Sports News Roundup: Olympic champion Danson-Bennett to quit; Beilein resigns as Cavs coach and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Freak head injury forces Olympic champion Danson-Bennett to quit

Britain's Olympic gold medal-winning former women's hockey captain Alex Danson-Bennett has been forced to retire because of a head injury sustained while laughing at a joke in 2018. The 34-year-old Danson-Bennett, part of the British team that won hockey gold in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, had hoped to feature at this year's Tokyo Games.

Newman released from hospital following Daytona 500 crash

Driver Ryan Newman was released from the hospital on Wednesday, two days after a spectacular crash during the last lap of the Daytona 500 saw him carted off the track with injuries. According to his Roush Fenway Racing team, the 42-year-old Newman has been in good spirits since the crash which saw his vehicle career into a wall and flips into the air before being hit by another car on the driver's side.

MotoGP champion Marquez renews with Honda until 2024

Spain's six times MotoGP champion Marc Marquez has signed a four-year contract extension with Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) through to the end of 2024, the team said on Thursday. Marquez, who turned 27 this week, won his first title in 2013 with the Repsol Honda team and has won the last four world championships in a row. He has a total of 56 career victories and 95 podiums to his name in the premier class.

ATP roundup: Tsitsipas shines in Marseille opener

Sixth-ranked Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas ousted Sweden's Mikael Ymer in straight sets Wednesday to win his opening match at the Open 13 Provence in Marseille, France. Tsitsipas, the No. 2 seed and defending champion, needed just 72 minutes to finish off a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Ymer. He had six aces and won 88 percent of his first-serve points (21/24); Tsitsipas has won 10 straight sets at the event since sweeping through his four matches in Marseille last year.

NBA notebook: Beilein resigns as Cavs coach

John Beilein formally resigned as coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday after multiple days of speculation that he wouldn't be leading the team when play commenced after the All-Star break. The Cavaliers said Beilein will be reassigned to a different role within the organization.

Astros cheating scandal may be good news for MLB, experts say

The Houston Astros' cheating scandal may be hanging over Major League Baseball like a dark cloud but the sign-stealing scheme could actually boost interest in the game rather than turn fans away, experts said on Wednesday. With the 2020 regular season just around the corner, the sense of optimism that usually surrounds Spring Training has been missing as disgruntled players add their voices to the daily chores of Astros condemnation.

NHL roundup: Bruins top Oilers on Pastrnak's overtime goal

David Pastrnak scored on a breakaway at 1:14 of overtime as the Boston Bruins defeated the host Edmonton Oilers 2-1 Wednesday night in a matchup of division leaders. Pastrnak took a long lead pass from David Krejci and beat Edmonton goaltender Mike Smith. It was Pastrnak's 43rd goal of the season, tying him for the NHL lead with Toronto's Auston Matthews.

Racing Point say their 'pink Mercedes' is a big risk

Racing Point's new Formula One car looks a lot like Lewis Hamilton's title-winning 2019 Mercedes painted pink but technical director Andy Green says the team has taken a big risk with it. The RP20 represents a big change of design philosophy for the Silverstone-based team, who use Mercedes engines and gearboxes as well as the same wind tunnel.

RTL to cover Vietnam GP remotely due to virus fears

German free-to-air broadcaster RTL will cover the Vietnamese Formula One Grand Prix remotely due to the spread of the coronavirus in the region, it said in a statement. The Chinese GP originally scheduled for Shanghai on April 19 was called off last week, with the hope of rescheduling later in the year, but a street race in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi remains on for April 5.

London can host 2020 Games if moved over coronavirus - mayor candidate

London would be ready to host the 2020 Olympics if the outbreak of the coronavirus forced the Games to be moved from Tokyo, Shaun Bailey, the Conservative candidate for mayor of the British capital, has said. London hosted the Olympics in 2012, but British officials played down the prospect of taking away the Games from Tokyo, which has been planning the event for seven years since its bid won in 2013.

(With inputs from agencies.)