CHICAGO - Michael Jordan and the original Dream Team, Dan Jansen, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Kristi Yamaguchi, Shannon Miller and Janet Evans are among the finalists for this year's U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame class, the first since 1992.
Six individual athletes, one team and one paralympian will be inducted July 1 in Chicago. The inductees will be voted on by Olympians, U.S. Olympic officials and media representatives. Members of the public also can vote on the Internet - www.usolympicteam.com - until April 14.
A veteran representative - someone who competed at the 1956 Olympics or before - and a special contributor already have been selected. Their names will be announced in May.
The finalists for individual athletes are: Joyner-Kersee, Florence Griffith Joyner, Evelyn Ashford, Joan Benoit and Valerie Brisco (track and field); Jansen and Bonnie Blair (speedskating); Evans, Matt Biondi, Rowdy Gaines and Mary T. Meagher (swimming); Tracie Ruiz (synchronized swimming); Bruce Baumgartner, Jeff Blatnick and John Smith (wrestling); Yamaguchi (figure skating); Miller (gymnastics); Oscar de la Hoya (boxing) and Greg Barton (canoe/kayak).
Team finalists are: Jordan and the 1992 men's basketball team; the 1976 women's swimming 400 freestyle relay; the 1988 women's track and field 400 relay; the 1996 women's soccer team; the 1996 women's gymnastics team and the 1998 women's ice hockey team.
SWIMMING: The new swimsuit Michael Phelps plans to wear in the Athens Olympics was approved by the international federation. The Fastskin FSII reduces drag by up to 4 percent. It took Speedo four years to develop.
TENNIS: Rusedski cleared
Greg Rusedski was cleared by an anti-doping panel, the eighth player to fail a drug test yet be exonerated because he took supplements supplied by ATP trainers. The 1997 U.S. Open runnerup tested positive for the steroid nandrolone at a tournament in July at Indianapolis.
DAVIS CUP: Jaime Oncins resigned as Brazil's captain, a day after former No.1 Gustavo Kuerten quit the team.
COLLEGES: USF's Ellis player of week
USF senior pitcher Leigh Ann Ellis was named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA national player of the week. She went 4-0 and was named MVP of the Speedline Invitational, which the Bulls won. ... Florida State, USF and Florida moved up in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll. The Seminoles are ranked No.5, the Bulls are No.18 and the Gators are No.21. ... Tiffany Stewart hit a grand slam and host USF (25-5) beat Boston University 11-3 in a five-inning game. The Bulls also defeated Temple 12-1 in five.
BASEBALL: Eddy Martinez-Esteve hit his fifth homer to lead host Florida State to an 11-2 win over Butler. Martinez-Esteve and Matt Sauls each had three hits. ... Vince Bongiovanni allowed a run in six innings, and host Miami took advantage of four errors and 11 walks to beat Campbell 10-8. ... Casey Weseman singled in the winner in the ninth as host Eckerd (9-15) beat Shippensburg 7-6.
AUTOS: Sauter penalized
Busch series driver Johnny Sauter was fined $10,000 and placed on probation for the rest of the season for cursing during a postrace radio interview Saturday. NASCAR docked him 25 points.
CHAMP CAR: Spike TV will broadcast all 16 races this season and will air 24 episodes of a Champ Car lifestyle-themed series.
WINTER SPORTS: Rahlves wins downhill
American Daron Rahlves won the downhill at the World Cup Finals in Sestriere, Italy, while Bode Miller failed to score in his bid for the overall title. Rahlves finished in 1 minute, 51.88 seconds, securing second place in the final downhill standings. Miller finished 22nd in 1:54.12.
ET CETERA
ARENA FOOTBALL: Indiana fired rookie head coach Steve DeBerg. The Firebirds were 0-5 under DeBerg in his first season.
SAILING: Alfonso Domingos and crew Bernardo Santos maintained their lead in the Bacardi Cup Star Class Regatta with a second-place finish in Biscayne Bay.
