Elvis Has Jumped Out of the Building

Crowd favorite Elvis Stojko nailed the first quad-triple combination jump in figure skating history to win the Champions Series final at Hamilton, Canada.

“The sky’s the limit,” Stojko said.

Tara Lipinski, 14, added this title to her rapidly burgeoning collection, once again edging Michelle Kwan.

“I’m still not expecting to win or place,” Lipinski said. “I just want it to be my best.”

Stojko certainly was at his best in winning the $50,000 first prize. Lifted perhaps even higher by his adoring countrymen, who roared after his historic quadruple toe loop-triple toe loop combo, and cheered and applauded throughout the final minute of his scintillating routine, Stojko earned the first perfect 6.0 of the competition. That came from the Canadian judge.

Just as in nationals, Lipinski hit a triple loop-triple loop combination, which nobody else does. Although she faltered on her opening move, nearly colliding with the sideboards on a botched double axel, it was a momentary glitch.

Germany’s Mandy Woetzel and Ingo Steuer won the pairs title. Americans Jenni Meno and Todd Sand withdrew because of Sand’s back injury.

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Elena Valbe of Russia became the first racer to sweep all five cross-country distances in the same World Nordic Ski Championships after winning the 30-kilometer classical-style race at Trondheim, Norway. . . . Robert Pipkins and Maryann Baribault moved one step closer to the U.S. Olympic luge team at Lake Placid, N.Y., winning the men’s and women’s titles in the U.S. National Championships. . . . Lasse Kjus’ chance at a World Cup victory was swept away by high winds that forced the men’s downhill to be delayed with the Norwegian skier leading at Kvitfjell, Norway.

Tennis

Chanda Rubin came from a set behind to beat Brenda Schultz-McCarthy, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, and leave the defending champion United States tied, 1-1, with the Netherlands in a Fed Cup match at Haarlem, Netherlands. Miriam Oremans of the Netherlands served 13 aces to upset Mary Joe Fernandez, 6-1, 6-4.

In Tokyo, Ai Sugiyama upset France’s Mary Pierce, 7-5, 6-7 (7-9), 6-4. France leads, 2-1.

Pete Sampras rallied to beat Dutch qualifier Sjeng Schalken, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, and move into the Advanta Championships final at Philadelphia. Sampras will face Australia’s Patrick Rafter, who beat South Africa’s Grant Stafford, 6-3, 6-4.

Goran Ivanisevic needed only 14 minutes to take the first set and eventually beat Germany’s David Prinosil, 6-0, 7-6 (8-6), to qualify for the Italian Indoors finals at Milan. In the finals, Ivanisevic will meet Sergi Bruguera of Spain, who defeated Nicolas Kiefer of Germany, 6-3, 6-4.

Track and Field

Mary Slaney made her first appearance in 23 years in the U.S. Indoor Championships at Atlanta and won the women’s 1,500 meters in 4 minutes 3.08 seconds, the fastest time in the world since Doina Melinte of Romania set the world record of 4:00.27 in 1990. Oklahoma’s Edward Clarke, Roxbert Martin, Ryan Kite and Danny McFarlane broke their college record in the 1,600-meter relay, running 3:04.32.

Alicier Urrutia of Cuba jumped 58 feet six inches to set an indoor record in the triple jump at Sindlefingen, Germany. Leonish Voloshin of Russia set the previous mark of 58-3 3/4 at Grenoble, France, in 1994.

Auto Racing

Alex Zanardi set one record with his ninth consecutive front-row start and tied another with his fifth pole position in a row, turning a 195.043-mph lap in qualifying for the season-opening Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami, a CART race at the 1 1/2-mile track at Homestead, Fla.

Brazilian Helio Castro Neves established a course record in taking the pole for the opening round of the PPG-Firestone Indy Lights Championship at Homestead, Fla.

Mark Martin won the Hardee’s Fried Chicken Challenge 250 Busch Grand National race in a Ford, earning $28,475 for averaging 86.5 mph over the three-quarter-mile Richmond, Va., track. The first 45 laps were run under caution to dry the remnants of 1 1/2 days of rain.

Ron Hornaday Jr., still smarting from his first non-finish in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, chased down Rich Bickle with 10 laps remaining to win the NAPA 200 at Tucson Raceway Park, earning $38,225 for averaging 70.423 mph in a Chevrolet.

Miscellany

Defending champion Tom Baker will be among 140 bowlers competing in the AC Delco Classic, the second leg of the Professional Bowler’s Assn. tour, this week at the Cal Bowl in Lakewood.

Green Bay Packer linebacker Wayne Simmons was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol at Hilton Head Island, the South Carolina highway patrol said. Simmons’ alcohol level was 0.17%. In South Carolina, 0.10% is over the limit.

Ian Woosnam of Wales shot his second consecutive 67 to take a one-stroke lead with a three-round total of 203 in the Dubai Classic in United Arab Emirates. . . . Karrie Webb of Australia shot her second six-under-par 66 in a row and has a four-shot lead at 15-under 201 after three rounds of the Australian Ladies Masters at Gold Coast, Australia.

In Paris, Steve Johnston won the World Boxing Council lightweight title in a split decision over Jean-Baptiste Mendy of France. . . . Dylan Baker, 19, knocked unconscious during the San Antonio Golden Gloves Regional tournament, was hospitalized for a second day Saturday.

Elvire Teza of France won the American Cup women’s all-around gymnastics title by the smallest margin in the event’s 21-year history, 0.07 points, and Blaine Wilson of the United States took the men’s crown by the largest margin, 1.6 points, at Fort Worth.