Sailing | WS hires ex British official Andy Hunt as new CEO

Andy Hunt

Sailing’s world governing body has hired a new CEO as it wrestles with the problem of staging this year’s Olympic competition in sewage-infested waters in Rio de Janeiro. Andy Hunt, a former chief executive of the British Olympic Association, replaces Peter Sowrey at World Sailing. Sowrey resigned in December after just five months in the role. World Sailing President Carlo Croce said yesterday that Hunt combines “exceptional business leadership credentials, with an excellent track record in sports administration.” Tests conducted by The Associated Press last year exposed contamination in Rio’s waterways that will be used in the Olympics.

Rugby| Wycliff Palu returns to NSW Waratahs

Australia backrower Wycliff Palu has rejoined the New South Wales Waratahs for the 2016 Super Rugby season after injury prevented him fulfilling a two-year contract in Japan. The 33-year-old Palu, capped 57 times by Australia and a veteran of 121 matches for the Waratahs, suffered a serious hamstring injury during the Wallabies’ pool match against Uruguay at last year’s Rugby World Cup. A protracted rehabilitation prevented Palu from fulfilling the first year of his Japanese contract. Palu said he was undergoing rehabilitation at the Waratahs when coach Daryl Gibson asked if was interested in returning. He said he jumped at the chance because “I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason. It’s not by bad luck or chance that I’m here again.”

Chairman Ed Warner

Athletics | UK: Reset world records amid doping crisis

All world records in track and field should be reset and lifetime bans should be imposed on serious drug cheats to clean up the sport amid its global doping crisis, the governing body of British athletics said. UK Athletics published “A Manifesto for Clean Athletes” containing 14 proposals aimed at restoring credibility to a sport battered by allegations of widespread doping, cover-ups and corruption. “The integrity of athletics was challenged as never before in 2015,” UK Athletics chairman Ed Warner said. “Clean athletes and sports fans the world over have been let down. Trust in the sport is at its lowest point for decades.” One of the federation’s proposals is to ‘investigate the implications of drawing a line under all pre-existing sport records … and commencing a new set of records.” Triple-jumper Jonathan Edwards and marathon runner Paula Radcliffe are current British world-record holders. UK Athletics also proposed a lifetime ban for British athletes guilty of a serious anti-doping violation.