Sports

VALENCIA, Spain: Dani Pedrosa of Spain won pole position at the Valencia Grand Prix on Saturday, setting a track record for qualifying with a fastest lap of 1 minute, 30.844 seconds. Pedrosa steered his Honda around the 4-kilometer (2.48-mile) Comunitat Valenciana circuit with a last flying lap to claim his 24th career pole in MotoGP. Recently crowned world MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo will start Sunday’s race from second place, with retiring two-time …

MANCHESTER, England: The only top contender still left in the men’s Olympic football tournament, Brazil has no excuse to leave the London Games without the gold medal. First, though, it will have to get past South Korea in the semifinals on Tuesday. Brazil brought most of its top players to the Olympics and has been dominant so far, getting more …

LONDON: British rapper Dizzee Rascal says it all for handball at the Olympics – his hit “Bonkers” blares out across the arena at London 2012. Fast, physical, fun and just a little bit crazy. The formula works a dream in “The Box That Rocks” in the Olympic Park and players are hoping the sport gains more recognition in Britain and the United …

LONDON: A dozen people opposed to the Syrian government have protested the presence at the Olympics of equestrian rider Ahmad Saber Hamsho. The rider’s father is under U.S. and EU sanctions for supporting the regime of President Bashar Assad. Syria’s civil war has intensified in recent weeks as rebels focused on the country’s two biggest cities, Damascus and Aleppo. Hamsho competed …

LONDON: Russia’s Tagir Khaibulaev delighted his president and judo black-belt Vladimir Putin Thursday as he beat Mongolian defending champion Tuvshinbayar Naidan to win the Olympic under-100kg title. Putin, seated among the crowd, raised his arms in celebration and was among the first to congratulate Khaibulaev after he claimed Russia’s third judo gold with an unstoppable seoi-nage (shoulder throw). Dutchman Henk …

LONDON: Bradley Wiggins took a step toward becoming Britain’s greatest ever Olympian Wednesday after overtaking former rower Steve Redgrave’s tally of six medals following his men’s time trial win. With five golds and one bronze medal, Redgrave is widely considered Britain’s greatest ever Olympian. But he could soon lose that accolade to Wiggins after his fellow Englishman added a fourth …

LONDON: Forget anabolic steroids in easy-to-swallow tablets, or EPO in clean syringes. Ancient Olympic dopers got their pre-Games hormone boost from chewing on raw animal testicles. The problem of some Olympic competitors taking potions, medicines and supplements to boost performance is as old as the Games themselves. Even athletes of the 19th century thought nothing of fortifying themselves with coca …

WEYMOUTH, England: Pavlos Kontides raced into gold-medal contention in the Laser dinghy at the Olympic regatta on Wednesday, raising hopes of securing a first podium finish at a Games by a Cypriot athlete. Kontides, 22, took a second and fourth in the day’s races and holds a one-point lead over Australia’s four-time world champion Tom Slingsby after six races. Kontides …