Everett Visit Highlights Progress on Paralysis

¿ SWIMMING: Eamon Sullivan broke his 24-hour-old world record in the 50-meter freestyle at the Australian championships and Olympic trials in Sydney.

It was the fourth time in the past six weeks the record has been broken, after Alexander Popov's record had stood for nearly eight years. The 22-year-old Sullivan improved on it for the third time in that span.

Sullivan finished in 21.28 seconds in the final, bettering his mark of 21.41 from Thursday.

¿ SOCCER: Romario announced his retirement, ending two decades at the pinnacle of Brazil's national sport.

The 42-year-old striker told Rio's O Dia newspaper that he was out of shape and physically unable to return after months of inactivity.

Romario led Brazil to the World Cup title in 1994, when he was named FIFA's player of the year.

¿ OBITUARIES: Italian cyclist Valentino Fois was found dead in his bed yesterday morning by his mother in their home near Milan. He was 34.

The cyclist's brother said the cause of death was not yet known, though it might have been a pulmonary embolism. Fois was suspended for doping in 1998, and some performance-enhancing drugs have been linked to such embolisms. . . .

Herb Rich, a three-sport star at Vanderbilt and defensive captain of the New York Giants when they won the NFL title in 1956, died. He was 79.

-- From News Services