IN BRIEF (Page 24)
Weightlifting
Weighlifter caught with Dad's urine in a condom
BUCHAREST: A Romanian weightlifter has been banned for two years after trying to fake a drug test by using urine supplied by his father and carried in a condom.
Victor Alexandru Pretoi turned up at an out of competition control with the intention of using his father's urine in place of his own to try and trick testers, a spokesman for the Romanian anti-drug agency (ANAD) said on Wednesday.
With their suspicions raised by Pretoi's jumpy behaviour testers carried out a search and uncovered the attempted bid to foil the control.
"Victor Alexandra Pretoi, a weighlifter from the Steau club, turned up for an out-of-competition control with a condom filled with urine from his father and held in his left palm with the knowledge of his manager," the ANAD spokesman confirmed.
Basketball
Blazers name ex-Nike exec new president
PORTLAND, Oregon: Larry Miller, whose 10 years as an executive at shoemaker Nike included running the footwear division, was named the team president of the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.
Miller, most recently Nike's basketball division vice president and general manager, takes over the team with the top pick in next week's National Basketball Association Draft, expected to be used on US college star Greg Oden.
"Larry is a pre-eminent figure in the basketball industry and one of the most widely respected sports professionals in the country," Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen said.
In addition to the fanciest of footwear, the Trail Blazers can expect to improve from last year's 32-50 showing with 7-foot center Oden on the court and Miller at the helm.
Soccer
Roma buy full rights to Pizarro from Inter
MILAN: AS Roma midfielder David Pizarro is now fully owned by the Serie A side after they came to an agreement with Inter Milan, who had previously held half his registration.
Roma said in a statement on Wednesday that the deal was worth 5.75 million euros ($7.72 million).
The Chilean was instrumental in helping Roma finish second behind champions Inter in Serie A last season. He spent the 2005/06 campaign with Inter having previously been at Udinese.
Italian media speculated that the deal could have paved the way for Roma's Romanian defender Cristian Chivu to go to Inter.
However, Roma later issued a statement saying they were not in talks to sell their main defender and that the discussions with Inter were only connected with the Pizarro deal.
Cycling
McEwen shows sprint speed in Switzerland
GENEVA, Switzerland: Australia's Robbie McEwen showed he will be a contender in the Tour de France sprints in July by winning the fifth stage of the Tour of Switzerland on Wednesday.
The 35-year-old Predictor rider made it over the 1,940-meter Lukmanierpass midway through the 192.8-km stage from Vaduz in Liechtenstein to Giubiasco then beat Italy's Daniele Bennati and German Erik Zabel with a late acceleration to the line.
Luxembourg's Fraenk Schleck of the CSC team finished in the same time as McEwen and so retained the overall lead. Russia's Vladimir Efimkin is second and Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg third, both 49 seconds behind.
It was McEwen's fifth win in 2007 and the 155th of his 12-year career.
(China Daily 06/22/2007 page24)
