Schneider Uses Fast Second Run to Win Slalom

Vreni Schneider rallied to earn her 52nd World Cup victory, in a women’s slalom Sunday at Park City, Utah. It came one day after she placed third in a giant slalom.

Schneider, the reigning World Cup overall champion, was fifth after the slalom’s first run, but had the fastest second run of 48.27 seconds to finish with an overall time of 1:39.95.

Martina Accola of Switzerland was second at 1:40.58 and Kristina Andersson of Sweden was third at 1:40.67.

Sweden’s Pernilla Wiberg, who led after the first run, slipped near the bottom of the second run and finished fourth at 1:40.70.

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Olympic champion Bjorn Dahlie defeated Vladimir Smirnov by 29.5 seconds to win the opening event of the World Cup cross-country ski season, a 10-kilometer classical-style race in Kiruna, Sweden. . . . European champion Rintje Ritsma of the Netherlands defeated Keiji Sharahata of Japan by nearly six seconds to win a World Cup 5,000-meter speedskating race in Berlin.

College football

Nebraska, Penn State and Alabama remained 1-2-3 in the Associated Press college football poll, while Miami jumped from fifth to fourth.

Nebraska (12-0) received 38 first-place votes and 1,523 points. Penn State (11-0) got 23 firsts and 1,509 points. Alabama (11-0) received one first-place vote and 1,426 points.

Nebraska, Penn State and Alabama also were the top three teams in the USA Today-CNN coaches’ poll.

USC dropped from 17th to 21st in the AP poll.

Hawaii (3-7-1) scored on a touchdown pass and a two-point conversion with 12 seconds left Saturday night to gain a 32-32 tie with Missouri (3-8-1) in Honolulu. The teams combined for 30 points in the final quarter after playing to a 17-17 tie through three periods.

Track and field

Hurdler Danny Harris, who has served nearly three years of a four-year ban for cocaine use, was reinstated by track and field’s world governing body. Harris was reinstated under the “exceptional circumstances” rule by a unanimous vote at a council meeting of the International Amateur Athletic Federation. It was the first time the rule was used by the council.

Miscellany

Robert Gamez shot his fourth consecutive sub-70 golf round to win the $1.5 million Casio World Open at Kaimoncho, Japan. Gamez put together rounds of 68-66-68-69 for a 17-under-par 271 total.

Some Chinese athletes tested positive for using banned substances in last month’s Asian Games, the Kyodo News Service reported in Tokyo. Kyodo said games officials did not identify the athletes, their sports, divulge the number who tested positive or identify the banned substances. Officials of the games’ organizing committee, the Japan Olympic Committee, the Japanese swimming federation and the testing laboratory could not be reached for comment.

In what may be the final round of talks before baseball owners impose a salary cap, negotiators for players and management gather today in Leesburg, Va.

Jan Apell and Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden won the ATP Tour world doubles title in Jakarta, Indonesia, upsetting the Australian duo of Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde, 6-4, 4-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (8-6).