More news in brief.
Pechyonkina set to miss Beijing
ATHLETICS:World 400-metre hurdles record holder Yulia Pechyonkina is set to miss the Beijing Olympics because of a heart problem, the coach of the Russian national team has said.
"I don't think she'll be able to recover in time and compete in Beijing," Valentin Maslakov, who is also Pechyonkina's personal coach, was reported as saying by the All Sport news agency, hinting that the Russian was considering retirement.
Pechyonkina (30) won the world title in 2005 in Helsinki and also finished second in 2007 and 2001 and third in 2003.
The Russian, who also competed under her maiden name, Nosova, set the world record of 52.34 seconds in 2003, beating the eight-year-old mark of 52.61 set by the American Kim Batten.
Mosley sues tabloid
MOTOR SPORT:Motor racing chief Max Mosley has launched legal action against the News of the Worlddenying involvement in a "sick Nazi orgy" but saying he had an interest in sado-masochistic sex.
Lawyers for Mosley (68) told the high court in London the paper was guilty of "a gross and indefensible intrusion of his private life".
Mosley said he could think of few more "unerotic" things than Nazi roleplay.
Connacht sign winger Roberts
RUGBY:Connacht have signed the former Wasps and Glasgow Warriors winger Mike Roberts.
Roberts (26) said: "I already knew Mike McCarthy from school and with Wasps and he was influential in my signing. He told me about the set-up here and about Michael Bradley's style of coaching and it sounded like something I'd be very interested in becoming a part of."
Roberts, who won three Premiership titles in England with Wasps, as well as a European Cup medal, has already settled into training in Galway.
Chief executive Gerry Kelly said Connacht were impressed with Roberts's prolific scoring record with his previous clubs.
HRI open to running Group One races at new venues
RACING:Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) are prepared to run at least one of the Curragh Group One races that are up for grabs away from Leopardstown, reports Brian O'Connor.
The Co Dublin course has already been announced as the new home of the classics because of the 18-month closure of the Curragh, which begins next July.
However, with seven fixtures up for grabs in 2009 and a massive 19 in 2010, the race is on to host some of the prestige pots available, and yesterday came confirmation that the Group One prizes won't be confined to Leopardstown alone.
"Obviously we want to maintain the prestige of these big races and Leopardstown would be the favoured option for many of them, but not all of them. I would envisage at least one Group One being run elsewhere," said HRI director of racing Jason Morris.
Ireland's major two-year-old races, the National Stakes and the Moyglare Stud Stakes, will have to switch from the Curragh next year and the Phoenix Stakes will also have to move.
That presents a major prestige opportunity for someone, as only the Curragh and Leopardstown stage Group One flat racing.
"We have another two to three weeks before we announce the fixture list for 2009 at Galway, so we are busy trying to organise everything," Morris added.
The Government-funded HRI also run tracks at Fairyhouse, Navan and Tipperary.
Irish in final qualifying for Birkdale
GOLF:The battle for the final 12 places in this year's British Open at Birkdale began at Hillside, Southport Ainsdale and West Lancashire yesterday, with just four places available from each venue.
Former Walker Cup player Jamie Elson enjoyed an unexpected bonus on Hillside's par-three seventh: a hole-in-one which took him to four under par, and set him up for a round of 67 that puts him in a great position to qualify. Brendan McCarroll from Ballyliffin is on 76, with amateur David Rawluk from The Island on 78 and Mark Heinemann of Skellig Bay on 81.
Across the railway tracks at Southport Ainsdale, it was an amateur, Australia's Scott Arnold, who was producing most of the fireworks. He used an eagle on the second hole to springboard to an outward half of 31 on his way to a three-shot lead on 66.
Mark Murphy is tied for third on 70, with Justin Kehoe and David Higgins on 72 and Tim Rice on 76.
At West Lancs, Philip Walton is tied fifth on 72 and Peter O'Keeffe from Douglas is on 73. Barry Hume is setting the pace on two-under-par 70. Noel Fox has work to do after a 75. Danny Sugrue shot 77 and Mark O'Sullivan 83.
Hall in as White misses Dutch tie
CRICKET:Andrew White has withdrawn from the Ireland team ahead of their InterContinental Cup clash with the Netherlands, which starts in Rotterdam tomorrow.
White misses the game for personal reasons, and his place in the squad of 13 is taken by Waringstown all-rounder James Hall, who played for Ireland during the Friends Provident Trophy, but missed the Aberdeen tri series defeats with a foot injury.
White was a pivotal figure the last time the sides played in the longer format of the game in Holland, scoring an undefeated 152 as Ireland triumphed by an innings and 47 runs in 2004.
That innings played a huge role in seeing him being offered a two-year deal with Northamptonshire, which didn't work out for the player.
The International Cricket Council could move the Champions Trophy from Pakistan because of security concerns and will continue to monitor the situation before making a decision on the fate of the September tournament.
