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In brief

USOC creates panel to generate reforms

CHICAGO -- After several months of scandals, the U.S. Olympic Committee's executive committee announced Sunday it has formed a task force to create a blueprint for major reform.

It will examine virtually every part of the USOC for ways to streamline the organization and improve its operation. Its recommendations are due before the USOC's April board meeting.

"The task force has a broad mandate and a lot of work to do," said Bill Stapleton, who will chair the task force with fellow vice president Frank Marshall.

The U.S. Congress has the authority to revoke the USOC's charter, and one senator, Ben Nighthorse Campbell, said chief executive officer Lloyd Ward should resign because of his role in the recent scandals.

A second Congressional hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

"This gives us the opportunity to show Congress we're stepping up to the plate as far as our own governance and are willing to take corrective action," said Jim McCarthy, a member of the executive committee.

Since Ward was accused in December of trying to steer Olympic business to his brother's company, five USOC members have quit, president Marty Mankamyer resigned and leaders have been called before Congress.

The group has had three presidents during the past 11 months and three CEOs since 2000.

"The USOC needs to take decisive action to get our house in order," interim president Bill Martin said. "The time for action, change and improvement is now."

TRACK

Coach denies drug ties

Charlie Francis defended himself after world 100-meter record holder Tim Montgomery and three-time Olympic champion Marion Jones dropped him as their coach.

Montgomery and Jones cut ties with him last week after widespread criticism. Francis coached Ben Johnson when he advised him to take steroids.

Francis said he did not discuss drugs with Montgomery and Jones.

"I'm there as a technical consultant, period," he said.

COLLEGES

Gators second in golf

Florida finished second in the Gator Invitational golf tournament at 872, three strokes behind Augusta State. Ari Savolainen finished third individually, the Gators' highest finisher.

TENNIS: Florida's women fell 4-3 to Duke in the final of the USTA/ITA Team Indoor tournament in Madison, Wis. ... Florida's men earned their first road victory of the season, defeating Florida State 6-1.

WINTER SPORTS

Champ Hackl falls short

Three-time Olympic luge champion Georg Hackl won the final World Cup singles race in Winterberg, Germany, but Markus Kleinheinz won the season title. Kleinheinz was third but outscored Hackl 595-590 in seven races.

SKIING: Melanie Turgeon won Canada's first title at the Alpine World Championships in 10 years, taking the downhill over Corinne Rey-Bellet and Alexandra Meissnitzer by .11 seconds in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

SPEED SKATING: Apolo Anton Ohno won the 1,000- and 3,000-meter World Cup short-track races in Kearns, Utah. ... Cindy Klassen won the world all-around championship after finishing third in the last two races in Goteborg, Sweden. Gianni Romme led a medal sweep for the Dutch men. Romme won the final 10,000 meters to take the overall title for the second time. It was the first 1-2-3-4 finish by one country in 71 years.

BIATHLON: Ole Einar Bjorndalen and Kati Wilhelm won World Cup races in Lahti, Finland. Bjorndalen won the 15K by two seconds over Oleg Ryzhenkov, Wilhelm the 121/2K by 19 seconds over Martina Glagow.

ET CETERA

WRESTLING: Rulon Gardner lost to Mijain Lopez 3-0 in the final of the Dave Schultz Memorial International tournament in Colorado Springs, Colo., Gardner's first tournament since he lost a toe to frostbite last year.

AMERICA'S CUP: Team New Zealand will defend aboard NZL-82, its newest boat. It faces Switzerland's Alinghi in a best-of-nine beginning Saturday in Auckland, New Zealand.

FIELD HOCKEY: Germany's men and women won the first world championships in Leipzig, Germany. The men defeated Poland 7-1 Sunday, with brothers Christian and Oliver Domke combining for four goals. The women beat the Netherlands 5-2 on two goals each by Franziska Gude and Natascha Keller. France won both bronze-medal games.

RUNNING: Patrick Ivuti won the Almond Blossom cross-country race, capturing the 10K event by 17 seconds over Abderrahim Goumri in Loule, Portugal. Fernanda Ribeira won the women's 6K race by 12 seconds over Yeseria Centeno.

CYCLING: Tom Danielson won the Malaysia's Le Tour de Langkawi in Kuala Lumpur. He finished the 10-day, 835-mile race in 31:54:09, nine seconds ahead of Dario Munoz.

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