Today's other stories in brief
McCann poised for win in Malaysia
CYCLING: David McCann once again defended his race lead yesterday in the Jelajah Malaysia race, and heads into today's final stage poised to claim the overall victory.
The Giant Asia professional rolled in 23rd on yesterday’s stage to Sungai Petani, finishing with the main bunch of riders who were two minutes and 53 seconds behind the day’s winner Suhardi Hassan (Wilayah Persekutuan).
Hassan outsprinted four breakaway companions to win. McCann remains 20 seconds clear of his nearest rival, Takumi Beppu (Aisan Racing Team) and is over a minute ahead of the next-closest riders. Barring misfortune, he looks set to triumph when the race ends today in Kuala Perlis.
Meanwhile Nicolas Roche had an off-day in the Tour de Romandie yesterday, finishing 49th in the 23.4km time trial around Moudon.
Twomey secures win for Ireland
EQUESTRIAN: Cheshire-based Cork man Billy Twomey secured victory for Ireland in yesterday's Belgian Nations' Cup at Lummen with a clear from Tinka's Serenade in the third round jump-off. Australia's Chris Chugg on Vivant knocked a fence in the jump-off round as Twomey went clear. Both Ireland and Australia completed the two regular rounds on a zero score, the only Irish rider to fault in the entire competition being Nations Cup newcomer Alex Duffy who had a first round total of 22 faults.
Busy Meegan completes notable double
SWIMMING:Andrew Meegan yesterday added to his 1500m Freestyle success of Thursday when he claimed the 800m Freestyle title on at the National Swimming championships in the National Acquatic Centre in Dublin.
Meegan posted another come- from-behind success, passing Clay Youngquist of the US at the 200 mark before holding off a determined finish from the 17-year-old American to win gold in 8.15.40.
Another Irish success came in the women’s 50m Butterfly as Limerick’s Shauna Smith took the gold medal in a respectable 28.19 seconds. Victory in the men’s race went to American Roger Meisfeld.
British Olympian Hanna Miley won her second gold of the week when she won the women’s 400 metres individual medley title while the final event of the night were the men’s and women’s 4x200 metres Freestyle relays with the US junior squads winning both the men’s and women’s titles.
Seven gold medals were decided and numerous semi-finals also contested across 24 events.
The men’s and women’s 100m Freestyle and the 100m breastroke semis produced some of the best swims of the night.
The visiting US team look like dominating the men’s 100m free finals which will take place later tonight, but Bangor’s Claire Dawson, who won the 200m free title on Thursday, is the fastest qualifier into the women’s final.
Dubliner Barry Murphy looks the man to beat in the 100m Breastroke as he set a decent time in his new textile suit of 1.03.10, just half a second shy of qualification for the European championships in Budapest in August and the quickest of the semi finals. Murphy and Fiona Doyle, who set the fastest time in the women’s 100m Breastroke semi-final in a time of 1.11.31, are favourites to take gold today.
