Football: Chinese Super League kicks off
Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao plays Beijing Guo'an on March 5, 2017 in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province. /CFP Photo
The Chinese Super League season kicked off on Friday with newly promoted Guizhou Hengfeng Zicheng hosting Liaoning Whowin. The game ended in a 1-1 draw. Last season’s champions Guangzhou Evergrande, meanwhile, had a good start to their campaign, beating Beijing Guo'an 2-1 on Sunday. Already known for forking out small fortunes for foreign players in the past seasons, China's top clubs went on a spending spree again during this year’s winter transfer window, spending a record 420 million US dollars on players like Brazil’s Oscar and Argentina’s Carlos Tevez.
Diving: China dominates at Beijing World Series stop
Wang Han and Li Zheng of China compete in the Mixed 3m Synchro Springboard final on day two of the FINA/NVC Diving World Series 2017 Beijing Station at the National aquatics center-Water Cube on March 4, 2017 in Beijing, China. /CFP Photo
China got off to a smashing start at the prestigious Diving World Series over the weekend, winning seven out of 10 gold medals, proving once again it was the sport’s powerhouse. Shi Tingmao, Ren Qian and Chen Aisen, all gold-medalists at last summer’s Rio Olympics, dominated again in their categories. Only the men’s springboard 3m, men’s platform and mixed synchronized 10m escaped the Chinese team. Beijing was the first stop on the World Series circuit, which will next travel to southern China’s Guangzhou, then on to Kazan, Russia and Windsor, Canada.
Olympics: IOC to investigate claims of Rio bribes
Fireworks explode during the opening ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics on August 5, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. /CFP Photo
The International Olympic Committee said it will investigate claims made by France’s Le Monde newspaper that Rio was awarded last year’s Summer Olympics thanks to bribes. Le Monde reported Friday that French investigators had “concrete” evidence of irregularities in the 2009 voting process, and alleged payments of up to 1.5 million US dollars were made to IOC members or their relatives. Rio has hit back at the allegations. “Rio’s victory was very clear… the vote was clean,” said Rio 2016 communications director Mario Andrada.
Football: Leicester City on a roll after Ranieri exit
Jamie Vardy of Leicester City celebrates after scoring to make it 3-0 during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Liverpool on February 27, 2017 in Leicester, UK. /CFP Photo
Leicester City defeated Liverpool 3-1 in the English Premier League on Tuesday, just days after manager Claudio Ranieri, who had taken the club to Premiership glory last season, was fired. The Foxes dominated throughout the game, but it was one tinged with regret, with fans paying tribute to their departed manager. Ranieri was sacked in late February, just nine months after leading Leicester City to the top of the Premier League, in a move criticized by many pundits. The club also beat Hull City on Saturday 3-1. Who will replace Ranieri was still unclear.
Doping: Phelps urges more stringent anti-doping measures
US swimmer and Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps testifies during a hearing before the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of House Energy and Commerce Committee on February 28, 2017 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. /CFP Photo
US swim star Michael Phelps appeared in the US Congress on Tuesday to call for more rigorous anti-doping measures in sports. The record 23-time Olympic gold-medalist testified about his frustration at competing against athletes he knew were using banned substances. “Even the suspicion of doping is disillusioning for clean athletes… All athletes must be held to the same standards, which need to be implemented and enforced with consistency and independence," he said, urging the American Anti-Doping agency (USADA) to enact more stringent testing.
