Reuters Sports News Summary

Having brought their A Team of Olympic champions and world record holders to Birmingham, the Australians laid siege to the Sandwell Aquatic Centre and won nearly half (65) of the 156 total medals on offer, including 25 of the 52 golds. NBA-Raptors to play two preseason games in Edmonton and Montreal The Toronto Raptors will host the Boston Celtics and Utah Jazz for preseason games in Edmonton and Montreal, the NBA said on Wednesday as its Canada Series returns for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Explainer-Who is Brittney Griner and what is her fate in Russia?

Who is Brittney Griner and what is her fate? WHO IS BRITTNEY GRINER?

Games-Birmingham turns into the Summer Games as McIntosh takes spotlight

The curtain came down on a rousing Commonwealth Games swimming programme on Wednesday, a competition that Australia dominated from start-to-finish but may well be remembered as Canada's Summer Games. Having brought their A Team of Olympic champions and world record holders to Birmingham, the Australians laid siege to the Sandwell Aquatic Centre and won nearly half (65) of the 156 total medals on offer, including 25 of the 52 golds.

NBA-Raptors to play two preseason games in Edmonton and Montreal

The Toronto Raptors will host the Boston Celtics and Utah Jazz for preseason games in Edmonton and Montreal, the NBA said on Wednesday as its Canada Series returns for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. The two games are part of a series aimed at growing the game in Canada and will tip off with Toronto, whose roster features reigning NBA rookie of the year Scottie Barnes, facing Utah on Oct. 2 in Edmonton.

Golf-Mickelson, other golf pros sue PGA Tour in LIV fight

Phil Mickelson and 10 other golfers sued the PGA Tour over its decision to suspend them for playing the new LIV Golf circuit, according to an antitrust filing on Wednesday that revealed the Hall of Famer cannot apply for reinstatement until 2024. The lawsuit was led by six-time major champion Mickelson and includes 2020 U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau, European Ryder Cup veteran Ian Poulter, Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones, among others.

Games-Thompson-Herah and Omanyala take 100 metre golds

Elaine Thompson-Herah, the only one of Jamaica's "Big Three" women to show up at the Commonwealth Games, was rewarded with the 100 metres gold medal on Wednesday, while Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala powered to the men's title. Thompson-Herah, twice the 100/200m sprint champion at the Olympics, finished third in last month's World Championship 100 final behind Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. She was originally only a reserve for the Commonwealths but when Fraser-Pryce opted out, she stepped in.

Triathlon-World Triathlon approves transgender participation policy

World Triathlon approved a policy that requires transgender athletes to show their testosterone concentration is less than 2.5 nanomoles per litre continuously for at least two years to compete as females, the governing body said on Wednesday. The governing body added at least 48 months must have elapsed since the transgender athlete has competed as a male in any sporting competition.

NFL appeal Browns QB Watson's six game suspension

The National Football League on Wednesday appealed the six-game suspension given to Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson for violating the league's personal-conduct policy after it had previously said it wanted at least a year-long suspension. On Monday, former U.S. District Judge Sue L. Robinson said Watson had violated the league's policy after more than 20 women accused him of sexual misconduct and abuse, calling his behavior "egregious" and "predatory."

Games-McColgan takes 10,000m gold to complete family hat-trick

Scotland's Eilish McColgan followed in her mother’s footsteps when she won the Commonwealth Games 10,000m title in gritty style on Wednesday, battling past Kenyan Irene Cheptai for an emotional victory in a Games record time. Liz McColgan won the same title in 1986 and 1990 – as well as the world title in 1991 – and Eilish has now written her own script after a series of big-event near-misses.

Exclusive-Coach Hammon, once a star in Russia, urges Putin to free Brittney Griner

A top coach for U.S. women's pro basketball who once represented Russia at the Olympics has made a plea for Russian President Vladimir Putin to "do the right thing" and quickly release American star player Brittney Griner https://www.reuters.com/world/us/brittney-griner-appears-russian-court-after-us-makes-swap-offer-2022-08-02.

Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon, who as a player spent years in Russia and won Olympic bronze for her adopted country, said it was upsetting to see a fellow member of the tight-knit women’s basketball community locked up for nearly six months. Washington says Griner is wrongfully detained in Russia https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/us-basketball-star-griner-set-testify-russian-trial-2022-07-27.

Basketball star Brittney Griner awaits fate in Russia drugs trial

U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner returns to a Russian court on Thursday as her drugs trial grinds towards a finale that could end with a 10-year prison sentence and a U.S.-Russia prisoner swap for one of the world's most notorious arms dealers. Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) star, was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on Feb. 17 with vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage.