Poll, Thompson Set Short Course World Records

Veteran freestyler Claudia Poll of Costa Rica, short course first-timer Jenny Thompson of the United States and the Chinese women’s team set world records Saturday in the World Swimming Short Course Championships at Goteborg, Sweden.

Poll swam the 400-meter freestyle in 4:00.03, smashing the 10-year-old record of 4:02.05 set by Astrid Strauss of East Germany. Poll on Friday set a world record in the 200 freestyle.

“I was dying the last 100 meters. Everything hurt so bad,” Poll said.

Poll so dominated the event that the last 100 meters looked as much like an exhibition as a race. She finished more than five seconds ahead of Australian Natasha Bowron and seven seconds ahead of bronze winner Kerstin Kielgass of Germany.

Thompson flashed to a 57.79 finish in the 100-meter butterfly, breaking the record set five months ago by another American, Misty Hyman. Hyman took the bronze and the silver went to China’s Cai Huijue.

In a back-and-forth duel in the women’s 400 freestyle relay, China prevailed by 0.14 seconds over Germany to set a record of 3:34.55.

Tennis

Lionel Roux continued his surprise run by defeating Thomas Johansson, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, in the semifinals of the Japan Open at Tokyo. He will face second-seeded Richard Krajicek, who overcame Patrick Rafter’s acrobatic play with a big serve and booming returns in a 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 victory.

Spaniards Albert Costa and Albert Portas face each other in the final of the Seat Godo Open at Barcelona, Spain after they defeated countrymen Carlos Moya and Alberto Berasategui in semifinal play.

Costa downed his friend and Australian Open finalist Moya, 7-6 (8-6), 7-5, on a rain-soaked clay court while Portas defeated Berasategui, 6-3, 7-5. . . . Stanford sophomore Ryan Wolters defeated Eric Taino to give the fifth-ranked Cardinal a 4-3 victory over No. 1 UCLA at Stanford.

Jurisprudence

Drug possession charges were refiled against Tony Corral, 51, for refusing to tell federal authorities about a businessman’s alleged ties with possible point-shaving by Fresno State basketball players.

Corral’s attorney said his client was arrested on charges of conspiring and possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it because he refused to provide any information about Kirk Vartanian, who the Fresno Bee has identified as a suspected bookie under federal investigation.

Albuquerque dentist Stephen Cito was jailed over the weekend, his punishment for sharpening a buckle on his son’s football helmet so that it cut several opposing players in a game last fall.

Cito and his son, Mike, were charged with conspiring to commit aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after the younger Cito, a player at St. Pius High, wore the sharpened buckle in a game against rival Albuquerque Academy in October.

Motor Sports

Michael Ewanitsko led the last 104 laps and won the Goody’s Headache Powder 200 in the return of the NASCAR Featherlite Modified Tour to Martinsville, Va., Speedway after five years.

Jack Sprague, who dominated NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series racing in the Valley of the Sun with two victories in 1996, won the pole for the Chevy Trucks Desert Star Classic at Phoenix International Raceway.

Miscellany

Walk-on Jahi Johnson ran for a pair of short touchdowns and junior college transfer Jabari Jackson added a one-yard scoring run to highlight USC’s intrasquad scrimmage at Howard Jones Field.

Bill Egan, who has directed the American men’s downhill ski program to unprecedented success in the 1990s, was selected coach of the U.S. Ski Team men’s alpine team. . . . Sandra Schmirler led Canada to the world curling title at Bern, Switzerland, becoming the first woman to lead three championship teams. . . . Giovanni Parisi (34-2-1) landed an unanswered flurry of blows in the eighth round and stopped Harold Miller (30-10-1) to retain the World Boxing Organization super lightweight title at Milan, Italy. . . . Funeral services were scheduled today at Green Bay, Wisc. for Kevin Belcher, a former NFL offensive lineman who played at Wisconsin. Belcher died April 12 at age 35. . . . Irina Stankina of Russia finished first in the women’s 10,000-meter race and Jefferson Perez of Ecuador won the men’s 20,000-meter at the 18th IAAF World Race Walking Cup at Podebrady, Czech Republic. Tamara Kovalenko, also of Russia, finished eighth in 42:51, as Russia captured the team title. . . . Larry Hughes scored 20 points and Ron Artest had 19 as the United States’ junior select team defeated FIBA’s junior select team, 97-90, in the third Hoop Summit at Lake Buena Vista, Fla. . . . Rex Fontenot was named public relations director for the Great Western Forum.