Sports in brief: Teen winner’s sex questioned

Track and field: Facing questions about her gender, South African teenager Caster Semenya easily won the 800-meter gold medal Wednesday at the world championships in Berlin.

Her dominating run came on the same day track and field’s ruling body said she was undergoing a gender test because of concerns she does not meet requirements to compete as a woman.

Semenya took the lead at the halfway mark and opened a commanding lead in the last 400 to win by a massive 2.45 seconds in a world-leading 1 minute, 55.45 seconds.

About three weeks ago, the international federation asked South African track and field authorities to conduct the verification test. Semenya had burst onto the scene by posting a world-leading time of 1:56.72 at the African junior championships in Maruitius.

Her dramatic time improvement, muscular build and deep voice sparked speculation about her gender.

Associated Press

Williams sisters big fish in NFL?

NFL: Venus and Serena Williams have apparently found a new sport: pro football.

The tennis-playing sisters are expected to become the latest celebrities to own a stake in the Miami Dolphins, according to sources.

Musicians Gloria and Emilio Estefan and Marc Anthony recently bought small shares of the team.

New Dolphins owner Stephen Ross also forged a partnership with singer Jimmy Buffett.

Associated Press

Vikings tickets snatched up

NFL: The Vikings have sold more than 3,200 season tickets since news broke that Brett Favre was coming to Minnesota. That’s in approximately a 24-hour span.

Chief marketing officer Steve LaCroix said the team has sold about 11,000 single-game tickets during that time as fans clamor over the arrival of the veteran quarterback.

Seats for the game against Green Bay on Oct. 5 are only available through a season ticket. There are roughly 6,000 season tickets remaining. The Vikings had to race to beat the blackout deadline for several games last season.

Now, there are only a limited amount of seats for the preseason game Friday against Kansas City, in which Favre is expected to make his Vikings debut.

Associated Press