

Swimmer Ervin sells gold medal for tsunami relief By Vicki Michaelis, USA TODAY The box of mementos in Anthony Ervin's closet just got lighter, and the tsunami-relief effort is $17,100 richer. Ervin, who tied U.S. teammate Gary Hall Jr. for first in the 50-meter freestyle at the 2000 Olympics, auctioned his gold medal on eBay. Bidding closed Sunday. "It's really easy for anybody to be a good example," Ervin, 23, says of his decision to give the proceeds to tsunami relief, "and I certainly could have done a better job in the past. Hopefully, I'm making up some ground for that now." Ervin traveled to Japan with Hall in December to give swimming clinics. Ervin was considering a return to competitive swimming and mulling what kind of charity work he could tie to that. A week after they returned to the USA, the tsunami hit Southeast Asia. Ervin began training with Mike Bottom, his former college coach at California, in January. Ervin last competed at the 2003 world championships. Ervin left swimming primarily to focus on music. He plays guitar, sings and composes in a variety of styles. "I thought I wanted to inspire people in some kind of way, not realizing I was already doing it," he says. He's continuing in music but also aiming for the 2008 Olympics, where, perhaps, another object for the memento collection awaits. "Right now, my mentality is that which it was before 2000, which is try to make top six and put myself on a relay (team)," he says. "I'll be a pretty old man by then, but if I can stick with it, I don't see why I shouldn't be able to accomplish that goal." Weightlifting nationals: Two-time Olympians Shane Hamman and Cheryl Haworth, who won a bronze medal in 2000, won titles Sunday at the national championships in Cleveland. Other winners: Jerri Pugh (105.6-pound division), Jodi Wilhite (116.6), Shelton Gilyard (123.2), Jackie Berube (127.6), Christopher LeRoux (136.4), Natalie Woolfolk (138.6), Danica Rue (151.8), Henry Brower (151.8), Cara Heads (165), Lance Frye (169.4), Chad Vaughn (187), Robert Murphy (206.8) and Pete Kelley (231). Powell, Gatlin win: Jamaica's Asafa Powell, ranked No. 1 in the world last year despite finishing fifth in the Olympics, beat his national record for the 100 meters, clocking 9.84 seconds to win Saturday at a Kingston, Jamaica, meet. Powell's time is the fastest in the world this year. Olympic champion Justin Gatlin of the USA won his first Grand Prix race of the season in 10.15 seconds Saturday in Osaka, Japan. Etc.: Michelle Guerette and Wyatt Allen won the single sculls events and Julie Nichols and Rich Montgomery won the lightweight scull events Sunday on Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J. ... The U.S. show jumping team of Beezie Madden, Laura Kraut, Schuyler Riley and Georgina Bloomberg, 22-year-old daughter of the mayor of New York City, won the first leg of the Samsung Super League Friday in La Baule, France. Contributing: Wire services