Russian Butterflyer Pankratov Shatters Record for 100 Meters

Russia’s Denis Pankratov broke the oldest men’s swimming record by more than a half-second at the European Championships Wednesday in Vienna, Austria.

Pankratov’s time of 52.32 seconds in the 100-meter butterfly topped the old mark of 52.84 set by American Pablo Morales at the 1986 World Championships.

It was the 20-year old Pankratov’s first major victory. Pankratov also set the 200 meter butterfly record earlier in the year at a meet in Canet, France, with 1:55.22.

Franzi Van Almsick of Germany, a world champion and world record-holder in the women’s 200 freestyle, had the fastest time in that event but didn’t win.

She did 1 minute, 57.71 seconds in the B-final of the event, which gained her a meet record but not the gold. She did 1:57.97 in winning two years ago on her way to six gold medals.

She lost her chance to gain another victory when she finished ninth in the morning qualifying. Only the top eight advance to the A final.

The title this year went to another German, Kerstin Kielgass, in 2:00.56.

Colleges

University of Alabama athletic director Hootie Ingram, reprimanded for his role in violations that resulted in probation for the Crimson Tide football team, has resigned.

Ingram said he could no longer effectively serve the university following the NCAA’s “sharp rebuke.”

Ingram, who has been athletic director for six years, has two years remaining on his contract. He will stay at the school, but in what capacity was unclear.

The NCAA on Aug. 2 put Alabama on probation for three years, banned it from postseason play this year and cut 30 scholarships over four years after an investigation into rules violations.

Track

Newly crowned world champion Fiona May disappointed the home crowd when she finished fourth in the women’s long jump in the Rovereto track and field meet in Italy.

May, formerly of Britain and now married to an Italian, had a top leap of 21 feet, 6 inches, well short of the 22-10 3/4 she jumped to win gold earlier this month at Goteborg, Sweden.

World champion Wilson Kipketer captured the 1,000 meters at the Copenhagen Games, four seconds off the world record set by Sebastian Coe 14 years ago.

Kipketer, a 22-year-old Kenyan competing for Denmark, was timed in 2 minutes, 16.29 seconds.

Maurice Green of the United States won the 100 meters in 10.28 seconds while Robson Da Silva of Brazil was second in 10.38. Da Silva later won the 200 in 20.69.

Soccer

European soccer’s governing body published proposals to overhaul the sport and slash the role of the world body, FIFA.

The European soccer union also outlined plans to reorganize the World Cup by rotating the finals evenly between continents and to boost income from television and sponsorship rights of the event.

It claimed it had widespread support for the dramatic changes, which would take effect in 1998.

The move by the European group set the stage for a power struggle.

Belgian police detained about 300 unruly German supporters before a friendly soccer match to inaugurate a new stadium on the site of Brussels’ ill-fated Heysel arena.

The disturbances were an unwelcome echo of the night in 1985 when 39 people died in rioting before the 1985 European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus at the Heysel.

Tennis

The cost to Jeff Tarango for his verbal outburst at Wimbledon has risen to $63,000--and will go higher--as the ATP Tour fined Tarango an additional $20,000 and suspended him for three weeks for post-match remarks that tour officials called “conduct contrary to the integrity of the game.”

One day earlier, the International Tennis Federation’s Grand Slam Committee suspended the American from two Grand Slam tournaments, including next year’s Wimbledon, and fined him $28,256. He had been fined $15,500 at the time of his outburst.

Top-seeded Thomas Muster of Austria moved to the quarterfinals of the Croatia Open with 6-3, 6-1 victory over Spaniard Alejo Mancisidor at Umag, Croatia.

Miscellany

A former UNLV golf team member is suing two coaches and the Nevada university system for racist comments he claims were made by an assistant coach.

David Lee, a student from South Korea, claimed in the suit, filed Tuesday in federal court, that assistant coach Jim Higgins caused him emotional and psychological stress by saying that Koreans like to “eat cats” and that Japanese and Korean cultures were “the same.”

Crown prince Naruhito, heir to Japan’s throne, formally opened the World University Games at Fukuoka, Japan.

Names in the News

Ghana’s Ike Quartey easily retained his World Boxing Assn. welterweight title in Le Cannet, France, defeating Andrew Murray of Guyana when the referee stopped the bout in the fourth round because the challenger was bleeding from a cut on his forehead.

Shaquille O’Neal of the Orlando Magic and Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets, who went face to face in the NBA Finals swept by Houston, will play each other Sept. 30 at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort for a $1 million purse.

Veteran broadcaster Pete Arbogast has been named the first play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Ice Dogs of the International Hockey League.