Diana Nyad ended her fourth attempt to swim across the Straits of Florida on Tuesday, her decades-old dream thwarted, more than anything else, by jellyfish.

Storms brewing around her and repeated jellyfish stings forced her out of the water at 12:55 a.m., her crew said. She traveled by boat close to a rocky shoreline in Key West on Tuesday afternoon, just over 72 hours after setting out from Cuba. She made a final short swim to a waiting crowd.

Flamengo signed former Brazil star Adriano on a "productivity contract" until the end of the year, meaning the striker will get paid based on the number of matches he plays.

Flamengo reached a deal with the 30-year-old Adriano on Tuesday, a day after he underwent a physical and club doctors said he was fully recovered from Achilles surgery on his left leg.

Organizers of the Lausanne Diamond League meeting announced that United States sprinter Justin Gatlin has ended his season early because of illness.

Gatlin, the 100-meter bronze medalist at the London Olympics this month, was due to run at the Athletissima meet in Switzerland on Thursday.

Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday announced that Togolese striker Emmanuel Adebayor has returned to the club on a permanent basis after signing from Manchester City.

Adebayor, 28, spent last season on loan at White Hart Lane from City and scored 18 goals in 37 appearances to finish the campaign as the London club's leading scorer.

Two-time major champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and top-20 players Kaia Kanepi and Flavia Pennetta have pulled out of the U.S. Open.

The U.S. Tennis Association did not give reasons for the three withdrawals Monday.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson criticized his own players for failing to utilize Robin van Persie's talents after they crashed to a surprise 1-0 defeat at Everton.

Van Persie made his eagerly-anticipated United debut as a 68th minute substitute with his new side trailing to Marouane Fellaini's second half goal at Goodison Park on Monday.

Lyon midfielder Yoann Gourcuff will be out for between six weeks and three months after damaging his right knee, the club said on Monday, in the latest problem to hit the injury-prone player.

The 26-year-old limped off in the 12th minute of Lyon's 4-1 victory against Troyes on Saturday and was later diagnosed with a right knee sprain and internal lateral ligament damage.

Maria Sharapova is going into the candy business.

The four-time Grand Slam title winner launched her Sugarpova brand of 12 types of sweets on Monday.

China's Li Na earned her first title since winning the French Open 15 months ago, beating Germany's Angelique Kerber 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 to claim the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters on Sunday.

The 30-year-old Li rallied from a crushing first-set loss with some superb serving as she won 80 percent of her first-serve points in a dominating third set.

Endurance athlete Diana Nyad forged ahead in the Straits of Florida with renewed vigor Sunday in pursuit of a record 103-mile (166-kilometer), unassisted swim in open waters without the aid of a shark cage.

The 62-year-old Los Angeles woman was said to be comfortable, confident and steady at around 50 strokes per minute after a harrowing Saturday night of painful jellyfish encounters — despite an improved bodysuit that she had hoped would offer better protection.