Slutskaya Leaps Over Kwan
Russia’s Irina Slutskaya landed six triple jumps in the women’s free skate competition to beat American Michelle Kwan in Skate Canada International on Saturday night at Mississauga, Canada.
Slutskaya, who skated last, entered the free skate in first place. But when she fell in the first minute of her four-minute routine, she had to recover quickly to maintain her position in the standings.
Kwan, who won at Skate America last week, backed off on her jumps and had to touch a hand down during a footwork sequence.
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Joey Cheek won the 500-meter race for the second consecutive day at the U.S. Speedskating fall World Cup qualifier in West Allis, Wis. Elizabeth Ochowicz, a 17-year-old high school junior, won the women’s 500-meter races.
Motor Racing
Jeff Burton led 148 of the 200 laps and overpowered the field in the Outback Steakhouse 200 at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Ariz.
The Winston Cup regular earned his fourth Busch Series victory in 13 starts this season.
Gary Scelzi won his third NHRA top fuel championship, and Bob Panella Jr. earned his second career NHRA pro stock truck title at the O’Reilly Fall Nationals at Ennis, Texas. Scelzi lost to Melanie Troxel in the semifinals, but finished with a 226-point lead over Larry Dixon to clinch the title at the Texas Motorplex.
Tennis
Anna Kournikova lost her composure and a chance to win her first singles title when she was beaten in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, by 17-year-old Kim Clijsters of Belgium in the Sparkassen Cup at Leipzig, Germany.
Kournikova, who slammed her racket against the court in frustration, lost the first set of their semifinal match in only 20 minutes. The unseeded Clijsters has soared to No. 31 in the rankings in less than two years.
Clijsters will face seventh-seeded Elena Likhovtseva of Russia, who beat top-seeded Nathalie Tauziat of France, 6-2, 6-4.
Top-seeded Jennifer Capriati, the defending champion of the Bell Challenge, will face Chanda Rubin in today’s final after rallying for a 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory over Amy Frazier at Quebec. Rubin, who lost to Capriati in last year’s final, defeated Meilen Tu, 7-5, 6-1.
Lleyton Hewitt of Australia upset Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3, in the semifinals of the Stuttgart Masters Series in Germany.
Hewitt will face Wayne Ferreira of South Africa, who ousted Sebastien Grosjean of France, 6-4, 6-2, in the other semifinal.
Miscellany
Cherica Adams, the mortally wounded girlfriend of Rae Carruth, told emergency dispatchers the former Carolina Panther wide receiver was at the scene when she was shot, the Charlotte Observer reported.
The newspaper obtained a complete transcript of the 12-minute call made Nov. 16 by Adams, who was eight months pregnant with Carruth’s child when she was shot four times. She died 28 days later, and Carruth is on trial for murder for allegedly arranging the shooting.
Former Galaxy forward Seth George was picked up by the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer’s waiver draft. Midfielder Steve Armas, released by the Columbus Crew, was signed by the Tampa Bay Mutiny, and defender Francis Okaroh, waived by the Miami Fusion, was selected by the San Jose Earthquakes and then traded to the New York/New Jersey MetroStars for a first-round draft pick in 2001.
Duke forward Janee Hayes will not play this basketball season because she is pregnant. . . . Former champions German Silva and Tegla Loroupe are among the favorites for today’s New York Marathon.