Canadian Olympic 400m runner DAUNDRE BARNABY, 24, has died in a swimming accident. Barnaby "drowned after a strong current swept him out to sea as he swam" with teammates during a training camp on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts (BBC, 3/28). ... Retired French footballer THIERRY HENRY told his compatriots to lay off ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIĆ but to "enjoy the time he's staying in Ligue 1." Henry, who played with Ibrahimović at Barcelona in '09 and '10, said, "Zlatan is an extraordinary guy. He is incredibly kind and we laughed a lot together. The people in France should make up their mind about what they really want. First they were complaining about the lack of big stars in Ligue 1 and now they have a player of Ibrahimović's stature, they are complaining about him again" (XINHUA, 3/28). ... Former F1 driver FRANCK MONTAGNY "has been handed a two-year ban by the sport's governing body after he failed a dope test while competing in the new Formula E electric series in November." The Frenchman was also disqualified from 15th place at the Putrajaya ePrix in Malaysia, "where he tested positive for Benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine" (REUTERS, 3/28). ... Norway's MARTIN ØDEGAARD became the youngest player to start a European Championship qualifying match when he took the field in Norway's Group H tie against Croatia on Saturday. Odegaard, aged 16 years and 101 days, plays for Real Madrid's B team. He previously became the "youngest player to feature in a Euro qualifier when he came on as a substitute against Bulgaria at the age of 15 years and 300 days" (REUTERS, 3/29). ... Australian cricketer MITCHELL STARC "was named as the player of the ICC Cricket World Cup after leading the wicket-takers chart with 22 scalps in eight matches." The 25-year-old Starc "was the unanimous choice of a select group of experts following his sensational form that helped guide his side to its fifth title in 11 tournaments" (PTI, 3/29). ... South Korean swimmer PARK TAE-HWAN "officially apologized on Friday for the doping scandal that has led to his 18-month ban from swimming, but did not specify his future plans and whether he hopes to compete at next year's Summer Olympic Games." Park: "I deeply apologize to everyone. I am sorry for not making this apology sooner. I humbly accept any blame. I will have my time of self-restraint and self-reflection during the suspension period." Following the disclosure, Park's agency said that "he was given a testosterone injection by a doctor at a clinic in Seoul, but the doctor who administered the testosterone injection did not fully explain what he was putting into Park's body" (KOREA TIMES, 3/27).
THE 'GREATEST': F1 CEO BERNIE ECCLESTONE "slammed F1's lazy superstars" as he hailed Mercedes driver LEWIS HAMILTON as the greatest ever. Ecclestone: "He has been the best world champion we've had. Apart from the fact he’s talented, he's a good guy, gets out on the street and promotes F1." Ecclestone was "unforgiving in his analysis of squabbling team bosses." He added, "I've got no complaints about what Mercedes are doing. The complaint I've got is the others -- they are not getting the job done" (Scotland DAILY RECORD, 3/28).
