Mansell on Pole in Detroit’s Rumor Central

Even as Nigel Mansell was leading the field in rumors, he was leading it in qualifying for today’s Detroit Grand Prix, pushing his Lola-Ford around the 2.1-mile, 14-turn course at Belle Isle Park at an average speed of 108.649 m.p.h. Saturday.

Al Unser Jr. will start alongside Mansell on the front row.

Mansell continued to insist that he would drive every race on the Indy-car circuit this year, with 10 remaining. But there is nothing in his contract to prevent his driving in races that do not conflict, and there has been speculation--much of it from his native England--that he would return to Formula One, where he was champion in 1992.

“I’m really upset with a lot of media who have actually speculated, actually saying that I will be doing the British Grand Prix,� he said. “It clashes with Cleveland, and I will be in Cleveland. I think they are trying to sell tickets to the race (in England) on the premise that I will be there.�

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Michael Schumacher won the pole for today’s Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal, driving a Benetton Ford around the 2.76-mile Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 1 minute 26.178 seconds.

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Steve Robertson of England continued his chase for the 1994 Indy Lights Championship by winning the pole for today’s race at Detroit with a lap of 95.512 m.p.h.

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Richie Hearn of Arcadia won his second Player’s Ltd.-Toyota Atlantic Championship race at Montreal, putting him halfway to winning a $250,000 bonus. The bonus is awarded to the driver who wins series races in Long Beach, Montreal, Trois-Rivieres, Canada, and Nazareth, Pa. Hearn won at Long Beach.

He completed the 27-lap race on the 1.74-mile circuit at an average speed of 98.290 m.p.h., 13.077 seconds ahead of David Empringham of Toronto.

Football

University of Florida President John Lombardi said he didn’t approve of Coach Steve Spurrier’s criticism of archrival Florida State, which has been staggered by allegations of players taking money and merchandise from agents.

“The University of Florida has no standing to criticize any other university,� Lombardi said.

Spurrier referred to FSU as “Free Shoes University.�

Appearing at the same St. Petersburg, Fla., meeting as Lombardi, Florida State President Talbot (Sandy) D’Alemberte said, “Coach Spurrier’s comments made me very very proud of (Seminole Coach) Bobby Bowden. I don’t ever remember coach Bowden taking any shots at anybody else when they were in trouble.�

Track and Field

Linford Christie, aided by a steady breeze, ran the fastest 100-meters ever in Britain, clocking 9.91 seconds at a meet in Sheffield.

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Five-time world cross-country champion John Ngugi, suspended for four years for failing to take a drug test, has won the right to argue his case before an arbitration panel.

Boxing

Baby Jake Matlala (40-9-1) of South Africa retained his World Boxing Organization flyweight title when challenger Francis Ampofo (11-3) retired after the ninth round in London.

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Featherweight Tom Johnson retained his International Boxing Federation title with a 12th-round technical knockout of Benny Amparo in Atlantic City, N.J.

Miscellany

Pedaling through a snow shower and fog, Pascal Richard of Switzerland won the next-to-last stage of the Tour of Italy at Sestriere. Eugeni Berzin of Russia appears headed for the overall victory in the cycling race.

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UCLA third baseman Jennifer Brundage and Kansas pitcher Stephani Williams were among 23 players selected to the 1994 GTE Academic All-America softball team.

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Vail, Colo., was awarded the 1999 Alpine World Championships in a vote by the International Ski Federation.

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The U.S. Olympic Committee’s board of directors will consider a proposal in Boston to limit such competitions as the U.S. Olympic Festival to to a maximum of two during each four-year period beginning in 1997. Currently, three such festivals are held during each quadrennium.

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Brown University set a course record of 5:24.52 to win its second consecutive title in the men’s varsity eights of the National Collegiate Rowing Championships, near Cincinnati. Princeton won the women’s varsity eights for the second consecutive year, in 6:11.38.