Michelle Collins

Former world champion sprinter Michelle Collins accepted a four-year suspension for a doping violation, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said Thursday. Collins, who forfeits her titles in the 200 meters from the 2003 indoor world and U.S. championships, was suspended for eight years but appealed. USADA reduced it to four years, and she agreed to drop her appeal. An arbitration panel found that Collins, 34, used banned substances provided by BALCO, the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative.

Former world champion sprinter Michelle Collins accepted a four-year suspension for a doping violation, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said Thursday. Collins, who forfeits her titles in the 200 meters from the 2003 indoor world and U.S. championships, was suspended for eight years but appealed. USADA reduced it to four years, and she agreed to drop her appeal. An arbitration panel found that Collins, 34, used banned substances provided by BALCO, the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative.

A fish out of water? "A lot of swimmers are that way," says Jeff Pease, North Coast Aquatics coach. "They're great in the water, it's so natural for them, but take them out of it and . . ." A klutz is born. None of Pease's top swimmers are more prone to clumsiness than Michelle Collins, one of the fastest U.S. butterfliers not on the Olympic team. "She's a klutz," Pease said, packing up equipment at the Carlsbad YMCA prior to departing for the U.S. National Championships at Mission Viejo.

Less than two months before the Summer Olympics, U.S. anti-doping authorities are seeking lifetime bans for four top American sprinters accused of using steroids and other banned substances, the athletes' attorneys and other sources said Wednesday. Tim Montgomery, the world-record holder in the 100-meter dash, was among the athletes who received a formal charge letter from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

Less than two months before the Summer Olympics, U.S. anti-doping authorities are seeking lifetime bans for four top American sprinters accused of using steroids and other banned substances, the athletes' attorneys and other sources said Wednesday. Tim Montgomery, the world-record holder in the 100-meter dash, was among the athletes who received a formal charge letter from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

Tim Montgomery and two other sprinters facing lifetime bans for alleged steroid use have challenged the procedure by which U.S. anti-doping authorities usually handle cases. Montgomery, the world-record holder in the 100-meter dash, has invoked a never-before-used clause in asking that his case bypass U.S. arbitrators and go directly to an international body called the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

On a day dominated by Olympians, Janet Evans swam like her teen-age self, winning the 400-meter freestyle at the Swim Meet of Champions in Mission Viejo in four minutes 11.69 seconds, her fastest unrested and unshaved time in years. In the absence of competition--with the exception of the 400 freestyle at the Barcelona Olympic Games, she has not lost a distance freestyle race since 1987--Evans, 21, has been forced to measure herself against her younger self.

Track and field's world governing body will not intervene to suspend American athletes facing doping allegations unless there is evidence they failed drug tests. That means four U.S. athletes facing possible lifetime bans -- but who have not tested positive for drugs -- could compete in the Athens Olympics if their arbitration hearings have not been resolved by then. Istvan Gyulai, general secretary of the International Assn.

Relying on an 85-mph fastball, USC-bound Ian Kennedy of Westminster La Quinta struck out 15, walked one and gave up three hits in the Aztecs' 2-0 victory over Valencia Friday in the championship game of the North Orange County baseball tournament. La Quinta (5-0), ranked No. 1 by The Times, scored its runs in the third inning on two singles, a throwing error and a run-scoring double by Cole Garner.

Determined to redeem himself after an uncharacteristic seventh-place finish in another event, Greg Burgess scorched the 200-meter individual medley field Sunday in the Janet Evans Invitational at USC. Burgess, the 1992 Olympic silver medalist in the 200 IM, touched at 2 minutes 4.59 seconds, breaking the meet record by 2.5 seconds, defeating runner-up Eric Burton by 4.6 seconds and swimming an unshaved personal best. "I wanted to show myself that I could still swim real fast," Burgess said.

A fish out of water? "A lot of swimmers are that way," says Jeff Pease, North Coast Aquatics coach. "They're great in the water, it's so natural for them, but take them out of it and . . ." A klutz is born. None of Pease's top swimmers are more prone to clumsiness than Michelle Collins, one of the fastest U.S. butterfliers not on the Olympic team. "She's a klutz," Pease said, packing up equipment at the Carlsbad YMCA prior to departing for the U.S. National Championships at Mission Viejo.

The Early Show Cate Blanchett. (N) 7 a.m. KCBS Today Michael Douglas; Shia LaBeouf; Carey Mulligan; Josh Brolin; Frank Langella; Oliver Stone. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC Good Morning America The Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato; author Jane Buckingham. (N) 7 a.m. KABC Live With Regis and Kelly Teri Hatcher. (N) 9 a.m. KABC The View LL Cool J; James Pickens Jr.; Vanessa Williams and Barbara Cook. (N) 10 a.m. KABC The Doctors The color-coded system doctors and nurses use to assess healthy healing from diseases.

COMEDY The BEATdown: Los Angeles Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan and Eliza Skinner host a night of "8 Mile"-style rap battles between five of L.A.'s preeminent comics and one participant to be drawn from the crowd. Six rounds of quick-thinking, verse-dropping freestyling later, a new grandmaster of flow will be crowned on premises. Featuring Michelle Collins ("Chelsea Lately"), Nicole Parker ("Mad TV") and others. Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, 5919 Franklin Ave., Hollywood. 11 p.m. $5. http://www.