Belarus shotputter is stripped of gold

Just hours after the close of the Olympics, a female shotputter from Belarus was stripped of her gold Monday in the first case of an athlete losing a medal for doping at the London Games.

With the disqualification of Nadzeya Ostapchuk, the gold medal was awarded to Valerie Adams of New Zealand — who winds up as Olympic champion for the second time in a row.

The International Olympic Committee said Ostapchuk, a former world champion, tested positive for steroids before and after winning the shotput last week for her first Olympic gold.

After an IOC hearing, she was formally expelled from the Games and had her victory and medal removed from the records. She was the eighth athlete, and first medalist, caught during the IOC’s London drug-testing program.

ETC.

Miami Dolphins Coach Joe Philbin said the decision to release six-time Pro Bowl receiver Chad Johnson wasn’t based on any single incident and wasn’t made to send a message.

Philbin said the Dolphins simply decided the fit was wrong for the team and Johnson.

The Dolphins terminated Johnson’s contract Sunday night, about 24 hours after he was arrested in a domestic battery case involving his wife. Johnson was released from jail on $2,500 bond earlier Sunday after his wife accused him of head-butting her during an argument.

Running back Ryan Mathews is targeting the Chargers’ Sept. 10 season opener against the Oakland Raiders for his return from a broken collarbone suffered in San Diego’s first exhibition game.

Mathews was injured on his first carry of the preseason in the first quarter of the Chargers’ game against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night. He had surgery Friday and the Chargers said he would miss four to six weeks.

As expected, the Lakers officially signed reserves Jodie Meeks and Devin Ebanks on Monday.

Meeks, a 6-foot-4 guard who played for the Philadelphia 76ers the last three seasons, signed a two-year deal worth about $3 million; the Lakers hold a team option on his second season. The Lakers hope Meeks can provide substantial minutes as a backup shooting guard and help improve their outside shooting. Meeks averaged 37% shooting from three-point range in the last two seasons.

Meanwhile, Ebanks accepted the Lakers’ qualifying offer worth a little more than $1 million for one season. He averaged 4.0 points and 2.3 rebounds last season with the Lakers and will probably get more playing time at small forward because the team didn’t re-sign veteran Matt Barnes.

—Mark Medina

Wednesday’s racing card at Del Mar has bettors excited because there is a $362,503.13 carry-over pool for its Pick 5, where bettors must pick the winners of the first five races. It’s the first time there has been a carry-over in the 50-cent Pick 5 at Del Mar. There’s also a $240,680.66 carry-over in the Pick 6. There are eight races on Wednesday’s card, which begins at 2 p.m.

—Eric Sondheimer

Petra Kvitova outlasted China’s Li Na, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, to take the Rogers Cup title at Montreal.

The 22-year-old Czech earned her first tournament win of the year after taking six titles last year, including Wimbledon.

Michael Dokes, a former World Boxing Assn. heavyweight champion, has died. He was 54.

The Rhoden Memorial Home in Akron, Ohio, said Dokes died Saturday. The Akron Beacon Journal reported that the boxer died in an Akron hospice from liver cancer.

Dokes won the heavyweight title at 24 in December 1982, when referee Joey Curtis made a controversial decision to stop his fight against champion Mike Weaver. Dokes dominated the first round over Weaver, prompting the decision.

An admitted problem with cocaine helped him lose the WBA title only nine months later to Gerrie Coetzee, however, and Dokes never held the heavyweight crown again.