Doping scandal hits Russia

With a week to go before the Beijing Olympics, Russia suddenly has its own version of the United States' BALCO doping scandal involving some of the track team's biggest stars.

After a 1 1/2-year investigation, the IAAF in Brussels, Belgium, provisionally suspended seven female Russian athletes Thursday, accusing them of tampering with their urine samples. The list includes Yelena Soboleva, a world-record holder and world champion middle-distance runner who was favored to win the 800 and 1,500 meters at the Olympics.

Also provisionally suspended were two-time world 1,500 champion Tatyana Tomashova, middle-distance runners Yulia Fomenko, Svetlana Cherkasova and Olga Yegorova, hammer thrower Gulfiya Khanafeyeva and discus thrower Darya Pishchalnikova.

The athletes could still compete at the Beijing Games if they were to get an emergency ruling lifting the provisional suspension.

Track and field competition begins in China on Aug. 15.

JAMES SCORES 20 IN DEBUT: LeBron James, back from a sprained ankle, scored 20 points and was a defensive force in his exhibition debut, helping the U.S. Olympic team overcome some early sloppy play to beat Turkey 114-82 in its first game in China.

SHARAPOVA OUT: Women's tennis star Maria Sharapova will miss the Olympics because of a right shoulder injury. The three-time Grand Slam singles champion said on her Web site Thursday that an MRI exam and other medical tests showed she has two small tears in tendons in her shoulder.

BAGHDATIS OUT: Marcos Baghdatis, the 2006 Australian Open finalist, was ruled out of the Olympics because of a right wrist injury. He will be out of action for at least four weeks and miss the U.S. Open, the Cyprus Tennis Federation said on its Web site.