Flu Slows Heyns at University Games

Olympic champion Penny Heyns struggled at the World University Games on Wednesday in Catania, Sicily, finishing fourth in the 200-meter breaststroke final.

In track and field, world champion Yoelvis Quesada led a 1-2 Cuban finish in the men’s triple jump, while Russia collected three gold medals and a silver. The United States claimed gold and silver in the men’s 200 meters for the second consecutive games.

The United States and Cuba reached the final in women’s basketball. The Americans defeated the Czech Republic, 84-56, and Cuba beat Italy, 81-71.

South Africa’s Heyns, who complained of flu symptoms, finished nearly two seconds behind Japan’s Masami Tanaka, who won the gold in 2 minutes 30.24 seconds.

“I don’t think this meet was good for me. I’ve been traveling a lot and I’m feeling run down,” said Heyns, who also is entered in Friday’s 100 breaststroke, for which she holds the world record.

Pro Basketball

Lenny Wilkens, the winningest coach in NBA history, finalized a four-year contract extension with the Atlanta Hawks worth a reported $20 million.

Wilkens’ contract is the latest indication that the salary bar for NBA coaches has been raised significantly during this off-season.

The Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to contract terms with well-traveled point guard John Crotty. He is expected to back up starter Kenny Anderson.

Jurisprudence

New Orleans Saint defensive end Joe Johnson and three employees of a bar he co-owns have been accused by a patron of beating him with a metal pipe.

It was the second time in three months that Johnson has been booked by police.

Mississippi State junior guard Bart Hyche, who has pleaded guilty to a drunk-driving charge, will be suspended from the team for part of the 1997-1998 season.

Bulldog Coach Richard Williams said he will meet with Hyche and the player’s mother before determining the length of the suspension.

Olympics

A week before the 2004 Olympics site is chosen, Stockholm’s hopes of winning are being overshadowed by threats that terrorists will strike again.

But despite the worries, the International Olympic Committee’s president speculated the troubles could help Stockholm’s bid in the end.

But despite the attacks and threats, IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch offered words of hope to organizers.

“Maybe it will effect in a positive way,” he said.

“I think if you ask them they will answer what I am saying in this moment: that after what happened we are strongly beside the organizing committee, the bidding committee of Stockholm 2004.”

Cammi Granato, sister of San Jose Shark winger Tony Granato, and goaltender Erin Whitten, the first woman to win a professional hockey game, were among 25 players named to the U.S. Women’s National Team. From that group will come the U.S. Olympic team, which will compete for medals in the first women’s hockey tournament Feb. 7-22 at Nagano, Japan.

Miscellany

Plans to bring a CART Indy-car race to downtown Houston hit a snag when two black city councilmen questioned Texaco’s sponsorship of the race and pushed back a vote on the issue. . . . The U.S. Auto Club has rejected an appeal by A.J. Foyt, who punched Arie Luyendyk in victory lane and filed a protest when the finish of the June 7 race at Texas Motor Speedway was reversed. Both men were fined for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Mike McDonald and Travis Williams each scored 17 points to lead the United States to a 100-88 victory over Cuba in the semifinal round of the Tournament of the Americas at Montevideo, Uruguay. . . . Athletic Director Frank Windegger will call it quits after more than four decades at Texas Christian University. . . . Cycling’s world governing body launched a historic drug testing campaign when it checked blood samples from riders at the world track championships at Perth, Australia.