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Jones given evidence of possible steroid use

BOB HARIG, TIMES WIRES
Published May 25, 2004

Gold-medal sprinter Marion Jones was presented with evidence of her possible steroid use by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency at a meeting Monday in Colorado Springs, but none of it was compelling enough to ban the star sprinter from the Olympics, her lawyer said.

It is believed the evidence was obtained from the federal grand jury investigation into the San Francisco bay area drug lab to which she has been linked. Attorney Joseph Burton wouldn't elaborate on what they were shown, but said only an admission or a positive test would warrant a ban.

The USADA says it has the power to bring a drug case against an athlete with circumstantial evidence. Jones requested the meeting and asked for a retest of old samples, but was told the USADA has no such samples. She has said she would sue the USADA if it kept her from going to the Athens Olympics without a positive test.

GOLF: Swede sets tour record

Daniel Chopra shattered the Nationwide Tour scoring record Sunday in the Henrico County Open at Glen Allen, Va. The 30-year-old Swede had a 30-under 258 total for a four-stroke victory. The mark of 26 under was set by Chris Smith in the 1997 Omaha Classic and matched by two others. Chopra shot 65-63-65-65 on the Dominion Club course for his second victory in two starts on the Nationwide Tour this year. U.S. OPEN: Tampa's Brett Hitchcock shot 8-under-par 64 at Hunter's Green Country Club in Tampa to earn medalist honors in area qualifying. Advancing with him to sectional qualifying June 8 at Lake Nona in Orlando were Canada's Brennan Webb (68) and Clearwater's Andy Goodwin and Wesley Chapel's Gin Kim, who shot 69 and won a playoff. ... Also advancing was Jon Mansfield of Clearwater, who tied for third at Waterlefe Golf and River Club in Bradenton with 69.

SOCCER: Beckham's coach fired

Real Madrid fired its coach a day after one of the sport's most glamorous teams finished fourth despite signing David Beckham. Carlos Queiroz was replaced by Jose Antonio Camacho. A year after winning the Spanish League title, Real Madrid failed to win any titles in Spain or in European tournaments. The move came on the same day Liverpool, another big-name European club, fired manager Gerard Houllier after six years in which he won six trophies but no Premier League or European Cup titles.

OLYMPICS: Del Harris to coach China

Del Harris took over as China's national basketball coach, looking to prepare Houston Rockets center Yao Ming and his teammates for the Athens Olympics. Harris, a Dallas Mavericks assistant, is the first foreigner to coach China's men's team, which was 10th at the 2000 Sydney Games.

SHOOTING: Jason Parker and Matt Emmons finished 1-2 in men's air rifle, and Sarah Blakeslee and Morgan Hicks were 1-2 in women's three-position rifle to qualify for the Olympics in shooting trials at Fort Benning, Ga.

ET CETERA

HORSES: Smarty Jones will have his final tuneup before the Belmont Stakes on Friday at Philadelphia Park in Bensalem. Trainer John Servis said he will breeze seven-eighths of a mile with jockey Stewart Elliott aboard. The undefeated colt then will be shipped to New York on June 2 - three days before attempting to become the first Triple Crown champion since Affirmed in 1978.

CYCLING: Italy's Alessandro Petacchi set a postwar record of eight stage victories in one Giro d'Italia by winning the 151-mile 15th leg. Ukraine's Yaroslav Popovych kept the overall lead.

BOYCOTT: Iran said it will boycott wrestling and fencing events in Atlanta and New York next month to protest American forces' actions in Shiite holy cities in Iraq. Iraq, meanwhile, said it planned to send a boxer and two wrestlers to the Titan Games in Atlanta.

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