Lindsey Vonn began her day with Austrian TV cameras trained on her as she left the team hotel in early light. She then headed to the course as the overwhelming favorite in the super-combi at the world championships in Val D'Isere, France.

All was going according to plan yesterday when Vonn led the downhill portion of the race. Hours later, she was disqualified from the slalom for splitting a gate.

"I've been feeling so great this week that to come down hard like that today is hard to take," Vonn said. "I was really confused for a while and really frustrated."

Austria's Kathrin Zettel was the surprise winner, posting the fifth-fastest downhill and third-fastest slalom.

Zettel had a combined time of 2 minutes, 20.13 seconds. Lara Gut, a 17-year-old Swiss, finished second, 0.56 seconds behind, and Elisabeth Goergl of Austria was third, 0.88 back. The top U.S. finisher was Stacey Cook in 16th place.

SWIMMING

PHELPS FINE WITH SLAP

Michael Phelps says it's fair for USA Swimming to suspend him for three months, the latest fallout from a photo showing the Olympic great inhaling from a marijuana pipe.

Phelps was back training at his regular pool yesterday in Baltimore, a day after his suspension.

"It's not my decision. It's theirs," Phelps said of USA Swimming's decision. "I have nothing to say, but if that's what they want to do, that's their choice. It's something that USA Swimming came up with. It's fair. Obviously, for a mistake you should get punished."

Phelps won a record eight gold medals in Beijing.

BASEBALL

DODGERS, WOLF AGREE

Pitcher Randy Wolf and the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed yesterday to a $5 million, one-year contract.

A 32-year-old left-hander, Wolf was a combined 12-12 with a 4.30 ERA last year with San Diego and Houston. With the Dodgers, Wolf can make an additional $3 million in performance bonuses based on innngs.

• Relief pitcher Tom Gordon agreed to a $500,000, one-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 41-year-old right-hander, a member of last season's World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies, can make an additional $2.5 million in bonuses based on time on the active roster.

• Reliever Pedro Feliciano and the New York Mets agreed to a one-year contract worth $1,612,500 and avoided salary arbitration. The 32-year-old left-hander was 3-4 with a 4.05 ERA and two saves in 86 relief appearances last season.

• Left-hander Ken Takahashi finalized a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays and was invited to major league spring training camp. The 39-year-old has spent his entire 14-year career in Japan, and was 8-5 with a 3.50 ERA in 21 games for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp last season.

TENNIS

TSONGA, FERRER WIN

Seeded favorites Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and David Ferrer cruised to wins and spots in the SA Tennis Open semifinals yesterday in Johannesburg, South Africa. Top-seeded Tsonga beat seventh-seeded Kristof Vliegen of Belgium, 6-4, 6-1, while second-seeded Ferrer defeated eighth-seeded Marcos Baghdatis, 7-5, 6-2, in the quarterfinals.

• Second-seeded Tommy Robredo rallied to defeat Juan Ignacio Chela, 0-6, 6-3, 6-4, yesterday, advancing to the semifinals of the Movistar Open in Vina Del Mar, Chile. Robredo will meet fourth-seeded Jose Acasuso for a place in tomorrow's final.

AUTO RACING

MENARD WRECKS

Paul Menard started the first wreck of the 2009 NASCAR season.

Menard, the pole-sitter for tonight's Budweiser Shootout, got sideways during practice yesterday at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and crashed with rookie Scott Speed.

As Menard slowed down while trying to straighten out his No. 98 Ford in a turn on the 2 1/2-mile superspeedway, Speed drove his No. 82 Toyota into his left-front fender. Both cars spun across the track and came to a stop near the infield.

Team officials said Menard's team was going to repair the damage instead of going to a backup car. If they can't fix it, Menard would have to switch cars and start from the back of the 28-car field.