
Wellington withdraws C8217;Wealth bid
SYDNEY: The New Zealand city of Wellington today withdrew its bid to host the 2006 Commonwealth Games, leaving only Australia8217;s Melbourne in the running, organisers said.
Bid chief Kerry Prendergast said, 8220;Quite simply it boils down to an unacceptable financial risk for the region, huge difficulties preparing the technical bid and a significant funding gap,8221; she said.
Mutola sets world seasonal at 800 meters
MALMO SWEDEN: Maria Mutola of Mozambique ran a world seasonal best of 1 minute, 58.16 seconds Wednesday night to win the women8217;s 800 metres in the Brogalan indoor meet.
8220;I8217;m delighted,8221; said Mutola after only her third indoor race of the year. 8220;I had expected to run a 1.59, not faster.8221;
Mutola clocked a 1:56.36, four-hundredths of a second faster than the world record set in 1988, last year but was disqualified for stepping out of her lane.
Tyson hearing
WASHINGTON: Mike Tyson8217;s probation officer says he will ask an Indianajudge next month to consider punishing the heavyweight fighter further following his sentencing in Maryland for assaulting two motorists.
8220;There8217;s a feeling back here in Indiana he needs to be held accountable for the violation of probation,8221; George Walker, chief of probation in Marion County, Indiana, said.
Tyson, 32, was sentenced by a Maryland judge last week to a year in prison on a no-contest plea to kicking one motorist and punching another after a minor three-car accident in Gaithersburg, Maryland, last August.