Swimming
SMITH-DE BRUIN APPEALS: Three-time Olympic gold medalist Michelle Smith-De Bruin appealed to an international panel Monday to overturn her four-year drug ban.Peter Lennon, Smith-De Bruin's lawyer, told the International Court of Arbitration for Sport, that the swimmer had been denied "a reasonable judgment" and that FINA, swimming's world governing body, had failed to prove she had tampered with the urine sample.
Lennon said the decision last August by a FINA doping panel "was patently unsound." FINA held Smith-De Bruin responsible for tampering with the out-of-competition urine test taken at her home in Kilkenny, Ireland.
FINA said the sample was contaminated with large amounts of alcohol, probably whiskey.
FINA lawyer Jean-Pierre Maurand said it was clear that someone had tampered with the samples.
Smith-De Bruin's ban includes the Sydney 2000 Olympics and the 2001 World Championships, in effect ending the 28-year-old Irish swimmer's career.
Soccer
VALDERRAMA WANTS TO COACH: Colombian soccer star Carlos Valderrama, known lately for clashing with his coach, now says he wants to be one.
Valderrama said Sunday he would like to coach his country's national team.
"It's one of my great ambitions, but for it to happen, I have to work hard and show that I'm up to it," he told the El Espectador newspaper.
For now, however, the mop-haired 38-year old midfielder said he has no intentions of ending his playing career. " 'El Pibe' will be around for a long time," said Valderrama, calling himself by his nickname in Colombia.
Valderrama, who has led Colombia in several World Cups and plays for Tampa Bay in the MLS, was transferred a week ago from Miami to the Mutiny after clashing with Fusion coach Iwo Wortmann. The Brazilian complained that Valderrama was trying to run the team from the field.
Should his coaching dream comes true, said Valderrama, he wouldn't shy away from choosing other players with reputations for sparring with their bosses.
His dream team would include Faustino Asprilla -- a star in Italian soccer -- who was benched during the 1998 World Cup in France after publicly complaining when his coach removed him from a game, said Valderrama.
But "if he doesn't behave I would throw him out without a second thought," Valderrama said.
Running
BLOOMSDAY RACE: Joshua Chelanga surged ahead of fellow Kenyan Lazarus Nyakeraka in the final two miles of a chilly, wet Lilac Bloomsday race in Spokane, Wash., to extend Kenya's Bloomsday winning streak to six in a row.
Kenya also dominated the women's field Sunday, with Jane Omoro winning for the second straight year and leading five Kenyans in the top 10.
Tennis
BMW OPEN: At Munich, Germany, Franco Squillari captured his first ATP Tour title, beating Andrei Pavel 6-4, 6-3 in the final of the BMW Open.
CZECH OPEN: At Prague, Czech Republic, Dominik Hrbaty won his second ATP tour title, defeating Slava Dosedel 6-2, 6-2 in the finals of the Czech Open clay court tournament.
Martin Damm and Radek Stepanek took the doubles title, beating Mark Keil and Nicolas Lapentti 6-0, 6-2.
AT&T CHALLENGE: At Duluth, Ga., qualifier Stefan Koubek beat fifth-seeded Sebastien Grosjean 6-1, 6-2 to win the AT&T Challenge, his first ATP Tour title.
Koubek became just the second qualifier to win a tournament this year.
BETTY BARCLAY CUP: At Hamburg, Germany, Venus Williams won the first clay-court title of her career, routing Mary Pierce 6-0, 6-3 in the final of the Betty Barclay Cup. Williams won her third title of the year and jumped two places to No. 5 in the WTA Tour rankings, matching her career best.