Off the wire

By - Democrat-Gazette Press Services

Posted: July 28, 2009 at 5:15 a.m.

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LITTLE ROCK — SWIMMING Peirsol takes a tumble

World record-holder, two-time Olympic champion and three-time defending world champion AaronPeirsol failed to make the final of the 100-meter backstroke Monday at the world swimming championships in Rome, where five world records were set. Peirsol was knocked out in the semifinals. Peirsol's time of 53.22 seconds was nearly a full second behind thetop qualifier, Japan's Junya Koga, and a tenth of a second out of the eighth spot, the last that advances to the final. Less than three weeks earlier, Peirsol had pushed the world record to 51.94 at the U.S. nationals. Brenton Rickard of Australia set a world record in the 100 breaststroke in 58.58 to take down Kosuke Kitajima's mark of 58.91. Sweden's Sarah Sjostrom broke the record she set a day earlier in the semifinals of the 100 butterfly at 56.06, shaving nearly four-tenths off the 24-hour-old record. Ariana Kukors provided a bright spot for the American team in the 200 individual medley, beating Olympic champion Stephanie Rice of Australia in 2:06.15. That was nearly a full second faster than Kukors' record swim in the semifinals, after she didn't even qualify for the event at the U.S. nationals. Kukors got the spot when Elizabeth Pelton dropped out to concentrate on the 100 backstroke, a move that backfired when the teenager didn't even make the final. Rebecca Soni of the United States and Russia's Anastasia Zueva set world records in the semifinals. Soni's time of 1:04.84 in the 100 breaststroke beat Leisel Jones' 3-year-old record of 1:05.09. Zueva won her heat of the 100 backstroke in 58.48, wiping out Kirsty Coventry's mark of 58.77.

WATER POLO U.S. reaches semifinals

Brittany Hayes scored three goals and Heather Petrie scored two as the United States beat Spain 9-6 and advanced to the semifinals of the women's water polo at the world championship in Rome. The United States will play Greece, which beat Australia 4-3. Canada beat Hungary 9-7 and will play Russia, which beat the Netherlands 9-7.

FOOTBALL

Ex-Oklahoma player dies Rick Bryan, an All-America defensive end at Oklahoma who played his entire NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons, has died. He was 47. Bryan died Saturday night at his home in Coweta, Okla., the Wright Funeral Home in Coweta said Monday. Former Oklahoma Coach Barry Switzer said Bryan suffered congestive heart failure. Bryan was a three-time All-Big Eight selection and a two-time All-American. He holds the Oklahoma record for tackles by a lineman with 365. Bryan started for Oklahoma from 1981-1983 and was drafted ninth overall by the Falcons in 1984. He had 29 sacks over the next 10 seasons with the Falcons. He retired to Coweta to farm.

The NCAA on Monday said it cannot be forced to release documents in Florida State's appeal of academic cheating penalties because the papers are not covered by the state's public records law. The NCAA asked Circuit Judge John C. Cooper to dismiss a lawsuit filed by The Associated Press and other news organizations seeking the records under Florida's sunshine law. The documents concern Florida State's appeal of a plan to remove victories from the individual records of all coaches and athletes in several sports even though many, including football Coach Bobby Bowden, had no roles in the cheating scandal. Bowden could lose 14 victories. That would make it difficult for him to catch Penn State's Joe Paterno in their race to post the most victories in major college football. Paterno has 383 victories, just one more than Bowden.

MOTOR SPORTS

IndyCar heading to Alabama

IndyCar racing is coming to NASCAR country. The Indy Racing League and promoters announced a deal Monday that will bring the open-wheeled cars to the Barber Motorsports Park track in Birmingham, Ala., starting in April 2010 for the inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. "This will be the only IndyCar Series race in the Deep South, meaning it is a great tourist draw for the region," said Gene Hallman, a longtime area sports promoter who heads Zoom Motorsports, which will stage the race. The Indy Racing League has 18 dates on its schedule each year, and the Alabama track is getting a spot that opened when Detroit lost its race. The rest of the 2010 IndyCar Series schedule will be announced July 31. Officials estimate the race could attract as many as 100,000 spectators from April 9-11. The track is about 40 miles west of the Talladega Superspeedway. More than 20,000 people turned out for IndyCar testing in March at the Barber track, a 2.38-mile, 17-turn track.

Formula One driver Felipe Massa,28, was awake and talking to family members Monday, making significant improvement after his high-speed crash two days earlier. The chief surgeon at AEK hospital in Budapest, Hungary, said Massa is breathing unassisted and moving his limbs. In addition, a drain from his skull wound was removed. Massa crashed into a tire barrier at 120 mph Saturday during qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix and had multiple skull fractures. Massa was struck by a loose part from another car that bounced up and hit him in the helmet, causing a concussion.

BASKETBALL

Bobcats, Hornets eye trade

The Charlotte Bobcats are finalizing a trade that would send Emeka Okafor to the New Orleans Hornets for Tyson Chandler, two people familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Monday. The swap of 26-year-old centers wasn't expected to be completed until today and was unlikely to include other players, the people said on condition of anonymity because an official announcement has not been made. The deal is a gamble because Chandler has been plagued by a left toe injury and recently underwent surgery. Okafor was the No. 2 overall pick - after Orlando took Dwight Howard - in the 2004 draft. Okafor was the first pick in franchise history and the Bobcats re-signed him to a six-year, $72 million deal before last season. The 6-10 Okafor averaged 13.2 points and 10.1 rebounds last season. Chandler, 7-1, averaged only 8.8 points and 8.3 rebounds in a season that saw him traded to Oklahoma City, then returned to New Orleans. The deal was rescinded because the Thunder had concerns about a left toe injury. Chandler later had a left ankle injury that kept him out of the Hornets' final playoff game. He underwent surgery on his toe and ankle in May, but Hornets officials said he would be ready for training camp.

The Minnesota Timberwolves picked up point guard Chucky Atkins from Oklahoma City on Monday for veteran center Etan Thomas and two second-round draft picks next year. Minnesota also got Oklahoma City guard Damien Wilkins. Thomas spent less than a month with the Timberwolves. The Tulsa native came over from Washington in the trade that eventually landed unsigned No. 5 overall draft pick Ricky Rubio in Minnesota.

The Dallas Mavericks have reached an agreement with free agent big man Drew Gooden, a source close to the negotiations told The Associated Press. Gooden, 27, played in 51 gamesaveraging 11.9 points and 7.1 rebounds for the Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings.

TENNIS Levine advances in LA

Jesse Levine beat fellow American Bobby Reynolds 6-2, 6-3 on Monday in the opening round of the LA Tennis Open. Levine won for the sixth time in nine matches, and will face top-seeded Tommy Haas in the second round Wednesday. Australian Chris Guccione beat American Kevin Kim 6-1, 6-4 and Robert Kendrick beat fellow American Vince Spadea 6-0, 6-0.

Monica Niculescu of Romania beat Meghann Shaughnessy of the United States 6-1, 6-0 and adanced to the second round of the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, Calif. No. 3 seed Elena Dementieva of Russia beat Ann Keothavong of Britain 6-1, 6-4.

Fourth-seeded Aravane Rezai beat Viktoriya Kutuzova 7-6 (3), 6-2 and No. 7 Olga Govortsova beat Tsvetana Pironkova 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 and advanced to the second round of the Istanbul (Turkey) Cup.

BOXING

Ex-champ exchanged gunfire

Atlanta police said former boxing champion Vernon Forrest exchanged gunfire with robbery suspects before being shot to death. Lt. Keith Meadows said Monday that investigators believe between 20 and 24 shots were fired from two guns. Meadows said police recovered Forrest's gun and that one shell casing belonging to that gun was recovered. Police said Forrest had stopped at a gas station Saturday night and was putting air in his tire at the time of the robbery. He was shot multiple times in the back. Forrest lived in Atlanta and was a former IBF welterweight and two-time WBC junior middleweight champion with a 41-3 career record with 29 knockouts. He also was on the 1992 Olympic team.

ODDS & ENDS

Alabama names associate AD

Alabama has promoted Jon Gilbert to associate athletic director for external operations. Gilbert is a member of the athletic department's senior executive staff who has been with the department since 1995. Gilbert will oversee the ticket, Tide Pride and marketing departments and serve as a liaison with Crimson Tide Sports Marketing. He had been director of major gifts for the Tide's development office.

Sports, Pages 14 on 07/28/2009

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