Sports Briefing
Woman claims intimidation by Barnett over accusation

	Gary Barnett
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A woman who accused a University of Colorado football player of raping her in 2001 said yesterday she did not pursue charges because she was intimidated by coach Gary Barnett.

In an affidavit sent to a Board of Regents panel investigating the recruiting scandal at the school in Boulder, the woman said Barnett told her a few days after the alleged attack that if the player's story differed from hers, he would support the athlete.

"He told me that he was the players' coach, not his father, and he would not punish him," the woman said.

Her statement contradicts Barnett's remarks to the panel last week. During questioning, Barnett said he told the woman he wanted to be fair to both parties and that he would support her if she pursued charges.

University spokeswoman Michele Ames declined to comment on the affidavit, referring reporters to Barnett. She said university officials are pleased the panel, which was appointed to determine if sex and alcohol are used to recruit football players, is getting information that will help it reach a conclusion.

College basketball

Nell Fortner, former WNBA and Olympic coach, was hired as coach of the Auburn women's team. Fortner spent the last three seasons as coach and general manager of the WNBA's Indiana Fever, compiling a 42-56 record before resigning in September.

• Air Force promoted Chris Mooney to men's coach, a day after Joe Scott left for Princeton. Mooney, 31, has been with Air Force for four years, the last two as an associate coach.

Tennis

Lleyton Hewitt wasted a 3-0 lead in the third set and lost to struggling Rainer Schuettler 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Hewitt also was a point away from a 5-3 lead in the last set.
 
Schuettler, who had lost his opening match at seven of his previous eight tournaments, next will play sixth-seeded Tim Henman, a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 winner against No. 9 Nicolas Massu.

Auto racing

Rookie Clint Bowyer won the first pole of his career with a lap of 184.253 mph at Talladega Superspeedway for tomorrow's NASCAR Aaron 312 Busch Series race.

Enumclaw's Kasey Kahne will start ninth, and Greg Biffle of Vancouver, Wash., will start 26th.

Horse racing

Trainer Bob Baffert said he won't run Preachinatthebar in next week's Kentucky Derby after the colt turned in a lackluster six-furlong workout at Churchill Downs.

Preachinatthebar, son of 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Silver Charm, covered the distance in 1 minute, 14.8 seconds on a sloppy track. "He worked OK, but it wasn't what I wanted to see," Baffert said in a press release.

Cycling

A new cycling tour will be introduced next season in which the best teams will be forced to compete in more races. The Pro Tour next year will require the leading 18 teams to take part in 30 one-day and multi-stage events. The Tour de France will remain the world's biggest race, with 100 points going to the winner. A one-day classic will earn 50.

World cycling federation president Hein Verbruggen wants top racers visible throughout the March-October season. He also wants to make it tougher for riders like Lance Armstrong, who peaks during the Tour de France.

"I am bothered time and again that we have ever more riders who specialize themselves," he said. "It is not in line with the traditions of cycling."

• Armstrong took both stages of the Tour de Georgia to assume the overall lead in the 641-mile, seven-stage race.

Running

Runners from around the world enjoy the Twin Cities Marathon for its scenery. That's a good thing, because starting this year only Americans will be eligible for prize money in the event.

More Americans will want to run if they see top prizes going to Americans instead of foreign runners, said executive director Ron Abrahamson.

"The intent here is clearly not to discriminate, rather to foster a re-emergence of U.S. distance running," said Abrahamson, who still expects the race to attract pleasure runners from other countries.

Soccer

Soccer great Pele had emergency surgery for a detached retina, but was recovering and expected to leave the hospital soon. The surgery on his left eye was completed without complications, according to a statement from the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

• Both UEFA Cup semifinal games were 0-0 ties: Villareal against Valencia, and Newcastle against Marseille.

Track and field

Tennessee dominated the women's distance medley relay at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, winning in 10 minutes, 59.35 seconds. Stanford, which entered as a favorite, never recovered from a dropped baton near the relay's first turn.

— Times news services

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