Hakkinen Wins Pole at Imola

With one minute left in the one-hour qualifying for the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola, Italy, defending champion Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher alternated quick laps in a dramatic battle for the pole position.

At the end of their thrilling duel Saturday, which left thousands of Ferrari fans stunned, Hakkinen won by .09 seconds, reviving McLaren hopes for a first season victory.

Although he won his third consecutive pole this season, Hakkinen still is without a championship point after consecutive flops in Australia and Brazil. He did not finish either race because of engine problems.

His British teammate, David Coulthard, who was third in qualifying, also is pointless. He did not finish in Australia and was disqualified after placing second in Brazil because of the nonconformity of the front wing of his McLaren car.

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Rusty Wallace won the pole for today’s NASCAR Goody’s 500 at Martinsville, Va., with brother Kenny on the outside of the front row. Winston Cup points leader Bobby Labonte will start 13th, and defending race champion John Andretti 26th. . . . Rain that began just as the driver’s introductions were beginning washed out the NAPA 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway, forcing the race to be postponed until Monday. . . . Randy LaJoie won the NASCAR Busch Series BellSouth Mobility 320 at Nashville, surviving an early spin and a late-race wreck involving most of the leaders. . . . Kenny Bernstein earned his 51st career No. 1 top-fuel qualifying position in the NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals on The Strip at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

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American Kenny Roberts won the 500cc pole position for today’s Marlboro Grand Prix of Japan motorcycle race at Suzuka, Japan.

Boxing

Thomas Hearns, 41, in what was billed as his farewell fight, sprained his right ankle late in the second round of his scheduled 12-round bout with Jamaican left-hander Uriah Grant at Detroit and couldn’t answer the bell for the third round.

Grant, 39, was declared the winner by a technical knockout. Hearns (59-5-1) was later waffling on whether he would fight again.

France’s Bruno Girard won the World Boxing Assn. super-middleweight title, outpointing American Byron Mitchell at Paris. . . . England’s Johnny Nelson retained his World Boxing Organization cruiserweight title when unbeaten Italian challenger Pietro Aurino quit in the seventh round at London after banging heads with the champ.

Miscellany

Lee Goren, the North Dakota forward and Boston Bruin draft pick, scored the tying goal and assisted on Jason Ulmer’s game-winner as the Fighting Sioux won the NCAA hockey championship with a 4-2 victory over Boston College at Providence, R.I.

Playing in the home rink of the Bruins’ top minor league affiliate, Goren also added an empty-netter with 45.2 seconds left and selected the tournament’s most outstanding player.

The United States beat Sweden, 7-1, in the semifinals of the women’s world hockey championships at Mississauga, Canada, setting up a title-game showdown with Canada.

Donovan Bailey, still recovering from a ruptured Achilles’ tendon, looked good while running his usual anchor leg for the Canadian national team in the 4x100 relay at the Texas Relays in Austin, Texas.

Bailey was in third when he got the baton and closed some ground on the leaders. The former world record-holder in the 100 couldn’t close the gap before cruising the last 10 meters.

The Austin All-Stars team of Donovan Powell, Milton Mallard, Kareem Streete-Thompson and Obadele Thompson won with a time of 39.16 seconds.

Gerry Washington, Boise State’s all-time three-point leader, lapsed into a coma during a pickup game at Boise, Idaho. He was put in coronary care and was in critical condition. The cause of his collapse was not identified. Saturday was his 23rd birthday.

Former NFL running back Dave Meggett could face a second trial on an assault charge after a jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict at Toronto. Meggett, found not guilty of a theft charge, is accused of assaulting an escort worker. Prosecutor Calvin Barry said he will review the case with police before making a decision on a second trail. . . . Cincinnati Bengal linebacker Steve Foley has been cleared of an accusation that he fired a handgun outside a nightclub last week at Monroe, La.

Scott Shipley of Poulsbo, Wash., earned a spot in the Sydney Olympics, winning the single kayak for the second consecutive day in the U.S. Canoe and Kayak Olympic slalom trials at Ocoee River, Tenn.

Canada routed the United States, 11-3, to reach the finals of the World Curling Championships at Glasgow, Scotland.

Former Los Angeles Sparks assistant coach Colleen Matsuhara will hold a private women’s pro basketball tryout camp at Loyola Marymount on April 20-21. Coaching staffs from all 16 WNBA teams have been invited. Details: (310) 410-0089.