Track Dispute Headed to Binding Arbitration

The protracted dispute over a drug test by a member of the U.S. Olympic track team in Sydney, Australia will be decided in binding arbitration.

The case involves an unidentified American athlete who tested positive for steroids but was allowed by USA Track & Field to compete in the Olympics after winning an appeal.

The U.S. federation has been widely criticized for refusing to release names of athletes who fail drug tests.

Nick Davies, a spokesman for the International Association of Athletics Federations, said Tuesday the IAAF and USATF had decided to take the case to binding arbitration at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Davies said the two bodies decided to go jointly to arbitration when they met during an IAAF council meeting last weekend.

He said both bodies agreed to abide by the CAS’ findings.

Tennis

Top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt lost his debut at the Monte Carlo Masters, falling, 6-4, 6-3, to unseeded Carlos Moya.

Andy Roddick won his tournament debut, beating Chilean qualifier Fernando Gonzalez, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7).

Anna Kournikova was defeated by Conchita Martinez in the Family Circle Cup at Charleston, S.C., 7-6, 6-1, the fourth consecutive tournament in which she has been eliminated in the first round.

In other matches, Clarisa Fernandez defeated No. 9 Silvia Farina Elia, 7-6 (7-4), 6-0; Mary Pierce beat Alicia Molik, 6-3, 6-4; and second-seeded Monica Seles beat Amy Frazier, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0.

Pro Football

The Dallas Cowboys signed linebacker Dat Nguyen to a $13-million, six-year contract.

The Cowboys will pay Nguyen a $2 million bonus and a $1-million salary this season.

Miscellany

A French figure skating judge sent a letter to the International Skating Union saying that federation President Didier Gailhaguet told him to manipulate scores at major competitions.

According to the Washington Post, Alain Miquel said he followed orders from Gailhaguet to distort the marks of French, Russian and German pairs skaters at the 1998 world championships in Minneapolis.

Miquel also said he inflated the marks of a French skater in the men’s event at the 1999 European championships in Prague at Gailhaguet’s request, but ignored a demand to boost another French skater in the men’s competition at the 2002 European championships in Lausanne.

USC announced the signings of point guard Brandon Brooks and shooting guard Roy Smiley.

The 6-foot, 165-pound Brooks played two years ago at Indian Hills College in Ottumwa, Iowa, but sat out last season because of a knee injury.

The 6-foot-4, 195-pound Smiley averaged 14.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists last season at Southeastern Iowa College in Burlington, Iowa.

Dave Leitao, an assistant coach under Jim Calhoun at Connecticut, was selected as DePaul’s basketball coach, ending a six-week search for Pat Kennedy’s successor.

Guard Brian Morrison has left North Carolina and is visiting UCLA today. He has indicated he will transfer to a Pacific 10 school. A 6-foot-2 guard, Morrison averaged 7.1 points and 2.6 assists as a sophomore last season.

Former heavyweight champions Evander Holyfield and Hasim Rahman will meet in a June 1 bout at Atlantic City, N.J.

Scott Davis, the meet director of the Mt. San Antonio College Relays, sportswriter Mal Florence of the Los Angeles Times and Coach Mel Hein of Taft High will be the inaugural recipients of lifetime achievement awards presented by The Los Angeles Track & Field Organizing Committee. They will be honored at a banquet at the Friars Club in Beverly Hills on May 14.