Sports in Brief: Chicago a finalist for 2016 Olympics

Chicago was one of four cities selected as bid finalists for the 2016 Olympics, along with Tokyo, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro.

Failing to make the International Olympic Committee's short list were Doha, Qatar; Prague, Czech Republic; and Baku, Azerbaijan.

The decision yesterday was based on evaluations in a report made by an IOC working group. Chicago wound up tied for third with Doha in the rankings.

Tokyo placed highest, followed by Madrid, with Rio in fifth. Doha was eliminated, however, when the Persian Gulf city proposed holding the games in October.

Both the USOC and Chicago 2016 officials had expected the report to show concerns about transport, given the aged nature of the city transit systems, and finance, since the United States is the only country where the Games' cost is not completely guaranteed by government entities.

At the same meeting, the IOC provisionally suspended Iraq's national Olympic committee for "political interference" by the government, a decision that leaves Iraqi athletes in danger of missing the Beijing Games.

British sprinter

Dwain Chambers

won his first 100-meter race in nearly two years, beating

Mardy Scales

of the United States at the Papaflessia meet in Kalamata, Greece.

Chambers had completed a two-year ban by the International Association of Athletics Federations for testing positive for the steroid THG.

The NCAA has received bids from 12 cities - including Philadelphia - that want to host the women's basketball Final Four in the years 2012 through 2016.

The 12 cities that submitted bids are Indianapolis, the home of the NCAA headquarters; along with Philadelphia, Cleveland, Kansas City, New Orleans, San Antonio, Tampa, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Nashville, and Columbus.

Elsewhere:

A judge in Columbia, S.C., said a simple assault charge against South Carolina sophomore guard

Devan Downey

has been dropped at the request of the accuser. . . .

Pittsburgh receiver

Maurice Williams

will sit out the 2008 season after being declared academically ineligible.

The United States ended a two-game European trip with its second straight defeat, giving up a late goal to

Xavi Hernandez

in a 1-0 loss to Spain.

Argentina extended its lead over Brazil at the top of the FIFA monthly rankings, with England entering the top 10.

World champion Italy remained third, Spain was fourth and Germany fifth.

The United States, at No. 21, plays No. 1 Argentina on Sunday night in East Rutherford, N.J.

MLS commissioner

Don Garber

said a spectator who used a racial slur during a match at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, will be banned from league games for life if officials are able to identify him. The incident took place against the New England Revolution on May 24.

Red Bulls striker

Jozy Altidore

appeared headed for Villarreal after the Spanish first-division club agreed to a transfer deal with MLS for New York's teenage forward.

No terms were released.

The Soul activated quarterback

Tony Graziani

for Saturday's game in Dallas against the Desperados. He has been out since Week 3 with a sprained left knee.

Jay Blumenfeld

of Mountain Ridge shot a 3-over-par 74 but still opened a 6-shot lead after two rounds of the 107th New Jersey State Amateur. Blumenfeld has a 2-over total of 144 at Little Mill Country Club in Burlington County.

The New England Riptide scored three runs in the fourth inning to beat the Force, 5-1, in a National Pro Fastpitch League softball game in Allentown. The Force lost for the first time in five games this season.