No charges will be filed against Charger linebacker Shawne Merriman

No charges will be filed against San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman for an incident last weekend involving reality TV actress Tila Nguyen, San Diego County Dist. Atty. Bonnie Dumanis announced Friday.

“Our office has determined there is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that any crime was committed,” Dumanis said in a statement. “This case is now closed. No further comment will be made.”

Nguyen, also known as Tila Tequila, had signed a citizen’s arrest form that said she was choked and restrained by Merriman at his home in Poway early Sunday. Merriman, 25, was arrested and booked by sheriff’s deputies.

Nguyen, 27, was taken by ambulance to a hospital. Sheriff’s deputies said that Nguyen appeared to have been drinking heavily and that no marks or bruises were apparent.

Merriman had said he was trying to restrain Nguyen from leaving his home while drunk.

-- Tony Perry

TRACK AND FIELD

Semenya decides to skip race

Caster Semenya, the South African track athlete whose gender was questioned after she won the 800-meter race at the world championships in Berlin on Aug. 19, will not take part in a 4,000-meter race at the South African Cross Country Championships in Pretoria today because she was “not feeling well,” said her coach, Michael Seme.

Two Australian newspapers reported Friday that gender tests show the world-champion athlete has no ovaries or uterus and internal testes that produce large amounts of testosterone. The international sports federation that ordered the tests wouldn’t confirm the reports.

PRO BASKETBALL

Clippers re-sign forward Novak

The Clippers re-signed restricted free-agent forward Steve Novak, nearly 2 1/2 months after extending a qualifying offer to him. The 6-foot-10 Novak averaged 6.9 points in 16.4 minutes in 71 games last season for the Clippers. He also shot 41.6% from beyond the three-point line.

Novak was free to sign an offer sheet with any NBA team, though the Clippers had the right to match any offer. He will make $1.03 million this season.

-- Mark Medina

MOTOR RACING

Edwards wins Nationwide race

Carl Edwards grabbed the lead from Kevin Harvick on pit road with 24 laps to go and won the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond, Va.

The victory finished off a remarkable race for Edwards, who had to start at the back of the field after his team made adjustments to his Ford after the field was impounded.

Harvick finished second, followed by Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski and David Reutimann.

Mark Martin’s final push for a spot in NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup will start from the best spot in the field tonight. Martin turned a lap of 126.808 mph in qualifying at Richmond International Raceway, edging Martin Truex Jr., whose lap came at 126.731 mph. . . . Kurt Busch said his crew chief will leave Penske Racing at the end of the season. Busch said Pat Tryson told him this week he would move to a different team in 2010.

ETC.

Asmussen gets his 5,000th win

Steve Asmussen has become the fifth horse trainer to win 5,000 races.

The trainer of Preakness-winning filly Rachel Alexandra reached the milestone at Woodbine in Toronto when Passion Rules won the seventh race. The Texas-based trainer had 14 scheduled starters at five tracks on Friday.

Dale Baird has 9,445 victories, followed by Jack Van Berg, King Leatherbury and Jerry Hollendorfer.

Five-time Olympic medalist Apolo Anton Ohno swept the 1,000 and 1,500 meters at the U.S. short-track speedskating national championships at Marquette, Mich., earning his first victories in six events.

The two titles moved Ohno into the overall points lead with one night remaining in the meet.

On the women’s side, Katherine Reutter swept the 1,000 and 1,500 races, giving her four victories in three days of competition.