UNIVERSITY GAMES : Racanelli Wins Gymnastics Gold

SHEFFIELD, England — Mike Racanelli won the United States’ first gymnastics gold medal of the World University Games by winning his favorite event, the floor exercise, Friday.

Racanelli, who scored 9.725 in the floor exercise, was the only individual event champion among the American gymnasts. Racanelli was 11th overall at this year’s U.S. national championships in June, seven weeks after he underwent shoulder surgery.

“The main thing for me today was to concentrate on my landings,” said Racanelli, a recent graduate of Ohio State. “The injury wasn’t a factor at all.”

Racanelli’s performance capped a successful showing here for a U.S. men’s team desperately in need of one since finishing 11th at the 1988 Seoul Games.

In other events, the American 400 freestyle relay team of Keith Anderson, Alyn Towne, Joshua Davis and Eric Hansen won the gold; the U.S. women’s basketball team beat Canada, 87-69, for its fifth consecutive victory, and the United States beat Germany, 3-2, in men’s volleyball.