Reuters Sports News Summary

Two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas said the kiss on the mouth of team mate Jenni Hermoso by then RFEF President Luis Rubiales during the World Cup and his subsequent refusal to resign was the "straw that broke the camel's back" that prompted the players to boycott playing for the team until leadership changes were made at the federation. WWE to bring back 'SmackDown' to NBCUniversal's USA Network WWE's "Friday Night SmackDown" will be back on USA Network late next year, after the wrestling company struck a new partnership deal with Comcast's NBCUniversal to air more shows.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Motor racing-Russell consigns Singapore crash to history

George Russell put his Singapore Grand Prix crash behind him on Thursday and said he would not make such a costly mistake when Mercedes were again fighting for Formula One championships.

The Briton crashed on the final lap of Sunday's race while in third place and, on fresher tyres, hot on the heels of McLaren's Lando Norris and Ferrari's eventual winner Carlos Sainz.

Spain women's national coach Tome acknowledges communication mistakes in team selection

The new coach of Spain's women's national team coach on Thursday acknowledged "communication mistakes" after a standoff with players that followed a furore over former Spanish football federation president's allegedly unsolicited kiss on a player's lips. Montse Tome, speaking ahead of a match against Sweden in Gothenborg, was asked about players denying they had spoken to her ahead of the announcement of the squad for the match.

Soccer-Spain players decry 'systematic discrimination' toward women's team

Spain's women soccer players said on Thursday the fight they have waged with the country's football federation (RFEF) followed decades of "systematic discrimination" and they hoped that it would inspire others to stand up for their rights. Two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas said the kiss on the mouth of team mate Jenni Hermoso by then RFEF President Luis Rubiales during the World Cup and his subsequent refusal to resign was the "straw that broke the camel's back" that prompted the players to boycott playing for the team until leadership changes were made at the federation.

WWE to bring back 'SmackDown' to NBCUniversal's USA Network

WWE's "Friday Night SmackDown" will be back on USA Network late next year, after the wrestling company struck a new partnership deal with Comcast's NBCUniversal to air more shows. WWE, part of TKO Group, will also produce four primetime specials per year for NBC as part of the five-year deal.

Olympic medalist sues US bobsled team doctor for sexual abuse

Aja Evans, a 2014 Olympic bobsled bronze medalist, has filed a lawsuit alleging that a doctor who worked on Team USA's medical staff subjected her to nearly a decade of sexual abuse and harassment during treatment. The doctor, Jonathan Wilhelm, a chiropractor who resides in Montana, as well as the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and USA Bobsled and Skeleton Federation were named as defendants in the lawsuit filed on Wednesday in a state court in upstate New York.

Soccer-England women, FA reach agreement over bonuses, says Bright

The England women's team have reached an agreement with the Football Association (FA) over pay and bonuses, stand-in skipper Millie Bright said on Thursday. The squad had initially paused discussions ahead of the Women's World Cup, where England finished runners-up after losing the final to Spain. The squad had presented the FA with concerns related to bonus and commercial structures last year.

Rugby-Argentina focus on execution for Samoa showdown

Argentina assistant coach Felipe Contepomi said the Pumas do not need a new mentality for Friday's Pool D clash against Samoa, they just needed to avoid the mistakes they made against England in their World Cup opener. The 27-10 loss to an England side who played with 14 men for most of the match have triggered some nerves among fans of the twice World Cup semi-finalists, not helped by the almost two-week wait for their second fixture.

Soccer-Argentina remain top of FIFA world rankings

World champions Argentina strengthened their grip at the top of the FIFA world rankings in the latest list on Thursday, with the top five remaining unchanged after the international break. Argentina, who dethroned Brazil at the summit in April, remained top after beating Ecuador and Bolivia in their 2026 World Cup qualifiers earlier this month.

Gymnastics-Biles to compete in sixth world championships

Simone Biles is set to compete in her sixth world championships this month after posting the top all-around score at a U.S. qualifying competition, USA Gymnastics said on Wednesday. Biles, a four-times Olympic champion and 19-times world gold medallist, headlines the five-woman team heading to Antwerp, Belgium, where she won the first of her five world all-around titles in 2013 at the age of 16.

Golf-Key trio's absence won't hurt Europe's Ryder Cup hopes - Azinger

Europe will be "unfazed" by the absence of Ryder Cup stalwarts Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood when the biennial competition gets underway next week in Italy, golf analyst Paul Azinger said on Thursday. Garcia, Poulter and Westwood have played a combined 28 Ryder Cups but are part of LIV Golf and resigned from the European Tour, which made them ineligible to play the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome.