Caster Semenya, a two-time Olympic champion, won a major legal victory when the European Court of Human Rights ruled that she was discriminated against by sports rules requiring her to medically reduce her natural hormone levels to compete. The court found that the rules, introduced by World Athletics, raised “serious questions” about their validity. Semenya has vowed to continue fighting for her right to compete without restriction and to go for another gold at the 2021 Olympics in Paris, though the implications of the ruling remain unclear.
Posts published in “Sport”
Northwestern University has fired its head football coach, Pat Fitzgerald, following an investigation into allegations of hazing among team members. The investigation found that the hazing was "widespread and clearly not a secret within the program," and the president noted that the head coach is ultimately responsible for the culture of his team. The firing has raised questions about the school's handling of the situation and has damaged its reputation, leading to a search for a new head coach.
Elina Svitolina advanced to the quarterfinals of Wimbledon after defeating Victoria Azarenka in three sets, but had to sacrifice her tickets to a Harry Styles concert in Vienna. Styles responded to a Wimbledon post about Svitolina's sacrifice, offering her a ticket to his show, which she has yet to respond to.
The New York Times is shutting down its Pulitzer Prize-winning sports desk and relying solely on The Athletic, a sports news startup it bought last year, for coverage. Current sports staff will be reassigned to different parts of the newsroom, and the shift is part of a larger trend in the media industry of turning to outside sources for content. It remains to be seen how this change will affect the Times' coverage of sports.
Victoria Azarenka was left bemused and shaking her head after being booed off court at Wimbledon following her three-hour match against Ukrainian rival Elina Svitolina. Svitolina had decided not to shake hands with players from Russia and Belarus, and the crowd booed Azarenka as she left the court without a handshake. Azarenka said the booing was "unfair" and that Svitolina "doesn't want to shake hands with Russian, Belarusian people."
Megan Rapinoe, a 38-year-old American soccer star and member of the U.S. Women's National Team, announced her retirement from professional soccer at the end of the current NWSL season. She will make her final appearance in the Women's World Cup this summer and is looking to help the USWNT win its third consecutive World Cup title. Rapinoe is an icon in the world of women's soccer, having won two World Cup titles, two Olympic gold medals, and the 2019 Ballon d'Or award for the best female soccer player in the world.
The Las Vegas Metro Police Department has concluded its investigation into an altercation between Britney Spears and San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama, and have announced that no charges will be filed. Spears said she was backhanded in the face by a member of Wembanyama's security team as she approached him to introduce herself. Sam Asghari, Spears' husband, expressed his outrage at the security guard's actions.
Nikki McCray-Penson, two-time Olympic gold medalist and former ABL MVP, has died at the age of 49. She was an assistant women's basketball coach at Rutgers and was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013. She was an integral part of the 1996 U.S. women's basketball team which sparked the formation of the WNBA and ABL, and was known for her positive attitude and her commitment to helping others.