Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist JESS SCHIPPER "has formally retired from competitive swimming."
The 27-year-old butterfly specialist, who was part of Australia's gold-winning 4x100m medley relay teams at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, "had initially taken a break after the 2012 London Games and has since had her first child" (AAP, 9/29). ... Former rugby league player JOHN ELIAS has been fined A$500 ($436) "after he was caught at a Sydney hotel with cocaine in his pocket."
Elias "pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a prohibited drug after he was arrested during an afternoon of two-up at Balmain’s Sackville Hotel on Anzac Day this year" (AAP, 9/29). ... Bangladesh cricket umpire NADIR SHAH, who "was handed a 10-year ban for corruption in 2013, has been allowed to officiate in a domestic cricket match -- and was even given a standing ovation by the players."
Shah "was one of several umpires from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka caught in a sting by an Indian television network in which the match officials were allegedly shown to be willing to give certain pre-specified decisions for a fee" (FOX SPORTS, 9/29).