OLYMPICS

The International Olympic Committee urged sports bodies Friday to cancel or move all events they plan to hold in Russia and Belarus, and stop using the countries’ flags and national anthems.

The request from the Olympic body came after UEFA moved the Champions League final from St. Petersburg to suburban Paris, and after the governing body of skiing and Formula One pulled upcoming races from Russia.

Volleyball, shooting and hockey all have world championships scheduled to be held in Russia. Hockey is a favorite sport of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his home city of St. Petersburg is scheduled to host the worlds in May 2023.

Russia breached the Olympic Truce by invading Ukraine on Thursday, only four days after the closing ceremony of the Winter Games in Beijing. Some of the Russian troops entered Ukraine from Belarus, Russia’s ally.

It was the third Russian breach of the Olympic Truce in the past 14 years. Russia invaded Georgia during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and annexed Crimea shortly after the end of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

GOLF

HONDA CLASSIC: Daniel Berger – playing what amounts to a home tournament for him, with his residence a 15-minute drive away – had a three-shot lead through two rounds of the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida after a second consecutive round of 5-under 65 on Friday.

“You get your mom’s cooking, you get to sleep in your own bed,” Berger said. “It’s pretty comfortable.”

First-round leader Kurt Kitayama eagled the par-5 18th as darkness was closing in, finishing a round of 69 and ending the day tied for second at 7 under with Chris Kirk (68). Mark Hubbard (64) was another shot back at 6 under, as was Adam Svensson – who hit all 18 greens on his way to a 65 and finished with a par at 6:41 p.m., 22 minutes after sundown.

Berger’s 10-under 130 tied the third-lowest score through 36 holes since the Honda moved to PGA National in 2007; Aaron Wise was 12 under through two rounds last year, Rory McIlroy was 11 under at the midway point in 2014 and Brendon De Jonge was 10 under that same year.

None of them went on to win. McIlroy lost in a playoff to Russell Henley, Wise shot 75-73 on the weekend to tie for 13th and De Jonge went 76-78 on the weekend to freefall all the way to a tie for 63rd.

CHAMPIONS: Miguel Angel Jimenez aced the 196-yard seventh hole and shot a 6-under 66 in breezy conditions Friday in Tuscon, Arizona to match Jeff Sluman for the first-round lead at the Cologuard Classic.

Jimenez overcame a bogey on the par-5 eighth with three birdies on the back nine to match Sluman, who had consecutive birdies at Nos. 13-14 for his best PGA Tour Champions round since a 66 in the 2018 Regions Tradition.

Tom Lehman tied for the lead at 6 under with a birdie on the par-5 17th, but failed to get up and down at No. 18 for a bogey to shoot 67. Woody Austin had seven birdies and Rod Pampling went bogey free to both shoot 67.

BOXING

HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE: Wembley Stadium will stage Tyson Fury’s defense of the WBC heavyweight title against British countryman Dillian Whyte on April 23.

Co-promoter Frank Warren announced the venue on Friday, three days after Whyte signed on for the fight.

Warren won the right to host the bout after a $41 million offer at purse bids.

Fury will fight in the United Kingdom for the first time in nearly four years. He’s fought exclusively in the United States since doing a deal with Bob Arum’s Top Rank and won an epic trilogy against Deontay Wilder.

Their third and last fight was in October, when Fury won by knockout in the 11th round to improve his record to 31-0-1.

HORSE RACING

BAFFERT APPEAL DENIED: Kentucky’s racing director has denied trainer Bob Baffert’s request to stay his suspension by stewards in their ruling that also disqualified Medina Spirit as Kentucky Derby winner.

Kentucky Horse Racing Commission stewards on Monday suspended Baffert for 90 days, effective March 8 through June 5, and fined the Hall of Fame trainer $7,500. They also stripped the now-deceased Medina Spirit of the victory for testing positive for the steroid betamethasone following the Derby last May 1.

Churchill Downs subsequently elevated runner-up Mandaloun to Derby winner after the stewards’ ruling. The historic track previously suspended Baffert for two years, citing a series of positive tests by his horses. Marc A. Guilfoil, director of the KHRC, on Friday sent a letter to Baffert’s attorneys saying he did “not find good cause” to stay the rulings. Guilfoil added that the attorneys could petition for a review of his decision.