OLYMPIC UPDATE / 47 DAYS TO THE GAMES : Brenneman’s Comeback Pays Off With the First Spot on Cycling Team

Seventeen months after ending her retirement from competitive cycling, Linda Brenneman, 30, of Dana Point, punctuated her comeback Saturday by earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.

“It’s hard to describe the feeling. This is the sole reason I came back,” Brenneman said after securing her place on the three-member team by winning a series of five races staged by the U.S. Cycling Federation.

The final two spots on the team were to be determined by the federation’s coaches, who planned to announce their decision today.

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Jessica Davis of San Anselmo, Calif., finished with a two-day total of 74.663 points in the all-around at the U.S. Rhythmic Gymnastics National Championships in Athens, Ga., to defend her national title and advance to the Olympic trials.

The top eight finishers advance to the Olympic Trials in Boston on June 25-26. The top finisher at that meet will represent the United States in the Atlanta Games.

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An own goal by former University of Virginia defender Eddie Pope with 27 minutes to play caused the United States under-23 men’s soccer team to lose, 1-0, to Ireland at Davidson, N.C.

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The Netherlands, Ukraine and Japan qualified for the women’s volleyball competition in Atlanta by finishing 5-1 in an eight-team tournament in Osaka, Japan. Already qualified are the host United States, Cuba, Brazil, China, Russia, Germany, Canada, Peru and South Korea.

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The United States (31-1) extended its string of softball shutouts to 30 games with a pair of 8-0 victories at Schaumburg, Ill. The U.S. team defeated the Illinois Illusions behind a perfect game by former UCLA player Lisa Fernandez, then beat the Schaumburg all-stars behind a no-hitter by left-hander Michele Smith.

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David Zuniga, overcoming a right-hand injury that kept him out of last weekend’s national championships, was one of 10 weight-class qualifiers to earn a berth in today’s finals of the U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling trials. The winners in the best-of-three matches today will gain berths on the U.S. Olympic team.