Track Great Rudolph Reportedly Has Cancer

Sprinter Wilma Rudolph, winner of three gold medals at the 1960 Olympics, is being treated for cancer, the Tennessean of Nashville reported.

Rudolph became ill last month while speaking in Atlanta, and doctors detected cancer shortly thereafter, the newspaper said.

Rudolph was reportedly resting at her home in Nashville. Specifics of her illness were not known.

Rudolph earned international acclaim in 1960 when she became the first American woman to win three gold medals at one Olympiad. She won the 100 and 200 meters with her third medal coming in the 400-meter relay.

Tennis

Goran Ivanisevic, ranked No. 2 in the world, beat unseeded Fabrice Santoro, 6-2, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, in the EA Generali tournament final at Kitzbuehel, Austria.

Sergi Bruguera of Spain beat Andrei Medvedev of Ukraine, 6-3, 6-4, to win the Czech Open at Prague.

Martina Navratilova led the New Jersey Stars to a 28-25 overtime victory over the Idaho Sneakers in the finals of the World TeamTennis championships at Sacramento.

Boxing

Buddy McGirt escaped with a 10-round split decision over Patrick Coleman at Callicoon, N.Y., after nearly blowing his World Boxing Council welterweight title shot against Pernell Whitaker.

Hiroshi Kawashima of Japan successfully defended his WBC junior bantamweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Carlos Salazar of Argentina at Tokyo.

Miguel Angel Gonzalez scored an eight-round technical knockout over Leavander Johnson to retain his WBC lightweight title Saturday at Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

Miscellany

Boston Red Sox Manager Butch Hobson has been offered a job in the athletic department at his alma mater, Alabama, the Mobile Register reported.

Joe Amato won the top fuel title, John Force in funny cars and Steve Schmidt in pro stock at the National Hot Rod Assn. Northwest Nationals in Seattle.

Julie Smith of Glendora hit a two-run homer as the United States blanked China, 6-0, to win the women’s world softball championship at St. John’s, Canada.

Barbra Fontana and Lori Kotas-Forsythe defeated Maria Salgado and Roseli Anna Timm, 15-2, to win the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Series at Osaka, Japan.

Gymnast Kerri Strug was released from a Palm Springs hospital, two days after she was injured during a meet.

The U.S. women’s soccer team defeated Norway, 4-1, in the Chiquita Cup final at Worcester, Mass.