German national football team heach coach JOACHIM LÖW confirmed that he "will fulfill his contract with the German Football Federation (DFB) and stay on as head coach until '16." Löw, who "led his team to a World Cup title in Brazil, seems ready to collect a Euro title as well." He said, "Yes, at the moment I can't think of anything better than continue working with this team, lead them to the Euro in France, further develop each individual players and the team as a whole" (DPA, 7/23). ... Marketing agency The KINC announced it has signed Red Bull Global Rallycross driver NELSON PIQUET JR. to its motorsport talent roster. Piquet Jr. has followed his agent, STEVE HEWETT, "who joins The KINC from his previous role as head of athletes relations for North America at Alpinestars where he worked on several motorsport series including IndyCar and Formula Drift." Piquet Jr. retains NASCAR representation in the U.S. with FUEL Sports Management (ISPORTCONNECT, 7/23). ... National Rugby League side Newcastle Knights coach WAYNE BENNETT said that fullback DARIUS BOYD has checked "himself into a Sydney rehabilitation facility on Wednesday morning to treat depression."
After media reports surfaced on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning that Boyd "was being investigated for an incident" in which A$,1500 ($1,400) worth of damage was done to a room in a Hunter Valley hotel he stayed at last Thursday, the Knights "issued a statement on Wednesday saying Boyd had been admitted to a mental health facility seeking treatment for depression" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 7/23). ... Former New Zealand netball player NOELINE TAURUA "fears the hiring of another Australian at a Kiwi netball franchise will signal the 'beginning of the end' for aspiring New Zealand coaches."
With SUE HAWKINS "taking over as coach of the Tactix, two of New Zealand's five professional teams are guided by Australians." Taurua said, "I think it's the beginning of the end unless we shake ourselves up and look strategically as to where we are going as a pool of coaches and Netball New Zealand as franchise" (THE PRESS, 7/23). ... British diver TOM DALEY "has denied reports that he will retire after the Commonwealth Games."
A source close to Daley "had been reported as suggesting the 20-year-old diver would call time on his career after Glasgow over fears he would not win a medal at the 2016 Olympics." A spokesperson for Daley said, "Tom’s working hard in training and his goal remains to compete in his third Olympic Games, at Rio 2016" (London TELEGRAPH, 7/23). ... Orica-GreenEDGE rider MICHAEL ALBASINI said "he regretted comments he made to French rider" KEVIN REZA during Tuesday’s 16th stage of the Tour de France in the Pyrenees. But he "denied that they were of racist nature as alleged."
Albasini "attributed the issue to a linguistic miscommunication, but he would not elaborate on what he exactly said to Reza." Albasini said, "He misunderstood me, that is what happened; so I couldn’t understand all the trouble at the finish line because I am far away from being a racist or anything like this" (SMH, 7/23).
TWO WHEELS NOT ENOUGH: Two senior execs of the Mercedes F1 team "have been injured in a cycling accident just hours before preparations for the Hungarian Grand Prix." Senior Dir TOTO WOLFF and Technical Dir PADDY LOWE were "on a team bike ride alongside the River Danube, which flows through the centre of Budapest."
Precise details "are not yet known," but team driver LEWIS HAMILTON and NICO ROSBERG "were not involved with the cycling party."
Lowe "escaped serious injury," but Wolff "suffered a fractured shoulder, collarbone, elbow and wrist." Pictures of "pins inserted in Wolff’s arm were posted on Twitter" (LONDON TIMES, 7/23).
