Slaney’s Drug Case Still Being Pursued

Track and field’s world governing body is pursuing the Mary Slaney drug case.

The International Amateur Athletic Federation’s drug commission has ruled that the case will go to arbitration--five months after USA Track & Field cleared Slaney. A test at the 1996 Olympic trials showed that Slaney had high levels of testosterone.

USATF said it fully supports the outcome of its hearing panel and will vigorously oppose any efforts to overturn the decision.

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Swimming’s world governing body, FINA, is sending a delegation to China to investigate the use of banned substances at the recent World Championships in Perth, Australia.

FINA said a task force, announced at Perth earlier this month when there were positive results in drug tests, would have up to six months to recommend action to stop drug cheats.

Chinese swimmers were accused of using banned substances in Perth. A Chinese swimmer and a coach were caught bringing human growth hormones into the country.

Baseball

The New York Yankees appear to be the leading contenders for Minnesota all-star second baseman Chuck Knoblauch.

Yankee owner George Steinbrenner was very interested in trading for Knoblauch, one source told the Associated Press.

Minnesota wants pitcher Eric Milton and outfielder Ricky Ledee included in a deal with New York.

The Cleveland Indians, who had been reported to be close to a deal for Knoblauch, indicated that their interest had waned.

Twin General Manager Terry Ryan has said that if he trades Knoblauch, he would like to do it before spring training begins in mid-February.

Boston Red Sox left-hander Butch Henry has avoided arbitration and nearly doubled his salary. The Red Sox agreed to pay Henry $1,367,500, exactly halfway between the $1,575,000 requested by him and the $1.16 million offered by the team. He made $750,000 last season. . . . Right-hander Curtis Leskanic and the Colorado Rockies agreed to a $710,000, one-year contract, a raise of $193,333. He had asked for $790,000 in arbitration and Colorado had offered $625,000. The Rockies also signed the three other players they still had in salary arbitration, agreeing to one-year contracts with pitchers Mark Thompson and Mike Munoz and utility infielder Jason Bates. . . . Infielder Craig Shipley, who played for the San Diego Padres last season, agreed to a minor league contract with the St. Louis Cardinals .

Japanese baseball officials plan to reopen talks with their major league counterparts to lift the trade ban in effect since last February.

The ban was imposed after the Lotte Marines traded the rights to pitcher Hideki Irabu to the San Diego Padres at the start of last season.

Olympics

Former world champion Nikki Stone and Eric Bergoust, the World Cup points leaders in aerials, topped the 11-member U.S. Olympic Freestyle Team named Tuesday.

The men’s freestyle team includes moguls skiers Jonny Moseley and Alex Wilson and aerialists Bergoust, Britt Swartley, Mariano Ferrario and Matt Chojnacki.

The women’s team is made up of moguls skiers Ann Battelle, Liz McIntyre and Donna Weinbrecht and aerialists Stone and Tracy Evans.

Jurisprudence

Two baseball players found guilty last week of tax evasion signed contracts with the the Yakult Swallows, Japanese baseball champions.

Infielder Shinya Miyamoto and pitcher Tetsuya Kitagawa were among 10 players indicted for evading more than $100,000 each in income taxes.

The Nagoya district court last month sentenced both Miyamoto and Kitagawa to 10 months in prison, suspended for three years, and fined each $28,000.

Three jockeys were among four people arrested by police investigating race-fixing and doping charges in London.

The arrests culminated investigations by the Jockey Club’s security department and then by the police into the doping of two horses last year.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said no names would be released unless charges were filed.

College Football

Steve Birnbaum, considered the favorite to replace Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf next season, underwent knee surgery and will miss spring practice.

Birnbaum, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound redshirt sophomore, suffered the injury midway through the season.

Dale Taylor, a Southern University football player who collapsed and died during conditioning drills, had the same condition that killed basketball players Reggie Lewis and Hank Gathers, according to a coroner in Baton Rouge, La.

Coroner Hypolite Landry said the cause of death was an enlarged heart.

Miscellany

Former Long Beach State All-American Cindy Brown was assigned to the WNBA’s Detroit Shock expansion team and Nikki McCray as assigned to the expansion Washington Mystics. Also, Razija Mujanovic was assigned to Detroit and Alessandra Santos de Oliveira was sent to Washington. Brown played for the ABL’s Seattle Reign last season, and McCray was the ABL most valuable player last season for league champion Columbus.

Race driver Robbie Gordon, who spent last season in NASCAR, will return to open-wheel competition this spring with the Arciero-Wells team as a test driver and, on occasion, as the driver of a third team car in CART races.