Sports | Newark: With Names That Could Kill, Women Rev Up Roller Derby. Women’s roller derby is having a moment in New Jersey. At least seven leagues, with more than a dozen teams, have sprouted statewide since 2005.

30 Seconds With Lindsey Vonn: Skiing Until Cows Come Home. Lindsey Vonn, the defending World Cup overall and downhill champion, won the season-opening slalom on Saturday in Levi, Finland.

Alan Ford, Top Freestyler in 1940s, Is Dead at 84. Mr. Ford became the first swimmer to break 50 seconds for 100 yards, a barrier that some likened to the four-minute mile.

Obama’s Not Alone in His Athletic Pursuits. As president, Barack Obama, an avid basketball player, will find that many leaders in other countries also have a strong interest in athletics.

Johnson Wins Third Straight Cup Title. Jimmie Johnson locked up his third consecutive championship with a solid 15th-place finish, joining Cale Yarborough as the only drivers to win three straight Cup titles.

Mixed Martial Arts Makes Its Way to High School. A high school in Winchester, Mass., offers its students a mixed martial arts program as the sport has faced its fair share of controversy.

USA Archery Stands by Its Coach. Kisik Lee, a controversial figure, will remain the coach of USA Archery, even as the team’s chief executive and high-performance manager have resigned.

Johnson Hopes His Run Hasn’t Come to an End. It seems to be dawning on Johnson only now that by matching Cale Yarborough’s three straight Cup titles, he and his race team have become a sports powerhouse.

Obama Lobbies for Chicago Games in 2016. President-elect Barack Obama spoke via video on Friday to European Olympic committees at a meeting in Istanbul in an effort to sell Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Summer Games.

Montgomery Admits Using Drugs Before Games. The former sprinter Tim Montgomery admitted in a jailhouse interview with HBO’s Bryant Gumbel that he knew he was taking illegal performance-enhancing drugs before the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

Armstrong in Paris, but Says He Is Just Passing Through. Lance Armstrong was in Paris on Tuesday, but he said he was not meeting with Tour de France organizers about a possible return to the race in 2009.

Penn State an Unlikely Place for Two Champions. The hub of the college volleyball world could not be much farther from California’s sandy shores. For now, it is located in an old brick building on the Penn State campus.

Back-and-Forth Sport Is Back Again. There is a growing number of Ping-Pong players in New York City who are meeting in some unexpected places, brought together by their devotion for the game.

Not So Fast: A Dispute Takes Down a Sailing Record. The World Sailing Speed Record Council belatedly decided to dismiss the mark set by Sebastian Cattelan in Namibia because he broke the 50-knot barrier on a kiteboard.

Sport Looks for a Way to Keep Its Stars on the Track. To stem the loss of its best horses to breeding, the harness racing industry may bar competitors sired by a horse who was 4 years old or younger at the time of conception.

Winter Sports Roundup: Maier Wins Super-G for 54th Cup Victory. Hermann Maier of Austria won a super-G on Sunday in Lake Louise, Alberta, for his 54th career World Cup victory.

Armstrong Plans to Ride in the Tour de France. Lance Armstrong piled on the intrigue surrounding his return to professional cycling by announcing Monday that he would participate in the 2009 Tour de France.