CK Updates
Ski jumping: Wada responds to penis injection claims
World Anti-Doping Agency chiefs will investigate claims male ski jumpers are injecting their penises in a bid to improve sporting performance, if a complaint is made.
In January, German newspaper Bild, external reported that jumpers were injecting their penises with hyaluronic acid before being measured for their suits.
Hyaluronic acid, which is not banned in sport, can be used to increase penis circumference by one or two centimetres.
This would increase the surface area of their suits during competition, which, according to FIS, the international ski and snowboard federation, could increase their flight in the air.
“Every extra centimetre on a suit counts. If your suit has a 5% bigger surface area, you fly further,” said FIS ski jumping men’s race director Sandro Pertile.
Asked about the claims in Bild at a press conference at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, Wada director general Olivier Niggli said: “I am not aware of the details of ski jumping, and how that could improve performance.
“If anything was to come to the surface, we would look at it and see if it is doping related. We don’t address other [non-doping] means of enhancing performance.”
Clearly entertained by the question, Wada’s Polish president Witold Banka joked: “Ski jumping is very popular in Poland so I promise you I’m going to look at it.”
CK Updates
Allan Nascimento: UFC fighter dies at the age of 34
Mixed martial arts fighter Allan Nascimento has died at the age of 34, says the UFC.
According to MMA’s leading promotion, the Brazilian flyweight was found unresponsive on Monday morning after suffering an apparent heart attack in his sleep.
“Despite the efforts of the responding medical team, he was pronounced deceased at the scene,” added a UFC statement., external
“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Allan’s family, friends, team-mates and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”
Nascimento had been with the UFC since 2021 and his last fight was a split-decision loss to Mitch Raposo in June.
That left Nascimento with an overall MMA record of 22 wins and seven losses, with a 4-2 record in the UFC.
CK Updates
Vinicius Junior: Real Madrid forward to resume contract talks as Arsenal maintain an interest
Vinicius returned to the club for his first pre-season training session and medical assessment on Monday following his World Cup campaign with Brazil.
The forward is training under Jose Mourinho for the first time this week, with sources close to the Portuguese manager saying he is keen for the winger to commit his future to Real.
Vinicius also wants to remain at the Bernabeu but with his contract expiring next summer, Real risk losing him on a free transfer if no agreement is reached.
That has increased the urgency for the club to resolve his future before the end of the transfer window, with talks set to resume in earnest in the next few days.
There was a similar situation in 2023 when, with his previous contract entering its final year, Vinicius signed a new deal extending his stay until 2027.
Renewal talks have taken place over the past 18 months, but slowed because of disagreements over wages and status within the club.
The 26-year-old is believed to want recognition as Los Blancos’ top star financially, especially after carrying the team for years before the arrival of Kylian Mbappe.
Real, however, are traditionally strict about maintaining their salary structure under president Florentino Perez, with Mbappe currently top of the club’s high earners.
Despite this tension, Vinicius has described Real as “the club of my dreams” and said he hopes to remain there “for many years”.
The club are hopeful of concluding talks this week. If a new contract can’t be agreed – that’s when Arsenal come in.
CK Updates
Celtic drawn against LASK in Champions League play-off
If they defeat Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok in the third round of Europa League qualifying, Rangers will play either Lillestrom of Norway, the winners of the tie between Northern Irish champions Larne and Iberia 1999 of Georgia, or the losers of two Champions League qualifiers – between Levski Sofia (Bulgaria) and Kairat Almaty (Kazakhstan) or Mjallby (Sweden) and Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia).
Having dropped down from Champions League qualifying, Hearts face Benfica and the winners of that also have four possible play-off opponents.
Those are OFI Crete, the winners of Thun (Switzerland) and Vikingur Reykjavik (Iceland), or the losers of two Champions League qualifiers – AGF Aarhus (Denmark) and Sabah (Azerbaijan) and Dinamo (Croatia) and Kauno Zalgiris (Lithuania).
Should Hearts lose to Benfica, they will face either Atalanta (Italy), Freiburg (Germany), or the winners of ties between Panathinaikos (Greece) and CSKA (Bulgaria), Paide Linnameeskond (Estonia) and Rapid Vienna (Austria), or Sheriff Tiraspol (Moldova) and St Gallen (Switzerland) in a Conference League play-off.
Motherwell have the same possible opponents should they defeat HJK Helsinki of Finland.
If Rangers lose to Jagiellonia, they will face the winners of ties between Jablonec (Czech Republic) and RFS (Latvia), Zalgiris (Lithuania) and Hajduk Split (Croatia), Brann (Norway) and Apollon Limassol (Cyprus), Inter Turki (Finland) and Vaduz (Liechtenstein) or Noah (Armenia) and Sion (Switzerland).
Hibs’ reward should they defeat Shkendija of Macedonia is a possible tie against Brighton & Hove Albion, Monaco of France, the winner of the tie between Bohemians (Republic of Ireland) and Midtjylland (Denmark), the winners of IFK Gothenburg (Sweden) and Gent (Belgium), or the losers of Pafos (Cyprus) against Salzburg (Austria).
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CK Updates13 hours agoCeltic drawn against LASK in Champions League play-off
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CK Updates7 hours agoVinicius Junior: Real Madrid forward to resume contract talks as Arsenal maintain an interest
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CK Updates19 hours agoSwansea City: Vitor Matos says Premier League always the goal after signing new contract

