Hackett Makes History With Fourth 1,500 Gold

Michael Phelps made his final swim of the world championships in a morning preliminary. Grant Hackett closed in more appropriate fashion Sunday night -- running away with an unprecedented fourth consecutive title in his trademark event.

Hackett won the 1,500-meter freestyle, keeping alive a streak that began at the 1998 championships in his native Australia.

After repeating in 2001 and 2003, he went to Montreal trying to become the first swimmer to win the same event at four consecutive world championships.

No one was close, even though Hackett appeared to tire a bit at the end of the grueling meet. He won his third individual gold medal -- one more than Phelps -- to go along with a silver. He also won a bronze in the relays.

“It’s obviously an awesome feeling to achieve something like that and to be the first person in history to do it,� Hackett said. “It’s over. I’ve completed it, and it’s very satisfying for me.�

Hackett won swimming’s version of the mile with a time of 14 minutes 42.58 seconds. That was eight seconds off his world record but comfortably ahead of Larsen Jensen of the United States.

Jensen defeated David Davies for the silver in 14:47.58, beating the British swimmer by a mere 53-hundredths of a second.

Even though Phelps defeated Hackett in their only head-to-head meeting, the 200 freestyle, the Australian was the biggest men’s star at the meet.

After a disappointing seventh-place finish in the 100 free and a loss to Ian Crocker in the 100 butterfly, Phelps was left off the team that swam the final. He still got a gold, but not how he wanted.

The U.S. quartet -- Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, Crocker and Jason Lezak -- won the final event of the championships in 3:31.85. Russia was second and Japan third.

Counting three relay medals, Phelps finished with five gold medals and a silver.

Sixteen-year-old Katie Hoff, one of the new stars of the U.S. team, completed a sweep of the individual medley, adding the 400 title to her earlier 200 championship.

Hoff won the gold in 4:36.07, breaking a 23-year-old meet record. Petra Schneider of East Germany had set the previous mark of 4:36.10.

Laszlo Cseh of Hungary won the men’s 400 individual medley, filling the void when Phelps decided to drop his world-record event at the championships to try out some new races. Cseh won in 4:09.63.

Libby Lenton of Australia won the women’s 50 freestyle -- a chaotic sprint from one end of the pool to the other -- in 24.59, giving her a third gold medal.

Soccer

Manuel Rui Costa fought off two defenders and scored in the 80th minute, giving AC Milan a 1-1 tie with Chelsea of the English Premier League in an exhibition game in the Meadowlands at East Rutherford, N.J.

Rui Costa got the ball off a scramble in front and sent a left-footed chip shot from about 12 yards that bounced high off the right post and got past goalkeeper Petr Cech.

After a scoreless first half, Chelsea took a 1-0 lead in the 64th minute. Reserve forward Didier Drogba ran 25 yards past two defenders and beat goalkeeper Valerio Fiori with a left-footed shot.

The Italian team had a scoring chance in the 71st minute, when Andrea Pirlo knocked in a rebound off Christian Vieri’s free kick, but referee Brian Hall waved off the goal because of an offside.

With the tie, AC Milan won the World Series of Football tournament by goal differential against the two MLS teams in the tournament, the Chicago Fire and D.C. United.

Pro Basketball

Las Vegas will be the site of the 2007 NBA All-Star game, marking the first time the event will be held in a non-NBA city.

An official with knowledge of the decision, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed Friday reports in the Las Vegas media that the city has been given the go-ahead to play host to the league’s showcase event.

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Stromile Swift will sign with the Houston Rockets early next week, the free-agent forward said. Swift, the No. 2 pick in the 2000 draft, spent the last five season with the Grizzlies, first in Vancouver and then in Memphis.

Pro Hockey

Sergei Zubov signed a three-year, $12-million contract with the Dallas Stars, one day before the veteran defenseman could have become an unrestricted free agent.

Zubov, 35, has played eight seasons with the Stars.

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Miroslav Satan became an unrestricted free agent after the Buffalo Sabres declined to make a qualifying offer to the team’s six-time scoring leader.

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The New Jersey Devils made qualifying offers to 10 restricted free agents, including forwards Patrik Elias, Jeff Friesen, Scott Gomez and Jamie Langenbrunner, retaining their rights before the signing period begins today.