French Official Resigns in Soccer Bribe Scandal
Jean-Pierre Bernes, Olympique Marseille general manager, resigned Sunday amid a scandal that he masterminded a scheme to bribe players of a rival soccer club to throw a French league match.
Bernes, the team’s No. 3 official, submitted his resignation but did not admit offering or paying any bribes.
Three players on Valenciennes and one on Olympique Marseille said Bernes offered money to Valenciennes players to go easy on Olympique Marseille in a match May 20. Marseille faced AC Milan six days later for the European Champions Cup title, which it won, 1-0, and earned France’s first European Cup title.
Bernes was arrested on charges of corruption July 6 and was released last Wednesday when prosecutors decided not to press charges for the moment.
Track and Field
Richard Chelimo won the 5,000 meters at the B.T. Games track and field meet at Copenhagen, but strong winds dashed the Kenyan’s hopes of breaking the 6-year-old world record.
Chelimo, whose 10,000-meter world mark lasted only five days early this month, won the race in 13 minutes 13.85 seconds--more than 15 seconds off Moroccan Said Aouita’s record.
Kenyan Nixon Kiprotich, a silver medalist in the Barcelona Olympics last year, took the 800 in 1:46.12, and countryman William Tanui, the Olympic 800-meter champion, edged Jim Spivey of the United States by 0.13 seconds in the 1,500. Tanui’s time was 3:38.03.
Basketball
Arizona State’s Stevin Smith scored 16 points to lead the United States over France, 97-60, keeping the Americans unbeaten after four days of the first Under-22 World Basketball Championships at Burgos, Spain.
The United States, which improved to 4-0 to lead Group A, will play Angola today on the final day of play in the first phase of the 12-nation tournament. Argentina, Brazil and Australia are 3-1 in Group B.
Tennis
Second-seeded Bob Duesler of Huntington Beach will be among 63 players attempting to dethrone defending champion Alex Olmedo of Encino in the USTA National Men’s 55 hardcourt tennis championships, which begin today and run through Sunday at Lindborg Racquet Club in Huntington Beach.
Olmedo, the top-seeded player in the 55 division, won Australian Open and Wimbledon titles in 1959.
The men’s 50 hardcourt championships also begin today. Robb Cadwalder of Germantown, Tenn., is seeded first, Jim Parker of Houston is second and Clark Robinson of Salt Lake City is third. USC men’s tennis Coach Dick Leach of Laguna Beach and Ken Steward of Costa Mesa will be one of the top teams in the 50 doubles division.
Beach Volleyball
Top-seeded Karolyn Kirby of San Diego and Liz Masakayan of Santa Monica won five consecutive matches to win the $20,000 Coors Light Open at Pismo Beach.
Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes won the Miller Lite Open at Belmar, N.J., when Mike Dodd and Mike Whitmarsh retired after trailing, 11-4, in the championship match. Whitmarsh couldn’t play because of dehydration. In women’s competition, Holly McPeak and Cammie Ciarelli beat Linda Carrillo and Jackie Silva, 13-9.
Names in the News
Australian Kieren Perkins set a short-course world swimming record in the 800-meter freestyle at the Sydney Grand Prix meet while winning the 1,500-meter race. Perkins covered 800 meters in 7 minutes 34.90 seconds, beating Michael Gross’ record by four seconds. . . . Chris Brown of Santa Barbara won the Acura Integra Malibu Pro and moved into second place on the Bud Surf tour behind Rob Machado of Cardiff. . . . Andrew Brown, 49, the former commissioner of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, died Friday. The cause of death was not announced.
