LITTLE ROCK — ATHLETICS U.S. earns 3 more gold
Americans LaShawn Merritt, Kerron Clement, Allyson Felix and Sanya Richards each won a second title at the world championships in the 1,600-meter relays Sunday in Berlin. While the Jamaicans ruled the sprints, it was all U.S. in the longer relays, with the Americans winning by huge margins in both. When 400 champion Richards took the baton home, she put the United States ahead of the Jamaicans for good in the overall medal standings. Merritt, the 400 champion, and Clement, the 400 hurdles gold medalist, followed it up with the men's team's victory. In the final medal standings, the United States had 10 golds and 22 overall, with Jamaica second with seven gold and 13 overall.The United States also got a surprise individual gold from Brittney Reese in the woman's long jump, beating defending champion Tatyana Lebedeva of Russia with a jump of 23 feet, 3 1 /2 inches. Kenenisa B ekele earned a second long distance double in as many years by adding the 5,000-meter title to his 10,000 victory - the same feat he accomplished at the Beijing Olympics. Bekele finished in a slow 13 minutes, 17.09 seconds, with defending champion Bernard Lagat .24 seconds behind. In the women's 1,500, eventual race winner Natalia Rodriguez of Spain tripped Ethiopia's Gelete Burka from behind. Following the race, Rodriguez was disqualified and Maryam Yusuf Jamal of Bahrain was declared the winner (4:03.74). Former Arkansas Razorback Kristin Wurth-Thomas was fifth with a time of 4:05.21. Earlier, Bai Xue shook off Yoshimi Ozaki of Japan in the latter stages of a sun-drenched women's marathon through the heart of the German capital to clinch China's first ever major title in the event. Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway won his first world championship javelin title after finishing second twice. Thorkildsen won with a throw of 295 feet, 1 inch.
BASEBALL Texas, California advance
California's winning streak continued Sunday at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., with a 14-0 shutout of Peabody, Mass., a tight game that became wide open with a 12-run sixth inning - 11 scoring with two outs. The sluggers from Chula Vista have hit 10 home runs in their first two games. Texas also used the long ball Sunday, with Steven Cardone and teammate Nicholas Smisek both going deep in a 12-run third inning to shut out Russellville, Ky., 12-0. The game ended after four innings because of the 10-run rule. In other games Sunday, Urbandale, Iowa, rallied from three runs down with a five-run fifth to beat Mercer Island, Wash., 5-3; and Taoyuan, Taiwan, shut out Vancouver, British Columbia, 8-0. In Saturday's late game, Richendly Bicentini sprinted home with the winning run in the bottom of the sixth on Jayson Libert's bunt to lead Willemstad, Curacao, to a 12-11 victory over Chiba City, Japan.
MOTOR SPORTS Franchitti wins at Sonoma
Dario Franchitti finally won at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif, leading from start to finish to capture his first Sonoma Grand Prix on Sunday in the final road course race of the year. Franchitti captured the pole and led all 75 laps, topping runner-up and new points leader Ryan Briscoe on the way to his fourth victory of the year. Franchitti and Briscoe avoided a multiple-car crash early in Lap 1 on the tough 12-turn, 2.303-mile road course.
Owner Michael Andretti is confident Andretti-Green Racing will resign Danica Patrick - perhaps soon. Andretti says the sides are "close," and the owner gave Patrick a big hug and best wishes moments before the start of the Sonoma Grand Prix. Patrick is in the final year of her three-year IndyCar contract with Andretti-Green Racing. She has said she'll wait until the end of the season to solidify her next move. But she hasn't ruled out a switch to NASCAR.
Brawn GP's Rubens Barrichello won the European Grand Prix on Sunday in Valencia, Spain, to claim his first Formula One victory in five years. The 37-year-old Brazilian took advantage of a costly pit-stop error by Lewis Hamilton's McLaren team to record his 10th career victory.
Bob Tasca took his second Funny Car title of the season, beating Mike Neff with a pass of 4.23 seconds Sunday at the rain-delayed NHRA Toyo Tires Nationals in Mohnton, Pa. Larry Dixon, Jeg Coughlin and Eddie Krawiec also won their categories, though races were delayed earlier in the week by rain, then by water seeping up onto the track on Sunday. In Top Fuel, Dixon earned his fifth victory of the season, finishing in 3.899 seconds at 306.05 mph. Coughlin beat Johnny Gray in 6.634 seconds at 207.05 mph for his fifth Pro Stock victory of the season. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Krawiec beat Michael Phillips, going 185.13 mph in 7.138 seconds.
TENNIS
Dementieva wins Rogers Cup
Elena Dementieva defeated Maria Sharapova 6-4, 6-3 to win the Rogers Cup championship Sunday in Toronto. This is the second consecutive year a Russian has won the Rogers Cup title, after Dinara Safina captured last year's championship in Montreal.
Taylor Dent won his first-round match at the Pilot Pen on Sunday in New Haven, Conn., the final hardcourt tuneup before the U.S. Open. Dent won his ninth ATP match of the season, and third this month, 6-3, 6-4, over Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia.
Pat Cash of Australia defeated Jim Courier to defend his singles title at the Hall of Fame Champions Cup on Sunday in Newport, R.I. Cash defeated the American 6-3, 6-4 in the championship match at the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Roger Federer beat Novak Djokovic 6-1, 7-5 for the Cincinnati Masters title Sunday in Mason, Ohio, and plenty of confidence heading into the U.S. Open, which he has won each of the past five years.
CYCLING Downing wins Irish Tour
Lance Armstrong pulled out of the Tour of Ireland in heavy rain during the final stage Sunday in Cork, Ireland. Russell Downing of Britain won the race after Norway's Lars Petter Nordhaug captured the final stage.
FOOTBALL
Ravens rookie Fein arrested
Police say Baltimore Ravens undrafted rookie linebacker Tony Fein was arrested and charged with assaulting an officer and is being held in custody. Baltimore Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi says Fein was eating dinner at Johnny Rockets in the Inner Harbor Sunday evening when a security officer thought he saw Fein pass a handgun to one of his friends. It turned out to be a cell phone. He says when police questioned Fein, he became belligerent and shoved an officer.
BASKETBALL Balkman arrested on DUI
Denver Nuggets reserve forward Renaldo Balkman has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Florida. Balkman, 25, was arrested by Temple Terrace, Fla., officers at 4 a.m. Saturday after he refused a blood-alcohol test, according to a police report on the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Web site. Balkman was released after posting $500 bond.
HORSE RACING Greeley's Conquest wins
Greeley's Conquest held off two graded-stakes winners in the final yards late Saturday to win the $200,000 Remington Park Sprint Cup in Oklahoma City. Under jockey Jamie Theriot, the 5-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Mr. Greeley and runner-up to Semaphore Man in the 2009 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, moved past pacesetter EZ Dreamer and into the lead in the middle of the 6-furlong race and won by a half-length over Sing Baby Sing, with Ravalo third by a nose. Greeley's Conquest went off at 6-1 odds and won in 1:08.79 on a fast track. Greeley's Conquest paid $15.80, $6.20 and $4.00. Sing Baby Sing paid $5.60 and $3.20, and Ravalo $2.80.
Jockey Tyler Baze is expected to be sidelined for a week after breaking his finger when he was unseated by his mount at Del Mar Race Track in Del Mar, Calif., where he is the second-leading rider. Baze was scheduled to ride eight races Sunday and eight on Wednesday. His agent says Baze will have to give up mounts on Monterey Jazz in the $300,000 Del Mar Mile on Aug. 29 and the $250,000 Del Mar Handicap on Aug. 30.
Sports, Pages 14 on 08/24/2009