Powell’s 100 (9.90) is his best of year

Asafa Powell marked his return from a groin injury by posting his season-best 9.90 seconds to win the 100 meters at the Golden Gala meet in Rome on Friday.

Powell, the 100-meter world record-holder at 9.77, improved on the 9.94 he won with at the opening Golden League meet in Oslo last month.

This was Powell’s first 100 meters since he was injured at the Jamaican championships June 23. He led all the way, slowing as he crossed the line.

Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas, who won at the Golden League meet in Paris last week with Powell absent, finished second in 10.02.

Tyson Gay still has the year’s fastest time of 9.84, set at the U.S. trials last month.

Tero Pitkamaki of Finland finished second in the javelin to Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway. Thorkildsen won with a throw of 283-4 to Pitkamaki’s 282-5.

Pitkamaki appeared rattled when one of his throws grazed French long jumper Salim Sdiri in the side.

Sdiri was standing near the long jump area when he was hit. He suffered a one-inch external wound and no internal damage.

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MOTOR RACING

Mears edges Truex for Nextel Cup pole

Casey Mears turned a fast lap of 182.556 mph in his Chevrolet to win the pole position for Sunday’s NASCAR Nextel Cup USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet.

Mears’ quick lap late in qualifying bumped Martin Truex Jr.’s Chevrolet off what would have been Truex’s first career pole. He’ll start second after a lap of 182.476 mph.

When Dale Earnhardt Jr. leaves his late father’s team to drive for Hendrick Motorsports next season, longtime corporate sponsor Budweiser won’t be going with him.

The Hendrick team announced that Budweiser would not continue as the sponsor of Earnhardt’s car next season because of Hendrick’s “long-term contractual commitments to existing sponsors.”

Scott Dixon edged Dario Franchitti to win the pole for tonight’s Indy Racing League Firestone Indy 200 at Nashville Superspeedway. Dixon’s qualifying speed was 204.414 mph on the 1.33-mile oval, and Franchitti came in at 203.873 mph.

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TENNIS

Inspired Mahut reaches Hall of Fame semifinals

Pete Sampras provided the incentive fifth-seeded Nicolas Mahut needed to beat Prakash Amritraj, 6-4, 7-6 (4), in the quarterfinals of the Hall of Fame Championships at Newport, R.I.

Mahut said that Sampras was his idol when he started playing, and he’ll face Dick Norman today in the semifinals after Sampras gets inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Norman beat Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

In other quarterfinal matches, Wesley Moodie upset second-seeded Vince Spadea, 6-4, 6-4, and fourth-seeded Fabrice Santoro beat Mischa Zverev, 6-4, 6-3.

Fourth-seeded Carlos Moya defeated Robin Soderling, 6-2, 6-4, and Nicolas Almagro beat Luis Horna, 7-5, 6-4, to set up an all-Spanish semifinal at the Swedish Open in Bastad.

Second-seeded David Ferrer and fifth-seeded Filippo Volandri will play in the other semifinal. Ferrer beat Gilles Simon, 6-1, 6-0, and Volandri beat Olivier Rochus, 6-1, 6-2.

Wild-card entry Igor Andreev upset defending champion Richard Gasquet, 7-5, 6-2, to reach the semifinals of the Swiss Open at Gstaad. He will play Andreas Seppi, who defeated Martin Vassalla Arguello, 6-4, 6-0.

Defending champion Tommy Haas withdrew from next week’s Countrywide Classic at UCLA, as did Andy Murray and Robby Ginepri.

Haas, who suffered a torn abdominal muscle at Wimbledon, pulled out because he wanted to see the results of an MRI, according to officials. Murray has an injured wrist, and Ginepri has been ill.

-- Lisa Dillman

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PRO FOOTBALL

Colts sign Freeney to six-year, $72-million deal

The Indianapolis Colts signed defensive end Dwight Freeney to a contract that will make him among the NFL’s most highly paid defensive players. Freeney signed a six-year, $72-million contract that includes a $30-million signing bonus.

St. Louis Rams cornerback Fakhir Brown was suspended for the first four games next season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. The league didn’t reveal the specific violation.

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BASKETBALL

Former Clippers guard Hart signs with Jazz

Guard Jason Hart, who played 23 games for the Clippers last season and averaged 9.0 points, signed a multiyear contract with the Utah Jazz.

The Clippers had expressed interest in re-signing Hart, who came to the team after being released by the Sacramento Kings on March 1.

Vince Carter signed a contract with New Jersey that will keep the eight-time All-Star guard with the Nets at least through the 2010-11 season. Carter, who averaged 25.2 points last season, will receive $66 million guaranteed.

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MISCELLANY

Patrick confirms new radio talk show deal

Dan Patrick confirmed that he plans to do a syndicated radio show for a new Chicago-based broadcasting venture called the Content Factory after he leaves ESPN on Aug. 17, but he isn’t sure when it will begin.

“It could be this fall, or maybe early next year,” he said. “As I said earlier, I had an exit strategy but not an entrance strategy.”

The plan is to syndicate the new show through a variety of media platforms, including the Internet and mobile services.

-- Larry Stewart

Texas El Paso football Coach Mike Price, 61, was released from a hospital Friday afternoon after doctors implanted a stent to relieve a blocked artery in his heart.

As expected, Brent Sutter was hired as the coach of the New Jersey Devils. He will be the Devils’ 14th coach in 26 seasons.

The University of Oregon will reinstate baseball for the 2009 season after an absence of nearly 30 years. The Ducks last fielded a team in the 1980-81 season, when it was relegated to a club sport because of budget constraints.

Funny Cide, the 7-year-old gelding who won the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness, has been retired.