World Sports

Anna says noMOSCOW: Anna Kournikova has turned down the chance to play for Russia at the Sydney Olympics, the country's tennis chief said....

Anna says no
MOSCOW: Anna Kournikova has turned down the chance to play for Russia at the Sydney Olympics, the country8217;s tennis chief said.

8220;She said it didn8217;t fit into her schedule,8221; the president of the Russian tennis federation, Shamil Tarpishchev, said on Monday. 8220;We had a spot open for her but she turned it down.8221;

Tarpishchev said he had chosen Elena Likhovtseva, Elena Dementieva and Anastasia Myskina to play singles in Sydney while Likhovtseva would team up with Myskina in doubles.

On the men8217;s side, it would be a familiar Russian Davis Cup duo of former World No 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin playing both singles and doubles.

Rafter reopens rift with Philippoussis
SYDNEY: Pat Rafter laid the boot into Mark Philippoussis again on Tuesday, indicating his fellow Aussie would not be mixing with the rest of Australia8217;s Sydney Olympic tennis team.

8220;We8217;ll just stick to ourselves,8221; he said of fellow team-mates Lleyton Hewitt, Mark Woodforde, Tood Woodbridge and Andrew Ilie, who will attend a training camp in Sydney after the US Open.

Rafter will meet Philippoussis in Toronto this week for the first time since The Scud rubbed his team-mates up the wrong way when he cried-off at the last minute from Australia8217;s Davis Cup semi-final against Brazil with a knee injury.

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Sotomayor still hopeful
HAVANA: Cuba8217;s high jump champion Javier Sotomayor, banned for two years after testing positive for cocaine, is still hoping to compete in the Sydney Olympics.

The 32-year-old World record holder is counting on the IAAF accepting his pleas of innocence and scrap the ban which runs until July 30 next year.

8220;I8217;m hoping they8217;ll take account of my arguments, that they8217;ll take a close look at my career and the 300 jumps I8217;ve achieved over 2.30m and that they8217;ll realise I8217;ve got no need for drugs,8221; he said here on Monday.

Sotomayor failed a drug test at the Pan-American Games in Winnipeg, Canada, on July 31 1999.

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Bubka8217;s swansong
KIEV: Pole vault World record-holder Sergei Bubka has confirmed that he will make his farewell appearance at the Sydney Olympics.

The 36-year-old, who has been battling a serious Achilles tendon injury for several years, will lead a 230-plus Ukraine team to the Games, the country8217;s Olympic committee secretary general Volodymyr Gerashchenko said on Tuesday.

Gerashchenko said the government has approved a bonus structure for medallists: 50,000 for gold, 30,000 for silver and 20,000 for bronze.