British Paralympian DAVID WEIR on Thursday "ruled himself out of the World Championships in Lyon" in July. That "may open the door for the winner of four gold medals last summer to return to the Olympic Stadium for the Sainsbury's Anniversary Games." Weir is still deciding whether to take up the invitation, "which on paper looks a no-brainer" (London TIMES, 4/25). ... Two former top officials of Finnish football club Tampere United "were found guilty on Thursday of money laundering after accepting funds from a Singaporean company that had obtained the money through match fixing." The court of appeals of Turku, Finland, handed former Managing Dir DENIZ BAVAUTDIN and former Board Chair HARRI PYHALTO "six-month suspended sentences" (REUTERS, 4/25). ... The Russian Hockey Federation announced Wednesday former NHL player ALEXEI KASATONOV "has been appointed general manager of the Russian national hockey team for next year's Sochi Olympics." Kasatonov held the same post at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano "when the Russian team took silver after a 1-0 defeat to the Czechs in the final" (R SPORT, 4/24). ... League One side Portsmouth has appointed GUY WHITTINGHAM as its permanent manager. Whittingham "signed a one-year rolling contract" (BBC, 4/24). ... LANG PING was appointed head coach of the Chinese national women's volleyball team. Lang, nicknamed "Iron Hammer," was a former Chinese volleyball player in the '80s and the former head coach of the United States national women's volleyball team (GLOBAL TIMES, 4/25).
