Two more swim records are broken

Marleen Veldhuis and Federica Pellegrini set world records in the women’s 50- and 400-meter freestyle Monday, bringing to six the number of world marks lowered at the European swimming championships at Eindhoven, Netherlands.

Alain Bernard of France, who set three records on consecutive nights, won the men’s 50 freestyle but wasn’t fast enough to claim a fourth record on the meet’s final day.

Veldhuis, of the Netherlands, won the 50 freestyle in 24.09 seconds to lower the record of 24.13 set by countrywoman Inge de Bruijn at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

“I’m now the fastest woman in the water -- long and short course. It is fantastic to compete in front of a home crowd,” Veldhuis said. “I thought I swam the perfect race yesterday, but I managed to go quicker.”

Pellegrini, disqualified for a false start in the 200 freestyle heats, bounced back to win the 400 freestyle title in 4:01.53, easily beating the world mark of 4:02.13 set two years ago by Laure Manaudou of France.

After Veldhuis’ victory, Bernard surged to victory in the men’s 50 freestyle. The 24-year-old Frenchman finished in 21.66, outside the world mark of 21.50 he set Sunday in the semifinals.

However, swimming’s governing body, FINA, said it would examine the slick new swimsuit many competitors are wearing.

“There are concerns about suits being like triathlon suits, which are thicker,” said Cornel Marculsecu, FINA executive director. “There are buoyancy issues. We have to review this.”

There have been 13 world records set since mid-February, 12 in the LZR Racer, a full-length body swimsuit made by Speedo.

PRO FOOTBALL

49ers forfeit draft pick because of tampering

The San Francisco 49ers forfeited their fifth-round pick in next month’s NFL draft after Commissioner Roger Goodell said they tampered with Chicago linebacker Lance Briggs.

Goodell also says the teams will switch picks in the third round of the April 26-27 draft. Chicago, which had the 12th pick, will get San Francisco’s seventh pick and the 49ers will get Chicago’s choice.

Goodell said the 49ers violated the NFL’s anti-tampering policy by contacting Briggs’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, about his client during the 2007 season.

Receiver Chad Johnson skipped the start of the Cincinnati Bengals’ off-season workouts, the latest move to show he’s unhappy with how he’s perceived in Cincinnati.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who tied for the NFL lead in receptions with 112 last season, also is skipping the voluntary workouts for the second straight year.

The Philadelphia Eagles signed linebacker Rocky Boiman to a one-year contract. . . . The Denver Broncos signed unrestricted free-agent center Casey Wiegmann to a two-year deal and re-signed fullback Cecil Sapp.

HORSE RACING

Belmont Stakes winner Rags To Riches is retired

Rags To Riches, who last year became the first filly in 102 years to win the Belmont Stakes by beating eventual 2007 horse of the year Curlin by a head, has been retired.

Rags To Riches raced only once after the Belmont, finishing second in the Gazelle Stakes at Belmont Park Sept. 15.

The day after that race, it was discovered she had a hairline fracture of her right front pastern, an area between the ankle and the hoof. She recently re-injured the pastern.

Brother Derek, the winner of the 2006 Santa Anita Derby who hasn’t raced since having a bone chip removed from an ankle more than a year ago, has been entered to run in Friday’s seventh race at Santa Anita.

-- Larry Stewart

MISCELLANY

Cook and Lanning win downhill titles

Stacey Cook won her second title in two days by edging out Lindsey Vonn in the women’s downhill, while T.J. Lanning beat Andrew Weibrecht for the men’s downhill title at the U.S. Alpine Championships at Carrabassett Valley, Maine.

South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia paid a fine for underage drinking after being arrested over the weekend at Columbia, S.C., his third run-in with police in about a year.

The first trial in the BALCO steroids case started in San Francisco, with former elite cyclist Tammy Thomas facing perjury and obstruction-of-justice charges.

Prosecutors have said she lied about her relationship with chemist Patrick Arnold, who created the designer steroid that Thomas and slugger Barry Bonds are accused of taking.

The case is being closely watched by Bonds’ attorneys as a likely preview of how prosecutors will handle the Bonds case.

Floyd Landis’ hearing in front of the Court of Arbitration for Sport ended after 35 hours of testimony spanning five days that included 14 witnesses and written testimony from 10 others. A decision on the voluminous case is not expected before June.

Guus Hiddink signed a new contract as Russia’s national soccer coach through the 2010 World Cup.