21 May 2022

Today's sports news: What you need to know

8:55 am on 21 May 2022

Latest - The New Zealand men's and women's sevens teams are undefeated after the opening day of the World Rugby Sevens Series in Toulouse.

Michaela Blyde Photo:

The Black Ferns Sevens beat Scotland 45-0 in their opening game of the round and continued their dominance with a 29-0 win over Spain.

The All Blacks Sevens also beat Scotland 19-0 and held on to defeat USA 19-17.

The men wrap up their pool matches against Australia on Saturday night and the women play Canada followed by the playoff matches.

It has been well over two years since the All Blacks Sevens and Black Ferns Sevens took the field together in a World Series tournament.

For the Black Ferns Sevens France is their second and last tournament on the series this season, while the men travel on to London next weekend.

Black Caps test positive for Covid-19 ahead of first Test

Three of the Black Caps touring party are in isolation after testing positive for Covid-19 on the morning of the first Tour match against Sussex in Brighton.

Henry Nicholls at Black Caps training.

Henry Nicholls Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Henry Nicholls, Blair Tickner and bowling coach Shane Jurgensen have begun five days of hotel room isolation after producing positive Rapid Antigen Tests.

The remainder of the tour party have returned negative tests and will continue to be monitored and tested as required.

The four-day warm-up match will go ahead as planned but rain prevented any play on day one.

The first Test against England starts on 2 June.

Carrington into finals at Canoe Sprint World Cup

Dame Lisa Carrington has paddled into two finals after the first day of the opening Canoe Sprint World Cup regatta in the Czech Republic.

Lisa Carrington Photo:

Carrington qualified for the final of the K4 500m with Alicia Hoskin, Tara Vaughan and Olivia Brett.

She will also race in the K1 500m final.

It is Carrington's first international competition since winning three gold medals at last year's Tokyo Olympics.

IOC want resolution to figure skating drugs scandal

The International Olympic Committee has told anti-doping bodies it wants a quick resolution of a drugs scandal involving teenage Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva at the Beijing 2022 Olympics so that a delayed medals ceremony can proceed.

Valieva failed a doping test at the Russian national championships last December but the result was only revealed on 8 February, a day after she had already helped the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) win the team event at the Beijing Games.

Kamila Valieva, Russian Olympic Committee figure skater, attends a training session in Beijing, China on February 12, 2022.

Kamila Valieva Photo: AFP

The case cast a shadow on the participation of Russians at the Games as they already faced increased scrutiny over separate doping sanctions that saw them compete without their national flag and national anthem.

It also delayed indefinitely the medals ceremony for the team event pending the ongoing case, with the United States having claimed silver, and Japan taking bronze.

Canada finished fourth and should the Russian athletes be disqualified then they stand to be upgraded to bronze.

"We are in contact on this. The World Anti-Doping Agency and the International Testing Agency are following up on this," IOC President Thomas Bach said.

"This is not something we should be guessing but work in a way so that it (medals ceremony) happens as soon as possible."

The case is currently in the hands of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) as the positive test came during a domestic competition.

The U.S Olympic and Paralympic Committee have questioned the integrity of the ongoing case with RUSADA after Valieva was praised by Russian President Vladimir Putin at a ceremony in April.

- Reuters

Nadal ready for Roland Garros

Rafael Nadal has played down his chances of winning a record-extending 14th French Open title but said he would not be in Paris if he thought it was not possible.

The 35-year-old says he has never felt less prepared for his favourite tournament after being hampered by a rib injury and a chronic foot problem since winning the Australian Open.

Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal.

Rafael Nadal Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Nadal withdrew from the Barcelona Open last month and lost in the third round of the Rome Masters against Denis Shapovalov.

Asked about his fitness the record 21-time Grand Slam champion said: "It is something that I live every day with, so is nothing new for me and is not a big surprise. I am here just to play tennis and to try to make the best result possible here in Roland Garros.

"And if I didn't believe that this thing can happen, probably I would not be here."

His best result during the European claycourt season was a quarter-final run in Madrid where he lost to Spanish teenage sensation Carlos Alcaraz in three sets.

Nadal, however, has made it to Paris and he practiced with fellow Mallorcan Jaume Munar on Wednesday evening.

"I considered myself during all my tennis career one of the candidates here, because I achieve tournaments before here. Now on Friday, before the tournament starts, I don't think I am the favourite at all. But you never know what can happen," he said.

Nadal will start his campaign against Australian Jordan Thompson.

- Reuters