Reuters Sports News Summary

Olympics: No Tokyo Games likely means no Beijing either, says Pound If the postponed Tokyo Olympics do not go ahead next year due to COVID-19 then the 2022 Beijing Winter Games will likely also fall victim to the pandemic, said long-time International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. IOC remains 'fully committed' to staging Olympics in 2021

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) remains fully committed to staging the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021 and is considering multiple scenarios for them to take place safely, IOC President Thomas Bach said on Wednesday. Japan and the IOC postponed the Tokyo Games until 2021 in March because of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Organisers have since spoken of trying to simplify the event - which had been due to start on July 24 - to reduce costs and ensure athletes' safety. Tiger's return spurs heavy betting action

Tiger Woods hasn't played tournament golf for five months but his return to the PGA Tour at The Memorial Tournament is providing another boost to sportsbooks. Despite being +2500 to win the tournament, Woods was responsible for 19 percent of the handle and 14 percent of the total outright winner bets placed at DraftKings as of Wednesday. The next closest was Brooks Koepka (+2800) at 12 and 7 percent, with no other player receiving more than 5 percent of the action in either category. Golf: LPGA braced for positive tests, tournament cancellations

The LPGA Tour, the elite women’s professional golf circuit, will restart its COVID-19-interrupted season this month expecting positive tests and as many as three events to be cancelled, commissioner Mike Whan said on Wednesday. Whan was positive but realistic discussing the LPGA's plans for a relaunch with two events in Ohio starting with the Drive On Championship three-day event from July 31 to Aug. 2 in Toledo followed the next week by the Marathon LPGA Classic in Sylvania. Olympics: No Tokyo Games likely means no Beijing either, says Pound

If the postponed Tokyo Olympics do not go ahead next year due to COVID-19 then the 2022 Beijing Winter Games will likely also fall victim to the pandemic, said long-time International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound. If there is no vaccine and countries are unable to contain the pandemic that continues to rage in different regions of the world, killing more than 580,000 people, then the IOC could once again be forced to postpone or cancel the Tokyo Olympics. NBA adds antibody testing to protocols - report

Because of a concern for false positives with coronavirus testing, the NBA on Wednesday authored a memo that added antibody testing to its return-to-play protocol, ESPN reported. Since dead coronavirus cells can be detected in COVID-19 testing, it could lead to a positive result that would force a player to sit out for an extended period. A previously-conducted antibody test would help reveal if a player is not necessarily asymptomatic but has already recovered from the virus. Elliott follows father in winning NASCAR All-Star Race

Six weeks ago, Chase Elliott was going for the victory at Bristol Motor Speedway when he screwed up with two laps to go. In Wednesday night's NASCAR All-Star Race at the same Bristol, Tenn., track, Elliott went screw-up free as he finished first in three of four stages and earned the $1 million that goes with winning the event. Tennis: Wawrinka is 'underestimated', says coach Norman

Stan Wawrinka is one of the best to have ever played tennis but the three-times Grand Slam champion is a "little bit underestimated", his long-time coach Magnus Norman has said. Wawrinka, 35, was the last man to win a Grand Slam singles title outside the trio of Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic when he won the 2016 U.S. Open. Motor racing: Briton Legge to undergo leg surgery after crash in testing

British driver Katherine Legge will have surgery on her left leg following a crash in testing ahead of this weekend's European Le Mans Series opener in Le Castellet, France, the 40-year-old said on Thursday. Legge, who competes for the all-female Richard Mille Racing team, also broke her right wrist on Wednesday after her car went off track on the exit of the Signes corner and crashed into the guardrail. Soccer: Public have the wrong idea of footballers, says FIFPRO

The perception that footballers do not live up to their social responsibilities has been debunked by their "incredible initiatives" during the COVID-19 pandemic, the global players' union FIFPRO said in a report published Thursday. The report, which highlights contributions made by professional footballers in fighting the effects of the pandemic, said that a large number of players have been "generous and creative" during the crisis. The 2022 Youth Olympic Games to be postponed to 2026: IOC

The 2022 Youth Olympic Games, due to be held in Senegal, are set to be postponed for four years, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach said on Wednesday. Bach said the decision was agreed by the IOC and local organisers on Wednesday and would be submitted to a full IOC session for ratification on Friday.