Sports World: Athletes test out Olympic Stadium

Athletes test out Olympic Stadium

TOKYO • Japan's top athletes put the new Tokyo Olympic stadium through its paces at a track meet yesterday, one year ahead of the 2020 Games, which have been postponed owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

The televised competition was held behind closed doors, with only athletes and a few hundred journalists and officials in attendance at the 60,000-capacity facility, which is still undergoing construction work on its exterior.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE


Whyte's world title shot dims after shock

LONDON • Dillian Whyte's hopes of a world heavyweight title fight suffered a major setback when Athens 2004 gold medallist Alexander Povetkin twice came back off the canvas to knock out the British fighter.

Whyte, 32, had been the World Boxing Council's No. 1 contender and a win would have put him in line for a world title shot against champion Tyson Fury, but he suffered a fifth-round upset by the 40-year-old Russian.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE


Ineos pull out of event after positive test

ROME • Team Ineos withdrew their squad from the Italian National Championship as a precaution after one of the riders tested positive for the coronavirus, the British cycling team said on Saturday.

Leonardo Basso, who is asymptomatic, was found to be infected, while teammates Filippo Ganna, Salvatore Puccio and Gianni Moscon have also gone into self-isolation. None of the riders will be part of Ineos' Tour de France squad, with the event starting in Nice on Saturday.

REUTERS

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 24, 2020, with the headline Sports World: Athletes test out Olympic Stadium. Subscribe