GERALD IMRAY
FILE - Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi celebrates winning the woman's 3000 meters at the Qatar Diamond League athletics meet in Doha, Qatar, May 13, 2022. Niyonsaba withdrew from the world championships Monday, July 11, 2022, with a foot injury, just when she looked to be a good bet for her first major medal in the 5,000 meters after being forced to switch to long-distance events by track and field's contentious testosterone rules. (AP Photo/Hussein Sayed, File)
5000m contender Niyonsaba out of world champs with injury

By Gerald Imray Jul. 11, 2022 12:49 PM EDT
Francine Niyonsaba withdrew from the world championships with a foot injury on Monday

FILE - South Africa's Caster Semenya smiles after winning the women's 800-meter race during the Prefontaine Classic, an IAAF Diamond League athletics meeting, in Stanford, Calif. USA, Sunday, June 30, 2019. Semenya was listed on Friday, July 8, 2022 to compete at next week's world championships in Oregon, potentially setting up a surprise return to the big stage for the two-time Olympic champion and one of the most contentious athletes. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
In big surprise, Semenya listed to run at worlds in Eugene

By Gerald Imray Jul. 08, 2022 03:17 PM EDT
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Caster Semenya is listed to compete at next week's

FILE - Barry Steenkamp, father of Reeva Steenkamp, leaves the High Court in Pretoria, South Africa, June 14, 2016, after Oscar Pistorius's sentencing proceedings. South African former track star Oscar Pistorius has met with the father of Reeva Steenkamp, the woman he shot to death in 2013, as part of his parole process, the Steenkamp's family lawyer told The Associated Press on Friday July 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)
Seeking parole, Pistorius meets with girlfriend's father

By Gerald Imray Jul. 01, 2022 01:55 PM EDT
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South African former track star Oscar Pistorius has

FILE - Nigeria's Jahlil Okafor (15), center, celebrates with teammates after making a basket during men's basketball preliminary round game against Italy at the 2020 Summer Olympics, July 31, 2021, in Saitama, Japan. The Nigerian government has made a sudden U-turn and cleared its national basketball teams to return to competition immediately. The sports ministry on Thursday, June 23, 2022 says the decision to lift a ban on the teams playing in international competitions came after an appeal to the government by the Nigerian Basketball Federation. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, file)
Nigerian government allows basketball teams to play again

By Gerald Imray Jun. 23, 2022 11:00 AM EDT
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The Nigerian government made a sudden U-turn on

FILE - Nigeria players walk off the court after their loss in the women's basketball preliminary round game against Japan at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Aug. 2, 2021, in Saitama, Japan. FIBA-Nigeria, basketball's world governing body, confirmed Thursday, June 2, 2022, that Nigeria has withdrawn its team from the women's World Cup and warned of "potential disciplinary measures" against the country because of government interference. Nigeria's government announced last month that it was withdrawing all its basketball teams from international competitions for two years while it completely restructures the sport. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
FIBA warns of possible disciplinary action against Nigeria

By Gerald Imray Jun. 02, 2022 08:17 AM EDT
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Basketball's world governing body confirmed Thursday

FILE - South African long distance athlete Caster Semenya (176) runs on her way to winning the 5,000 meters at the South African national championships in Pretoria, South Africa, April 15, 2021. A British newspaper has reported that double Olympic champion Semenya said she offered to show her body to track officials when she was just 18 years old to prove she was a female. (AP Photo/Christiaan Kotze/File)
Semenya says she offered to show track officials her body

By Gerald Imray May. 23, 2022 07:45 PM EDT
Double Olympic champion Caster Semenya said she offered to show her vagina to

FILE - Chad le Clos of South Africa looks up after his swim in a men's 200-meter butterfly semifinal at the 2020 Summer Olympics, on July 27, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. Former Olympic champion Chad le Clos was named on South Africa's team on Monday, May 9, 2022, for his seventh swimming world championships. The 30-year-old le Clos is planning to compete in the 50, 100 and 200 meters butterfly at the worlds in Budapest, Hungary, which start on June 18, South Africa's swimming federation said.(AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Le Clos makes South Africa team for his 7th world champs

By Gerald Imray May. 09, 2022 02:41 PM EDT
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Former Olympic champion Chad le Clos was named on

FILE - In this Friday, July 30, 2021 file photo, Sifan Hassan, of the Netherlands, right, crosses the finish line ahead of Agnes Tirop, of Kenya, left, to win a heat in the women's 5,000-meter run at the 2020 Summer Olympics, in Tokyo. Kenyan runner Agnes Tirop, a two-time world championships bronze medalist, has been found dead at her home in Iten in western Kenya, the country's track federation said Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File)
Kenyan runner Agnes Tirop found dead, police hunt husband

By Gerald Imray Oct. 13, 2021 08:24 AM EDT
Kenyan Olympic runner and two-time world championship bronze medalist Agnes

Gold medalist Sifan Hassan, of Netherlands, reacts during the medal ceremony for the women's 10,000-meters at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Hassan gets 3 distance medals in amazing Olympic odyssey

By Gerald Imray Aug. 07, 2021 01:16 PM EDT
TOKYO (AP) — By the time she reached the 65th and final lap of her eight-day

Sifan Hassan, of Netherlands, reacts after the final of the women's 1,500-meters at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 6, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
'Four Ferraris': Italy race to shock 4x100 gold at Olympics

By Gerald Imray Aug. 06, 2021 11:07 AM EDT
TOKYO (AP) — There are some things track fans are used to: Nobody stops the

Damian Warner, of Canada douses himself in water as he celebrates after winning the gold medal in the decathlon at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Toughest Olympics? Decathletes and heptathletes say probably

By Gerald Imray Aug. 05, 2021 01:38 PM EDT
TOKYO (AP) — Even for the athletes good enough and brave enough to take on the

Sifan Hassan, of the Netherlands, holds her gold medal for women's 5,000-meters final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Sifan Hassan running for Olympic history in distance races

By Gerald Imray Aug. 05, 2021 04:21 AM EDT
TOKYO (AP) — Sifan Hassan is taking distance running at the Olympics back to

Emmanuel Korir, right, of Kenya, celebrates after winning the gold medal with silver medalist Ferguson Rotich, also of Kenya, in the men's 800-meter final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Rudisha calling: 'King' phones to congratulate new 800 champ

By Gerald Imray Aug. 04, 2021 12:31 PM EDT
TOKYO (AP) — Emmanuel Korir had barely settled in as the new Olympic champion

Karsten Warholm, of Norway celebrates as he wins the gold medal ahead of Rai Benjamin, of United States in the final of the men's 400-meter hurdles at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
After Warholm's WR stunner, a look at track's great races

By Gerald Imray Aug. 03, 2021 07:52 AM EDT
TOKYO (AP) — Karsten Warholm's staggering run to shatter his own 400-meter

Elaine Thompson-Herah, left, of Jamaica, wins the final of the women's 200-meters from Christine Mboma, of Namibia, at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
EXPLAINER: What exactly are track's testosterone rules?

By Gerald Imray Aug. 03, 2021 12:27 AM EDT
TOKYO (AP) — The complex testosterone regulations in track and field have

Christine Mboma, of Namibia, left, leads Gabrielle Thomas, of United States in a women's 200-meter first round heat at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 2, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Teenagers make 200 final in Olympic testosterone controversy

By Gerald Imray Aug. 02, 2021 09:12 AM EDT
TOKYO (AP) — Two 18-year-old Namibian runners threw track and field's

Sifan Hassan, of the Netherlands, reacts after winning her heat of the women's 1,500-meters at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 2, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
What a recovery! Hassan falls, gets up and wins 1,500 heat

By Gerald Imray Aug. 01, 2021 09:52 PM EDT
TOKYO (AP) — Sifan Hassan's bid for a distance treble at the Olympics was

Wayde Van Niekerk, of South Africa, runs in a heat in the men's 400-meter run at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Back in Lane 8: Van Niekerk's struggle to reach the Olympics

By Gerald Imray Aug. 01, 2021 06:26 AM EDT
TOKYO (AP) — Lane 8. The place where no 400-meter runner

Elaine Thompson-Herah, left, of Jamaica, celebrates after winning the women's 100-meters final with teammate Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 31, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Fraser-Pryce still seeking her Olympic 'moment'

By Gerald Imray Jul. 31, 2021 01:08 PM EDT
TOKYO (AP) — Count them for Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce: Four Olympics, seven

Francine Niyonsaba, of Burundi, finishes a heat in the women's 5,000-meter run at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 30, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
'So alone': Niyonsaba criticizes own team after Olympics DQ

By Gerald Imray Jul. 31, 2021 01:42 AM EDT
TOKYO (AP) — Olympic silver medalist Francine Niyonsaba criticized her own team