World cup skiing

January 18, 2009 at 5:41AM

WORLD CUP SKIING

Vonn rallies to win again In an unusual twist, Lindsey Vonn relied on her technical skills to bail her out after she struggled to control her speed.

The reigning overall and downhill champion nearly crashed early in the downhill portion of a super-combined World Cup race but later used her improved slalom skills to take the victory on Saturday in Zauchensee, Austria.

Vonn had the third-fastest slalom run to finish in an aggregate time of 2 minutes, 40.53 seconds. Kathrin Zettel of Austria was second, 0.30 seconds behind; Anja Paerson of Sweden was third, 0.66 seconds behind.

"It was incredible. It was a tough day," said Vonn, who won her third World Cup title of the season and 16th overall. "I thought that I would be hurt or crashing."

Known for her prowess in speed events, Vonn lost her balance while jumping and almost crashed on the technically demanding Kaelberloch downhill. She broke the fall with her right arm and recovered to finish fourth.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Hamels cashes in on season Cole Hamels can afford the finest mantel for his World Series MVP award.

The lefthander, 25, has agreed to a three-year, $20.5 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, three people familiar with the negotiations said.

The people spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because an announcement hasn't been made. A news conference is planned for today.

Hamels established himself as a true ace in the postseason, going 4-0 with an 1.80 ERA as the Phillies claimed their first championship since 1980.

Hamels went 14-10 with a 3.09 ERA during the regular season.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

Texas suspends coach The University of Texas has suspended baseball coach Augie Garrido indefinitely without pay after he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving.

Police arrested Garrido, the NCAA's career leader with 1,668 victories, near downtown Austin just before 1 a.m. on Saturday.

Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds said in a statement that Garrido told him he's "devastated and realizes he's made a serious mistake." Dodds said Garrido will be suspended with pay until university officials can gather more information.

AROUND THE HORN

College football: Nebraska running back Marlon Lucky rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown, and the East defense stopped the West three times inside the 10-yard line to secure a 24-19 victory in the East-West Shrine Game in Houston.

Horse racing: The Pamplemousse overcame a challenge by Square Eddie and pulled away for a two-length victory in the $100,000 San Rafael Stakes in Arcadia, Calif., nosing the 3-year-old into the early Kentucky Derby picture. Ridden by Alex Solis, The Pamplemousse covered one mile in 1:35.31 and paid $7.20, $3 and $2.20.

Track and field: Junior Alicia Rue set a Gophers record in the pole vault by clearing 14 feet, 4 inches at the Minnesota Open in Plymouth.

Dakar Rally: Giniel de Villiers become the first South African to win the 5,600-mile race through South America.

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