Cyclist ANNA MEARES "announced her retirement from cycling at the age of 33," finally ceding her position as "queen of the track" after six Olympic medals (two Gold), a record 11 world titles, five Commonwealth Games gold medals and "more blood, sweat and tears." Meares: "I feel satisfied, I feel like I have achieved every goal I ever set out to achieve. I feel like there isn’t much more for me to want or really desire. Once I made the decision, I ran it by my family, and my siblings were really excited and my parents said, 'Geez, we’re going to have to teach you how to be normal'" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 10/17).
NOT GUILTY: Former Wales int'l striker CHED EVANS "was found not guilty of rape after a two week long re-trial ended in Cardiff on Friday." Evans, who was released in '14 after serving half of a five-year sentence for the "alleged rape of a 19-year-old woman in a hotel room" in '11, had his conviction quashed by the Court of Appeal last April. The jury of seven women and five men "took two hours to acquit Evans," a former Man City player, at Cardiff crown court on Friday (REUTERS, 10/14).
