If you revisit the footage of the men’s 200 meter final from the 2007 World Championships, it doesn’t take long to notice that something out of the ordinary is going on. The anomaly, virtually impossible to disregard, is that there’s an absolute giant running out of Lane 5. To clarify, Usain Bolt is not an enormous human being, particularly when you start comparing him with football players or basketball players or with Robert Wadlow, the 8-foot-11 colossus who has graced the pages Read the full story

The Tour de France began Saturday with a ride through flat country favoring sprinters, the opening stage of a three-week race trying to restore its luster after years of doping scandals. The 123-mile ride from Brest to Plumelec in Brittany features 180 riders. But Alberto Contador, last year’s winner, was not among them. His Astana team is banned by organizers after doping infractions by other riders. Among the challengers for this year’s 2,175-mile test are Australia’s Cadel Read the full story

It’s been more than five years since Venus and Serena Williams won a Grand Slam doubles title together. The sisters can end that drought Saturday when they play Lisa Raymond of the U.S. and Samantha Stosur of Australia in the Wimbledon women’s doubles final. Earlier in the day, Venus and Serena will play each other for the singles title. They advanced to the doubles title match by beating Nathalie Dechy of France and Casey Dellacqua of Australia 6-3, 6-3. “It’s good practice for our singles,” said Serena, an eight-time Grand Slam singles champion who beat older sister Venus in the Wimbledon singles final in 2002 and ‘03. “We’re just enjoying every moment.” Read the full story

Zimbabwe’s decision to pull out of the ICC World Twenty20 in England next year is just a one-off decision, the ICC has said. The decision cleared the roadblock for the competition to be staged in England, but Zimbabwe retained its Full Member status in the ICC, a compromise outgoing ICC president Ray Mali termed as a “win-win solution”. The ICC statement read: “The Zimbabwe delegation have agreed to take this decision in the greater interest of world cricket and the ICC. This recommendation should be viewed as a one-off and will not be taken as a precedent.” Read the full story

Australia 282 for 8 (Symonds 87, D Hussey 50) beat West Indies 281 for 6 (Gayle 92, Sarwan 63, Chanderpaul 53, Lee 3-64) by 1 run

Australia snatched a victory that should never have been theirs as Shane Watson delivered a superb final over that consigned West Indies to a devastating one-run defeat. Chris Gayle’s 92 had set up what appeared certain to be a successful chase as West Indies pursued 283, but a string of late wickets ensured Michael Clarke tasted success in his first ODI as Read the full story

A 70-year-old from Muzaffarnagar, India, became the world’s oldest woman to give birth after she delivered twins Friday.

Omkari Panwar, the wife of a retired farmer, delivered the twins — a boy and girl — via Caesarean section. Panwar, who has two adult daughters and five grandchildren, underwent in-vitro fertility treatment so she could produce a male heir. Her husband, Charan Singh Panwar, 77, mortgaged his land, sold Read the full story

A chemical found in celery and green pepper may help ease symptoms including memory loss of people suffering from brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, according to a study published on Monday.

Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign looked at the effects of luteolin on the brains of mice, according to the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. They found that the chemical compound reduced inflammation and said that in the right doses it could be used Read the full story

AVOCADO: Do not let the “high” fat content of avocados deter you from eating this fantastic fruit. In fact, the healthy monounsaturated oil in avocado will help you feel satiated after a meal and signal your body to burn more fat stores, as well as lower your bad cholesterol and raise your good cholesterol! Avocado also helps lubricate your intestines and assists in regulating your elimination cycles. Avocados are grown, and consumed, throughout the Americas. The fruit bowl is a beautiful thing, especially when it’s laden with some of my favorites Read the full story

Rosemary Dore emerged from a left-sided stroke with an accent that was similar to the Canadian East Coast accent, the CBC News reported Friday.

Incidentally, before she had the stroke, Dore, 50, of Windsor, Ontario, had always spoken with a southern Ontario accent. She had only traveled to Florida once for vacation, and she did not have any family members who spoke with East Coast accents. Scientists call it foreign accent syndrome and Dore’s case is highlighted in the July issue of Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences. Read the full story

A Filipino teenager who came to New York so doctors could perform surgery to untwist her severely clubbed feet took her first unaided steps Wednesday in pink-and-white sneakers — the first shoes she’s ever worn.

“I’m very happy,” Jingle Luis said with a smile. “It was exciting.”The 15-year-old girl arrived at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx in May with her mother for surgery and follow-up treatment. She had never been able to walk on her own because she was born with feet so clubbed they twisted Read the full story