Sports News Roundup: D-backs snap 17-game losing streak; Merkel urges UEFA to act responsibly for London Euro matches and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

MLB roundup: D-backs snap 17-game losing streak

Merrill Kelly tossed seven strong innings and the Arizona Diamondbacks snapped their franchise-record, 17-game losing streak with a 5-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday in Phoenix. Kelly (3-7) allowed one run on five hits with five strikeouts for Arizona, which had lost 31 of its previous 33 games.

Soccer-Wembley to have crowd of 60,000 for Euro semis and final - UK govt

Crowd capacity at Wembley Stadium will be increased to more than 60,000 fans for the semi-finals and final of Euro 2020, the British government said on Tuesday. The new levels mean the stadium will be at 75% capacity for the final three games, which conclude with the final on July 11.

Athletics-Russia's Shubenkov cleared in 'genuinely exceptional' doping case - AIU

Russian hurdler Sergey Shubenkov has been cleared in what the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said on Tuesday was a "genuinely exceptional" doping case involving a diuretic prescribed to a family member. The AIU, which oversees integrity issues in global athletics, said that a low concentration of acetazolamide had been found in Shubenkov's out-of-competition sample collected in December 2020.

Swimming-Chinese swimmer Sun's doping ban reduced to four years, but will miss Tokyo Games

Chinese swimmer Sun Yang has had his eight-year ban for doping violations reduced to four years, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said in a statement https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/CAS_Media_Release_6148_Decision_June21.pdf on Tuesday. The decision means Sun will miss the Tokyo Olympics later this year, but will be eligible for the Paris Games in 2024.

Merkel urges UEFA to act responsibly for London Euro matches

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on UEFA on Tuesday to act responsibly regarding plans to hold the final of the Euro 2020 soccer tournament in London due to safety concerns over the spread of the coronavirus in England. "I hope that UEFA will act responsibly with regard to the Euro matches. I would not like to see packed stadiums there, and I support all efforts made by the British government to enforce the necessary hygiene measures," Merkel said.

Olympics-Games a step too far, but Brownlee still eyeing role in Tokyo and beyond

He had one final push, gave it his all, but a shot at making it a hat-trick of triathlon Olympic gold medals has proven a step too far for Alistair Brownlee. But that does not mean his impact in sport - in Tokyo and beyond - is over yet. Having focused on long distance triathlon in recent years, Brownlee, who won Olympic gold in 2012 and 2016, had a late change of heart and tried to meet the qualification standard to be part of the Great Britain team this summer in Japan.

Athletics-Brazier suffers shock defeat as U.S. Olympic trials prove wicked test

World champion Donavan Brazier's Olympic dreams were shattered on Monday as the overwhelming favourite in the men's 800 metres suffered a shock defeat in Eugene, Oregon in make-or-break U.S. trials that pushed the sport's top athletes to the brink. The 24-year-old American record holder seemed all but assured of a spot on Team USA heading into Eugene, Oregon, this week but ran out of gas with 200 metres to go, finishing dead last with a time of 1:47.88 as he was forced to relive the disappointment of the 2016 trials, where he also came up short.

Tokyo 2020 president defends decision to allow spectators amid public frustration

With 30 days to go until the start of an Olympic Games dogged by the coronavirus pandemic and by controversy, Tokyo Olympics President Seiko Hashimoto defended the organisers' decision to allow spectators into Olympic venues. Japanese medical experts said last Friday that banning spectators was the least risky option but also included in their report recommendations on how to host the Games if spectators were admitted.

Olympics-Parched Tokyo residents criticise reported alcohol sales plan

Olympic organisers plan to allow the sale of alcohol to Tokyo 2020 spectators, Kyodo News reported on Tuesday, drawing criticism from residents of the capital who face curbs on bars to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Alcohol will be served at Olympic venues at limited times, Kyodo reported, citing unidentified sources, a decision that follows the approval https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/organisers-set-decide-domestic-spectators-tokyo-2020-2021-06-21 on Monday of up to 10,000 domestic spectators at venues at next month's delayed Games.

NFL-Raiders' Nassib becomes first active NFL player to come out as gay

Las Vegas Raiders' defensive end Carl Nassib said on Monday he was gay, making him the first active National Football League player to come out publicly. "I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I'm gay," Nassib, 28, said in a video he posted to Instagram. "I've been meaning to do this for a while now but I finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest," he said.

(With inputs from agencies.)