Barkley a Surprise Pick for Olympic Team

Phoenix Sun forward and 1992 Barcelona veteran Charles Barkley and Sacramento King guard Mitch Richmond have been chosen to complete the 12-man Olympic basketball Dream Team roster, sources told the Associated Press.

The surprise selection of Barkley makes it five members of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team invited to play in Atlanta. USA Basketball did not confirm its picks, which will be officially announced today.

Those invited earlier to play for Coach Lenny Wilkens are Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, Karl Malone, Reggie Miller, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson, Glenn Robinson and John Stockton.

Boxing

World Boxing Council welterweight champion Pernell Whitaker (38-1-1) won a split decision over previously undefeated Wilfredo Rivera, after World Boxing Assn. welterweight title-holder Ike Quartey (32-0) scored an impressive third-round knockout over Vince Phillips at St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles.

Pro Football

Glyn Milburn, the Denver Broncos’ Pro Bowl return specialist, was traded to the Detroit Lions in exchange for second- and seventh-round selections in next week’s NFL draft.

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed St. Louis Ram cornerback Todd Lyght to an offer sheet. Lyght was designated a transition player by the Rams, giving his team a week to match Jacksonville’s offer.

Tennis

Mary Pierce upset top-seeded and second-ranked Conchita Martinez of Spain to reach the semifinals of the Bausch & Lomb Championships in Amelia Island, Fla.

Second-seeded Arantxa Sanchez Vicario of Spain needed only 80 minutes to beat Meredith McGrath.

Top-seeded Pete Sampras and two-time defending champion Michael Chang each had to go three sets to win quarterfinal matches in the Salem Open at Hong Kong.

Sampras came from behind for a 6-7 (7-2), 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 victory over David Prinosil of Germany. Second-seeded Chang defeated Czech Martin Damm, 6-0, 3-6, 6-3.

Top-ranked Thomas Muster recovered from early breaks in both sets to defeat Spain’s Francisco Clavet and advance to today’s semifinals at the $625,000 Estoril Open in Portugal.

UCLA’s Justin Gimelstob defeated Cecil Mamiit as the top-ranked Bruins improved to 21-0 with a 7-0 victory over USC at the Los Angeles Tennis Center.

Jurisprudence

The judge in Michael Irvin’s drug possession case says the Dallas Cowboy receiver better be careful because he’s close to violating a gag order.

Judge Manny Alvarez said Irvin is “getting very close” to causing more trouble for himself by speaking generally about the case in several recent broadcast and print media interviews.

A federal appeals court rejected a defamation suit filed by the women’s basketball coach at the University of Kansas against a sports magazine that criticized her ability.

Marion Washington, the women’s coach at Kansas for more than two decades, lost her defamation suit in a lower court against Dick Vitale’s College Basketball Preview for writing about her: “The Jayhawks are loaded with talent . . . but coach Marian Washington usually finds a way to screw things up. This season will be no different.”

Olympics

No-notice drug testing for U.S. Olympic-level athletes was postponed until 1997. Officials said current anti-doping rules were enough to catch cheats in the final months before the Summer Games in Atlanta.

Southland

USC’s Leslie Coons set an American and NCAA record in the women’s hammer with a throw of 194 feet 9 inches at a track meet in Berkeley.

UCLA, ranked 10th nationally, is host for the NCAA gymnastics West Regional today at Pauley Pavilion starting at 6 p.m. Also competing are Oregon State, Stanford, Washington, California, Boise State and Cal State Fullerton.

Dodger Manager Tommy Lasorda will be the featured swimmer at the 16th annual Swim With Mike fund-raiser to benefit physically challenged athletes today from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at USC.

UCLA’s No. 2-ranked softball team is host to No. 1 Arizona today at 1 p.m. at Easton Stadium.