Briefs | Ohno returns to competition

Speedskating

Ohno to make home-ice season debut: U.S. short-track speedskating Olympian Apolo Ohno of Seattle is scheduled to compete today through Sunday at the U.S. Senior Short Track Championships at the Utah Olympic Oval in Kearns.

This will be Ohno's season debut on his home ice. This competition will also qualify skaters for the team that will compete in World Cup competition.

Soccer

U.S. World Cup qualifying schedule released: The United States would play its first World Cup qualifier at Cuba on Sept. 6 if both nations advance to the semifinals of the North and Central American and Caribbean region.

The Americans, who have a first-round bye, were drawn last month to play Barbados or Dominica in the second round. The U.S. team would open at home from June 11-14 and play on the road from June 18-21.

If the United States advances to the semifinals, it would open the six-game round on Aug. 20 at the winner of Guatemala's series against St. Lucia or the Turks and Caicos Islands, then play Sept. 6 at the winner of Cuba's series against Aruba or Antigua and Barbuda.

The U.S. team would play its first home game on Sept. 10 against the winner of Trinidad and Tobago's series against Bermuda or Cayman Islands.

Fiorentina advances in UEFA Cup: Fiorentina advanced to the next round of the UEFA Cup with a 2-1 win over Mlada Boleslav.

Christian Vieri scored the winner in the 67th minute, ensuring that Fiorentina joined Villarreal and AEK Athens in advancing from Group C in the last round of group games.

Zenit Saint Petersburg, FC Nuremberg, SK Brann and Aberdeen were the final four clubs to qualify, joining Bayern Munich, Bolton, Braga, Getafe, Anderlecht and Galatasaray.

They join Everton, Panathinaikos, Atletico Madrid, Hamburger SV, FC Basel, Spartak Moscow, FC Zurich, Bayer Leverkusen, Tottenham, Bordeaux and Helsingborg in the next round.

Those 24 teams go into today's draw, joined by the eight clubs that finished third in their European Champions League groups: Marseille, Rosenborg, Werder Bremen, Benfica, Rangers, Sporting Lisbon, PSV Eindhoven and Slavia Prague.

Figure skating

French official back in charge: Didier Gailhaguet, one of the main players in the judging scandal at the Salt Lake City Olympics, has his old job back as president of the French skating federation. Gailhaguet was elected president of the French Ice Sport Federation, receiving more than half of the votes and beating out, among others, disgraced judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne.

Horse racing

Jackson buys out Curlin co-owner: The ownership of Breeders' Cup Classic winner Curlin has changed again: Jess Jackson bought out another partner and now has an 80 percent interest in the 3-year-old colt.

Jackson, the founder of the Kendall-Jackson Winery who owns Stonestreet Stables, bought out investment banker George Bolton in a private sale.

Cycling

Fertonani banned for two years: Marco Fertonani was suspended for doping for the maximum two years by the Italian federation. Fertonani tested positive for testosterone at the Tour of the Mediterranean in February.

Media

ESPN anchor to return to air after surgery: ESPN anchor Stuart Scott will return to the air tonight after an emergency appendectomy last month revealed a malignant tumor.

Scott will undergo preventive chemotherapy this winter.

Boxing

Maskaev-Peter title fight confirmed: The World Boxing Council heavyweight title fight between Russian Oleg Maskaev and Samuel Peter of Nigeria will be held in the Mexican resort of Cancun on March 8, WBC president Jose Sulaiman said. The bout will mark the first world heavyweight championship staged in Mexico.

Seattle Times news services