A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Former East German Olympic champion admits to doping
DRUGS IN SPORT:Former East German Olympic shot put champion and three-times world record breaker Udo Beyer has admitted doping in a new documentary film about the lives of top athletes in the socialist state.
In the film, I Will Not Lose, showing at this year’s Berlin film festival, Beyer, who won gold at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and was athletics team captain, says, “I knew about everything that was happening to me. I decided for myself.”
East Germany won 40 gold medals in Montreal, putting them second in the medals table behind the Soviet Union. West Germany won only 10.
Two years earlier, Manfred Ewald, leader of East Germany’s sports federation, launched a top-secret doping programme. Experts believe during the 1970s and 1980s up to 10,000 athletes were doped, the majority without their knowledge.
Beyer, 57, says, “I rejected some things, others I did. I knew. I decided. Nothing was slipped secretly into the tea.” Asked if he felt his victory was unjustified he says: “No, absolutely not. I am a rightful winner because I was the best in the competition.
“Doping or other supporting measures only amount to about two or three per cent of performance – the rest is hard work.”
All-rounder Mooney returns to Ireland squad for UAE tour
CRICKET:All-rounder John Mooney returns from a hand injury to take his place in a 14-man Ireland squad for the crucial tour of the United Arab Emirates next month.
The North County player, who missed the World Twenty20 finals in Sri Lanka with a fractured finger, returns to give Ireland coach Phil Simmons his strongest possible line-up.
Eglinton all-rounder Stuart Thompson replaced Mooney in the squad for the World T20, but misses out on the tour of the UAE with the selectors opting for another specialised batsman in Instonians' James Shannon.
The key games on the tour are two World Cup qualifiers against the UAE in Sharjah, where two wins would leave Ireland on the verge of taking one of the two automatic spots for the 2015 event in Australia and New Zealand.
EMMET RIORDAN
Conlan closes in on third Elite title
BOXING:Michael Conlan eased to within one victory of a third successive belt at the Elite Championships at Dublin's National Stadium last night.
The AIBA world number three- ranked flyweight recorded a landslide 30-14 semi-final victory over his fellow Belfast fighter Ruairi Dalton at the home of Irish boxing.
Conlan now awaits the winner of tonight's Hugh Joyce versus Chris Phelan corresponding semi-final.
Meanwhile, Ryston BC Hugh Myres is on the cusp of claiming the vacant light-flyweight belt following last night's 17-10 victory over Adam Courtney.
The 49kg belt is lying idle at these Championships after two-time Olympic bronze medallist Paddy Barnes withdrew with the flu.
Leinster chair laments FRC handpass role
GAELIC GAMES:Leinster chair Martin Skelly, in his address to the provincial convention in Kildare, last night expressed disappointment the Football Review Committee hadn't included limiting the hand-pass among their proposals for next month's congress.
"I welcome the work, discussion and ideas put forward by the FRC," he said. "Countless hours have gone into their reports, and they have consulted with the broadest range of the GAA family . . . However, I do feel there was a missed opportunity to table a proposal to curtail the hand-pass in football. It is a malaise that has crept in to the game, to see the ball being hand-passed every which way about the field, losing more yards than are gained.
SEÁN MORAN
Froome takes stage win to consolidate Oman lead
CYCLING:Team Sky's Chris Froome won the fifth stage of the Tour of Oman to consolidate his overall lead ahead of today's final day.
Froome claimed a morale-boosting victory in a duel which could continue in this summer's Tour de France, winning the 144-kilometre route from Al Alam Palace to Ministry of Housing in Boshar ahead of Spain's Alberto Contador (Team Saxo-Tinkoff).
Contador, who finished narrowly behind in the late dash for the line, is second overall ahead of today's 144km sixth stage from Hawit Nagam Park to Matrah Corniche, with Froome holding a 27-second lead in the leader's red jersey. Froome, who is riding in the same Team Sky squad as Bradley Wiggins for the first time since last July, is on course to win his first major stage race.
Marist progress in match marred by three red cards
Marist College 0-9 Knockbeg College 0-8
LEINSTER COLLEGES SF A QUARTER-FINAL: Marist College triumphed at at Castledaly yesterday where three players were sent off. The first came in the 17th minute in Knockbeg's Aaron Forbes as Marist trailed 0-4 to 0-5 at the break. With 10 minutes left, Knockbeg led 0-7 to 0-5 but Robert Ashe and Niall McInerney levelled. Peter Ryan put Marist in front before Knockbeg goalkeeper Danny Bolger was sent off, to be followed by Marist's Andrew O'Sullivan. Knockbeg's Michael Keogh hit a late point.
MARIST COLLEGE: T Finnerty; B O'Donohoe, E Quigley, M McArdle; J Marshment, C Marlowe, R Ashe (0-1); A Curley, S Omukoro; M Monaghan, N Neary (0-3, two frees), TJ Fox; N Kelly (0-1), N McInerney (0-1), A Byrne (0-2, one free). Subs: D King for Marshment (10 mins); P Ryan (0-1) for Monaghan (48 mins), A O'Sullivan for Fox (57 mins).
KNOCKBEG COLLEGE: D Bolger; L O'Sullivan, D Brophy, K Doyle; A Campion, D Ramsbottom, A Brennan; JJ Mahon (0-1), C Hogan (0-1); M Keogh (0-1, free), A Forbes, D O'Reilly; E O'Neill, D Tompkins (0-1, free), C Murphy (0-4, four frees). Subs: D McDermott for Brophy (25 mins), D Lawlor for O'Neill (48 mins). D Halpin for Murphy (55 mins), A McGrath for McDermott (58 mins). Referee: P Nelis (Meath).
