Australian swimmer and former freestyle world record holder EAMON SULLIVAN "has announced his immediate retirement from competitive swimming due to ongoing shoulder injury concerns" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 7/16). ... Former Australian Football League side Essendon exec TRAVIS AULD, "whom the crisis-ridden Bombers attempted to lure back to their top job last season, is expected to be announced this week as a senior member" of AFL CEO GILLON MCLACHLAN's exec line-up.
The appointment follows last week's off-site day-long AFL exec workshop run by McLachlan as "he sets about reshaping the competition's priorities and administration" (THE AGE, 7/16). ... Double Olympic champion MO FARAH said that "he is fit to compete at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow."
Farah "missed last week's Diamond League meeting in the city because of illness."
But he completed a "rigorous training session" on Wednesday and tweeted, "Training is going good! Next stop Commonwealth Games" (BBC, 7/16). ... Super League rugby side Salford Red Devils player GARETH HOCK "has been banned for seven matches for making deliberate physical contact with a match official." Salford Chair MARWAN KOUKASH said on Twitter that the Super League club "will not appeal against the suspension." Hock was also fined £300 ($514) by the Rugby Football League's disciplinary panel (BBC, 7/16). ... Welsh 800m runner GARETH WARBURTON "is set to miss the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow after being provisionally suspended for a doping violation."
The 31-year-old "had been due to compete at his third Commonwealth Games this month before being informed of his suspension from all competition after being charged with an anti-doping offence" (London DAILY MAIL, 7/16). ... Welsh cyclist GERAINT THOMAS "is understood to have agreed terms with Team Sky on a new multiyear contract, although nothing has yet been signed." Thomas' contract "is up at the end of the season and there had been talk of the 28-year-old moving on to further his grand tour ambitions, not least from the man himself" (London TELEGRAPH, 7/16). ... New ManU Manager LOUIS VAN GAAL has arrived at the club's training complex, where he "is meeting his players and staff." Van Gaal "decided against taking a holiday after guiding the Netherlands to third place at the World Cup and will instead throw himself into United life, meeting those players who are not on a post World Cup break as well as club staff" (London INDEPENDENT, 7/16).
