The journalist who wrote this for the BBC almost certainly didn't even glance at it either, they just wrote up something from Reuters or Associated Press say, which more likely did link the paper.
Also, it's not even '"science" reporting', it's "Sport" reporting.
That'd explain it. The science reporters at the BBC almost always link to original studies, but I guess the sport team haven't faced that issue.
It's not just lazy reporting. It implies a " trust us" attitude, which makes me sad. I want the purest form of truth i can possibly get. If some people are happy to let the BBC [edit: or most news outlets] filter their news for them, i've learnt it's not such a good idea. you end up missing a lot and the truth can be distorted. That is why i highly value HN, we have here professionals reporting on things they know about, HN is a wonderful site, packed with knowledgable people even if the subjects may be limited. I'm glad i found this place. (and i'm sorry if no one else is [edit: that i found it.] I'm trying :).