Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup for the first time in its brief 12-year history on June 7 with a 2-1 victory over Calgary in the seventh and deciding game of the series.
The Ukranian Ruslan Fedotenko scored twice for Tampa Bay, the second with just five minutes left in the second period. Calgary scored with a wonderful long-range effort but despite nine shots on target, it couldn't find the equalizer. Tampa Bay captain Dave Andreychuk, whose 1,759 NHL games were the most for anyone without an NHL championship win, finally succeeded in getting his name inscribed on the Stanley Cup. Brad Richards was named the series' Most Valuable Player after scoring 26 points, and assisting in the first goal of game seven.
Marian Jones, the triple Olympic athletics champion, branded Olympic czar Jacques Rogge "ignorant" in an interview with The Sunday Times newspaper, after Rogge said in an interview that Jones was "stupid" for mixing with the wrong people. Although the American has never tested positive for drugs she is currently being investigated by the U.S. antidoping agency. Jones has been under intense scrutiny since she split with husband CJ Hunter when he was banned for drug offenses prior to the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Last year Jones began working with coach Charlie Francis, who guided the career of disgraced sprinter Ben Johnson.
Gaston Gaudio won the all-Argentine men's final of the French Open on June 6 after fighting back from being two sets down. Guillermo Coria dominated the early stages of the match and took the first two sets 6-0 and 6-3. But Gaudio took the next two sets 6-4 and 6-1. Coria was clearly struggling in the latter part of the game with cramp and he wasted two match points in the fifth set, which Gaudio eventually won 806. Gaudio was presented with the trophy by Guillermo Vilas, who was the last Argentine to triumph at Roland Garros in 1977.
Of nine NBA players selected to play for the American basketball team at the Athens Olympics, only two will now be competing following the withdrawal of Sacramento guard Mike Bibby (photo). Bibby told a Sacramento newspaper he wanted more time to recuperate and rest after the NBA season. Several other NBA stars have pulled out of the team due to security fears.
