Christie Wins, Lewis Is Third

Olympic champion Linford Christie broke clear of world record-holder Carl Lewis to win a $300,000 100-meter showdown at Gateshead, England, in 10.08 seconds Friday.

Lewis was third in 10.22, behind Jon Drummond, who led for most of the race at the Gateshead International Stadium and finished in 10.12.

Christie was faster out of the blocks than Lewis and was a meter clear of his rival at the line after overtaking Drummond in the last 20 meters. Former world record holder Calvin Smith was fourth in 10.33.

It was the first time the two champions had met since the 1991 World Championships final at Tokyo, which Lewis won in a world record time of 9.86, with Christie fourth in a European-record 9.92. Both marks still stand.

“I just didn’t do anything out of the blocks,” Lewis said. “I didn’t slip, but, at the same time, I didn’t do what I wanted to do out of the blocks.”

By the time Lewis was fully into his stride, Christie was two strides ahead, with Drummond farther in front.

Pro Basketball

Shawn Bradley, a 7-foot-6 center who hasn’t played competitive basketball in two years, signed with the Philadelphia 76ers for $44.2 million over eight years, the Philadelphia Daily News reported.

The contract works out to $5.52 million per year. It compares with the guaranteed $39.9-million, seven-year deal Shaquille O’Neal signed after being chosen first overall last season by the Orlando Magic. O’Neal went on to be a near-unanimous rookie of the year.

Bradley, from Brigham Young, spent the last two seasons on a Mormon mission in Australia.

Bradley’s deal protects both sides, the Daily News said. It gives Bradley a chance to end the contract and renegotiate at certain points if he reaches certain performance levels, as well as affording the 76ers the opportunity to spread payments over a longer period if he doesn’t meet certain standards.

Hockey

Free agent Denis Savard has left the Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The six-time all-star signed a three-year contract.

Scott Chartier, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound defenseman from Western Michigan, has become the 38th player signed by the Mighty Ducks.

The Buffalo Sabres bumped General Manager Gerry Meehan up to a new management post and gave Coach John Muckler complete control over what happens on the ice. Meehan was promoted to the new post of executive vice president for sports operations, and Muckler will take over as general manager, while retaining his job as coach.

Motor Sports

Nigel Mansell made another of the quick adjustments that have become his trademark in his rookie season of Indy car racing and turned a lap of 231.120 m.p.h. to lead the opening day of practice for Sunday’s Marlboro 500 at Brooklyn, Mich.

About 30 minutes into the full practice, Mansell turned the fast lap of the day, falling short of the closed-course Indy car record of 233.934 set in 1986 by now-retired Rick Mears, but going faster than teammate Mario Andretti’s official track qualifying record of 230.150, set last year.

Ernie Irvan had a lap of 109.828 m.p.h. in a Chevrolet as Winston Cup drivers swept the top three qualifying spots for tonight’s Kroger 200 Grand National stock car race at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Starting alongside Irvan in the 200-lap event on the 0.686-mile track will be Michael Waltrip, who qualified a Pontiac at 109.371. Terry Labonte was third in a Chevrolet at 109.004.

Mike Kiedrowski clinched the national outdoor 250cc motocross championship last week, but the Kawasaki rider from Acton will be out to close the season Sunday with a victory at Glen Helen Park in San Bernardino. Competition in the two-day motorcycle festival will start today in the off-road vehicle park. There will also be a national championship race for 125cc machines.

Soccer

Monterrey of Mexico defeated Suchitepequez of Guatemala, 2-0, in the Cup of Champions soccer tournament at East Los Angeles College. Rolando Esquer’s kick bounced off goaltender Julio Hernandez to Carlos Bianchesi, who scored to the right of Hernandez 34 minutes into the second half. Eight minutes later, Edgar Plascencia scored to the left of Hernandez.

Luis Angel Firpo of El Salvador and Real Espana of Honduras played to a scoreless tie in the second match.

The tournament concludes Sunday.

Miscellany

John Powell struck out nine in 6 1/3 innings, leading the U.S. baseball team to a 6-3 victory over Cuba at Millington, Tenn. The teams will play in Millington again tonight before beginning a three-game series in Cuba next week.

Eddie Jones of Temple scored 18 points and the United States advanced to the championship game of the Under-22 World Basketball Championships with an 85-72 victory over Italy at Valladolid, Spain. The unbeaten United States faces France in today’s final.

Timothy Foster, a Mississippi State defensive end, was being held in the Oktibbeha County jail on burglary charges. . . . Otis Renford, 49, a parking attendant who claims he was beaten at San Diego State on Feb. 11, has sued five Aztec students, three of them football players.