The Latvian national soccer team's head coach, Jurijs Andrejevs, announced the candidates for the 2008 European Soccer Championship's first match of qualifying rounds. As a debutant he named Deniss Kacanovs from FC "Ventspils" 's who will train with the national team for the first time. The second player, Marians Pahars, is a former national team player. His return is eagerly anticipated, Andrejevs said.
Olympic pole vaulting champion Yelena Isinbayeva attempted a world record jump on the final day of last week's Track and Field Golden Tournament, held in Brussels. However, her 4.81 meter jump, although earning the Russian a competition victory, fell short of a world record. The jump also fell short of Isinbayeva's personal best - 5.01 meters 's which she achieved last year. Fabiana Murer of Brazil took second place with a jump of 4.66 meters. Monika Pyrek of Poland took third place.
David Beckham signed a two-year contract extension with Real Madrid, according to the Spanish media. The Spanish daily Marca quoted Real president Ramon Calderon as saying that Beckham had committed himself to the club until 2009. Calderon said the deal was done "for sporting reasons." Beckham joined Real from Manchester United in 2003, signing a four-year deal, but the club has failed to win a major trophy in his three seasons in Spain.
Australian swimmer Leisel Jones broke her own world record in the 100 meter breaststroke at the Australian short-course (25-meter pool) championships on Aug. 28. Jones posted a time of one minute 3.86 seconds to better her swim in the day earlier semi-final by 0.26 seconds. American Tara Kirk set the previous world record of 1:04.79 in 2004. Jones also holds the long-course (50-meter pool) record for the 100 meter and 200 meter breaststroke and is the world champion over both distances.
Andre Agassi put off retirement with a 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 6-2 victory over Romania's Andrei Pavel at the U.S. Open on Aug. 28. After winning the second set with a thrilling rally during the tie-break, Agassi lost the first four games of the third but, after dropping the initial point of the fifth game, he decided to change rackets. The new racket seemed to help as Agassi won the following five games, taking a 5-4 lead on an ace. The 36-year-old announced at Wimbledon that he would retire after the U.S. Open. An eight-time grand slam champion, Agassi is playing in his open era-record 61st major and his 21st U.S. Open.
