Rugby Union: Former New Zealand rugby player Ali Williams and ex-Australia international James O’Connor have been charged and released after a drug bust in Paris on Friday. Williams, 35, was expected to appear in court at a later date after admitting a charge of purchasing three vials of cocaine containing 2.4 grams (0.08 oz), the source said. O’Connor, 26, will pay a fine for cocaine possession, the source added. Williams plays for French club Racing 92, while O’Connor is with Toulon.
Swimming: Great Britain’s Roberto Pavoni has called time on his career as a swimmer and is set for a move into coaching. The 25-year-old was a London 2012 Olympian and at the 2014 European Championships in Berlin claimed silver and bronze medals in the 400 metres and 200m individual medley events respectively. Pavoni said: “I have made the decision to retire from my competitive swimming career and would like to say a special ‘thank you’, from the bottom of my heart, to all those who have been involved in helping me to achieve more than I had ever imagined possible.”
Tennis: Dominic Thiem continued to showcase himself as a future star by winning an eighth ATP Tour title with success at the Rio Open. The 23-year-old, ranked eighth in the world, beat Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta 7-5 6-4 in just over 90 minutes on the Brazilian clay to go the whole week without dropping a set. He said: “I am feeling really great.This is the best feeling you can have, winning a title. It’s all you practise for. I played five very good matches, especially in the semis and final against amazing players.”
Snooker: Anthony McGill held his nerve to come out on top to take the Coral Shoot Out crown after defeating Xiao Guodong in the final of the one-frame tournament. A foul from McGill helped Guodong into a 19-0 lead early in the match but the Scotsman fought back with a break of 67 to secure a 67-19 victory and his second title of the season. It was the first time that the knockout competition has been recognised as a ranking event.
Basketball, NBA: Russell Westbrook was the main man again for the Oklahoma City Thunder as he inspired a 118-110 NBA win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Westbrook threw an impressive 41 points, adding 11 rebounds and assists, to claim a 29th triple-double of the season in the Thunder’s third win on the bounce. Magic Johnson’s first game since taking over at the Los Angeles Lakers did not end well as they were soundly beaten by the San Antonio Spurs 119-98. Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points for the Spurs as the Lakers lost for a fourth time in a row.
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Motor Racing: Kurt Busch (picture) steered clear of the chaos to win a crash-filled Daytona 500 on Sunday as the Great American Race was transformed into the Great American Demolition Derby. Busch led for one lap but it was the most important one as he powered his Stewart-Haas Racing Ford to the front with less than one to go after polesitter Chase Elliott ran out of gas. The 38-year-old American then held off Ryan Blaney by 0.228 of a second to claim his first Daytona 500 in 17 tries, after previously finishing runner-up three times.