USA Gymnastics

LONDON | Kayla Williams, a 16-year-old American who was still competing at the level below elite five months ago, looked like an old pro Saturday in winning the vault title at the world gymnastics championships.

Only when she stood atop the podium did she seem overwhelmed, taking several deep breaths as she waited for the gold medal to be put around her neck and fighting back tears as the national anthem played.

Just how big a leap was this? Think LeBron James going straight from high school to the NBA - if James had won the NBA title his rookie year.

China, meanwhile, won three of the five titles Saturday. He Kexin added a world title to her Olympic gold on uneven bars, Zhang Hongtao won pommel horse and Yan Mingyong closed the day with a win on still rings.

more gymnastics

Romanian returns for fourth title

LONDON | Marian Dragulescu of Romania won his fourth world title on floor exercise Saturday, 13 months after announcing he was done with competitive gymnastics.

Dragulescu has a long history of back and neck problems, and they were so bad he couldn't defend his floor title at the 2007 worlds. He made it to the Beijing Games, but after failing again to win an Olympic medal, he called it quits, saying the pain was too much.

He got into coaching but in May, he decided to start training again.

nfl

Redskins punter is ailing again

ASHBURN, Va. | For the second straight week, the Washington Redskins have promoted punter Glenn Pakulak from the practice squad to the active roster because of Hunter Smith's groin injury.

Smith pulled his groin two weeks ago against Tampa Bay. Pakulak was the punter and holder last week against Carolina and is set to handle those duties again today against Kansas City.

The Redskins again released defensive end Renaldo Wynn to make room for Pakulak. Wynn was cut the day before the Carolina game, then re-signed two days later.

FBI probed threats against Edwards

CLEVELAND | The FBI says it investigated reported threats to former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards after he allegedly punched a man outside a downtown night club.

FBI Special Agent Scott Wilson said on Saturday that the Browns contacted the Cleveland field office about the threats shortly after the Oct. 5 incident. Wilson said the FBI is no longer investigating any threats.

Edwards was traded to the New York Jets two days after he allegedly punched a friend of NBA star LeBron James in the altercation.

IN OTHER NFL NEWS

The Tennessee Titans will be without both starting cornerbacks after changing Cortland Finnegan's status from questionable to out. Nick Harper already was out after breaking his right arm last week. tennis

Nadal reaches final in Shanghai

SHANGHAI | Rafael Nadal advanced to the Shanghai Masters final on Saturday after Feliciano Lopez became the ninth player to retire from the tournament.

The unseeded Lopez said he woke up with a right foot infection, and then twisted his right ankle on the last point of the first set. He was trailing 6-1, 3-0 when he retired.

In today's final, the top-seeded Nadal will play sixth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, who outlasted second-seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (1).

golf

Campbell, Piercy tied for lead

LAS VEGAS | Chad Campbell made a double bogey on the par-5 16th, then birdied the 18th for a 4-under-par 67 and a share of the third-round lead with Scott Piercy on Saturday in the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

Piercy - a Las Vegas native whose wife, Sara, delivered son Jett on Thursday night - had a 65 to match Campbell, a former UNLV player, at 17-under 196 at TPC Summerlin.

Martin Laird (67) was a stroke back, and George McNeill (63), Jason Bohn (65), Jeff Klauk (66) and Bob Heintz (68) followed at 15 under.

IN OTHER GOLF NEWS

Dan Forsman remained in position for his second Champions Tour win of the year, shooting a 1-under 71 to take a one-stroke lead in the Administaff Small Business Classic in The Woodlands, Texas.

South African star Retief Goosen shot an 8-under 64 to take a one-stroke over Italy's Francesco Molinari in the Portugal Masters in Vilamoura, Portugal.

in other news

Junior reserve guard Jeff Jordan, son of Michael Jordan, will rejoin the Illinois team after leaving following last season to focus on school. The oldest son of Michael Jordan averaged 8.4 minutes as a sophomore after playing 5.3 minutes per game as a true freshman.

A preliminary report to state university trustees is expected on Tuesday, providing the first glimpse of an investigation into Binghamton University's troubled athletics program.