Roethlisberger Leads U.S. Gymnastics Meet

John Roethlisberger took the lead with a fluid routine on the still rings Wednesday night and maintained it throughout the compulsory portion of the men’s all-around competition in the National Gymnastics Championships at Salt Lake City.

Roethlisberger, the defending U.S. all-around champion, followed a 9.65 score on the rings with a 9.4 vault and a 9.5 on the horizontal bar. When he dropped from the bar at the end of his routine, the 23-year-old from Afton, Minn., thrust both fists into the air.

“I’m very pleased with the outcome, but there’s still a lot of meet left,” said Roethlisberger, who finished with 56.050 points for the night. “If you think I’m going to relax, just look at these two guys sitting next to me. They’ve been hitting their optionals.”

He referred to former UCLA gymnasts Chainey Umphrey, the World University Games Trials gold medalist who is second, 1.5 points back, and Scott Keswick, a member of the 1992 Olympic team who is third, 1.95 points behind.

In the women’s all-around, Shannon Miller outdistanced second-place Kerri Strug, a fellow Olympian, in opening compulsories. Dominique Dawes was third.

Jurisprudence

Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson will take his rape conviction appeal to the Indiana Supreme Court today.

Lee McTurnan, Tyson’s counsel in Indianapolis, said Wednesday he planned to file a petition asking the court to take the case, but declined to elaborate. Tyson’s conviction was upheld in the state court of appeals.

Prosecutors would have 10 days to respond to the petition after today’s filing. The Supreme Court could refuse to hear the case.

Tyson was sentenced in March 1992 to six years in prison following his conviction for raping beauty contestant Desiree Washington in an Indianapolis hotel room.

In a 2-1 decision earlier this month, the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction. It rejected arguments that the trial court erred by not allowing three witnesses to testify on behalf of the defense.

Soccer

Diego Maradona said the U.S. Consulate refused to grant him an entry visa because of his pending drug trials in Argentina and Italy.

Maradona was planning a complete medical checkup in the United States before deciding whether to return to professional soccer. He did not say where he was to have had the exam.

Track and Field

Merlene Ottey of Jamaica, a week after winning her first major title by taking the 200 meters at the World Championships, won the 100 meters in the IAAF Gugl meet at Linz, Austria.

Ottey was clocked in 11.11 seconds and beat long jump champion Heike Drechsler of Germany, who ran a rare dash and finished second in 11.36. Juliet Cuthbert, another Jamaican, was third in 11.40.

Bruny Surin led a 1-2 Canadian finish in the men’s 100, clocking 10.11. Atlee Mahorn was second in 10.27. American Calvin Smith finished third in 10.29.

Golf

Pro golfer Heather Farr has been stricken by cancer a third time and faces innovative surgery. First diagnosed with cancer in July of 1989, the former standout on the LPGA Tour earlier this month was diagnosed as having a tumor that has spread to the top of her spinal column and to three vertebrae.

To remove it, she will undergo nearly new spinal stereotactic radiosurgery, made possible by development of a spinal frame invented by doctors at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson, the Arizona Republic reported.

Miscellany

Authorities said they have “cleaned out” four gambling houses in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, believed to have headquartered the biggest U.S. illegal sports betting ring.

Nine Americans were arrested. Eleven others, mostly Dominican employees, were also arrested in two days of raids.

Russia defeated the defending champion United States by three minutes in the women’s 50-kilometer team time trial at the World Cycling Championships at Oslo, Norway. The U.S. team rode most of the race with three riders and finished second. Last year’s world and Olympic champions Eve Stephenson of Covington, La., Jeanne Golay of Glenwood Springs, Colo., and Jan Bolland of New Brighton, Pa., plus Dede Demet of Milwaukee, rode for the United States.

Names in the News

The Kings signed forward Marc Potvin to a two-year contract, General Manager Nick Beverley said. Potvin played in 20 games last season, recording one assist and 61 penalty minutes, after being acquired from Detroit in January.

J.R. Henderson of East High of Bakersfield, considered one of the top forward prospects in the country, has made an unwritten commitment to attend UCLA. Henderson, a 6-foot-9 forward, joins 6-6 Toby Bailey of Loyola High as the second player to agree to attend UCLA in 1994.

Heavyweight Bruce Baumgartner was assured of a U.S.-record 10th world-level medal when he pinned Zaza Turmanidze of the Republic of Georgia at 4:02 of a semifinal match in the World Freestyle Wrestling Championships at Toronto.