Spain's RAFAEL NADAL "confirmed he will compete in all three tennis events at the Rio Olympics despite being not at his best after being sidelined with a wrist injury since May." After two days of training in Rio alongside compatriot DAVID FERRER, Nadal told Spanish radio station Cadena Cope on Wednesday: "It's evident that the condition of my wrist is not ideal and if it wasn't the Olympics, I would not take this risk. However, having spoken to my team and with CONCHITA (MARTINEZ), I've decided to play the singles and everything else" (REUTERS, 8/3). ... NICOLA ADAMS’s hopes of being Great Britain’s flag-bearer at the opening ceremony of the Olympics "enjoyed a major boost" after it emerged BRADLEY WIGGINS "had ruled himself out of the running." Wiggins, the bookmakers’ favorite for the honor, "is understood to have told British Cycling some time ago that he thought it would be better if it nominated a female rider." If selected ahead of the likes of ANDY MURRAY, NICK SKELTON and KATHERINE GRAINGER, Adams "would become Britain’s first black flagbearer" (London TELEGRAPH, 8/2). ... Former F1 driver CHRIS AMON, "universally regarded as the best driver to never win a World Championship race," has died at the age of 73. The New Zealander, who earned five GP pole positions, "had been battling cancer for some time." Amon’s lack of a Grand Prix win "became legendary, as a combination of mechanical bad luck and ill-timed career moves meant that he never fulfilled his potential" (FOX SPORTS, 8/3). ... Hungary's most capped football player GABOR KIRALY "announced his international retirement, having made 107 appearances for his country." The 40-year-old goalkeeper, "known for his trademark grey tracksuit bottoms, became the oldest player ever to feature in a European Championship in June and impressed as Hungary reached the round of 16 in France." Kiraly said, "I am a perfectionist. I want to play perfectly, but at the age of 40 this is impossible in both the club and the national team at the same time" (REUTERS, 8/3).
PELE SEEKS PERMISSION: PELE "has been invited to light the Olympic pyre for the Rio Games on Friday" but the former Brazilian player "is checking with his sponsors to see if he is free to lead the torch ceremony in the Maracana stadium." Pele: "I have a contract that I am bound to fulfill." He added that he "was consulting the U.S. company that holds the rights to his brand name." Pele: "As a Brazilian, I'd love to do it." Pele said that he "would have an answer on Thursday" (REUTERS, 2/8).
NBA PLAYERS GO TO ISRAEL: Israeli NBA player OMRI CASSPI will "arrive in Israel with fellow NBA players as part of a public relations campaign for his homeland." He is to be accompanied by NBA and WNBA players, "who have enlisted their support for a second time after a similar solidarity trip Casspi made last year." Casspi: "We worked day and night for this journey [...] We are continuing in our work to change public and youth opinion in the US, to create as positive an image of Israel as possible" (JEWISH VOICE, 8/3).
