Sports Digest

A round-up of today's other sports news

Redskins' Taylor shot dead at his home

American Football:Sean Taylor, a star defensive player with the National Football League's Washington Redskins, died yesterday after being shot during what police said was a possible burglary at his home near Miami.

Taylor (24), who was the Redskins' first pick in the 2004 draft, was shot in the groin area, severing his femoral artery, on Monday, police said. He was airlifted to Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital but died from his wound after heavy blood loss, his former lawyer said.

Police said a previous burglary attempt had been reported at Taylor's house on November 18th.

Taylor had a run-in with the law two years ago stemming from a gun-related incident. He was charged with three felony counts of aggravated assault with a weapon and one count each of simple assault and simple battery in connection with a June 2005 incident where he was accused of waving a gun at a group of people he suspected of stealing his all-terrain vehicle.

In June 2006 he pleaded no contest to misdemeanour assault and battery charges and prosecutors dropped the more serious felony charges.

Ohuruogu wins appeal against Olympic ban

 Athletics:Christine Ohuruogu, the 400 metres world champion, learned this morning she had won her appeal against a lifetime ban from the Olympic Games after missing three out-of-competition drugs tests.

"I am so, so happy," said Ohuruogu. "I can honestly say I am not a drugs cheat because I have been tested during the time of my ban and during the time of my competitions."

Ohuruogu was banned for 12 months after missing three drugs tests between October 12th, 2005, and July 26th, 2006. It turned her world upside down and she even contemplated quitting when she took her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. They upheld her year's ban but said they believed it was just a case of her being forgetful when the testers arrived.

Ed Warner, the chairman of UK Athletics, also announced three other British athletes have missed two tests, meaning they are one away from suffering the same fate as Ohuruogu. One of those is Becky Lyne, the European 800 metres bronze medallist. Ohuruogu won gold in Osaka this summer before also helping the British women to bronze in the 4x400 metres.

Sponsors end deal

Cycling:Deutsche Telekom are ending their sponsorship of professional cycling immediately to distance the brand from the doping scandals that have blighted the sport, they said yesterday.

"We arrived at this decision to separate our brand from further exposure from doping in sport and cycling specifically," said Hamid Akhavan, chief executive of Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile unit.

The team's sporting chief, Bob Stapleton, said the team would continue in elite cycling under the name "Team High Road".