A horse was euthanized this past weekend on the hallowed track of the Kentucky Derby. Eight Belles ran the race of her life, finishing second. But, just steps past the finish line the filly snapped both her ankles and crumbled to the dirt. Veterinarians on site promptly decided to euthanize the horse—on the racetrack—with just a few trucks and an appropriately placed oversized derby hat shielding the more than 150,000 spectators (NBC wisely did not show footage of the horse).

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When it comes to sports, Patrick Thorensen nearly redefined the term sacrifice. In successfully sliding across the ice to block a shot in a recent playoff game, the left wing for the Philadelphia Flyers came close to losing a testicle. Adding insult to the near ultimate injury, the Washington Capitals scored on a rebound while Thorensen rolled in agony (and grown men cried themselves to sleep). The 24-year old was rushed to the hospital and underwent two ultrasound tests to ensure there was no “rupture.”

So, while Thorensen has a dented cup to thank for his manhood, it begs the question: what more can science do to protect our cajones? A quick Google of ‘protective cups’ provides a range of sizes and colors available from $8 to $25, none differing greatly from the cups our fathers (and fathers' fathers?) have donned for years. With a tank of gas at $50, isn’t the male population willing to splurge a bit on reproductive life insurance?

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An apple a day might keep away more than the doctor. HortResearch, a New Zealand company with 400 scientists studying all things fruit, has early data that suggests a specific (mystery) fruit can delay fatigue by 20 percent and increase muscle power by 70 percent. But don't raid the produce aisle quite yet. Hort won't say which fruit has shown the benefits and also notes their version is a variety bred internally for the right compound interactions. In other words, for those of use not lucky enough to be Hort test subjects, it doesn't exist.

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For years we've known not to play with peeled paint chips; now, we know not to eat the turf. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission recently announced an investigation potential hazardous levels of lead in artificial turf fields across the country.

Two fields in New Jersey were closed this week after elevated levels of lead were found during an unrelated investigation. The source is likely from lead chromate that is used as pigment and to prevent fading. While the lead could become airborne through wear on the surfaces, further studies are necessary to assess the actual risk.

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Nike is doing it again. In an event dubbed “The Human Race,” the king of sports marketing is planning a one-day, 10k race for 1 million people (preferably all clad in Nike) in 25 cities across the world. The races will wind across the globe—the first is in Taipei and the last, L.A.—and each is topped off by a concert at the end. So on August 31, 2008 the world (or at least participants in the same time zones) will be running together

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We give up. Even the animals are doping. A report this week in the Spanish newspaper El Mundo said that bulls fighting next month as a part of Madrid’s San Isidrop festival will be subject to drug tests if they’re behaving in a suspect way (like running at men holding red capes?). Unlike with humans, these drugs won't be helping the bulls. Corticosteroids or tranquillizers are intended to make it easier for the matador.

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After a landslide of negative news about the upcoming Olympics in Beijing, the hosts finally got a breath of (sort of) fresh air this week by opening the doors to the much-anticipated Bird’s Nest stadium. Nicknamed after its unique structure of woven steel, the stadium stands 230 feet tall and will seat 91,000 spectators. At a cost of nearly $500 million, the stadium, which went under construction in December of 2003, was completed just 14 weeks behind schedule thanks to a largely migrant force of nearly 7,000 workers.

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You may never forget how to ride a bike, but remembering how it should fit is another story. For competitive cyclists, even minute adjustments to the frame can have a major impact on comfort and performance. Despite this, bike fitting has long been a black art with each technician employing her own method and metrics (plumb bob, video, rulers, etc.). Most methods have been inaccurate, tough to reproduce and based on the static position of the rider (not pedaling). Meanwhile, opposing views on the “right” fit have been difficult to reconcile without a standardized measurement method. Now Retul has introduced a motion-tracking system that may put those issues to rest.

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Everybody loves a photo-finish. But, what if you can’t afford the camera? At prices that start around $25 thousand, high-speed cameras aren't practical for lower levels of racing. Now Hardcard Systems, in cooperation with Alien Technology, thinks they can lower the cost of electronic timing to just a few dollars per competitor—not with cheaper camera technology, but by shattering the speed limits on radio-frequency identification.

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