Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Cycling-Pogacar staying alert despite comfortable lead

Tadej Pogacar is edging closer to winning a second consecutive Tour de France title, but the Slovenian insists it is not over yet with one more mountain stage and a time trial left. The 22-year-old last year stunned compatriot Primoz Roglic in the final time trial, on the eve of the Champs Elysees parade.

Golf-British Open players just happy to be back

Predicting the winner of a major championship is notoriously difficult but for the 156 players who will tee off at the British Open on Thursday the most important thing this year is that the tournament is back. The 2020 event was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic and it returns with 32,000 spectators expected each day at the Royal St George's course.

Tennis-Osaka confirmed for Montreal event in August - organisers

World number two Naomi Osaka, who withdrew from this year's French Open and Wimbledon on mental health grounds, will compete in Montreal next month, organisers of the Canadian event said on Wednesday. Osaka, a four-time Gland Slam champion who is one of Japan's best gold medal prospects at the Tokyo Olympics, will be part of a field at the Aug. 9-15 U.S. Open tune-up that currently features 18 of the WTA's top 20 players.

FBI badly botched sex-abuse probe of USA Gymnastics doctor, watchdog says

The FBI dragged its feet in probing sexual abuse allegations against disgraced USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, the U.S. Justice Department's internal watchdog said on Wednesday, and it accused two FBI officials of lying to cover up "numerous and fundamental errors" that allowed the abuse to continue for months. A scathing 119-page report by Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz said the FBI's field office in Indianapolis "failed to respond to the Nassar allegations with the utmost seriousness and urgency that they deserved and required."

Olympics-Swimming-FINA provisionally suspends two Russians set for Tokyo

Two Russian swimmers who have qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics were provisionally suspended by the sport's world body FINA on Wednesday for suspected anti-doping rule violations. FINA said in a statement that a procedure was ongoing after the ADRVs were asserted against Alexandr Kudashev and Veronika Andrusenko using evidence provided by the World Anti-Doping Agency WADA.

Soccer-Former Man United Women's boss Stoney named coach of NWSL team San Diego

Former Manchester United Women's boss Casey Stoney has been named the first head coach of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) team in San Diego, the expansion club said on Wednesday. The 39-year-old former England captain previously served as United head coach since 2018 and during her tenure guided the club to immediate promotion to the Women's Super League and successive fourth-place finishes in the top flight.

Olympics-Briton Evans tests positive for COVID-19, to miss Tokyo Games

British men's tennis number one Dan Evans said he will miss the Tokyo Olympics following a positive test for COVID-19 in another blow to Team GB after Johanna Konta also pulled out.

Konta, the women's British number one, withdrew on Tuesday having tested positive for COVID-19, two weeks after she pulled out of Wimbledon when a member of her team also contracted the virus.

Basketball-WNBA evaluating plans for expansion - commissioner

The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) hopes to have more concrete expansion plans in place by this time next year after the COVID-19 pandemic delayed progress, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said on Wednesday. Engelbert, speaking to reporters ahead of Wednesday's WNBA All-Star Game in Las Vegas, said growing the 12-team league remains a priority.

Hall of Famer Shirley Fry Irvin dies at 94

Tennis Hall of Famer Shirley Fry Irvin has died. She was 94. According to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, she died in her sleep Tuesday at Naples, Fla.

Athletics-No fans will hit jumpers hard in Tokyo, says Rutherford

Britain's former Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford says the absence of crowd atmosphere at the Tokyo Games will have an adverse effect on some athletes but he still expects some mind-blowing action over the 17 days of competition. The troubled Tokyo Games begin on July 23 -- a year later than scheduled after the COVID-19 pandemic forced it to be postponed.