Fast Break

BOXING

Duran, Whitaker join boxing Hall

Roberto Duran turned his “hands of stone” into palms raised skyward in thanks for a remarkable boxing career.

“I want to thank America. You opened your heart so I could enter. Thank you everybody who lives in the United States, who saw me grow into becoming a world champion,” Duran said through a translator Sunday at Canastota, N.Y., as he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Duran, a world champion from Panama in four weight divisions over a career that spanned five decades, joined Olympic gold medalist Pernell Whitaker, another four-division champion. Duran and Whitaker were chosen from the modern era, along with undefeated Mexican straw-weight (105 pounds) champion Ricardo “Finito” Lopez, who held his world crown for more than a decade with a string of 21 successful defenses.

Also among the class of 2007 were Argentine trainer Amilcar Brusa, longtime WBC president Jose Sulaiman and artist Leroy Neiman. Honored posthumously were heavyweight George Godfrey, lightweight Pedro Montanez, light heavyweight Kid Norfolk, manager/matchmaker Cuco Conde, newspaper cartoonist TAD Dorgan, and 19th century boxers Young Barney Aaron and Dick Curtis.

TRACK AND FIELD

Idaho’s Winger lets one sail

Idaho senior thrower Russ Winger threw a personal best and the seventh-best mark in the world this year in the shot put event at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore.

Winger finished fourth in the competition, which included five of the top eight throwers in the world. His top throw of 68 ft., 3 1/4 inches improved his personal best by 10 inches, moving him from 12th in the world to seventh. He also jumped from seventh in the United States to fifth.

Former Washington State standout Bernard Lagat ran second in the meet’s feature race, the Prefontaine Mile, in 3 minutes, 50.56 seconds to Kenya’s Daniel Komen. University High School grad Brad Walker was fourth in the pole vault with a jump of 17-10 1/2.

SOCCER

Agent: Beckham sticking to deal

David Beckham is sticking to his plan: He’s bound for the Los Angeles Galaxy next month – regardless of what anyone says.

“There is no intention of getting out of the Galaxy deal or reneging on the Galaxy deal,” agent Simon Oliveira told the Associated Press.

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon was quoted in the Spanish media as saying that he would try to persuade the England star to stay and would use an escape clause in Beckham’s Galaxy contract to withdraw from the deal.

Galaxy president and general manager Alexi Lalas, however, told the Associated Press there is no escape clause in Beckham’s contract.