USA: The New York Times has caused a stir by linking some top sports people, including Dara Torres, to a Canadian doctor under criminal investigation in the US. The F.B.I. investigation of Dr. Anthony Galea, a sports medicine specialist who has treated hundreds of professional athletes across many sports, follows his arrest on Oct. 15 in Toronto by the Canadian police. Human growth hormone and Actovegin, a drug extracted from calf’s blood, were found in his medical bag at the United States-Canada border in late September. Using, selling or importing Actovegin is illegal in the United States. That an investigation of a doctor is taking place is one thing, guilt by association another. Noting an association is fair, or course. Fair too that Torres, current recovering from knee surgery, should respond to explain. In a mail to the NYT she wrote: "He found a tear in my quad tendon that was undiagnosed. Excluding draining my knee, he has never treated me, but I did see his chiropractor who did soft-tissue work on my leg. That was the extent of my visit with him."
RSA: Terence Parkin finished his 2009 aquatics year on a high note by being named as the WIDEX Sportsman of the Year by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD). Parkin took the swim scene by storm at the Deaflympics in Taipei, in the 200 metres freestyle (gold and world record in 1:53.12) and 1,500 metres freestyle (gold and world record in 16:08.56). He also made it to the top of the medal podium in the 200 metres breaststroke (gold in a Deaf Games record time of 2:16.32 secs), 400 metres medley (gold and Deaf Games record in 4:29.56), 100 metres breaststroke (gold and Deaf Games record in 1:03.51), 200 metres medley (gold and Deaf Games record in 2:06.24) and 50 metres breaststroke (gold in 29.58 secs). Out of the swimming pool in Taipei, he also collected a bronze medal, in representing SA in the 93.12 kilometres cycle road race in 2:17.41 and returned to SA with a total haul of eight medals. Swimming SA CEO Shaun Adriaanse said: “Parkin has been an inspiration not only to the aquatics fraternity but sportspeople across all codes over many years and his international Sportsman of the Year award is well deserved. He is an example of a committed and highly motivated individual who has proved to the world that despite a physical setback in life, a combination of passion, commitment, discipline and hard work, is the recipe towards achieving success."
Dubai: AP's Barbara Surk writes today that "Dubai's reputation as a sports mecca - hosting big-money tennis, golf and horse racing events - is coming under scrutiny as the emirate struggles with massive debts. Many are wondering whether the Persian Gulf sheikdom can afford to continue bankrolling high-profile events and offering lucrative prize money." Dubai has build itself into a financial power, pouring billions into tourism, entertainment and sports and has considered bidding for the 2020 Olympic Games. Earlier this week, neighboring Abu Dhabi injected $10 billion into Dubai's battered economy, sparing the Arab boomtown the humiliation of a potential default by the emirate's main development engine, Dubai World. So far, none of that is said to mean anything for the world s/c championships scheduled for Dubai a year from now. Time will tell as the aquatics venue is yet to be completed.
