Six-time Olympic cycling champion CHRIS HOY announced his retirement Thursday. Hoy, who was 37 last month, has "spent the period post-London 2012 deliberating over his future, with the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow a major carrot" (PA, 4/15). ... Rising Russian women’s tennis player ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA announced that five-time Grand Slam champion MARTINA HINGIS "will be her coach" (IANS, 4/15). ... National Rugby League side Parramatta coach RICKY STUART has been fined A$10,000 ($10,322) over his "extraordinary seven-minute tirade against referees, in which he claimed his side faced unfair adjudicating every week because his Eels are 'easy to penalise.'" Stuart was furious after a 12-4 penalty count, including 8-1 in the second half, "cost his team victory when the Titans scored the last 20 points at Skilled Park" (Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH, 4/15). ... Then-East Germany 1976 Olympic long jump champion ANGELA VOIGT "died on Thursday of an undisclosed illness." She was 61 (DPA, 4/15). ... Former Canadian cycling national team member ALISON SYDOR "will be inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2013 at the Hall of Fame Celebrations ceremony" to be held in Toronto on Oct. 16th (CYCLING NEWS, 4/15). ... Great Britain's "most successful Olympic canoeist" TIM BRABANTS "has announced his retirement from the sport." The 36-year-old appeared at the Games four times and became the first British canoeist to win Gold "when he stormed to victory in the K1 1,000 metres event in Beijing five years ago" (SKY SPORTS, 4/15). ... Indian Premier League Sunrisers Hyderabad batsman SHIKHAR DHAWAN "expects to take the field in the IPL" once he gets clearance from the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore (PAKISTAN TODAY, 4/15). ... LANCE ARMSTRONG has sold his mansion and property in Austin for nearly $4M. The 7,000 square meter-property, including Armstrong's 730 square meter estate, is being purchased by local businessman AL KOEHLER, who has taken out a $3.1M loan for the purchase. Armstrong's former property was reportedly worth $10M (CLARIN, 4/12). ... Liverpool FC Owner JOHN HENRY praised the perseverance of the Hillsborough families in their campaign for justice, “admitting he was ‘humbled’ by their dignity.” Henry, making his first appearance at the annual service to remember those who died in the '89 disaster, gave a reading before addressing thousands assembled on the Kop at Anfield. Henry: “I have been humbled by the dignity and perseverance of the families in their search for truth and justice. It is an honor to be here on this particular day” (ITV, 4/15). … FIFA President SEPP BLATTER has “embarked on a week-long tour of Central American and Caribbean countries” this week ahead of the CONCACAF Congress. Blatter is visiting the Dominican Republic, Haiti and spending two days in Cuba on FIFA business. His trip ends in Panama (WORLD FOOTBALL INSIDER, 4/15).
