Men's gymnast Tan named U.S. captain

Kevin Tan was named captain of the U.S. men's gymnastics team Monday, and Miles Avery, who coaches Paul and Morgan Hamm, was picked to be the assistant coach.

This is the first Olympics for Tan, whose grandparents lived in Beijing. A three-time member of U.S. world championship teams, he is the best American on the still rings. He won his third U.S. title on rings this summer.

Avery, the head coach at Ohio State, also served as the assistant in 2004.

USA Gymnastics announced in February that Kevin Mazeika would be the head coach of the men's team.

Tennis

Two-time Grand Slam champion Mary Pierce withdrew from France's Olympic tennis team because of a knee injury and was replaced by Pauline Parmentier.

The 33-year-old Pierce has not played since undergoing knee surgery in 2006 and was a surprise selection over Amelie Mauresmo in the singles.

Mauresmo initially was selected as Pierce's replacement for Beijing, but the International Tennis Federation said Monday that she would not participate.

Soccer

Real Madrid has asked the Brazilian football federation to drop Robinho from its Olympic squad after a medical examination discovered a groin injury.

The Spanish powerhouse said the injury was discovered when the player arrived for a medical examination and light training along with most of the club's squad.

The 24-year-old forward said he was disappointed about having to miss the Beijing Games.

"Unhappily, I can't go with Brazil to the Games, but it is Real Madrid's decision, and I respect it," Robinho said.

Track and field

Doping-tainted sprinter Katerina Thanou wants to run in the Olympics if she fulfills her qualification efforts.

Thanou, 33, made Greece's provisional Olympic team list after finishing the 100 meters in 11.39 seconds at a Greek track meet last week.

Thanou served a two-year ban after missing a doping test before the 2004 Athens Olympics.

She and fellow Greek sprinter Costas Kenteris were accused of staging a motorcycle accident after missing the test.

Both were forced to pull out of the Games, were later suspended and still face criminal charges.

• Nathan Deakes of Australia, the 50-kilometer walk world champion, has withdrawn from the Beijing Olympics because of a hamstring injury.