Evgeni Plushenko wins short program at European skating championships

The Russians are back.

Olympic champion Evgeni Plushenko won the short program at the European figure skating championships Wednesday in Tallinn, Estonia, with a spectacular performance that proved he has the goods to repeat in Vancouver despite a three-year layoff. Plushenko scored 91.30 points, beating the world record he set at the Turin Games. Brian Joubert, the 2007 world champion, is about two points behind and fellow Frenchman Yannick Ponsero is third going into today’s free skate.

Compatriots Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov followed with an upset in the pairs competition, beating two-time world champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany to give Russia its first European pairs title since 2006.

Plushenko retired after the 2006 Olympics but announced his return last spring, hoping to become the first man since Dick Button to repeat as gold medalist.

FOR THE RECORD: An earlier version of this story misidentified Plushenko’s first name as Sergei. His first name is Evgeni.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Sidney’s status to be reviewed by NCAA

The eligibility status of former Fairfax High basketball standout Renardo Sidney will be reviewed by a 16-member NCAA fact-finding committee by early next week, said a Mississippi State compliance director, who added the university still has “no idea” if the freshman will be cleared to play this season.

The NCAA has withheld Sidney from playing amid questions about the financial support his family received after moving to Los Angeles from Mississippi during his high school years. Mississippi State’s Bracky Brett said the university recently received a statement of facts gathered by the NCAA, then submitted a response disagreeing with some of the points, and is awaiting a determination of facts from the fact-finding committee.

-- Lance Pugmire Jim Calhoun’s medical condition is not career threatening, according to Connecticut’s athletic director, but there is no timetable for the coach’s return. Jeff Hathaway would not say what is ailing the 67-year-old Hall of Famer, but said it has nothing to do with his previous bouts with cancer and is not related to his heart.

Hathaway said the decision on when Calhoun will return will be made by the coach and Dr. Peter Schulman, his primary-care physician.

ETC.

Judge rules Leach’s lawsuit can proceed

A judge in Lubbock, Texas, ruled that fired Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach’s lawsuit against the university can go forward but not as quickly as his attorneys wanted. State District Judge William Sowder denied a motion by Leach’s attorneys to speed up taking depositions from school administrators and obtaining documents relevant to the case.

The university fired Leach on Dec. 30, two days after it suspended him amid allegations he mistreated a player with a concussion. His suit includes allegations of libel and slander, breach of contract and violation of Texas’ Whistleblower Act.

Louisiana Tech has chosen Arizona Wildcats offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes to replace Derek Dooley as its football coach. Dykes has coached in college for 15 years and has been with Arizona since 2007, serving as both offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He has never been a college head coach. Dooley was named coach at Tennessee last week.

Stan Thomas, who served as commissioner of the CIF Southern Section from 1986 to 1993, has died. He was 78 and lived in Fullerton. He was only the sixth commissioner in Southern Section history.

Santa Anita canceled racing for today because of continuing rain and poor track conditions, and track officials are not optimistic about resuming racing until Saturday, at the earliest. Santa Anita also canceled its Monday card and hopes to make up races by adding races to its daily cards once racing resumes.