Axios

Russian Olympic gold medalist swimmer Evgeny Rylov has been banned from competition for nine months after appearing at a rally in support of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Driving the news: FINA, swimming's international governing body, said in a statement Thursday that Rylov was suspended "from all competitions and activities organized or sanctioned by FINA" for nine months.

You'll never believe it, but it turns out professional hitters are a lot better at hitting than professional pitchers.

By the numbers: We're two weeks into the universal designated hitter era, and National League DHs are batting .248 with 33 HR and 141 RBI.

Referees often get an earful from fans and players, but the behavior has gotten so bad in youth sports that they're now quitting en masse.

State of play: 50,000 high school referees (roughly 20% of the nationwide total) quit between 2018 and 2021, per the National Federation of State High School Associations, NYT reports.