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Katie Ledecky and Caeleb Dressel spearhead the United States’ bid to retain supremacy in the Olympic pool from Saturday against a formidable and confident Australia, amid simmering tensions over a Chinese doping scandal.The mighty USA have long-owned Olympic swimming, collecting 30 medals, including 11 gold, to top the table at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games, ahead of Australia with nine gold and 20 in total. They are unbeaten on the gold medal front since 1988, but Australia stunned them by claiming more titles at the world championships last year to set up a blockbuster showdown over an intense nine days in La Defense Arena.Adding spice, the US contested that they won the duel at the worlds in Fukuoka, claiming they were best courtesy of their higher overall medal count. That saw recently-retired Australian legend Cate Campbell brand them “sore losers”, which prompted 23-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Phelps to encourage his compatriots to “make them eat every word” in France.Australian head coach Rohan Taylor attempted to dial down the rivalry, and expectations. “I think the Americans are the standard of the sport,” he said last week. “As a whole, in every event, they’ll have somebody who can get on the podium. We want to be as good as them.”The decorated Ledecky, a seven-time gold medallist, is still the woman to beat in the 800m and the 1500m freestyle, but has lost her invincibility over 400m. Six swimming world records tumbled in Tokyo and the first in Paris could come on the opening night with Ledecky attempting to reclaim her 400m crown against Australia’s Ariarne Titmus and Canada’s Summer McIntosh.Known as “The Terminator”, Titmus beat Ledecky in a thrilling Tokyo final then broke the American’s long-standing world record in 2022, only for McIntosh to better the mark last year. The Australian hit back to reclaim the world record months later and swam the second fastest time in history last month. “I don’t think about the result or the magnitude of the Olympic Games,” said Titmus. “I just think about putting together eight great laps.”Titmus will also race the 200m freestyle – as world record holder – and 800m where she will also face Ledecky in the American’s quest for a fourth straight title. More world records will be on the line in the women’s 100m and 200m backstroke, with Australia’s Kaylee McKeown and American Regan Smith dominant and at the peak of their powers.Superstar Dressel won five gold medals in Tokyo but stepped away from the sport in 2022 to tend to his mental health.While the 27-year-old will not defend his 100m freestyle gold, he qualified for the 50m free and 100m butterfly and remains a significant contender in both.Another big-name veteran looking to turn back the clock is British breaststroke king Adam Peaty. Like Dressel, he took time out to deal with depression but is back and in form as he seeks to become the first swimmer since Phelps to win the same race at three consecutive Olympics, in the 100m. “Obviously now I do it to win, I want to be the best. I am the best,” Peaty said.But a crowded field is planning to dethrone him, led by China’s Qin Haiyang who won all three breaststroke events at the 2023 world championships. Qin is one of 23 Chinese swimmers implicated in a major doping scandal which only came to light this year and continues to hang over Paris. They all tested positive for trimetazidine – which can enhance performance – ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, but were not sanctioned.Instead, WADA accepted the explanation of Chinese authorities that the results were caused by food contamination. An independent investigation cleared the world anti-doping agency of any wrongdoing, but not before an ugly war of words with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).Eleven of the Chinese swimmers, including butterfly specialist Zhang Yufei, who won two golds in Japan, and another gold medallist in Wang Shun, are in France. The hosts have their own star in Leon Marchand after his sizzling 4:02.50 in the 400m medley last year shattered Phelps’ 15-year-old world record.A five-time world champion, Marchand will also be heavy favourite in the 200m medley and 200m butterfly as he bids to cement a burgeoning reputation.

British gymnastics star Max Whitlock said on Wednesday he was relishing his “shot at history” in his final Olympics.Pommel horse specialist Whitlock is bidding to become the first gymnast to medal on the same apparatus at four Olympics.“I scrolled through Wikipedia a lot just to confirm that,” the 31-year-old laughed after an impressive training session at the Paris Bercy Arena where he will bid for a seventh Olympic medal starting in Saturday’s men’s qualifying.“That history can be made was one of the reasons that got me excited as well. Especially when I was in that period where I didn’t know if I wanted to come back,” said Whitlock.“When I thought about coming back, I looked up stuff like this. Every tiny bit of motivation helps. The opportunity to try to make history is what I want.”Whitlock won two gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics on the pommel horse and floor, as well as the all-round bronze. He successfully defended the pommel horse title in Tokyo three years ago.The British gymnast also won two bronze medals at the London Games in 2012 in the men’s team event and pommel horse.“I nearly stopped gymnastics altogether after Tokyo, so for me to be in this position here I feel massively grateful,” he said.“I’m back and giving myself the chance to give it a good shot and have the opportunity and challenge ahead. That almost reduces a bit of the pressure for me.”The British men’s team will also be bidding to make the podium with Russia not competing.Whitlock will be joined by Joe Fraser, back from injury, reigning vault world champion Jake Jarman, Harry Hepworth, and European floor gold medallist Luke Whitehouse.On Wednesday, Whitlock earned applause for his pommel horse routine as the men trained for the first time at the competition arena. “I think the whole team enjoyed that a lot. I think we got some good stuff,” he said.Having his family and five-year-old daughter Willow – a budding gymnast herself – in the audience also motivated his return after the Tokyo Games behind closed doors.“I’m mega-excited because Willow can watch an Olympic Games for real, rather than watching videos. That means a lot to me,” he said.“She’s doing competitions herself. We don’t force gymnastics but she fully understands it. She just seems to love it, which is amazing for me.“It almost feels like everyone is just taking it in a little bit more because this is my last one.”

Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz tempered expectations for Spain’s dream team on Wednesday as they looked ahead to playing together in the Paris Olympics.Alcaraz, winner of this year’s French Open and Wimbledon, and 22-Grand Slam winner Nadal who has struggled with injuries for two years, have been the main focus of the Olympic tennis competition starting on Saturday and running to Aug. 4.“I understand a little bit the morbid illusion of seeing us play together but let’s not think that this translates into success, I think it’s a mistake. Carlos hasn’t played many doubles and I haven’t played many doubles or many singles lately,” the 38-year-old Nadal told reporters.“We are going to do our best to try, at least, to leave with the peace of mind of having done everything possible to get where we can get (but) obviously, we have not been able to prepare together for a tournament like this, where there are other doubles teams that have been preparing,” he added.The former world number one, who expects to retire at the end of this year after missing almost all of 2023 with a hip problem, conceded that adapting their game in a different competition would be difficult. “Things happen much faster, the reflexes have to be ready and the movements are not automatic when one has not played for a long time, there are doubles movements that are completely different from the individual ones,” the Spaniard said.Alcaraz, 21, was confident that playing on the red clay where he won just weeks ago would be a plus. “I have not had the opportunity to play many doubles tournaments, but obviously having the illusion of returning to Roland Garros, to these courts that I have always enjoyed playing... makes it easier,” he said. “We also have days of training, individually and doubles to adapt as best as possible again, for my part to return to clay and be able to gain confidence to start the tournament in the best possible way,” he added.Nadal, who won an Olympic singles gold medal in 2008 and the doubles gold in 2016, suggested that the Games were even more special than Grand Slams.“Unfortunately I have missed Tokyo and London due to injury and it is something that has hurt me more than missing Grand Slams,” he said. “In the end they are unique experiences, of which there are few in the world, in one’s career. The others are very important tournaments for us, but in the end we experience them every year, and well, I value being here very much.”

Men’s tennis number one Jannik Sinner withdrew from the Paris Olympics on Wednesday, days before it begins, after falling ill with tonsillitis.The Italian said he was “sad and disappointed” to drop out, adding that he had started feeling unwell on Monday after a practice week in Monaco.“After seeing my doctors on Tuesday and waiting an extra day to give myself some more time to see if my condition would improve, things unfortunately got worse,” Sinner, 22, said in a statement.“I was looking forward to competing with my teammates and the rest of the Italian team, but for now that will have to wait,” he said.“As advised by my medical team, I will now take some time to rest and recover to full health. I’d like to wish the whole team Italia the best for this important event and hope to be back stronger in the future.”Sinner said the Olympics had been “one of my main goals for this season” and was due to play in the men’s singles and the doubles with Lorenzo Musetti.Wimbledon semi-finalist Musetti will now have to play in the men’s doubles tournament with either Luciano Darderi or Matteo Arnaldi.Italian media reported that Andrea Vavassori, ranked 207 in the world, will replace Sinner in the men’s singles.Sinner dropping out deprives Italy of a great shot at a medal.He has long been the great hope of Italian tennis and after finishing runner-up to Novak Djokovic at the ATP Finals in November last year, he has moved up a level.Sinner won his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open at the start of this year and then became the first Italian to top the world rankings after his recent run to the semi-finals at the French Open.He has also won three other tournaments this year, including his second Masters 1000 crown in Miami.Sinner withdrew from the Madrid Open before the quarter-finals with a hip injury and missed the tournament in Rome in the run-up to Roland Garros, where the Olympic tennis will be played between July 27 and August 4.He needed a lengthy medical timeout after feeling dizzy and appearing to almost lose his balance during his quarter-final defeat to Daniil Medvedev at Wimbledon.De Minaur raring to go in Paris after recovering from hip injuryAustralia’s Alex De Minaur said he is ready to fulfil his Olympic dream after shaking off a hip injury that cut short his Wimbledon campaign and threatened his participation at the Paris Games.The world number six pulled out of his Wimbledon quarter-final against Novak Djokovic earlier this month after sustaining a cartilage tear in his hip in the closing stages of his fourth-round win over Arthur Fils.De Minaur was unable to play at the Tokyo Games three years ago after contracting Covid.“To finally be able to represent Australia in the Olympics is a dream come true,” De Minaur said.“I’m very passionate when I play for my country and wear the green and gold, so this is another one of those moments.“I’m extremely excited to lace up for Paris 2024.”De Minaur spearheads an Australian team that also includes Alexei Popyrin, Ellen Perez, Matthew Ebden, John Peers, Olivia Gadecki, Ajla Tomljanovic, Daria Saville and Rinky Hijikata.

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Kamala Harris’s outspoken stance on the Gaza war hints at a possible shift from Joe Biden’s Israel policy as she eyes the Democratic presidential nomination — as Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to find out this week.The US vice-president was conspicuously absent from the Israeli leader’s address to the US Congress yesterday, in what analysts said was a clear signal about her concerns over civilian casualties in Gaza.The 59-year-old has never contradicted Biden on Israel. Time and again, however, she has been the US administration official most loudly calling for a ceasefire in the conflict.With Biden’s shock exit from the White House race, Harris has a chance to make a “clean slate” on an issue where there has been a risk of alienating a swathe of Democratic voters ahead of November’s election, said Colin Clarke, director of research at the Soufan Group.“The Israel-Gaza issue is the one where there is the most daylight between Biden and Harris, and I think there’s going to be people inside her camp that are going to push her to make that difference explicit,” he told AFP.Biden has strongly supported Israel’s war on Hamas and kept up military aid despite tensions with Netanyahu.Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed at least 39,090 people, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.While Harris has not broken from Biden on the issue, her statements on the conflict — which has seen swathes of Gaza reduced to rubble — have been more nuanced.In March, she made what were then the strongest comments to date by any US administration official when she called for a ceasefire deal to end the “immense suffering”, and criticised Israel over insufficient aid deliveries to Gaza.The message was underlined by the first Black US vice president’s choice of site to deliver it: Selma, Alabama, where in 1965 a civil rights march was violently suppressed by police on what is known as “Bloody Sunday”.It followed a pattern of remarks where she pushed the envelope of what the White House was saying about the death toll and dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.The issue has now come to the fore with Netanyahu visiting Washington.Reflecting the new reality of an outgoing president and his expected replacement as Democratic contender, Biden and Harris will hold separate meetings with the Israeli premier.Harris’s camp says that a previously scheduled campaign trip to a Black sorority in Indianapolis means she cannot fulfil the usual vice presidential role of presiding over Congress during Netanyahu’s visit.Her staff moved quickly to dampen suggestions of a snub.“Her travel to Indianapolis on July 24 should not be interpreted as a change in her position with regard to Israel,” an aide told AFP, noting her “unwavering commitment” to its security.Biden, whose tensions with Netanyahu have burst into the open in recent months despite the president’s stalwart support for Israel, is also set to miss the speech.Clarke said Harris’s decision was not necessarily a “cold shoulder” but added that “clearly, if she wanted to be there, she could be...it’s something of kind of signal that, hey, things are going to be different.”The Gaza war remains very much a factor in the US presidential election.Biden’s policy incensed large numbers of Democratic voters and threatened his party’s hopes of winning the swing state of Michigan, which is home to a large Arab-American population.Harris and her family have straddled the political divide on the issue.The war was an area where Harris could “pick a bit of an orchestrated public dispute” with Biden, said Peter Loge, director of George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs.It would also help differentiate her from Trump’s “all-in” support for Israel, he added.“Harris has an opportunity to have a bit of a more nuanced position that recognises those concerns — to create a bit of distance to make that group (those angered by support for Israel) feel okay,” Loge said. — AFP

US President Joe Biden’s exit from the presidential race could prompt investors to unwind trades betting that a Republican victory would increase US fiscal and inflationary pressures, while some analysts said markets could benefit from an increased chance of divided government under the next administration.The so-called Trump-trade, which presumes the former president’s tax policies will lift corporate profits, while undermining the country’s long-term budget health, gained ground following Biden’s disastrous TV debate last month.It was especially visible in US government bonds, with long-dated Treasury yields - which move inversely to prices - briefly rising on increased expectations that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump would regain the White House after the debate and last weekend’s assassination attempt.Although yields quickly retreated on signs of economic weakening, the move reflected investors’ belief that a Trump presidency could lead to inflationary policies and a more fiscally expansive stance. But Biden’s decision to step aside and endorse Vice-President Kamala Harris to replace him as the Democratic candidate casts doubt over a Trump victory and will likely prompt investors to pare those bets. Trump’s team has said his pro-growth policies would bring down interest rates and shrink deficits. Many market participants believe deficits will keep deteriorating under a second Biden administration as well.“It does take some of the wind out of the sails of the Trump Trade,” said Cameron Dawson, CIO of NewEdge Wealth in New York, although she said markets would be waiting for more clarity about who the nominee will be.“That’s when we might look for the reversal of the Trump Trade and other kinds of movements,” said Dawson.A Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Tuesday found Trump had a marginal lead among registered voters - 43% to 41% - over Biden. When accepting the Republican nomination on Thursday, Trump again pledged to cut corporate taxes and cut interest rates. Analysts also expect a Trump presidency would make for tougher trade relations, which could result in inflationary tariffs.Lower tax revenues could widen the US federal government’s budget deficit, which has risen steadily for much of the past decade, including under Trump’s previous 2017-2020 presidency, although a spike in 2020 was mostly driven by Covid-19 government relief.Many investors believe the deficit will keep deteriorating under a second Democratic administration too, but a more balanced election result could reduce the risk of the excessive fiscal stimulus expected if Republicans sweep Washington. Congress is currently divided, with the House of Representatives narrowly controlled by Republicans and the Senate by Democrats. A divided government is often seen by investors as positive for markets, because it makes it harder for either party to force through dramatic policy changes. Several Democrats had warned that Biden’s initial refusal to step aside, which led some Democratic donors to shut the spigots, would wipe out Democrats in House and Senate races too. Biden’s exit, however, would increase Democrats’ chances of controlling at least one of those chambers, said Brij Khurana, fixed income portfolio manager at Wellington Management Company, speaking ahead of the announcement.“A divided government, if it does materialise, would mean much lower yields than we currently have,” said Khurana, as bonds would reflect a potentially more benign outcome for government debt issuance. Jamie Cox, Managing Partner of Harris Financial Group, said markets might now reprice what had previously been expected to be a sweep of Congress.“The Senate is very likely to go Republican but the House of Representatives is very vulnerable to a Democrat takeover,” said Cox.Jack McIntyre, portfolio manager, global fixed income, Brandywine Global Investment Management also referred to a divided government as a potential outcome and “a positive for the market”.Investors said that market volatility could increase as the uncertainty over the election continues.“Biden stepping down is a whole new level of political uncertainty,” said Gina Bolvin, President of Bolvin Wealth Management Group. “This may be the catalyst for market volatility that is overdue.”Swathes of the equities market, in particular small caps, have reacted favourably in recent weeks to the prospect of a Trump win. Cryptocurrencies have also rallied on inflation bets. The Cboe Volatility index - Wall Street’s “fear gauge” - touched its highest level since late April on Friday.“The market doesn’t like uncertainty, and the added element of an unknown Democratic nominee will certainly add to investor discomfort,” said Rafia Hasan, Chief Investment Officer, Perigon Wealth in Chicago. “We don’t know what the market will do tomorrow and into the coming weeks with this news, so investors should sit tight.” - Reuters

In a commentary published by the New York Times this past April, J D Vance, now the Republican vice-presidential nominee, proposed a strategy of “defence” for Ukraine that was nothing but a recipe for defeat. There can be no doubt that his words were closely read, and well received, in Beijing and Moscow. Appeasing Russia at Ukraine’s expense would amount to a major strategic loss for the United States, and thus a victory for its adversaries.Vance’s advocacy for appeasement should surprise no-one. In a 2022 podcast with Donald Trump’s (currently imprisoned) political guru Steve Bannon, he said: “I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another.” His argument essentially is that because Russia is larger than Ukraine, it can lob more bombs and missiles than the Ukrainians and their Western backers can handle.Russia undoubtedly is bigger than Ukraine. But if that is grounds for Ukraine to accept defeat, the same argument could be applied to eight other neighbouring countries that were at some point part of the Russian/Soviet empire. Vance is effectively green-lighting Vladimir Putin’s aspiration to resurrect the old empire through conquest. The only neighbour left would be China, Russia’s “no-limits” partner.A resurrected Great Russia, in alliance with today’s China, would change the world order. In fact, this is precisely the outcome that both countries’ leaders want. An America in strategic retreat – abandoning Kabul and then Kyiv – would encourage the Eurasian authoritarian bloc to go on the offensive. Taiwan’s days would be numbered, and others might fold even before that happens.The Prussian military theorist Carl von Clausewitz famously taught us that war is a contest of political wills. Arsenals and battalions certainly count, but they often are not what matters in the end. The outcome in Afghanistan was not decided by which side had more artillery ammunition. Again, if you believe that firepower is everything, you must also believe that Taiwan should just go ahead and surrender.Putin has made no secret of his war aims. While “interviewing” the Russian leader this past February, the right-wing activist Tucker Carlson did us a great favour by letting his subject ramble on about his dream of wiping Ukraine off the map. The issue was never really about Ukrainians who speak Russian or Nato expansion or anything else. Rather, having resurrected the classic Russian imperialist view, Putin believes that Ukraine simply has no right to exist as an independent state.Where this logic ends is anyone’s guess. After all, Poland, Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan were all once part of the empire that Putin seeks to restore. If Ukraine can be defeated because the US decided to walk away, all bets are off. With so many countries that are smaller than Russia, Vance would have to repeat his facile argument ad nauseam.The defence of Ukraine obviously rests primarily with the Ukrainians. It is their blood soaking into the battlefield, and it is they who have shouldered the awesome responsibility of defending the West despite the odds against them. When the war started, no one expected them to last more than a few weeks, if not days. But they did, inflicting grievous damage on Russia’s military. That alone is a victory of sorts.The price the rest of us are paying is minute. For EU member states, it amounts to around 0.3% of GDP, on average – a little more than one-tenth of our defence spending; for the US, it is significantly less. True, Europe has allowed its own defence industrial bases – the capacity to produce everything from artillery ammunition to air-defence missiles – to decay. But allowing Russia to swallow Ukraine would not relieve us of the burden of correcting that mistake. On the contrary, we would be left with an even more threatening strategic environment. The aggressor in the Kremlin would be on the march.Vance is not wrong to argue that Ukraine’s strategy now should be primarily defensive. Last year’s counteroffensive made little headway and fell far short of its goals. But rather than withdrawing support for Ukraine, we should recognise that it is the only credible strategy for achieving some semblance of peace down the road. To stand by and let Russian bombers pulverise Kharkiv and Odesa would let loose the dogs of war for years to come.Eventually, the guns will fall silent. But no true peace will be possible until Putin’s imperial dream has been defeated. Russia must accept its role as a normal nation-state among others, and Ukraine’s democracy and security must be secured through integration into the Euro-Atlantic institutions. Only then should the details of the relationship between Kyiv and Moscow be sorted out.I agree with Vance that Europeans bear a huge responsibility here. But he should know that European financial support already exceeds that of the US, and that the European Union has started the process of making Ukraine a formal member. That is a huge, strategically important step.But it is not just European security that is at stake. In his address to the US Congress this past April, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida did not mince words: “Ukraine today could be East Asia tomorrow.” Will Vance advocate appeasement there, too? If so, and if the Republicans win the US presidency in November, we will find ourselves in a world where Western values and interests are fully in retreat. — Harris ‘easier’ to beat: Trump• Carl Bildt is a former prime minister and foreign minister of Sweden.

Kevin Durant, who missed all five of the USA’s warm-up games with a calf strain, practised on Wednesday upon the team’s arrival in France ahead of the defence of their Olympic basketball title.The Phoenix Suns star, a former NBA MVP and three-time Olympic gold medallist, suffered the injury in June, but coach Steve Kerr has said there was no thought of replacing Durant on the roster.“The plan is for him to get in the scrimmage and see how he handles that,” Kerr told reporters in Lille after the team held an hour-long practice session. “He looked good today and he did everything, he got a lot of shots up and told me he’s feeling pretty good.”Durant, 35, missed the win over Canada earlier this month as well as the two exhibition games in Abu Dhabi. He was deemed not quite ready to return for the two most recent games in London either.“It starts with the scrimmage tomorrow and we’ll see what the training staff says after that,” Kerr said of the plan for easing Durant back into action.The Suns and Durant’s representatives will also be involved in any decision-making, Kerr insisted.“This is not going to be like us going out and saying, ‘Hey, let’s just throw him out there.’” Whether or not Durant will feature in Team USA’s tournament opener against Serbia remains unclear, but Kerr can call upon LeBron James who is back at the Olympics for the first time since 2012.James is set for his fourth Games appearance in Paris, where will he serve as the United States flagbearer alongside tennis star Coco Gauff in tomorrow’s opening ceremony on the Seine.“I just like coaching him rather than coaching against him, he’s incredible and it’s so fun to see him up close and get to know him a little bit and watch him with his teammates,” said Kerr.“I mean there’s a reason he’s LeBron James.“To see him at 39 doing everything he’s doing, dominating games, leading practices, setting an example for everybody, he’s incredible.”

Tennis star Coco Gauff will be the woman flag-bearer for the United States at the opening ceremony of the Paris Games, US Olympic chiefs said on Wednesday.The reigning US Open champion will join NBA superstar LeBron James as the US flag-bearers for tomorrow’s ceremony along the Seine river.“I never thought in a million years I would have the honour of carrying the American flag for Team USA in the opening ceremony,” Gauff said in a statement.“I could not be more proud to lead my teammates with LeBron as we showcase our dedication and passion on the biggest stage there is, at a moment where we can bring athletes and fans together from around the world.”The 20-year-old Gauff will be competing at the Olympics for the first time after a breakthrough 12 months which saw her claim her maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open last September.Gauff has risen to a career-high two in the world rankings and also won her first Grand Slam doubles title at the French Open after partnering Katerina Siniakova from the Czech Republic.Gauff and James were chosen as flag-bearers after a vote by fellow Team USA members.Gauff will play singles while partnering Jessica Pegula in doubles when the Olympic tennis gets under way at Roland Garros on Saturday.The US youngster was originally selected for the pandemic-delayed 2021 Olympics in Tokyo but did not compete after testing positive for Covid.

Canada coach Bev Priestman removed herself from their opening match duties at the Paris Olympics while an assistant coach and a team analyst were kicked out of the Games on Wednesday after a spying scandal engulfed the women’s soccer tournament.Global soccer’s governing body FIFA said it had begun disciplinary proceedings after New Zealand’s women’s team said their training session on Monday had been disrupted by a drone flown by a staff member of their opening Group A opponents Canada.The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) said on Wednesday it had taken action to remove two members of staff from their Olympic squad, who were gold medallists at the Tokyo Games, while Priestman would not take charge against New Zealand today. “Joseph Lombardi, an unaccredited analyst with Canada Soccer, is being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and will be sent home immediately,” COC said in a statement.“Jasmine Mander, an assistant coach to whom Mr. Lombardi reports to, is being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and will be sent home immediately.”Lombardi was handed an eight-month suspended jail term and his material was confiscated, a French court said. FIFA said on Wednesday it had “opened proceedings against Canada Soccer, Ms Beverly Priestman, Mr Joseph Lombardi and Ms Jasmine Mander due to the potential breach of article 13 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and article 6.1 of the Regulations Olympic Football.”“The matter will be submitted for the consideration of the Disciplinary Committee in the next days,” FIFA explained in a statement.Priestman apologised for what had happened and said ultimate responsibility lay with her.“On behalf of our entire team, I first and foremost want to apologise to the players and staff at New Zealand Football and to the players on Team Canada,” she said.“This does not represent the values that our team stands for. I am ultimately responsible for conduct in our programme.“Accordingly, to emphasise our team’s commitment to integrity, I have decided to voluntarily withdraw from coaching the match on Thursday. In the spirit of accountability, I do this with the interests of both teams in mind and to ensure everyone feels that the sportsmanship of this game is upheld.”The incident was reported by the NZOC to the police and to the International Olympic Committee’s integrity unit.“The NZOC and New Zealand Football are committed to upholding the integrity and fairness of the Olympic Games and are deeply shocked and disappointed by this incident, which occurred just three days before the sides are due to face each other in their opening game of Paris 2024,” NZOC said in a statement.“At this time the NZOC’s main priority is to support the New Zealand women’s football athletes and wider team as they start their campaign.”

Qatar Motorsports Academy team drivers Bader al-Sulaiti, Taha Hassiba and Tamim Hassiba participated in the Formula 4 testing held at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit. The two days of intense training is part of the plan initiated by the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) to develop academy’s drivers and to gain broader experience in circuit racing. The team will also undergo two additional days of training at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit next week after which the team will join a training camp in France from August 5 to 10.