Norwegian Wins, Tomba Flies Home

Norwegian Lasse Kjus skied a near-perfect second run Thursday at Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, and won the first World Cup giant slalom race of his career, strengthening his lead in the overall standings.

Alberto Tomba complained about course conditions, withdrew and returned to Italy.

After finishing second to Switzerland’s Michael Von Gruenigen three times this season in the giant slalom, Kjus finally was able to reverse the order.

The 24-year-old Norwegian was third after the first run, but skied flawlessly in the second and finished with a combined time of 1 minute 58.74 seconds. He beat Von Gruenigen by .22 of a second.

With the victory, Kjus earned 100 World Cup points for a total of 740. Von Gruenigen is in second place with 480.

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Showing stamina and style on a tough course, Martina Ertl won her second consecutive World Cup giant slalom with ease at Veysonnaz, Switzerland.

The German won by 1.49 seconds, giving her three victories overall this season.

The 22-year-old Bavarian police sergeant had the fastest time in both heats for a total of 2:00.06. Italian giant slalom specialist Sabina Panzanini was second in 2:01.55. Austrian Anita Wachter was third in 2:01.79.

Hockey

Maine suspended Coach Shawn Walsh, who led the school to a national championship in 1993, for one year for violating NCAA rules. Maine investigated its athletic programs for 18 months.

Investigators said Walsh violated the terms of an earlier suspension by accepting “supplemental income” from boosters of the hockey program in December, 1993.

Vladimir Vorobyov’s third-period goal gave host team Russia a 2-1 victory over Sweden and the Izvestia Cup championship for the 23rd time in 28 years.

Boxing

Former four-time world champion Roberto Duran, 44, dominated throughout, particularly with body punches, and stopped Wilbur Garst at 2:14 of the fourth round of a scheduled 10-round super-middleweight fight at Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Duran improved to 97-11 with 67 knockouts. Garst, from Tulsa, Okla., is 17-4.

Baseball

Anheuser-Busch has found a buyer for the St. Louis Cardinals, according to radio station KMOX. The brewery will sell the team to a group of investors led by William DeWitt, a Cincinnati businessman who has owned interests in the Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers and other teams, and Andrew Baur, chairman of Southwest Bank in St. Louis, the station reported.

Major league baseball approved the final terms of Kevin McClatchy’s $85-million purchase of the Pittsburgh Pirates, clearing the way for formal approval next month by major league owners.

San Francisco Giant owner Peter Magowan unveiled the team’s plans for a new $255-million ballpark to be built by the same firm that designed Camden Yards, Jacobs Field and other parks.

The 42,000-seat stadium, which would replace Candlestick Park, would be the first privately financed major league ballpark since Dodger Stadium was built in 1962.

Hank Aaron was in federal court in Miami to face allegations that he breached contracts with three sportswear companies who claim to have exclusive permission to use his major league baseball license.

Although he entered into contracts in February with Dynasty Apparel Industries Inc., Giant Prints Inc., and Dino Di Milano Corp., Aaron granted permission to a fourth company to use his license, according to a lawsuit filed by the three South Florida companies.

Miscellany

Jack Charlton quit as coach of the Irish national soccer team after failing to get the club into next year’s European Championship in England. The 60-year-old Englishman coached Ireland to its first World Cup in 1990 and the European Championship in 1988 during his 10 years as manager.

Last week, Ireland lost to the Netherlands, 2-0, in a playoff to determine the 16th qualifier for next June’s European Championship.

Jim Weaver, who resigned as UNLV athletic director 14 months ago during the search for a basketball coach, was selected to fill that job at Western Michigan.

Tennis

Jessica Lehnhoff, 15, of Cooper City, Fla., advanced to the semifinals in both singles and doubles of the girls’ 16-and-under division at the Rolex Orange Bowl International Junior Tennis Championships at Miami Beach.

Tara Snyder, seeded third and the only American entry left in either the boys’ or girls’ 18s, was beaten by 10th-seeded Jitka Schonfeldova in the third round, 6-4, 6-2. Snyder was the 1995 U.S. Open Junior champion.

In boys’ action, top-seeded Mariano Zabaleta, 17, of Argentina reached the quarterfinals of the 18-and-under division with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Spain’s Oscar Serrano.

Boris Becker, who with Michael Stich won the 1992 Olympic doubles, said he will not play singles or doubles in the Atlanta Games next summer.