SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP):

Costa Rica has fired coach Rodrigo Kenton following three straight losses in World Cup qualifying. Several possible successors surfaced yesterday, just a few hours after the dismissal, including Enrique Meza, the coach of Mexican club Cruz Azul, Leo Beenhakker and Hans Westerhof - both of the Netherlands - and former Argentina coach Jose Pekerman.

Costa Rica, which once led the North and Central American and Caribbean region, are fourth following losses to Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador. The United States lead the group with 16 points. Mexico have 15, Honduras 13 and Costa Rica 12.

Maragh third

SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York (CMC):

Jamaican jockey Rajiv Maragh placed third at the Saratoga Summer meet that ended this past week with prolific Ramon Dominguez emerging champion over Alan Garcia. Dominguez tallied 45 wins to pick up the championship title, five ahead of Garcia (40) with Maragh third on 33 wins.

New York's thoroughbred racing has moved downstate to Belmont Park for the 33-day Fall Championship from Friday, September 11 through to Sunday, October 25. Maragh has already scored two wins at Belmont.

Salary cut

MIAMI (AP):

Miami Heat basketball operations employees have accepted up to a 20 per cent pay cut in order to avoid layoffs. The cuts affect everyone in the department, including team president Pat Riley, head coach Erik Spoelstra, assistant coaches, scouts and others. Player salaries are not being affected.

The Heat laid off 20 members of its business operations staff in May as a result of the economic downturn.

Back on board

JOHANNESBURG (AP):

South Africa's top track official is returning to the international athletics body's board, saying Sunday he was needed to fight from the inside for a world champion runner whose sex has been questioned.

Athletics South Africa announced Sunday that its president, Leonard Chuene, was rejoining the board of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which Chuene has accused of humiliating runner Caster Semenya and violating its own privacy rules in its handling of her case.

The decision indicates at least a detente in strained relations between ASA and the IAAF, which could make it easier for both sides to take whatever step is next.

Sub-13 promise

THESSALONIKI, Greece (CMC):

History-making Barbadian sprint hurdler Ryan Brathwaite closed his 2009 campaign Sunday with a fine win at the IAAF/VTB Bank World Athletics Final (WAF) and promised a sub-13 clocking next season.

The 21-year-old, who created history by becoming the first Barbadian to win a global senior track and field title with his win at the IAAF World Championships in Berlin last month, clocked 13.16 seconds in his victory at the WAF meet on Sunday.

"I ran 13.16 only giving 80 per cent of what I am capable of. Next year I feel I can run sub-13 seconds," he said.