North America

Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, has denied that his visit to Paris yesterday to endorse the Olympic TV coverage of Eurosport also represented a promotion of the French city as a potential host for the 2012 Games.

Formula One's world governing body has made a major u-turn and scrapped its plans for a ban on tobacco advertising in 2006.

The Swiss Olympic Committee will decide at the start of next month whether the city of Zurich is to bid to host the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Sweeping changes to the United States Olympic Association (USOC) have moved a step closer after Senator John McCain told external and internal reform panels to settle their remaining differences.

The expansion row over the US college sports leagues has moved on a step with the presidents of the nine Atlantic Coast Conference schools set to ask the University of Miami and Virginia Tech to leave the Big East and join them in time for the 2004-05 sports calendar year.

Robert Mulcahy, athletic director of New Jersey University Rutgers, has floated a compromise plan that would allow Miami to join the expanding Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

Nike has continued its post-Michael Jordan basketball strategy by signing up Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant.

The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has launched a new global marketing campaign that moves the focus away from the sex appeal of the athletes.

The Chicago Bears have made National Football League history after signing Bank One Corporation as a presenting partner - the first deal of its kind in the league.

An agreement has been made in principle to continue the CART Champ Car World Series at the Portland International Raceway.

The New Zealand city of Hamilton is weighing up a bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

A new soccer stadium is set to be built for Major League Soccer (MLS) side New York-New Jersey MetroStars after the project received government funding.

The United States Tennis Association has unveiled the prize money structure for the 2003 US Open with both men's and women's champions set to take home $1million each.

The Salzburg 2010 Olympic bid committee has made further changes to its proposal after dropping the venues in Ramsau from its plans.

Ehsan Mani has been officially appointed as the new president of the International Cricket Council at the governing body's annual general meeting and immediately confirmed that some of the 2007 World Cup games could take place in the US.

Australian Rules football team the Brisbane Lions have struck a kit sponsorship renewal deal with sports clothing manufacturer Russell Athletic.

Major League Baseball's official website, MLB.com, scored a notable success after a host of fans paid to download footage of renowned New York Yankees player Roger Clemens' landmark 300th game victory.

US racetrack owner Churchill Down Incorporated is conducting its annual shareholder meeting today