Maier Equals Stenmark’s Record With 13th Victory

With Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark looking on, Hermann Maier won the giant slalom Saturday at Are, Sweden, for his 13th victory this season, equaling one of skiing’s greatest records.

Maier, who has captured the overall World Cup title three of the last four years, matched the record Stenmark set in 1979.

“I never saw this emotion and celebration before, it was a great day,� said Maier, whose winning time of 2 minutes 31.23 seconds was more than a second faster than runner-up Erik Schlopy of the U.S. Sonja Nef of Switzerland won the the women’s race.

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Eric Bergoust of the U.S. won the freestyle aerials World Cup title at Himos, Finland, despite finishing 10th in a competition won by Alexei Grichin of Belarus. . . . The German team of Rene Spies and brakeman Franz Sagmeister slid to victory in the World Cup two-man bobsledding season finale at Lake Placid, N.Y. Todd Hays and brakeman Pavle Jovanovic of the U.S. won the bronze.

Track and Field

UCLA’s strength in the field events helped the Bruin women repeat at the NCAA indoor track and field championships at Fayetteville, Ark. Christina Tolson contributed 18 points with a first and second in the shotput and weight throw as the Bruins won their 84th NCAA team championship.

Louisiana State won the men’s title when Texas Christian dropped the baton in the 1,600-meter relay. Janus Robberts of Southern Methodist won the men’s shotput with a meet record of 70-1.

For the second consecutive day, the U.S. team won three gold medals and two silvers in the World Indoor Championships at Lisbon. Dawn Burrell won the women’s long jump at 23 feet, 3/4 of an inch. Shawn Crawford won the 200 meters at 20.63 seconds, and Lawrence Johnson, the U.S record-holder in the pole vault, led a one-two U.S. finish, clearing 19-6 1/4. Tye Harvey finished second.

Auto Racing

Kenny Brack of Sweden won the pole for the inaugural Telmex Tecate Grand Prix at Monterrey, Mexico. Cristiano da Matta of Brazil earned the other front-row spot for today’s race. Brack averaged 100.665 mph. Gil de Ferran, reigning CART series champion, finished third. . . . Derek Higgins of Ireland won the first pole of his Indy Lights career in qualifying for the inaugural race at Monterrey, Mexico. . . . Joe Nemechek ended Todd Bodine’s recent dominance on the Busch Grand National Series by winning the Aaron’s 312 at Hampton, Ga.

The fight over race driver Dale Earnhardt’s autopsy photos has led to a proposed compromise that would maintain the public’s right to see such photos but ban their copying unless a judge determines it to be of great public concern. The compromise, suggested by the First Amendment Foundation, will be proposed in the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, which will hold hearings Tuesday on a bill that would exempt autopsy pictures from the state’s public records law.

Miscellany

Francisco Clavet of Spain, who upset Andre Agassi in the first round, continued his steady play by upsetting defending champion Lleyton Hewitt of Australia, 6-3, 6-4, to advance to the Franklin Templeton Classic final at Scottsdale, Ariz. The second semifinal between Magnus Norman of Sweden and unseeded Harel Levy of Israel was postponed until today because of rain. . . . Jan-Michael Gambill overcame 21 aces, three match points and a 15-minute delay due to an ill spectator to eke out a 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (8) victory over hard-serving Australian Wayne Arthurs and reach the final of the Citrix Championships at Delray Beach, Fla. Gambill will play 20-year-old Belgian Xavier Malisse, who struggled past Dutch qualifier Peter Wessels, 7-5, 6-4.

Julius Jones, Notre Dame’s leading rusher last season, was suspended for spring football practice for an unspecified violation of university rules. Coach Bob Davie said Jones is expected back for fall practice. . . . Larry Mac Duff will return to Arizona for his second stint as defensive coordinator.

Defending champion Doug Swingley is leading the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race more than halfway to the finish in Nome, Alaska. . . . The Phoenix Mustangs defeated the visiting Ice Dogs, 4-2, in a West Coast Hockey League game.

Former World Boxing Assn. heavyweight champion Greg Page, 43, was in critical condition with head injuries at University of Cincinnati hospital a day after a 10-round bout at Earlanger, Ky.