U.S. woman is judo medal hope

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LAS VEGAS -- No American woman has won an Olympic judo medal. Ronda Rousey may be ready to change that.

Rousey, a 17-year-old during the Athens games but now a more experienced and internationally savvy competitor, needed less than three minutes to put away three outmatched opponents and win the middleweight (154ª pounds) title Friday at the U.S. women's Olympic trials. She won her final match in 1:37 by forcing Katie Sell to tap out with her signature move that dropped Sell on her back with Rousey pulling back her leg.

Rousey, from Santa Monica, is the daughter of Ann-Maria DeMars, the only U.S. woman to win a world judo title. Her daughter's silver last year was America's first women's world judo medal since 1995. ...

Sara McMann and Patricia Miranda won America's first two Olympic women's wrestling medals in 2004. Neither will repeat in 2008 after Friday's Olympic Trials in Las Vegas. Miranda, a 2004 bronze medalist, was heavily favored at 105½ pounds only to lose successive best-of-three matches to Clarissa Chun. McMann, who sobbed for nearly an hour after losing a late lead in the 2004 Olympic gold medal match in Athens, was dry-eyed this time after losing in consecutive matches at 138¾ pounds to Randi Miller. ...

The U.S. women's volleyball team beat top-ranked Brazil 25-21, 19-25, 29-27, 17-25, 15-11 at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs in the second of three matches in preparation for the Olympics. The No. 4-ranked U.S. was led by Ogonna Nnamani with 19 points, 16 kills and three blocks.

Track and Field

Richard Thompson and Kelly-Ann Baptiste, LSU seniors from Trinidad, won the men's and women's 100 meters in 10.12 and 11.20, respectively, at the NCAA championships in West Des Moines, Iowa. Defending men's champion Walter Dix of Florida State, coming back from a hamstring injury, got a bad start and wound up fourth at 10.22. Dix faces Thompson in the 200 today.

Boxing

Mike Tyson put up $50,000 for a proposed "hit" on gang members suspected of killing his bodyguard in 2000, a government witness testified in New York. The allegation was made Thursday by Dwayne Meyers, a former member of the Cash Money Brothers gang. Meyers testified at the trial of Abubakr Raheem, who's accused of driving a getaway car after turf-war killings. The alleged contract was never carried out.

Football

Former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry has been suspended indefinitely by the NFL pending the outcome of his trial later this month. A man accused Henry of punching him in the face and breaking his car window with a beer bottle. ... Bills chief operating officer Russ Brandon was served with a subpoena to appear before a grand jury looking into a hit-and-run accident involving an SUV registered to running back Marshawn Lynch. ... A coroner in Kittanning, Pa., says former Bills lineman Mitch Frerotte died Wednesday of a thickening of the heart muscle, a condition that can cause sudden death. He was 43. ... Former Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick was arrested early Friday in Norfolk, Va., and charged with driving under the influence and eluding police.

Tennis

Rafael Nadal defeated Ivo Karlovic to reach the Queen's Club semifinals in London, where he will face defending champion Andy Roddick. The top-seeded Nadal beat Karlovic 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) -- Nadal didn't even bother reaching for many of the 35 aces hit by the 6-foot-10 Croat. Roddick advanced when Andy Murray withdrew with a thumb injury.

Gymnastics

With the Olympic trials only days away, rising floodwaters forced world gymnastics champion Shawn Johnson from her gym in West Des Moines, Iowa. There was a foot of water inside Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute on Friday, with fish swimming in the parking lot. So Johnson moved to Iowa State, about 30 miles north of her hometown, until she leaves Monday for the trials. Chow's gym is a few blocks from the Raccoon River, which is rising after heavy rain this week.

NHL

Pittsburgh made certain goalie Marc-Andre Fleury won't become a restricted free agent, choosing to offer salary arbitration to one of the key players of their Stanley Cup playoffs run. ... Florida hired Peter DeBoer as their coach, giving him a multiyear deal on his 40th birthday. DeBoer is a highly touted junior coach from the Ontario Hockey League's Kitchener Rangers. ... Craig Hartsburg is the new coach of the Ottawa Senators. He previously coached Anaheim and Chicago.