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Sports in brief

 
Published Nov. 27, 2015

track and field

coe cuts ties with nike

MONACO — Sebastian Coe, head of track and field's governing body, said Thursday that he has given up his role as a special adviser to Nike to avoid accusations of conflict of interest. That relationship dated to his years as an Olympic champion middle-distance runner (gold in the 1,500 meters in 1980 and '84), and it was lucrative, reportedly worth $150,000 a year to him.

But that link has become a millstone around Coe's neck since he was elected president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in August, because it left Coe open to accusations that he might put the interests of the sportswear giant before those of his sport.

"Perception and reality have become horribly mangled," Coe, 59, said, adding he gave up the Nike position because discussion about it was distracting him from saving the sport from a crisis of confidence sparked by revelations of widespread doping in Russia and alleged corruption under predecessor Lamine Diack.

More track and field: American decathlete Ashton Eaton and Ethiopian 1,500-meter runner Genzebe Dibaba are the athletes of the year. Both won gold at the world championships and set world records in 2015.

soccer

$26,000 FIFA watches given to charity

The governing body's unethical weakness for luxury watches earned a windfall for a soccer charity in Brazil. A total of 48 Swiss watches given to soccer officials at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil have been recovered and donated to a nonprofit organization, the ethics committee of the body, FIFA, said. The Parmigiani watches, valued at more than $26,000 each, were given to members of FIFA's often-discredited executive committee, presidents of national federations whose teams played at the 32-team tournament and officials from South American federations. FIFA's Code of Ethics allows only for gifts of "symbolic or trivial value."

et cetera

Baseball: Former major-league outfielder Otis Nixon was arrested on charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and permitting an unlicensed person to drive, jail records in Atlanta say. Nixon, 56, was arrested Tuesday night, police spokesman Officer Kim Jones said. Jones did not provide details. Nixon was released from the Fulton County jail Wednesday on $2,500 bond.

Golf: Jordan Spieth shot par 71 in hot, windy Round 1 of the Australian Open, leaving himself five behind leader Lincoln Tighe in Sydney.

Times wires