Jamison Says He’ll Go Pro

Antawn Jamison, the national player of the year in college basketball, said Monday he would skip his senior year at North Carolina to make himself available for the NBA draft June 24.

“When it was time to leave, it was difficult to swallow because these three years have probably been the best three years of my life,” Jamison, a 6-foot-9 forward, said at a news conference in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Jamison is the 13th player to declare early for the NBA draft, joining such players as Mike Bibby of Arizona, Paul Pierce of Kansas and Robert Traylor of Michigan, and two high school players.

Olympics

Embarrassed by the fiasco over Ross Rebagliati, the Canadian snowboarder who tested positive for marijuana in Nagano, Japan last February, Olympic officials are closing the loophole that allowed Rebagliati to keep his gold medal. . . . Swimming’s world governing body will introduce semifinals in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, despite calls for more consultation with national bodies. Under the old system, the fastest eight swimmers or relay teams in the preliminaries qualified for the A finals, the next eight for the B finals. . . . Gordy Sheer and Chris Thorpe, who won the men’s doubles silver medal in luge at Nagano, have decided to remain on the U.S. national team for World Cup competition next season.

Tennis

Defending champion Mark Philippoussis and French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten scored straight-set victories in opening-round matches at the BMW Open in Munich, Germany. Philippoussis beat Julian Alonso of Spain, 7-5, 6-4. Kuerten capitalized on Goran Ivanisevic’s erratic play and beat the Croatian, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6), in the clay-court tournament. . . . Russia’s Yevgeny Kafelnikov beat Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, in the opening round of the Czech Open clay-court tournament in Prague, Czech Republic. . . . Jason Stoltenberg, the No. 2-seeded player in the AT&T; Challenge at Duluth, Ga., breezed to a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Luis Horna in the opening round.

Soccer

Two-time MLS champion D.C. United swapped forwards with the Tampa Bay Mutiny, trading Roy Wegerle for Roy Lassiter, and announced a new, three-year contract with defender Eddie Pope. . . . Five people were injured, four of them police officers, and 20 fans were being held in custody after about 300 fans clashed with police during a post-victory celebration in the Dutch town of Alkmaar.

Names in the News

Hall of Fame pitcher Juan Marichal was listed in serious but stable condition with injuries to the head, neck, spine and left leg suffered when his car ran off a highway and crashed near Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. . . . Former New Mexico wide receiver Kawika Ordenstein pleaded not guilty to attempted murder in the beating of another athlete. Ordenstein was charged in the beating of New Mexico track sprinter James Marin. . . . Jimmy Vasser, driving a Reynard-Honda, won CART’s rain-delayed Bosch Grand Prix on the mile track at Nazareth, Pa., beating Alex Zanardi by 1.4 seconds. . . . In another rain-delayed race at Nazareth, Pa., Cristiano da Matta of Brazil extended his lead in the PPG-Dayton Indy Lights championship series by leading all 100 laps. Da Matta, who averaged 101.470 mph, leads Didier Andre of France by 32 points (59-27) in the series. . . . A British tourist was killed and her husband critically injured in a two-vehicle crash in Taylorsville, N.C., that also involved former race driver Harry Gant, who was not injured.

The state Court of Appeals in Buffalo, N.Y., refused to review the sexual assault case of Atlanta Falcon linebacker Cornelius Bennett, clearing the way for a 60-day jail term. . . . Tony Boselli, starting offensive tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars and former USC standout, had ankle surgery to remove bone chips. . . . EF Education won a protest against Whitbread sailing competitor Toshiba, skippered by Dennis Conner. . . . Ellerbe Becket, the nation’s largest architectural firm, agreed to design new stadiums and arenas so spectators in wheelchairs still have a full view when other fans stand up, the Justice Department announced....Pasadena City College will celebrate the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s playing baseball there at 2:15 today, before a PCC-Cerritos game at Brokside Park.