Rumors "are flying" that RAFAEL NADAL will skip Wimbledon in order to be prepared for the upcoming summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Inside Tennis magazine reported that "unconfirmed sources close to Nadal have said that the two-time Wimbledon champion will not be making the trip to the All England Club to give him time to recovery from a wrist injury that forced him out the French Open and Aegon Championship" (VAVEL, 6/4). ... Billionaire Sports Direct Founder MIKE ASHLEY has "again refused to attend parliament next week to answer MPs' questions about pay and working conditions at his retail empire." Ashley wrote to Labour MP IAIN WRIGHT, who chairs the business select committee, saying that "he will not be able to attend parliament on June 7" because his lawyer, RICHARD GORDON, is unavailable. Ashley wrote, "Obviously he should be present if I was to attend" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 6/3). ... JARRYD HAYNE's Olympic dream "is still alive" after the former National Rugby League and NFL player "was included in Fiji’s initial 23-man rugby sevens squad for the Games in Rio." Hayne "quit the San Francisco 49ers last month to pursue his Olympic ambitions." That list "will be shortened to a final 13 by the time the Games start" in Brazil on Aug. 5, giving Hayne limited time on the training ground to convince selectors he deserves a spot in the squad (London GUARDIAN, 6/5). ... Australian motorcycle sidecar racer DWIGHT BEARE died following a crash in a race on the Isle of Man off England's north-west coast -- "one of three deaths in a horror week for racing." His passenger, BENJAMIN BINNS, was "airlifted to the island's Noble's Hospital, with a fractured ankle," described as "stable" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 6/5).
KYRGIOS QUITS: Australian tennis player NICK KYRGIOS ended to his Olympic campaign and accused the Australian Olympic Committee of "unfair and unjust" treatment as he "fired a broadside at team officials when he quit on Friday." Kyrgios "pulled the pin" on his Olympic Gold Medal ambitions by releasing a "stinging statement" aimed at the AOC and Chef de Mission KITTY CHILLER after a "very public stoush" (THE AGE, 6/3). The AOC said that Kyrgios made the decision to pull out of selection for the Olympics and "was not pushed by officials." Chiller: "We have treated everyone fairly and justly and consistently. He's been given every opportunity. We have reached out to him. He was sent a letter, as were two other people, asking him to basically please explain and he chose to respond in this way" (ABC, 6/4).