U.S. Officials Wanted Gatlin Out of Event

Justin Gatlin insisted on running at the national championships in June even after USA Track and Field officials asked him to withdraw over his positive drug test, a person with knowledge of the meeting told the Associated Press on Friday.

Because only the “A” sample result was available from the April test, USATF had no authority to bar Gatlin from competing. Results of the backup “B” sample are required before a doping test is considered positive.

Gatlin professed his innocence to USA Track and Field officials when they suggested that he drop out of the meet, said the source, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the information. He went on to win the national 100-meter title.

Gatlin, who tied Jamaican Asafa Powell’s world-record mark of 9.77 seconds three weeks after his fateful drug test, has not raced since. He canceled several European appearances, citing a leg injury.

Gatlin and USATF learned of the positive test just days before the U.S. championships began June 21 in Indianapolis.

By then, it was too late to remove Gatlin’s photograph from the meet’s posters and the many banners hung around the city. He showed up at the pre-meet news conference offering no hint of what was hanging over him.

A promising British sprinter has severed ties with Gatlin’s coach, Trevor Graham, after the American runner’s positive doping test.

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, a 17-year-old world youth champion at 100 and 200 meters, and his coach spent 10 days with Gatlin and Graham earlier this year in Raleigh, N.C.

On Thursday, the U.S. Olympic Committee banned Graham from its training centers and training sites because a number of athletes he has coached have been convicted of doping offenses.

TENNIS

Third-Seeded Hewitt Loses at Legg Mason

Third-seeded Lleyton Hewitt became the latest big-name player to fall out of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, losing, 7-6 (1), 6-4, to 11th-seeded Arnaud Clement.

Hewitt’s exit left seventh-seeded Dmitry Tursunov as the highest seeded player and lone top-30 player remaining after his 6-3, 6-2 victory over 14th-seeded Tim Henman.

Clement will play in the semifinals against the winner of the match between Wesley Moodie and Marat Safin.

Eighth-seeded Andy Murray defeated the lone remaining American, 16th-seeded Mardy Fish, 6-2, 6-4. Murray will face Tursunov in the semifinals.

Top-seeded Nikolay Davydenko beat Carlos Berlocq, 6-0, 6-4, to advance to the semifinals of the Prokom Open at Sopot, Poland.

He will play seventh-seeded Filippo Volandri, who beat Oliver Marach, 6-2, 6-3.

In the other semifinal, eighth-seeded Agustin Calleri will play Florian Mayer. Calleri beat Michal Przysiezny, 6-4, 6-2, and Mayer beat fifth-seeded Juan Ignacio Chela, 6-4, 6-0.

Andre Agassi withdrew from next week’s Rogers Cup in Toronto. It was to be his final Canadian appearance before the 36-year-old star ends his 20-year pro career at the U.S. Open.

JURISPRUDENCE

Steroid Chemist Is Sentenced to Prison

The chemist who created “the clear,” a previously undetectable steroid, was sentenced to three months in prison and three months’ home confinement for his role in the BALCO drug scandal.

Patrick Arnold was the last of five defendants convicted of steroid-distribution charges connected to the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, a nutritional supplement company federal authorities exposed as a steroid distribution ring for top athletes.

“The behavior reflected here is destructive and damaging to Arnold, damaging to the community and damaging to the nation as a whole,” U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston said.

Arnold was ordered to report to prison by Sept. 19.

Detroit Pistons center Dale Davis was shocked with a stun gun and charged with assault and disorderly conduct in an altercation with Miami Beach police.

Davis was arrested Tuesday at a Miami Beach hotel and accused of threatening police, security guards and shouting profanities, police said.

MOTOR RACING

Crawford Wins Trucks Race at Indianapolis

Rick Crawford took the lead in his Ford during a four-truck battle with 32 laps remaining, then held on to beat Dennis Setzer by 10 lengths in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ Power Stroke Diesel 200 at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis.

PRO BASKETBALL

Suns Sign Barbosa to Five-Year Extension

Leandro Barbosa always wanted to stay in Phoenix. The only question was whether the Suns would make it worth his while. They answered that question by signing the 6-3 guard to a five-year, $33-million contract extension that begins after the 2007-08 season.

The Dallas Mavericks released 7-foot-5 Russian center Pavel Podkolzin, a former first-round pick who played only six games in two seasons. Podkolzin was acquired from Utah after being picked 21st in the 2004 draft. He sat out the first 59 games of last season because of a broken right foot.

SOCCER

Rooney Is Ejected in United’s 3-1 Win

Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored to lead Manchester United over FC Porto, 3-1, in a match marred by red cards for both Rooney and Scholes in the LG Tournament at Amsterdam.

Manchester United was dominant in the first half before Rooney was ejected for smashing his arm into Pepe Ferreira’s face.

Scholes, who put United ahead in the first half, was dismissed when he collected a second yellow card after the break.

MISCELLANY

Raiders-Eagles Game to Be Broadcast on 790

Radio station 790, which will broadcast Sunday’s Hall of Fame game between Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders, is working out details to carry Sunday night games throughout the NFL season. Station 97.1 had been carrying the Sunday night games.

-- Larry Stewart

Rick Mazzuto, athletic director at Longwood College in Virginia since 2002, has been named athletic director at Cal State Northridge.