Kiptanui Adds 5,000 to His Steeplechase Record

Kenya’s Moses Kiptanui broke the men’s 5,000-meter world record Thursday, clocking 12 minutes 55.30 seconds at the IAAF Mobil Grand Prix Golden Gala track and field meet at Rome.

The previous record was 12:56.96, set last June by Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia.

Kiptanui also owns the world record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (8:02.08).

Golf

It was as easy as 1-2-3 for Vijay Singh, who birdied the first three holes and shot a six-under-par 65 to tie Robert Gamez for the lead after the first round of the Kemper Open at Potomac, Md.

Gamez also bunched his success, shaving five strokes off par in four holes on the front side with an eagle and three birdies.

Mark O’Meara, Jeff Maggert, Wayne Grady and Steve Lowery were one shot behind the leaders. Tom Kite and six others had 67s on the TPC at Avenel course.

Singh is seeking his third tour victory of the year.

Bernhard Langer shot a five-under-par 67 to take the lead in the first round of the European Tournament Players Championship in Hamburg, Germany. . . . On July 1, greens fees on the 19 Los Angeles County-owned courses will increase by $2--from $17 to $19 on weekdays and $21 to $23 on weekends.

Boxing

Heavyweight champion George Foreman said in Washington that $25 million would change his mind about defending his International Boxing Federation title against Germany’s Axel Schulz within 120 days, as ordered.

Foreman won a controversial split decision against Schulz on April 22 in Las Vegas.

Basketball

The pairings of the Preseason NIT have been announced, but no venue was listed for the semifinals and final. Since its inception in 1985, the tournament has been played in New York’s Madison Square Garden, but an agreement with the building has run out and the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, N.Y., apparently has stepped in with an offer.

Tyus Edney, point guard for UCLA’s national champions, broke his left thumb Tuesday night at the NBA predraft camp in Chicago and probably will need surgery.

Georgia Tech has asked the NCAA to investigate a report that top recruit Stephon Marbury received a car from the director of a New York City amateur program.

Miscellany

Somalia’s Olympic athletes, who were shunned by Georgia’s Barrow County last month because of the action of some of their countrymen against U.S. peacekeepers, found a new host, Gordon County. . . . Defender Alexi Lalas will play with his Italian soccer club in Florence on Saturday and with the U.S. team Sunday in Foxboro, Mass, against Nigeria.

Holly McPeak of Manhattan Beach and partner Nancy Reno of San Diego are seeded No. 1 in this weekend’s pro beach volleyball tournament at Hermosa Beach, which begins today at 10 a.m. . . . The 1996 AC-Delco Classic bowling tournament in Lakewood has been set for March 5-9. . . . The Bicycle Club Casino in Bell Gardens will play host to the U.S. Open Wheelchair Billiards Championship July 6-9.

Allen Pitts, who caught 126 passes for 21 touchdowns last season for the Canadian Football League’s Calgary Stampeders, was arrested last month in Montana for carrying 25 containers of steroids while driving to training camp.

Names in the News

The Florida Panthers have fired Roger Neilson, who had the team within one point of the playoffs in each of its two seasons in the NHL. . . . UCLA softball player Jennifer Brundage, a former Irvine High School standout, was named the 1995 GTE Academic All-American of the year.