Other sports' stories in brief
Hamilton retires after positive test
CYCLING:Olympic gold medal-winner Tyler Hamilton has tested positive for a banned substance and retired from cycling, the American said yesterday.
Hamilton said he is battling depression and admitted taking an over-the-counter homeopathic anti-depressant containing the steroid DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone), which is on the World Anti-Doping Agency's list of banned substances.
“There are times when you are at such a low, low point anything that you can do – if it was taking a hammer and hitting yourself over the head you’d do it to feel better,” he said during an emotional teleconference.
I was desperate. Was it the right decision? Absolutely not. At the time I didnt think about the consequences.
“The people who suffer from the disease of depression . . . understand my drastic decision,” added Hamilton.
ERC to investigate blood substitution of Williams
RUGBY:The ERC have officially initiated an investigation into the alleged blood substitution of Harlequins replacement Tom Williams during last Sunday's Heineken Cup quarter-final defeat to Leinster at The Stoop, writes Gavin Cummiskey.
Former All Black outhalf Nick Evans limped off the pitch, but was marked down as a tactical substitution, on 47 minutes. Evans’ replacement, Chris Malone, also suffered an injury and was replaced by Williams but Evans came back into the game on 75 minutes to eventually miscue a drop goal that would have won the match.
Williams sustained a blood injury in his mouth, which bled profusely after he drank some liquid, and Sky cameras showed him winking to a team-mate as he left the field.
“The investigation is being carried out by ERC Disciplinary Officer, Roger O’Connor under the Heineken Cup 2008/09 Disciplinary Rules and will include gathering statements from match officials (referee Nigel Owen), the two teams involved and a review of broadcast footage from the game,” read an ERC statement.
Meanwhile, Leinster yesterday won a coin toss to take the “home” dressing room at Croke Park in the semi-final against Munster on May 2nd.
The Irish Times has learned that some of the 266 Leinster supporters who took advantage of a “human error” by Ticketmaster to purchase additional tickets for the semi-final have had their credit cards debited yesterday for these transactions.
Turkington off mark at Fontainebleau
EQUESTRIAN: Irish pony riders got off the mark immediately in Fontainebleau yesterday with Co Down's Emily Turkington winning the opening two-phase competition with her mother Kerry's chestnut gelding He's No Joker, writes Margie Mcloone.
The Hillsborough 16-year-old then landed the six-year-old class on Lawrence Patterson’s Dr Spot.
Turkington, competing at the French show for the third successive year, said afterwards: “Both my ponies loved the perfect going in the beautiful big grass arena here.”
Another 16 year-old, Cork-born Madeline Roberts-Allen, won the seven-year-old competition on Wayne Santry’s Templebready Fear Bui gelding Garryndruig Gold Digger.
In the afternoon’s CSIP two-phase class, Tom Foley and the Irish-bred mare Attyrory Clover Lily recorded a comfortable win over France’s Clement Mernier.
