Davis sets world 1,500-meter record

WINTER SPORTS

Olympic silver medalist Shani Davis set a world record in the men's 1,500 meters yesterday at the International Speedskating Union world allround championships in Calgary, Alberta. Davis finished in 1 minute 42.68 seconds, breaking the mark of 1:42.78 set in 2005 by US teammate Chad Hedrick, with whom Davis feuded publicly at the Turin Games. Hedrick, who was paired with Davis, finished second in 1:42.85. Canada's Denny Morrison was third in 1:42.97. Canada's Cindy Klassen easily won the allround crown, completing a season in which she won five medals at the Turin Olympics. Klassen swept all four races in the weekend competition, won each race by at least a second, and set a points record on the fast ice. Klassen cut two seconds off her own long-track world record in the 3,000, was an eyelash off her record in the 1,500, and notched the fifth-fastest time in history for the 500, an event she rarely skates. Germany's Claudia Pechstein finished second overall while Canada's Kristina Groves was third . . . Kati Wilhelm of Germany clinched the overall World Cup biathlon title by finishing second in the 12.5K mass start at Kontiolahti, Finland. Wilhelm, who was runner-up last year, cannot be caught because nearest challenger Anna Carin Olofsson of Sweden, who won the weekend's first two events, finished eighth. Wilhelm has 886 points -- 191 more than Olofsson. The season finishes in Holmenkollen, Norway, next weekend. In the men's 15K mass start, Tomas Sikora of Poland won by 30 seconds over France's Raphael Poiree. Norway's Ole Einar Bjorndalen was 38 seconds back.

Austria won a rare team event at the Alpine skiing World Cup Finals, beating the United States and Sweden at Are, Sweden. Ted Ligety's poor performance on the last run of the slalom prevented the Americans from catching the Austrians. Eight teams entered the event that had spectators unsure which nation had won because of a complicated points-ranking system. Six skiers from each nation combined to race eight times -- two men and two women in a super-G and two men and two women in a slalom. In the slalom, Austria and the United States battled for first. Olympic giant slalom champion Julia Mancuso put the US ahead in the first round, but Austria reclaimed the lead in the next round when overall World Cup champion Benjamin Raich delivered a solid run and American Scott Macartney faltered. Nicole Hosp kept Austria ahead in the third slalom round, but Resi Stiegler ensured the Americans remained close. On the final slalom leg, Reinfried Herbst of Austria had a disappointing run and finished sixth. But the Austrians were able to preserve the top spot when Olympic combined champion Ligety had the worst time of the round.

Canada's Becky Scott put the finishing touches on an impressive career by winning the final World Cup cross-country skiing event of the season at Sapporo, Japan. Scott, who said before the race that she will retire, edged Norway's Kristen Steira in a 2x7.5-kilometer pursuit in 45:35, 1.8 seconds ahead of Steira . . . Russia led the final medals table with 13 golds and 33 medals overall at the Turin Paralympics. The United States was fifth with seven golds and 12 medals overall, including two golds and a silver in skiing events by University of New Hampshire student Laurie Stephens of Wenham . . . Debbie McCormick of the United States and Dordi Nordby of Norway picked up victories at the women's curling world championship at Grande Prairie, Alberta. McCormick, the 2003 world champion, beat Bingyu Wang of China, 8-5, in the third draw . . . Janne Happonen of Finland won the final ski flying World Cup event of the season, at Planica, Slovenia, while the Czech Republic's Jakub Janda finished as overall champion.

NHL

The San Jose Sharks signed defenseman Matt Carle to an entry-level contract, clearing the way for the pro debut of the NCAA's top defenseman. Carle, the Sharks' second-round draft pick in 2003, was chosen as the WCHA's player of the year this season as a junior at Denver University. He led Division 1 defensemen with 11 goals and 42 assists, and is a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, presented to college hockey's top player . . . The Columbus Blue Jackets recalled forward Alexandre Picard from Syracuse of the AHL to fill in for injured center Sergei Fedorov, who is battling back spasms. In 45 games with Syracuse this season, Picard has 15 goals and 15 assists.

MISCELLANY

Espn.com reported that former Giants free-agent cornerback Will Allen has agreed to a four-year deal worth $12 million with the Miami Dolphins, including a guarantee of $5 million. Allen will compete for the starting position left vacant by Sam Madison, who recently took Allen's place in the Giants secondary . . . Lidiya Grigoryeva of Russia pulled away from Ethiopia's Gete Wami in the final stretch to win the women's division of the Los Angeles Marathon, setting a course record of 2:25.10. But more important, she earned a $100,000 bonus for holding off men's winner Benson Cherono of Kenya in ''The Challenge," a battle of the sexes format in which women start ahead of the men. Grigoryeva and Cherono, who set a men's course record of 2:08:40, each received $35,000 and a new car for their efforts. The women started 16:46 ahead of the men and because Cherono failed to pass her, Grigoryeva got the extra cash . . . Suspended Olympic gold medalist Tyler Hamilton dropped out of an unsanctioned racing series after USA Cycling threatened action against professional riders in the field. Hamilton of Marblehead, who is suspended until early 2007 because of a blood doping violation, raced in the start of the series this month in Boulder, Colo. Several photos of that race appeared on a cycling news website and were spotted by the International Cycling Union, which contacted USA Cycling to ask why ICU-licensed professionals were allowed to race with Hamilton. USA Cycling chief executive Gerard Bisceglia subsequently told Hamilton he had to drop out -- or the pros in the field would be subject to fines and suspensions. Hamilton, whose Tyler Hamilton Foundation helps sponsor the Stazio Criterium Series, agreed . . . Aunt Henny, ridden by Javier Castellano, beat Diamond Spirit by a half length to win the $100,000 Herecomesthebride Stakes at Gulfstream Park.