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SPORTSSaturday 8 April 2017
Dunn, Long score twice each, U.S. women roll past Russia 4-0
SCHUYLER DIXON
AP Sports Writer
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Now
that Allie Long has mas-
tered the header for the
U.S. women’s national
team, the midfielder won-
ders when she’ll score with
her feet.
Long had two goals on
headers and has scored all
five of her international ca-
reer that way, Crystal Dunn
scored twice on the same
field where she tied a U.S.
record with five goals in a
game last year and the
Americans rolled to a 4-0
exhibition victory over Rus-
sia on Thursday night.
Between the two headers,
Long twice missed easy
chances with her feet, first
from alone in front of the
net when the shot went
off the side of her foot and
then on a penalty kick that
sailed over the top of the
net.
“I thought it was a joke,”
the 29-year-old said of
someone giving her a hard
time about scoring only
with her feet. “And now it’s
been true. So I need to like
Olympic marathon champion Jemima Sumgong fails doping test
GERALD IMRAY
AP Sports Writer
Olympic marathon cham-
pion Jemima Sumgong
tested positive for the blood
booster EPO in a surprise
out-of-competition doping
test in Kenya, the IAAF said
Friday, the biggest blow yet
to the credibility of the East Marathon Majors series.
African country’s famed
distance-running program.
Sumgong became the
first Kenyan woman to win
Olympic gold in the mara-
thon at last year’s Rio de Ja- month while she was provi-
neiro Games, is the reigning
London Marathon cham-
pion, and was the points
leader in the World Mara-
thon Majors series. She was
in line to receive a $250,000
bonus when the current se-
ries ends in Boston on April
17. The series said it won’t
name a women’s winner
until doping officials have
resolved her case.
“The athlete tested positive
for EPO following a no-no-
tice test conducted by the
IAAF in Kenya,” track and
field’s governing body said
Russia defender Daria Makarenko (8) watches goalie Alena Be-
lyaeva (12) clear the ball on a corner kick as U.S. midfielder
Mallory Pugh (2) pressures on the play in the second half of an
international friendly soccer match in Frisco, Texas, Thursday,
April 6, 2017.
break the curse.”
Dunn opened the scoring
on Carli Lloyd’s 55th ca-
reer assist for the national win over Puerto Rico in a
team, then added an un-
assisted goal for a 3-0 lead
in a statement.
Sumgong’s test was “part
of an enhanced IAAF out-
of-competition testing pro-
gram dedicated to elite
marathon runners,” the
IAAF said.
That program is run jointly
by the IAAF and the World
London Marathon organiz-
ers announced Sumgong
failed the test in February
and wouldn’t be allowed
to defend her title this
sionally suspended.
The Olympic champion
is now the highest profile
of dozens of Kenyan ath-
letes to have failed doping
tests since the 2012 London
Olympics and her case
puts the country’s anti-
doping failures back in the
spotlight. The vast majority
of Kenyan athletes to fail
doping tests recently were
lower level runners and of-
ficials had claimed that the
top Olympians were clean.
Sumgong is also the sec-
ond Kenyan woman to test
home of MLS’ FC Dallas in
suburban Dallas.
“Actually for a second I
didn’t remember that it
was this field and then kind
of pregame training yes-
Associated Press terday, I was like, ‘Wait, I
remember this field,’” said
in the 41st minute. A little Dunn, who now has 20
more than a year ago, she goals in 49 career caps.
scored five goals in a 10-0 “Going in to today’s game,
I’m not going to lie, I was
CONCACAF qualifier for kind of like, ‘Yeah, this
the Rio Olympics at the could be a good night.’”
Rose Lavelle had her first
career assist on Long’s first
header , and Mallory Pugh
assisted on the second.
Alyssa Naeher recorded her
eighth shutout in her 11th
career start for the United
States, ranked second in
the world behind Germany.
Coming off a pair of losses
for the first time since 2014
in the SheBelieves Cup, the
U.S. dominated with a 33-5
advantage on shots and
7-1 edge in shots on goal in
the first of two Texas friend-
lies against Russia in four
days. The teams play again
Sunday in Houston.
“It’s always good to re-
bound,” coach Jill Ellis said.
In this Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016 file photo, Jemima Jelagat
Sumgong of Kenya celebrates after winning the gold medal in
the women’s marathon at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016.
Associated Press
positive for EPO while lead- tration for Sport for a sterner in out-of-competition tests
ing the world marathon se- sanction.
ries. World Marathon Majors
Rita Jeptoo was the top general manager Tim
women’s marathon run- Hadzima said the series
ner in the world when she was distressed to learn of
failed an out-of-competi- reports that Sumgong had
tion test in Kenya in 2014. failed a doping test but
Initially given a two-year that, “if true, they indicate
ban, Jeptoo’s punishment that we are gaining ground
was doubled to four years in our long-standing fight
in 2016 after the IAAF ap- against doping.”
pealed to the Court of Arbi- Sumgong will now miss the
“Everything right now is
looking forward to the next
game and trying to get
better.” Lloyd almost gave
the U.S. a four-goal half-
time lead, making a nifty
spin and quick shot that
bounced squarely on the
post and straight back in
extra time before intermis-
sion. Long’s second header
finished the scoring after
the two misses with her feet.
While the U.S. women are
defending World Cup
champs, they’re less than
a year removed from their
earliest Olympic exit ever.
The quarterfinal loss to Swe-
den in Brazil came after
three straight gold medals,
and goalkeeper Hope Solo
was suspended six months
for calling the Swedes
“cowards” for their conser-
vative approach.
“I think it’s important for all
of us to feel like we played
our role and played it to our
best ability,” Dunn said. “For
me, I had a great game I
think. And it was all to my
teammates supplying me
the ball and feeding off
me.”q
London Marathon on April
23, the race’s chief execu-
tive said.
Bitel said Sumgong’s test
was part of the world mara-
thon series’ efforts to target
150 top marathon runners
every year.
The World Marathon Ma-
jors awards prizes to runners
with the top finishes over six
of the most prestigious an-
nual marathons, plus the
Olympics and world cham-
pionships.
Sumgong can request that
her “B’’ sample or backup
sample is tested. If that is
also positive for EPO she
faces at least a two-year
ban.
The 32-year-old Sumgong’s
victory in Rio capped an
outstanding performance
by Kenya in track and field
at the Olympics, when the
country finished second
to the United States in the
medal table. Eliud Kip-
choge also won gold in the
men’s marathon for a Ke-
nyan sweep.q