Austrian Gets Lucky, Defeats Tomba in Slalom

Austria’s Thomas Sykora needed a little luck to beat Alberto Tomba in a World Cup slalom Sunday in Kitzbuehel, Austria, and end the Italian star’s three-race winning streak.

Sykora was timed in 1 minute 34.24 seconds, for the two runs in earning his first World Cup victory. Tomba was only .06 seconds behind, in 1:34.30. Sykora had only a .04 seconds lead over Tomba after the first run.

“To win a race like this, you need a bit of luck, and I had some luck today,” Sykora said.

Guenther Mader completed an Austria sweep of the weekend events, winning the combined title, counting the results of Saturday’s downhill with the slalom.

Urska Hrovat of Slovenia shook off a cold and earned her first World Cup victory of the season in a women’s slalom at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Hrovat took a lead of .68 seconds into the second run and held on for her third career World Cup victory.

Russia, led by overall individual leader Vladimir Dratshev, won its third consecutive 30-kilometer men’s relay race of the World Cup biathlon season at Anterselva, Italy. France did not make a shooting error and rallied to take the women’s relay in 1 hour 34 minutes 38.2 seconds, overtaking Germany in the final five kilometers.

Japan’s Kendji Ogiwara won the Nordic Combined World Cup event with 140 points after placing first in the 15-kilometer cross-country race in Strbske Pleso, Slovakia. . . . After a surprise Russian victory in the women’s 20-kilometer relay, the Finnish team won a 40K men’s relay cross-country race in the World Nordic Skiing Cup competition at Nove Mesto, Czech Republic.

Tennis

Fifth-seeded Sjeng Schalken of the Netherlands earned his first singles title, defeating Younes El Aynaoui of Morocco, 6-3, 6-2, to win the Indonesia Open at Jakarta.

Jiri Novak defeated hometown favorite Brett Steven, 6-4, 6-4, in the BellSouth Open final at Auckland, New Zealand.

Miscellany

Baseball owners will not vote on the proposed sale of the Pittsburgh Pirates when they meet in Los Angeles starting Tuesday.

An official familiar with the sale said the National League received paperwork on the $90-million offer from Kevin McClatchey only last Friday and that it will be discussed by the ownership committee Wednesday. They will also discuss the proposed sale of a controlling interest in the Angels from Gene Autry to the Walt Disney Co.

Edgar De Olivera of Brazil and Laura Mykytok each set course records in winning titles in the Steve Scott Festival of Races at Santee, Calif. De Olivera, 26, covered the one-mile road course in 3 minutes 57 seconds. Mykytok, 27, of New Mexico finished in 4:27.

Unbeaten Saen Sor Ploenchit of Thailand retained the World Boxing Assn. flyweight title with a unanimous 12-round decision over Chang Young-soon of South Korea at Bangkok, Thailand. . . . Racing was canceled at Aqueduct in New York after the first two races because of unsafe conditions caused by icy, wet weather. . . . Antelope Valley High running back Jermaine Lewis has orally committed to sign a letter of intent with UCLA. Lewis rushed for 2,511 yards and 32 touchdowns this year.