Swenson Wins Gold in U.S. Biathlon

Kari Swenson, of Bozeman, Mont., won the gold medal Thursday in the U.S. biathlon championships in Quebec City, Canada in her first competition since being kidnaped and shot last summer.

Swenson, 23, was training near her Bozeman home last July when she was abducted by two men. The men chained her to a tree, shot her in the chest and fled into the mountains. The alleged abductors were not found for five months.

After spending several months recovering from the gunshot wound, Swenson began training with plans to return in time for the U.S. championships.

The actual winner of the 5-K event was Lise cqMeloche of North Bay, Ontario, who posted a combined skiing and shooting time of 23 minutes 47 seconds. But since Canadians are not eligible for American medals, Swenson won the gold. Swenson was clocked in 23:52.

The U.S. championships were originally scheduled for Lake Placid, N.Y., but warm temperatures and lack of snow forced the event to be moved to Quebec City.

Five track and field athletes from the Soviet Union will participate in the Times/Kodak Indoor Games Feb. 8 at the Forum. Among those competing will be pole vaulter Konstantin Volkov and high jumper Vladimir Granenkov, both winners of the Soviet Union’s Friendship Games.

Vic Power, former major-league first baseman, was suspended for the remainder of the Puerto Rico Winter League season for assaulting an umpire.

Power, manager of the Caguas team, also was fined $1,000.

Following a closed-door hearing before league president Alcides Oquendo, the league announced that Power could manage Caguas in the playoffs.

Names in the News Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino was named winner of the 26th Bert Bell Award by the Maxwell Football Club of Philadelphia.

LaVell Edwards, 54, who led Brigham Young University to its first national championship, was voted Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Assn.

Al Arbour of the New York Islanders and Glen Sather of the Edmonton Oilers will be opposing coaches for the second straight year in the National Hockey League’s All-Star Game Feb. 12 at Calgary.