Athletics: Kenyan athletes performed poorly at the World Championships in Seville because they put cash rewards ahead of the national interest, the country's athletics chief said yesterday.
Kenya were 12th on the medal table with one gold, four silvers and one bronze when the championships ended in Seville on Sunday. They won three golds, two silvers and two bronze medals at the last championships in Athens in 1997.
Isaiah Kiplagat, head of the Kenya Amateur Athletics Association (KAAA), explained Kenya's poor performance by saying its athletes had made financial gain from the lucrative European circuit their priority instead of the national interest.
"Most of our athletes have over-stretched themselves. They have not limited themselves to running in the most important races only," Kiplagat told the Daily Nation, Kenya's largest-selling newspaper.
Former champion Kip Keino, now chairman of Kenya's national Olympic committee, blamed racing agents and said: "In our day, we ran between between five and 10 races (in the season) ahead of major championships."
"Kenyan athletes let the country down," ran a banner headline in the Daily Nation.
Swimming: Australian world record holder Ian Thorpe yesterday modelled a new, full-length bodysuit and said he felt the swimwear could improve his times even further.
Thorpe, who set new marks for the 200 metres and 400 metres freestyle at last week's Pan Pacific Championships in Sydney, donned the neck-to-ankle suit for media at Sydney's Olympic Pool.
"I've been testing the full bodysuit in training and I am quite comfortable with it. I believe I can swim to a higher standard," said the 16-year-old.
Thorpe will wear the bodysuit for the first time in competition at the Australian short course championships in Canberra this week.
The International Swimming Federation (FINA) recently sanctioned the use of the new swimsuits, dispelling concerns that times set in the bodysuits might not be recognised.
Cricket: Underdogs Sri Lanka thrashed World Champions Australia to record a stunning victory in their Tri-nation one-day finals played under lights at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo yesterday.
Wicket-keeper Romesh Kaluwitharana pulverised Australian bowling despite visibly angry exchanges in the middle as the home team took off to a comfortable start on the road to victory.
Glenn McGrath who appeared to be involved in exchanges with Kaluwitharana from the start bowled expensively conceding 47 runs in his seven overs. One of his overs cost Australia 20 runs.
Kaluwitharana later judged the man of the match knocked 95 not out off 116 balls with 11 fours.
Sri Lanka reached Australia's total of 202 all out off 50 overs, in the 40th over replying with 208 for two. Skipper Sanath Jayasuriya ended the match hitting Darren Lehmann for six over wide mid-on into the stands.
The crowd burst into song and dance and outside the 30,000-packed stadium fire crackers burst and shattered the night calm in the capital Colombo while people took to the streets reminiscent of the country's 1996 World Cup victory.
Golf: Walker Cup players Graham Rankin and Lorne Kelly have been left out of a much-changed Scotland squad for the men's home internationals at Royal Co Down from September 22nd to 24th.
Scotland team captain George Macgregor says a "team for the future" has been selected.
He added: "The reason why Graham and Lorne have not been included in the team is the fact that they would have had to peak three times in a short space of time - the Walker Cup, the Pre-Qualifying for the European Tour School and the home internationals. "We didn't think that was fair.
"We felt it was too much to ask, especially because there are a number of young players waiting in the wings and it is a good opportunity to get them into the team."
Scotland: R Beames (Carnegie), C Campbell (Grantown-on-Spey), S Carmichael (Cardross), G Fox (West Kilbride), C Heap (East Kilbride), B Hume (Haggs Castle), M Loftus (Cowglen), S Mackenzie (West Linton), S O'Hara (Colville Park), D Patrick (Mortonhall), C Watson (East Renfrewshire). Reserves: 1 E Forbes (Turriff), 2 L Rhind (Uphall).
