NOTEBOOK
American gymnast Chellsie Memmel hurt her right ankle while training for her floor exercise yesterday but is expected to be part of the Olympic competition next weekend.
USA Gymnastics President Steve Penny said in a statement that Memmel's status was being monitored daily. The U.S. women compete in team qualifying next Sunday.
The team's three alternates, Ivana Hong, Jana Bieger and Corrie Lothrop, are training in Tokyo, available to make the 3½-hour flight to Beijing if needed.
Memmel is the 2005 world champion but has fought through a series of injuries during her career. A broken foot caused her to miss the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
Meanwhile, birth dates found in online documents have raised questions about the age of another Chinese gymnast – bringing the total to three, or half the women's team expected to contend for a gold medal, who may be too young to compete in the Beijing Olympics.
Yang Yilin, a medal contender in the all-around and uneven bars, was born Aug. 26, 1993, according to the 2004, 2005 and 2006 registration lists previously posted on the Web site of the General Administration of Sport of China. That would make Yang only 15 later this month. Gymnasts have to be 16 during the Olympic year to be eligible for the Games.
Heat of Knight
Brandon Knight struck out 10 and Matt LaPorta and Mike Hessman homered in the second inning to lead the United States to a 9-1 pre-Olympic exhibition victory over Canada in Durham, N.C.
Nate Schierholtz homered for the second straight game, a grand slam, to highlight a five-run eighth for the U.S. Terry Tiffee also went deep for the Americans, who have outscored the Canadians 16-3 in winning two straight in the four-game tuneup for Beijing. The Canadians won the opener 4-3 in 10 innings.
Knight, who at 32 is the oldest player on the U.S. roster, allowed two hits in five scoreless innings and retired 15-of-18 hitters.
Can't stop Kobe
Kobe Bryant provided the offense in the U.S. Olympic team's first defensive struggle, scoring 11 of his 19 points in the third quarter of an 89-68 victory over Russia in Shanghai yesterday.
Carmelo Anthony added 17 points in what was by far the Americans' most competitive tuneup yet for the Beijing Games.
Women hold off Latvia
Sylvia Fowles scored eight of her 13 points during a late fourth-quarter run to lead the U.S. Olympic women's basketball team to an 84-74 victory over pesky Latvia last night in Haining, China, in the FIBA Diamond Ball tournament – a tuneup for the Olympics.
Aussie on mend
Tour de France runner-up Cadel Evans is recovering from a knee injury and is likely to ride in the Beijing Olympics after withdrawing from one race and saying he was doubtful for another, Australian team officials said.
“Cadel is responding especially well to treatment,” Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates said at a news conference in Beijing. “He's very keen to compete.”
Evans' participation was put in jeopardy a week ago when he slipped on a wet floor at a post-Tour de France function. He withdrew from the Olympic time trial four days ago and said he would decide on the road race today.
