International Capsules: Ex-NFL commish looks for solutions at USOC

He once oversaw one of America’s most successful sports operations. Now, he’s trying to find solutions for one of its most dysfunctional.

Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue is leading a panel that’s trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t at the U.S. Olympic Committee — a task that has been repeated dozens of times over the past several decades without any galvanizing success.

"The Olympic movement is a complicated array of grass roots, volunteerism and highly sophisticated global competition," Tagliabue said. "My impression is, there’s not enough clarity in who plays what role in each part of the process."

Which has never been much of a problem at the NFL.

In his 17 years as commissioner, Tagliabue took the groundwork laid by his predecessor, Pete Rozelle, and helped pro football surpass baseball as the most popular sport in the United States. He constructed billion-dollar TV deals, decades of labor peace and a workable revenue-sharing model. He herded a diverse board of directors — the NFL owners — who knew they had to agree on much more than they disagreed on if they wanted to thrive.

"At the NFL, you had some pretty passionate individuals as owners and a pretty wide cast of characters," said Skip Gilbert, chair of the National Governing Bodies Council, who is on Tagliabue’s 14-person advisory panel. "You’ve got to be able to bring them together for the good of the sport. It might be a stretch, but in some ways, you could say he’s looking at the same kind of task with the USOC."

But instead of 32 owners, the USOC has hundreds of stakeholders, all seeking money, attention and a place at the crowded table of Olympic interests.

In 2003, after hearings in Congress, the USOC reduced the size of its board from 125 members to 11, part of a dramatic overhaul that was supposed to improve accountability and efficiency.

The most notable move the reconstructed board has made, however, threw the entire organization into flux. That came in March, when the board ousted CEO Jim Scherr and replaced him with Stephanie Streeter — a move that brought howls of protest from people in the Olympic family and weakened the USOC’s international reputation.

The most tangible result was Chicago’s last-place finish in the voting to award the 2016 Olympics last month. A new CEO will be hired in the next several weeks. Tagliabue wants to have his report done by March, though he already has identified one key area for change: More board committees with more input from experts.

"Your key committees should reflect your key priorities as an organization," Tagliabue said. "So if you feel development of top athletes is key, you need to have an athletic development committee. If distributing your events on the Internet and cable and new media is important, then you have to have a new-media committee."

Under Tagliabue’s vision, not every expert on a committee would have to be a board member.

But he clearly sees the need for more input, which could mean a larger board. Part of the focus in 2003 was bringing more so-called independence to the board so decisions would not be made by people beholden to certain parts of the Olympic movement.

Critics of the board have complained, however, that the push for independence led to a lack of institutional knowledge that has moved the USOC in the wrong direction.

They want this problem rectified, though nobody seems up for another complete overhaul.

"The way a lot of them put it is, where did we hit the mark in 2003? Let’s keep that," Tagliabue said. "And then, they say, where did we miss the mark? And what can we do to correct it? It’s three simple questions."

Planning ahead, Colangelo takes time to look back

NEW YORK — Jerry Colangelo is busy with roster decisions, schedules, sponsorships and anything else he believes USA Basketball needs to be successful next summer.

That should be easy compared to the challenges he faced when he took over four years ago.

The Americans had plunged to their lowest point before Colangelo stepped in and built a program that returned them to the highest of heights — the Olympic gold medal platform. The story of how he did it is told in the new book "Return of the Gold."

Written by Arizona Republic columnist Dan Bickley, Colangelo said the book offers many lessons, including the opportunities that are available for those who aren’t afraid to fail.

"It’s also a book that I believe has some business components as it relates to building team and also leadership," Colangelo said in a phone interview while traveling to New York, where he will sign copies at the NBA Store on Saturday. "Then I share a lot about my personal life, which is all part of my own personal journey, and hopefully it depicts what the whole Olympic experience was about."

The book tells of the difficult year Colangelo endured in 2004 — the same year he was inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame. He sold the Phoenix Suns in June, stepped away from baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks a month later, got into a fight on the streets of Paris when his wife was mugged, and had surgery for prostate cancer in December.

American basketball had been beaten up that year, too.

The United States lost three times and managed only a bronze medal at the Athens Olympics. Furious with the bad play and worse press, NBA commissioner David Stern turned to Colangelo in early 2005, asking his longtime trusted colleague to take control of USA Basketball.

Colangelo, saying he felt a "little antsy" realizing he was otherwise out of the game, agreed.

"The call came at a perfect time," Colangelo said. "We’ve always had a close relationship and I think he’s always known he could trust me and always believed in me and my ability to get things done, and he knew if I would accept it there was a good chance that it would be successful."

The book gives glimpses into why it was. Colangelo invited former Olympic players and coaches to a meeting in Chicago, where Dean Smith endorsed former rival Mike Krzyzewski as coach, and potential players were recommended. Colangelo would personally meet with all the ones he wanted so he could show them his passion.

He no longer has to go finding players. The accomplishments of the 2008 team have players reaching out to him, hoping they can be considered for next summer’s world championships and the roster for the 2012 Olympics.

"I think there are individuals who are kind of campaigning a little bit and that’s wonderful," said Colangelo, mentioning Portland’s Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge. "I think it’s great, it’s exciting to see that there are so many players who want to be a part of this."

The national team roster could be named sometime next month. Colangelo believes the Olympians who committed to returning will keep their word, though there is still concern that the pending free agency of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh could impact their availability.

Like the players and Krzyzewski, Colangelo could have walked away from international basketball on top after he completed his three-year commitment. Instead, he’s looking for a repeat of the 2008 story, which he considers his greatest success in sports.

"I’m putting it at the top of the list," he said. "Representing your country on an international stage in the Olympics and having the opportunity that I did to rebuild something, I’ll put at the top of the list."

-- Brian Mahoney

Winter Sports

U.S. skier Lanning recovering from crash in downhill

TJ Lanning replayed his harrowing downhill crash over and over in his mind, revisiting every little detail.

The American skier tried to figure out if there was anything he could have done to prevent the spill in Lake Louise, Alberta, late last month that fractured a vertebra in his neck and shredded his left knee.

Could he have salvaged a run that had suddenly gone so wrong?

Lanning frequently scrutinizes his actions following a bad wipeout, usually detecting some way the crash could have been averted. This time, he couldn’t.

"Flukiest thing ever," Lanning told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from a condo in Vail, Colo., where he’s recuperating. "Usually, my crashes where I get injured, in hindsight, there’s something I could’ve done different."

This wreck — the face-plant at high velocity, his body flipping over and skidding down the hill — was simply unavoidable.

He’s just thankful for one thing — no paralysis.

"I was actually pretty lucky," Lanning said. "Pretty damn lucky."

This is what he counts as lucky:

— Surgery to fuse two vertebra in his neck to stabilize the fracture.

— A second operation to "fish out" the meniscus in his left knee and suture it back down, as well as to repair some of the extensive ligament damage.

— In another six weeks, a return trip to the operating table to fix his destroyed anterior cruciate ligament.

— His neck immobilized in a collar brace for the next month, hopefully to avoid another round of surgery.

The 25-year-old Lanning was churning down the mountain, tightly in his tuck when his run began to unravel.

The light was flat, making bumps on the course hard to detect. Lanning hit a small mound of snow that had built up, sending him careering at nearly 75 mph. He was on his way to staving off a fall, when the flag from the gate wrapped around his right ski for an instant.

That altered his balance and veered him off the course, his right ski plunging into a patch of piled-up new snow. Lanning somersaulted through the air, his right ski popping off, his left remaining on.

He skidded for a while down the steep piste, finally coming to a stop near the protective fencing.

As he sat up in the snow, he glanced at his leg, which was jutting out at a 90-degree angle. He figured his femur was fractured.

A moment later, the pain hit, an excruciating ache in his knee, followed by an intense discomfort in his neck.

His howls for help echoed throughout the course.

"Most pain I’ve ever experienced," he explained.

Before he was airlifted off the mountain, medical personnel stabilized his neck and realigned his dislocated knee.

Up at the top of the course, his teammate Erik Fisher waited to go. For nearly 30 minutes, Fisher tried to gather his thoughts but was understandably unnerved.

"That was a little tough, having your buddy go down right before you go," said Fisher, who wound up 60th that day. "He’s a tough kid."

As he mended in a Vail hospital, Lanning had a swarm of skiers in nearby Beaver Creek for a World Cup event drop by to visit. His U.S. teammates even brought him a Wii console and video games.

Given the recent number of serious accidents in World Cup races, the International Ski Federation asked Alpine racers and coaches Friday to help the governing body find a reason.

Among those that have been injured in recent weeks — and ruled out of the Vancouver Games — include downhill world champion John Kucera, World Cup slalom champion Jean-Baptiste Grange and former women’s overall World Cup winner Nicole Hosp.

Lanning appreciates the concern.

"Everything can’t be perfect, then it takes away from the extreme part of the sport," Lanning said. "But there are things they should be able to do to keep it safe."

He was discharged from the hospital Tuesday, taking a few days to unwind before returning to Park City, where he lives, for more physical therapy.

Lanning is no stranger to rehab, having come back from two torn ACLs, surgery to fix a ruptured disk in his lower back and ligament damage in his ankle.

This, in his mind, is simply another obstacle to overcome. He fully expects to be back on skis, possibly even by the middle of next season.

However, he won’t rush back to the mountain.

"I want to feel 100-plus percent before I even get on snow," Lanning said. "It’s going to take a while. I’ve got to let the body heal completely ... Good thing I’m young and heal quickly. I’m determined to get back out there for another four years. I can’t miss the Olympics in my lifetime."

-- Pat Graham

Bode Miller is 5th in World Cup super combined

VAL D’ISERE, France — Bode Miller is happy to pick up points if not victories.

The two-time overall World Cup champion finished fifth Friday in a super combined in which Austrians Benjamin Raich and Marcel Hirscher went 1-2. Austria’s Romed Baumann nearly made it a sweep, sharing third place with Italy’s Manfred Moelgg.

"I didn’t feel very good," Miller said. "But it was important that I get some points because I hadn’t scored a lot last year. We need to get our spots back and get back in the top 30."

Teammate Ted Ligety, who won the Olympic combined at Turin, skidded off the course. He was leading by more than a second at the time. Ligety is seventh in the overall standings, the only American in the top 10.

World Cup leader Carlo Janka missed a chance to become the first skier to win four straight World Cup races since Hermann Maier in 1998. Janka won a super combined, downhill and giant slalom last week in Beaver Creek, Colo.

The Swiss star was second after the super-G Friday but made a mistake on the upper part of the slalom course and fell midway down.

"Things like that happen and it’s not the end of the world," Janka said.

Miller, who led through the splits of the second run, was challenged by the light.

"The light got worse and worse as it went along and that makes it really tough for me," he said. "If the light is good I can push a little harder," he said.

U.S. coach Sasha Rearick said that while Miller lost time during the slalom his skiing was strong.

"He got hung up a little in the slalom, but fought hard to stay in," Rearick said. "He skied a tactically smart race to score some points."

Still, as the Vancouver Games near, Miller understands his conditioning must improve.

"The skiing is fine, but the fitness is still a problem," the New Hampshire skier said. "Today in the super-G I was pretty tired in the bottom and not skiing very well. Then it was the same in the slalom — just a little bit fatigued. I can make the recoveries, but the execution isn’t as crisp and sharp as it should be."

Raich, a two-time Olympic champion and former World Cup champ, won for the 35th time. He had a total time of 2 minutes, 7.71 seconds for the super-G and slalom — 0.89 seconds better than Hirscher.

This was Raich’s first victory of the winter following a second-place finish in the giant slalom in Beaver Creek. He was fourth after the super-G and had the best slalom run on the treacherous Face de Bellevarde.

Raich’s victory was only the second for his squad this season after Reinfried Herbst’s slalom win last month in Finland.

"This is a very important win for me and for the whole Austrian team, which went through difficult times in the United States and in Canada," Raich said.

The 20-year-old Hirscher had the best result of his career, and it came on one of the circuit’s most difficult courses. He was delighted to stand with Raich on the podium.

"He was my idol when I was younger," Hirscher said. "When I was a 10-year-old boy, I used to watch him racing. To be on his side is sometimes unbelievable. It’s like a dream."

A super-G is set for Saturday, with a giant slalom Sunday.

-- Samuel Petrequin

Bjornlund, Richards win moguls opener

SUOMU, Finland — Jesper Bjornlund of Sweden won his first moguls World Cup title in the freestyle season-opener on Friday, while reigning U.S. national champion Bryon Wilson finished a career-best second.

Wilson was joined on the podium by teammate and reigning World Cup moguls champion Hannah Kearney, who finished third behind in the women’s event.

"It’s my best result ever," said Wilson, who qualified ninth. "I just pushed out of the gate, did my double full and then charged the middle section. I knew it was a good run."

Bjornlund had 24.41 points while Wilson, a former junior world champion, scored 24.34.

"Great stuff for Bryon," moguls coach Scott Rawles said. "He’s had a lot of success at a lot of different levels, but this is the first time he’s been on the World Cup podium. We knew it was going to happen and that he had the potential to do it."

Canada’s Kristi Richards won the women’s event with 24.97 points, while Japan’s Aiko Uemura scored 24.58. Kearney finished with 24.10.

"On my second run, I just gave it away," Kearney said, noting the seven-plus hour break for an opening ceremony between attempts. "It was just a whole other competition."

Heather McPhie of Park City, Utah, followed her second-place qualifying run with a seventh-place finish. Olympic silver medalist Shannon Bahrke of Tahoe City, Calif., finished eighth, and Michelle Roark of Denver was ninth.

"We’ve had a long period of practice. It’s nice that the World Cup is finally here," Rawles said. "We’ve had really good training since we got here. It’s been good."

Ski federation looks at injury trend

OBERHOFEN, Switzerland — The International Ski Federation is calling on Alpine racers and coaches to help find reasons for the high number of serious accidents in World Cup races.

The governing body is concerned about the trend and will review equipment rules for possible changes, FIS president Gian Franco Kasper said Friday.

Downhill world champion John Kucera, World Cup slalom champion Jean-Baptiste Grange and former women’s overall World Cup winner Nicole Hosp are among those ruled out of the Vancouver Olympics because of injuries.

TJ Lanning of the United States broke a vertebra in his neck and dislocated his left knee in a downhill race last month.

"We have now called a meeting with all the coaches, athletes and other involved parties to identify commonalities and to seek practical solutions," Kasper said in a statement.

A working group of men’s speed racers will meet next week to discuss the issue in Val Gardena, Italy. Slalom specialists will gather in Austria next month.

Panels of women skiers and coaches are also scheduling meetings to help improve safety.

"Unfortunately, the recent accidents all have different injury patterns, and no pattern resembles exactly another," FIS men’s race director Guenter Hujara said. "This makes it difficult for us to find solutions, and there will be no single answer to fix everything."

Hosp’s accident prompted Austria women’s coach Herbert Mandl to call for slower course settings to help skiers adapt to their high-tech equipment, which has made racing more dangerous.

"We are in the process of establishing an expert group that will look into several areas of equipment regulations with the goal of finding some short-term suggestions by the FIS Congress in May," women’s race director Atle Skaardal said.

Davis, Wolf set world records at World Cup meet

KEARNS, Utah — Chad Hedrick grabbed Shani Davis’ arm on the medals podium and held it up. The American rivals went at it again Friday, with Davis emerging on top in the final World Cup speedskating event before the Vancouver Olympics.

Davis won the 1,500 meters in a world record of 1 minute, 41.04 seconds at the Utah Olympic Oval, bettering the 1:41.80 he set on March 6 at the same track. Hedrick was second in 1:42.50.

"I told Shani I thought that was the best race he’s ever skated in his life," Hedrick said. "It would’ve taken a miracle for me to beat him today."

Davis wasn’t sharing his thoughts about rounding into world-record form 1½ months before the Olympics. He didn’t speak to reporters afterward.

Davis’ mark was the second world record to fall on the opening day of the three-day meet.

Jenny Wolf of Germany skated 500 meters in 37 seconds to eclipse the mark of 37.02 she set on Nov. 16, 2007, at Calgary.

"I didn’t feel like I could race a world record today, then I looked at the board and went, ‘Wow,"’ Wolf said. "Last week and today, I was tired and had problems with my legs. It’s a good sign I’ve done really good training."

Five-time Olympic gold medalist Claudia Pechstein of Germany finished 13th in the 3,000, her first race of the season as she continues appealing a two-year ban for blood doping.

Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic won the race in 3:56.29.

Lee Kyou-Hyuk of South Korea won the men’s 500 in 34.26; Davis was 12th in the race that is not his specialty.

Davis returned later for his record-breaking skate in the 1,500. He went last among the 10 pairings and got off to a quick start, which set him up well for the rest of the 3.75-lap race.

A huge smile appeared on Davis’ face after he crossed the finish line and it stayed there as he waved his way around the oval. The result was the opposite of last week’s 1,500 at a World Cup in Calgary, where Hedrick edged Davis.

"He got off to such a strong start and he used that 1,000-meter speed that he specializes in early. On fast ice like this, we just don’t slow down, we keep gliding and gliding, so it’s hard to make that time up on him," Hedrick said.

"After 700 meters, he was three-quarters of a second up on me and that’s tough to make up when you got a guy that’s going to keep going on this fast ice. I got to get going earlier. I got to bust it off the start."

Davis notched his fourth win this season against Hedrick, who’s beaten Davis twice.

"I got to continue to work and be ready for the moment when it comes in February because he’s going to be a tough guy to beat," Hedrick said.

When Hedrick switched from inline skating to speedskating in 2003, the existing 1,500 world record set at the Utah Olympic Oval was 1:43.95.

"We’ve taken almost three seconds off that record in six, seven years," he said. "The sport’s just getting out of control. We’re going speeds out there that are just ridiculous."

On the women’s side, Pechstein was cleared to compete only in the one race Tuesday by the Federal Tribunal, Switzerland’s highest court. She arrived in Salt Lake City on Thursday, giving her little time to adjust to the high altitude.

Pechstein took her case to the Swiss court after the Court of Arbitration for Sport last month upheld her suspension until February 2011. The 37-year-old German has never failed a drug test and denied doping.

Pechstein’s time of 4:04.59 met the qualifying standard for the Vancouver Olympics in February, but she was 8.30 seconds slower than Sablikova.

"She was not well-prepared and also the mental pressure was enormous," German team leader Helge Jasch said. "If you would like to imagine a more difficult situation, I couldn’t imagine."

She failed to finish among the top eight, which would have bolstered her case to make Germany’s Olympic team. That country selects its Olympic speedskaters based on World Cup rankings.

"We have to wait now on what’s going on," Jasch said, adding that he expects the Swiss court to rule in January.

Jasch said it’s possible Germany’s national Olympic committee could make an exception and put Pechstein on the team for Vancouver, but he was unsure how the International Olympic Committee would react.

Three Germans finished ahead of Pechstein.

Pechstein’s presence at the season’s final World Cup created a stir. She declined to speak to U.S. media and was pursued by German television crews.

Wolf said Pechstein’s late arrival was accepted among the German team.

"It’s difficult if you only have one day to adapt to the altitude," she said. "Everybody is surprised if she can skate fast."

American Nancy Swider-Peltz Jr., who finished 18th in the 3,000, said Pechstein’s presence was "a touchy situation."

While admitting she doesn’t know the details of Pechstein’s case, Swider-Peltz said, "It’s unfair to girls who had been perfectly clean. They’re fighting for their positions on their Olympic team."

The International Skating Union said Pechstein returned blood samples with abnormal levels at the World Allround Championships last season.

-- Beth Harris

New daddy Hedrick has a diaper dandy sponsor deal

KEARNS, Utah — Chad Hedrick is up to his ears in diapers at home and the Olympic speedskater is making the most of it.

Hedrick said Friday that he’s signed a sponsorship deal with Pampers. The diaper maker’s logo has a prominent spot on the upper left front of his racing suit.

He became a first-time father eight months ago when daughter Hadley was born.

Hedrick said he and his family will be featured in a Pampers campaign beginning in January.

"It’s really interesting to me and my family, and we’re getting free diapers for life," he said. "I’ve changed my share of diapers and I’m pretty good at it, believe it or not."

Stephen Colbert, who hosts his own show on Comedy Central, recently became U.S. Speedskating’s primary sponsor.

Speedskater Davis breaks world record in 1,500

KEARNS, Utah — American Shani Davis has lowered his own world record in the 1,500 meters at a speedskating World Cup meet in Utah.

Davis covered the distance in 1 minute, 41.04 seconds while skating in the final pairing Friday at the Utah Olympic Oval. The time bettered his old mark of 1:41.80 set on March 6 at the oval.

American rival Chad Hedrick was second in 1:42.50. Mo Tae-Bum of South Korea was third in 1:42.85.

It was the second world record set Friday at the final World Cup before the Vancouver Olympics. Jenny Wolf of Germany lowered her own mark in the women’s 500.

South Korean skater win’s men’s 500 at World Cup

KEARNS, Utah — Lee Kyou-Kyuk of South Korea has won the men’s 500 meters at a World Cup speedskating meet in Utah.

He was timed in 34.26 seconds Friday in the first of two competitions at that distance during the three-day meet at the Utah Olympic Oval.

Yuya Oikawa of Japan was second in 34.27, and Mika Poutala of Finland was third in 34.31.

American Tucker Fredricks was fifth and countryman Shani Davis was 12th.

The men will race the 500 again Saturday.

Czech skater wins women’s 3,000 at World Cup

KEARNS, Utah — Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic has won the 3,000 meters at the final speedskating World Cup before the Vancouver Olympics.

Sablikova skated the 7½ laps in 3 minutes, 56.29 seconds in Friday’s final at the Utah Olympic Oval. She finished 1.49 seconds ahead of Stephanie Beckert of Germany, who crossed the line in 3:57.78 while skating in the same final pairing as Sablikova.

Kristina Groves of Canada was third in 3:58.67.

Claudia Pechstein of Germany, who is appealing her doping ban, finished 13th in 4:04.59.

White gets it right in halfpipe qualifying

COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. — Defending Olympic gold medalist Shaun White has placed first in qualifying at the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix, the first of five halfpipe events that will determine America’s 2010 Olympic team.

White finished on top of Friday’s prelims and was followed by Louie Vito, who won the Grand Prix series title last year, but has become better known recently thanks to his appearance on "Dancing with the Stars."

Dustin Craven of Canada finished fifth and was the only non-American to place in the top eight and reach Saturday’s finals.

Gretchen Bleiler and Kelly Clark finished 1-2 in the women’s qualifying Thursday and will also be in the finals Saturday.

Dukurs, Szymkowiak win skeleton World Cup races

WINTERBERG, Germany — Martins Dukurs of Latvia won a skeleton World Cup race on Friday, while Kerstin Szymkowiak of Germany picked up her first victory of the season.

Dukurs had a combined time of 1 minute, 59.06 seconds and beat Frank Rommel of Germany by 0.75 seconds. Alexander Tretiakov of Russia was third in 1:59.87.

Eric Bernotas of the United States was seventh. He finished the first run in 59.67 seconds, followed by a second run of 1:00.89.

"We are always in a good position after the first heat, but then we drop back positions in the second run," said U.S. skeleton driving coach and 2002 Olympic silver medalist Martin Rettl. "This is our team’s biggest problem right now."

Szymkowiak defeated series leader Mellisa Hollingsworth of Canada by half a second. She had the two fastest runs for an aggregate time of 2:04.72. Svetlana Trunova of Russia finished third.

Noelle Pikus-Pace of the United States was eighth in 2:05.78.

Bjorndalen, Olofsson-Zidek win World Cup sprints

HOCHFILZEN, Austria — Ole Einar Bjorndalen has won a biathlon World Cup 10-kilometer sprint race for his 91st career victory.

The 35-year-old Norwegian had no penalty laps and finished in 26 minutes, 14.0 seconds on Friday. Nikolay Kruglov of Russia was 6.7 seconds behind, while Evgeny Ustyugov of Russia was third.

Emil Hegle Svendsen of Norway, who finished ninth, leads the overall standings with 146 points. Tim Burke of the United States is second with 123.

Anna Carin Olofsson-Zidek defeated Helena Jonsson by 11.1 seconds in the 7.5-kilometer sprint race for a Swedish 1-2 finish. Olofsson-Zidek timed 23 minutes, 10.8 seconds for her first World Cup victory in two years. Olga Zaitseva of Russia was third

Olofsson-Zidek and Jonsson shot flawlessly despite heavy snowfall.

Gymnastics

Sloan still getting used to being world champion

With her photo splashed across the pages of Sports Illustrated and adoring fans tailing her at the mall, Bridget Sloan is officially a big deal.

Try telling her that, though.

Two months after winning the world gymnastics title, the 17-year-old is still getting used to all the extras that comes with being a champion. Like those little girls who stop her when she’s shopping with friends, asking for an autograph or a picture.

"I’m like, ‘Shouldn’t you be following somebody cool?"’ Sloan said.

Sloan joined Kim Zmeskal, Shannon Miller, Chellsie Memmel and Shawn Johnson as the only U.S. women to win the world title when she edged teammate Rebecca Bross on Oct. 16 in London.

"It is wild, I’m not going to lie," Sloan said from New York, where she was doing a media tour and some shopping Friday. "It’s been very crazy."

With Johnson and Olympic champion Nastia Liukin both taking breaks from the sport, Sloan has made the transition from supporting cast to star with ease and confidence. She competes with the polish and authority that comes from being a key member of the team that won silver at the Beijing Olympics, and an alternate on the squad at the 2007 world championships.

She also recognizes that she’s now a role model to young gymnasts throughout the country, and there’s not an ounce of diva in her friendly, down-to-earth personality. Let loose in one of the world’s shopping meccas Friday afternoon, the shopping enthusiast was instead on a mission for someone else. It was Ivana Hong’s birthday Friday, and Sloan wanted to find her world championships roommate a present.

Not that Sloan could cop an attitude even if she wanted to.

Her fall break at Tri-West High School in suburban Indianapolis was shortly after she returned from worlds. Instead of spending it relaxing or celebrating, she was hunkered down at home, catching up on her homework.

Her friends at school, who aren’t gymnasts, have learned not to call or text her when she’s at a meet or a training camp. As for what Sloan is doing those weeks she’s away from school? They’re still a little fuzzy on that. (When Sloan said she was going to London for worlds, one asked her to bring back pictures from a Chelsea game).

"That’s totally OK," Sloan said. "I’m well aware that what I do is crazy."

And she plans to keep doing it.

Though Sloan said she won’t make a final decision on the 2012 Olympics until the year before — "I’m one of those people who doesn’t jump ahead, I always stay in the present" — winning worlds in London gives her motivation to keep going.

Worlds were at the O2 Arena, where the gymnastics competition will be held in 2012.

"After I won I was like, ‘Wow, I want to come back,"’ she said. "That’s my goal, to prove to everyone that I’m not done."

Sloan turned down an invitation to the American Cup in March. She’s had little down time since before the Olympics and, if she does want to make it to London, has to give her body a break every once in a while.

But she’s still on her regular training schedule and plans on being at the national team training camp in January.

And she’s already looking forward to that first competition where she’s introduced as the world champion.

"It’s crazy. Honestly," she said. "I love it and hopefully I will keep it going. Hopefully my body will be like, ‘All right, let’s keep doing this."’

-- Nancy Armour

Horton, Bross top lineup for American Cup

INDIANAPOLIS — Olympic silver medalist Jonathan Horton and world silver medalist Rebecca Bross will headline the field for next year’s American Cup.

Tim McNeill, who was seventh at his first world championships, also will compete at the international gymnastics meet, which will be held March 6 in Worcester, Mass. The rest of the field, including gymnasts from Britain, Germany, Japan, Romania and Russia, will be announced later.

Horton was part of the U.S. team that won the bronze medal in Beijing, and later added a silver on high bar. He is the reigning U.S. champion. Bross was second to teammate Bridget Sloan in the all-around at the world championships.

Swimming

Phelps swims to pair of wins at holiday meet

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Michael Phelps won the 200-yard freestyle and 100 butterfly in the North Baltimore Aquatic Club’s holiday meet Friday night.

Phelps won the events just 15 minutes apart in front of an overflow crowd of about 1,500 at the U.S. Naval Academy’s Lejeune Hall.

"The stands were not nearly this full when I last swam here in ‘04," said Phelps, a Baltimore native who helps run the host club with coach Bob Bowman. "There was never this many people here. It’s cool to really see, not just from a countrywide standpoint, but from a local standpoint, that people are getting interested in the sport."

The winner of 14 Olympic gold medals finished the 200 freestyle in 1 minute, 33.14 seconds, his second-fastest time and the best by an American this year. The time would have been good enough to win the U.S. short course championships.

His closest competitor, 18-year-old high school senior Jameson Hill, finished more than 6 seconds behind.

"It was fun to be in the same race as him. I tried to keep up with him as long as I could, but he is at another level," Hill said. "This was a good opportunity for me to race against him. I would rather finish second to Michael Phelps, than win a race he wasn’t in. "

Phelps appeared tired in his second race, unable to pull away from the pack into the final turn. He finished in 47.28 seconds.

"Nobody could come back 15 minutes after the effort he had in the 200 and do better than he did in the 100," Bowman said. "It was important for him to go out there and tough it out, and see how well he did."

It was the first competition for Phelps since World Cup races in Stockholm and Berlin in November, when he chose not to wear the kind of high-tech suit that will be banned from international competition beginning in January.

Phelps, who plans to compete in the 2012 Olympics in London, decided to return to the pool at his swim club’s annual meet for the first time in five years. He plans to swim the 400 IM and 100 backstroke on Saturday, and the 100 freestyle and 200 butterfly on Sunday.

"I am at 200 pounds, that’s not perfectly fit for me," he said. "I was about 50 percent in Europe, and I’m 75 percent now."

At 24, Phelps was the oldest swimmer in Friday’s finals, but that didn’t keep him from palling around with some of the younger competitors and offering some pointers.

"I remember being here, looking at these kids. I have lots of good memories from being at this meet growing up," he said. "It’s cool and it’s fun for me, to see how many people are here and how much fun they are having."

Two more world records set at short course champs

ISTANBUL — Laszlo Cseh of Hungary has beaten his own world record in the men’s 400-meter individual medley at the European short-course swimming championships, while the Netherlands broke its world record in the women’s 200 freestyle relay.

Cseh won in 3 minutes, 57.27 seconds on Friday to better the mark of 3:59.33 he set two years ago in Debrecen, Hungary.

Inge Dekker, Hinkelien Schreuder, Saskia de Jonge and Ranomi Kromowidjojo won in 1:33.25 to surpass the previous record of 1:33.80 set by Netherlands last year in Rijeka, Croatia.

Five world records have been set at the championships, one of the last meets before full-body, high-performance suits are banned on Jan. 1. Forty-three world records fell at this year’s world championships in Rome.

Lochte to miss Duel in the Pool because of surgery

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Olympic gold medalist Ryan Lochte has withdrawn from next week’s Duel in the Pool in Britain because he’s still recovering from knee surgery.

USA Swimming said Friday that Lochte’s spot on the 36-member U.S. team won’t be filled.

The event features such U.S. Olympians as Michael Phelps and Aaron Peirsol against a team of top swimmers from Britain, Germany and Italy. It will be held Dec. 18-19 in Manchester, England.

Contador: Astana weaker than Armstrong’s team

PISA, Italy — Tour de France winner Alberto Contador admits his Astana team is weaker with Lance Armstrong’s departure and the exodus of riders who followed the Texan to RadioShack.

"I know that right now we’re not at the level of Armstrong’s RadioShack (team), but the atmosphere is great and the desire to work hard is there," Contador said at a preseason training camp Friday, according to the Gazzetta dello Sport’s Web site. "Let’s discuss it again in a few months."

Contador wasn’t interested in rehashing his intra-squad rivalry with Armstrong.

"I’m focused only on 2010. The past is past," he said. "I’m not interested in the polemics."

Of Astana’s nine-man team at this year’s Tour, eight left for Armstrong’s new RadioShack squad. Contador’s team includes Alexander Vinokourov, who is back from a two-year doping ban, and 2006 Tour de France winner Oscar Pereiro.

Armstrong’s top teammates include Levi Leipheimer and Andreas Kloeden.

Contador said Andy Schleck was the "one who made me sweat the most. But I’m going to keep an eye on Leipheimer."

Former Astana team director Johan Bruyneel also moved on to RadioShack, and Contador did not appreciate how Bruyneel and Armstrong plotted their new team throughout last season.

The Spaniard said he would prefer a transfer system similar to that in European club soccer, where teams pay transfer fees to acquire players.

Contador said he would make his 2010 debut by attempting to defend his title at the Tour of Algarve in Portugal in February.

Cyclists appeal Olympic doping disqualifications

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Cyclists Davide Rebellin and Stefan Schumacher have appealed to sport’s highest court to overturn their disqualifications from the Beijing Olympics for doping.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport says both riders have asked it to annul the International Olympic Committee’s decisions last month. CAS has not set dates for hearings.

The IOC said it stripped Italian rider Rebellin of his road race silver medal because he tested positive for the blood-booster CERA.

Using a new test, the IOC said Germany’s Schumacher also had traces of the drug in a blood sample analyzed months after the games.

Schumacher is also challenging a two-year ban from the International Cycling Union after he tested positive for CERA at the 2008 Tour de France.

Olympics

Olympic award named for Canadian Terry Fox

OTTAWA — A new Olympic award, named for Canadian runner Terry Fox, will honor an athlete exemplifying courage, perseverance and humility at the Vancouver Games.

Olympic organizers announced the creation of the award on Friday.

The award will recognize the grit and determination shown by Fox during his 1980 cross-country marathon of hope.

Fox, who lost a leg to cancer at age 18, cut short his cross-country run near Thunder Bay, Ontario, after hobbling with an artificial leg some 3,150 miles.

He died of lung cancer in June 1981 at age 22. His example inspired the annual Terry Fox runs, which have raised $500 million for cancer research.

The athlete will be chosen by a panel that includes a member of the Fox family.

Canoeist banned 2 years for doping

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Polish canoeist Adam Seroczynski has been banned for two years because of doping at the Beijing Olympics.

The International Canoe Federation said Friday the 2000 Sydney Olympics bronze medalist used the banned anabolic clenbuterol. He is suspended through Feb. 3, 2011.

Under International Olympic Committee rules, the 35-year-old Seroczynski is ineligible to compete at the 2012 London Games because the IOC bars any athlete who serves a doping-related ban of more than six months.

Seroczynski finished fourth in Beijing in the flatwater K2 1,000-meter class with Mariusz Kujawski, who was not under suspicion.

Seroczynski denied doping and told an IOC disciplinary hearing that he suspected food tampering by Olympics organizers in Beijing.

The IOC rejected Seroczynski’s arguments, saying his was the only positive test for clenbuterol at the games.