Runner Miscounts, Bell Doesn’t Ring True

Suzy Hamilton, who miscounted how many laps remained, stopped and screamed, “Oh, no!” at the start of the bell lap of the women’s mile in the Mobil Invitational indoor track and field meet at Fairfax, Va.

Hamilton, who trailed by as many as 30 yards during the first half of the race, was leading Olympic gold medalist and defending world champion Hassiba Boulmerka of Algeria by 15 meters with 200 left when she realized her mistake.

Boulmerka went on to win in 4:28.64.

“I’m a college graduate,” said the former Wisconsin runner with a rueful smile. “These things happen to me.”

At the 1990 Goodwill Games, Hamilton misjudged the 1,500-meter finish line, starting her kick too late and missing a chance to medal.

Hamilton’s gaffe Sunday overshadowed a day in which Michael Johnson turned back a strong challenge by Steve Lewis in the men’s 400 meters and Gail Devers continued her supremacy in the women’s 60-meter hurdles. Devers turned back Jamaica’s Michelle Fleeman with a time of 7.85 seconds.

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Leonid Voloshin of Russia set a world indoor record in the triple jump by leaping 58 feet 3 3/4 inches at an invitational meet at Grenoble, France. Voloshin bettered the record of 58-3 1/4 set by Mike Conley on Feb. 27, 1987, at New York.

Golf

Lee Trevino won a sudden-death playoff after Kermit Zarley pulled his drive into a lake on the fourth extra hole of the Royal Caribbean Classic at Key Biscayne, Fla.

Both finished 54 holes at 205, eight under par on the Links at Key Biscayne. Trevino shot a final round of five-under 66; Zarley had a 68.

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Dawn Coe-Jones sank an 18-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to win the LPGA Palm Beach Classic by a stroke at Lake Worth, Fla. Runner-up Lauri Merten shot a course-record eight-under 64. Coe-Jones had a 65 for a total of 15-under 201.

Miscellany

Sixth-seeded Renzo Furlan of Italy upset top-seeded Michael Chang, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, to win the $313,750 San Jose Open tennis championship. Furlan entered the match ranked 69th in the world.

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Kerry Huston of the University of Minnesota was in fair condition with a neck injury after landing headfirst on the mat during a dismount at a weekend gymnastics meet in Colorado Springs, Colo.

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Pitcher Curt Schilling and the Philadelphia Phillies avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $2.3-million, one-year contract, more than double his salary of $1,025,000 last season.

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Franco and Roberto Lopes of Brazil defeated Carlos Briceno of Fountain Valley and Jeff Williams of Santa Monica, 12-7, 12-8, to win the Beach Volleyball World Championships before 18,000 at Rio de Janeiro.

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Alianza of El Salvador tied the L.A. Salsa, 2-2, at Titan Stadium in Fullerton and will advance to the CONCACAF Cup because it beat the Salsa, 1-0, last week. Paulinho scored both Salsa goals on Sunday.

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Five unidentified University of Cincinnati football players were arrested early Sunday and accused of fighting outside a bar near campus, police said.

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The Los Angeles Strings will not return for the 1994 World TeamTennis season.