Olympic Qualifier

When it became known that gymnastics star Dominique Moceanu, 14, would miss this weekend's U.S. Olympic trials with a jagged four-inch stress fracture in her right leg, there were sympathetic nods from divers at their own Olympic trials last week. Melisa Moses, 24, who earned one of two Olympic slots in three-meter springboard, was a gymnast for 10 years before her doctor forced her to quit. "I had several stress fractures just like she has in my legs," Moses said. "The last two years in gymnastics I was in casts for half of those years.

Steve Snow completed a hat trick by recording the winning goal in the final minute, lifting the United States to a 4-3 victory over Honduras in a fourth- round Olympic qualifier yesterday. With yesterday's victory and a 2-1 win over Mexico last month, the United States has a strong chance to qualify for the Olympic soccer tournament. The United States is battling with Honduras, Mexico and Canada for the right to participate in the Summer Games. The top two teams from the home-and-away qualifying series will go to Barcelona, with the winners being determined on a point basis for wins and ties.

Andrew McMarlin and Ty Bennion, the two rowers who qualified to represent the United States at the Olympics in the men's double, finished fourth in their heat yesterday in Lucerne, Switzerland, in the first round of the Olympic qualifier. The United States did not place high enough at last year's world championships to qualify its men's and women's doubles directly into the Olympics. McMarlin, a 27-year-old graduate of the Naval Academy, and Bennion, a 27-year-old Harvard grad, who have been training under Harold Finigan at Bachelor's Barge Club on Boathouse Row, won the U.S. Olympics trials in April in an upset over all the national training center entries.

Carmelo Anthony scored 27 points, Michael Redd added 23, and the United States clinched a spot in the 2008 Olympics by crushing Puerto Rico, 135-91, yesterday in the semifinals of the FIBA Americas tournament in Las Vegas. LeBron James contributed 19 points and nine assists, Kobe Bryant scored 15 points. The Americans are without a gold medal in their last three major events: the 2004 Olympics, and the 2002 and '06 world championships. But they remain untouchable in the Olympic qualifier, improving to 35-0.

This was not how the United States wanted to head into the FIBA Americas Olympic qualifying tournament next week. Three days after blowing out Australia in an exhibition game in Trenton, the United States struggled for most of the rematch last night, turning the ball over, giving up second chances and losing starting forward Seimone Augustus to injury, before finally beating the Aussies, 70-66, in Uncasville, Conn. "It was a little bit different game," coach Anne Donovan said.

The U.S. baseball team didn't have to dwell very long on its disheartening 7-6 extra-inning loss to Canada in the Pan-Am Games on Monday night. Yesterday, the players were back on the field for a 9 a.m. game against Mexico. "I don't know when my last 9 a.m. game was, but I had Art Potts Auto Sales on my shirt," manager Buddy Bell said. The United States evened its record with a 5-1 win over Mexico to get back on track in preparation for a showdown tonight with gold-medal favorite Cuba at sold-out CanWest Global Park.

They're going to have a good crowd for Sunday's World Cup qualifying game between the United States and Mexico in Foxboro, Mass. The last seats in the 57,877-seat stadium were sold Wednesday. But that doesn't necessarily mean there will be that many people in the stands when the United States and Mexico kick it off at 2:30 p.m. The game is part of a doubleheader, and many ticket holders might be more interested in seeing the second game, a Major League Soccer home opener between the New England Revolution and the Tampa Bay Mutiny at 5:15.

The thrill of competing in his third Olympics is not such a distant memory, but Dathan Ritzenhein is ready to get back to competition. The 29-year-old Ritzenhein is among the big names who will compete in Sunday's Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon. About 21,000 people will participate in the 13.1-mile race that begins and ends at Eakins Oval near the Art Museum. Two-time defending men's champion Matthew Kisorio and last year's women's champion, Kim Smith, will not compete but there will be plenty of worthy contenders, including Ritzenhein.

Calling it "the toughest decision" facing USA Basketball since it began using professional players, U.S. Olympic team coach Mike Krzyzewski said the 12-man roster for this summer's Beijing Games would be released Monday. "The pool of players that we have have all made commitments and have given time and effort," the Duke coach said yesterday at his annual summer news conference in Durham, N.C. "Really, we have more people qualified for those 12 spots than we can take, so that's what makes it tough.

Thank goodness for the trumpet player and Charles Barkley. There was a fabulous trumpet player sitting in the stands at the Palau d'Esports de Badalona last night. He played salsa. He played reggae. He even played "Happy Birthday. " He was worth the price of admission. So was Barkley, who got himself a technical and then gave a monologue. Good thing Barkley was worth the price of admission, because the basketball game certainly wasn't. The U.S. men's Olympic basketball team is bored, no doubt about it. The United States beat Puerto Rico, 115-77, in the quarterfinals.

The thrill of competing in his third Olympics is not such a distant memory, but Dathan Ritzenhein is ready to get back to competition. The 29-year-old Ritzenhein is among the big names who will compete in Sunday's Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon. About 21,000 people will participate in the 13.1-mile race that begins and ends at Eakins Oval near the Art Museum. Two-time defending men's champion Matthew Kisorio and last year's women's champion, Kim Smith, will not compete but there will be plenty of worthy contenders, including Ritzenhein.

He is finally healthy and rested after competing for the United States under-23 team, and the Union have never needed Freddy Adu to step up more than now. The Union are 0-3-1 heading into Saturday's 3:30 p.m. matchup with the Columbus Crew at PPL Park in Chester. In the four games, the Union have scored just two goals. Adu's acquisition last August came amid much fanfare, but he never hit his stride, as an ankle injury left him at less than 100 percent. Adu had two goals and an assist in 11 regular-season games for the Union.

Calling it "the toughest decision" facing USA Basketball since it began using professional players, U.S. Olympic team coach Mike Krzyzewski said the 12-man roster for this summer's Beijing Games would be released Monday. "The pool of players that we have have all made commitments and have given time and effort," the Duke coach said yesterday at his annual summer news conference in Durham, N.C. "Really, we have more people qualified for those 12 spots than we can take, so that's what makes it tough.

This was not how the United States wanted to head into the FIBA Americas Olympic qualifying tournament next week. Three days after blowing out Australia in an exhibition game in Trenton, the United States struggled for most of the rematch last night, turning the ball over, giving up second chances and losing starting forward Seimone Augustus to injury, before finally beating the Aussies, 70-66, in Uncasville, Conn. "It was a little bit different game," coach Anne Donovan said.

Carmelo Anthony scored 27 points, Michael Redd added 23, and the United States clinched a spot in the 2008 Olympics by crushing Puerto Rico, 135-91, yesterday in the semifinals of the FIBA Americas tournament in Las Vegas. LeBron James contributed 19 points and nine assists, Kobe Bryant scored 15 points. The Americans are without a gold medal in their last three major events: the 2004 Olympics, and the 2002 and '06 world championships. But they remain untouchable in the Olympic qualifier, improving to 35-0.

A shopping trip and the Olympics headlined a spate of developments in the burgeoning Kobe Bryant story yesterday, which included new questions about the mental stability of the basketball star's accuser. As expected, Bryant's agent said the Los Angeles Laker won't play for the U.S. team in next month's Olympic qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico, but he added that the former Lower Merion star intends to compete in the Athens Games in 2004. There was no mention of the felony sexual assault charge Bryant faces in the statement issued by agent Rob Pelinka.

Kobe Bryant has a tear in the tissue around his right shoulder socket that might require surgery. The labrum tear was discovered during an MRI exam Wednesday at Kerlan Jobe Medical Center in Los Angeles, the Lakers said yesterday. Bryant said on ESPN's "SportsCenter" that he will move as quickly as he can to take care of the injury. "I'm pretty sure that I will undergo surgery," he said. "If I don't have surgery, it could get worse. It seems surgery is inevitable. " The team said Bryant was hurt April 22 during a first-round playoff game against Minnesota.

He did his usual pregame routine, flicking the opposing team's net, then jogging toward midcourt for the tip-off. Eric Snow looked fine. Make no mistake, though. Snow's injured right foot was hurting him throughout the 76ers' game against the Detroit Pistons, and more so last night than on Saturday, when he played 32 minutes and scored 11 points. Asked before the game whether his foot, which has soft-tissue damage and tendinitis, was worse or better, Snow replied, "Worse before better.

One by one, members of Penn's track team came over to Sean Macmillan to shake his hand or smother him in a bear hug. Standing in the infield of Franklin Field, the beaming Macmillan soaked in all the attention as possibly the happiest fifth-place finisher in the history of the Penn Relays. Macmillan, senior co-captain of the Quakers, had plenty to smile about. Although he didn't win the college 3,000-meter steeplechase last night, his time of 8 minutes, 40.29 seconds on his home track qualified him for the U.S. Olympic trials as well as the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Penn Charter graduate Chris Albright highlighted an electrifying night of fast-paced soccer with a pair of goals as the United States' under-23 national team toppled Honduras, 3-0, in a first-round game of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament last night at HersheyPark Stadium. Albright, whose speed and skill posed matchup problems for Honduran defenders all night, converted a feed from teammate Ben Olsen in the 37th minute to give the United States a 1-0 lead. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound forward then knocked in a rebound from 18 yards out in the 77th minute as the U.S. team increased its advantage to 2-0. John Thorrington, sprung by Olsen's second assist, completed the scoring in the 85th minute.