Von Gruenigen Is Winner in Slalom

Michael Von Gruenigen of Switzerland had a quick first run, then held on to win a men’s World Cup giant slalom Sunday at Val D’Isere, France. Alberto Tomba withdrew because of a sore rib.

Von Gruenigen, second in the opening giant slalom of the season two weeks ago at Tignes, was timed in 2 minutes 25.09 seconds for the two runs in earning the second victory of his career. He won by nearly one second over Kjetil-Andre Aamodt of Norway, last year’s overall World Cup champion. Aamodt was clocked in 2:25.90.

Tomba, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, was ninth after the first heat but did not compete in the second because of his injury.

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Vreni Schneider of Switzerland collected the 53rd World Cup victory of her career--and her first in a race under lights--in a women’s slalom event at Sestriere, Italy.

The defending World Cup champion, 30, had a combined time of 1:38.55 for two runs. She beat Pernilla Wiberg of Sweden by .87 seconds.

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U.S. doubles team Chris Thorpe and Gordy Sheer finished third behind Germany’s Stefan Krausse and Jan Behrendt and Italy’s Kurt Brugger and Wilfried Huber in World Cup luge competition in Calgary, Canada. In women’s singles competition, Gabi Kolisch led Germany’s top four finishers. . . . Veteran Wolfgang Hoppe guided Germany I to its second four-man bobsled World Cup victory, at Altenberg, Germany. Great Britain II team was .38 seconds behind. The USA I team, led by Brian Shimer, was third. . . . For a second consecutive day, Russian women swept to victory in World Cup cross-country skiing, with its two teams finishing 1-2 in relay competition at Sappada, Italy.

Golf

Two brilliant opening rounds were enough for Ernie Els, who won the Johnnie Walker World Championship at Montego Bay, Jamaica, with a two-under 69 that gave him a six-shot victory.

Els started the season-ending tournament with a pair of 64s. He had a seven-shot lead going into the final round and never led by fewer than five strokes in winning $550,000. Els finished with a 72-hole total of 16-under 268.

Mark McCumber and Nick Faldo each shot 67 to finish at 274.

Laura Davies became the first golfer to win on five tours in one year and tied a record for the lowest 72-hole score by a woman while prevailing in the Australian Masters at Gold Coast, Australia.

The English player birdied four of the final six holes for a six-under 67. Her 272 was 20- under par. Only Nancy Lopez, Beth Daniel and Dale Reid previously finished that far under par. Davies won three events on the LPGA Tour, and also triumphed on the Australian, European, Japanese and Asian tours.

Miscellany

Eric Riley, waived this month by the Houston Rockets, signed a one-year contract with the Clippers.

Don Nelson was released from the hospital after treatment for viral pneumonia, and the Golden State Warrior coach hopes to return to the team by Jan. 1.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer running back James Wilder was arrested in Tampa, Fla., and charged with resisting arrest after officers say he attacked them when they responded to a domestic disturbance call at his home.

Friday’s deadline for a deal between baseball players and owners might be flexible if talks show progress toward an agreement, acting Commissioner Bud Selig said.

Randy Livingston, a redshirt freshman point guard for LSU, will be sidelined three weeks after suffering a broken right kneecap Saturday against UCLA.