Sports News Roundup: Alonso goes back to the future with Renault F1 team; Ryder Cup postponed due to COVID

Total distance: 306.452km (71 laps) Motor racing: Age is not the issue, says returning Alonso Two-times Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso said age was not the issue after securing a comeback deal with Renault to race into his 40s.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Motor racing: Alonso goes back to the future with Renault F1 team

Double world champion Fernando Alonso will make a Formula One comeback at the age of 39 next year with Renault, the team he won his titles with, after two seasons out of the sport. The French manufacturer announced the Spaniard's return on Wednesday, with the 32-times race winner set to partner 23-year-old Frenchman Esteban Ocon at the team that finished fifth last season.

Golf: Ryder Cup postponed due to coronavirus

This year's Ryder Cup, which was scheduled to be held in late September in Wisconsin, has been postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organisers said on Wednesday. The hotly-contested biennial team competition between the United States and Europe, known for its raucous, partisan crowds, was originally scheduled for Sept. 25-27 at Whistling Straits. It will now be held Sept. 24-26, 2021.

Soderling says free of anxiety after nine-year struggle

Former world tennis number four Robin Soderling says he has come through a nine-year battle with anxiety and panic attacks and has called for athletes' mental health to be given more focus. Soderling, twice a runner-up at the French Open, was struck down by glandular fever after winning the Swedish Open in Bastad in July 2011 and did not play again, retiring four years later.

Australian snowboarder Pullin drowns while spear fishing

Australia's double world champion snowboarder Alex Pullin drowned while spear fishing off a Gold Coast beach on Wednesday, plunging the country's winter sports community into mourning. Pullin, Australia's flagbearer at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, was found by a snorkeller on an artificial reef just before 11 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) in waters off Palm Beach, state broadcaster ABC reported.

Belarus would consider Russian athletes who wish to switch allegiance

Belarus would consider offers from Russian athletes who wish to switch allegiance and compete for the ex-Soviet republic instead, the head of the Belarusian athletics federation said on Wednesday. Russian athletes are currently barred from competing under their country's flag at major international events, including the Olympics, for four years after the World Anti-Doping Agency(WADA) found that Moscow had provided it with doctored laboratory data.

NASCAR driver Johnson cleared to race after negative COVID-19 tests

Seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has been cleared to race this weekend at Kentucky Speedway after twice testing negative for COVID-19, NASCAR officials said on Wednesday. Johnson, 44, became the first NASCAR driver to test positive for the coronavirus last Friday, forcing him out the of the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway at the weekend.

Formula One statistics for the Styrian Grand Prix

Some Formula One statistics for Sunday's Styrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria: Lap distance: 4.318km. Total distance: 306.452km (71 laps)

Motor racing: Age is not the issue, says returning Alonso

Two-times Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso said age was not the issue after securing a comeback deal with Renault to race into his 40s. The Spaniard turns 39 this month and, after two seasons out, will be returning next year with the team that took him to his titles in 2005 and 2006.

Motor racing: Alonso says Indy 500 remains top 2020 priority

The Indianapolis 500, and the possibility of taking the Triple Crown of Motorsport, remains Fernando Alonso's top priority for this year despite securing a Formula One comeback with Renault for 2021. The Spaniard is a double F1 world champion and Monaco Grand Prix winner as well as two-times Le Mans 24 Hours endurance champion.

NHL: Players' union executive board approves deal to resume ice hockey season

The NHL Players' Association (NHLPA) executive board has approved a tentative agreement to resume the ice hockey season interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, it said late on Tuesday. The NHL had on Monday reached a tentative agreement with the players' body on restart protocols, under which formal training camps will start on July 13, clubs will head to one of two hub cities on July 26 with the play-in round for playoffs beginning on Aug. 1.