Sports News Roundup: Tokyo 2020 marathon may avoid heatwave; Vonn to miss start of final season

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Olympics: Discussions ongoing over Tokyo 2020 marathon timing to avoid heatwave

Organisers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics are still debating changes to the timing for the marathon, with plans to introduce daylight savings at the Games to avoid the worst of Japan's scorching August heat looking doomed. The start time of the marathon, the event with the longest duration outside was likely to be brought forward by one hour to 0600 local time (2100GMT) to avoid the highest temperatures, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported on Wednesday.

Ingenious format and even games equals Nations League success

UEFA's new Nations League competition has proved an instant success thanks to the apparently simple, but often forgotten, a combination of an ingenious format and evenly-matched teams. Initially seen as another unwanted addition to an already cluttered fixture list, the Nations League has proved a welcome alternative to lukewarm friendly internationals and one-sided European qualifying ties.

FIFA ethics committee member suspended over corruption investigation

A member of FIFA's ethics committee has been suspended after being placed under investigation by an anti-corruption unit in his native Malaysia, the global soccer body said on Wednesday. FIFA said in a statement that the investigation had been launched by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission against Sundra Rajoo.

Alpine skiing: Vonn to miss start of final season with knee injury

Alpine skiing legend Lindsey Vonn will miss the start of her farewell season on the World Cup circuit due to a knee injury the American picked up in training, the 34-year-old said on Twitter on Tuesday. The news comes as a setback in her quest to become the most prolific World Cup winner in history, Vonn's 82 career victories leaving her four short of Swede Ingemar Stenmark's record haul.

World soccer bodies awarded just $2.63 mlillion in U.S. bribery case

A U.S. judge said the world soccer governing body FIFA and two regional soccer federations deserved to recoup just $2.63 million from two former officials convicted on bribery charges, a small fraction of the roughly $125 million they sought. The decision on Tuesday night by U.S. District Judge Pamela Chen in Brooklyn, New York is a defeat for FIFA and the regional bodies CONCACAF and CONMEBOL, which were seeking restitution from former Brazilian soccer federation president José Maria Marin and former CONMEBOL chief Juan Angel Napout.

Machado walks back 'Johnny Hustle' comment

Manny Machado is about to break the bank in free agency, but he knows teams will have questions that must be answered first. One of those questions he's looking to address right away is criticism over comments he made during the National League Championship Series when the then-Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop told The Athletic that being "Johnny Hustle" is not his "cup of tea."

Sailing: Coutts hopes Olympics follows his lead to improve racing

Five-time America's Cup winner Russell Coutts believes the format used in the New Zealander's SailGP league could be adopted by the Olympics as the sport looks to modernize. Sailing has been a staple at every Summer Games bar 1904 but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is looking at ways to reach a younger demographic, with Coutts endorsing the use of modern technology to widen the sport's audience.

Top 25 roundup: No. 1 Duke outlasts No. 8 Auburn

Freshmen, RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish scored 18 points apiece as top-ranked Duke held off No. 8 Auburn 78-72 in the first semifinal of the Maui Invitational on Tuesday in Lahaina, Hawaii. While all five Duke starters scored in double figures, it took a few defensive stops for the Blue Devils to fend off Auburn.

Venus Williams settles lawsuit over fatal Florida car crash

Tennis star Venus Williams has settled a wrongful death suit related to a fatal traffic accident she was involved in near her Florida residence in June 2017, according to court records. The terms of the agreement between Williams and the estate of Jerome Barson, 78, who died in the crash, were not disclosed in the court documents. The lawsuit, which was filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court, was settled on Nov. 15.

Tennis: Davis Cup could merge with ATP for unified event - Costa

Davis Cup organisers are open to merging with the ATP over a unified event, tournament director Albert Costa has said while emphasising that the 118-year-old competition will remain the number one international tennis event. The revamped Davis Cup, spearheaded by the Kosmos investment group founded by Barcelona footballer Gerard Pique and organised by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), begins in Madrid next November with a week-long event akin to a tennis World Cup.