No ride for cyclist after appeal dismissed

July 25, 2008

CYCLIST Chris Jongewaard has lost an appeal against his non-selection for the Olympic team. Jongewaard wasn't included in the team after facing various driving offences relating to an accident near Adelaide last year, which left fellow cyclist Matthew Rex with severe head injuries. He had pleaded not guilty and was due to face court again later this year, but the Australian Olympic Committee refused to nominate him for the Games, believing his actions had brought the sport into disrepute. The appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport was heard in Sydney and was dismissed. Daniel McConnell will now represent Australia in the men's mountain-bike event.

Darby a step closer to competing

AUSTRALIA'S modern pentathlete Angie Darby has won a significant round in her battle to compete at the Beijing Games, after an international tribunal ruled in her favour yesterday. British lawyer Mike Townley, who represents the next female reserve, a Greek, had successfully argued before the Court of Arbitration for Sport that Australia's male modern pentathlete, Alex Parygin, should be "deselected" from the Games because of the impact of equine influenza on Australian competitions, then turned his attention to Darby. Townley alleged Australian officials had falsified results and that Darby should not be on the team because another event, the Victorian Open, which doubled as the Australian Championships, was not of sufficient standard to be considered an international qualifying event. His arguments were rejected by the tribunal.

Ottey fails to make Slovenian team

CHAMPION sprinter Merlene Ottey has failed in her bid to become the first athlete to reach eight Olympic finals. Ottey, 48, who before 2002 represented Jamaica at world and Olympic athletic events, failed to reach the 100-metre qualification time at the Slovenian trials. Her Olympic career began at the 1980 Moscow Games, where she won bronze in the 200.