Olympic Newsdesk -- Basketball, Canoe, Judo Champs; Afghani Olympian for Parliament

USA Wins FIBA Worlds, Qualifies for London 2012

Team USA’s 16-year basketball world championship drought is over.

So too are fears that a looming NBA lockout next summer could somehow prevent the country from qualifying for London 2012.

Tournament MVP Kevin Durant led the undersized and inexperienced squad to an 81-64 win Sunday over host country Turkey to capture the gold medal.

None of Team USA’s gold medalists from Beijing played in Istanbul. Which of the 12 Olympic champions will make the London roster remains to be seen.

Turkey first qualified for the world championship in 2002 and had never finished higher than sixth.

Lithuania, Serbia and Argentina rounded out the top five finishers in Istanbul.

Durant, Turkish star Hedo Turkoglu, Linas Kleiza of Lithuania, Milos Teodosic of Serbia and top-scorer Luis Scola of Argentina were named to the all-tournament team.

Japan Tops Judo Worlds

Japan topped the Judo World Championships, claiming 10 golds, four silvers and nine bronze medals.

The championships took place in Tokyo and concluded on Monday. The tournament started Sept. 9.

Paris is the site of next year’s world championship.

Weather-Delayed Canoe Champs Finish on Time

The Canoe Slalom World Championships came to a close Sunday in Tacen, Slovenia, after dangerously high water levels forced organizers to backload the competition’s final day.

Slovakia’s Jana Dukatova won the women’s canoe single a day after capturing silver in the kayak single.

Defending world champ Tony Estanguet of France edged out rival Michal Martikan of Slovakia in the men’s canoe single.

Italy's Daniele Molmenti won gold in the men’s kayak single.

Afghani Olympian Running for Parliament

A two-time female Olympian from Afghanistan is running for a seat in the Afghani parliament, the Wolesi Jirga.

Robina Jalali competed in the 100m at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, finishing second to last and last respectively.

She is one of 406 female candidates, and like the other women running, Jalali has reportedly been threatened by the Taliban for running.

"I don't care about the Taliban because I'm used to it," she was quoted by The Washington Post.

"In the beginning, when I started in the sports world, I got all these threatening leaflets from the Taliban thrown at my house. I was only girl running with men. Everybody would say things to me. After running, on my way back home, I used to cry and think, 'Why can't I be like the men?'"

South Korea Suspended from Boxing

South Korea could be ineligible to box at the London Olympics.

On Monday, the International Boxing Association, AIBA, announced it will "provisionally" suspend the Korean Amateur Boxing Federation.

AIBA said in a statement that former KABF president Jae Joon Yoo "has caused serious damage to the image and reputation of AIBA and its members".

Yoo resigned from the postlast week, after more than a year of scandal.

In August of last year, he was suspendedfromthe sport for 18 months after he sent a banned official to an international competition. Yoo was also fined $1,860 by AIBA.

Elections for a new president were held Jan. 19, 2009; however, Yoo attempted to run the election, which led to the Korean Olympic Committee no longer recognizing him as KABF president.

AIBA claims "the Korean court made the decision to order the Korean Olympic Committee to remove its recognition of Mr Yoo as the President of KABF based on two findings:

1. He was not qualified to run for the election due to his previous suspension from KABF for two years

2. He manipulated the election process by bribing voting members".

Both AIBA and the KABF will hold meetings to determine how to proceed.

Annecy 2018 Ups Its Star Power

Olympic champion sprinter Marie-Jose Perec is the latest French athlete to back Annecy’s bid to host the Winter Games.

The three-time gold-medalist was introduced Saturday as an official ambassadorfor Annecy 2018.

"Marie-Jo's Olympic achievements are unique in French athletics history," bid CEO Edgar Grospiron said in a statement.

"Her support, announced on a day when Annecy, with DecaNation, has once again demonstrated its expertise in the hosting of major international sporting competitions, is precious for the Annecy 2018 bid, a bid for athletes, a bid by athletes."

DecaNation is an annual meet organized by the French Athletics Federation in which athletes from seven nations vie against each other in the 10 decathlon events.

New Zealand in Question for Commonwealth Games

New Zealand’s participation in next month’s Commonwealth Games remains up in the air.

Chef de mission Dave Currie is bound for Delhi this week to assess the host city’s security measures, living conditions and food preparations ahead of the Oct. 3-14 mega-event.

Barring any major concerns from Currie’s five-man-delegation, 194 Kiwi athletes will travel to the Indian capital later this month, AFP reported Monday.

"Right now, New Zealand is planning to be in Delhi," he told the French news agency.

"If things change and the New Zealand government can't advise us that our athletes are secure in that environment, then we won't go."

Commonwealth Games Federation chief Michael Fennell exclusively told Around the Rings last month that media reports are misinforming the public and misplacing blame about the beleaguered Games.

Torres Hopeful for London 2012

Dara Torres, already the only U.S. swimmer to complete in five Olympics, wants to add to her record in London.

The 43-year-old announced Friday on "Live with Regis and Kelly" she is back in the pool and hopes to qualify for the 2012 Games.

Torres resumed training in early August after undergoing reconstructive knee surgery last year.

The 12-time medallist won three silvers in Beijing, making her one of only a handful of Olympians to medal in at least five Games.

Written by Matthew Grayson.