Sports news in brief: Olympics reject women's boxing

By: Associated Press | Thursday, October 27, 2005 11:59 PM PDT ∞

LAUSANNE, Switzerland ---- The IOC rejected women's boxing Thursday but approved open-water swimming and women's steeplechase for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The International Olympic Committee executive board ratified the recommendations of its program commission for events and disciplines within the 28 existing sports.

Also approved were increases in women's teams in soccer, field hockey and handball from 10 to 12, and the replacement of doubles with team events in table tennis.

Martin to return as driver in '06

CHARLOTTE, N.C. ---- Any chance Mark Martin had of retiring this year from the Nextel Cup series ended Thursday when Roush Racing said he will drive in 2006. Martin had accepted that he would probably have to race next season, but had held out faint hope that Roush could find a suitable replacement for him in the No. 6 Ford. With time running out, Roush locked in Martin to return for a 19th season.

Todd Kluever, who currently drives for Roush in the NASCAR truck series, will replace Martin in 2007.

NCAA seeks to reward academics

INDIANAPOLIS ---- The NCAA wants to create a $10 million annual incentive package for schools with student-athletes that consistently excel or demonstrate significant improvement in the classroom. The proposal is expected to be discussed again in January or April when the executive committee and board of directors are scheduled to meet again, and NCAA President Myles Brand said it would likely take a couple of years before any money was dispersed.

The proposal calls for $2 million going to schools that consistently excel academically, $5 million for schools that show sustained improvement and $3 million for schools that struggle academically but demonstrate an inability to fund some programs.

Holcomb fails to make Bulls

CHICAGO ---- The Chicago Bulls waived rookie forward Randy Holcomb, a former San Diego State star. The 6-foot-9, 225-pound Holcomb averaged 5.3 points and 3.5 rebounds in six exhibition games.

Et cetera

> NBA

The Washington Wizards used a fourth-year option on swingman Jarvis Hayes, keeping him under contract through the 2006-07 season. ... Orlando Magic forward Grant Hill is expected to miss three to six weeks after he has surgery next week for a sports hernia. ... Utah Jazz center Robert Whaley was suspended two games without pay by the NBA for punching Adam Parada of the Los Angeles Lakers during an exhibition game. ... The Los Angeles Lakers trimmed their roster to 16 by requesting waivers on guard Tony Bobbitt and center Adam Parada. ... The Phoenix Suns extended the contracts of guards Leandro Barbosa and Boris Diaw.

> HORSE RACING

Patrick Valenzuela rode five winners on an eight-race card at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting, including Excess Temptations in the $45,000 feature race.

> MOTOR SPORTS

Slugger Labbe was fired as crew chief for Jeremy Mayfield with four races left in the Chase for the championship.

> OLYMPICS

Track and field sprinter Jerome Young was formally stripped of his gold medal from the 2000 Olympics for a positive doping test a year before the games. The International Olympic Committee also reinstated Colombian cyclist Maria Luisa Calle's bronze medal from the 2004 Athens Games.

> COLLEGE FOOTBALL

The NCAA placed Illinois on probation for one year because a booster improperly provided payments and other benefits to a football prospect. The offenses occurred between April 2003 and January 2004.

> FIGURE SKATING

Canadian Jeff Buttle stumbled near the end of his short program, touched a hand down on his triple Lutz, and still came away leading U.S. champion Johnny Weir in the men's competition at Skate Canada at St. John's Newfoundland. Buttle received 74.53 points to lead the pack.

> TENNIS

Former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez quit her second-round match against sixth-seeded Daniela Hantuchova Slovakia at the Generali Ladies Open in Linz, Austria, because of an arm injury. The score was 2-6, 6-0, 3-1 when Martinez retired. ... Top-seeded Kim Clijsters beat Karolina Sprem 6-2, 6-0 to reach the quarterfinals of the Gaz de France Stars at Hasselt, Belgium.

> SOCCER

Robert Hoyzer, the referee at the center of a game-fixing scandal testified in Berlin that fraud charges against him were mostly true. ... Former English star George Best, who had a lifesaving liver transplant three years ago, was put on a ventilator and is fighting for his life. ... The Toronto City Council approved funds for a proposed soccer stadium, clearing a major obstacle for the Canadian city to receive a Major League Soccer expansion team to begin play in 2007.

> CRIME AND COURTS

Ellias Pical, a former super flyweight boxing champion was sentenced to seven months in jail in Jakarta, Indonesia, for possessing three ecstasy tablets.

Man to apply for Women's British Open

French golfer Jean Van de Velde will attempt to enter next year's Women's British Open because he is upset women may qualify for the 2006 British Open.

"I'll even wear a kilt and shave my legs," said Van de Velde, who six years ago botched a chance for a British Open title in one of the great collapses in a major.

Recent policy set by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club will allow women to qualify for next year's British Open.

"My whole point is where do we draw the line?" Van de Velde asked after shooting a 7-over-par 78 Thursday in the first round of the Volvo Masters. "If we accept that women can enter our tournaments, then it applies that men can play with women."

The 39-year-old Frenchman said he would get an application and attempt to qualify. Next year's Women's British Open is Aug. 3-6 at Royal Lytham.

The event is run by the Ladies' Golf Union, which established a gender policy this year that says: "It shall be a condition of any competition organized by the Ladies' Golf Union that players must be of the female gender."

Brehaut takes lead

Jeff Brehaut's big putts in the Chrysler Championship ---- five birdies, one eagle and a momentum-saving par ---- carried him to a 6-under-par 65 and a two-shot lead as he kept alive his hopes of getting into the Masters or even the Tour Championship.

Charles Howell III did little to hurt his chances of getting to East Lake next week for the season-ending Tour Championship. Coming into the tournament at No. 30 on the money list, he took advantage of the par 5s and kept bogeys off his card for a 4-under 67.

Retief Goosen wound up with a 67, joined by Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman, Ben Crane and Dean Wilson.

Et cetera

Colin Montgomerie moved closer to winning the European Tour money title, shooting a 4-under-par 67 for a share of the first-round lead in the Volvo Masters in Sotogrande, Spain. The Scot was tied with defending tournament champion Ian Poulter. ... Lonnie Nielsen took a one-shot lead at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. Nielsen shot a steady 6-under 66 at Sonoma Golf Club to edge past Jerry Pate. ... David Morland IV, Kevin Durkin and Jon Mills each shot a 67 to take a share of the first-round lead in the Nationwide Tour Championship in Prattville, Ala.