Briefs | Shani Davis makes U.S. World Cup speedskating team in all individual events

Speedskating

Davis makes World Cup team in all individual events: Shani Davis of Chicago won the men's 10,000 meters Sunday at the U.S. long-track speedskating trials in Milwaukee and has made the World Cup team in all five individual events.

Davis, who won the 10,000 in 13 minutes, 29.01 seconds, said he is willing to consider being part of team pursuit at next year's Vancouver Olympics.

Davis didn't skate the pursuit at the 2006 Games in Turin, Italy, and feuded over the decision with fellow American Chad Hedrick. On Sunday, Davis accepted his nomination as one of five skaters who could participate in the pursuit.

"I would love for him to be part of it," Hedrick said. "If we can get it together, we'd be the team to beat."

Davis holds the world record at 1,000 and 1,500 meters.

"I'm probably the strongest and fastest I've ever been in my life," the 27-year-old Davis said.

Persistent Rookard: Jilleanne Rookard has a mother suffering from cancer, lives in the basement of a fellow long-track speedskater's home, has to schedule training around a part-time job at a Milwaukee roller rink and sometimes has trouble paying her bills because money is so tight.

That hasn't stopped her from closing in on a trip to the Olympics.

"It's been pretty rough," Rookard said. "There's been times when I've had $30 in my bank account."

Former inline skater Rookard was one of the biggest surprises at the U.S. trials, winning the 5,000 meters Sunday to go along with an earlier victory in the 3,000. She also earned spots on the World Cup team in both the 1,000 and 1,500, giving her a chance to skate up to four events at the Games. While the Olympic team will be picked based on the results of five World Cup meets, Rookard's spot seems locked up after the way she skated at the trials.

Claire Rookard, who has suffered from multiple myeloma since 2005, was too ill to attend the trials. She hasn't given up on being at the Olympics, having already put down the money to rent a condo — before her daughter qualified.

"She was taking a big risk," Jilleanne said. "No pressure there, huh?"

Without any major sponsors and having not yet qualified for a stipend from the U.S. Olympic Committee or U.S. Speedskating, Jilleanne rents a room from local speedskater Ericka Hawke and works about 20 hours a week at the roller rink.

Skiing

American Ligety finishes second to Cuche: Didier Cuche of Switzerland and Ted Ligety of Park City, Utah, finished 1-2 in the opening men's World Cup race of the season, a giant slalom in Soelden, Austria.

Cuche, the defending World Cup giant-slalom champion, had a two-run combined time of 2 minutes, 21.45 seconds and posted his 10th World Cup victory. Ligety was 0.60 seconds behind and Carlo Janka of Switzerland was third.

Bobsled and skeleton

Heading to camp: The U.S. World Cup teams will be in Whistler, B.C., for two weeks of training on the track that will be used for the Olympics in February. The group includes women's bobsled driver Bree Schaaf of Bremerton.

The Olympic teams will be finalized Jan. 23.

Soccer

Liverpool blanks Manchester United: Liverpool beat Manchester United 2-0 to end its four-match losing streak and keep Chelsea at the top of the English Premier League.

Goals by Fernando Torres and David Ngog earned Liverpool its third consecutive Premiership victory over Manchester United, which last season tied Liverpool's record of 18 league championships.

College basketball

North Carolina, Duke tie in ACC voting: Defending national champion North Carolina and Duke each have Hall of Fame coaches, deep front lines and questions in the backcourt this season. They also share the honor of being co-favorites to win the Atlantic Coast Conference.

North Carolina, coached by Roy Williams, and the Blue Devils, coached by Mike Krzyzewski, each received 545 points in media voting at the ACC Operation Basketball preseason event.

Duke got 25 of 48 first-place votes, compared with 20 first-place votes for the Tar Heels.

Tennis

Sampras, Agassi turn back the clock: Pete Sampras beat Andre Agassi in three sets in an exhibition match in Macau as the two retired American greats revisited their rivalry.

The 38-year-old Sampras' 3-6, 6-3, 10-8 victory in the Chinese gambling enclave was the first time the two had played since Sampras won in the 2002 U.S. Open final for his then-record 14th Grand Slam title.

Trailing 9-6 in the supertiebreaker, the 39-year-old Agassi saved two match points — the second with a down-the-line backhand winner — but Sampras served out the match with an ace.

"Andre just hits the ball so cleanly, even after being retired for three years," Sampras said.

Youzhny, Schiavone win Kremlin Cup titles: Mikhail Youzhny of Russia beat Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia 6-7 (5-7), 6-0, 6-4 and Francesca Schiavone of Italy defeated Olga Govortsova of Belarus 6-3, 6-0 to win Kremlin Cup titles in Moscow.

Schiavone improved to 2-10 in WTA Tour finals.

Baghdatis triumphs: Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus beat Olivier Rochus of Belgium 6-1, 7-5 in the Stockholm Open final in Sweden. Baghdatis has three career ATP titles.

Seattle Times news services