South African middle-distance runner CASTER SEMENYA will "challenge a female classification rule imposed by the IAAF at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, her lawyers said. The double Olympic and triple World 800m champion faces "having to take medication" to lower her higher-than-normal levels of naturally-produced testosterone, which the IAAF "deemed gives her an unfair advantage" (REUTERS, 6/18).
DONE DEAL?: Spain's Ministry of Finance (Gestha) opposed the agreement CRISTIANO RONALDO reached with the country's public defender's office. Ronaldo's agreement included a suspended two-year prison sentence and a fine of €18.8M ($21.8M). Gestha on Monday said that it wanted to "make sure that the quoted tax frauds" and fines are not "less than the administrative costs" after reducing the prison sentence to 24 months (SPORT, 6/18). A statue of Ronaldo that was "widely mocked and left football fans scratching their heads has been replaced." The bronze bust of the Real Madrid and Portugal forward "went viral with people questioning its resemblance to the player" after it was placed on display at Madeira airport last year. Sculptor EMANUEL SANTOS said that his work was just "a matter of taste." The airport replaced his original effort with a bust that "boasts a greater likeness to Ronaldo" (BBC, 6/18).
