Wednesday's sports briefs

Caster Semenya, an 18-year-old South African who has been asked to take a gender test, won the 800 with a stunningly dominating run at the world championships Wednesday.

She took the lead halfway through and finished in a world-leading 1 minute, 55.45 seconds, beating defending champion Janeth Jepkosgei of Kenya by a massive 2.45 seconds. Jennifer Meadows of Britain was third.

Her dramatic improvement in times, muscular build and deep voice sparked speculation about her gender. Ideally, any dispute surrounding an athlete is dealt with before a major competition. But Semenya's stunning rise from unknown teenage runner to the favorite in the 800 happened almost overnight. That meant the gender test -- which takes several weeks -- could not be completed in time.

Usain Bolt won the 200-meter semifinals with ease. But Jamaica didn't have to wait until Bolt's final today for another reggae celebration. Brigitte Foster-Hylton followed some Bolt-like clowning before the race with a clean run to win the 100 hurdles title.

Priscilla Lopes-Schliep of Canada won the silver and Delloreen Ennis-London of Jamaica the bronze. The Americans were outrun again, with Dawn Harper fading to seventh. The Americans have three golds and eight medals overall, just ahead of Jamaica with three golds and seven total.

AUTO RACING

Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson had the gas to get to the White House, where President Barack Obama honored the 2008 winner as well as auto racing.

"NASCAR is a uniquely American sport," Obama said beneath the South Portico, flanked by nine of the 12 drivers who competed last year for NASCAR's top prize. Three drivers had scheduling conflicts and could not attend.

Obama said NASCAR drivers work to support U.S. troops, local schools and environmental innovation. Obama said the sport certainly has grown since "moonshiners" raced in Daytona Beach, Fla., to become a service-oriented organization known around the world.

"One of the core values of the NASCAR community is the belief that service isn't just something you do once in a while when it's convenient. It's a way of life," the president said. "That's the face of America that you show to the world."

• Kyle Busch pulled away from Matt Crafton in the closing laps to easily win the O'Reilly 200 truck series race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

AROUND THE HORN

• TV: Showtime boxing announcer Nick Charles has taken a leave of absence while battling bladder cancer. Charles, a longtime CNN sportscaster, has been part of Showtime's ShoBox series since it began in 2001. Charles was among the first reporters hired by CNN, working for the cable news network for 21 years.

• Soccer: Burnley beat Manchester United for the first time in 41 years, upsetting the defending Premier League champion 1-0.

• Tennis: Top-ranked Dinara Safina fell 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 to Aravane Rezai in a second-round match of the Rogers Cup. ... Sam Querrey upset Andy Roddick 7-6 (11), 7-6 (3) in the Cincinnati Masters

• NHL: Blackhawks star Patrick Kane was indicted on misdemeanor assault and theft charges after he was accused of beating up a cab driver over a fare dispute. The grand jury dismissed a more serious felony charge of second-degree robbery.

• North Dakota's Matt Frattin has been dismissed from the hockey team for violating team rules.

• NBA: The Magic signed free agent guard Jason Williams. ... Free agent Desmond Mason will not be returning to the Thunder next season.

• WNBA: Lindsay Whalen scored seven of her 20 points in the fourth quarter as Connecticut rallied to a 74-69 victory over New York. Janel McCarville had 10 for New York (9-16).

• Softball: Warner Robins, Ga., defeated Crawford, Texas 14-2 in the championship game of the Little League Softball World Series.

FROM WIRE SERVICES