Former NFL player JARRYD HAYNE's "quest to make the Rio Olympic Games has hit a speed bump after being left out of the Fiji squad" for the London Sevens. After going into camp with the team on Monday, "the cross-code star missed out on the 12-man squad named on Wednesday by coach BEN RYAN" (AAP, 5/19). ... Chelsea captain JOHN TERRY has "signed a new one-year contract." Terry had been "pondering an offer made by the club last week," with incoming Manager ANTONIO CONTE "keen to keep Terry." Chelsea said that there "had been consultation" between the Blues skipper, Conte, Owner ROMAN ABRAMOVICH and the club's board (WEST LONDON SPORT, 5/18). ... Man City defender MARTIN DEMICHELIS has been fined £22,058 ($32,176) and warned as to his future conduct after he accepted an FA charge in relation to betting. Demichelis breached FA Rule E8 in respect of 29 bets placed on football matches between Jan. 22 and Feb. 15 (FA). ... Former South Korean football players AHN JUNGHWAN and PARK JISUNG have been unveiled as Local Organizing Committee Ambassadors for the FIFA U20 World Cup Korea Republic 2017 at a ceremony in Seoul (FIFA). ... The Pakistan Hockey Federation, in a "highly controversial" move, has appointed SHAHID PERVAIZ BHINDARA as the adviser to the PHF president after the same official was removed by Punjab Hockey Association on May 10 as a "result of a no-confidence motion tabled against him by their general council" (DAWN, 5/18). ... Arsenal goalkeeper PETR CECH has "won the Premier League Golden Glove." The Czech Republic keeper has "kept 16 clean sheets in his debut season at the Emirates -- narrowly edging out DAVID DE GEA" (London DAILY MIRROR, 5/18).
ARGUING TO RETURN: British sprint cyclist JESS VARNISH flew in from her self-funded training camp in Australia for a meeting with British Cycling that will determine whether she "will be welcomed back" in the Olympic program. Varnish, "who was axed from the track cycling team last month and strongly believes that was because she voiced anger at her coaching team," argues that she has data to "prove she is worthy of being considered for Rio." She has been at the center of allegations that "led to the resignation of SHANE SUTTON as performance director at British Cycling." Sutton's replacement is ANDY HARRISON and "it is in his hands that the fate of Varnish's bid to be selected for Rio rests" (LONDON TIMES, 5/18).
ANTI-DOPING HEARING: MARIA SHARAPOVA will attend an Int'l Tennis Federation anti-doping hearing in London on Wednesday with the Russian "facing a possible ban of up to four years for failing a drugs test at the Australian Open." In March, Sharapova said she had "returned a positive test for meldonium." She claimed to have been "taking meldonium on doctor's orders for 10 years." Hundreds of athletes have tested positive for meldonium this year but WADA "admitted last month that their bans might be overturned due to a lack of clear scientific information on how long the drug takes to be excreted from the body" (REUTERS, 5/18).
