Injured Phelps Pulls Out of Meet

The United States edged Australia to win the men’s 800-meter freestyle relay after Michael Phelps withdrew from the world short course swimming championships at Indianapolis Friday night because of a back injury.

Justin Mortimer overtook Joshua Krough in the final 25 meters and got his hand on the wall first. Ryan Lochte, Chad Carvin, Dan Ketchum and Mortimer were timed in 7 minutes 3.71 seconds. Nicholas Sprenger, Andrew Mewing, Brendan Hughes and Krogh finished in 7:03.78.

Phelps, an eight-time Olympic medalist, had planned to swim the relay after pulling out of the 400 individual medley preliminaries Friday morning. He won the 200 freestyle Thursday night, and in the process aggravated a sore back that had bothered him for 1 1/2 weeks.

Jim Johnson, the meet’s medical director, said Phelps had a “slight back injury.” He declined to be more specific or reveal what part of the back was involved.

“We just don’t want to take the risk of it worsening over the next three days,” Johnson said. “He gave it all he had last night and swimming made it a little worse.”

Johnson said Phelps would return home to Baltimore for further evaluation and treatment.

“I don’t think this is a big issue,” Phelps said. “I just want to be extra cautious and extra safe.”

Sprenger gave Australia an early lead before Carvin put the Americans in front. With 50 meters left, Krogh had the Aussies back in the lead by two-tenths of a second before Mortimer surged past him in front of 8,782 at Conseco Fieldhouse.

The U.S. won five of eight finals Friday, giving them 10 victories in 13 events. However, the medal count is likely to be lower because of Phelps’ withdrawal. He was set to swim in five individual events and some relays.

Aaron Peirsol, who swept the backstroke events at the Athens Olympics, won the 100 backstroke. He was on world-record pace coming off the final turn and finished in 50.72, lowering the meet record of 50.75 set by American Neil Walker in 2000.

Without Phelps in the 400 individual medley final, Oussama Mellouli of Tunisia won in 4:07.02. It was the first gold medal in an international swimming meet for the Mediterranean country.

Tennis

Top-ranked Amelie Mauresmo, and No. 2 Lindsay Davenport won in straight sets to reach the semifinals of the Porsche Grand Prix at Filderstadt, Germany. Mauresmo defeated Lisa Raymond, 6-4, 6-1, and Davenport beat qualifier Jelena Jankovic, 6-4, 6-3.

Mauresmo plays No. 5 Svetlana Kuznetsova, who defeated Fabiola Zuluaga, 6-4, 6-1. Davenport plays No. 4 Anastasia Myskina, who beat Elena Likhovtseva, 4-6, 6-0, 6-2.

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Top-seeded Maria Sharapova defeated Tamarine Tanasugarn, 6-2, 6-3, in the semifinals of the Japan Open in Tokyo and will play for the title against Mashona Washington, who beat seventh-seeded Klara Koukalova, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2.

In the men’s draw, top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt defeated ninth-seeded Cyril Saulnier, 7-5, 6-1, to advance to the semifinals. He will play fifth-seeded Jiri Novak, who defeated fourth-seeded Paradorn Srichapan, 6-4, 6-4.

Motor Racing

Joe Nemechek won the pole for Sunday’s NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Banquet 400 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. He had a fast lap of 180.156 mph in his Chevrolet. Kasey Kahne and Jeremy Mayfield qualified second and third, respectively. Kahne turned a lap of 179.253 in a Dodge. Mayfield, also in a Dodge, went 179.188.

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Paul Menard won the pole for today’s NASCAR Busch Series Mr. Goodcents 300, edging Kahne. Menard had a fast lap of 176.062 mph in a Chevrolet.

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A typhoon forecast to hit the Suzuka area today forced organizers to abandon the regular qualifying format for the Japanese Grand Prix. Qualifying will now be held before Sunday’s race, the first time Saturday qualifying has been canceled for a Formula One event.

Miscellany

Defendants charged with distributing illegal steroids to some of the nation’s best-known athletes were subjected to illegal searches and coerced by federal investigators, defense lawyers said in San Francisco.

The four defendants are connected to BALCO, a nutritional supplement lab at the center of a scandal that has rippled through the ranks of the nation’s professional and Olympic athletes.

Attorneys for two of the defendants said they will seek to dismiss the federal indictments against their clients.

Alleged leaks by government officials and misconduct by the lead investigator are sufficient grounds for dismissal, said the attorney for one defendant, personal trainer Greg Anderson.

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A final decision on whether U.S. gymnast Paul Hamm keeps his Olympic gold medal will be released the week of Oct. 18-22, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said in Lausanne, Switzerland. Hamm won the all-around gold medal in Athens, but South Korean Yang Tae-Young wants the CAS to change the results and move him up from third place to first because of a scoring error committed by three judges.

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Brad Friedel, the top goalkeeper for the U.S. at the 2002 World Cup who is not on the current roster for World Cup qualifying, said he might quit international soccer to concentrate on playing for his English Premier League club, Blackburn.