A round-up of other sports news in brief....
Hansen fights to have ban lifted
EQUESTRIAN SPORTS: Norwegian rider Tony Andre Hansen, who was disqualified from competing in the final round of the individual show jumping competition at the Olympic Games last August, yesterday filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport to annul the decision of the FEI tribunal to ban him for four and a half months, writes Margie McLoone.
Hansen (29) was immediately suspended from competition at the Hong Kong Olympics when his mount, Camiro, was one of four horses which returned positive tests for the banned substance capsaicin. The other three riders were Ireland’s Denis Lynch (Lantinus), Brazil’s Bernardo Alves (Chupa Chup) and Germany’s Christian Ahlmann (Coster). Brazilian Rodrigo Pessoa, who finished fifth in the individual event, was later disqualified when his mount Rufus tested positive for nonivamide, a substance similar to capsaicin.
As a result of the FEI’s December 22nd decision, the Norwegian team, comprising Hansen, Morten Djupvik, Stein Endresen and Geir Gulliksen, was stripped of the bronze medal. CAS said it would deliver its decision within four months.
At home, Capt Geoff Curran, a member of the Irish eventing team in Hong Kong, was the recipient of a €2,500 bursary from the event horse owners and supporters, Group On A Mission. Presented to the leading Ireland international rider between 18 and 28 years of age, the Army representative, winner of the World Cup qualifier at Tattersalls last May, earned top points for his results in FEI classes on the Minister for Defence’s, Kilkishen.
Roche's form looks solid
CYCLING: Nicolas Roche yesterday finished 12th on the opening stage of the Tour Down Under in Australia, galloping across the line in the same time as the day’s winner André Greipel (Team Columbia – High Road).
Roche was also 12th in the Cancer Council Classic race on Sunday and the two performances underline his solid form heading into the season. The Ag2r La Mondiale rider will hope to fare well on the hillier stages to come.
Yesterday’s win in Mawson Lakes means that last year’s overall victor Greipel has taken an early lead in the general classification. After time bonuses were taken into consideration, he’s five seconds ahead of Baden Cooke (UniSA) and Olivier Kaisen (Silence-Lotto).
Roche is 15th overall, eleven seconds back. He is best-placed of the Ag2r squad, which is third in the teams classification. Former Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong (Astana) also finished in the main bunch, placing 120th, and is in the same position overall.
The six stage ProTour event continues today with an undulating 145 kilometre stage from Hahndorf to Stirling.
Kim out of Bob Hope Classic
GOLF: World number eight Anthony Kim has pulled out of this week’s Bob Hope Classic because of a sore left shoulder, depriving the PGA Tour event of its highest-ranked player.
The 23-year-old Korean-American is a graduate of the nearby La Quinta High School and considers the Hope Classic his hometown tournament.
“I’m very disappointed . . . especially considering it’s played in Palm Springs, where I lived, and I had so many friends and family coming to watch,” said Kim.
Having tied for second in the season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship, Kim felt pain in his shoulder while practising on Monday and was advised to take this week off to have treatment.
Butt leads by example
CRICKET: Opener Salman Butt slammed an undefeated century to power Pakistan to an eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first one-day international in Karachi yesterday.
Pakistan stormed to a 1-0 lead in the three-match series after Butt struck his eight career century and helped produce a 168-run opening stand with Khurrum Manzoor (83).
