Swimmer Popov Returns With Fast Freestyle Victory

Russian Alexander Popov, in his first major race since he was stabbed during a street fight in Moscow a year ago, produced a smashing victory in the European Swimming Championships on Thursday at Seville, Spain.

Popov, the defending Olympic and European champion in the 100-meter freestyle, swam the fastest time in the world this season, 49.09 seconds, in winning the gold medal.

Ireland’s Michelle Smith, winner of three gold medals at last summer’s Olympics and two in these championships, lost her chance at winning a record five individual gold medals when Dagmar Hase of Germany won the 400 freestyle in 4:09.52. Smith, overtaken by Hase in the final 100 meters, finished second in 4:10.50.

Pro Basketball

The Denver Nuggets acquired small forward Eric Williams from the Boston Celtics for two second-round draft choices, a move that apparently signaled Boston’s intention to sign a veteran free agent. Williams started 67 games for the Celtics last year and averaged 15 points and 4.6 rebounds. . . . The Seattle SuperSonics re-signed swingman David Wingate to a one-year contract.

Jurisprudence

Boxer Tommy Morrison, who last month resolved a drunk-driving case in Kansas, pleaded not guilty to charges tied to a traffic accident that injured three people this week in Jay, Okla. . . . Moscow police have arrested Robert Cherenkov, a former Russian hockey official, in connection with the murder of Hockey Federation president Valentin Sych in April. . . . Edward Lavell Randolph, a member of a Chicago White Sox farm team, has been arrested on a North Carolina rape warrant and is being held without bond in a Dallas jail.

Police are investigating a woman’s complaint that a former Olympic taekwondo coach raped her at the U.S. Olympic Complex in Colorado Springs, Colo., in 1987. Lee Sang-chul, the 1988 Olympic taekwondo coach, has not been charged and denied the allegation. . . . Portland Trail Blazer guard Isaiah Rider pleaded no contest in an Alameda County court to a misdemeanor charge of possessing four illegal cellular phones. . . . Michael Carbajal, who retired as a boxer last month, has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges stemming from a fight with an off-duty police officer in Chandler, Ariz.

Tennis

Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia, ranked fourth in the world, moved into the quarterfinals of the Hamlet Cup with a 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) victory over No. 95 Nicolas Lapentti at Commack, N.Y. Michael Chang, No. 2 in the world, needed only 49 minutes to boost his record for the year to 49-12 with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Australia’s Todd Woodbridge, who upset Chang in the opening round at Wimbledon this year.

Third-seeded Iva Majoli and fourth-seeded Lindsay Davenport advanced to the semifinals of the $450,000 U.S. Women’s Hardcourt Championships at Stone Mountain, Ga., but second-seeded Monica Seles had to withdraw because of a high fever and a sore throat. Seles said she hopes to be ready for next week’s U.S. Open.

Heavy rain forced the postponement of the second round of the inaugural $303,000 MFS Pro Championships in Brookline, Mass.

Hockey

Center Adam Oates signed a three-year contract with the Washington Capitals, worth a reported $3 million a year and containing an option for a fourth season. . . . Johan Lindblom, who played the last three seasons with Jonkoping of the Swedish Elite League, has agreed to contract terms with the New York Rangers. . . . Toronto enforcer Tie Domi signed a five-year, $7.2-million deal with the Maple Leafs.

Detroit Red Wing defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov and team masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov, who were injured in a limousine crash early this summer, were upgraded from fair to good condition at a hospital in Royal Oak, Mich.

Miscellany

Courtney Alexander, suspended indefinitely from the University of Virginia basketball team after he was charged with assaulting his girlfriend, said he plans to transfer from the school before next season. . . . Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Jr., son of the NBA’s career scoring leader, has transferred from Santa Monica College to Western Kentucky.

With Shen Zhao leading the way with a 9.70 on the parallel bars, China won the men’s gymnastics team title to gain the first gold medal of the 19th World University Games at Catania, Sicily.

IAAF council member Eisa Al-Dashti of Kuwait demanded that Primo Nebiolo, the Italian head of the world track and field body, apologize to Greece for his “very unprofessional” criticisms during the World Championships in Athens. Nebiolo suggested that Greece was not fit to stage the 2004 Olympics.

Sir David Hopkin, president of the British Boxing Board of Control and a leading world figure in the sport, died after a long illness at 75.