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It looked like a recipe for disaster. So, when his country's swimmers were being accused of doping earlier this year, one Chinese official cooked up something fast. He blamed it on contaminated noodles. In fact, he argued, it could have been a culinary conspiracy concocted by criminals, whose actions led to the cooking wine used to prepare the noodles being laced with a banned heart drug that found its way into an athlete's system. This theory was spelled out to international anti-doping officials during a meeting and, after weeks of wrangling, finally made it into the thousands of pages of data handed over to the lawyer who investigated the case involving 23 Chinese swimmers who had tested positive for that same drug. The attorney, appointed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, refused to consider that scenario as he sifted through the evidence. In spelling out his reasoning, lawyer Eric Cottier paid heed to the half-baked nature of the theory. “The Investigator considers this scenario, which he has described in the conditional tense, to be possible, no less, no more,” Cottier wrote. Even without the contaminated-noodles theory, Cottier found problems with the way WADA and the Chinese handled the case but ultimately determined WADA had acted reasonably in not appealing China's conclusion that its athletes had been inadvertently contaminated. Critics of the way the China case was handled can't help but wonder if a wider exploration of the noodle theory, details of which were discovered by The Associated Press via notes and emails from after the meeting where it was delivered, might have lent a different flavor to Cottier's conclusions. “There are more story twists to the ways the Chinese explain the TMZ case than a James Bond movie,” said Rob Koehler, the director general of the advocacy group Global Athlete. "And all of it is complete fiction.” In April, reporting from the New York Times and the German broadcaster ARD revealed that the 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine, also known as TMZ. China's anti-doping agency determined the athletes had been contaminated, and so, did not sanction them. WADA accepted that explanation , did not press the case further, and China was never made to deliver a public notice about the “no-fault findings,” as is often seen in similar cases. The stock explanation for the contamination was that traces of TMZ were found in the kitchen of a hotel where the swimmers were staying. In his 58-page report , Cottier relayed some suspicions about the feasibility of that chain of events — noting that WADA's chief scientist “saw no other solution than to accept it, even if he continued to have doubts about the reality of contamination as described by the Chinese authorities.” But without evidence to support pursuing the case, and with the chance of winning an appeal at almost nil, Cottier determined WADA's “decision not to appeal appears indisputably reasonable.” A mystery remained: How did those traces of TMZ get into the kitchen? Shortly after the doping positives were revealed, the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations held a meeting on April 30 where it heard from the leader of China's agency, Li Zhiquan. Li's presentation was mostly filled with the same talking points that have been delivered throughout the saga — that the positive tests resulted from contamination from the kitchen. But he expanded on one way the kitchen might have become contaminated, harkening to another case in China involving a low-level TMZ positive. A pharmaceutical factory, he explained, had used industrial alcohol in the distillation process for producing TMZ. The industrial alcohol laced with the drug “then entered the market through illegal channels,” he said. The alcohol "was re-used by the perpetrators to process and produce cooking wine, which is an important seasoning used locally to make beef noodles,” Li said. “The contaminated beef noodles were consumed by that athlete, resulting in an extremely low concentration of TMZ in the positive sample. "The wrongdoers involved have been brought to justice.” This new information raised eyebrows among the anti-doping leaders listening to Li's report. So much so that over the next month, several emails ensued to make sure the details about the noodles and wine made their way to WADA lawyers, who could then pass it onto Cottier. Eventually, Li did pass on the information to WADA general counsel Ross Wenzel and, just to be sure, one of the anti-doping leaders forwarded it, as well, according to the emails seen by the AP. All this came with Li's request that the noodles story be kept confidential. Turns out, it made it into Cottier's report, though he took the information with a grain of salt. “Indeed, giving it more attention would have required it to be documented, then scientifically verified and validated,” he wrote. Neither Wenzel nor officials at the Chinese anti-doping agency returned messages from AP asking about the noodles conspiracy and the other athlete who Li suggested had been contaminated by them. Meanwhile, 11 of the swimmers who originally tested positive competed at the Paris Games earlier this year in a meet held under the cloud of the Chinese doping case. Though WADA considers the case closed, Koehler and others point to situations like this as one of many reasons that an investigation by someone other than Cottier, who was hired by WADA, is still needed. “It gives the appearance that people are just making things up as they go along on this, and hoping the story just goes away," Koehler said. “Which clearly it has not.” AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-gamesTina Knowles Denies Liking Instagram Post About Jay-Z Rape Allegation

Sean Combs ’ physical violence was allegedly directed at both his romantic partners and personal employees, with the music mogul accused of once attempting to beat down a woman’s door with a hammer. Prosecutors for the Southern District of New York leveled the new accusations against Combs on Monday as they argued against his release from jail. The 55-year-old has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn without bail since his arrest on sex trafficking and racketeering charges on Sept. 16. (Combs pleaded not guilty to the three charges. If convicted, he stands to serve 15 years to life in prison.) U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian is expected to make a decision this week on whether Combs will be released. Combs’ attorneys have proposed a sizable $50 million bail package, in which Combs would be monitored 24/7 by a private security firm from a three-bedroom apartment on the Upper East Side. His trial is currently set for May 2025. However, prosecutors vehemently oppose Combs’ release, claiming that he has been continually tampering with witnesses and alleged victims — even from the MDC , using other inmates’ phone numbers and unauthorized methods of communication to contact third parties. (Combs’ team has denied any obstruction allegations against their client.) Prosecutors also claim that Combs presents a danger to the community, alleging that he has an extensive history of physical violence towards romantic partners, including once attempting to beat down a woman’s door with a hammer. “Often behind closed doors, the defendant engaged in acts of violence against women, including throwing them to the ground, dragging them by their hair, kicking, shoving, punching, and slapping them,” prosecutors allege in court documents. “He manipulated, coerced, and extorted women, including by plying them with drugs, threatening to withhold financial support, and threatening to disseminate sex tapes that the defendant had made of their sexual encounters. He [intimidated] women, including by displaying firearms, threatening them, showing up at their homes unannounced, and attempting to beat down the door — on one occasion with a hammer.” Editor’s picks The 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time Prosecutors widened the scope of Combs’ alleged abuse to his employees, who “have described the defendant threatening to kill them, throwing objects at them, and being struck, punched, and shoved by the defendant, and seeing him do the same to others,” according to court documents. Throughout the 13-page letter, prosecutors argue that there are no measures that would satisfy conditions of Combs’ release. Combs has suggested that he could be monitored around the clock by a private security team. His attorney, Marc Agnifilo, had previously floated to the court hiring the company Sage Intelligence Group for the job. That company’s director is Herman Weisberg, a well-known private detective who has worked on several high-profile cases, including for Harvey Weinstein’s defense lawyers. The issue, prosecutors point out, is that Weisberg is “already working as a private investigator” for Combs and was “contacting witnesses — a fact that was not disclosed by the defense to the Court or to the Government prior to or at the hearing.” And in a minor point to the government’s opposition to bail, they accuse Combs of breaking a gag order that his team insisted on by orchestrating a social media campaign for his birthday on Nov. 5. Prosecutors claim that Combs had his children post a video of themselves celebrating his birthday with the intention of influencing a future jury pool. Referencing a gag order in President Donald Trump’s since-dismissed federal election interference case, Combs’ team argues that a “heightened standard” to what constitutes breaking the order should apply in Combs’ case. Like Trump, they argue, Combs has “a greater constitutional claim than other trial participants ... to criticize and speak out against the prosecution and the criminal trial process that seek to take away his liberty.” Related Content Kanye West Sued for 'Pornographic Gagging' of Model on Video Set Rebel Wilson Loses Bid To Toss Defamation Suit Filed by 'The Deb' Producers Conor McGregor Loses Sexual Assault Civil Trial, Ordered to Pay Victim $250,000 Jonathan Majors' Ex-Girlfriend Settles Assault, Defamation Lawsuit This is Combs’ third attempt at release after having been denied by two previous judges. He currently has an appeal pending in the Second Circuit, which will likely move forward if Judge Subramanian denies his request. Prosecutors have voiced concerns that if released, Combs could potentially speak with witnesses and alleged victims. In the lead-up to his arrest, Combs was accused of speaking with a male escort who testified in the grand jury and later deleting those messages. He is also accused of trying to feed a “false narrative” to a woman the government identified as Victim-2 after the woman said reading Casandra “Cassie” Ventura’s lawsuit was like reading her own “sexual trauma.” (Combs’ team denied this woman is a victim.) In mid-September, SDNY unveiled their 14-page indictment against Combs . The case is largely built around the experiences of Combs’ ex-partner Ventura. The R&B singer sued Combs for sex trafficking and sexual abuse in November 2023, claiming that throughout their decade-long relationship, Combs forced her to engage in sexual acts with male sex workers. Ventura alleges that she was threatened with physical violence, professional retribution, potential leaks of the footage and was kept compliant through excessive drug use. The embattled music executive is also facing a growing pile of civil lawsuits . More than 30 men and women have sued Combs in New York and California, claiming they were assaulted by Combs from the 1990s and as recently as 2022. The claims come from former Danity Kane member Dawn Richard, producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, working models, aspiring artists, businessmen, security guards and people who say they were teens at the time of their alleged encounters. Combs has denied all claims of sex abuse through his reps. “As his legal team has said before, Mr. Combs has full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process,” his media team previously said in a statement to Rolling Stone .

( MENAFN - The Conversation) Being an athlete while also being a mother often comes with challenges. On top of their professional and parental duties, athlete mothers often contend with inequalities and media coverage that reinforces stereotypes. Pregnancy and motherhood are reasons why some sportswomen end their careers . Many athletes grapple with Sport organizations that are unprepared to support them as mothers, alongside cultural pressures to focus on just motherhood. Yet, many athletes have pursued both motherhood and their athletic ambitions and gained professional success and media attention . Acceptance of motherhood and sport careers is shifting. The 2024 Paris Olympics supported athlete mothers by providing spaces for child care, and mothers in the Professional Women's Hockey League are gaining media attention. Media coverage of athlete mothers has been increasingly showcasing how they can have successful sporting careers . It also helps to expose inequalities as they push for support for their careers . These include limited information about training during pregnancy and postpartum, lack of support for family planning, inadequate maternity and child-care policies and insufficient support for identity and career changes. As part of our recently published research , we analyzed news and sport media coverage of 2020 and 2024 Olympic athlete mothers to reveal several themes. We also explored media reports about athlete mothers' sport comebacks . Our research reveals that sport media portrays the idea of being both an athlete and a mother as possible, but with challenges. Athlete mothers must often contend with social expectations that women should do everything for their children, including sacrificing career ambitions . Our research on media stories of boxer Mandy Bujold's and basketball player Kim Gaucher's 2020 Olympic journeys highlights how motherhood can be a penalty in sport . Bujold was returning to top form after giving birth, but the pandemic forced the International Boxing Federation to cancel all upcoming Olympic qualification events. They subsequently reverted to pre-pandemic rankings, which excluded Bujold, as she was on maternity leave. Gaucher was told there would be no children allowed at the Games. She was forced to choose between competing at the Olympics or staying home to breastfeed her daughter. After telling their stories in the media and hiring a lawyer, Bujold retained her ranking and Gaucher was able to bring her daughter to the Olympics to breastfeed her . These two examples highlight the inequitable treatment and stress athlete mothers have to face. They also show that motherhood and sport are compatible. When the media elevates sportswomen's fight for maternity rights, change is possible and celebrated. Our research on Olympic athlete mothers' sporting comebacks shows media stories featuring “super mums” as the stars . Super mums are portrayed as selfless providers of child-care who excel in motherhood and their athletic careers. The super mum character in media stories celebrates these sportswomen's accomplishments. However, the super mum narrative can also ignore the difficulties of balancing motherhood and sport without support. There is a lack of postpartum training guidelines among national and international sporting bodies, and lack of funding to support athlete mothers. The expectation that they have to be able to“do it all” can make any mother feel inadequate . Canadian freestyle skier Cassie Sharpe recently spoke about the pressure this narrative places on athlete mothers : Kenyan Olympic track athlete Faith Kipyegon revealed health issues and fears she had when coming back to sport. Kipyegon managed to train until she was about five months pregnant, but the delivery was traumatic. She needed an emergency C-section to deliver her daughter.“I was so afraid, [thinking], 'Maybe I will not come back, I will just disappear',” she said. These examples showcase the realities elite athlete mothers continue to face. Sports journalist Shireen Ahmed has written about how it is unreasonable to expect athlete mothers to be superwomen:“Yes, that is unrealistic, but sometimes that is what we are faced with. It doesn't always manifest gracefully, but there it is.” Ahmed's reporting of athlete mothers' stories is groundbreaking, as she celebrates their athleticism while exposing some of the challenges they face . While elite women athletes are applauded for their experience and success, they can also face a motherhood penalty in the form of reduced career expectations and support . Despite having experience or previous success, media stories often represent these athletes as exceptions who come back to their careers against all odds. This may reflect veteran athletes navigating an underestimated, but successful, postpartum comeback with less resources . When older athlete mothers do succeed, there is sometimes a shock and surprise narrative in media coverage. This narrative may reinforce stereotypes that motherhood ends fitness and competitive sporting goals. Veteran Canadian Olympian Malindi Elmore's marathon running performance qualified her for the 2020 Olympics, despite her age and her retirement from 1500 m running 17 years earlier. Last September, Elmore set a personal best in the marathon to qualify for Paris 2024 at 43, showing that continued career success as a mother is possible. Changing the way these comeback stories are discussed can reduce pressure for veteran athlete mothers coming back to sport. The themes from our research shows that media stories of motherhood and sport are shifting to celebrate women's sport careers. Media stories that reflect the realities of athlete motherhood and more diverse athlete mothers are needed. There should also be more coverage of racialized and LGBTQ+ mothers and athlete mothers with disabilities. Such coverage would reveal their shared and unique challenges and triumphs, and would offer a more fulsome portrayal of athlete motherhood. MENAFN23122024000199003603ID1109025347 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.Bill Clinton is hospitalized with a fever but in good spirits, spokesperson says

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