Sports Briefing
Pound suggests Hamilton skirted justice

ELAINE THOMPSON / AP WADA chairman Dick Pound has harsh words about cyclist Tyler Hamilton.

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DOPING

WADA chief suggests cyclist got away with doping: Tyler Hamilton's title from the Athens Games is "no longer a gold medal in the eyes of the world" because of the cyclist's failed drug test, the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency said.

WADA chief Dick Pound suggested Hamilton got away with cheating in Athens, where a preliminary test indicated he had received an endurance-boosting blood transfusion. The IOC dropped its probe because Hamilton's backup specimen mistakenly was frozen and there weren't enough red-blood cells left to analyze.

That meant Hamilton was able to keep his gold medal.

But Hamilton still faces a possible two-year ban over a separate positive blood test at the Spanish Vuelta two weeks after the Olympics. Hamilton's Phonak team said both blood samples he provided there came back positive.

The American insists he is innocent and has vowed to clear his name.

"It appears a cyclist might have escaped this net because of human error," Pound said, without identifying Hamilton by name. "But I can assure you it's no longer a gold medal in the eyes of the world.

"If nothing else, we got him on the second bounce."

Bill passes to limit sales of steroid precursors: A Senate committee gave its approval to a bill that would limit the sales of steroid precursors such as androstenedione.

The Judiciary Committee sent the full Senate a bill that would ban over-the-counter sales of precursors, which act like steroids in the human body.
 
HORSE RACING

Funny Cide runs tomorrow: Funny Cide will try again to win at Belmont Park, this time in tomorrow's $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup.

And if the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner finally comes through, trainer Barclay Tagg says the 4-year-old gelding's next stop will be the Breeders' Cup Classic in Texas on Oct. 30.

"If he wins fairly impressively, we'd have to go," Tagg said. "If he doesn't win, I don't want to go."

Funny Cide has lost his last three starts at Belmont, the most dramatic coming when his Triple Crown try was thwarted in last year's Belmont Stakes.

Funny Cide was among seven horses entered for the 1-1/4-mile race, one of more than a dozen this weekend with Breeders' Cup implications.

The field also includes Bowman's Band, Domestic Dispute, Evening Attire, Love of Money, Newfoundland and The Cliff's Edge.

BOXING

Trinidad to distribute tickets: Felix Trinidad bought $300,000 in tickets for his comeback fight against Ricardo Mayorga tomorrow and will distribute them to firefighters, policemen and rescue workers in New York.

Trinidad and his father, also named Felix, live in Puerto Rico, but they were in Manhattan on Sept. 11, 2001. Trinidad was training to face Bernard Hopkins for the undisputed world-middleweight championship on Sept. 15, a bout that was rescheduled for Sept. 29.

The Trinidads made several trips to firehouses, served food to rescue workers and bought a truck for a firehouse in Harlem.

NCAA

Louisiana-Monroe, Stetson receive probation: The NCAA placed Louisiana-Monroe and Stetson on probation for one year because of recruiting violations by a former women's head tennis coach.

The Division I Committee on Infractions found that violations of NCAA rules took place during Maria Zavala's transition from the coaching job at Stetson to Louisiana-Monroe in 2001.

In a news release, the NCAA said the committee found that the coach provided improper recruiting inducements to a student-athlete at Stetson to get her to enroll at Monroe. The coach is accused of co-signing a car-loan application for the student and allowing the student to deposit money into the coach's checking account to make payments for the car.

TENNIS

Roddick, Federer move on: Andy Roddick needed seven match points before finally putting away Jeff Morrison 6-2, 6-7 (4), 6-4 to reach the Thailand Open quarterfinals in Bangkok.

Roddick, seeded second, eventually closed it with a forehand winner.

"I missed easy shots and missed easy points," Roddick said.

Top-ranked Roger Federer also moved into the quarterfinals, defeating Ivo Heuberger 6-1, 6-3. Federer finished the first set in just 20 minutes, but he struggled a little in the second and needed four match points to end it.

Dementieva wins; Sprem upset: Elena Dementieva reached the quarterfinals of the Gaz de France Stars tournament in Hasselt, Belgium, beating Michaela Pastikova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-2.

In other action, fourth-seeded Karolina Sprem lost to Maria Elena Camerin 6-4, 6-4, fifth-seeded Francesca Schiavone defeated Nuria Llagostera 6-1, 6-0, and No. 7 Magdalena Maleeva eliminated Els Callens 6-0, 6-1.

Henman withdraws: Tim Henman pulled out of the upcoming Grand Prix de Lyon because of a shoulder injury.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Walcott leaves UCLA: UCLA reserve guard Ryan Walcott plans to transfer to Division II Grand Canyon University, Bruins coach Ben Howland said.

Walcott said he will attend school part-time and save his last year of eligibility for the 2005-06 season.

BUSINESS

Firm buying IMG: Sports management and marketing firm International Management Group is being sold to a New York buyout-specialist firm in a cash deal valued at more than $700 million.

Forstmann Little & Co. is acquiring the company from trusts established by IMG's founder, the late Mark McCormack, and from the family of Arthur J. Lafave Jr., IMG's vice chairman.

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