Sports briefly

TRACK AND FIELD

Relay victory gives Gay a third gold

Tyson Gay joined some fast, fast company. Allyson Felix is a race away from doing the same.

The powerhouse pair helped the United States sweep the men's and women's 400-meter relays Saturday night at the world track and field championships in Osaka, Japan.

Gay joined Carl Lewis and Maurice Greene as the only men to win three gold medals at one world meet. Felix, winner of the 200 meters on Friday night, earned her second gold and can get a third in the women's 1,600 relay in the meet's final session tonight.

"It was my first relay tonight, it was a great feeling and I can't wait to do it again tomorrow," Felix said.

Only one other woman has won three golds in the meet's history -- Marita Koch of East Germany at the first world championships in 1983.

Gay did not run the anchor leg in the men's 400 relay. He ran third, on the curve, leaving young LeRoy Dixon to fend off world record holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica in the last 100 meters.

Gay, who swept the 100 and 200 here, confessed to being a little confused himself when he was told the lineup for the relay on Friday night.

"Normally the fastest American always runs last, and they told me, 'Well, you're a great third leg, so we're going to make an exception,' " he said. "So you know I rolled with it, and I'm happy with the decision."

The Americans also got a gold from Brad Walker, who cleared 19 feet, 2¾ inches in winning the pole vault. Heading into today's final day of competition, the United States has 22 medals, 11 of them gold.

• Czech Roman Sebrle, the world record holder and Olympic champion in the decathlon, finally got his first world title, edging Maurice Smith of Jamaica by 32 points -- 8,676 to 8,644. Former world champion Tom Pappas of the United States withdrew after his first event Saturday because of a foot injury.

Meseret Defar of Ethiopia won the 5,000 world title to add to her Olympic gold and world record in the event.

"I achieved the world record and I wanted the [Olympic] gold medal," she said. "Finally, I am the world champion."

Kenya's Catherine Ndereba, the 2003 world champion and silver medalist in 2005, became the first woman to win two marathon titles at the worlds. She won in 2 hours, 30 minutes and 37 seconds-- 8 seconds clear of No. 1-ranked Zhou Chunxiu of China. Reiko Tosa finished third for Japan's first medal of the meet.

BASKETBALL

Nash, Anthony to lead all-stars

Steve Nash, Carmelo Anthony and Greg Oden will be on a team of NBA players that will travel to China this month for an exhibition game against Yao Ming and the Chinese national team.

Baron Davis, Leandro Barbosa and Derek Fisher also will play in the Sept. 14 game in Beijing that will raise money for the Special Olympics, the China Hope Project and the Chi Heng Foundation, which benefits Chinese orphans with AIDS.

• Authorities pulled a body from the Delaware River on Saturday and said there is a "strong likelihood" it is the missing father of Orlando Magic star Jameer Nelson, police said.

Floyd Nelson, 57, an employee at a tugboat company, was last seen Thursday working in a dry dock area in the Philadelphia suburb of Chester, Pa.

Police in Delaware said a boater called 911 on Saturday after spotting the body of a black male floating in the river near Fox Point Park in Wilmington. The body was recovered around 2 p.m.

CYCLING

U.S. rider repeats in time trial

Italy's Daniele Bennati won the opening leg of the Spanish Vuelta, cycling's most important race after the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia.

Bennati captured two stages of this year's Tour de France, including the final dash.

GYMNASTICS

Chinese women top qualifying

China led defending Olympic gold medalist Romania by only 1.3 points after the first day of qualifying at the world gymnastics championships in Stuttgart, Germany.

China led with 241.175 points. The United States and Russia each compete today.

AROUND THE HORN

Triathlon: Vanessa Fernandes of Portugal won her first triathlon world title, in Hamburg, Germany, establishing herself as the favorite for the Beijing Olympics. Defending champion Emma Snowsill of Australia was second, followed by Laura Bennett.

Horse racing: Lawyer Ron pulled away in the stretch and won the $500,000 Woodward Stakes by 8¼ lengths at Saratoga (N.Y.) Race Course, moving to the top of the handicap division. Lawyer Ron added the Grade 1 Woodward to his win in the Grade 1 Whitney Handicap on July 28, a race in which the 4-year-old colt earned a berth in the Breeders' Cup Classic next month.

Soccer: Two-time champion Ghana beat Peru 2-0 to reach the semifinals of the Under-17 World Cup in Changwon, South Korea. Ghana will next face Spain. In today's quarterfinals, Argentina will meet Nigeria while England will play Germany.

FROM NEWS SERVICES