Sports briefs for September 28, 2004

Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2004 | 9:56 a.m.

Hamm has his say before world board

U.S. gymnast Paul Hamm planned to return to the United States on Wednesday after resting in Lausanne, Switzerland, for a day following his 11 1/2-hour session before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"I'm used to wearing warmup suits, not actual suits," said Hamm, whose testimony will help to determine whether he'll keep his all-around gold medal from the Athens Olyumpics.

Korean gymnast and bronze medalist Yang Tae Young filed an appeal against the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), asking CAS to change the results of the Aug. 18 competition, giving him the gold and Hamm the silver.

FIG admitted Yang mistakenly was given a 9.9 instead of a 10.0 start value on his parallel bars routine. FIG suspended three judges but said the results stand.

Monday's arguments by Hamm and the USOC, who have joined forces, centered on three issues: This was a field-of-play decision and therefore not subject to review by CAS; the Koreans failed to protest in a timely manner, and it can't be assumed Yang would have won if one-tenth of a point had been added to his score with one apparatus remaining.

USOC general counsel Jeff Benz said CAS said it would try to issue a decision as soon as possible.

Mashburn out

New Orleans Hornets forward Jamal Mashburn will miss the upcoming season because of a deteriorating knee condition that limited him to 19 games last season.

Singh's home damaged

Vijay Singh withdrew from this week's American Express Championship in Ireland after Hurricane Jeanne damaged his home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

No. 700 spawns suit

San Francisco Giants fan Steve Williams, who caught Barry Bonds' 700th home run ball, is being sued by a man who claims Williams stole the historic ball in a melee in the left-center bleachers.

U.S. captain hurt

U.S. team captain Claudio Reyna will probably miss the World Cup qualifers Oct. 9 at El Salvador and Oct. 13 in Washington against panama because of an injured left quadriceps.

Davis final in Seville

The clay courts at the 22,000-seat Olympic Stadium in Seville, Spain, were chosen as the site of the Davis Cup final Dec. 3-5 between Spain and the United States.

Ex-Charger dies

Bob Mitinger, a former Penn State All-American and a linebacker for the San Diego Chargers in the 1960s, died in State College, Pa. He was 64. His family said he had been ill for two years.