TRACK AND FIELD
McLeod wins gold
Omar McLeod (Arkansas Razorbacks) was at the center of Jamaica's delayed celebration Monday. He was the first athlete from the island to win a gold at the world championships this year, winning the 110-meter hurdles. The 23-year-old from Kingston did what Usain Bolt and Elaine Thompson could not the previous nights in the 100 meters -- leaving the field behind to bring a gold medal home to a country that has come to expect nothing less. "I took it upon myself to re-route that and bring that spark back," said McLeod, who adds this gold medal to his Olympic title from last year. "I'm happy I did that." McLeod won in 13.04 seconds, while the world-record holder, American Aries Merritt, finished fifth. Other gold medalists Monday were Venezuela's Yulimar Rojas in the triple jump and Poland's Anita Wlodarczyk in the hammer throw. Kenya's Faith Kipyegon won the 1,500 meters.
HOCKEY
No Olympics for more
Not only will Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews and most of the best hockey players in the world not be going to the Olympics, neither will anyone on an NHL contract. The league has decided that players with active NHL contracts, even those in the minors, will not be allowed to participate in the Olympics in February in South Korea. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly confirmed the league's stance Monday The league announced in April it wouldn't stop its season to go to the Olympics for the first time since 1994, but questions had remained about players in the American Hockey League and ECHL. This means players signed to two-way NHL contracts or who are loaned to minor league affiliates by their clubs won't be available to the United States, Canada or other national teams. The AHL said earlier this summer that general managers could decide to allow players on AHL contracts to play in South Korea.
FOOTBALL
Carrington cleared
Receiver Darren Carrington officially has been cleared to play for Utah after transferring from Oregon shortly before fall camp began. The Pac-12 faculty athletic representatives' committee waived the intra-conference transfer penalty that can force players to sit out a year. The senior has been practicing with the team throughout camp. Carrington was dismissed from the Ducks soon after he was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence. Eugene, Ore., police have said Carrington was arrested after hitting a pole at a McDonald's restaurant early on July 1. In addition to DUI, Carrington was cited for careless driving and making an improper turn. The 6-2, 205-pound San Diego native joins the Utes as the most experienced and successful receiver on the roster. Carrington had 43 catches for 606 yards and 5 touchdowns last season as a junior with the Ducks. He has 112 career receptions for 1,919 yards and 15 touchdowns. The Utes are plenty familiar with Carrington after he caught a game-winning, 17-yard touchdown pass with two seconds left last season for a 30-28 Oregon victory. The Utes begin the season by hosting North Dakota on Aug. 31.
RB sharp for Buckeyes
With 1,000-yard rusher Mike Weber slowed by a hamstring tweak, true freshman J.K. Dobbins is getting a lot of carries and a majority of the buzz at Ohio State training camp. The La Grange, Texas, native was the first freshman to lose the black stripe from his helmet, signifying that he is now a full-fledged Buckeye. At the first scrimmage Saturday, Dobbins was rated a "champion," the highest grade a player can get from the coaching staff. That doesn't happen often for a freshman. "It's still early to anoint anybody, but he's one of the freshmen who will play this year," Coach Urban Meyer said Monday. Weber, who became just the third Ohio State freshman to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season, hasn't been able to go full speed yet. "He practiced [Monday]," Meyer said. "He didn't open it up yet, but he'll be ready for game one. We're just being cautious. Hamstrings are just something you really have to watch."
TENNIS
Errani banned
Former French Open finalist Sara Errani must serve a two-month doping ban after testing positive for the banned substance letrozole in a test taken in February, the International Tennis Federation said Monday. Errani blamed contamination from her mother's breast cancer medication. "I never took, in my life and during my career, any prohibited substance," Errani said in a statement. "I am extremely disappointed but at the same time at peace with my conscience and aware I haven't done anything wrong." An adjudication panel ruled that Errani's fault was "at the lower end of the scale," but she should still be banned for two months. The Italian has been retroactively disqualified from tournaments from Feb. 16 through June 7. Her only notable performance in that period was a semifinal in Rabat, Morocco, in May, plus a second-round loss at Roland Garros. Errani's ban will end Oct. 2, precluding her from playing in the U.S. Open. Errani reached the 2012 French Open final, losing to Maria Sharapova, and has completed a career grand slam in women's doubles with Roberta Vinci.
MOTOR SPORTS
Hendrick cuts Kahne's final year
CONCORD, N.C. -- Kasey Kahne is out at Hendrick Motorsports at the end of the season.
The Brickyard 400 winner was released from the final year of his contract, allowing him to pursue another Cup ride for 2018. Team owner Rick Hendrick did not immediately name a replacement for the No. 5 Chevrolet.
Hendrick has seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman in the fold for next season. The organization could turn to 19-year-old Xfinity Series driver William Byron to fill the seat. Former Cup champions Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch also don't have contracts for next season.
The 37-year-old Kahne will finish the season driving the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick. He has six victories in six seasons with Hendrick, including one at Indianapolis last month that qualified him for the playoffs.
"We won six races together and I'm coming off of one of the biggest wins of my career at the Brickyard, which has given the [No.] 5 team a lot of momentum heading into the playoffs," Kahne said. "We still have a lot of racing left in 2017 and finishing strong is our top priority."
Kahne's fate had been in limbo for most of the season because of years of mediocre finishes and sponsorship woes. Farmers Insurance bailed on Kahne, and Great Clips also cut ties with the driver. Great Clips had been signed as the primary sponsor for 10 races annually through the 2018 season, but that deal ended early -- and so did Kahne's run with Hendrick.
Kahne won as many as six races in 2006 driving for Ray Evernham and finished as high as fourth in the standings in 2012 driving for Hendrick. He won two races in 2013, won Aug. 31, 2014, at Atlanta Motor Speedway for career victory No. 17, and then went on a 102-race winless streak.
He opened this season with a seventh-place finish in the Daytona 500 and was fourth in Atlanta, and seemed to show he might have returned to form. But he crashed out of five races and failed to finish better than 15th in the nine races leading into Indianapolis.
Sports on 08/08/2017