BRIEFLY.

Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Reports

Bomb at Spain's Olympic site

A car bomb exploded Saturday near a Madrid stadium used to promote the city's bid to host the 2012 Olympics after a warning call by the Basque separatist group ETA, officials said. No injuries were reported.

The bomb went off about 7 p.m. at a parking lot outside the Peineta track and field complex, the Interior Ministry said.

The parking lot was nearly empty at the time and the blast, which came after a warning call made in ETA's name to the Basque daily newspaper Gara, caused little damage, the ministry said.

ETA, blamed for killing more than 800 people since launching its fight for Basque independence in 1968, frequently makes warning calls to Gara.

The group, whose initials stand for Basque Homeland and Freedom, wants independence for the three-province Basque region in northern Spain.

VOLLEYBALL: Americans Misty May and Kerri Walsh won their second straight title at the Beach Volleyball World Championships in Berlin, defeating top-seeded Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa Franca in the final. The reigning Olympic and world champions defeated the Brazilian pair 21-17, 21-17.

Apart from two forfeit losses at the last worlds in Brazil, when May injured an abdominal muscle, the Americans haven't lost an international match since July 2003.

``It wasn't easy. These girls are tough,'' Walsh said. ``These girls don't make mistakes and they're fearless. That's a scary thing in a young team. They'll take you out any way they can.''

The win marked the American pair's 16th international title in 22 finals. They are 186-27 since teaming up in 2001.

BASEBALL: After totaling just five at-bats over 57 games during his freshman season at San Jose State, former Canyon High baseball standout Drew Peterson has left the college. He plans to play at College of the Canyons this spring.

``San Jose State wasn't the right place for me,'' Peterson said.

- Gerry Gittelson

HORSE RACING: English Channel won the $500,000 Colonial Turf Cup at Colonial Downs in Providence Forge, Va., the first leg of the Grand Slam of Grass.

English Channel, ridden by John Velazquez, covered the 1 3/16 miles on the Secretariat Turf Course in 1:56:37. The victory was the fourth in five career starts for English Channel, who is owned by James Scatuorchio.

The next race in the slam is the $750,000 Virginia Derby on July 16 at Colonial Downs. It also will include the $400,000 Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park in Chicago on Aug. 13, and the Grade 1 $2 million John Deere Breeders' Cup Turf on Oct. 29 at Belmont Park in New York.

The slam offers a $3 million bonus for any horse sweeping all four races.

FOOTBALL Texas A&M officials are planning to construct an indoor practice facility for football, and coach Dennis Franchione - who said A&M would be the final stop in his coaching career - is giving $1 million toward its construction.

TRACK AND FIELD: Svetlana Cherkasova of Russia ran the fastest women's 800 meters this season at the Znamensky Brothers Memorial event in Kazan, Russia, clocking 1 minute, 56.93 seconds.