Skier Rahlves Scores a Rare U.S. Victory

In what is a rarity in skiing these days, an American man won a World Cup event Friday.

Daron Rahlves won a downhill race at Kvitfjell, Norway, for his first World Cup victory, the first in any World Cup discipline by a U.S. man since 1995.

The 26-year-old from Truckee, Calif., edged Didier Cuche of Switzerland by nine-hundredths of a second on Lillehammer’s Olympic course.

“This is so good!” Rahlves said. “Last year was the worst in my life when I dislocated my hip.”

Rahlves posted his victory on the same hill where Tommy Moe won the 1994 Olympic downhill gold medal for the United States. It was also where Kyle Rasmussen became the last American male winner on the World Cup tour, a downhill in 1995.

Rahlves’ previous best downhill finish this season was 15th at Lake Louise, Canada.

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A record field of 81 mushers, among them defending champion Doug Swindley of Lincoln, Mont., and five other former winners, will compete for a record purse of $525,000 starting today in the 28th Iditarod sled dog race in Alaska. The winner will take home $60,000 and a pickup truck.

Tennis

Lindsay Davenport ended Monica Seles’ season-opening victory streak after six matches, defeating the nine-time Grand Slam event champion, 6-4, 6-4, in the quarterfinals of the State Farm Women’s Tennis Classic at Scottsdale, Ariz.

Davenport, No. 2 in the world and seeded second in the tournament, will play sixth-seeded Anna Kournikova of Russia, who defeated Ai Sugiyama of Japan, 6-4, 6-2.

Top-seeded Martina Hingis of Switzerland will face third-seeded Mary Pierce of France in the other semifinal. Pierce defeated countrywoman Nathalie Dechy, 6-3, 6-2, in the day’s first quarterfinal.

Patrick Rafter, the Australian star returning from a shoulder injury, lost to Paul Goldstein, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, in the quarterfinals of the Citrix Championships at Delray Beach, Fla. Goldstein will face qualifier Alex Calatrava of Spain, a 6-7 (7), 6-3, 6-2 winner over fifth-seeded Chris Woodruff, the hero of the U.S. Davis Cup victory over Zimbabwe.

Pete Sampras will play Cecil Mamiit in an exhibition today at 12:30 p.m. at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks.

Jurisprudence

Former Carolina Panther receiver Rae Carruth will not cut his ties to the NFL to claim $30,000 severance pay because he is not guilty of charges that he masterminded the fatal shooting of his pregnant girlfriend, his lawyer, David Rudolf, said.

The issue arose in the child-support case of Chancellor Adams, a boy born to Cherica Adams soon after she was shot Nov. 16. Cherica Adams died Dec. 14. Carruth and three others are charged with first-degree murder and could face the death penalty.

Sports agent William “Tank” Black was back in federal court in Gainesville, Fla., entering a not-guilty plea to charges that he bilked several former NFL clients out of millions of dollars. Black spent most of Thursday in a bond hearing in the same courtroom, finally winning the right to stay out of jail on a $1-million bond pending trial, set for May.

Dave Hilton Jr., the Canadian middleweight boxing champion, will stand trial June 20 in Montreal on nine counts of sexual assault against minors.

Miscellany

Stacy Dragila broke her world indoor pole vault record, clearing 15 feet 1 3/4 inches in the USA Track and Field Championships at Atlanta. Dragila, who had set the previous record of 15-1 1/2 at Pocatello, Idaho, on Feb. 19, is the only woman vaulter to clear 15 feet indoors. She shares the world outdoor record of 15-1 with Emma George of Australia.

FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, has decided it won’t suspend players who test positive for the banned steroid nandrolone following a study that showed men naturally produce the substance. . . . The U.S. national team will play its first game at Russia, an exhibition April 26 in Moscow. . . . Rupert Murdoch’s BSkyB bought a 9.9% stake in Chelsea for $64 million, giving the satellite television company stakes in four English Premier League teams. . . . Colombian forward Adolfo Valencia was acquired by the New York-New Jersey MetroStars of Major League Soccer.

The Denver Broncos signed free-agent cornerback Darryl Pounds, who spent the last six years with the Washington Redskins.

The Kingdome, Seattle’s premier pro sports venue for 24 years, will be imploded March 26 to make way for a new stadium for the Seattle Seahawks.