Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Tuesday 6 March 2018
Canelo Alvarez tests positive for banned drug, blames meat

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mid- situation and I trust that at
dleweight boxer Canelo the end the truth will pre-
Alvarez has tested positive vail."
for a banned drug, and his Alvarez, 27, of Mexico, and
promoters blame contami- Golovkin, from Kazakhstan,
nated meat. are among the best ac-
A voluntary test showed tive boxers. Alvarez, whose
Alvarez had traces of clen- given name is Saul, is 49-1-2
buterol. A statement from with 34 knockouts. He relin-
Golden Boy Promotions quished his previous belts
said the amount was con- before meeting Golovkin
sistent with meat contami- last September, when Alva-
nation that has impacted rez won on one card 118-
athletes in Mexico and 110, lost 115-13 on another
China. and third judge had it 114-
Daniel Eichner, director 114.
of the World Anti-Doping "It's tough to comment
Agency-accredited labo- on it, we're waiting for the
ratory that conducted the Nevada commission to do
test, wrote Monday: "These their due diligence," Tom
values are all within the Loeffler, Golovkin's pro-
range of what is expected moter, told The Associated
from meat contamination." Press. "We would like the
Alvarez is scheduled for fight to continue if there is
a rematch with middle- any way for that to hap-
weight champion Gen- In this Sept. 15, 2017 file photo, Canelo Alvarez poses on the scale during a weigh-in, in Las Ve- pen.
nady Golovkin on May 5 in gas. "Triple G always has want-
Las Vegas, a highly antici- Associated Press ed to undergo testing be-
pated fight after their draw cause he hits so hard and
last year. asthmatics, has fat burn- players Raul Mondesi and spects the sport and this is so well-conditioned, he
Alvarez will move his train- ing properties and athletes Guillermo Mota, champion surprises me and bothers didn't want there to be any
ing camp from Mexico have been known to use it cyclist Alberto Contador, me because it had never questions on his side. He
to the United States and to help them drop body fat and a number of partici- happened to me," Alva- had wanted both fighters
submit to additional tests, and weight quickly. Among pants in the 2008 Beijing rez said. "I will submit to all to undergo testing to make
Golden Boy said. those who have tested Olympics. the tests that require me for a level playing field as
Clenbuterol, often used by positive for it are baseball "I am an athlete who re- to clarify this embarrassing much as possible."q

PHILMICKELSON And that's what he did. A in June. No one has won
Continued from Page 17 perfect drive and a 6-iron more than five times on the
Right when he was on the for a two-putt birdie, and PGA Tour after turning 47.
verge of taking control, he then a 20-foot birdie on "Oh, I will," Mickelson said
went for the green on the the 16th. Mickelson closed about reaching 50 titles. "I'll
par-5 11th hole only for the with a 66 and headed to get there."
shot to carom off a tree a sudden-death playoff That's not all he wants. One
and into the bushes near with Thomas, a duel be- of his chief goals for the
the edge of Chapultepec tween players separated year was to be on his 12th
Golf Club. Deep in the by 23 years of age. Miss- consecutive Ryder Cup
bushes, he blasted out and ing from the group was Tyr- team for a chance to win in
hit the crowd. He wound rell Hatton, who delivered Europe, which he has never
up making bogey. Then his own charge with four done. The victory should be
came another wild drive straight 3s on his card, the enough to move him to No.
that bounced along the last one an eagle to tie for 4 in the standings. Given
cart path, forcing him to the lead. But he missed the Phil Mickelson, of the U.S., lines up his putt on the 16th hole in the his value in the team room,
third round of the Mexico Championship at the Chapultepec
scramble for par. 18th green with a wedge, Golf Club in in Mexico City, Saturday, March 3, 2018. winning the Mexico Cham-
Three groups ahead of him, chipped strong and missed Associated Press pionship makes it hard to
Justin Thomas delivered the the par putt. The sudden- overlook Mickelson.
shot of the tournament. death playoff ended played a practice round at ful young generation that Left unsaid is the U.S. Open,
Eleven shots behind go- quickly. Thomas went long the 2014 U.S. Open, and Mickelson now has to beat the only major keeping
ing into the weekend and with a gap wedge to the Mickelson said that day to if he wants to reach one of him from the career Grand
suddenly tied for the lead, par-3 17th and chipped to the media, "You'll get to his goals. Slam. It returns this summer
Thomas holed out from 119 10 feet short of the hole. know Justin Thomas soon Mickelson, who captured to Shinnecock Hills, where
yards on the final hole for Mickelson hit the green, enough." his third World Golf Cham- Mickelson was on the cusp
eagle to cap off a 62-64 narrowly missed the birdie Thomas, the PGA Tour play- pionship, now has 43 vic- of winning the last two
weekend as he went for his putt and walked off a win- er of the year last season tories on the PGA Tour. The times in 1995 and 2004.
second straight victory. ner — finally — when Thom- and already a two-time first was in 1991 — before For now, the focus is on the
"I didn't know that he holed as missed his putt. winner this season, moved Thomas, Spieth and Rahm Masters and a chance to
out," Mickelson said. "I just The disappointment was to No. 2 in the world. were even born — when add a fourth green jacket.
saw that he finished at 16 tempered by the guy who He is the type of player — he was an amateur. He has "I needed to get a win be-
under when I was playing beat him. along with Dustin Johnson, long said he wants to get fore Augusta so I wasn't try-
the 15th, and that meant Mickelson took interest in Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm, to 50. The more pertinent ing to win for the first time in
that I needed to birdie two Thomas before he even Jason Day and Rory McIlroy number might be 48. That's four-and-a-half, five years
to get even with him." reached the PGA Tour. They — who represent a power- how old Mickelson will be at that event," he said.q