Chinese Olympic gymnasts found old enough
LAUSANNE, Switzerland, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Three gold medal-winning Chinese female gymnasts were old enough to compete in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, officials said Wednesday.
The International Gymnastics Federation in Lausanne, Switzerland, made the decision after examining the girls' passports and other legal documents, officials said.
Gymnasts must be at least 16 years old in an Olympic year to be eligible to compete at the Summer Games. Questions were raised about the ages of gold medal winners Yang Yilin, He Kexin and Cheng Fei by U.S. media outlets as well as by others who said they had evidence the three were underage.
The gymnastics federation launched an investigation of the Chinese girls just before the Beijing Games came to a close and said it was able to confirm their ages with official documentation.
"Originals of official documents received from the Chinese Gymnastics Association, specifically passports, identity cards and family booklets or 'household registers,' confirm the ages of the athletes," the group said in a statement.
Ferrer, Roddick advance in Tokyo
TOKYO, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- David Ferrer and Andy Roddick each survived three-set scares Wednesday in advancing to the third round of the $869,000 Japan Open Tennis Championships.
Ferrer, seeded No. 1 this week, was able to get past Jesse Levine 6-4, 4-6, 6-1. The second-seeded Roddick was pushed to three-tiebreakers, including a first-set marathon that he won 13-11 in a 7-6 (13-11), 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-2) win over Ivo Minar that took 2 hours, 43 minutes.
All of the top eight seeded players won second-round matches Wednesday. No. 3-seeded Fernando Gonzalez rallied for a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory over Yen-Hsun Lu and fourth-seeded Richard Gasquet topped Martin Slanar 6-4, 6-2.
Fifth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro was sharp in a 7-5, 6-0 win over Dudi Sela while sixth-seeded Tommy Robredo stopped Joseph Sirianni 6-2, 6-2. Also, seventh-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga came back for a 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 victory over Bobby Reynolds and No. 8-seeded Mikhail Youzhny eliminated Flavio Cipolla 6-2, 6-2.
Three lower-seeded players -- No. 13 Sam Querrey, 15th-seeded Simone Belli and 16th-seeded Guillermo Garcia-Lopez -- were ousted.
Report: Golfer gets waiver to use cart
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Oct. 1 (UPI) -- PGA officials have ruled that golfer Erik Compton, a heart transplant recipient, can use a golf cart during his bid to earn a PGA Tour card, a report said.
The ruling came after Compton's second request this year and the second transplant in his life.
He told the Florida South-Sentinel newspaper that the tour also granted a waiver, which allows him to use a beta blocker that is on the tour's list of banned substances.
The unnamed drug is part of Compton's heart medication program. The tour ruled that such waivers fall under confidentiality provisions of its drug program.
"It takes a lot of stress off me, and it gives me a realistic chance," the nation's the former No. 1 junior golfer and University of Georgia All-American said.
Compton's May 20 surgery in Miami slowed his attempt to qualify for the Nationwide golf tour.
"I've been busting my butt in the gym," Compton said "(and) hopefully, I'll get stronger and stronger."
Bank of America raises auto event purses
CONCORD, N.C., Oct. 1 (UPI) -- The purse for October's Bank of America 500 Week at Concord, N.C., has grown to a record $6.6 million.
The total is $106,767 more than the three races in 2007 at the Lowe's Motor Speedway.
The schedule of events will be the World of Outlaws Late Model Series competition on Wed., Oct. 8, the NASCAR Nationwide Dollar General 300 auto race on Friday, Oct. 10, and on Sat. Oct. 11, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Bank of America 500, the third race in the season-ending "Race for the Chase," which will settle the Sprint Cup's points champion. The purse for that race will be $3,362,232.
"Racing in primetime at Lowe's Motor Speedway brings out the intensity in these drivers, especially in a Saturday night race like the Bank of America 500," said Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway in a statement on Wednesday. "There's a lot boiling to the surface for Oct. 11."
Kicker Matt Bryant honored by NFL
NEW YORK, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Tampa Bay kicker Matt Bryant, who played despite his son's death last week, was selected the NFC's special teams player of the week, NFL officials said.
Also honored by the league were Bryant's teammate linebacker Derrick Brooks and Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme, the NFL said Wednesday.
Bryant took part in Sunday's game three days after funeral services for his 3-month-old son. Despite the highly emotional circumstances, Bryant made all three of his field-goal attempts, including the game-winner, in the Buccaneers' 30-21 win over Green Bay.
Brooks recorded five tackles, three passes defended, an interception and a forced fumble in the Tampa Bay victory.
Delhomme compiled the highest quarterback rating -- 124.8 -- in the NFL last week as he completed 20-of-29 passes for 294 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-9 win over Atlanta.
