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English cricket bosses are planning to step up testing for recreational drugs following the death of Tom Maynard.
According to post-mortem examination evidence presented at an inquest, the Surrey batsman was high on cocaine and ecstasy when he was electrocuted before being hit by a train last June.
Speaking after a jury at Westminster Coroner's Court returned a verdict of accidental death, coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox urged cricket and other sports to introduce hair testing to determine long-term drug habits. The inquest heard that tests on hair samples indicated Maynard may have been a regular drug user up to three-and-a-half months before his death.
Professional Cricketers' Association chief Angus Porter, who believes cricket does not have a drug problem, told BBC Sport: "More testing will improve our chances of helping players with a problem which is as much societal as it is sporting."
On average, up to 200 tests are carried out each year as part of the England & Wales Cricket Board's (EC😎 testing programme, which encompasses all registered professional county cricketers.
These almost always take place on match days and are only likely to detect the use of performance-enhancing substances.
Last season, one player - Somerset's Pakistan spinner Abdur Rehman - tested positive for cannabis during an in-competition test and was handed a 12-week ban. England international players are also tested as part of the International Cricket Council's anti-doping programme. The ECB and PCA have recently agreed to develop an out-of-competition testing programme to encompass recreational drugs.
Both bodies are holding talks aimed at introducing more testing of hair samples, which can reveal whether players have used recreational drugs in the previous three months.
This would follow the example of the Football Association and Rugby Football Union, which have both introduced measures that go beyond the stipulations of the Wada (World Anti-Doping Agency) code by testing for recreational drugs away from match days.
Any player found to have taken a recreational drug would be offered counselling and support in the first instance, with suspensions only applied to repeat offenders, Porter explained.
"We have a comprehensive programme of testing, in and out of competition for performance-enhancing drugs - very much in line with the Wada code - and also testing for recreational drugs," he added.
"What we are now in discussions with the ECB on is whether we need to extend the testing for recreational drugs to out of competition and I think we both think that is a good idea.
"We are working on plans for that and investigating the practicality, following sports such as rugby and football which have done similar things.
"We all think that the use of recreational drugs out of competition needs to be thought of very differently from performance-enhancing.
"The purpose of the taker is very different. They are not cheating and need to be thought of differently and it is too easy for people to confuse this." Cardiff-born Maynard, son of former Glamorgan and England batsman Matthew Maynard, moved counties from his native Glamorgan to Surrey in 2011.
The 23-year-old was found dead near Wimbledon Park station shortly after 05:00 BST on 18 June 2012.
The inquest heard on Tuesday that Maynard, who had been tipped as a future England international, was electrocuted on a railway line before being struck by a train, as he tried to evade police after driving while drunk and high on drugs.
A post-mortem examination showed he was nearly four times the legal alcohol limit to drive and had also taken cocaine and ecstasy in the form of MDMA after a night out with his two flatmates in Wandsworth, south London.
Following investigations at the end of last season, Surrey have introduced a team-wide anti-drugs policy, by which all players and management are required to abide.
Richard Thompson, Surrey chairman, told BBC Radio 5 live: "Numerous sports have had problems with drugs and have dealt with them in different ways. This is the most horrific outcome anyone has witnessed.
"It is hard to know what we, as a club, could have done given that those closest to Tom were completely unaware.
"If there is one legacy that can come out of it, it acts as a reminder to any sportsman, to any person, the dangers of drugs and what it can lead to."
A statement issued by the ECB and Surrey after the verdict read: "While the ECB accepts that recreational drug use is a part of modern society, we do not condone it and will take all reasonable steps to prevent its use within the game." On Thursday, the PCA is inviting 24 young county cricketers to its annual "Rookie Camp" where they will be be given talks on issues including safe drinking, anti-doping, anti-corruption, and health and well-being.
BBC Sport - Tom Maynard inquest: English cricket to step up drug testing
According to post-mortem examination evidence presented at an inquest, the Surrey batsman was high on cocaine and ecstasy when he was electrocuted before being hit by a train last June.
Speaking after a jury at Westminster Coroner's Court returned a verdict of accidental death, coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox urged cricket and other sports to introduce hair testing to determine long-term drug habits. The inquest heard that tests on hair samples indicated Maynard may have been a regular drug user up to three-and-a-half months before his death.
Professional Cricketers' Association chief Angus Porter, who believes cricket does not have a drug problem, told BBC Sport: "More testing will improve our chances of helping players with a problem which is as much societal as it is sporting."
On average, up to 200 tests are carried out each year as part of the England & Wales Cricket Board's (EC😎 testing programme, which encompasses all registered professional county cricketers.
These almost always take place on match days and are only likely to detect the use of performance-enhancing substances.
Last season, one player - Somerset's Pakistan spinner Abdur Rehman - tested positive for cannabis during an in-competition test and was handed a 12-week ban. England international players are also tested as part of the International Cricket Council's anti-doping programme. The ECB and PCA have recently agreed to develop an out-of-competition testing programme to encompass recreational drugs.
Both bodies are holding talks aimed at introducing more testing of hair samples, which can reveal whether players have used recreational drugs in the previous three months.
This would follow the example of the Football Association and Rugby Football Union, which have both introduced measures that go beyond the stipulations of the Wada (World Anti-Doping Agency) code by testing for recreational drugs away from match days.
Any player found to have taken a recreational drug would be offered counselling and support in the first instance, with suspensions only applied to repeat offenders, Porter explained.
"We have a comprehensive programme of testing, in and out of competition for performance-enhancing drugs - very much in line with the Wada code - and also testing for recreational drugs," he added.
"What we are now in discussions with the ECB on is whether we need to extend the testing for recreational drugs to out of competition and I think we both think that is a good idea.
"We are working on plans for that and investigating the practicality, following sports such as rugby and football which have done similar things.
"We all think that the use of recreational drugs out of competition needs to be thought of very differently from performance-enhancing.
"The purpose of the taker is very different. They are not cheating and need to be thought of differently and it is too easy for people to confuse this." Cardiff-born Maynard, son of former Glamorgan and England batsman Matthew Maynard, moved counties from his native Glamorgan to Surrey in 2011.
The 23-year-old was found dead near Wimbledon Park station shortly after 05:00 BST on 18 June 2012.
The inquest heard on Tuesday that Maynard, who had been tipped as a future England international, was electrocuted on a railway line before being struck by a train, as he tried to evade police after driving while drunk and high on drugs.
A post-mortem examination showed he was nearly four times the legal alcohol limit to drive and had also taken cocaine and ecstasy in the form of MDMA after a night out with his two flatmates in Wandsworth, south London.
Following investigations at the end of last season, Surrey have introduced a team-wide anti-drugs policy, by which all players and management are required to abide.
Richard Thompson, Surrey chairman, told BBC Radio 5 live: "Numerous sports have had problems with drugs and have dealt with them in different ways. This is the most horrific outcome anyone has witnessed.
"It is hard to know what we, as a club, could have done given that those closest to Tom were completely unaware.
"If there is one legacy that can come out of it, it acts as a reminder to any sportsman, to any person, the dangers of drugs and what it can lead to."
A statement issued by the ECB and Surrey after the verdict read: "While the ECB accepts that recreational drug use is a part of modern society, we do not condone it and will take all reasonable steps to prevent its use within the game." On Thursday, the PCA is inviting 24 young county cricketers to its annual "Rookie Camp" where they will be be given talks on issues including safe drinking, anti-doping, anti-corruption, and health and well-being.
BBC Sport - Tom Maynard inquest: English cricket to step up drug testing
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2006/12/07
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When a young man of 23 dies on a railway track - high on drugs and alcohol, having fled the police, his car abandoned at the side of a nearby road - it is perhaps misguided to direct sympathy anywhere other than to his family and friends.
You're certainly not expected to expend sympathy on the young man's employers or others charged with monitoring his welfare at his place of work, especially when his profession was sport.
Following the inquest into the death of Surrey batsman Tom Maynard, English cricket has been subject to an inquest of its own. Does it have a major problem with recreational drugs? Is enough done to educate cricketers about the dangers of recreational drug abuse? Is testing for recreational drugs stringent enough?
The inference is clear: that perhaps more could have been done to prevent Maynard's death; that perhaps English cricket failed in its duty of care. But while English cricket has concluded it can do more, it is also clear that it already does more than most professional environments to inform and educate its employees about the potential dangers of substance abuse. "We would be foolish to think this was an isolated incident but at the same time we don't have evidence that this is problem that is peculiar to cricket," says Angus Porter, chief executive of the Professional Cricketers' Association.
"Among the population at large, about 9% of British adults have taken an illicit drug in the last 12 months and I don't think cricket is any different.
"But our focus is making sure players understand the risks and consequences of taking drugs and abusing their bodies with alcohol and also that we educate them about the help that's available if they find themselves with a problem."
The PCA provides online tutorials and a confidential helpline, through which cricketers can speak about any personal problems or report concerns about a team-mate, whether related to addiction or mental health.
On Thursday, newly contracted professionals attended the PCA's annual Rookie Camp at Edgbaston, where they were briefed on a variety of potential dangers, from corruption to drugs to contract negotiations, with the overriding message that further education and help is readily available.
It is all a far cry from Paul Smith's day, when the run-scoring, wicket-taking, lager-quaffing, pill-popping Warwickshire all-rounder of the county's 1990s glory years was left to founder in that less enlightened age.
"If I had put my hand up and said 'listen, I've got a problem', I would have been out of the door in a couple of months," says Smith, who was banned for two years in 1996 after opening up about his smorgasbord of vices in a tabloid interview.
"But I've spoken to the PCA and they are very aware of the difference between recreational drugs and performance-enhancing drugs. So maybe we're going in the right direction. If I had been on my own disciplinary panel I'd have made sure I had a doctor there. What I got was a QC." That nobody in the game of cricket has asked for Smith's advice is strange. Since rebuilding his life, Smith has carved out a new career transforming the lives of street kids and ex-gang members in Los Angeles. He also works in an ambassadorial capacity for the Prince's Trust in Birmingham.
In fairness to the PCA, it already employs recovering addicts - such as former Gloucestershire and Surrey fast bowler Richard Doughty, who draws on his experiences with alcoholism - to educate young cricketers and has done for a number of years. But it is instructive that Smith still feels ostracised from his sport.
"I wouldn't ring the ECB [England and Wales Cricket Board] up, they'd have a bloody heart attack," says Smith. "But if the ECB and the game of cricket thought my experience and 15 years' worth of work was worth looking at, then great, I'd talk to them."
Cricket has plenty of form for the draconian treatment of recreational drug users. When Arsenal's Paul Merson admitted to alcoholism and cocaine abuse in 1994, the Football Association arranged for him to undergo a rehabilitation programme. Partially mended, Merson was back in the side only three months later.
Compare that to the treatment of Ed Giddins, the Sussex fast bowler who tested positive for cocaine in 1996. Banned for 18 months and released by his county, Giddins spent his time out of the game selling Christmas trees for a living. Then there is Graham Wagg, still in the game and playing for Glamorgan these days, but banned for 15 months in 2004 and his contract with Warwickshire terminated after he failed an ECB drugs test. That's a hefty punishment for what Wagg, a young man of 20 at the time, maintains was a first and one-off dabble with cocaine. "If you're taking nothing but recreational drugs that do nothing but affect your potential to perform," says Smith, who lost his marriage, his home and four stones in weight in the wake of his admission, "then it's a pretty small-minded group of people who decide a ban is the ultimate deterrent."
Wagg can consider himself extremely unlucky - or lucky, depending on which way you look at it - to get caught. Up to 200 tests are carried out each year as part of the ECB's programme but county cricket's current procedures are less rigorous than both professional football and rugby in England.
While football and rugby test for recreational drugs outside of competition, tests in cricket almost always take place on match days. The Rugby Football Union also tests hair samples, which can reveal whether players have used recreational drugs in the previous three months. Maynard's history of drug use was revealed in this way, although he was on a mortuary slab when the tests were made.
The RFU also employs a 'two-strike' policy, whereby a player who fails a test for recreational drugs will be offered confidential medical treatment and support, at least the first time. It is the RFU model that Porter is keen to replicate. There i
You're certainly not expected to expend sympathy on the young man's employers or others charged with monitoring his welfare at his place of work, especially when his profession was sport.
Following the inquest into the death of Surrey batsman Tom Maynard, English cricket has been subject to an inquest of its own. Does it have a major problem with recreational drugs? Is enough done to educate cricketers about the dangers of recreational drug abuse? Is testing for recreational drugs stringent enough?
The inference is clear: that perhaps more could have been done to prevent Maynard's death; that perhaps English cricket failed in its duty of care. But while English cricket has concluded it can do more, it is also clear that it already does more than most professional environments to inform and educate its employees about the potential dangers of substance abuse. "We would be foolish to think this was an isolated incident but at the same time we don't have evidence that this is problem that is peculiar to cricket," says Angus Porter, chief executive of the Professional Cricketers' Association.
"Among the population at large, about 9% of British adults have taken an illicit drug in the last 12 months and I don't think cricket is any different.
"But our focus is making sure players understand the risks and consequences of taking drugs and abusing their bodies with alcohol and also that we educate them about the help that's available if they find themselves with a problem."
The PCA provides online tutorials and a confidential helpline, through which cricketers can speak about any personal problems or report concerns about a team-mate, whether related to addiction or mental health.
On Thursday, newly contracted professionals attended the PCA's annual Rookie Camp at Edgbaston, where they were briefed on a variety of potential dangers, from corruption to drugs to contract negotiations, with the overriding message that further education and help is readily available.
It is all a far cry from Paul Smith's day, when the run-scoring, wicket-taking, lager-quaffing, pill-popping Warwickshire all-rounder of the county's 1990s glory years was left to founder in that less enlightened age.
"If I had put my hand up and said 'listen, I've got a problem', I would have been out of the door in a couple of months," says Smith, who was banned for two years in 1996 after opening up about his smorgasbord of vices in a tabloid interview.
"But I've spoken to the PCA and they are very aware of the difference between recreational drugs and performance-enhancing drugs. So maybe we're going in the right direction. If I had been on my own disciplinary panel I'd have made sure I had a doctor there. What I got was a QC." That nobody in the game of cricket has asked for Smith's advice is strange. Since rebuilding his life, Smith has carved out a new career transforming the lives of street kids and ex-gang members in Los Angeles. He also works in an ambassadorial capacity for the Prince's Trust in Birmingham.
In fairness to the PCA, it already employs recovering addicts - such as former Gloucestershire and Surrey fast bowler Richard Doughty, who draws on his experiences with alcoholism - to educate young cricketers and has done for a number of years. But it is instructive that Smith still feels ostracised from his sport.
"I wouldn't ring the ECB [England and Wales Cricket Board] up, they'd have a bloody heart attack," says Smith. "But if the ECB and the game of cricket thought my experience and 15 years' worth of work was worth looking at, then great, I'd talk to them."
Cricket has plenty of form for the draconian treatment of recreational drug users. When Arsenal's Paul Merson admitted to alcoholism and cocaine abuse in 1994, the Football Association arranged for him to undergo a rehabilitation programme. Partially mended, Merson was back in the side only three months later.
Compare that to the treatment of Ed Giddins, the Sussex fast bowler who tested positive for cocaine in 1996. Banned for 18 months and released by his county, Giddins spent his time out of the game selling Christmas trees for a living. Then there is Graham Wagg, still in the game and playing for Glamorgan these days, but banned for 15 months in 2004 and his contract with Warwickshire terminated after he failed an ECB drugs test. That's a hefty punishment for what Wagg, a young man of 20 at the time, maintains was a first and one-off dabble with cocaine. "If you're taking nothing but recreational drugs that do nothing but affect your potential to perform," says Smith, who lost his marriage, his home and four stones in weight in the wake of his admission, "then it's a pretty small-minded group of people who decide a ban is the ultimate deterrent."
Wagg can consider himself extremely unlucky - or lucky, depending on which way you look at it - to get caught. Up to 200 tests are carried out each year as part of the ECB's programme but county cricket's current procedures are less rigorous than both professional football and rugby in England.
While football and rugby test for recreational drugs outside of competition, tests in cricket almost always take place on match days. The Rugby Football Union also tests hair samples, which can reveal whether players have used recreational drugs in the previous three months. Maynard's history of drug use was revealed in this way, although he was on a mortuary slab when the tests were made.
The RFU also employs a 'two-strike' policy, whereby a player who fails a test for recreational drugs will be offered confidential medical treatment and support, at least the first time. It is the RFU model that Porter is keen to replicate. There i
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The 2022 World Cup in Qatar could be moved to winter if medical reports show summer temperatures in Qatar would be dangerously high, a senior Fifa official has admitted.
Football's world governing body has always maintained that Qatar would have to make the request to move the tournament.
But speaking at the meeting of the International Football Association Board - the body that governs the laws of football - in Edinburgh, general secretary Jerome Valcke became the first senior Fifa official to say the event could be moved if they receive strong medical advice that it needs to do so.
He said: "Maybe the Fifa Exco [executive committee] will say based on medical reports or whatever: 'We really have to look at playing the World Cup not in summer but in winter.'" The idea to move the competition away from its traditional start date in June - when temperatures in the Middle East can reach 50C - has previously been backed by Uefa leader Michel Platini and world footballers' union FIFPro.
Fifa president Sepp Blatter's position has given varying views on the issue. In January 2011 he said he expected the competition to begin in the winter, but he then backtracked on that comment a month later.
To allay possible health fears, officials from the emirate have also said that they intend to use air-conditioned stadiums and are researching the potential to create artificial clouds.
It has previously been argued that any decision on moving to a winter date would have to be made by 2014 in order to give national leagues and competitions sufficient time to reorganise their calendars.
However, Valcke believes that the timeframe for any decision could be extended to 2015.
"I am not saying that the case is closed but what I'm saying is as long as we have not fixed the international calendar all alternatives are open," he continued.
"I can tell you there is no working group within Fifa thinking and working on what it means to move the World Cup from summer to winter for the time being.
"The international calendar has been agreed for 2015 to 2018, meaning that we kept open all potential for the period 2019 to 2022. We have time.
"I think it would be good to have a final decision about when this World Cup will be played and have an agreement between all the football family, but it's in 2022, nine years, and we have two World Cups to organise in Brazil and Russia, so there is some time."
BBC Sport - Medical reports could see winter Qatar World Cup, says Fifa
Football's world governing body has always maintained that Qatar would have to make the request to move the tournament.
But speaking at the meeting of the International Football Association Board - the body that governs the laws of football - in Edinburgh, general secretary Jerome Valcke became the first senior Fifa official to say the event could be moved if they receive strong medical advice that it needs to do so.
He said: "Maybe the Fifa Exco [executive committee] will say based on medical reports or whatever: 'We really have to look at playing the World Cup not in summer but in winter.'" The idea to move the competition away from its traditional start date in June - when temperatures in the Middle East can reach 50C - has previously been backed by Uefa leader Michel Platini and world footballers' union FIFPro.
Fifa president Sepp Blatter's position has given varying views on the issue. In January 2011 he said he expected the competition to begin in the winter, but he then backtracked on that comment a month later.
To allay possible health fears, officials from the emirate have also said that they intend to use air-conditioned stadiums and are researching the potential to create artificial clouds.
It has previously been argued that any decision on moving to a winter date would have to be made by 2014 in order to give national leagues and competitions sufficient time to reorganise their calendars.
However, Valcke believes that the timeframe for any decision could be extended to 2015.
"I am not saying that the case is closed but what I'm saying is as long as we have not fixed the international calendar all alternatives are open," he continued.
"I can tell you there is no working group within Fifa thinking and working on what it means to move the World Cup from summer to winter for the time being.
"The international calendar has been agreed for 2015 to 2018, meaning that we kept open all potential for the period 2019 to 2022. We have time.
"I think it would be good to have a final decision about when this World Cup will be played and have an agreement between all the football family, but it's in 2022, nine years, and we have two World Cups to organise in Brazil and Russia, so there is some time."
BBC Sport - Medical reports could see winter Qatar World Cup, says Fifa
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2006/12/07
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Perri Shakes-Drayton sealed double gold at the European Indoor Championships, winning the individual 400m in 50.85 seconds and the 4x400m relay.
In the individual race Eilidh Child won silver in 51.42 with Shana Cox sixth, before the trio won relay gold with Christine Ohuruogu in a British record. Britain also took gold in the men's 4x400m after being briefly disqualified for an infringement.
Nigel Levine won silver in the 400m and Mukhtar Mohammed took 800m bronze.
In all, Britain won eight medals, with Holly Bleasdale's pole vault title on Saturday making it four golds alongside three silvers and a bronze.
The women's 4x400m team, led off by Child, led from the very first leg to win in a new championship record of three minutes 27.56 seconds, finishing 0.22 ahead of Russia, with Czech Republic getting bronze.
Shortly afterwards the men's team of Michael Bingham, Richard Buck, Levine, who ran a superb third leg to put them in the lead, and Richard Strachan clocked 3:06.96 to finish more than half a second clear of Russia. They were initially disqualified because Buck came off the track but that was overturned when it emerged he had been knocked by a Polish rival. Earlier in the day, it was London-born Shakes-Drayton, a 400m hurdles specialist, who caught the eye with her first individual gold at a major championship.
"A lot of people were tipping me for gold," she told BBC Sport. "I said I can't be too complacent - I just wanted to stay out of trouble.
"I just hope it will benefit me when it comes to the outdoors really."
While Shakes-Drayton was one of the favourites heading into her race, Levine had to produce a season's best to take silver behind her.
"I can't believe it," she said. "It's the first time I've made the European final and to get silver, I'm speechless.
"They're all humans, they're all beatable. I just went out there, did my best and finished second with a season's best from lane three."
Asha Philip matched her personal best in reaching the final of the 60m in a tight field finishing sixth, while Chris Tomlinson came in seventh in the long jump, with a leap of 7.95m. However, there was disappointment for 800m runner Jenny Meadows, who finished fourth in her final in a time of 2:01.52.
She led after three laps but faded badly and was overtaken in the final 200m as Ukraine's Nataliya Lupu won the gold medal in 2:00.26.
Meadows was the defending champion, having had her silver medal from Paris in 2011 upgraded when Russian athlete Yevgeniya Zinurova failed a drugs test.
However, she missed the 2012 season through injury and only made her competitive comeback at the British Athletics Birmingham Grand Prix in February.
"It's a difficult situation - I've only been running for 12 weeks," said Meadows. "I said in my team captain's speech not to leave any energy on the track.
"It is really a lack of preparation which costs me because once she went past me and a bend comes up. it's very difficult.
"It dents my ego - I'm a better athlete than that."
BBC Sport - Perri Shakes-Drayton wins double gold in European Indoors
In the individual race Eilidh Child won silver in 51.42 with Shana Cox sixth, before the trio won relay gold with Christine Ohuruogu in a British record. Britain also took gold in the men's 4x400m after being briefly disqualified for an infringement.
Nigel Levine won silver in the 400m and Mukhtar Mohammed took 800m bronze.
In all, Britain won eight medals, with Holly Bleasdale's pole vault title on Saturday making it four golds alongside three silvers and a bronze.
The women's 4x400m team, led off by Child, led from the very first leg to win in a new championship record of three minutes 27.56 seconds, finishing 0.22 ahead of Russia, with Czech Republic getting bronze.
Shortly afterwards the men's team of Michael Bingham, Richard Buck, Levine, who ran a superb third leg to put them in the lead, and Richard Strachan clocked 3:06.96 to finish more than half a second clear of Russia. They were initially disqualified because Buck came off the track but that was overturned when it emerged he had been knocked by a Polish rival. Earlier in the day, it was London-born Shakes-Drayton, a 400m hurdles specialist, who caught the eye with her first individual gold at a major championship.
"A lot of people were tipping me for gold," she told BBC Sport. "I said I can't be too complacent - I just wanted to stay out of trouble.
"I just hope it will benefit me when it comes to the outdoors really."
While Shakes-Drayton was one of the favourites heading into her race, Levine had to produce a season's best to take silver behind her.
"I can't believe it," she said. "It's the first time I've made the European final and to get silver, I'm speechless.
"They're all humans, they're all beatable. I just went out there, did my best and finished second with a season's best from lane three."
Asha Philip matched her personal best in reaching the final of the 60m in a tight field finishing sixth, while Chris Tomlinson came in seventh in the long jump, with a leap of 7.95m. However, there was disappointment for 800m runner Jenny Meadows, who finished fourth in her final in a time of 2:01.52.
She led after three laps but faded badly and was overtaken in the final 200m as Ukraine's Nataliya Lupu won the gold medal in 2:00.26.
Meadows was the defending champion, having had her silver medal from Paris in 2011 upgraded when Russian athlete Yevgeniya Zinurova failed a drugs test.
However, she missed the 2012 season through injury and only made her competitive comeback at the British Athletics Birmingham Grand Prix in February.
"It's a difficult situation - I've only been running for 12 weeks," said Meadows. "I said in my team captain's speech not to leave any energy on the track.
"It is really a lack of preparation which costs me because once she went past me and a bend comes up. it's very difficult.
"It dents my ego - I'm a better athlete than that."
BBC Sport - Perri Shakes-Drayton wins double gold in European Indoors
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Worcestershire have signed New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram for this summer's Twenty20 campaign.
Oram retired from Test cricket in 2009 after winning 33 caps and was released from his central contract with the Kiwis last December. He now only plays T20 cricket, recently appearing for Bangladesh Premier League finalists Chittagong Kings.
"I have never played county cricket, it has always been a goal of mine," the 34-year-old said.
"The opportunity to play for Worcestershire in this season's Friends Life t20 was something I could not turn down.
"Another attraction to Worcestershire was the chance to play at New Road. "I have played a few games there for New Zealand, in 2004 and 2008, as well as the New Zealand youth team in 1996.
"It's a beautiful ground and one that I will be privileged to call home, at least for a month!"
Oram has appeared in 99 Twenty20 matches around the world and could reach his century during the forthcoming Indian Premier League season, in which he is part of the Mumbai Indians franchise.
He has played 33 Tests, 160 one-day internationals and 36 Twenty20 internationals for New Zealand, with his most recent appearance for the Black Caps coming against Sri Lanka last November.
Sri Lanka's Thilan Samaraweera will be Worcestershire's overseas player for the first part of the season before handing over to Oram for their opening FL t20 game away to Glamorgan on 28 June.
"I've admired Jacob's all-round qualities for some time now and his Twenty20 experience, which he has gained from global competitions, is a major plus factor," added Worcestershire coach Steve Rhodes.
"He can bowl at the start, middle or end of the innings and can clear the ropes as a batsman."
BBC Sport - Worcestershire sign Kiwi all-rounder Jacob Oram for Twenty20
Oram retired from Test cricket in 2009 after winning 33 caps and was released from his central contract with the Kiwis last December. He now only plays T20 cricket, recently appearing for Bangladesh Premier League finalists Chittagong Kings.
"I have never played county cricket, it has always been a goal of mine," the 34-year-old said.
"The opportunity to play for Worcestershire in this season's Friends Life t20 was something I could not turn down.
"Another attraction to Worcestershire was the chance to play at New Road. "I have played a few games there for New Zealand, in 2004 and 2008, as well as the New Zealand youth team in 1996.
"It's a beautiful ground and one that I will be privileged to call home, at least for a month!"
Oram has appeared in 99 Twenty20 matches around the world and could reach his century during the forthcoming Indian Premier League season, in which he is part of the Mumbai Indians franchise.
He has played 33 Tests, 160 one-day internationals and 36 Twenty20 internationals for New Zealand, with his most recent appearance for the Black Caps coming against Sri Lanka last November.
Sri Lanka's Thilan Samaraweera will be Worcestershire's overseas player for the first part of the season before handing over to Oram for their opening FL t20 game away to Glamorgan on 28 June.
"I've admired Jacob's all-round qualities for some time now and his Twenty20 experience, which he has gained from global competitions, is a major plus factor," added Worcestershire coach Steve Rhodes.
"He can bowl at the start, middle or end of the innings and can clear the ropes as a batsman."
BBC Sport - Worcestershire sign Kiwi all-rounder Jacob Oram for Twenty20
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Formula 1 practice sessions will be broadcast live on network television this season from grands prix which the BBC is showing live.
There will be around 40 extra hours of network output, with practice generally shown on BBC Two and BBC Two HD.
Former F1 driver Allan McNish joins BBC Radio 5 live as an analyst, while BBC F1 technical analyst Gary Anderson will work across TV, radio and online.
Suzi Perry takes over from Jake Humphrey as the presenter on TV. Ben Edwards continues as commentator alongside co-commentator David Coulthard and Eddie Jordan remains the chief analyst.
F1 journalist and broadcaster Tom Clarkson joins the TV presentation full-time team as a pit-lane reporter alongside Lee McKenzie, who also presents Inside F1 on the BBC News Channel on the Friday and Saturday of live race weekends, with the latest news and interviews from each grand prix.
On 5 live, James Allen and Jennie Gow continue as commentator and pit-lane reporter.
BBC One and BBC One HD will show nine live races, including those in Canada, Great Britain and Brazil, with extended highlights of the remaining races.
Live grands prix will continue to be followed by the popular F1 Forum on the red button.
Radio 5 live will broadcast every grand prix live, with the show also live on the BBC Sport website, while 5 live Formula 1 on Thursday night ahead of each grand prix will feature guests, interviews and insight ahead of the weekend.
Ben Gallop, BBC's head of Formula 1, said: "Everyone on the BBC team is hugely excited about the new season.
"Last year saw us rise to the challenge of bringing the action to fans through the mix of live television and highlights, delivering great programmes which were reflected in impressive audience figures.
"This year sees new faces, practice on BBC Two & HD on live race weekends and a greater sharing of talent across BBC television, radio and online.
"With Suzi Perry at the helm, we're aiming to bring even more content, insight and access to audiences throughout the season."
The BBC Sport website will broadcast a simulcast of the TV and radio output, and at live races will also have the 'driver tracker', on-board cameras and a pit-lane stream.
Legendary F1 commentator Murray Walker will be providing a series of archive-based videos and written articles for every race of the season.
'Murray's Memories' are his personal recollections of some of the greatest moments in the history of F1.
Coverage of the F1 season is now available on our new BBC Sport smartphone app, available for iPhone and Android devices.
The app brings together BBC Sport's live and on-demand video coverage, along with news, features and stats.
BBC Sport - BBC announces 2013 Formula 1 coverage plans
There will be around 40 extra hours of network output, with practice generally shown on BBC Two and BBC Two HD.
Former F1 driver Allan McNish joins BBC Radio 5 live as an analyst, while BBC F1 technical analyst Gary Anderson will work across TV, radio and online.
Suzi Perry takes over from Jake Humphrey as the presenter on TV. Ben Edwards continues as commentator alongside co-commentator David Coulthard and Eddie Jordan remains the chief analyst.
F1 journalist and broadcaster Tom Clarkson joins the TV presentation full-time team as a pit-lane reporter alongside Lee McKenzie, who also presents Inside F1 on the BBC News Channel on the Friday and Saturday of live race weekends, with the latest news and interviews from each grand prix.
On 5 live, James Allen and Jennie Gow continue as commentator and pit-lane reporter.
BBC One and BBC One HD will show nine live races, including those in Canada, Great Britain and Brazil, with extended highlights of the remaining races.
Live grands prix will continue to be followed by the popular F1 Forum on the red button.
Radio 5 live will broadcast every grand prix live, with the show also live on the BBC Sport website, while 5 live Formula 1 on Thursday night ahead of each grand prix will feature guests, interviews and insight ahead of the weekend.
Ben Gallop, BBC's head of Formula 1, said: "Everyone on the BBC team is hugely excited about the new season.
"Last year saw us rise to the challenge of bringing the action to fans through the mix of live television and highlights, delivering great programmes which were reflected in impressive audience figures.
"This year sees new faces, practice on BBC Two & HD on live race weekends and a greater sharing of talent across BBC television, radio and online.
"With Suzi Perry at the helm, we're aiming to bring even more content, insight and access to audiences throughout the season."
The BBC Sport website will broadcast a simulcast of the TV and radio output, and at live races will also have the 'driver tracker', on-board cameras and a pit-lane stream.
Legendary F1 commentator Murray Walker will be providing a series of archive-based videos and written articles for every race of the season.
'Murray's Memories' are his personal recollections of some of the greatest moments in the history of F1.
Coverage of the F1 season is now available on our new BBC Sport smartphone app, available for iPhone and Android devices.
The app brings together BBC Sport's live and on-demand video coverage, along with news, features and stats.
BBC Sport - BBC announces 2013 Formula 1 coverage plans
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2006/12/07
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We are going to start an unique and high profitable product (online pool betting soccer) and would like to give the exclusivity selling rights for all languages (except english and german) to strong and reliable partners. Any recommendations? Gerhard - jackpot4me.com/licencee
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When it comes to betting Partybets have one clear focus and that is football on a global scale so if football is the sport for you then Partybets is also the site for you. They offer odds and games in a very simplistic way so it is simple to use and get used to. The site provides easy links to daily sports highlights, live betting markets and a live betting calendar.
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Party Bets
PartyBets is one of the most recognized and reputable online sportsbooks in the world. The PartyBets bonus is based on your first deposit amount, matching 100%
Welcome!!
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2006/12/07
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India have dropped veteran opener Virender Sehwag for the two remaining Tests of their series with Australia.
The hard-hitting 34-year-old has scored nought, two, 39 and six in his last four Test innings.
Skipper Mahendra Dhoni leads an otherwise unchanged 14-man squad, with Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan battling to take Sehwag's place.
India lead the four-match series 2-0 after their innings victory in Hyderabad on Tuesday. Sehwag tweeted: "Will continue to work hard for my place in the team. I trust my game and am confident that, 'I'll be back.' Best wishes to the team."
He has scored 8,586 runs in 104 Tests at an average of 49.34 since his debut in 2001.
His 219 from 149 balls against West Indies remains a world record score in one-day international cricket.
But his career appeared to be on the decline after he was dropped for the ODI series against England in January,
While he scored a century in the first Test against England in November, he failed to pass 50 in the rest of that series, and his fielding also came under criticism.
His regular opening partner Gautam Gambhir was dropped for the Australia series, but Sehwag's three opening stands with Gambhir's replacement Murali Vijay in the first two Tests were worth 11, 16 and 17.
Vijay will now be partnered by either Rahane and Dhawan, who are uncapped at Test level, although both have appeared for India in one-day and Twenty20 internationals.
Right-hander Rahane, 24, from Mumbai, was in the Test squad for the series against England in November and December, frequently appearing as a substitute fielder, while Dhawan, 27, is a Delhi-born left-hander.
The third Test starts in Mohali on 14 March, with the fourth in Delhi eight days later.
India squad for third and fourth Tests: Mahendra Dhoni (capt & wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Shikhar Dhawan, Ashok Dinda, Harbhajan Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Pragyan Ojha, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Ishant Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar, Murali Vijay,
BBC Sport - Virender Sehwag: India drop opener from Test squad
The hard-hitting 34-year-old has scored nought, two, 39 and six in his last four Test innings.
Skipper Mahendra Dhoni leads an otherwise unchanged 14-man squad, with Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan battling to take Sehwag's place.
India lead the four-match series 2-0 after their innings victory in Hyderabad on Tuesday. Sehwag tweeted: "Will continue to work hard for my place in the team. I trust my game and am confident that, 'I'll be back.' Best wishes to the team."
He has scored 8,586 runs in 104 Tests at an average of 49.34 since his debut in 2001.
His 219 from 149 balls against West Indies remains a world record score in one-day international cricket.
But his career appeared to be on the decline after he was dropped for the ODI series against England in January,
While he scored a century in the first Test against England in November, he failed to pass 50 in the rest of that series, and his fielding also came under criticism.
His regular opening partner Gautam Gambhir was dropped for the Australia series, but Sehwag's three opening stands with Gambhir's replacement Murali Vijay in the first two Tests were worth 11, 16 and 17.
Vijay will now be partnered by either Rahane and Dhawan, who are uncapped at Test level, although both have appeared for India in one-day and Twenty20 internationals.
Right-hander Rahane, 24, from Mumbai, was in the Test squad for the series against England in November and December, frequently appearing as a substitute fielder, while Dhawan, 27, is a Delhi-born left-hander.
The third Test starts in Mohali on 14 March, with the fourth in Delhi eight days later.
India squad for third and fourth Tests: Mahendra Dhoni (capt & wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Shikhar Dhawan, Ashok Dinda, Harbhajan Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Pragyan Ojha, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Ishant Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar, Murali Vijay,
BBC Sport - Virender Sehwag: India drop opener from Test squad
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2006/12/07
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The London Paralympics were a breakthrough, teaching us all to focus on the abilities rather than disabilities of the extraordinary athletes on show.
That in itself was some achievement.
Six months on it's far more difficult to get a clear picture of the genuine sporting impact of the Games.
Evidence gathered by the British Paralympic Association and the English Federation for Disability Sport suggests something remarkable has been happening. Increasing numbers of disabled people are now seeing sport as a vital part of their lives. Here are a few statistics which they say back up the point:
25% more people playing wheelchair basketball
Participation in wheelchair rugby up by a third
A thousand people turning up to try out a range of different Paralympic sports at the British Paralympic Association's first SportFest in Guildford in December
These are green shoots. And a survey by the Sport and Recreation Alliance published in December painted a less healthy picture.
It said almost 90% of the sports clubs they surveyed had seen no change in interest from disabled people.
As with all surveys this one had its flaws, but it provided a healthy counter point to the overwhelming urge to imagine everyone in a wheelchair had been inspired to emulate David Weir.
What is more discernible is the growth in expectation at the elite level of Paralympic sport.
I saw it first hand at the National Junior Swimming Championships in Sheffield last weekend. This event always attracts the best young disabled swimmers in the country - it's where Ellie Simmonds was first noticed.
But what was different was the sense of ambition among the competitors. The Paralympics has given every young swimmer the ambition to dream of winning gold. There's no better example of the transformative power of the Games than Josef Craig, Britain's youngest gold medallist in London and winner of the BBC's Young Sports Personality of the Year.
Now 16, he was back in the pool in Sheffield setting another world record on his way to victory in the S1-S10 400m freestyle.
He told me the impact of the Games had been "astounding".
"At my club alone we had an extra 150 people applying to join, which was just unbelievable. That is my own little example of the effect of the Paralympics and I don't think that will ever fade".
Creating demand and interest in sport is one thing - having the structures in place to fulfil the sporting ambitions of disabled people at elite and grassroots level is another thing altogether.
In the short term at least, the Paralympics may be a victim of its own success, raising expectations to levels which are unrealistic for the nation's sporting infrastructure, especially at a time of public-sector cuts.
At elite level the picture is a bit mixed. Sports like athletics have kicked on from London, setting up a new Diamond League series of meetings for disabled athletes. The crowds for these meetings in the summer will give us the first real chance to assess whether the packed houses of the Paralympics were a one off or whether there is an audience out there to watch the best Paralympic sport has to offer.
But in track cycling - one of the powerhouses behind Great Britain's remarkable medal haul - the cupboard is surprisingly bare. Jody Cundy - who will probably forever be remembered for his furious reaction to disqualification in London - may have to wait until 2016 and the Rio Paralympics to measure himself against the best in the world in his category.
No international meetings are scheduled for this year and there are no clear plans being made by the International Cycling Union to stage a 2014 World Championships.
After watching him train at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester, he told me: "It's a bit weird. At the moment I'm just training for training's sake."
Even for a sprinter good enough to be in with a shout of making England's squad for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, that is a lamentable situation. Another black mark for the troubled UCI.
At the grass roots it is, as ever, a question of facilities, coaching and volunteers. In addition to the well publicised closure of Don Valley athletics stadium, another Sheffield facility - the Stocksbridge Pool - is facing closure, while another swimming centre in Splott, Cardiff may also close.
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has already voiced her concerns about the social contradictions in following the triumph of the Paralympics with cuts to the Disability Living Allowance. Now she is worried that the sporting opportunity created by the Games may already be slipping away.
"It's not gone yet, but there is a risk that if we don't do something soon in schools and with facilities and investment then the chance to inspire a generation will have been missed," she said.
Perhaps no single event - no matter how successful - can deliver such vaulting ambitions. But it would be a tragedy if the breakthrough in attitudes in London is not used to create something more lasting.
BBC Sport - Mixed picture for disability sport post Paralympic Games
That in itself was some achievement.
Six months on it's far more difficult to get a clear picture of the genuine sporting impact of the Games.
Evidence gathered by the British Paralympic Association and the English Federation for Disability Sport suggests something remarkable has been happening. Increasing numbers of disabled people are now seeing sport as a vital part of their lives. Here are a few statistics which they say back up the point:
25% more people playing wheelchair basketball
Participation in wheelchair rugby up by a third
A thousand people turning up to try out a range of different Paralympic sports at the British Paralympic Association's first SportFest in Guildford in December
These are green shoots. And a survey by the Sport and Recreation Alliance published in December painted a less healthy picture.
It said almost 90% of the sports clubs they surveyed had seen no change in interest from disabled people.
As with all surveys this one had its flaws, but it provided a healthy counter point to the overwhelming urge to imagine everyone in a wheelchair had been inspired to emulate David Weir.
What is more discernible is the growth in expectation at the elite level of Paralympic sport.
I saw it first hand at the National Junior Swimming Championships in Sheffield last weekend. This event always attracts the best young disabled swimmers in the country - it's where Ellie Simmonds was first noticed.
But what was different was the sense of ambition among the competitors. The Paralympics has given every young swimmer the ambition to dream of winning gold. There's no better example of the transformative power of the Games than Josef Craig, Britain's youngest gold medallist in London and winner of the BBC's Young Sports Personality of the Year.
Now 16, he was back in the pool in Sheffield setting another world record on his way to victory in the S1-S10 400m freestyle.
He told me the impact of the Games had been "astounding".
"At my club alone we had an extra 150 people applying to join, which was just unbelievable. That is my own little example of the effect of the Paralympics and I don't think that will ever fade".
Creating demand and interest in sport is one thing - having the structures in place to fulfil the sporting ambitions of disabled people at elite and grassroots level is another thing altogether.
In the short term at least, the Paralympics may be a victim of its own success, raising expectations to levels which are unrealistic for the nation's sporting infrastructure, especially at a time of public-sector cuts.
At elite level the picture is a bit mixed. Sports like athletics have kicked on from London, setting up a new Diamond League series of meetings for disabled athletes. The crowds for these meetings in the summer will give us the first real chance to assess whether the packed houses of the Paralympics were a one off or whether there is an audience out there to watch the best Paralympic sport has to offer.
But in track cycling - one of the powerhouses behind Great Britain's remarkable medal haul - the cupboard is surprisingly bare. Jody Cundy - who will probably forever be remembered for his furious reaction to disqualification in London - may have to wait until 2016 and the Rio Paralympics to measure himself against the best in the world in his category.
No international meetings are scheduled for this year and there are no clear plans being made by the International Cycling Union to stage a 2014 World Championships.
After watching him train at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester, he told me: "It's a bit weird. At the moment I'm just training for training's sake."
Even for a sprinter good enough to be in with a shout of making England's squad for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, that is a lamentable situation. Another black mark for the troubled UCI.
At the grass roots it is, as ever, a question of facilities, coaching and volunteers. In addition to the well publicised closure of Don Valley athletics stadium, another Sheffield facility - the Stocksbridge Pool - is facing closure, while another swimming centre in Splott, Cardiff may also close.
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has already voiced her concerns about the social contradictions in following the triumph of the Paralympics with cuts to the Disability Living Allowance. Now she is worried that the sporting opportunity created by the Games may already be slipping away.
"It's not gone yet, but there is a risk that if we don't do something soon in schools and with facilities and investment then the chance to inspire a generation will have been missed," she said.
Perhaps no single event - no matter how successful - can deliver such vaulting ambitions. But it would be a tragedy if the breakthrough in attitudes in London is not used to create something more lasting.
BBC Sport - Mixed picture for disability sport post Paralympic Games
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2006/12/07
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29893
British long jumper Jade Johnson argues Russia should not hold this year's World Championships following more doping scandals involving its athletes.
Russian long jump rival Tatyana Kotova and hammer thrower Olga Kuzenkova have been caught doping after samples from the 2005 Worlds were retested.
"We have the championships in Moscow and I don't feel they deserve to have it," Johnson told BBC Radio 5 live.
"Countries need to take responsibility for what's going on with athletes."
Johnson echoed the comments of UK athletics head coach Peter Eriksson, who said last week that there needs to be "greater investigation" into why so many Russian athletes are failing drugs tests. There are 33 Russian athletes currently serving bans for doping offences.
"This isn't just the first time," Johnson continued. "There are a lot of athletes from that country [caught doping]. It needs to be looked into a little bit more.
"If Russia is held accountable as a nation maybe they will do a better job."
Johnson was a long-time rival of Kotova, who won silver in 2005 and 2003 - when Johnson was fourth - and gold at the 2002 European Championships, when Johnson took silver.
"I absolutely feel like I've been robbed of some great moments that I worked really hard for," said Johnson, 32. "Knowing someone might have robbed me is quite difficult.
"It's a nightmare to be in the stands when you have doubts about what that person is doing and especially when that person is getting medals."
Johnson also believes life bans for those found guilty of doping offences would be a better deterrent than short-term suspensions.
"They should be absolutely banned for life, that will help deter," she added. "Every single thing they have done should be struck off."
Nick Davies, deputy general secretary of athletics' governing body the IAAF, explained that the latest retesting had been carried out eight years after the event to capitalise on the latest technology and equipment. "We have an eight-year statute of limitations on anti-doping, so seven years past the event is really when you want to test, using the most up-to-date equipment," Davies told BBC Sport.
But Johnson believes there should be a system in place to test retrospective samples from an athlete's entire career.
"The amount of sacrifice we make as sports people is so great," Johnson said.
"We lose relationships, we sacrifice money, we sacrifice opportunities just so we can give 100% to our sport, so that's why I'm so angry, it means so much to us as clean athletes."
BBC Sport - Russia should not hold World Championship - Jade Johnson
Russian long jump rival Tatyana Kotova and hammer thrower Olga Kuzenkova have been caught doping after samples from the 2005 Worlds were retested.
"We have the championships in Moscow and I don't feel they deserve to have it," Johnson told BBC Radio 5 live.
"Countries need to take responsibility for what's going on with athletes."
Johnson echoed the comments of UK athletics head coach Peter Eriksson, who said last week that there needs to be "greater investigation" into why so many Russian athletes are failing drugs tests. There are 33 Russian athletes currently serving bans for doping offences.
"This isn't just the first time," Johnson continued. "There are a lot of athletes from that country [caught doping]. It needs to be looked into a little bit more.
"If Russia is held accountable as a nation maybe they will do a better job."
Johnson was a long-time rival of Kotova, who won silver in 2005 and 2003 - when Johnson was fourth - and gold at the 2002 European Championships, when Johnson took silver.
"I absolutely feel like I've been robbed of some great moments that I worked really hard for," said Johnson, 32. "Knowing someone might have robbed me is quite difficult.
"It's a nightmare to be in the stands when you have doubts about what that person is doing and especially when that person is getting medals."
Johnson also believes life bans for those found guilty of doping offences would be a better deterrent than short-term suspensions.
"They should be absolutely banned for life, that will help deter," she added. "Every single thing they have done should be struck off."
Nick Davies, deputy general secretary of athletics' governing body the IAAF, explained that the latest retesting had been carried out eight years after the event to capitalise on the latest technology and equipment. "We have an eight-year statute of limitations on anti-doping, so seven years past the event is really when you want to test, using the most up-to-date equipment," Davies told BBC Sport.
But Johnson believes there should be a system in place to test retrospective samples from an athlete's entire career.
"The amount of sacrifice we make as sports people is so great," Johnson said.
"We lose relationships, we sacrifice money, we sacrifice opportunities just so we can give 100% to our sport, so that's why I'm so angry, it means so much to us as clean athletes."
BBC Sport - Russia should not hold World Championship - Jade Johnson
Join:
2006/12/07
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29893
If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. That’s what California State Senator Roderick Wright did with Senate Bill 190, a long-shot attempt to bring the world of sports betting to California cardrooms, horse racing tracks, and Indian casinos. Bill 190 is the second attempt by Wright to add a little competition to Nevada sportsbooks. Last year’s bill, Senate Bill 1390, wasn’t successful. However, this latest effort attempts to address some issues that helped doom Bill 1390. Bettors must be 21 years old, place the bet in person, and have to pay cash to make the bet. No credit card wagering or betting through the internet or telephone would be allowed.
The law would also prevent wagering on California college teams or college sports played in the state. That means no college games played in the state by other college teams — such as the Rose Bowl for instance. NFL teams like Oakland or San Francisco could be wagered on, however.
Indian casinos opposed last year’s bill but are now interested due to the new law’s provisions mandating in-person betting. In-person betting also addresses potential problems with underage gambling and those on the black list for problem gambling.
The state would receive 7.5% of gross revenue from sports book wagering. Because of the revenue portion of the law, the Senate will need a 2/3′s majority to pass the bill.
Even if the new bill reaches that high mark, a bettor still won’t be able to bet on the Raiders at Hollywood Park. Federal law, under the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, made sports gambling illegal in all states except for Nevada, Delaware, Oregon and Montana. Until that law is overturned, no other states can legally allow casinos to offer sports betting.
There are lawsuits filed in New Jersey challenging the constitutionality of the 1992 law. Those are likely to fail, according to many legal experts. But New Jersey Congressmen are also getting involved. Congressman Frank LoBiondo has introduced House Resolution 625, a bill that would open a five year window for states to enact sports book.
California Sports Book Bill Passes Committee | Online Gambling News California Sports Book Bill Passes Committee | Rouletters-com
The law would also prevent wagering on California college teams or college sports played in the state. That means no college games played in the state by other college teams — such as the Rose Bowl for instance. NFL teams like Oakland or San Francisco could be wagered on, however.
Indian casinos opposed last year’s bill but are now interested due to the new law’s provisions mandating in-person betting. In-person betting also addresses potential problems with underage gambling and those on the black list for problem gambling.
The state would receive 7.5% of gross revenue from sports book wagering. Because of the revenue portion of the law, the Senate will need a 2/3′s majority to pass the bill.
Even if the new bill reaches that high mark, a bettor still won’t be able to bet on the Raiders at Hollywood Park. Federal law, under the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, made sports gambling illegal in all states except for Nevada, Delaware, Oregon and Montana. Until that law is overturned, no other states can legally allow casinos to offer sports betting.
There are lawsuits filed in New Jersey challenging the constitutionality of the 1992 law. Those are likely to fail, according to many legal experts. But New Jersey Congressmen are also getting involved. Congressman Frank LoBiondo has introduced House Resolution 625, a bill that would open a five year window for states to enact sports book.
California Sports Book Bill Passes Committee | Online Gambling News California Sports Book Bill Passes Committee | Rouletters-com
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2006/12/07
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29893
Eurobet was the first Company to accept bets via the internet in 1996.
In 1999 Eurobet joined forces with Coral, one of the most familiar and respected names on the British sporting scene with over 75 years bookmaking experience, to form Coral Eurobet.
Eurobet Sportsbook
This is a well-designed and easy to use sportsbook with enough extra features to make it worth checking out.
Eurobet does not accept US players.
If you are from USA, please see US online gambling sites list.
In 1999 Eurobet joined forces with Coral, one of the most familiar and respected names on the British sporting scene with over 75 years bookmaking experience, to form Coral Eurobet.
Eurobet Sportsbook
This is a well-designed and easy to use sportsbook with enough extra features to make it worth checking out.
Eurobet does not accept US players.
If you are from USA, please see US online gambling sites list.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Over the years, Intertops sportsbook has provided everything from great sports bets to just downright crazy entertainment bets. Intertops is located and licensed in Antigua while they have been operating online since 1996. Welcome to one of the oldest sportsbooks on the internet...(All American sports including Baseball, Basketball, Football, and Hockey - as well as several NCAA college sports. Other sports categories listed are Golf, Tennis, Boxing, Motor Sports, and Horse Racing. They will also offer interesting odds, such as Survivor series, from time to time.)
Intertops Sportsbook
Intertops boasts over 1500 bet offers daily. On top of the sports bets they offer, they have over 100 Vegas style casino games as well as no download poker with tons of players in their card room 24 hours a day. They also offer games such as virtual horse racing which also goes around the clock. There is one thing that stands out with Intertops: Professionalism!!
Welcome!!
Intertops Sportsbook
Intertops boasts over 1500 bet offers daily. On top of the sports bets they offer, they have over 100 Vegas style casino games as well as no download poker with tons of players in their card room 24 hours a day. They also offer games such as virtual horse racing which also goes around the clock. There is one thing that stands out with Intertops: Professionalism!!
Welcome!!
Join:
2006/12/07
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29893
Manne wrote:
Eurobet was the first Company to accept bets via the internet in 1996.
In 1999 Eurobet joined forces with Coral, one of the most familiar and respected names on the British sporting scene with over 75 years bookmaking experience, to form Coral Eurobet.
Eurobet Sportsbook
This is a well-designed and easy to use sportsbook with enough extra features to make it worth checking out.
Eurobet does not accept US players.
If you are from USA, please see US online gambling sites list.
If from other countries which can be used?
Join:
2012/04/16
Messages:
11
jisellegome wrote:
If from other countries which can be used?
You can use Bovada Sportsbook
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
New research has found a decline in the number of Australians who are gambling, but an explosion in sports betting.
The study, conducted by researchers at New South Wales' Southern Cross University, found 64 per cent of adults gambled in the past year, compared with a much higher figure of 82 per cent back in 1999.
But Southern Cross University researcher Dr Sally Gainsbury says sports betting has doubled in popularity, with the take growing by 15 per cent in just five years.
Dr Gainsbury says online gambling is attracting new customers.
"Fifty-two per cent of people who gamble online actually prefer that mode, compared to land-based gamblers," she said.
"It's that accessibility and convenience that's really driving them to use the mode. And some people actually prefer it and don't like the land-based venues, so we're seeing a new subset of Australians who are engaging in this gambling activity."
Worryingly, the experts confirm younger people are parting with their cash more often.
'Nathan' is only in his mid twenties, but his sports gambling addiction has already cost him greatly. "I've lost over probably $1.5 million, and in terms of how much I've gambled, it's probably been over $3 million or $4 million - that's including winnings and losings - in the space of four years," he said.
He says he had the job and the assets at first to support his betting, but when the losses began to mount that all changed.
"I probably aged maybe eight years or nine years from what I am now," he said.
"It's an emotional challenge, especially stopping. It's put a strain on my relationship with my wife - thank god she's understanding - and my family and my friends."
Nathan's story is typical of the new breed of problem gamblers.
Dr Gainsbury says the online gambler is usually male.
"Interactive gamblers tend to be male, they tend to be younger, they're from a higher education, so they're more likely to have university degrees, they certainly have access to the internet at their work or at their home, and they might come from a higher socio-economic bracket," she said.
She says the rise in sports betting is partly due to advertising.
"This is largely attributed to the growth in online betting, which has definitely been fuelled by the advertising we've seen in relation to sports betting," she said.
Dr Gainsbury says the social effects are only just becoming apparent.
"There is evidence that there are higher problem gambling rates among people who gamble online and these internet gamblers are more likely to gamble in a greater number of activities sand also more frequently engage in gambling," she said.
"You can gamble form home, privately, without anyone knowing that you're doing it." Dr Gainsbury says there is also an emerging threat from simulated gaming, pushed through social media like Twitter and Facebook.
"The concern is particularly for children, that again it's normalising gambling, they're enjoying it, and because it's not regulated as a gambling game, the pay-out rates aren't randomly determined," she said.
She says there is a good chance children will transfer the simulated gaming experience to the real thing, with devastating consequences.
Professor Jeffrey Derevensky from Canada's McGill University agrees.
He says online games like pokies, roulette and poker are becoming increasingly popular among adolescents.
"Gambling has become very normalised. We see it everywhere. We see pokie parlours, we go to clubs, we can see it in purchasing a lottery ticket," he said.
"Because it's so easily accessible, parents and educators are not educating children about the warning signs of when something that starts off as fun can become problematic.
"We would be much more likely to do that with drugs or alcohol."
Professor Derevensky says international researchers are concerned about simulated gaming sites being purchased by gambling companies.
"Big companies like Caesars International or IGT are buying these companies, not just because it's a fun type of game that children can learn, but also so that they can migrate over," he said.
Study finds explosion in sports betting despite decline in number of gamblers - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
The study, conducted by researchers at New South Wales' Southern Cross University, found 64 per cent of adults gambled in the past year, compared with a much higher figure of 82 per cent back in 1999.
But Southern Cross University researcher Dr Sally Gainsbury says sports betting has doubled in popularity, with the take growing by 15 per cent in just five years.
Dr Gainsbury says online gambling is attracting new customers.
"Fifty-two per cent of people who gamble online actually prefer that mode, compared to land-based gamblers," she said.
"It's that accessibility and convenience that's really driving them to use the mode. And some people actually prefer it and don't like the land-based venues, so we're seeing a new subset of Australians who are engaging in this gambling activity."
Worryingly, the experts confirm younger people are parting with their cash more often.
'Nathan' is only in his mid twenties, but his sports gambling addiction has already cost him greatly. "I've lost over probably $1.5 million, and in terms of how much I've gambled, it's probably been over $3 million or $4 million - that's including winnings and losings - in the space of four years," he said.
He says he had the job and the assets at first to support his betting, but when the losses began to mount that all changed.
"I probably aged maybe eight years or nine years from what I am now," he said.
"It's an emotional challenge, especially stopping. It's put a strain on my relationship with my wife - thank god she's understanding - and my family and my friends."
Nathan's story is typical of the new breed of problem gamblers.
Dr Gainsbury says the online gambler is usually male.
"Interactive gamblers tend to be male, they tend to be younger, they're from a higher education, so they're more likely to have university degrees, they certainly have access to the internet at their work or at their home, and they might come from a higher socio-economic bracket," she said.
She says the rise in sports betting is partly due to advertising.
"This is largely attributed to the growth in online betting, which has definitely been fuelled by the advertising we've seen in relation to sports betting," she said.
Dr Gainsbury says the social effects are only just becoming apparent.
"There is evidence that there are higher problem gambling rates among people who gamble online and these internet gamblers are more likely to gamble in a greater number of activities sand also more frequently engage in gambling," she said.
"You can gamble form home, privately, without anyone knowing that you're doing it." Dr Gainsbury says there is also an emerging threat from simulated gaming, pushed through social media like Twitter and Facebook.
"The concern is particularly for children, that again it's normalising gambling, they're enjoying it, and because it's not regulated as a gambling game, the pay-out rates aren't randomly determined," she said.
She says there is a good chance children will transfer the simulated gaming experience to the real thing, with devastating consequences.
Professor Jeffrey Derevensky from Canada's McGill University agrees.
He says online games like pokies, roulette and poker are becoming increasingly popular among adolescents.
"Gambling has become very normalised. We see it everywhere. We see pokie parlours, we go to clubs, we can see it in purchasing a lottery ticket," he said.
"Because it's so easily accessible, parents and educators are not educating children about the warning signs of when something that starts off as fun can become problematic.
"We would be much more likely to do that with drugs or alcohol."
Professor Derevensky says international researchers are concerned about simulated gaming sites being purchased by gambling companies.
"Big companies like Caesars International or IGT are buying these companies, not just because it's a fun type of game that children can learn, but also so that they can migrate over," he said.
Study finds explosion in sports betting despite decline in number of gamblers - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
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Premier Jay Weatherill today announced he had asked the Independent Gambling Authority to change gambling codes of practice to ban advertising of live odds betting in broadcast media and at sporting grounds.
The ban would not apply to online betting.
South Australia would be the first state to implement the change, which Mr Weatherill said he wanted in place before the end of the year.
He said the government would not need to change the law as the IGA already had the power to set and alter industry codes of practice.
Any organisation advertising gambling in SA must be licensed in the state and adhere to codes of practice.
The latest IGA report on gambling codes of practice, tabled in State Parliament last week, recommended banning live odds advertising in broadcast media and at sporting grounds.
Nationally, free-to-air networks have proposed their own regime of self-regulation, which would ban live odds during matches but still allow gambling ads during breaks in play.
Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has said if television networks do not act before the September election, he would be prepared to legislate a ban.
Federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has said promotion of live betting odds during play is not allowed under a new code proposed by the Commonwealth.
Mr Weatherill said it was "staggering how much match-day broadcast time is being devoted to sports betting and live odds".
"It has become a pervasive part of the coverage," he said.
"It is of great concern to me that we will end up with a generation of children who believe gambling is a normal part of watching or even playing sport."
The announcement coincides with Responsible Gambling Awareness Week this week.
Communities and Social Inclusion Minister Tony Piccolo today launched a new campaign targeting young gamblers.
The "What are your odds?" campaign aims to highlight the reality that only few gamblers win big.
For example, gamblers are more likely to be struck by lightning than win the lottery.
"The campaign highlights some sobering statistics including that you are more likely to die from a venomous bite or sting than win top prize on the pokies," Mr Piccolo said.
"If you gamble once or more a week, the chance of developing a gambling problem is one in seven.
"If you gamble occasionally, the chances are one in 50."
State Opposition gambling spokesman Iain Evans said the state and federal governments agreed to deal with the issue in May, 2011, but the SA government had ``done nothing'' since.
Mr Evans said if SA was the only state to make the change it could cause problems with national broadcasts.
Family First MLC Dennis Hood urged the government to enshrine the ban in law, not just codes of practice.
SA Senator Nick Xenophon has had legislation before the Federal Parliament for two years to ban gambling advertisements during all G-rated broadcasts, including news and sport.
No Cookies | Herald Sun
The ban would not apply to online betting.
South Australia would be the first state to implement the change, which Mr Weatherill said he wanted in place before the end of the year.
He said the government would not need to change the law as the IGA already had the power to set and alter industry codes of practice.
Any organisation advertising gambling in SA must be licensed in the state and adhere to codes of practice.
The latest IGA report on gambling codes of practice, tabled in State Parliament last week, recommended banning live odds advertising in broadcast media and at sporting grounds.
Nationally, free-to-air networks have proposed their own regime of self-regulation, which would ban live odds during matches but still allow gambling ads during breaks in play.
Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has said if television networks do not act before the September election, he would be prepared to legislate a ban.
Federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has said promotion of live betting odds during play is not allowed under a new code proposed by the Commonwealth.
Mr Weatherill said it was "staggering how much match-day broadcast time is being devoted to sports betting and live odds".
"It has become a pervasive part of the coverage," he said.
"It is of great concern to me that we will end up with a generation of children who believe gambling is a normal part of watching or even playing sport."
The announcement coincides with Responsible Gambling Awareness Week this week.
Communities and Social Inclusion Minister Tony Piccolo today launched a new campaign targeting young gamblers.
The "What are your odds?" campaign aims to highlight the reality that only few gamblers win big.
For example, gamblers are more likely to be struck by lightning than win the lottery.
"The campaign highlights some sobering statistics including that you are more likely to die from a venomous bite or sting than win top prize on the pokies," Mr Piccolo said.
"If you gamble once or more a week, the chance of developing a gambling problem is one in seven.
"If you gamble occasionally, the chances are one in 50."
State Opposition gambling spokesman Iain Evans said the state and federal governments agreed to deal with the issue in May, 2011, but the SA government had ``done nothing'' since.
Mr Evans said if SA was the only state to make the change it could cause problems with national broadcasts.
Family First MLC Dennis Hood urged the government to enshrine the ban in law, not just codes of practice.
SA Senator Nick Xenophon has had legislation before the Federal Parliament for two years to ban gambling advertisements during all G-rated broadcasts, including news and sport.
No Cookies | Herald Sun
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2006/12/07
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The betting scenario for this year's French Open might be the strangest we've seen for any tennis grand slam. It's weird enough that the favorite for the men's title, Rafael Nadal, is only seeded third. But it's even more bizarre when you think that the women's favorite, Serena Williams, hasn't been past the quarter's in Paris since winning there in 2002.
Rafa and Serena will have plenty of competition if they are to fulfill their favoritism status.
In the men's draw, world number one Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray will provide fierce competition, while there are plenty of claycourt specialists who could also challenge.
On the women's side, any of the top 10 ranked players in the world led by Victoria Azarenka and reigning champ Maria Sharapova could challenge for the title, and the openness of the draw is underlined by the fact that Serena lost in the first round of last year's tournament to 111th-ranked Virginie Razzano.
In Bet365 Sports pre-tournament betting on the men's title, Nadal leads the way at 8/13, followed by Djokovic, 6/4, Federer, 12/1, Juan Martin Del Potro, 22/1, and David Ferrer, 25/1. In the women's, Serena leads at 11/10 from Sharapova, 7/2, Azarena, 11/2, and Na Li, 10/1.
This online sportsbook will be with you during the whole tournament, offering pre-match betting on most games, including more detailed wagering options on sets won, points won and anything else you could possibly think of.
If you're planning on watching the French Open, then bet365 provides a double solution in the form of live streaming on some of the games combined with live betting: Bet365 Sports will provide an extensive range of In-Play betting opportunities throughout the tournament with markets including Point Betting, Next Game Winner, Current Set Winner and Match Winner.
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Bet In-Play on French Open at Bet365 - Entertainment - Onlinecasinoreports-com
Rafa and Serena will have plenty of competition if they are to fulfill their favoritism status.
In the men's draw, world number one Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray will provide fierce competition, while there are plenty of claycourt specialists who could also challenge.
On the women's side, any of the top 10 ranked players in the world led by Victoria Azarenka and reigning champ Maria Sharapova could challenge for the title, and the openness of the draw is underlined by the fact that Serena lost in the first round of last year's tournament to 111th-ranked Virginie Razzano.
In Bet365 Sports pre-tournament betting on the men's title, Nadal leads the way at 8/13, followed by Djokovic, 6/4, Federer, 12/1, Juan Martin Del Potro, 22/1, and David Ferrer, 25/1. In the women's, Serena leads at 11/10 from Sharapova, 7/2, Azarena, 11/2, and Na Li, 10/1.
This online sportsbook will be with you during the whole tournament, offering pre-match betting on most games, including more detailed wagering options on sets won, points won and anything else you could possibly think of.
If you're planning on watching the French Open, then bet365 provides a double solution in the form of live streaming on some of the games combined with live betting: Bet365 Sports will provide an extensive range of In-Play betting opportunities throughout the tournament with markets including Point Betting, Next Game Winner, Current Set Winner and Match Winner.
Welcome!
Bet In-Play on French Open at Bet365 - Entertainment - Onlinecasinoreports-com
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2006/12/07
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