October 23rd 2010
Sports Bites

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed Tuesday that U.S. sprinter LaShawn Merritt will not be able to defend his Olympic 400m title at the London Games after testing positive to a banned substance found in a penis-enlargement product he was using. Merritt has been handed a 21-month suspension backdated to October 28 last year after testing positive for a banned substance. "The [IOC] rule states very clearly that any athlete sanctioned for six months or more will be banned from participation in the next edition of the Games," IOC director of communications Mark Adams said. The American Arbitration Association, which handed down the ban, claims the IOC ruling goes against the World Anti-Doping Agency code and therefore cannot enforce an Olympics suspension on Merritt. Hmm we sense a dispute in the making.

The NBA is prohibiting its players from wearing a new line of sneakers that claims to increase vertical leap. "Under league rules, players may not wear any shoe during a game that creates an undue competitive advantage," the NBA said in a statement Tuesday. Athletic Propulsion Labs' $300 Concept 1 shoe employs a spring-based system designed to increase lift. The Los Angeles-based company was founded by twins Adam and Ryan Goldston, both former USC basketball walk-ons whose father worked in the shoe industry. The brothers said Tuesday that many NBA players, including about 30 percent of the rookie class, expressed interest in the shoes but they wouldn't reveal names because the players had signed with other companies.

Arsene Wenger believes Cesc Fabregas and Jack Wilshere can forge a formidable partnership at the heart of Arsenal's midfield. The pair combined superbly to demolish Group H rivals Shakhtar Donetsk 5-1 and all but secure a place in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday night. The Ukrainians had brought an impressive record to Emirates Stadium and also had taken maximum points from their first two European ties. However, Arsenal made them look ordinary, barely getting out of second gear as Alex Song was gifted an early goal following a terrible fumble by Shakhtar goalkeeper Andrei Pyatov - and Arsene Wenger's men never looked back.

And you know we had to put this in. Chris Gayle has been axed as the West Indies captain and replaced by the allrounder Darren Sammy in a shake-up that has also resulted in Brendan Nash being handed the vice-captaincy. However, Gayle has kept his spot in the squad for the three-Test tour of Sri Lanka in November, despite turning down a central contract with the WICB last month. The board has also demoted Dwayne Bravo, who was the vice-captain under Gayle but like his captain did not agree to a new WICB deal. The pair, along with Kieron Pollard, have forged lucrative Twenty20 careers in domestic tournaments including the IPL and refused central contracts which stipulated that they must make themselves available for the West Indies team at all times. That has paved the way for the Windward Islands captain, Sammy, to take over the leadership, despite not being a regular member of the Test side. He and the Australian-born Nash will be in charge of the Test squad until the end of the 2011 home series, ending Gayle's three-year period at the helm of the team.

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