IAAF President Sebastian Coe said on Tuesday that the "recent leakage of athletes' personal medical information" by hacker group Fancy Bears, which also appeared to link elite Kenyan athletes to doping, "was unacceptable." He added that the leakage "should not be interpreted as proof of doping." Coe: "Everybody is entitled to private medical information and it is unacceptable that this should find its way to public domain." Coe denied that athletics is "losing its popularity," saying that tickets for next month's world championships in London "sold out quickly" (REUTERS, 7/11).
South African rugby players are "excited by the prospect of competing in the Pro12," according to Southern Kings scrum-half Rudi van Rooyen. The Kings, who play in Port Elizabeth, and the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs are "expected to join the league after losing their Super Rugby status." Van Rooyen said, "A lot of the players at South African teams would prefer playing in the Pro12. Most of the guys are really excited to play in the northern hemisphere" (BBC, 7/11).
Changing the perception of jockeys from horsemen to elite athletes has been identified as a "top priority for the British Horseracing Authority and the wider racing industry" following two major research projects. The two separate studies, conducted by Oxford University and Liverpool John Moores University, "examined the body composition of male jockeys and nutrition, weight and well-being," respectively (SKY SPORTS, 7/11).
