Off the wire

— SOCCER

Seven die in Kenya stampede

Seven fans died from a stampede while trying to get into a football match between two of Kenya’s most popular teams, the Kenya Red Cross said Saturday. Six people were killed when they were run over by the crowd outside Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya, and one more died after being taken to Kenyatta National Hospital, said Red Cross spokesman Titus Mungo’u. He said at least four people were injured, but that number could be higher since several ambulance services were called to the scene. About halfway through the first half of the match between Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards, a spectator ran onto the field to warn the referee that “people are being crushed to death,” the Kenya Premier League website reported. It was only then that the stadium crowd began to learn that ambulances were ferrying away bodies and the injured outside the stadium. The match resumed after a 10-minute break and Gor Mahia won 1-0.

HORSE RACING

Friend Or Foe wins easily

Friend Or Foe rolled to a 5-length win over Icabad Crane in the $200,000 Empire Classic on Saturday at Belmont Park. The Empire Classic was the richest of the 10 races on New York Showcase Day, a card devoted exclusively to horses bred in the state. Friend Or Foe took charge immediately and was never threatened with Alex Solis aboard for trainer John Kimmel. A 3-yearold colt, Friend Of Foe improved to 4 for 6 overall, and 3 for 3 against New York-breds. The 6-5 favorite, Friend Or Foe paid $4.60, $3 and $2.30. The time was 1:46.94 for the 1 1/8 miles on the fast track. Icabad Crane, the early trailer after slamming into the starting gate at the break, rallied from last in the 10-horse field to return $7.10 and $4.30. Wishful Tomcat paid $3.30 to show. In other stakes results, General Maximus beat Be Bullish by 1 1/2 lengths in the $125,000 Hudson, and Sentimental Lass improved to 2 for 3 with a 1-length win over Saltamontes in the $100,000 Maid of the Mist for 2-year-old fillies. Pocket Cowboys aced the $125,000 Mohawk on the turf, defeating Straight Story by 1 1/4 lengths. Bandbox, the 3-5 favorite, is 3 for 3 after beating Luxury Appeal by 1 1/4 lengths in the $100,000 Sleepy Hollow for 2-year-olds, and Meese Rocks was a decisive 2 1/4-length victor over R Betty Graybull in the $125,000 Iroquois for fillies and mares.

TENNIS

Federer reaches final

Roger Federer could tie Pete Sampras for career titles after reaching the Stockholm Open final, defeating fourth-seeded Ivan Ljubicic 7-6 (5), 6-2 Saturday. Federer will face Florian Mayer in today’s final. Mayer saved a match point to edge Jarkko Nieminen 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(3). A third title of the year for Federer will earn him the 64th of his career, matching Pete Sampras for fourth in the Open era. Only Jimmy Connors (109), Ivan Lendl (94) and John McEnroe (77) have won more singles tournaments since 1968. He’s 2-4 in finals this year, and coming off a loss in the Shanghai final last weekend. Federer won his 50th match of the year Friday, becoming only the fifth man, and the first since Sampras, to win 50 matches in at least nine consecutive years in the Open era.

Julia Goerges will play for her second title of the year after defeating Angelique Kerber 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 in an all-German semifinal at the Luxembourg Open. Goerges wonher first career title in July at Bad Gastein. Goerges, at No. 8 the only seeded player to make the semifinals, will meet Roberta Vinci of Italy in today’s final. Vinci defeated Anne Keothavong of Britain 6-4, 6-2 Saturday to earn a spot in her second final this year.

Marcos Baghdatis advanced to the Kremlin Cup final after rallying past Denis Istomin 6-4, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (2) Saturday. In his third final this season, Baghdatis will face unseeded Viktor Troicki. The Serbian player defeated Pablo Cuevas 6-3, 6-3 and has not dropped a set this week. In the women’s semifinals, second-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus beat Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-3, 6-3 to earn her fourth appearance in a final this season. Maria Kirilenko advanced with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Vera Dushevina.

FOOTBALL

Former Cowboys QB arrested

Former Dallas Cowboys and University of Georgia quarterback Quincy Carter has been arrested on a battery charge in Lawrenceville, Ga. Gwinnett County Police say a woman who identified herself as Carter’s girlfriend told officers Oct. 6 that the 33-year-old Decatur native was drunk when he choked and hit her because she wanted to end their relationship. Officers said 35-yearold Egan Jacobs had bumps and bruises. Carter was stopped nine days later for driving with an expired tag and a suspended license. He was arrested on the outstanding warrant for battery. Police said he was freed from jail the same day.

The Baltimore Ravens have placed offensive tackle Jared Gaither on season-ending injured reserve and activated six-time Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed from the physically unable to perform list. Gaither was inactive in Baltimore’s first six games because of a back injury. Visits to several specialists did not improve his condition, and the Ravens finally decided it was time to free up a spot on their 53-man roster.

The Seattle Seahawks have signed running back Chris Henry from the practice squad and released offensive tackle Breno Giacomini. Henry was in his second stint on Seattle’s practice squad. He has played in 10 career games with 32 carries for 122 yards. He was originally drafted by Tennessee in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft.

SWIMMING U.S. national swimmer dies in race

PHILADELPHIA - Fran Crippen, a medal-winning openwater swimmer on the U.S. national team, told his coach he wasn’t feeling well late in a race before he died in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday.

The 26-year-old from a family of prominent swimmers in suburban Philadelphia was competing in the FINA Open Water 10-kilometer World Cup in Fujairah,south of Dubai, but failed to finish and was found in the water two hours later, according to Swimming World.

The magazine said the water temperature was in the mid- to high-80s, and several swimmers were treated for heat exhaustion after the race.

Swimmers were thefirst to respond when Crippen failed to arrive at the finish. Several returned to the water to search for him and were soon followed by a dive team. Crippen’s body was found just before the last buoy on the 2-kilometer triangular course, race organizers said.

He was rushed to shore and transported to Fujairah Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

FINA President Julio Maglione of Uruguay said he was told that after 8 kilometers Crippen told his coach that he wasn’t feeling well.

“He continued and he was found in the deep of the water,” Maglione said from Acapulco, Mexico, where he was attending Olympic meetings.

Crippen’s family is wellknown in the swimming world. Maddy Crippen swam for Villanova and competed in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Claire Crippen was an NCAAAll-American at Virginia, and Teresa Crippen currently swims for the University of Florida and is a member of the U.S. national team

“He was our hero,” said Maddy Crippen, reached at her parents’ home in Conshohocken. “We loved him very much, and we’ll all miss him.”

Maglione said it was the first death in any FINA event.

“It’s like [what] happens sometimes in soccer, in basketball, in other sports. In one moment, one athlete dies,” he said.

Maglione said FINA has opened an investigation.

Crippen was the silver medalist in the 10K at the Pan Pacific championships in August, earned a bronze medal in the 10K at the 2009 world championships, was national champion in the 5K in 2009, and won a gold medal in the 10K at the 2007 Pan American Games.

Sports, Pages 28 on 10/24/2010

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