Miller’s Spill Clears Way for Rocca

Italy’s Giorgio Rocca won the men’s World Cup slalom in Flaschau, Austria, on Wednesday after American Bode Miller crashed and failed to qualify for the second run.

Rocca finished with a combined time of 1 minute 34.86 seconds, beating Austria’s Rainer Schoenfelder by 0.24 seconds. German Alois Vogl was third, 0.31 seconds behind for the first podium finish of his career.

Miller leads the overall standings with 858 points after 15 events. Austria’s Benjamin Raich is second with 546, followed by Hermann Maier with 482.

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Slovenia’s Tina Maze won her second career World Cup race and defending champion Anja Paerson regained the lead in the overall standings with a second-place finish in the giant slalom at St. Moritz, Switzerland.

Maze was behind Paerson after the first run but had a smooth, clean second run down the sun-soaked Engiadina course to finish with a combined time of 2:26.99. Paerson had an aggregate time of 2:27.11, with Marie Jose Rienda Contreras of Spain third in 2:27.73.

Julia Mancuso had the best U.S. result, finishing sixth in 2:28.52.

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Olympic medalist Jennifer Rodriguez swept all four races to win the sprinting title at the U.S. Long Track Speedskating Championships at West Allis, Wis.

Rodriguez, the bronze medalist in the 1,000- and 1,500-meter races at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, won the 500 (39.03 seconds) and 1,000 (1:18.24) for the second day in a row.

Miscellany

Attorneys for Kobe Bryant asked a federal judge in Denver to uphold their arguments that other sources were at least partially responsible for emotional injuries allegedly suffered by the woman accusing the Laker standout of rape.

In court documents, Bryant’s attorneys argued Colorado law allows them to name other people or entities that may be responsible -- even if the sources didn’t intend to hurt the woman or if those sources are immune from liability.

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Former diver Bruce Kimball, a 1984 Olympic silver medalist, no longer is a threat to public safety and will be allowed to receive a new driver’s license, Illinois officials said, ignoring a Florida judge’s ruling that Kimball never be allowed to drive again after killing two teenagers while driving drunk in 1988.

The Illinois secretary of state’s office overturned a 2002 decision that prohibited Kimball from getting an Illinois license. Kimball appealed that ruling, a final hearing was held Oct. 25 and the decision was mailed to him Dec. 13.

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Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou, who pulled out of the Athens Olympics after failing to show for an out-of-competition drug test, temporarily were suspended by the International Assn. of Athletics Federations, track and field’s world governing body, pending hearings on their doping cases.

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Patty Berg, who helped start the LPGA Tour and won more major championships than any other woman, disclosed that she has Alzheimer’s disease. Berg, 86, was one of 13 women who founded the LPGA Tour in 1950.

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Sally Harmon, who coached javelin, discus, shotput and hammer for 18 years as an assistant women’s coach at Oregon, has sued the school for at least $1.1 million, claiming gender discrimination led to her dismissal last year.

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Landon Donovan and Abby Wambach were named U.S. Soccer national players of the year. It is the second year in a row each player has won the award.

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Colorado of Major League Soccer named former U.S. national team defender Fernando Clavijo its coach.