Eight-time Olympic champion USAIN BOLT declared his "sports life over," frustrated in his bid to begin a post-athletics career in football. The Jamaican, 32, spent two months training with A-League side Central Coast Mariners, but left in November after the club "failed to find financial backing for a professional deal." Bolt: "I'm now moving into different businesses, I have a lot of things in the pipeline, so as I say, I'm just dabbling in everything and trying to be a business man now" (BBC, 1/22). ... Olympic track cycling champion VICTORIA PENDLETON has "turned a corner" after admitting she "was minutes away" from taking her own life last summer. The Briton has had mental health issues and was diagnosed with depression "after a failed bid to climb Mount Everest" (BBC, 1/23). ... Italy striker MARIO BALOTELLI is "hoping to get back on track" as he joined Olympique de Marseille from fellow Ligue 1 side Nice on a six-month contract on Wednesday. Asked what his ambitions were, he joked, "My ambition is to finish this news conference, go to training and see if I can play on Friday" (REUTERS, 1/23). ... Former Socceroos captain CRAIG FOSTER on Wednesday called on FIFA "to do more to press for the release" of a Bahraini refugee player detained in Thailand and "facing deportation to his country." Thai authorities arrested HAKEEM AL-ARAIBI, who has refugee status in Australia, on arrival at Bangkok airport in November last year, on the basis of an Interpol notice issued at Bahrain's request (REUTERS, 1/23).
