Zorn is surprise pick to coach Redskins

Two weeks after being hired as the offensive coordinator of the Washington Redskins, Jim Zorn was promoted to head coach Saturday night in a surprise ending to a secretive process that tried fans’ patience and produced a new favorite every week.

Zorn, 54, agreed to a five-year contract and will be introduced at a news conference today.

“I’ve always dreamed of being a head coach with a franchise rich in tradition like the Redskins,” Zorn said in a statement released by the team.

Zorn, the former quarterback who succeeds Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs, was the Seattle Seahawks’ quarterbacks coach for the last seven years, but he had never been a coordinator for an NFL team until the Redskins came calling.

ALPINE SKIING

Vonn’s victory ties U.S. downhill record

Lindsey Vonn joined Picabo Street and Daron Rahlves as the most successful American downhill skiers in history. Among current competitors, she has no equal.

Vonn dominated the field at Sestriere, Italy, for her fourth win in seven World Cup downhills this season. It was the ninth victory of her career, matching the mark of Street and Rahlves.

Using a much straighter line than the other skiers, Vonn covered the 1.84-mile Kandahar Banchetta course in 1 minute 38.86 seconds.

She was followed by Canada’s Kelly Vanderbeek, who was 0.62 behind, and Italy’s Nadia Fanchini, 0.77 behind.

Vonn, of Vail, Colo., returned to the top of the overall World Cup standings, three points ahead of Austria’s Nicole Hosp, who finished 23rd.

In the downhill standings, Vonn leads Austrian star Renate Goetschl (who finished fourth in 1:39.71), 575-323. She could clinch the downhill title in the next race later this month at Vancouver, Canada.

With Bode Miller of Bretton Woods, N.H., in front in the men’s overall standings, this is the first time Americans have led both the men’s and women’s ranks since Tamara McKinney and Phil Mahre won overall titles in 1983.

Reinfried Herbst of Austria had the fastest times in each run to win a World Cup slalom at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

He had a combined time of 1 minute 42 seconds. Manfred Moelgg of Italy was second in 1:42.65. Ivica Kostelic of Croatia was third in 1:43.18.

Miller straddled a gate halfway down the slope and did not finish the first run. Benjamin Raich of Austria finished 11th to gain ground in the overall standings. Miller has 1,067 points, Raich 969.

TENNIS

Bryan twins give U.S. Davis Cup win

The defending champion United States advanced to the Davis Cup quarterfinals behind a doubles victory by Bob and Mike Bryan over Austria’s Julian Knowle and Jurgen Melzer at Vienna.

The Bryan twins won, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2, giving the Americans an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the best-of-five, first-round series.

The U.S. became the first nation to reach the quarterfinals and will next play France on April 11-13. France defeated Romania, 3-0.

BASEBALL

Report: Schilling gets cortisone shot

Curt Schilling received a cortisone shot in his right shoulder Friday, beginning a treatment plan the Boston Red Sox hope will bring the right-hander back before the end of the season, the Boston Globe reported.

The shot would allow Schilling to begin rehabbing an injured shoulder tendon.

Boston’s team physician believes the tendon is damaged, not torn, and that rehabilitation gives Schilling his best chance to pitch.

Schilling’s physician, Dr. Craig Morgan, disagrees, saying the tendon is torn and requires surgery.

Morgan said he could not confirm that Schilling had received the cortisone shot, but repeated his opinion that the team’s recommended course of action will fail.

SOCCER

Jagielka’s goal gives Everton 1-0 victory

Phil Jagielka scored his first English Premier League goal, giving Everton a 1-0 victory over Reading that strengthened the team’s hold on fourth place.

With the top three teams not playing, Jagielka’s 62nd-minute header lifted Everton to within seven points of third-place Chelsea.

Everton has 47 points, three more than Aston Villa and 13 fewer than leader Arsenal.

Ghana finished third in the African Cup of Nations, rallying past Ivory Coast, 4-2, at Kumasi, Ghana.

OLYMPICS

Dunn wins U.S. 50K racewalking trials

Philip Dunn of San Diego won the U.S. men’s 50-kilometer Olympic racewalking trials at Key Biscayne, Fla., moving closer to what would be his third trip to the Summer Games.

He finished in 4 hours 12 minutes 55 seconds -- 5:55 slower than the Olympic “B” qualifying standard. If he completes a 50K event in the standard time by July 23, he’ll be eligible for the Beijing Games.

Paul Hamm fell, but the defending Olympic all-around gymnastics champion still breezed to a victory at the Winter Cup Challenge in Las Vegas. Hamm’s only error in the finals, only his second full meet since he won the all-around in Athens, was the bad landing on his vault.