A roundup of today's other sports stories.
Irish better beware veteran El Aynaoui
TENNIS: Younes El Aynaoui will be 37 in August, but the Moroccan has no intention of retiring from the arduous pursuit of world-ranking points.
"I'm still enjoying playing tennis to a huge degree, and hopefully I'll continue to have that desire for the next one to two years," he said at yesterday's draw for this weekend's Davis Cup tie between Ireland and Morocco at Fitzwilliam.
The Morocco number one climbed to No 14 in the ATP world rankings in 2003, and twice reached the quarter-finals of the Australian and US Opens.
Despite being recently sidelined for six months with a serious wrist injury, El Aynaoui swept aside all opposition to capture a Futures title in Spain last month.
So Irish tennis fans would be well-advised to avoid thinking in terms of El Aynaoui being a soft touch in his singles battles against national number one Louk Sorensen, a son of team captain Seán, and Conor Niland.
Niland faces El Aynaoui in the second singles today, with Sorensen opening proceedings against Moroccan number two Mounir El Aarej at 4pm.
Jones's team-mates lose medals
DRUGS IN SPORT: Team-mates of disgraced American Olympic champion Marion Jones's yesterday paid the price for her use of banned substances when they were stripped of the relay medals they won at the 2000 Sydney Games.
The executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ruled that the US teams that won gold in the 4x400 metres and bronze in the 4x100 would lose their medals. "The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) will be asked to return the medals and certificates," IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said.
Jearl Miles-Clark, Monique Hennagan and LaTasha Colander won the 4x400 metres with Jones, while Chryste Gaines, Torri Edwards and Nanceen Perry placed third in the 4x100.
Greeks seek Interpol help
OLYMPIC GAMES: Greek police yesterday asked Interpol to help shed light on a doping case involving positive tests from 11 of the country's top weightlifters that could see the team banned from this year's Beijing Olympics.
Greek weightlifting federation officials blamed the positive tests on a Chinese company, who they claim accidentally spiked supplements with banned ingredients. They said the company had also sent an e-mail apologising for the ingredients mix-up. The head of the police electronic crime unit, Manolis Sfakianakis, told an Athens prosecutor the Chinese company's alleged apology was sent from a computer located in China.
"But Sfakianakis has also asked Interpol to help in the investigation and locate specifically from which computer in China the e-mail originated," a police official said. "Interpol has said it will need 5-10 days to determine the exact location within China of the computer used by the sender of the e-mail," the official said.
Preparing for storming weather in Beijing
OLYMPIC GAMES: More than 100 people and three aircraft will be on standby at the Beijing Olympics to manipulate the weather if storms threaten the opening ceremony.
Staff at 21 locations around the capital will fire rockets to seed storm clouds if there is a danger that rain would disrupt the August 8th ceremony, officials said yesterday.
"We have worked with (Beijing organisers) BOCOG on a contingency plan for a storm and other weather risks during the ceremonies which also involves neighbouring provinces," said Wang Yubin, deputy chief of the Olympic Meteorological Service.
There is a 47 per cent probability of rain during the opening ceremony, although the risk of heavy rain is only six per cent. The Games will close on August 24th with another ceremony. Strong winds and fog would also be troublesome because the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium, where the ceremony will be staged, has no roof. "We hope we are able to solve these problems through liaison with neighbouring areas," said Zhang Qiang, head of Beijing's Weather Modification Office.
Seeding the clouds with chemicals fired from the ground or released from aircraft would trigger rain before it reached Beijing.
"Studies have proved that the chemicals we use do no harm to the air, water or the entire environment," said Zhang. However, she said: "If it really rains heavily these methods would not be that effective."
Battle for final places hots up
WOMEN'S HOCKEY: With Hermes, Railway Union, Loreto, Pegasus, Ballymoney and Cork Harlequins already assured of qualification for the Club Championships, the line-up for the tournament will be completed this weekend when the final two qualifiers take their places, writes Mary Hannigan.
In Ulster, only a big win over Ballymoney will see Randalstown pip Armagh to third in the table, while in Limerick, Munster runners-up Church of Ireland and Connacht champions Galway play off for the final spot.
Tomorrow - Club Championship play-off (at Rosbrien): Church of Ireland v Galway, 2pm.
Gebrselassie for 10,000m
ATHLETICS: Twice Olympic champion Haile Gebrselassie will run in the 10,000 metres at the Beijing Olympics, he said yesterday.
Gebrselassie, who suffers from asthma and has pulled out of the Olympic marathon over pollution in Beijing, will also be the standard bearer for Ethiopia.
"As I said, earlier, I would not participate in the marathon event due to my health. But I would certainly run in the 10,000 metres event."
