DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Ten years after its gymnastics team won an Olympic bronze medal in Sydney, China was ordered to give it back for using an underage girl, allowing the United States to claim it instead.
Acting on evidence Dong Fang- xiao was only 14 at the 2000 Games, the International Olympic Committee on Wednesday stripped the country of the women’s team bronze.
Gymnasts must turn 16 during the Olympic year to be eligible.
“Justice prevailed,” said Domi- nique Dawes, who will now have a medal from each of her three Olympics and four overall. “My teammates are very well-deserving of the bronze medal, and I’m sure each and every one of us will be thrilled. . . . I will say that I never imagined in all my years of gymnastics that, a decade after one of my Olympic Games, I’d actually get a medal possibly shipped to me in the mail.”
Hoiberg to coach alma mater
AMES, Iowa — Former Iowa State star Fred Hoiberg signed a five-year contract to lead his alma mater’s basketball team.
Hoiberg, who scored nearly 2,000 points during his career with the Cyclones from 1991-95, received an annual base salary of $800,000. He replaces Greg McDermott, who left to coach at Creighton.
• Seton Hall forward Herb Pope was taken to a hospital after collapsing during an afternoon workout at the school, according to The Star-Ledger of Newark (N.J.).
Pope, who averaged 11.5 points and led the Big East by averaging 10.7 rebounds last season, announced he was entering the NBA draft. However, he did not hire an agent, leaving open the possibility he might return next season.
• UNLV junior forward Matt Shaw is off the Runnin’ Rebels men’s basketball team after failing a postgame drug test in the team’s NCAA Tournament loss to Northern Iowa on March 18.
Armstrong finishes 22nd
SILVER CITY, N.M. — Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong finished 22nd in the Tour of the Gila’s opening stage, a 95-mile road race in New Mexico that was capped by a grueling climb over the final 5 miles.
Armstrong’s RadioShack teammate Levi Leipheimer won the opening stage after breaking from a pack near the finish of the steep ascent in the foothills of the Gila Mountains.
Footnotes.
NASCAR docked Brad Keselowski 50 points in the Nationwide Series because his car failed inspection after Sunday’s win at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.
• Inter Milan survived Thiago Motta‘s first-half ejection to defeat Barcelona on 3-2 aggregate and reach the European Champions League final for the first time in 38 years, despite a 1-0 loss. Inter will play Bayern Munich in the final May 22.
• Former Major League Soccer MVP Luciano Emilio re-signed with D.C. United, returning to the club on a three-month contract with an option to extend the deal.
• Brazil reclaimed the top spot from Spain in the FIFA rankings, while the United States moved up two places to 14th.
The Associated Press
