SPORTS DIGEST/ SAILING: British entries laid down a marker for the host nation fleet ahead of this month's Laser SB3 World Championship at the National Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire, writes David Branigan.
The Irish championship title was decided yesterday after three days of racing at the Royal St George YC where Craig Burlton and his crew emerged as clear overall leaders.
Gareth Flannagan of the combined Royal Ulster and Ballyholme yacht clubs was best of the Irish in third, while David Quinn's team from Howth YC took fifth.
Eighty boats contested the title that provided a useful warm-up against the 150-strong fleet expected for the worlds. One race official described the competition as "feisty" with general recalls needed even in automatic disqualification "black-flag" starts.
Meanwhile at Howth, Ballyholme's James Espey retained his national title in the Kia Motors Laser (single-handed) class.
Loeb edges closer to title
MOTOR SPORT: Frenchman Sebastien Loeb edged closer to a fifth consecutive World Rally Championship title when he stormed to victory in the Rally of New Zealand yesterday.
Loeb was heading towards a minor placing but had a slice of luck on the penultimate stage when the two drivers ahead of him - Ford pair Jari-Matti Latvala and Mikko Hirvonen - both spun out.
The mishaps allowed Loeb to lead home a Citroen one-two with Spanish team-mate Dani Sordo finishing 17.5 seconds behind the Frenchman. Hirvonen was third.
Loeb extended his lead in the championship to eight points with just four rounds remaining. The drivers now have a month off before the Rally of Spain, followed by races in France, Japan and Wales.
Compensation for Hession
ATHLETICS: Paul Hession gained some small compensation for his fifth place finish in his semi-final of the 200 metres at the Olympics when he finished ahead of Britain's Christian Malcolm at the Grand Prix meeting in Gateshead yesterday.
It was Malcolm in fourth position in their semi-final who denied Hession a place in the Olympic final in Beijing but yesterday the Galway sprinter turned the tables when he finished third in a time of 20.61 seconds to 20.65 for the British runner.
The race was won by the American star, Tyson Gay in 20.26 from fellow American, Wallace Spearmon, second in 20.41.
David Gillick, still recovering from his disappointment in Beijing, finished fourth in the 400 metres in 46.28 seconds, easily his slowest time for some two years. However, he may still defend his 400m title at the European Indoor Championships. Yesterday's race was won by his training partner at Loughborough, Martyn Rooney, in 45.35 from another British runner, Mike Binham.
Valverde's charge clinches stage and the lead in Spain
CYCLING:A late charge on an uphill finish in Jaen clinched Spaniard Alejandro Valverde both the stage and the overall lead in the Tour of Spain yesterday.
The Caisse D'Epargne rider made a trademark last-minute acceleration to finish two seconds clear of Italians Davide Rebellin and Alessandro Ballan.
A stage winner and leader of the Tour de France this year, Valverde has now taken charge in the Vuelta, 13 seconds ahead of Italians Filippo Pozzato and Daniele Bennati.
"I came here for a stage win and a spell in the lead and that's what I've got," the 28-year-old from Murcia said. "I would have attacked a little later, but another rider charged away so I had no choice but to respond."
Nicolas Roche finished 11th in the bunch finish despite using vital energy in a breakaway move during the closing stages.
"I attacked but we were caught with five kilometres to go," said Roche. "I was 11th in the uphill sprint. I am feeling good!"
Elliott clinches title in Galway
MOTOR SPORT: After finishing three times as runner-up, Cavan driver Patrick Elliott, driving a Subaru WRC, clinched the Dunlop National Rally Championship with victory in yesterday's Athenry-based Loughrea Plant Sales Galway Summer Rally, the eight round of the series, writes Brian Foley.
Co-driven by Damien Connolly, Elliott netted maximum points. His only title rival, Niall Maguire, who was partnered by Paul McLaughlin, crashed his Subaru WRC on the fifth stage. At the time, record three-time champion Maguire, who needed to finish ahead of Elliott to keep the title chase alive, trailed his rival by nine seconds. Welsh driver Mel Evans (Subaru WRC) and his Limerick co-driver, Seán Mullally, finished second, 39 seconds behind the winners.
Meanwhile, Peter McKenna won Saturday's Martin Donnelly Trophy feature race at Kirkistown.
Merveldt takes Grand Prix
EQUESTRIAN SPORT: Anna Merveldt, riding James Connor's Coryolano, won the Grand Prix Special at the World Cup dressage show at Marianske Lazne in the Czech Republic on Saturday with a score of 70.20 per cent, writes Margie McLoone.
Second place went to Germany's Holga Finken and Wunschtraum who had also finished behind Merveldt and Coryolano in Friday's Grand Prix when the pair came second and third to the German combination of Gina Capellmann-Lutkemeier and Baldessarini.
At the three-star show in The Hague, Jessica Kürten filled the runner-up spot in yesterday's 1.45m jump-off class on Myrtille Paulois. Lady Georgina Forbes's mare was one of seven horses which got through to the second round where her clear in 31.22 was bettered by Maikel van der Vleuten on VDL Groep Naomi.
