Team Colombia on its way to Spain
Colombia Pro Cycling have been invited to the Vuelta a España. After participating in the Giro d’Italia in 2013 and 2014, the team failed to receive a repeat invitation this year, but will be present in the third Grand Tour of the year held between August 22 and September 13.
Team manager Claudio Corti expressed his gratitude at receiving an invitation: “It was one of our main goals for this season, to get an invitation to the Vuelta after two years at the Giro d’Italia. These past few years we have all worked hard to achieve this, especially with sports minister Andrés Botero, who always believed in this project.”
Corti added that “our responsibility now is to make this a big success.” After Quintero won the mountain jersey for Colombia at the Tirreno-Adriatico, the team will be preparing for the Vuelta by first participating first in the Vuelta a Cataluña.
World Cup Silver for Jossimar Calvo
At the gymnastics World Cup in Cottbus, Germany, Jossimar Calvo picked up a Silver medal in the parallel bars. The Cucuta native came second with 15.725, just a half-point behind Ukrainian winner Oleg Vernyayev. The 20-year-old gymnast made a name for himself in 2013 with a World Cup victory in Slovenia on the high bar, his favourite discipline. The all-round gymnast’s goal is a gold medal in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro 2016, but with competition from Dutch Epke Zonderland and Ukrainian Vernyayev, there is still a lot of work to do in the coming World Cups this year.
Djokovic’s revenge in Indian Wells
In another thrilling final, world number one Novak Djokovic took on number two Roger Federer in the closing match of the Indian Wells Masters 1000 tournament. After losing in the first clash between the two this year, Djokovic got his revenge, taking the match 6-3, 6-7, 6-2. The Serb was superior to the Swiss in the first set and a half going up a set and a break. A great return game from Federer and some sloppy play from Djokovic ended in a tie-break that Federer won. The deciding set was even for four games until Djokovic broke the Swiss’ serve to walk the set home and claim his second title of the season. Djokovic will go on to the Masters 1000 tournament in Miami, starting on March 25, while Federer will take time off to prepare for the gravel season.
High diver Murillo slapped with 2-year doping ban
On March 20, the international swimming federation FINA announced that Colombian high diver Carolina Murillo has received a two-year doping ban after testing positive for cocaine. The high diver from Antioquia tested positive on a doping control test conducted at a national diving competition in Medellin on July 8, 2014. The ban was imposed on September 15 by the FINA and confirmed on March 20. Murillo, who represented Colombia on the World Championships in Shanghai and Barcelona, will be sidelined until the sanction ends on September 15, 2016.
Ireland wins Six Nations after thriller final round
With Wales, Ireland and England on even points before the final round of the Six Nations rugby tournament, a thriller day was expected. Wales kicked off first against Italy to claim a 61-20 win. The bar was set for Ireland, who needed to win with a 21- point difference at Murrayfield in Scotland to overtake the Welsh and keep their title dream alive. With their eyes fixed on the prize, the team succeeded, breaking the Scots’ defence to end the match 40-10. It was England against France at Twickenham stadium later that day that would decide who took the crown. England needed to win by a 26 point margin to take the victory and smash the Irish dream. They started out stongly and for a long time it looked they were going to take the title. They missed out by six points, however, beating France 55-35. At Murrayfield, the Irish fans and players had some tense moments watching the England match on the screen but there was much joy when they received the Six Nations trophy.
