Cycling
Armstrong returns Olympic bronze medal to the IOC
AUSTIN, Texas – Lance Armstrong returned his Olympic bronze cycling medal, the latest fallout from his much-maligned confession to using performance-enhancing drugs.
Armstrong won the medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. The International Olympic Committee in January vacated the medal Armstrong won in the road time trial.
The IOC said it will not reallocate Armstrong’s bronze medal, just as cycling’s ruling body decided not to declare any winners for the seven Tour de France titles once held by the American.
Horner, Rodriguez, Valverde close the gap on Nibali
PENA CABARGA, Spain – Vincenzo Nibali’s lead over 41-year-old American Christopher Horner in the Spanish Vuelta was cut to three seconds Thursday with three days to go.
The 18th stage was won by Vasil Kiryienka of Belarus, who broke away before a final grueling ascent. He covered the 116-mile route that started in Burgos in nearly five hours.
Nibali, the Giro d’Italia winner, also lost time to Joaquim Rodriguez and Alejandro Valverde. After Horner, Valverde is 1:09 off Nibali’s pace, and Rodriguez is 2:24 back.
NFL
Broncos’ original No. 18 – and 1st QB – dies at 85
ENGLEWOOD – Frank Tripucka, who quarterbacked the Denver Broncos in their inaugural season and later wanted his No. 18 unretired so Peyton Manning could wear it, died Thursday. He was 85.
The Broncos said Tripucka died in Woodland Park, N.J. He had Alzheimer’s disease.
A former standout at Notre Dame, Tripucka played for the Detroit Lions, Chicago Cardinals and Dallas Texans. He was brought in as a coach before the 1960 season, but it became obvious he was Denver’s best option at QB. Tripucka threw for 3,038 yards and 24 touchdowns that season. He also tossed the first touchdown pass in American Football League history.
His number was one of three retired by the Broncos, but Tripucka gladly gave Manning permission to wear it when he joined the team in 2012. At the time, Tripucka said: “If Peyton wants the number, they should give it to him; they definitely should.”
Tripucka was inducted into the team’s Ring of Fame in 1986.
Soccer
USA Soccer climbs to its best ranking in 3 years
ZURICH – The United States climbed to 13th in the FIFA rankings, its highest position since July 2010.
The Americans rose six places in the September rankings announced Thursday, which include Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Mexico that clinched the seventh consecutive World Cup berth for the U.S. The Americans had dropped to as low as 36th in July and August in 2012.
World and European champion Spain remained first for the 25th consecutive month, and Argentina rose two places to second after qualifying for its 11th consecutive World Cup.
Germany dropped to third, and Italy rose two places to fourth after securing its 14th consecutive berth. Colombia dropped two to fifth.
Mexico’s coaching carousel lands on Vucetich
MEXICO CITY – Victor Manuel Vucetich was hired Thursday as coach of the Mexican national team as it tries to recover from a pair of losses in World Cup qualifying and avoid missing the tournament for the first time in a quarter century.
The 58-year old Vucetich, who led Monterrey to three consecutive CONCACAF Champions League titles before leaving this year, follows Jose Manuel De la Torre, who was fired after Friday’s 2-1 home loss to Honduras, and Luis Fernando Tena, who led El Tri in Tuesday’s 2-0 loss at the United States.
Mexico is in danger of missing the World Cup for the first time since 1990.
Associated Press
