Cink shares early lead in Florida - GOLF: Stewart Cink is among four players tied for the early lead during the first round of the Honda Classic at Palm Beach in Florida.
After an impressive showing at the WGC-Accenture Matchpay last week – he finished third – Cink carded a three-under-par 67 to share the lead with Charlie Wi, Jeff Overton and Angel Cabrera. Darren Clarke opened with a 70. Rory McIlroy was one under after 12 holes.
PAULA CREAMER of the US grabbed a share of the first round lead at the HSBC Womens Champion in Singapore with a five-under-par 67. The American bogeyed the first at the Tanah Merah Country Club, but picked up six birdies in an otherwise faultless round to move alongside compatriot Jane Park and Brazilian Angela Park at the top of the leaderboard.
New director sets out cycling goals for London
CYCLING:Cycling Ireland's (CI) new high performance director has still a month to go before starting in his role, writes Shane Stokes, but Phil Leigh has already laid out some of his aims for the post.
The Lancashire native was named this week as the man who will develop and manage CI’s High Performance Plan for road, track and mountainbike events.
He and the staff he oversees will guide Ireland’s top riders towards the 2012 Olympics, where the goal will be to have at least one rider in the top 10 of a cycling event.
“I want to set up performance systems across as many levels and disciplines in Irish cycling that resources and time will allow,” he told The Irish Times this week. “This means, in the first instance, walking before we run. There are still over three years to the 2012 Olympic Games in London, which means I can set targets from this year that can be built upon year on year.”
Once he has commenced his role, he said that he will sit down with several others and formulate strategies.
He emphasised the need for a clear and fair selection criteria, saying the High Performance Plan would be “rider led and focussed”.
Leigh has a background in domestic and international competition, and a long connection with Irish cycling.
He rode both the 1982 Tour of Ireland plus nine editions of the FBD Milk Rás, and had a career-best placing of fifth overall in the latter.
Top crews head for Erne Head
ROWING:The economy may be going south, but rowers are heading north, writes Liam Gorman.
Eighty-one crews, including 58 eights, have entered tomorrow’s Erne Head of the River near Enniskillen, and the form of a number of crews will be keenly watched.
NUIG may mount a challenge for the Ladies’ Plate at Henley, and they are set to have a powerful crew in action in the open eight tomorrow – supplemented, as it will be, by the presence of Sean Jacob and Con Collis of Old Collegians.
Last year’s winners, Trinity, go off first, but theirs is an untried unit. Only Ali Floyd, who will stroke the crew, and Eoin Mac Domhnaill remain from the crew which lifted the Big Pot in 2008. Neptune, Queen’s and UCD complete a very strong entry in the open eight category.
The forecast is for cool weather, but organiser Robert Northridge is hopeful that conditions will not be a spoilsport. “In 52 years we’ve only had to cancel for foot-and-mouth.”
Hanley gives St Joseph's confidence
SCHOOLS SOCCER:Last May in the searing heat of Antalya, Turkey, Ger Hanley's vast goalkeeping promise was a salient feature of the European Under-17 Championships. Though the Republic of Ireland suffered three cruel defeats Hanley emerged from that tournament armed with hope and confidence following a series of assured displays.
Yesterday in the more prosaic surrounds of Milebush on the edge of Castlebar, Hanley’s assured handling was one of the reasons why St Joseph’s Galway recaptured the Connacht Schools soccer crown with a 2-0 win over Scoil Mhuire, Strokestown.
Hanley, expected to be included in the Galway United squad for this evening’s League of Ireland opener at Richmond Park against St Patrick’s Athletic, dealt capably with all Scoil Mhuire could muster.
St Joseph’s settled impressively with midfielder Barry McCabe eager to pass the ball and probe for openings.
Still for all the Galwegians style Scoil Mhuire remained highly competitive with skipper Sean Donoghue safe and solid at the back.
The first half was packed with enthusiasm from both sides, but they trotted off at the break deadlocked.
But St Joseph’s seized control after the restart grabbing two goals inside a three minute spell. There was a dash of good fortune attached to the opener on 55 minutes when Strokestown’s Darren Clabby’s attempted clearance spun over goalkeeper Francis Convey from a Daniel Keady cross.
St Joseph’s poured forward again moments later, and Brian Gaffney wriggled clear from Ronan Beirne before unleashing a blistering shot that found the bottom corner.
In the dying embers Strokestown encountered a resolute St Joseph’s defence that offered the polished Hanley sufficient protection.
ST JOSEPH'S, GALWAY:Hanley; Curran, Fadden, O'Donoghue, Kelly; Evans, McCabe (I Lynskey, 80), R Lynskey, Keady; Olajide, Gaffney (McNamara, 90).
SCOIL MHUIRE, STROKESTOWN:Convey; McCaffrey, Brogan, S Donoghue, Beirne; K Donoghue (Sullivan, 82), Brennan, Hussey, Clabby; Campion, Connellan.
Referee:K Cox (Mayo).
London without Radcliffe again
ATHLETICS:Paula Radcliffe has been forced to withdraw yet again from the London Marathon after breaking a toe in her right foot at her training base in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Radcliffe was determined that she could add a fourth London title to her collection after twice pulling out from her favourite marathon through injury.
“I am considering surgery to get myself totally healthy as soon as physically possible,” said the three-times champion.
