■FOOTBALL
Police track down gun
Former NFL quarterback Steve McNair’s mistress bought the gun she used to kill him from a convicted murderer whose fiancee was afraid to have it in the house, authorities said on Friday. Adrian Gilliam Jr, 33, was charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted selling a 9mm Bryco/Jennings to Sahel Kazemi for US$100, court documents said. Kazemi, 20, shot McNair to death at his condo on July 4 before killing herself. Authorities say she met Gilliam while she was trying to sell her car and told him she was looking to buy a gun. A criminal complaint says Gilliam — who was convicted in 1993 in Florida for murder and attempted armed robbery — told police he sold the gun to Kazemi, whom he identified from a police photo. Detectives traced the gun to its 2002 sale at a pawn shop. Gilliam eventually bought it from someone for US$100 about a year or year-and-a-half ago.
■SOFTBALL
US hold lead at Cup
The US remained atop the standings in the World Cup of Softball with a 12-0 thrashing of Italy on Friday that was stopped by the mercy rule after five innings. That made it two wins from two games for the host nation. Australia also has two wins, albeit from three games, after winning one and losing one on Friday, beating the Netherlands 6-1 before going down 3-2 to Canada. Japan notched its first win by inflicting Italy’s second mercy rule defeat of the day with a 7-0 win in five innings.
■AQUATICS
China take first gold
Qin Kai won the men’s 1m springboard event as China took the first gold medal at the world aquatics championships, which began on Friday in Rome. Qin, who won gold in the synchronized 3m competition at the Olympics in Beijing last year with partner Wang Feng and bronze in the individual event, triumphed with a score of 449.00 after leading the field for most of the final. His compatriot Zhang Xinhua was second with 445.90 after pushing Australian Olympic 10m platform champion Matthew Mitcham down to third with his two final dives. Britain’s Peter Waterfield was fourth.
■FIELD HOCKEY
Australia make finals
Nic Arrold scored on a 43rd-minute penalty stroke to give Australia a 2-1 win over Beijing Olympic gold medalists Netherlands yesterday and a place in today’s women’s field hockey Champions Trophy final. Australia, which needed to win to make the final while the Dutch required only a draw, took a 1-0 lead after two minutes on Casey Eastham’s goal. Maartje Paumen, off a ninth-minute penalty corner, scored the Dutch equalizer at the Sydney Olympic Park Hockey Center. Australia will face Argentina in the final.
■BASEBALL
Maddux’s number retired
Atlanta Braves retired Greg Maddux’s number on Friday amid a hail of superlatives for the superstar pitcher’s talent and competitive drive. “I get asked by managers and press people all the time, how good was he?” his former manager Bobby Cox said. “Was he the best pitcher I ever saw? Was he the smartest pitcher I ever saw? Was he the best competitor I ever saw? Was he the best teammate I ever saw? The answer is yes to all the above.” Cox guided the Braves to 14 straight division titles from 1991 to 2005, with Maddux joining the team in 1993. Maddux, nicknamed “Mad Dog” for his fierce competitiveness, announced his retirement last December after 23 seasons. He left with more wins than any living pitcher.
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