Graham convicted on only one count

A jury in San Francisco found track coach Trevor Graham guilty on Thursday of one count of lying to federal agents investigating the BALCO doping scandal.

The jury could not reach a verdict on two other counts against the former coach of Marion Jones, Tim Montgomery and Justin Gatlin, with at least one juror having serious doubts about the credibility of the prosecution's star witness. It marked the first significant setback at trial for the federal government in its nearly five-year investigation stemming from the BALCO doping scandal.

Graham's court-appointed attorney, William Keane, said he would likely seek a judgment for acquittal in spite of the jury's guilty verdict.

Graham was on trial for allegedly lying to federal agents in 2004 about his relationship with former Mexican athlete Angel Heredia.

Heredia testified at the trial he sold performance-enhancing drugs to Graham and athletes coached by him. The maximum sentence for Graham's conviction is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A typical sentence for a first-time offender is less than one year. Graham is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 5.

SOCCER

FIFA lifts international ban against Iraq

Soccer's governing body lifted its international ban on Iraq to keep alive the World Cup qualifying hopes of the team. Iraq was suspended by FIFA on Tuesday after Iraq's government dissolved the national Olympic Committee and all sports federations. FIFA said the Iraqi move amounted to political interference into the autonomy of the sports organizations.

The ban was provisionally lifted after FIFA received a letter from an Iraqi Cabinet official saying the Iraqi soccer federation had been "excluded" from the decree.

Christian Benitez scored one goal and set up another to rally Santos to a 2-1 victory over Cruz Azul in the first leg of Mexico's Clausura championship finals in Mexico City.

GOLF

Goggin takes one-shot lead at the Memorial

Mathew Goggin needed only nine putts over his final nine holes on his way to a seven-under par 65 and a one-shot lead over Jerry Kelly and two-time champion Kenny Perry at the Memorial in Dublin, Ohio.

Goggin holed a bunker shot for birdie on the par-three fourth, then ended his round with a 12-footer for par from off the green, giving him only 22 putts for his round.