Others sports news in brief
Irish out of the drop zone
EQUESTRIAN: The Ireland team finished fifth in Thursday night’s German round of the FEI Meydan nations’ cup league in Aachen to move out of the relegation zone, writes Margie McLoone. Britain and Italy now prop up the 10-nation table.
Ireland, drawn first to jump, finished round one on a score of seven faults, with Cian O’Connor (Rancorrado) and Capt David O’Brien (Kiltoom) both picking up a single time fault and Billy Twomey amassing five faults with Je t’Aime Flamenco.
Denis Lynch was eliminated when falling with Lantinus but recovered for round two when he had five faults, as did Twomey, with O’Connor faring best on four. This time O’Brien had the discard score (nine faults) and the team had a two-round total of 21.
Yesterday, Ireland finished joint-fourth with Germany on a score of 18 faults in the young riders’ European championships at Hoofddorp in The Netherlands.
Cork Sports loses headline act
ATHLETICS:At first glance the withdrawal of Derval O'Rourke from this afternoon's 58th annual Cork City Sports would appear more of a blow to the organisers than to the athlete herself. O'Rourke has far more important races to run this summer, not least of all the World Championships in Berlin next month, writes Ian O'Riordan.
But while it does deny the meeting its headline act, O’Rourke was bitterly disappointed at having to withdraw. She has yet to win the 100 metres hurdles before her home crowd and this year was the chance to make amends, particularly as she appeared to be going quite well coming off the indoor season, where she won European bronze.
The problem is a slight groin strain that O’Rourke sustained when winning her event at the new European Team Championship a fortnight ago. She’d run an encouraging 12.95 in Ostrava the week before, and the hope now is she’ll be back racing later in the month.
In O’Rourke’s absence, the best prospect for a home victory at the Mardyke victory is Paul Hession. After his good win in Ostrava last month, Hession is down to defend both his 100 and 200 metres titles, yet faces plenty of world-class opposition, including Antigua’s Brendan Christian, who has run 10.09 this season.
This year Cork are also putting on a 3,000 metres walk to accommodate their other local star, Robert Heffernan, who will attempt to break his Irish record of 11:27.
Athletics Ireland have confirmed that Mary Coghlan is no longer chief executive officer of the association.
Hearing over Harlequins adjourned
RUGBY:An independent disciplinary committee which convened in London to hear misconduct complaints under the Heineken Cup 2008/09 rules brought against Harlequins has adjourned.
The complaints concerned the blood substitution of replacement Tom Williams in the 75th minute of the Heineken Cup quarter-final match against Leinster at the Twickenham Stoop on April 12th.
The committee is chaired by Robert Williams of Wales and also comprises Ireland’s Pat Barriscale and Dr Stuart Reary of Scotland.
The committee heard submissions from ERC and Harlequins and from witnesses, and considered broadcast footage from the game.
The committee still have further witnesses and evidence to hear and will reconvene in London on Monday, July 20th.
Henderson banned for three months and fined
HORSE RACING:Nicky Henderson has been handed a three-month ban and fined a record €46,700 over a failed drugs test involving a horse he trains for Britain's Queen Elizabeth.
Henderson was found guilty at a British Horse Racing Authority (BHA) hearing last month of administering the prohibited anti-bleeding drug tranexamic acid to the mare Moonlit Path before she finished sixth in her debut race at Huntingdon in February.
Henderson had denied any wrongdoing over the rule dealing with administering or attempting to administer a positive substance.
Under the ban, Henderson (58), cannot make any entries for races from July 11th to October 10th.
Because he was not disqualified by the panel he can continue to employ his workforce and owners can keep their horses with him.
However, if they wish to run their horses during his suspension, they must be entered by and put into the care of another trainer.
Henderson began training in 1978.
Boonen cleared to ride Tour
CYCLING:Tom Boonen has been cleared to take part in this year's Tour de France by a French arbitration court, race organisers have said.
Tour organisers ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation) had banned Boonen after the Belgian failed an out-of-competition test for cocaine in April.
Boonen sued ASO but earlier this week a judge said she could not rule on the matter, sending it before the French sport arbitration court.
Chamney runs career best in Oslo
ATHLETICS:Dubliner Thomas Chamney last night ran one of the best races of his career to finish third over 800 metres at the IAAF Golden League meeting in Oslo, Norway, writes Ian O'Riordan. In a world-class race, Chamney ran tactically astutely to come through over the final 100 metres to clock a lifetime best of 1:45.41 as the famous track lived up to its name as one of the fastest in the world.
Victory went to 2004 Olympic champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy of Russia in 1:44.42, with the second Irish entry, Kildare’s David Campbell, also close on the heels of the winner in fourth in 1:45.59, also a lifetime best.
Earlier, Alistair Cragg moved down to 1,500 metres and ran well to finish seventh in a season’s-best 3:38.44. Victory went to the Kenyan Collins Cheboi 3:36.24, but Cragg still looked the part in the sprint finish which certainly augers well for his chances over 5,000 metres in next month’s Worlds in Berlin.
