Doping case begins for Chinese Olympic swimmer
The doping case for Chinese Olympic swimmer Sun Yang is headed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The decision in this case could lead to him being banned from competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. According to the Associated Press, “The World Anti-Doping Agency has appealed against a decision by swimming’s governing body to only give the three-time Olympic champion a warning in a case involving the destruction of a doping control sample.” In 2014, Sun served a three-month competition ban for stimulant use.
Cleveland Browns to sign Beckham from New York Giants
The Cleveland Browns plan to sign wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. According to the Associated Press, “The Browns are sending first- and third-round picks this year along with safety Jabrill Peppers to the Giants for Beckham, one of the NFL’s top players… It’s the second trade completed in the past week by the Giants and Browns. Cleveland sent guard Kevin Zeitler to New York for edge rusher Oliver Vernon, who will now play on the opposite side of Pro Bowler Myles Garrett.”
Pete Kaiser wins Iditarod Sled Dog Race
Alaskan native Pete Kaiser won the 2019 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Kaiser finished the race in 9 days, 12 hours, 39 minutes, and six seconds, beating Joar Ulsom by 12 minutes. According to the Associated Press, “Kaiser will receive $50,000 and a new pickup truck for the victory. Four other Alaskan native mushers have won the race, including John Baker, an Inupiaq from Kotzebue, in 2011. This year’s race was marked by the stunning collapse of Frenchman Nicolas Petit, who was seemingly headed for victory as late as Monday.” Kaiser in a televised interview said, “Just years of knowledge gained and trying to put it all together to have a better race, better dog team this year, every little detail coming into play.”
Nations required to stop boycotts of Qatar to host World Cup
For countries in the Persian Gulf region to be eligible to host the FIFA World Cup, FIFA is requiring them to lift boycotts on Qatar. According to the Associated Press, “Qatar would not be forced to share games with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates unless those countries restore diplomatic and travel ties with Doha. Because of their neutrality in the situation, Kuwait and Oman are the most viable options identified by FIFA to host games in ’22. Venues in at least one more country would be required to cope with the additional 16 teams and 16 games under the expansion proposal.” Currently, FIFA is considering Kuwait and Oman to co-host the 2022 games.
