Karolyi Out as Coordinator for U.S. Gymnastics Team

Bela Karolyi, who coached three Olympic gold medalists, is out as coordinator of the U.S. women’s national gymnastics team.

USA Gymnastics said Monday that Karolyi would not return to the job he held for just over a year. The decision was made during a women’s program summit in Houston on Sunday.

Karolyi’s contract with USA Gymnastics expired at the end of December. He was hired as the national team coordinator in November 1999, less than a year before the 2000 Olympics.

“I fulfilled my obligations, based on my agreement,” Karolyi said. “I enjoyed it very much.”

Karolyi said on his Web site his wife and coaching partner, Martha, might be the next team coordinator, but USA Gymnastics said in a release that the position is being evaluated, and the organization will have an announcement “once the appropriate candidate has been determined.”

Baseball

Free-agent outfielder Juan Gonzalez is close to signing a one-year contract with the Cleveland Indians and could complete the deal today if he passes a physical.

The 31-year-old Gonzalez is expected to sign a contract worth about $12 million that will include a mutual option for the 2002 season.

Harold Baines, who needs 145 hits to reach 3,000, agreed to a minor-league contract with the Chicago White Sox and the team invited him to spring training as a nonroster player.

A judge approved a partial settlement of nearly $12.4 million for the families of ironworkers killed in a 1999 crane collapse during construction of Miller Park in Milwaukee.

Forest Pressnell, who once dressed next to Babe Ruth and pitched in the first night game in Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field, has died in Findlay, Ohio. He was 94.

College Football

USC added two players when kicker Trevor Lancaster and running back-receiver Frank Candela enrolled in school Monday.

Lancaster was named All-American honorable mention at Bakersfield College, where he made 12 of 17 field-goal attempts and all 24 extra-point attempts last season. Candela, a 22-year-old freshman, was a prep star in Massachusetts who spent four years playing minor league baseball.

Linemen Kenyatta Walker and Gerard Warren of Florida, wide receiver David Terrell of Michigan and cornerback Nate Clements of Ohio State said they will forgo their senior seasons for chances to play in the NFL next season.

Tennis

Jennifer Capriati defeated Russia’s Tatiana Panova, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, in the first round of the Adidas International at Sydney, Australia.

In the men’s draw, No. 6 Sebastien Grosjean of France defeated Richard Fromberg of Australia, 7-6 (3), 6-2 and Australia’s Andrew Ilie cruised to a 6-4, 6-3 win over Michael Chang.

Top-seeded Amy Frazier defeated Germany’s Marlene Weingartner, 6-3, 6-4, and second-seeded Elena Likhovetseva, of Russia, defeated Katalin Marosi-Aracama of Hungary, 6-1, 7-5, in the first round of the Tasmanian International at Hobart, Australia. . . . Fifth-seeded Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria advanced to the second round of the Canberra International at Australia when Paola Suarez of Argentina quit because of an injured hamstring. . . . Top-seeded Franco Squillari of Argentina lost to Austrian Stefan Koubek, 7-6 (4), 6-2, in the Heineken Open at Auckland, New Zealand.

Thomas Enqvist of Sweden and Alex Costa will miss the Australian Open because of injuries. Enqvist is to have surgery on his shoulder and foot. Costa has an injured shoulder.

Miscellany

A land mine exploded during the Dakar Rally at El Ghallaouiya, Mauritania, blowing off the left foot of a Portuguese driver in a support car.

Jose Eduardo Ribeiro was airlifted by a United Nations helicopter to a hospital in the Canary Islands, a U.N. spokesman said.

Ribeiro’s car had strayed from the course when it triggered the mine, one of about 100,000 left from a 1975-1991 war between Morocco and a rebel group.

Rae Carruth’s lawyers called another of his former girlfriends to the stand to counter the prosecution’s argument that Carruth wanted to kill his pregnant girlfriend to get out of paying child support.

Dawnyle Willard said she spoke with Carruth about becoming a father for the second time several months before his girlfriend, Cherica Adams, was due to give birth.

“Rae was very excited about the baby,” said Willard, who dated Carruth when he attended the University of Colorado in 1995.

The 26-year-old Carruth is accused of plotting the fatal shooting of Adams, who was eight months pregnant with their son.

Retired Houston Comet star Cynthia Cooper was hired to coach the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA. . . . Alexi Lalas, who retired after the 1999 MLS season, probably will play for the Galaxy in the CONCACAF Champions Cup next week, but his status for the regular season has not been determined. . . . Former Baylor football coach Chuck Reedy faces burglary and domestic violence charges after entering the home of his estranged wife in Irmo, S.C.

Los Angeles will remain a stop on the LPGA Tour this year, after all. The City of Hope LPGA Classic April 12-15 will be played at Wilshire Country Club.

It had appeared that the women’s golf tour might bypass Los Angeles when organizers of the Los Angeles Women’s Classic, played last year at Wood Ranch Golf Club in Simi Valley, said the tournament would not be played this year but might return in 2002.