Harding’s boyfriend arrested for assault after two scuffle
Tonya Harding tussled in her Vancouver, Wash., home with a man she described as her boyfriend, prompting an emergency call by the figure skater-turned-boxer and an arrest of the man.
Christopher Nolan was charged with assault and pleaded not guilty Monday. He told deputies Harding threw him down and bit his finger when he said she had too much to drink on Sunday. The 27-year-old Nolan was ordered to stay away from Harding and to avoid alcohol.
Harding had a small cut over her right eye and an abrasion on her left cheek.
Initially, Harding called 911 and said she was attacked by two masked men who came to her home and assaulted her before she could escape.
Nolan said he and Harding were roommates.
The 34-year-old Harding was banned for life from competitive figure skating after her former husband hired a hitman to club rival Nancy Kerrigan with a baton as Kerrigan left the ice during practice at the 1994 U.S. championships in Detroit.
The attack prevented Kerrigan from competing, but she recovered to win a silver medal at the 1994 Olympics. Harding finished out of the running.
“Michelle Kwan has withdrawn from the Cup of China, her last chance to skate in the Grand Prix series leading to the 2006 Olympics.
Kwan has been sidelined for two weeks with a strained ligament in her right hip.
Hurricane Wilma
Florida games postponed
Hurricane Wilma caused some minor damage to the Florida Panthers’ arena in Miami, prompting the NHL to postpone another game because of the storm.
Saturday’s scheduled visit by the Washington Capitals has been pushed back indefinitely, the league said. It’s the second straight Panthers home game affected by Wilma; last Saturday’s scheduled visit by Ottawa will be played Dec. 5.
Wilma also affected this weekend’s college football schedule. Because the Orange Bowl’s lighting system was damaged, the starting time for Saturday’s game between North Carolina and sixth-ranked Miami was moved up to noon.
Also, Florida International’s scheduled home game Saturday against Middle Tennessee has been postponed because of damage caused by Wilma. The game will be rescheduled.
Homestead-Miami Speedway sustained some wind damage, but next month’s season-ending NASCAR race will go on as scheduled.
Olympics
Doping impasse on slate
The impasse over doping rules at the Turin Winter Games, the possible inclusion of women’s boxing and other new events in 2012 and a final ruling in American sprinter Jerome Young’s six-year-old drug case are being considered by Olympic leaders this week in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The International Olympic Committee executive board convenes today for its first full meeting since the July session in Singapore when London was awarded the 2012 Games and baseball and softball were voted off the program.
Soccer
Conrad, Klein win MLS awards
Kansas City Wizards teammates Jimmy Conrad and Chris Klein won Major League Soccer season awards.
Conrad was selected as the MLS Defender of the Year and Klein was chosen Comeback Player of the Year. Real Salt Lake midfielder Brian Kamler was recognized as the U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year and veteran referee Brian Hall was voted the Referee of the Year.
“Michael Hitchcock was appointed general manager for FC Dallas.
He was vice president of sales for MLS attendance leader Los Angeles. Hitchcock has been in sales and marketing for MLS teams for eight years.
Basketball
Summitt’s father dies
Richard Head, father of Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt, died at 83.
Head died Sunday at his home in Henrietta, Fla. Friends of the family said he had been ill for about a year. Summitt missed practice in Knoxville on Monday to be with her family.
She often credited her father, a tobacco and dairy farmer, with instilling in his three sons and two daughters a strong work ethic and sense of discipline.
Miscellany
Hoosiers guard has surgery
Indiana guard A.J. Ratliff had surgery on his injured right thumb and will be out indefinitely. Ratliff was injured during practice Monday. The sophomore was expected to be a key contributor this season after starting 14 games in 2004-05.
“Michelle Wie will start 2006 much like the past two years – competing against men on her home island. But this time around, she’ll be playing for pay. Wie has received and accepted a sponsor’s exemption to play in January’s Sony Open in Honolulu, the first full-field PGA Tour event of the year, tournament officials said.
“Marc Rosset retired, saying the Swiss Indoors would be his final pro tennis tournament. The 35-year-old Swiss player, whose biggest success was winning the Olympic gold medal in Barcelona, turned pro in 1988. His highest ranking in 17 years was ninth in 1995, but he has since dropped to 674th.
“Silvia Farina Elia, the highest-ranked Italian female tennis player in history, retired after losing in the first round of the Gaz de France. The 33-year-old player rose as high as 11th three years ago, and was 28th in the most recent WTA rankings.