Yagudin Captures World Title Again

Much has happened to Alexei Yagudin in the last year. He lost the world championship after winning it three years in a row. He had leg injuries, dropped 20 pounds, then regained most of it, and came back to win the Olympics.

On Thursday, he recaptured the men’s free skate at the World Figure Skating Championships at Nagano, Japan, and became the first skater to win skating’s four major titles in one season: the Grand Prix final, European championship, Olympics and worlds.

He edged American Tim Goebel, who improved on his third-place finish at the Olympics. Japanese star Takeshi Honda delighted the packed stadium at the M-Wave Arena by finishing third.

Russia’s Maria Butyrskaya, the 1999 world champion, pulled out of the event two days after a disappointing sixth-place finish in qualifying. A release from the International Skating Union said Butyrskaya is “suffering from physical and emotional fatigue.”

Pro Football

The Gila River Indian Community pulled out of the bidding for the Arizona Cardinals’ proposed $350-million stadium, leaving Mesa, Ariz., as the lone finalist for the site.

Tribal officials said their decision was based on potential interference by state lawmakers and a legal opinion issued this week by Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley.

Romley said he had “significant concerns whether the proposed joint relationship between the county and the tribal communities complies with Arizona law” and the county might have to assume financial liability if it agreed to sponsor the Gila River site south of Phoenix.

The Oakland Raiders re-signed offensive lineman Frank Middleton, and signed defensive lineman Mike Mohring and defensive back Terrance Shaw.... Punter Sean Landeta signed a one-year deal worth about $750,000 with the Philadelphia Eagles.... Raider defensive end Trace Armstrong was re-elected to a fourth term as president of the National Football League Players Assn.

Tennis

Ashley Harkleroad’s transition from junior tennis to the WTA Tour hit a hitch when she lost to Martina Muller, 6-4, 6-4, in the first round of the Nasdaq-100 Open at Key Biscayne, Fla.

Harkleroad, 16, has climbed to No. 252 in the rankings by winning four matches this year.

Three other American women lost. Amy Frazier lost to Greta Arn, 6-4, 6-2, Jennifer Hopkins lost to Conchita Martinez, 7-5, 6-2, and Cory Ann Avants fell to Kveta Hrdlickova, 6-1, 6-1.

On the men’s side, Michael Chang fell to 0-7 this year with a 7-6 (4), 2-6, 7-6 (5) loss to Paradorn Srichaphan.

Jennifer Capriati, the No. 1 player in the world, and Monica Seles, winner of nine Grand Slam events, will play on the U.S. Fed Cup team that opens play against Austria next month at Charlotte, N.C. Joining them are Lisa Raymond, the world’s top-ranked doubles player, and Meghann Shaughnessy, who will make her Fed Cup debut.

Miscellany

The fate of the Mike Tyson-Lennox Lewis fight was up in the air after promoters canceled a planned trip to Memphis, Tenn., to finalize the bout because local sponsors hadn’t come up with a $12.5 million site fee. Sources told the Associated Press that if the money isn’t produced today, the proposed bout could be canceled.

The NCAA wrestling tournament opened at Albany, N.Y., with one major upset in the early rounds as Cal State Fullerton’s Rowdy Lundegreen defeated top-seeded Scott Justus of Virginia Tech, 14-7, at 184 pounds.

USC freshman Blythe Hartley won the one-meter springboard event on the first day of the NCAA women’s swimming and diving championships in Austin, Texas.

Matt Reis will start in goal for the Galaxy in its Major League Soccer season-opener against Washington D.C. United on Saturday night at the Rose Bowl.