IN BRIEF (Page 24)

Swimming

FINA backs anti-doping code

MANCHESTER, England: Swimming's world governing body FINA on Tuesday became the first international sports federation to adopt the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) revised code.

The new code, which comes into play in January 2009, will allow greater flexibility in sanctions, particularly in cases where athletes may have used medicines prohibited under the code, such as asthma inhalers, decongestants or alopecia treatments.

"The old code worked well, but there wasn't so much leniency and there were instances of unfamiliarity," WADA lawyer Richard Young told reporters after a meeting of FINA delegates at the world short-course championships in Manchester.

Doping

Weightlifters' rooms raided

ATHENS: Greek police said on Tuesday that officers had raided the rooms of the national team's weightlifters searching for drugs but had found none.

The raid came just days after 11 squad members tested positive for banned substances and was part of an investigation into the affair that has stunned Greeks.

About 30 police officers and a prosecutor entered the offices of the Greek weightlifting federation and the rooms of athletes at the national sports center in Agios Kosmas, along Athens' southern coastline.

"The operation was undertaken to see whether there were any remains of the substances the athletes had taken and then tested positive, but nothing was found," a police official said on condition of anonymity. "The investigation is continuing."

Soccer

No rift with Ronaldinho

MADRID: Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard on Tuesday moved to quash speculation about a rift between the club and an injured Ronaldinho, which will reportedly see the Brazilian star leave the Spanish club at the end of the season.

"It's a pity that he is not able to join us due to injury. A pity not only for the Champions League but also for the league. As for his future, I can't predict the future but I think he still has a contract with Barcelona," he told a news conference.

Ronaldinho, a former FIFA World Player of the Year, is under contract with Barcelona until 2010.

He has been plagued by injury and fitness problems this season that have made it his worst since joining Barcelona from Paris Saint-Germain in 2003, leading to reports that the Catalan club is looking to offload the player at the end of the season.

Baseball

Brewers top Reds in 10th

NEW YORK: The Milwaukee Brewers stayed unbeaten at home in the new MLB season after beating the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 in 10 innings on Tuesday.

The NL Central Division-leading Brewers improved to 6-1 with their fourth win in a row, Rickie Weeks' single to left field driving in J.J. Hardy for the deciding run against the Reds.

The win came despite a blown save by reliever Eric Gagne, who gave up a home run to Corey Patterson in the ninth inning to tie the score.

"I want to go out there and not blow any saves, but we won the game," Gagne told reporters. "The guys picked me up again."

Milwaukee opened the scoring in the third on Jason Kendall's run-scoring single before Patterson drove in Cincinnati's other run in the seventh that knotted the score at 1-1.

Cincinnati starter Johnny Cueto struck out eight and allowed five hits but Bill Hall gave Milwaukee a 2-1 lead with a leadoff homer in the seventh.

(China Daily 04/10/2008 page24)