plus 4, IOC withholds Jones' medal from Thanou - PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW

IOC withholds Jones' medal from Thanou - PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Manufacturer making do in bad economy - Journal Record
Chop shops busted for selling stolen parts, insurance fraud - Deseret News
Five finalists for George Woolf award - Thoroughbred Times
Red Rooster riders fancy their chances - Hindu

IOC withholds Jones' medal from Thanou - PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Posted: 09 Dec 2009 09:16 PM PST

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — It's time to rewrite the Olympic record books: There was no gold medal winner in the women's 100 meters at the 2000 Sydney Games.

The International Olympic Committee on Wednesday reallocated two individual medals stripped from Marion Jones for doping, but in an unprecedented move withheld her 100-meter prize from Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou because of her "disgraceful" behavior in evading drug tests at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

The decision means the first two runners across the line in Sydney have both been denied the winner's medal for doping violations, and the gold in sprinting's marquee event will remain without an owner — believed to be a first in the 113-year history of the modern Olympics.

"The IOC feels we have a strong moral and a good legal case for that," spokesman Mark Adams said. "We are not legally bound to give medals. This is a case of taking no action. We have decided not to give her (Thanou) an honor that we don't think she deserves."

While the IOC executive board awarded Jones' gold in the 200 meters and bronze in the long jump to the next place finishers, it refused Thanou the 100 gold because of her involvement in a drug scandal at the Athens Games.

"It was disgraceful behavior by her and this is a unique situation," Adams said.

Thanou never tested positive and was not linked to doping in Sydney, but was accused along with fellow Greek sprinter Kostas Kenteris of dodging drug-testers in Athens and faking a motorcycle crash as a cover-up.

While the race results and rankings are up to the International Association of Athletics Federations, the IOC controls who gets Olympic medals.

"The actual awarding of a gold medal is not a right," Adams said. "Therefore, in this case it will not happen. It's felt that by her conduct she didn't deserve to be honored with this recognition."

Adams said it's believed to be the first time the IOC has decided not to award a gold medal.

The IAAF deleted Jones' name from its list of Sydney results on Wednesday, but did not immediately move other athletes into her medal spots.

Thanou's lawyers have indicated they could sue or appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport if she isn't awarded the gold.

Thanou and Kenteris missed drug tests on the eve of the Athens opening ceremony, said they were injured in a motorcycle accident and spent several days in a hospital. They pulled out of the games and were later banned for two years by the IAAF.

Thanou and Kenteris — the men's 200-meter winner in Sydney — are still awaiting trial in Greece on misdemeanor charges of staging the crash.

"You must remember the circumstances surrounding Thanou in 2004," Adams said. "She disgraced herself and the Olympic movement by avoiding three doping tests and, according to Greek authorities, she faked a motorcycle accident ... and she admitted anti-doping rules violations when she accepted a two-year ban from the IAAF."

The IOC barred Thanou from last year's Beijing Games, saying she caused a "scandalous saga" in Athens that brought the Olympics into disrepute.

Tanya Lawrence of Jamaica, who finished third in the 100 in Sydney, moved up to second and became the duplicate silver medalist with Thanou. Merlene Ottey, who competed for Jamaica but is now a Slovenian citizen, went from fourth to third and will get her sixth career bronze medal to go with two silvers in seven Olympics.

Pauline Davis-Thompson of the Bahamas was promoted from silver to gold in the 200, with Sri Lanka's Susanthika Jayasinghe moving up from bronze to silver and Jamaica's Beverly McDonald going from fourth to third.

Russia's Tatyana Kotova was upgraded from fourth to bronze in the long jump.

Jones, who had long denied doping, admitted in 2007 that she used steroids at the time of the Sydney Games — where she became the first woman to win five medals at a single Olympics. She served a six-month prison sentence last year for lying about doping and her role in a check-fraud scam.

The IOC stripped Jones of her five medals, which also included gold in the 4x400 relay and bronze in the 4x100 relay, in December 2007, but put off any decision on redistributing the medals.

Still undecided is the fate of the medals held by Jones' relay teammates.

The IOC stripped those medals in April 2008, but the relay runners appealed to CAS, arguing it was wrong to punish them for Jones' violations. CAS is due to release its verdict by Dec. 18, and the IOC will wait until then before making a decision.

Pro basketball

» The Los Angeles Lakers are the NBA's most valuable team, and 12 franchises lost money in the 2008-09 season, according to Forbes magazine. In its annual listing of the value of NBA franchises, Forbes finds Lakers to be worth $607 million — up 4 percent. The teams losing money in the past year are the Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, Charlotte Bobcats, New Jersey Nets, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Hornets, Memphis Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks.

» Boston Celtics guard Marquis Daniels had surgery Wednesday to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb. No timetable has been set for his return.

» Guard Ben Gordon sat out the Pistons' game last night against Philadelphia because of a sprained left ankle.

» Dallas Mavericks forward Tim Thomas was at a Dallas restaurant when a fight broke out early yesterday during a dispute between he and another patron. Damien Pettie, 29, told police he approached Thomas and a group of people at a Denny's at about 3 a.m. and said, "Hey, what's up?" to the 6-foot-10 player. The parties exchanged curses, at which point Pettie said he was struck twice in the face by someone in Thomas' group.

» The NBA is taking another step in its plans to expand its presence in India, sending Dikembe Mutombo to take part in a pair of events this week. The former All-Star center, recently hired as the league's global ambassador, was in Mumbai yesterday to unveil two refurbished courts, along with a learning center, which the league said will benefit more than 1,500 children.

Pro football

» Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo practiced as the holder for kicker Nick Folk yesterday and might do it Sunday against the San Diego Chargers.

» New York Jets coach Rex Ryan decided that Mark Sanchez will not play at Tampa Bay on Sunday because of a sprained right knee, and Kellen Clemens will start in his place.

» Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid has signed a three-year contact extension through 2013.

Horse racing

» Steve Asmussen again broke his own record for victories by a trainer in a year with win No. 623 at Woodbine Racetrack near Toronto.

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Manufacturer making do in bad economy - Journal Record

Posted: 09 Dec 2009 07:58 PM PST

OKLAHOMA CITY – Kerry Cannon has trimmed his staff by 33 percent and cut his workweek to four days and 32 hours.

Kerry Cannon, chief executive of Cannon Spring Co. (Photo by Maike Sabolich)

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Chop shops busted for selling stolen parts, insurance fraud - Deseret News

Posted: 09 Dec 2009 07:00 PM PST

Police say they have busted a chop shop ring for insurance fraud and selling parts from stolen vehicles out of storage unit sites in West Bountiful and West Jordan.

The 10-month investigation came to a finale Tuesday when officers of the Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division raided two shops, recovering 20 vehicles.

"This was a big operation," said Charlie Roberts, spokesman for the Utah State Tax Commission. "This kind of thing happens all the time but few in multiple locations and this many vehicles."

Besides selling parts off high-performance street-racing cars and high-end motorcycles, suspects also faked the theft of two vehicles to claim they're stolen and gain insurance money, Roberts said.

"What they do is race the cars and burn the engine, and then when they're worth nothing, arrange for the ring to steal the cars," he said.

Of the vehicles recovered, 11 were cars, 6 were motorcycles, one was an all-terrain vehicle and one was a front-end loader for large equipment. All had been stuffed into the storage sites to sell online or to stores, police said.

Police identified Cody Yelsma, 22, as one of six suspected in the chop shop ring. Yelsma and other suspects face potential second-degree felony charges including auto theft, possession of stolen vehicles, possession of stolen parts, removal and switching of vehicle identification numbers and insurance fraud.

A Utah court records search revealed that an incident on May 5, 2009 led to Yelsma being charged with multiple counts of second and third degree theft by receiving stolen property and other similar charges to the current allegations against him.

Police have yet to locate the suspect, but a scheduling conference for Yelsma's previous charges is set for Thursday in the 3rd District Court.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the motor vehicle enforcement division tip line at 801-297-2600.

e-mail: lgroves@desnews.com

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Five finalists for George Woolf award - Thoroughbred Times

Posted: 09 Dec 2009 06:32 PM PST

Edited press release

Santa Anita Park announced Wednesday a list of five finalists for the 61st annual Santa Anita George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, with the winner to be announced in January.

Calvin Borel, Garrett Gomez, Randall Meier, Gallyn Mitchell, and DeShawn Parker will face an electorate comprised of their peers and one of the five will be selected the recipient of the highly coveted 2010 Woolf Award.

The Woolf Award has been presented annually by Santa Anita since 1950 and is regarded as one of the most prestigious honors in all of racing. It honors and recognizes those riders whose careers and personal character earn esteem for the individual and the sport of Thoroughbred racing. The winner's trophy is a replica of the life-size statue of George Woolf, which adorns Santa Anita's Paddock Gardens area.

The statue was created through donations from the racing public after Woolf's death which followed a spill at Santa Anita on January 13, 1946. Woolf, who was regarded as one of the nation's top big-money jockeys, was affectionately known as "The Iceman," and was revered by both his colleagues and members of the media as a fierce competitor and consummate professional.

The 2010 Woolf Award ballot features some of the highest profile jockeys in the world and also represents a broad diversity of geographic regions.

Throughout 2009, Louisiana-born Calvin Borel maintained the highest of profiles on racing's biggest stages. Borel orchestrated an unforgettable last-to-first run aboard 50.60-to-1 longshot Mine That Bird in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), one day after winning the Kentucky Oaks by 20 1/4 lengths aboard superstar filly Rachel Alexandra.

Borel, who won his first recognized race in 1976, would go on to win the BlackBerry Preakness Stakes (G1) aboard "Rachel" and would also pilot the Steve Asmussen trainee to victories against colts in the Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park and the Woodward Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park.

Like so many top Cajun riders before him, Borel began riding in match races in his native Louisiana long before he was old enough to compete at recognized racetracks. From "matching" at age eight, to winning his first Kentucky Derby in 2007 aboard Street Sense at 40, Borel's career has been punctuated by hard work and a no-nonsense approach to the sport's daily rigors. Annually during the Oaklawn Park meeting, Borel can commonly be found mucking stalls and performing other menial stable duties for his brother, trainer Cecil Borel.

Now 43, Borel is an iconic figure on the Kentucky-Arkansas-Louisiana circuit and has won riding titles throughout the region. As he demonstrated in winning Derbies aboard both Street Sense and Mine That Bird, Borel has a penchant for hugging the rail en route to heart-pounding victories and has thus earned the moniker "Bo-Rail."

Through November 30, 2009, Borel's lifetime win total stood at 4,830, with $106,800,825 in earnings.

Nicknamed "Go-Go" for his hard-charging style, Garrett Gomez, the son of a jockey, Louie, and a native of Tucson, Arizona, has overcome personal problems and established himself as one of the great riders of his era, as he has been America's leading money-winning jockey for the past three years, in 2006, '07, and '08.

Gomez, 37, broke his maiden at Santa Fe Downs, New Mexico on August 19, 1988, and his career began to take off in the mid '90s, as he won back-to-back runnings of the Arkansas Derby in 1994 and '95. In 1997, he won the "Mid-America Triple," at Arlington Park in Chicago, by taking the American Derby, American Classic, and the Secretariat Stakes (his first Grade I), all aboard Honor Glide.

As a result of substance abuse issues, Gomez did not ride for parts of 2002, '03 and '04. However, he returned to full-time riding late in 2004, and by the end of 2005, Gomez had become one of the top big money riders in America, as he won his first two Breeders' Cup races, the 2005 Juvenile (G1) with Stevie Wonderboy and the '05 Mile (G1) with Artie Schiller.

At the suggestion of recently retired Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey, Gomez hired top agent Ron Anderson early in 2006, facilitating his ascension to the top of his profession.

"Go-Go's" other Breeders' Cup wins include the 2007 Juvenile Fillies (G1) aboard Indian Blessing, the '07 and '08 Sprint (G1) with Midnight Lute, and the '08 Juvenile (G1) with Midshipman. Gomez reached the 3,000 win plateau by taking the Oak Tree Mile Stakes (G2) on Sept. 28, 2008, aboard Hyperbaric.

An integral part of the hit series Jockeys on Animal Planet cable network, Gomez has earned the respect of the racing community by dealing with his personal issues in a forthright manner and has contributed generously to charitable causes such as the California-based Winners' Foundation.

Gomez's career earnings, through November 30, stood at $159,889,171, from 3,256 wins. He resides in nearby Duarte with his wife Pam and children Jared, Amanda, Shelby and Collin.

Randy Meier, 55, a native of Nebraska and a fixture in the Chicago area for nearly 30 years, has overcome catastrophic injuries throughout his career and remains a force to be reckoned with at Hawthorne Race Course, where he is that track's all-time winningest jockey.

Meier, who won his 4,000th race in 2008 at Arlington Park, is also the all-time leading rider at the now shuttered Sportsman's Park near Chicago. Meier has been a dominate force in the Chicago area since 1980. His son Brandon has followed in his footsteps and is now plying his trade as a regular rider in Chicago as well.

Meier's win total through November 30, was 3,917, with career earnings of $58,090,118.

The epitome of a hard-working rider throughout his 28-year career, Gallyn Mitchell, 46, has become a fixture at Emerald Downs, outside of Seattle, Washington. With 1,173 victories at the Auburn, Washington track, which opened in 1996, Mitchell is the all-time leader at Emerald and is the only Emerald-based jockey to amass more than $10-million in career earnings.

A native of Southern California, Mitchell was nicknamed "Booger" by his mother, a moniker that has followed him throughout his racing career.

Mitchell won the Pacific Northwest's marquee race, the Longacres Mile Handicap (G3), for the second time on August 16 with Assessment. He won his first Mile aboard Edneator, at 41-1, in 2000.

Mitchell and his wife of 21 years, Denise, have three children, all of whom are deeply involved with horses. Denise also serves as "Booger's" agent, a role she has held since 1995. Together, they are atop the all-time stakes-won list at Emerald, with 63 added money triumphs.

Mitchell broke his maiden on January 29, 1981 at Santa Anita and through November 30 he has 2,437 career wins and $18,172,082 in lifetime earnings.

In large part due to a family tragedy that befell long time client and trainer Frank Lucarelli, whose son Tony died of brain cancer at age 16 in 2005, Mitchell heads at least one charity event a year, usually a golf tournament or a poker ride, either on horses or motorcycles.

Well respected by his peers, Mitchell is also a fierce competitor.

"You've got to outride him, he won't give you anything," said jockey Ricky Frazier in 2008. "He's very knowledgeable, rides his heart out and makes you ride better to beat him. It's an honor to ride against him."

Like Mitchell and Gomez, DeShawn Parker, 38, will be a Woolf finalist for the first time in 2010. America's second leading rider with 333 wins in 2008, Parker has long been a fixture at Mountaineer Park, where he has won several riding titles and where he rode regularly for the late Dale Baird, the winningest trainer in Thoroughbred history.

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Parker, who is African-American, is one of the nation's taller jockeys, at 5-feet, 10-inches.

"Everyone is so shocked when they first see him because he's so tall, but to watch how he folds down and lays down on a horse, he's just a natural," said Parker's father, Darryl, in a 2003 interview.

Involved in the Thoroughbred industry since 1964, the elder Parker became America's first black steward in 1986, at Thistledown, in suburban Cleveland.

"Basically, the reason I'm riding today is because of him," said DeShawn Parker. "I always hung around him when he was a pony boy, and when he became the clerk of scales in Cleveland, I got to sit in the jockeys' room and I just loved it. He's definitely my main influence."

Through November 30, 2009, Parker is credited with 3,101 wins, and $35,127,883 in career earnings.

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Red Rooster riders fancy their chances - Hindu

Posted: 09 Dec 2009 08:19 PM PST

Sport - Racing : Motor

Red Rooster riders fancy their chances

BANGALORE: Team Red Rooster racing, which earned a podium finish in the fourth round in its maiden year of participation, is all set to shine in the sixth round of Petronas Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC), which will be held in Zhuhai, China from December 11 to 13.

According to a media release, the team, which consists of K. Rajini and Rohit Giri, got a chance to practise at the Zhuhai track before the race. The riders were happy with the practice and hoped for a good show.

Top rider

Rajini is now being acknowledged as one of the top riders in ARRC and his performance will be watched with great interest. Rohit marked his entry in the fifth round of ARRC and picked up one point. Team Red Rooster believes that he will fare much better.

The FIM Asia Road Racing Championship is Asia's premiere motorcycle road racing championship, featuring two race classes — Underbone 4-stroke, single cylinder and Supersport 4-stroke, 4 cylinders.

The FIM Asian RRC is a championship in a class of its own. It is the only motorcycle championship to span the Asian continent, moving from Malaysia, to Japan, Indonesia, India and China.

It is the only championship to attract the participation from the best riders from Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand apart from the host countries.

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