Sports briefs 7/19/04

Baseball

Mark Prior tested his elbow in a 10-minute pregame throwing session from the bullpen Sunday and emerged relatively pain free. Prior, forced out of his start Thursday when he felt discomfort in the elbow during the second inning, was originally scheduled to pitch Tuesday against St. Louis. The Cubs won't determine his status until Monday to see how he rebounds from Sunday's workout. Prior declined comment.

Motorsports

n David Starr became only the second driver in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series history to win by leading only the final lap, bumping his way to victory Saturday night in the Dodge Ram Tough 200. Starr, driving a Chevrolet, nudged his way past Chad Chaffin in Gateway International Raceway's first turn and beat Dennis Setzer to the checkered flag by 0.444 seconds -- about two truck lengths. The race was scheduled for 160 laps, but was extended by caution a record four times for 14 laps.

Track and field

Track and field's governing body recommended Sunday that the U.S. 1,600-meter relay team, led by Michael Johnson, be stripped of its gold medal from the Sydney Olympics as part of the Jerome Young doping case. The International Olympic Committee is expected to endorse the recommendation by the International Association of Athletics Federations, probably before next month's Athens Olympics. "The IOC told us that 'We follow your decision,"' IAAF president Lamine Diack said. USA Track & Field said it "regrets" the decision and will "continue to work through all appropriate channels on behalf of the affected athletes." The recommendation came 2 1/2 weeks after the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Young, the 400 world champion who ran in the relay's opening and semifinal rounds, should be stripped of his gold because of a positive doping test for the steroid nandrolone on June 26, 1999.

n Veterans Gail Devers and Stacy Dragila were the stars on the last day of a U.S. Olympic track and field trials that had mostly been a showcase for teenagers, collegians and other first-time Olympians. The 37-year-old Devers became just the third U.S. track and field athlete -- joining Carl Lewis and Willye White -- to make her fifth Olympic team, winning the 100-meter hurdles by less than the length of her trademark fingernails. Dragila, 33, the defending Olympic champion, won the women's pole vault but failed in three attempts to break the world record.

-- From wire reports