Briefs | Lagat successfully defends 1,500 title

Track and field

Lagat successfully defends 1,500 title in Scotland: World champion Bernard Lagat, a former Washington State standout, had a winning start to an Olympic year, successfully defending his title in the 1,500 meters at the Norwich Union International indoor meet in Glasgow, Scotland.

Meanwhile, ex-Washington standout Brad Walker was injured in the pole vault.

Lagat finished in 3 minutes, 45.89 seconds after taking the lead in the final 200 meters. His victory in Glasgow last year was the Kenyan-born runner's first as an American citizen.

"That was absolutely the kind of start I was looking for," the 33-year-old Lagat said. "That was a good test of how I've been doing in my training. This is where I am supposed to be right now."

Lagat has his sights on the Beijing Games, and said he hopes to repeat his double triumph last year in the 1,500 and 3,000 at the world championships in Japan.

"That is my absolute goal for this year," Lagat said. "I am going to take one step at a time. I will go to the Olympics in either one event or two events, but I want to qualify in both from the trials."

Walker landed awkwardly after attempting 18 feet, 4 ½ inches, the winning height for Germany's Alexander Straub. Walker, 26, blamed his mishap on a new set of poles.

"I'm a bit frustrated because if I had a normal series of poles it would have been a different outcome," Walker said.

Walker, a world indoor and outdoor champion, said no bones were broken but noted he might miss Friday's Millrose Games in New York.

Auto racing

Leaders abound in Rolex 24 At Daytona: Ten hours into the Rolex 24 At Daytona, America's premier sports-car endurance race, there had been 15 different leaders and six Daytona Prototype cars were on the same lap.

"It's just so close out there," driver Scott Pruett said after his first stint on the 3.56-mile road circuit in Daytona Beach, Fla. "It seems like everybody is running almost the same lap speeds."

Herbert's sons are killed in traffic accident: Top Fuel racer Doug Herbert's two sons were killed in a traffic accident near their home.

A statement from Herbert's team said sons Jon, 17, and James, 12, died instantly when the car they were riding in collided with another vehicle in Cornelius, N.C.

Cornelius police said the Mazda that Herbert's children were in attempted to pass a car when it went out of control and collided with a Hummer.

Boxing

John retains WBA title: Indonesia's Yohannes Christian John retained his WBA featherweight title by stopping Roinet Caballero of Panama in the seventh round in Jakarta, Indonesia.

John improved to 40-0-1. Caballero is 22-8-1.

Soccer

Eto'o ties Pokou's record: Samuel Eto'o of Cameroon tied the record for most African Cup of Nations goals when he scored on a penalty kick in a 5-1 victory over Zambia in Kumasi, Ghana.

FC Barcelona striker Eto'o tied ex-Ivory Coast forward Laurent Pokou with 14 goals.

Liverpool avoids upset: Yossi Benayoun scored three goals to help Liverpool rally to beat the amateurs of Havant and Waterlooville 5-2 to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup and avoid perhaps the biggest upset in the competition's 136-year history.

Havant, which had plasterers, taxi drivers and refuse collectors in its squad at Liverpool's Anfield, twice took the lead in the first half against pros who earn up to $200,000 a week.

Defending champion Chelsea made it to the final 16 by winning 2-1 at Wigan.

Horse racing

Go Between completes big Sunshine Millions Day for trainer Mott: Go Between took the $1 million Classic, giving trainer Bill Mott his third victory in the eight-race event and helping Florida-bred horses overwhelm their California counterparts in the sixth annual Sunshine Millions competition.

Florida-bred Go Between ($12 to win) ran 1-1/8 miles in a track-record 1 minute, 45.64 seconds on the synthetic Cushion Track at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Florida-breds won seven of the eight races and took the points competition over the Cal-breds 58-14.

Mott also won with Quite a Bride ($6.40) in the $500,000 Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita and War Monger ($5.80) in the $500,000 Turf at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

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