Sundstrom Skates to National Title in 500 Meters

Becky Sundstrom won the women’s 500 meters in the U.S. Speedskating Long-Track Championships at Kearns, Utah, on Saturday.

Along the way to becoming the national champion in the distance, with two victories in two days at the championships, Sundstrom recaptured the excitement she used to find in racing.

“That’s been really cool, to feel excited and to skate well,” she said after winning in 38.59 seconds.

Sundstrom won the opening 500-meter race Friday in a personal-best 38.49 seconds.

In other races Saturday, Joey Cheek cruised to victory in the men’s 500 in 35.16 seconds, Shani Davis won the men’s 1,500 in 1 minute 46.76 seconds, and Jennifer Rodriguez won the women’s 1,500 in 1:55.80.

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Karen Putzer of Italy put together two near-flawless runs to win a women’s World Cup giant slalom at Semmering, Austria.

Putzer finished with a combined time of 2:11.10 for her second consecutive World Cup giant slalom victory and third overall victory this season.

Janica Kostelic of Croatia was second, 0.37 seconds behind. Denise Karbon of Italy and Nicole Hosp of Austria tied for third, 0.69 seconds behind.

Putzer held a 0.51-second lead after her first run. As the last skier to start the second leg, Putzer stayed on top despite the mild, 41-degree temperature that made conditions difficult on the classic Hirschenkogel course.

Putzer, who has become her team’s leader since Isolde Kostner was sidelined because of injury, gave Italy its first victory at Semmering since Deborah Compagnoni in the slalom in 1996.

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Soccer

The Dutch coach of the men’s soccer team of Saudi Arabia suffered a heart attack in Kuwait before the team’s game against Morocco.

Gerard Van Der Lem, 50, was rushed to a hospital before Saudi Arabia’s 2-0 semifinal victory in the Arab Cup, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

No details were provided on his medical condition.

Van Der Lem became coach of Saudi Arabia in September, replacing Nasser Al Johar, who was fired following the team’s first-round elimination from the 2002 World Cup.

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Miscellany

Oleg Ogorodov and Iroda Tulyaganova of Uzbekistan beat Ramon Delgado and Rossana Neffa de los Rios of Paraguay, 6-4, 7-6 (4), at Perth, Australia, to advance to the main draw of tennis’ Hopman Cup.

Uzbekistan advanced to play in Group A with the top-seeded United States, Belgium and Spain.

Ogorodov and Tulyaganova will play Serena Williams and James Blake of the U.S. in their first match Monday.

Texas women’s track and field Coach Bev Kearney was showing improvement following a traffic accident two days earlier on a Florida interstate in which two friends died.

World champion sprinter Michelle Freeman was driving the sport utility vehicle in which Kearney was riding, according to the Florida Highway Patrol accident report.

A crowd of nearly 18,000 watched high school star LeBron James score 27 points to lead Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary to a 67-62 overtime victory over Columbus Brookhaven in Columbus, Ohio.

New Zealand’s Alfa Romeo won the Sydney to Hobart yacht race after leading the 630-nautical-mile, two-day race in Australia from the start.

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Passings

Bob Belyeu, 67, a former managing director of the Shrine All-Star Football Classic, died Thursday.