Calgary Herald from Calgary, Alberta, Canada • 83

Sports CALGARY HERALD Friday, June 6, 2003 F3 MOTORCYLE RACING NBA FINAL Admiral gracefully passing the torch Young rider's career already at full throttle kXhh else is never easy in a league where passing a basketball is sometimes difficult for players. Not so in San Antonio with Robinson and Duncan. "We're really fortunate in that regard because, as I've said before, there wasn't one waking moment that I spent worrying about the transition," Popovich said. "I didn't meet with David and say, "You're not going to like this, but this is what I think is best for the Not one time. "As training camp went along in Tim's first year, David realized this was a special young man.

He knew for the good of the group that the offence was going to shift from him to Tim. That's a credit to David's intelligence and understanding of the game." Robinson only wants to win. This is a player who asked teams to downplay his farewell tour of the league this regular season. "I feel like I probably got too much credit for it," Robinson said. "It's only the smart thing to do when you get a great player like Tim.

You let him do what he does best It's part of my job to set the tone and be the example. We understand that winning the championship is No. 1. You get that and the rest all falls by the wayside." If the Spurs' dominance continues, Friday night could mark Robinson's last home game. Til miss sitting there before the games, feeling that energy," Robinson said.

"The transition will be difficult because it's almost like starting over. But if kind of a growth thing for me." K.C JOHNSON Chicago Tribune SAN ANTONIO Seven, eight, nine years ago, David Robinson was Tim Duncan. Robinson might not have possessed the uncanny fundamental brilliance of Duncan, but he did serve as the Spurs' go-to guy, the guy averaging well above a double-double in his first seven seasons, which included a most valuable player award in 1995. Duncan came along in 1997. Father Time came along inexorably, the way it always does a few seasons later.

Robinson's averages have declined steadily each season since the Spurs won the 1999 NBA championship, bottoming out this season his last at 8.5 points and 7.9 rebounds. Robinson also averaged only 26.2 minutes in 63 games as his role decreased and the wear and tear of 14 seasons accumulated, manifesting itself in searing pain in his back and knees. But the man known as the Admiral turned back the clock in Game 1 of the NBA finals, which continue in San Antonio tonight. He listened when Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told him he would have a bigger role in the best-of-seven series, and his 14 points, six rebounds and four blocks helped San Antonio claim the paint area Then again, Duncan's 32 points, 20 rebounds and seven blocks played a part as well Passing the go-to role to someone TODD KIMBERLEY Calgary Herald He's a privateer and a prodigy. In that order.

Chris Peris, the local two- wheeled phenomenon, doesn't even en- ter legal adulthood until September. And yet he's already attracted interna-; tional attention as Canada's hottest young motorcycle export and the top privateer in the American Motorcy-'. cle Association's 600 supersport divi-; sion. American road racing factory suitors have already started to court the 17-; year-old Calgarian. But for his own good, says his crew chief and father, those deep-pocketed swains will just have to wait "I never thought he'd be at this level so quickly.

It's all happening so fast," said Fernando Peris on Thursday morning as he and Chris parked their motor home and unloaded their trailer in preparation for this weekend's Parts Canada Superbike Championship tour event at Race City Motorsport Park. "Quite a few people are already talk-: ing about Chris joining teams next year in the States, but I think we're better off waiting another year," said Fernando. talk about developing riders, i but as soon as the rider stops making the podium, they stop developing him. It can be the kiss of death for a young I rider to go too soon. "Last year (when Chris was named to Honda Canada's factory team for the Parts Canada tour), he really wasn't ready.

He was under too much pressure not from Honda, but from himself and being 16, being on the biggest team in Canada, may have been a little too much." Chris has already accomplished more before his 18th birthday than most riders could even dream of, let alone realize, in their road racing careers. Because the Calgary Motorcycle Roadracing Association didn't allow 14-year-old riders in 2000, the Peris clan found another speedway Willow Springs International Raceway in Los Angeles that did. And after a year of flying in monthly to LAX, where they kept his bike in a van at the airport parking lot, and driving to the track, Chris captured the Willow Springs 125 GP Series in December 2001. That didn't escape the attention of Honda USA, which called its Canadian counterpart and got Chris a factory ride on the 2002 Parts Canada tour, where he finished ninth in the 600 sport bike division on a CBR.600F.4i, despite riding in only three of seven events. Chris also won all three races he started on the Can-Am 125 GP Chal- lenge, and became the first Canadian to qualify for a 125 World Grand Prix event, in Valencia, Spain, last November.

This year, he's found another gear as he and his father operate an independent, or privateer, campaign on the AMA national circuit finishing 18th at Daytona, Fla, 16th at Fontana, Calif, and 14th at Pikes Peak International Canadian athletics reeling after positive drug tests Dean Bicknell, Calgary Herald Chris Peris has turned plenty of heads in the American Motorcycle Association, but he won't rush into joining a team south of the border. "It's a devastating blow for the club and Michael," said Kevin Howard, Walchuk's coach with the Regina Lonsdale Boxing Club. The test was adrninistered by Sport Canada on May 9. Fiacco said Walchuk has 10 days from the receiving the letter to file an appeal. "It has cost him a possible gold medal at the Pan-American Games," Fiacco added.

"It has cost him a possible gold medal at the Olympics and (Sport Canada) funding. It has cost him a lot in his amateur career." Walchuk, a native of Kitchener-Waterloo, medalled in three different weight classes at the national championships a silver at 71 kilogram in 2001, a gold medal at 75 kg in 2002 and another gold medal in 2003 at 81 kg. Berlingeri, a 28-year-old Toronto wrestler, who won the national title in the 96-kilogram division, has been suspended from competition pending the results of his 'B' sample. The testing was done at the Canadian senior freestyle championships last month in Saskatoon. It's Berlingeri's first offence, meaning he faces a four-year suspension and a lifetime ban from federal sports funding.

Murray Mccormick CanWest News Service REGINA Positive drug tests may have cost two promising amateur athletes the opportunity to compete for Canada on the international stage. Regina's Michael Walchuk, a member of the Canadian senior men's boxing team, has been suspended for four years after testing positive for cocaine, boxing officials confirmed Thursday. The Canadian Amateur Wrestling Association also announced on Thursday, that Canadian freestyle wrestling champion Dante Berlingeri tested positive for the steroid stanozoloL Walchuk, a two-time Canadian senior champion at 75 and 81 kilograms and a bronze medallist at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England, had already qualified for the 2003 Pan-American Games, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. According to Frank Fiacco, president of Regina's Lonsdale Boxing Club, Walchuk was among the top three prospects to represent Canada at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Walchuk was informed of the positive test on the weekend by letter from Boxing Canada.

his privateering venture, which will see him cram AMA, Parts Canada and Formula USA races into a very hectic 2003 calendar. "There's a lot more races, a lot more travelling involved, and it's a lot more expensive. "If harder to do, but it'll pay off in the long run," predicted Chris, who's sponsored by Topline Printing Inc. and BikeCards.com. "If you're planning on making a career out of it, you've got to make a name for yourself down in the States." Nick Ianetsch, a former AMA superbike champion and a renowned motorcycle instructor and journalist, has helped coach Chris for the past couple of years, and likes what he sees.

'A truly gifted rider. Nice, quiet kid and very fast," Ianetsch wrote for AMASuperbike.com during the weekend of Chris's guest appearance with Erion Racing. "I'm thrilled that the system works privateer tries hard on his own nickel, struggles but succeeds, factories notice and give him a shot" TKIMBERLEYTHEHERALD.CANWEST.COM Race City Fast Facts Saturday Parts Canada Superbike Championship tour qualifying for superbike and 600 sport bike classes on the road course. Gates at 11 a.m. Also, street stocks, mini stocks, claimers and demo derby on the half-mile oval.

Gates at 6 p.m., racing at 7p.m. Sunday Parts Canada Superbike Championship tour races for superbike and 600 sport bike classes on the road course. Gates open at 11 a.m. Raceway in Fountain, Colo. That gutsy showing at Fontana, in fact, was the reason he got an audition from Anaheim, Calif-based Erion Racing, one of the elite American factory teams, during an AMA tour stop at Sears Point in Sonoma, on May 4 Owner Kevin Erion used Chris as a replacement for Roger Lee Hayden, who'd hurt his wrist.

Chris didn't disappoint, finishing 14th on a CBR600RR, and followed that up by jousting mightily with Hayden last weekend at Pikes Peak. "It's a lot more work," said Chris of FromFI Stamps: Cornerback position now cluttered Uihcs Brady leads Argos TORONTO Marcus Brady came off the bench to rally Toronto to a 26-18 exhibition win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a rare mid-week afternoon contest that drew just 8,201 fans. Incumbent quarterback Reggie Slack dressed but didn't play. Slack, 35, is nursing an injured knee. He also sat out last week in a dispute over the slow pace of contract talks with the club.

Relieving starter Michael Bishop in the second, Brady was a stellar 14 of 16 passing for 155 yards and one touchdown. He could be a longtime fixture in this league and the Stamps don't want to lose him. If one of the Stamps' injured guards Bobby Singh or Jay McNeil don't heal in time for the regular season, Pope is in. Another option is at running back, where Lawrence Phillips is the starter and Stamps brass would like Jeremi Rudolph to be his backup. June 14th 15th at Stampede Park! News at the speed of sound CHQR AtlEITA iTy I A I annthpr imnnrt here it The first 2000 fans In attendance will receive an Alberta Derby ball cap.

Enter to play the $5,000 Match Win! I coaching staff and you have to expect that. You just control what you can control. I know I'm playing well and I'll continue to play welL Wherever that lands me, is where it's going to be." Rookie Hassan Prob-herbs is expected to make the team and back up Sanchez. He also took reps at safety Thursday, as the team will be without starter Aldi Henry for at least half the season. "We've added a good player to our football team in Davis, and he's going to play wherever it is that helps us be the best possible team," said Barker.

"Obviously, it impacts the corners we have here. "When players start worrying that, 'He's here and that means I'm out of they start signing their ticket out of here. They have to focus on what they can control, which is their play." Meanwhile, the axe did fall on eight players Thursday: quarterback Tyler Tomich, receiver Eugene Egerson, running back Matt Brown, safety Matt McKnight, offensive lineman Elliott Zajac, defensive lineman Noel Scarlett and defensive backs Ryan Fernandez and Jay Brooks. They must make seven more cuts in order to reach the 50-man limit by Saturday. Final 40-man rosters are to be declared by June 14.

PETRIETHEHERALD.CANWEST.COM I 1 in MriS TFT A -i Sunday, June 15th, Is Father's Day I i Bring Dad to the track on his special I and take in all the fun of the final Mr of Thoroughbred meet I would allow Kelvin Anderson to stay. Import defensive tackle Garrett Smith had a tremendous game against the B.C. Lions and Calgary would like to keep him around. But they already have Canadian Sheldon Napas-' tuk rotating with Joe Flem-' ing and Demetrious Maxie, so it's doubtful they would use the extra American here. Sanchez's presence also put the clamps on fellow cornerbacks William Fields and Anthony Prior.

The latter two had been fighting for the short-side position and the loser would have gone to the wide side. Now, it's possible that one will make the team. "There's a lot of skill out there right now," said Fields. "I've never been around this many good DBs. The competition is tough, but you want that.

You want to go out there and earn it. "You bring in a new I ENTER TO WIN GREAT PRIZE GATTI WARD III June 7th JflF.OO doors 6:30 13 fight 7:30 Stampede Park The place to be! ADMISSION IS FREE EVERYDAY! SILVER CtiLLAR I '111 MHiT If-' 1010 42 Ave SE 287-1183.