DOG SLEDDING

Iditarod official quits after being accused of threat — The head of the drug testing program for the world’s most famous sled dog race has resigned months after he was accused of threatening a musher. Officials with the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Saturday said Dr. Morrie Craig resigned after more than 25 years leading the canine drug testing program, which he started. Craig could not be reached for comment. He said he did not threaten the musher but talked in general about 2017 testing results at a mushers’ meeting. After the 2017 race, officials said some of musher Dallas Seavey’s dogs tested for tramadol, an opioid painkiller and a banned substance. Seavey denies giving the dogs the drug. Musher Wade Marrs accused Craig of threatening to reveal him as another musher whose dogs tested positive for a banned substance just minutes before this year’s race was to have started. Iditarod officials have said only Seavey’s team had a positive test.

MOTOR SPORTS

Larson wins NASCAR Xfinity race at Chicagoland — Kyle Larson used the high line at Chicagoland Speedway to pass Kevin Harvick and drive away to a dominant victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Saturday. Riding near the wall at the bumpy 1.5-mile oval, Larson passed Harvick with about 60 laps remaining in the 300-mile race. Brandon Jones moved into the top spot when he stayed on the track while the leaders went in for a pit stop, but the caution he needed never materialized and Larson pulled away when Jones finally went into pit road on a really hot day all over the Midwest. Larson also won the pole, but the NASCAR Cup Series regular was sent to the back of the field because of an unapproved tire change after qualifying. It was his second win in three starts on the Xfinity Series this season, joining his victory at Las Vegas in March. Harvick finished second, and Cole Custer was third after also starting at the back of the field due to a tire issue. Daniel Suarez and Daniel Hemric rounded out the top five. The temperature was in the 90s for most of the day, and it soared well into triple-digits inside the cars. Tyler Reddick started in front after Larson’s tire problem, and then won the first stage. But he had a slow pit stop and was penalized for speeding into pit road before he was knocked out of contention by a wreck. Justin Allgaier, an Illinois native who won the Chicagoland Xfinity Series race last year, finished seventh. He was trying for his second straight victory after winning at Iowa on June 17.

SOCCER

Russia fined for neo-Nazi fan banner at Cup game — Russia’s soccer federation has been fined by FIFA because a fan displayed a neo-Nazi banner at a World Cup game. FIFA’s disciplinary panel ordered the Russian soccer body to pay 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,100) for a “discriminatory banner” at the team’s 3-0 loss to Uruguay in Samara. FIFA and monitoring experts working at World Cup matches said the banner included the number 88, which is recognized as far-right code for “Heil Hitler” because H is the eighth letter of the alphabet. In a separate case, FIFA fined Serbia’s federation for a second time at the World Cup for fans displaying a Chetnik banner celebrating a World War II nationalist group. Serbia must pay 20,000 Swiss francs ($20,200) for a disciplinary charge of showing a “political and offensive banner” during the team’s 2-0 loss to Brazil in Moscow on Wednesday. FIFA invited monitors from the anti-discrimination group Fare to work at World Cup games for the first time. FIFA said it also warned the Russian and Serbian federations. Morocco’s soccer federation was fined 65,000 Swiss francs ($65,650), and FIFA also warned winger Noureddine Amrabat for misconduct after a late Spain goal cost the team a group-stage victory.

TRACK AND FIELD

Semenya follows appeal with record 800 win in Paris — Caster Semenya followed her decision to fight the IAAF’s rules over testosterone levels in female athletes by winning the 800 meters at the Paris Diamond League on Saturday. Semenya won comfortably in 1 minute, 54.25 seconds. That was a Diamond League record, South Africa record, meeting record, personal best, and the world’s best time this year. The IAAF has ruled female runners too high in natural testosterone can’t race in track events from the 400 to the mile unless they take medication. It comes into effect in November, but Semenya has challenged the rule at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The IAAF agreed this week to abide by the CAS decision, and president Sebastian Coe denied they were targeting Semenya, the two-time Olympic and three-time world champion. Also, Abderrahman Samba of Qatar became only the second person to go under 47 seconds in the 400 hurdles when he clocked 46.98. He joined Kevin Young, who timed 46.78 at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

— From wire reports