Popov Swims to 50-Meter World Record

Swimming in a race especially designed for him to set a world record, Russia’s Alexander Popov did just that Friday in the 50-meter freestyle, stroking through the distance in 21.64 seconds in Moscow to eclipse the oldest standing swim mark in the world.

Popov, 29, beat the beat the mark of 21.81, set by American former world champion Tom Jager in Nashville on March 24, 1990.

“I knew the record was well in my range,” said Popov, who won the 50- and 100-meter freestyle at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics and the 1994 world long-course championships.

At the same meet, Russian swimmer Roman Sludnev set the world 100-meter breaststroke record with a time of 1:00.36. He broke the record of 1:00.60 set by Frederik DeBurghgraeve at the Atlanta Olympics.

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Tom Dolan, the Olympic champion and world-record holder in the 400-meter individual medley, won the event in the Charlotte (N.C.) UltraSwim Classic in 4 minutes, 18.97 seconds, shaving about six seconds off his previous best of the year.

Tennis

Pete Sampras beat Bob Bryan, 6-4, 6-4, to reach the semifinals at Queens Club and extend his winning streak on grass to 22 matches. Sampras faces Davide Sanguinetti, who upset 12th-seeded Andrei Pavel, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3, in one semifinal match at Queens. The other pits left-hander Gianluca Pozzi, who surprised seventh-seeded Marat Safin, 7-5, 7-6 (4); against No. 6 Lleyton Hewitt, who ousted No. 4 Cedric Pioline, 6-4, 6-4.

Richard Krajicek served up 25 aces against defending champion Nicolas Kiefer and reached his first semifinal of the year at the Gerry Weber Open with a 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (3) victory at Halle, Germany. In the semifinals, Krajicek plays Michael Chang, a 7-5, 6-2 winner over Roger Federer. Top-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov beat Nicolas Escude, 7-6 (9), 6-3, to advance to a semifinal match against David Prinosil, who was a 6-3, 7-6 (3) winner over third-seeded Nicolas Lapentti.

Jennifer Capriati’s preparations for Wimbledon hit a snag in a 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 loss to Lisa Raymond in the quarterfinals of the DFS Classic at Birmingham, England. Raymond next plays Nathalie Tauziat, a 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (5) winner over Anne-Gaelle Sidot. In the other semifinal, Cara Black, a 6-3, 7-5 winner over Kristina Brandi; plays Tamarine Tanasugarn, a 6-4, 6-4 winner over second-seeded Julie Halard-Decugis.

Jurisprudence

Cory Erving, the troubled son of NBA great Julius Erving, was unsuccessful in his attempt to buy a gun so he could retaliate against a man with whom he had fought before he disappeared, an investigator said in Sanford, Fla.

Erving, who has a history of drug problems, was last seen by his family May 28, running an errand to buy bread for a cookout. A $50,000 award is being offered for any information about his whereabouts.

Baltimore Raven cornerback Chris McAlister was charged with possession of marijuana after police found the drug while investigating a burglary at his home.

Auto Racing

Rusty Wallace’s Ford turned a lap at 171.625 mph to win the pole for Sunday’s NASCAR Pocono 500 at the Pocono International Raceway at Long Pond, Pa. . . . Max Papis, seeking his second victory of the CART FedEx championship season, turned in a lap of 114.280 mph to earn the provisional pole for the Tenneco Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit.

Olympics

The box office for the Sydney Olympics opened in Australia, 91 days until the Sept. 15 opening ceremony and with about 2.7 million tickets yet to sell. And officials, hoping for a large turnout, were disappointed when only a dozen people lined up for tickets.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee, the 1988 Olympic long jump champion who retired in 1998, has entered next month’s U.S. Olympic trials in the long jump.

Entering does not necessarily mean that Joyner-Kersee, 33, will compete in the July 14-23 trials.

“I’d say there’s a 75% possibility that she’ll compete,” said Greg Foster, Joyner-Kersee’s agent.

Three months after announcing a comeback, gymnastics gold medalist Shannon Miller is competing this weekend for the first time in three years.

Miller is taking part in the Gymnastics Challenge 2000 in Mississauga, Canada.

Miscellany

Mike Tyson’s fight against Lou Savarese on June 24 in Glasgow received its final approval amid another protest from women opposed to the bout. The city council granted a safety certificate authorizing Hampden Park stadium to stage the fight. . . . Former super-welterweight champion Hector Camacho stopped Tim Bryan at the end of the fifth round in Orillia, Canada.

Dan Flynn was hired to replace Hank Steinbrecher as secretary general of the U.S. Soccer Federation, the organization’s No. 2 official and day-to-day head. Flynn, 45, has been executive director of the U.S. Soccer Foundation for the past two years. . . . The South American soccer confederation has confirmed Colombia as host of the 2001 Copa America, risking criticism about playing the continent’s biggest soccer tournament in a violence-prone nation. In announcing the decision, CONMEBOL also disclosed the United States and Mexico would be invited to the tournament, with Canada on the “waiting list” should either guest opt out.

The Chicago Bears signed their first-round draft pick, linebacker Brian Urlacher, to a five-year contract. . . . University of Minnesota Coach Glen Mason signed a seven-year contract extension that will double his annual salary to about $1 million.

Oregon State and former men’s basketball coach Eddie Payne reached a settlement that will pay him $195,000, ending Payne’s threat to sue the school for $2.4 million. Payne had claimed that Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart had promised him a contract extension.