Sports briefs: Vitali Klitschko retires from boxing

boxing • Vitali Klitschko is leaving boxing to concentrate on Ukrainian politics and his role as an opposition leader. Klitschko vacated his WBC world heavyweight title on Monday and said he doesn't expect to fight again as he pursues a presidential bid in his home country, where citizens have been protesting for weeks in Kiev over President Viktor Yanukovych's decision to shun closer ties with the European Union and push his country toward Russia.

The 42-year-old Klitschko has a 45-2 record, with 41 KOs. His younger brother Wladimir holds the other major heavyweight belts.

Arizona, Florida land title games

college football • Glendale, Ariz., will host the College Football Playoff championship in 2016, and Tampa, Fla., will be the site of the 2017 title game. The conference commissioners who oversee the playoffs announced Monday their choices for the sites of the second and third championship games in the new postseason system that goes into effect next season. The first championship game will played Jan. 12, 2015, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys.

Torch relay kills wrestling coach

OLYMPICS • Officials in a Siberian province say a veteran wrestling coach has died of a heart attack after taking part in the Sochi Olympics torch relay. Authorities in the Kurgan region say 73-year old Vadim Gorbenko died Sunday after carrying the Olympic flame. Gorbenko was a Greco-Roman wrestling coach who headed a local sports school. Russian news reports say Gorbenko felt unwell after carrying the torch more than 200 yards and died in a local hospital of a heart attack a few hours later.

From wire reports