Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Vanderbilt's Fuller invited to attend Biden inauguration

Vanderbilt Commodores' Sarah Fuller, who in November became the first woman to play in a Power 5 conference American football game, said she has been invited to attend U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Wednesday. Fuller, who is a goalkeeper for Vanderbilt University women's soccer team, said it was an honour to be invited to one of "America's greatest traditions".

IOC expects only 6,000 athletes at Olympic opening ceremony: Yomiuri

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) expects only 6,000 athletes to participate in the opening ceremony at the Tokyo Summer Games, more than half of initial estimates, as organizers implement measures to guard against coronavirus infections. The IOC plans to scale back the ceremony because athletes will not be allowed to arrive at the Olympic Village, which can accommodate 18,000 people, more than five days before they compete and must depart within two days after their event finishes, the paper reported citing unidentified sources.

Maple Leafs place F Jason Spezza on waivers

The Toronto Maple Leafs placed veteran forward Jason Spezza and goaltender Aaron Dell on waivers Sunday. Spezza, 37, skated in all three games so far this season and registered one assist while averaging 7:44 of ice time.

Soccer: Sauerbrunn named captain of U.S. women's national team

Defensive standout Becky Sauerbrunn was named captain of the U.S. women's national soccer team on Sunday, taking over the role shared most recently by Megan Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd and Alex Morgan. The 35-year-old Sauerbrunn, a two-times World Cup champion, 2012 Olympic gold medallist and two-time National Women's Soccer League champion, previously served as co-captain of the national team from 2016-18.

Four more Australian Open participants infected with COVID-19

Four more Australian Open participants, including one player, have been recorded with COVID-19 infections and more cases may come to light as testing continues, officials said on Monday. Health authorities in Victoria state have now reported nine infections among passengers that arrived in Melbourne on charter flights for the Feb. 8-21 Australian Open.

Sailing: American Magic confident of repairing damage to 'Patriot'

American Magic's hopes of challenging Team New Zealand for the America's Cup were dealt a blow when their yacht "Patriot" capsized on Sunday but the U.S. team say they are confident of getting back on the water for the semi-finals later this month. American Magic were denied their first points of the Challenger Series when their vessel went airborne and hit the water before falling on its side after encountering a massive gust of wind while leading Luna Rossa.

NBA postpones Sunday's Thunder vs. 76ers game

Just hours before tipoff Sunday, the NBA postponed a second game on the day's schedule -- the Philadelphia 76ers at the Oklahoma City Thunder -- expanding the number of games the league has postponed to 15 in the first month of the season. "Because of ongoing contact tracing within the Sixers, the team does not have the league-required eight available players to proceed with the scheduled game against the Thunder," the league announced.

Chargers appoint Rams defensive coordinator Staley as new head coach

The Los Angeles Chargers have named LA Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley as their new head coach, the National Football League team said on Sunday. The move comes after the Chargers ended Anthony Lynn's four-year run as head coach following a disappointing 7-9 season.

Chiefs survive loss of QB Mahomes, reach AFC Championship

The reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs beat the Cleveland Browns on Sunday to reach the AFC Championship, but it may have come at a cost as Patrick Mahomes was knocked out of the game during the third quarter due to a concussion. With the winner of next week's game between the Chiefs and visiting Buffalo Bills moving onto the Feb. 7 Super Bowl, all eyes will turn to Kansas City to see if quarterback Mahomes will be healthy enough to compete.

Ohio State RB Trey Sermon declares for NFL draft

Ohio State running back Trey Sermon declared for the 2021 NFL Draft on Sunday. "I am truly excited for the opportunity to pursue my dreams at the next level," he posted on social media. "I know the best is yet to come for me!"