later proved to be a much broader platform for his exchanges of scientific ideas with the Chinese academia. Through the effective exchanges of academic ideas and closer contact with the Chinese scientific staff, he was convinced that China's science and technology are thriving with each passing day, and China's younger generation of scientists is exhibiting a much broader horizon in thoughts as well as in the actual research work.
In Eugenio's eyes, the year of 2008 acts as the milestone to China. He felt quite proud that he made the fifth visit to China in such a colorful year. He especially felt delighted to find that both work conditions and living conditions for the Chinese scientists and technological staff have greatly improved. Most of them now boast spacious and computerized offices and labs, which Eugenio thought not only indicates a significant change to facilitate the scientific research work but also embodies the governmental determination to revitalize the country through science and technology.
He also noticed that China's government has attached great importance to the transfer of the fruits from scientific research into productivity. 'The Chinese people have fully realized the significance of converting the wells of knowledge into the resources of wealth,' said Prof. Eugenio L.G.
The senior scholar also touched on the recent success China has made in space exploration, saying, 'the space walk is a splendor, and I believe China will fulfill its dream to land on the moon in the foreseeable future.'
By People's Daily Online
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