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Bolt is as good as gold with a 19.57

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Wire Reports

Usain Bolt ran the fourth-fastest 200 meters in history Friday in Brussels to upstage Yelena Isinbayeva, Sanya Richards and Kenenisa Bekele, who split a $1-million jackpot for winning their events in all six Golden League meets this season.

Because of a wet track and cold conditions at the Van Damme Memorial, Bolt never got close to the world record of 19.19 seconds he set in Berlin last month. But when it comes to performing in bad conditions, no one has done better than his 19.57 on Friday. Only Bolt (also 19.30) and Michael Johnson (19.32) have run faster.

World 400 champion Richards led her entire race and had the season’s leading time of 48.83 seconds to claim the prize. Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu of Britain was second in 50.43.

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Russian pole vaulter Isinbayeva cleared 15 feet 5 inches to beat Poland’s Monika Pyrek on a countback. Isinbayeva failed in three attempts to vault a world record 16-7 1/2 and break the mark of 16-7 1/4 she set last week.

World and Olympic 5,000 champion Bekele was not as dominant as usual but still had enough of a finishing kick to hold off fellow Ethiopian Imane Merga, winning in 12 minutes 55.31 seconds.

In the absence of Bolt, fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell beat Tyson Gay in the 100, blasting out of the blocks and winning in 9.90 seconds.

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Jamaicans Yohan Blake, Lansford Spence, Marvin Anderson and Allodin Fothergill admitted to taking a banned stimulant before Jamaica’s national championships in June. They face a two-year ban.

JURISPRUDENCE

Memphis to appeal NCAA penalty

Memphis filed notice of its intent to appeal the NCAA’s ruling forcing the school to vacate all 38 wins from the Tigers’ historic 2007-08 season that ended in the national title game.

Memphis officials are upset the NCAA clearing house cleared a player believed to be NBA star Derrick Rose to play. The committee on infractions later ruled the player ineligible after a testing service invalidated his SAT score, prompting the penalties.

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That is the only finding by the NCAA’s committee on infractions that Memphis is appealing. School officials say the punishments of vacating that season from the books along with all the banners and the $615,000 in NCAA tournament revenue is excessive.

Court documents show that former Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Orlando Brown has been arrested and charged with third-degree burglary and destruction of property in Cockeysville, Md. Brown was arrested Friday and released on his own recognizance. A preliminary hearing has been set for Oct. 2.

ETC.

Timberwolves bid for Sessions

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed restricted free-agent point guard Ramon Sessions to an offer sheet, a person close to the deal said. The person told the Associated Press about the signing on condition of anonymity because it has not been officially announced.

The Milwaukee Bucks will have seven days to match the offer. The move comes two days after Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio backed out on a deal to join the Timberwolves this season.

The Ducks signed free-agent defenseman Steve Eminger to a two-year, $2.25-million contract that will pay him $750,000 this season and $1.5 million the next. Eminger, 25, played 71 games last season for Philadelphia, Tampa Bay and Florida and had five goals, 26 points and 50 penalty minutes. He’s expected to be among the Ducks’ top six defensemen.

The Ducks also signed former Kings left wing Kyle Calder to a pro tryout agreement. He had eight goals and 27 points in 74 games last season.

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-- Helene Elliott

Renault was summoned by Formula One’s governing body to a hearing into allegations that the team deliberately caused a crash to win a race last season. The French team was called to appear before the World Motor Sport Council in Paris on Sept. 21.

The French team is accused of ordering former driver Nelson Piquet Jr. to crash during last year’s Singapore Grand Prix in order to deploy the safety car, which aided teammate Fernando Alonso. The Spanish driver went on to win the race.

PASSINGS

Buddy Blattner, 89

Buddy Blattner, a former major leaguer and longtime sportscaster who paired with Don Wells on the Angels’ radio broadcasts from 1962 to 1968, has died. He was 89. Section A.

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