News » ADA official took her urine test. Her

Another World Cup and another England dream comes to an abrupt end.


As England chased the strike that would have earned them a final against the USA on Sunday Cheap Jordan Legacy 312 , Japan broke down the right wing and crossed into the box where Laura Bassett did exactly the right thing in trying to stop the ball reaching one of the two Japanese strikers behind her. The ball looped agonizingly over keeper Karen Bardsley and caressed the crossbar before landing over the line. As everyone said since, "nine times out of 10" or "99 times out of 100" that does not go in.


The freak goal was unfortunate but what followed on English radio was cringeworthy. The presenters and pundits, all former England women players, kept going on about how this was such a "cruel" way to go out of the tournament and that England did not "deserve" this. As you'd expect from a team that sports three lions on their shirt, there was also an awful lot of talk of "pride." Bassett's teammate Toni Duggan, who had hit the bar at 1-1, even called the goal "criminal."


It's the same old story whenever England are knocked out of a big -tournament. This mixture of outrage and self-pity is one of the things that is so clearly wrong with English soccer and the country at large. There is a mistaken belief that England are world-beaters and -disbelief when another country wins. With the men's team, where this situation is much worse, the "lottery of penalties" is usually blamed, or someone who plays for Manchester United.


Thankfully everyone has rallied around Bassett, as the #proudofbassett hashtag was quick to confirm. England's women were an absolute credit to the -nation but we should not lose sight of the fact that they over-performed. This was an unfancied side that ran the -holders close in a semifinal. They did that because of the players working damn hard, a reliance on set pieces, the manager getting the best out of his squad and some great goals against the run of play.


This team's run will inspire a -generation of both boys and girls to play the game. Canada 2015 should be the -women's game's Italia '90 moment but the FA needs to invest in coaching and the media needs to stop building unrealistic public expectations. Fat chance, -perhaps. I'd just be happy if the -third-place -playoff against Germany doesn't go to penalties. The women's game doesn't need to learn any more bad -habits from the men.


by John Kwoba


NAIROBI, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Boston and Chicago Marathon champion Rita Jeptoo of Kenya will have to forfeit her prize money and World Marathon Majors (WMM) jackpot after her sample B test turned positive on Friday.


A statement by Athletics Kenya (AK) confirmed that Jeptoo indeed failed a dope test, which was contacted on Sept. 25, an out- of-competition test, and will have to serve the mandatory two-year ban. "Athletics Kenya has received the results of the B sample analysis of Rita Jeptoo as per her request and in line with IAAF Rules and Regulations," said a statement from Athletics Kenya.


"The results of the analysis of the B sample which was conducted on 17th to 19th December 2014 at the WADA accredited laboratory of Lausanne confirmed the finding of the A sample. Consequently, Athletics Kenya will constitute the hearing of this case early January, 2015," it said.


AK President Isaiah Kiplagat had said Jeptoo's B sample had been taken to Lausanne, Switzerland in a WADA accredited laboratory for examination.


Jeptoo tested positive for a banned substance in an out-of- competition test in late September, just weeks before winning for the second straight year in the Windy City.


This was after WADA official took her urine test. Her blood and urine showed traces of the blood-boosting drug.


With the confirmation, Jeptoo will have to forfeit her 500,000 U.S. dollar jackpot for the WMM. The cash award will now have to be paid out to second placed Edna Kiplagat, the World Marathon champion.


Jeptoo, 35, joined the sub-2:20 wome