Newsmakers

Plans Former Formula One driver Alex Zanardi, 42, who lost both legs in a car accident, intends to compete for a place on Italy’s cycling team at the 2012 Paralympics in London. Zanardi lost both legs in a crash while competing at a Champ Car race at the Lausitzring in Germany in 2001, but returned to racing in 2003. He took up hand cycling and finished 14th in last week’s individual time trial at the Para-Cycling Road World Championship in Bogogno, Italy, where he finished 4 minutes, 45 seconds behind Oz Sanchez of the United States, who won gold at the Beijing Paralympics.

Retained The St. Louis Blues have exercised their contract option to keep coach Andy Murray through the 2010-11 season. Murray led St. Louis to a 41-31-10 record last season, including a 25-9-7 second-half surge that put the Blues in the NHL playoffs for the first time since 2004.

Out A bad shoulder will keep Olympic silver medalist Samantha Peszek out of the world championships. She will have surgery to repair a torn labrum. She was one of 10 U.S. gymnasts invited to the final selection camp, which begins Sept. 30 at the Karolyi ranch near Houston.

Born Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard gave birth to her first child, Blaise Ray Brown, on Tuesday in Los Angeles. The boy weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces. The 27-year-old swimmer and her husband, photographer Sacha Brown, were married in May off the coast of Indonesia.

Died Broadcaster Fred Cusick, the radio and television voice of the Boston Bruins for more than four decades, died Tuesday from cancer, his family said. He was 90. He retired from calling games in 1997.

•Darren Sutherland, a boxer who won a bronze medal for Ireland at the Beijing Olympics, was found hanged at his home Monday and dead at 27. His manager, Frank Maloney, discovered the body and was so unnerved he went to the hospital. Sutherland was unbeaten in his first four pro fights and was to have appeared with Maloney at a news conference on Tuesday to talk about his next bout on Oct. 16. Police said his death is not being treated as suspicious, a suggestion that no one else was involved.