MARIAM SALEH BINLADEN, a dentist from Saudi Arabia, "has set a new record as the first woman to officially swim 101 miles of the source of the River Thames" in the U.K. Swimming to "inspire more women to participate in sport and to raise awareness of the plight of refugee Syrian orphans around the world, Mariam is just the third person and first woman in recent history to have successfully completed the 100+ mile open-water swimming feat" (ARAB NEWS, 6/15). ... The partner of former All Black JERRY COLLINS "had no alcohol in her system when she crashed in southern France, leaving her and Collins dead." She "may have swerved to avoid an animal on the A9 highway, or fallen asleep at the wheel, an investigation has found." A lead French investigator in a report wrote that the "true cause behind the fatal crash, which also left the pair's then 10-week-old daughter AYLA critically injured, may never be discovered" (STUFF, 6/14). ... Russian former No. 1 MARIA SHARAPOVA has "lodged an appeal of her two-year suspension from tennis with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, seeking to have the ban either lifted completely or reduced." Sharapova, 29, was banned by the Int'l Tennis Federation "following her positive test for the banned drug meldonium." A decision "is expected by July 18" (REUTERS, 6/14).
