Canberra mountain bike rider Caroline Buchanan defended her world title in the four-cross category at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada.

Reigning Tour de France champion Alberto Contador will skip the UCI Road World Championships this year in order to better prepare for next season, according to Spain's coach.

Double European middle distance champion Mohammed Farah pulled out of the Commonwealth Games, citing fatigue after a draining season.

Five Indian athletes have returned positive doping tests, hitting the host nation's medal chances at next month's Commonwealth Games.

Shamoline Warrior, a leading prospect for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, has gone amiss and is out of the spring carnival.

Australia's triple Olympic champion Leisel Jones says she has no security or health concerns about competing at next month's New Delhi Commonwealth Games.

The Australian Commonwealth Games Association is still awaiting a security report on the Delhi Games.

Overnight rain has flooded the pitch at the women's field hockey World Cup in Argentina and forced the cancellation of all three scheduled matches.

World 800m champion Caster Semenya insists she is not interested in what people say about her as she steps up her preparation for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi next month.

Australia's netball team has been thrashed by 19 goals as New Zealand hit back in the second Test in Wellington.