Isinbayeva improves on her pole vault record

Yelena Isinbayeva improved her pole vault world record to 16 feet 6 inches Friday at the Golden Gala meet in Rome.

The Russian cleared the record height with ease on her second attempt, nearly three years after her previous record of 16-5 1/4 at the 2005 world championships in Helsinki, Finland.

Competing in her first outdoor meet this season, Isinbayeva said the record was a response to American Jenn Stuczynski, who went 16-0 3/4 on May 18 to move into second on the all-time list.

Former world-record holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica pulled out of the 100-meter final because of a groin problem.

Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius of South Africa missed out in another attempt to qualify for the Olympics but took nearly a second off his 400-meter time.

MOTOR RACING

It’s another win for Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch added another NASCAR Nationwide Series victory, winning the Dollar General 300 at the Chicagoland Speedway.

The points leader with six victories in the Sprint Cup Series, Busch won for the fifth time in the Nationwide Series.

Busch took the lead on the 95th lap in his No. 18 Toyota, held it until a pit stop on the 149th and then regained it five laps later for the remainder of the 200-lap race on the 1.5-mile track.

BASKETBALL

Bobcats are planning to keep Okafor

Charlotte Bobcats General Manager Rod Higgins told the Charlotte Observer that the team plans on retaining restricted free-agent forward Emeka Okafor.

Okafor -- along with Atlanta Hawks restricted free agent Josh Smith -- quickly reached the Clippers wish list after they lost Elton Brand to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Clippers have about $12 million in salary-cap room. Teams can retain their restricted free agents if they match offer sheets within a seven-day window.

Smith, however is viewed as the Clippers’ primary target and the team is expected to extend him an offer sheet within the next week or so.

-- Jonathan Abrams

The Minnesota Timberwolves signed first-round draft pick Kevin Love, the former UCLA star.

HOCKEY

Ducks want NHL to investigate Lowe

The Ducks will file a formal request with the NHL to look into whether the comments made by Edmonton Oilers General Manager Kevin Lowe about winger Corey Perry constitute tampering.

Responding to comments made by Ducks General Manager Brian Burke about rising player salaries, Lowe told an Edmonton radio station last week that “what I really want to say about [Burke’s] bickering about parity and the salary cap is if you’re unhappy about them, then trade [Perry] our way. We’ll be glad to have him.”

Meanwhile, the team also signed free-agent defenseman Steve Montador to a one-year, $800,000 contract.

Montador, 28, spent the last three seasons with Florida and had a career-high eight goals and 15 assists in 73 games.

In another move, the Ducks signed defenseman Brennan Evans to a two-year contract. Evans played in the San Jose Sharks’ organization last season.

-- Eric Stephens

Tim Leiweke, Kings governor and AEG president, confirmed that Celtics co-owner Wycliffe “Wyc” Grousbeck is interested in buying a portion of the hockey team, but stressed that no deal has been reached and that owner Philip Anschutz has no interest in selling his majority stake.

Leiweke said Grousbeck has met with some of the Kings’ executives and confirmed that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is aware of what is happening.

“Wyc has had conversations with us but so have others,” Leiweke said. “It is not unusual for us to field inquiries from other interested people. . . . Last time I checked, Phil doesn’t need money. He likes to be the owner of the Kings.

“This is not,” he added, “a first step in selling the team.”

The Los Angeles Daily News first reported that Leiweke was talking to Grousbeck about forming a “partnership.”

Leiweke told The Times that he and Grousbeck often discussed the latter’s interest in the Kings during the NBA Finals.

-- Eric Stephens and Lisa Dillman

TENNIS

Ratings high for Nadal-Federer final

Wimbledon final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer last Sunday drew a national rating of 3.5 with a 10 share and was watched by an estimated 5.2 million people in the United States, NBC announced.

The 3.5/10 is the highest rating for a Wimbledon men’s final since Pete Sampras-Patrick Rafter got a 4.4/14 share in 2000 and is 30% higher than the 2.7/8 for last year’s Federer-Nadal final.