Sprinter Calvin Smith ran the 100 meters in 9.93 seconds, setting a world record in the now-defunct National Sports Festival at Air Force.

A two-time Olympic medalist and three-time world champion, Smith, now 48, of Bolton, Miss., broke Jim Hines’ record by 0.2 of a second. Hines was the first person to crack the 10-second barrier, and his record – 9.95 seconds in a gold-medal dash at the 1968 Mexico City Games – stood for nearly 15 years.

Canadian Ben Johnson broke Smith’s mark by running a 9.83 for a gold at the 1987 world championships in Rome, but his record was rescinded and his medal was stripped by an International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) council in September 1989 after he admitted to using stanozolol, an anabolic steroid.

That prompted the IAAF to rule that a pair of runs by Carl Lewis had matched Smith’s record. Lewis recorded a 9.93 in a silver-medal performance in Rome that was upgraded to a gold following Johnson’s admission, and he posted the same time in August 1988 in Zurich, Switzerland.

Smith lost his share of the record Sept. 24, 1988, when Lewis ran a 9.92 in claiming an Olympic gold in Seoul, South Korea. The record has passed through seven hands the past 21 years, and Jamaican Usain Bolt now holds it, running a 9.69 last year at the 2008 Beijing Games.

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The U.S. men’s soccer team, fresh off a runner-up finish at the Confederations Cup, begins defense of the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Saturday against Grenada in Seattle. It will play Honduras on Wednesday in Washington and Haiti next Saturday in Foxboro, Mass. U.S. coach Bob Bradley held a conference call Thursday with reporters. Here are five pressing questions he answered: 

1. Is this tournament more about winning or more about evaluating players?

“Our goal clearly is to defend our championship. We know that at times, there are many different factors that get considered when putting a roster together. But once we are together, our focus is the way we try to go about our business, the way we play. This is an important tournament, and we are excited about defending our title.” 

2. What did your team learn from a long run in the Confederations Cup?

“We’ve always been able during the last couple years to understand what it takes to move forward as a team, to look at all sides of the game, to see things we do well, to see areas we need to improve. We’ve tried to play as many top teams as we can because when you play top teams, that’s when you find out the most. … We’ve always been able to improve in these ways. It was great that we were able to experience a big final, both the things we did well and the things we could have done better in the second half. I think this experience all around will help us.”

3. Was it a strategic decision to blend old players with young players on this team?

“There’s always a need to size up different options going forward, to consider what different guys would possibly bring to our team in a situation like the World Cup. Every team needs a good balance, and it’s important to constantly assess what’s going on in Major League Soccer, see which players are important on their team and playing well.” 

4. What are your thoughts on the progression of Freddy Adu?

“It’s important that Freddy can now with his club team make the next step. We recognize that there’s talent, and yet it’s not easy to come into a national team during a period when you’re not playing and play against the likes of Italy and Spain and Brazil. But having him in the group is a way of letting him know that we want to keep trying to push him forward. It’s most important that he can push his way through with his club team.”

5. Why was Jose Francisco Torres not on the 30-player roster?

“Jose has had a very, very busy schedule with his club team, and we felt that it was important that he had a little bit of a break before things start up again. … Like all players that come into the national team, it takes time to establish yourself, it takes time to get a feel for the group. He’s a young player that has shown us that he has talent. We feel very good about having him on the United States national team. We feel good about what Jose has shown us thus far, and we hope that his experience with his club and his continued experience with the national team will push him further.”

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As the sizzling debate over performance-enhancing swimsuits continues making waves in the Olympic sports world, the frown on U.S. national team coach Mark Schubert’s face keeps growing wider and the tone in his voice keeps sounding more threatening.

It comes as no surprise after a FINA review of water-resistant, buoyancy-driven, speed-propelling suits last month resulted in the approval of 300-plus designs and the rejection of about two dozen designs for the world championships that begin July 19 in Rome. In May, swimming’s governing body had approved 202 designs and rejected 10 designs.

Among the designs on the approved list are modified versions of the polyurethane suits worn by Frenchmen Alain Bernard and Frederick Bousquet in record-breaking races in April. Bernard swam the 100-meter freestyle in 46.94 seconds, becoming the first person to crack the 47-second mark, and Bousquet swam the 50 free in 20.94 seconds, becoming the first person to dip below 21 seconds.

Since Speedo unveiled the NASA-designed LZR Racer with a ringing endorsement from Michael Phelps about 16 months ago, swimming’s record books have been rewritten with 127 world records, an arms race has been launched among swimsuit manufacturers and athletes have been caught in the middle, forced to choose between staying loyal to sponsors and giving themselves the best chance to win.

“Without a doubt, we’re going to be looking at a lightning-fast world championships,” Schubert said Wednesday on a conference call with reporters. “FINA moved in a very good direction in May, and we were disappointed to see it opened up. But we’re hopeful in January, the suits will be less of an issue.”

Next year, FINA plans to overhaul its rules regarding swimsuits, creating a better-defined standard of what’s acceptable and what’s not, which probably will result in the banning of all polyurethane suits and other high-tech suits used in this record-setting craze.

By then, will it be too late? Will too much damage have been done? Will so many records have been set that the sport will lack legitimacy?

“Some of the world records that have been broken over the last two years are due to the athletes and some of the world records are due to the suits,” Schubert said. “I think the suits should be complementing the performance. … I don’t think we’ve been good stewards of the sport to allow what has happened.”

Schubert feels for athletes who are pressured into turning their backs on their sponsors.

“Athletes each have their own companies and have a desire to be successful, and that puts them in difficult situations,” he said. “That’s one reason we need to roll the suits back – so that’s less of a factor of a performance. … I’m not going to tell a swimmer to break a contract. That’s going to be up to a swimmer to make that decision.”

Five-time Olympian Dara Torres hasn’t decided what brand she’ll wear at the national championships that start Tuesday in Indianapolis. The event is a qualifier for worlds.

“If you do wear what you think is the fastest suit, and then you break a contract,” Torres said, “it’s a very, very delicate, tough situation. … It seems like we’re years ahead of where we should be. I personally wouldn’t mind going back to the old-school days, and then you could really see who the fast swimmers are.”

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Why was Erik Johnson selected and Rick DiPietro wasn’t? Why did Mike Modano make the cut and Jason Blake didn’t? What happened to Jeremy Roenick and Keith Tkachuk?

Those were among the questions Brian Burke, general manager of the U.S. Olympic men’s ice hockey team, answered Tuesday on a conference call with reporters after a 34-player roster that includes Colorado Avalanche forward Paul Stastny was unveiled for an Aug. 17-19 orientation camp in Woodridge, Ill.

As expected, the straight-talking Burke, celebrating his 54th birthday, didn’t back down in justifying Colorado Springs-based USA Hockey’s decisions behind assembling its initial lineup for the 2010 Vancouver Games.

He was humorous: “We’ve got some first violins, and we’ve got some tuba players too, so we’re happy with the group,” he said. And he was serious: “You have 250 people at the wedding, and the 251st person is sour that they were not invited,” he said. “You have some questions and some omissions, and that’s fine.”

Some consider Johnson a surprise selection. The St. Louis Blues defenseman tore two ligaments in his right knee in September, and he didn’t play last season.

Burke likes Johnson, the No. 1 pick in the 2006 draft, because of “what we know of the player and what we believe he’s going to be. I don’t think a player should be penalized and excluded just because he’s injured.”

As for DiPietro, Burke said, “I was not able to reach out to Rick and explain my thinking. It was my understanding he would not be available for this camp anyway because of his (right knee) injury.”

Burke defended choosing Modano, a three-time Olympian who was one of five players with Olympic experience named to the camp. The others are Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Jamie Langenbrunner and Brian Rafalski.

“If you look at the evolution of the Dallas hockey club,” Burke said, “Mike Modano has been asked to accept an increasingly defensive role, and he’s the all-time leading American scorer. … Mike’s production has fallen off, but his usefulness as a player has not. It’s just that his role has changed, and he has accepted that cheerfully.”

As for Blake, Burke said, “He was a factor in our decisions, but he did not make the cut.”

About Roenick and Tkachuk, Burke said, “These guys have had their day in the sun. … The older guys were all understanding. They understood completely. They appreciated the (phone) call, and they get it.”

Burke doesn’t mind not having Olympic veterans in Vancouver.

“We looked at the playoff experience of the group and the leadership experience and the guys who have been in the pressure situations,” he said. “The goal has to be to take the most competitive group of athletes and trust that your leadership will deliver.”

And Burke isn’t naïve enough to think the U.S. will enter as the favorite.

“We’re going to be an underdog in Vancouver, and we know that,” he said. “There’s not going to be a penny bet on us in Vegas, and we know that. We’re probably going to be the youngest team in the tournament, and we know that. But we’re going there to win, and we’ve tried to identify a group that will give us the best chance to do that.”

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Thirty years from now, when Derek Parra is old and relaxing in a rocking chair in the twilight of his life, nobody will remember him as an inline speedskater.

They’ll remember him for what he accomplished on the ice, most notably winning a gold medal and a silver at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. They won’t remember the 18 world championships he won and the two world records he set on wheels.

Here’s what matters: Parra doesn’t plan on discounting his success in inline speedskating, and he’s using his triumphs to help the sport in an arduous fight for Olympic inclusion.

The International Federation of Roller Sports (FIRS) has made Parra, 39, of San Bernardino, Calif., a valuable contributor in lobbying efforts to land inline speedskating on the Olympic program at the 2016 Summer Games.

In August, the 15-person International Olympic Committee executive board, choosing among baseball, golf, karate, rugby, softball and squash in addition to inline speedskating, will recommend two sports, and in October, the 107-member IOC will decide their fate by vote – a simple majority is needed.

Parra was the first American to successfully switch from the pavement to the ice. K.C. Boutiette did it before Parra but failed to win a medal at the 1994 Lillehammer Games, and Olympic gold medalists Joey Cheek, Chad Hedrick and Apolo Anton Ohno followed in Parra’s footsteps.

Representing a FIRS committee, Parra addressed the IOC sports program commission in November. He said inline speedskating has turned him into “everything that I am today. All that I have learned about life – sacrifice and perseverance, triumph and tragedy, integrity and fair play – has come from my journey through life on skates.”

Parra called inline speedskating a “fun, inexpensive and easy sport to learn that has steadily increased in popularity over the years and is loved by both young and old alike. Where people once walked to years ago, now they skate to. The roller skate has become an evolution of the shoe.”

“Roller skaters meet and skate through towns and in cities,” Parra added. “Families plan afternoons and weekends together and skate in parks and on trails. Roller skating is both economical and ecological. You can go almost anywhere on roller skates.”

Like back to your roots – as Parra is discovering – in support of a worthy cause.

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Residents of the U.S. Taekwondo Center in Colorado Springs competed this month at the U.S. Open Taekwondo Hanmadang in Chicago. A look at their results:

Jake Ainsworth, gold in individual traditional poomsae, gold in group traditional poomsae, gold in power back kick, gold in multiple station breaking

Aaron Bird, gold in jumping high kick

Alan Bowden, gold in individual traditional poomsae

Dakota Bowden, gold in pairs traditional poomsae

Merri Bowden, gold in individual traditional poomsae, gold in pairs traditional poomsae

Anna Broyles, silver in individual traditional poomsae, bronze in family traditional poomsae

James Broyles, silver in jumping high kick, bronze in family traditional poomsae

Kathy Broyles, gold in group traditional poomsae, gold in pairs traditional poomsae, bronze in individual traditional poomsae, bronze in family traditional poomsae

Matthew Broyles, gold in pairs traditional poomsae, bronze in individual traditional poomsae, bronze in family traditional poomsae

Samantha Chavez, gold in individual creative poomsae, silver in individual traditional poomsae

Theresa Downs, gold in individual traditional poomsae, gold in individual creative poomsae

Aileen Ellis, silver in family traditional poomsae, bronze in pairs traditional poomsae

Doug Gulick, gold in individual traditional poomsae, bronze in power jumping side kick

Nancy Gulick, gold in individual traditional poomsae

Jolie Martin, bronze in individual traditional poomsae

Trevor McClung, gold in group traditional poomsae, gold in jumping high kick

Ken Postma, silver in individual traditional poomsae

Richie Postma, gold in individual traditional poomsae, gold in jumping high kick

Alex Shampoo, silver in family traditional poomsae, bronze in pairs traditional poomsae

Nick Shampoo, silver in family traditional poomsae, bronze in pairs traditional poomsae

Terry Shampoo, silver in family traditional poomsae, bronze in pairs traditional poomsae

Mike Tomlinson, gold in jumping high kick, silver in individual traditional poomsae

Matthew West, bronze in jumping high kick

Caroline White, silver in individual traditional poomsae

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Age: 28

Sport: Triathlon

Hometown: St. Louis

Residence: Colorado Springs

Top results: The Olympic Training Center resident took 11th at the 2008 Beijing Games. Won silver medals at the 2008 world championships and the 2007 Pan American Games. Claimed golds at the 2006 elite national championships and the 2004 under-23 national championships.

What to know: Competing Saturday alongside OTC residents Sara McLarty and Tim O’Donnell in the Hy-Vee Triathlon in West Des Moines, Iowa, a World Cup event featuring an 0.9-mile swim, 24.9-mile bike and 6.2-mile run with a $1 million purse. In February, underwent surgery on her leg to repair a pinched nerve, and she’s slowly returning to form. Strongest in the swim and bike portions, but needs to build endurance in the run.

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The USA Boxing national championships were held earlier this month at the Denver Coliseum, with 46 junior and senior weight classes featuring 455 men’s and women’s amateurs, including Colorado Springs fighters Alice Avila and Abdur Raheem. A look at six fights, courtesy of www.jookt.com:

In the 106-pound semifinals, Garen Rabellizsa defeated Fabian Cervantes 23-21 in a tiebreaker … http://www.jookt.com/video/103417

In the 112-pound semifinals, Louie Byrd of Denver won a 29-14 decision over Michael Ruiz Jr. … http://www.jookt.com/video/103423

In the 119-pound junior finals, Ricky Rodriguez of Evans won an 11-8 decision over Luis Feliciano … http://www.jookt.com/video/103426

In the 125-pound junior finals, Jose Ramirez won a 13-10 decision over Damon Allen … http://www.jookt.com/video/103416

In the 101-pound junior women’s finals, Maria Arreola won a 10-3 decision over Tania Lopez … http://www.jookt.com/video/103425

In the 138-pound junior women’s finals, Katherine Keler won an 18-0 decision over Kimberly Phillips … http://www.jookt.com/video/103422

For most college players competing for Colorado Springs-based USA Basketball, the upcoming under-19 world championship is simply a bridge from last season to next season, a way to hone their skills and stay in shape while visiting a foreign country.

It’s much more than that for Seth Curry. It’s his only chance to play before next year, and if his preparation this week at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs is any indication, he plans on going full throttle in the 16-team tournament that starts Thursday in Auckland, New Zealand.

NCAA rules mandate Curry, a standout guard at Liberty last season, must sit out in 2009-10 after transferring to Duke, where he’s expected to become a key contributor in the basketball factory. He’ll have three years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2010-11.

Curry, 18, of Charlotte, can’t remember a year he didn’t play basketball. He grew up around the game – his father, Dell, one of the most prolific 3-point shooters in NBA history, and his older brother, Stephen, a star at Davidson and a member of the 2007 U-19 world team that won a silver medal.

Plus, Curry is riding a wave of momentum, having led the nation’s fourth-youngest team to a 23-12 record and a berth in the CollegeInsider.com postseason tournament. He was named the Big South Conference Freshman of the Year after averaging 20.2 points, tops among college newcomers.

Instead of gearing up for battles with North Carolina and an NCAA Tournament run, Curry is focused on Iran, France and Egypt – the teams the U.S. will face in pool play before elimination games, likely against Australia, Argentina or Greece.

And Curry is licking his chops over the talent around him, most notably Gordon Hayward of Butler and Terrico White of Mississippi. Jamie Dixon of Pittsburgh is coaching the 12-person team, vying for its first gold since 1991.

“It’s hard to say we’re going to see a team that’s going to be more talented than us,” Curry said. “We’re Americans, and when you go overseas to play, there’s definitely pressure. There’s pressure for you to win every game and every tournament.”

Curry said he’s not taking anything for granted because “even if the other team is not as talented as you, they’re going to come ready to play, bring you their ‘A’ game, give you their best shot every night. Every team, if they beat the United States, that kind of makes their tournament. You can’t let that happen.”

If you’re a dedicated follower of USA Boxing, or even just a casual fan, you’re probably not surprised by the Colorado Springs-based national governing body’s latest turmoil.

An economic downturn has stifled USA Boxing’s ability to land new corporate partners. A 10-person board chaired by Navy senior associate athletic director Tom Virgets has kicked executive director Jim Millman and six other employees to the curb. And the NGB finds itself in a painfully familiar tailspin.

Am I shocked that USA Boxing is having problems again? Given its troubled past, not really. I am surprised that the NGB canned Millman, a big thinker with a track record of success, and showed the door to media and public relations director Julie Goldsticker, whose professionalism and passion for USA Boxing were unmatched.

Millman lost his job – a position he had held since May 2007 – because USA Boxing failed to generate enough revenue from sponsorships. The NGB has ties with Everlast and XP Apparel, but it hasn’t renewed an agreement with United Airlines, and a global financial crisis has cast a dark cloud over the sponsorship picture.

“There have been board members who have told me directly,” Millman said, “that they’re not sure anyone could do the job given the circumstances that we’re under.”

I believe things would have changed if USA Boxing – also reeling from a financial dispute with its foundation, a laughable attempt to secure a $3 million line of credit from the city and its worst showing in Olympic history, in which a 10-man team combined for one medal – had given Millman time to work his magic.

After all, Millman founded one of the nation’s premier sports marketing agencies, with a client list that included American Airlines, Frito-Lay, Pepsi, Verizon and Visa. Plus, his connections were limitless, evidenced by the strategic alliance USA Boxing struck with Oscar De La Hoya last year.

Behind the scenes, with little fanfare and not much attention, Goldsticker helped make USA Boxing tick as the NGB’s primary spokeswoman and diligent provider of every fact a reporter could ever want about any boxer in this country.

Her press releases were timely and detailed. The biographies she assembled for USA Boxing’s Web site, www.usaboxing.org, were an unbelievable aid in writing stories. Her willingness to arrange interviews with boxers made my job so much easier.

The thing I remember most about Goldsticker was the way she handled herself in Beijing. One by one, from Rau’shee Warren to Demetrius Andrade to Gary Russell Jr., the Americans fell apart on the world’s biggest stage. Goldsticker kept it together, without an attitude, making distraught boxers and beleaguered national team coach Dan Campbell available to the press after every single fight.

Millman was too keen to be fired so quickly, and Goldsticker had invested too much to discover the same fate. Not only is USA Boxing in a monstrous mess, it has wrongfully said goodbye to two people more than capable of helping clean up.