Lindh Is Downhill Winner at World Championships

Hilary Lindh, who nearly retired a year ago, was a surprise winner in the women’s downhill at the World Alpine Ski Championships Saturday in Sestriere, Italy.

Lindh, 27, claimed her first world gold by only .06 seconds. Her other medals include a bronze in the 1996 World Championships and a silver in downhill at the 1992 Olympics.

It was the first medal this season for the United States, which fielded a team weakened by injuries to Tommy Moe and Picabo Street.

Switzerland’s Heidi Zurbriggen got the silver and Sweden’s Pernilla Wiberg took the bronze.

In the men’s slalom, Norway’s Tom Stiansen claimed the gold and France’s Sebastien Amiez took the silver. Alberto Tomba had an impressive second run, but took the bronze medal.

Lindh, of Juneau, Alaska, was timed in 1 minute 41.18 seconds. Zurbriggen finished at 1:41.24 and Wiberg in 1:41.44.

“In the United States, the only thing that matters is the big events,” Lindh said. “Winning the worlds or Olympics is the only way you get recognition.”

Lindh was the United States’ top woman skier in the speed events five years ago. But a serious knee injury in 1993 set her back, with her only three World Cup wins coming in 1994. In 1996 world championships, Street won the gold and Lindh settled for the bronze.

A record number of skiers underwent drug tests at this year’s championships and all passed, ski federation officials said as the two-week event ended.

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Gunda Niemann of Germany set two records at Nagano, Japan, becoming the first athlete to win a sixth all-around World Speedskating Championship and setting the best score recorded at the event.

Winning gold medals in three races and a silver in a fourth during the weekend, the 30-year-old Niemann won with a score of 165.708 points, better than her 1994 record of 167.282.

Dutchman Ids Postma, the men’s European all-round champion, won the world title. Finishing fourth was K.S. Boutiette of Tacoma, Wash., who began speedskating only three years ago.

Football

Jeff George, cast aside by his hometown Indianapolis Colts and most recently by the Atlanta Falcons, was introduced as the new quarterback of the Oakland Raiders.

The Raiders signed the free agent to a five-year, $27.5-million contract.

The contract was completed Friday, agent Leigh Steinberg said, and includes $10 million in signing bonuses--$5 million now and an additional $5 million in two years.

The Buffalo Bills are interested in Raider backup quarterback Billy Joe Hobert and are expected to give up a third-round draft choice.

The trade would come two weeks after longtime starter Jim Kelly announced his retirement. Hobert would compete with Todd Collins, Kelly’s backup the last two years.

Tennis

Big-serving Greg Rusedski pulled off his second consecutive upset, defeating Andre Agassi, 6-3, 6-4, in the Sybase Open to advance to the final against defending champion Pete Sampras.

Sampras, ranked No. 1 in the world, defeated Todd Martin, 6-2, 6-3, earlier in the day at the San Jose Arena.

Rusedski, No. 39 in the world and seeded seventh, had 14 aces, including one clocked at 139 mph. Rusedski has the fastest serve of all time, 139.8 mph, in Beijing last October. He defeated Michael Chang in the quarterfinals.

Thomas Muster outshot Jim Courier, 7-6 (7-3), 2-6, 6-3, in a battle of big hitters in a semifinal of the $1-million Dubai Open in the United Arab Emirates. He will face top-seeded Goran Ivanisevic for the championship

Ivanisevic, the defending champion, defeated Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, in the other semifinal.

Martina Hingis of Switzerland continued her unbeaten streak, defeating Iva Majoli of Croatia, 6-1, 6-3, in the semifinals of the Paris Open. Hingis, who has lost only three sets this year, will meet Anke Huber of Germany, a 6-4, 6-3, semifinal winner over Czech Jana Novotna.

Boxing

Jorge Castro of Argentina denied former champion Roberto Duran his 100th career victory, beating the 45-year-old owner of the “hands of stone” by a unanimous decision at Mar del Plata, Argentina.

Sirimongkol Singmanassuk of Thailand defended his WBC bantamweight title, scoring a unanimous decision over Jesus Sarabia of Mexico in their 12-round bout at Nakhon Phanom, Thailand.

Swimming

Olympic gold medalist Brooke Bennett won her second event of the U.S. Swimming Championships at Buffalo, N.Y., taking her third consecutive 400-meter freestyle title in 4 minutes 12.14 seconds. Amanda Beard of Irvine won the 100-meter breaststroke in 1:09.97.