Alinghi gets even with Team New Zealand

Alinghi kept its game plan simple. The defending champion sailed smart from the start on Wednesday at Valencia, Spain, and beat Emirates Team New Zealand by 30 seconds in the fourth race to even the best-of-nine America’s Cup series at 2-2.

The Swiss yacht lost the third race at the finish line in shifting winds on Tuesday. This time, Alinghi kept Emirates Team New Zealand close and dictated the race.

SOCCER

Beasley transfers to Glasgow Rangers

American midfielder DaMarcus Beasley transferred to Scotland’s Glasgow Rangers from PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands.

He signed a three-year contract and, although Rangers did not reveal how much it paid PSV, reports said the fee was about $1.38 million. Beasley was injured for much of last season and played only 18 games for Manchester City. He was on loan to the English club from PSV Eindhoven.

FIFA revised its ban on matches at high altitude, easing the restrictions to apply only to World Cup qualifiers above 9,840 feet rather than 8,200 feet. The change, brought on by protests from South American countries, means international matches can still be played in the capitals of Colombia and Ecuador, but rules out Bolivia’s capital, La Paz.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

LSU pays Chatman settlement agreement

Louisiana State has paid its former women’s basketball coach Pokey Chatman $160,000, a settlement agreement that followed the coach’s March resignation over alleged improper contact with a former player.

Chatman’s attorney said the 37-year-old former coach “is happy to put this chapter behind her and move on to a successful future,” although it remains unclear if Chatman will attempt to coach again.

-- Lance Pugmire

MISCELLANY

Gebrselassie sets two records in same race

Haile Gebrselassie set two world records in the rarely contested one-hour run at Ostrava, Czech Republic, eclipsing the mark for the time-limited race and another at 20,000 meters along the way. In both events, he broke the 16-year-old records of Arturo Barrios set in La Fleche, France.

Gebrselassie completed 21,285 meters (12.77 miles) to beat Barrios’ mark by 184 meters, and finished 20,000 meters in 56 minutes 25.98 seconds, nearly a full 30 seconds faster than the previous standard.

UCLA placed second and USC fifth in national competition for the Director’s Cup, which is determined by a points system and presented annually by the National Assn of Collegiate Athletic Directors, USA Today and the U.S. Sports Academy to recognize the universities with the best overall athletics programs.

Stanford won for the 13th consecutive year, amassing 1,429 points. UCLA had 1,257 points, followed by North Carolina (1,161.33), Michigan (1,135.25) and USC (1,103.5).

-- Mike Hiserman

Former No. 1 Lindsay Davenport will be playing a match in organized competition for the first time since giving birth to her son, Jagger, on June 10. Davenport comes back to action in World TeamTennis on July 21 in Sacramento, playing for the Capitals against the Newport Beach Breakers.

-- Lisa Dillman

The Discovery Channel team announced its nine-man roster for the 2007 Tour de France which begins July 7 in London.

As expected, team sports director Johan Bruyneel said Amgen Tour of California winner Levi Leipheimer would be the leader and the rider supported to win the overall title.

George Hincapie, a previous Tour stage winner who will be aiming to finish his team-high 12th Tour, is the only other American rider on the U.S.-based team.

-- Diane Pucin