SPORTS DIGEST:ATHLETICS: Haile Gebrselassie returned to winning ways with a convincing victory in the BUPA Great Birmingham Run yesterday.
The 38-year-old Ethiopian dropped out of last month’s BMW Berlin Marathon during the race because of illness, but was back to form over half-marathon distance today, winning easily in one hour, one minute and 29 seconds.
The race began at a moderate pace but Gebrselassie made his move between seven and eight miles and cruised to the finish line, with Qatar’s Essa Rashed placing second in 1 hour 2 minutes 28 seconds.
Morocco’s Abderrahime Bouramdane took third place in 1:03:57.
Gebrselassie said: “This helps me in my preparations for next year’s Olympic Games.”
Britton gets season going on the perfect note in Park
ATHLETICS:Conditions were suitably testing for the traditional start to the cross country season in the Phoenix Park yesterday, not that they seemed to bother Fionnuala Britton in the slightest, writes Ian O'Riordan.
The Wicklow woman defended her Gerry Farnan Memorial title with some ease, coming home a full minute and 10 seconds ahead of Dundrum’s Aoife Byrne – a very impressive margin over a mere three miles – and with that underlined her intention to target glory at the European Cross Country Championships, set for Slovenia on December 11th.
The 27 year-old dominated throughout, with Byrne forced into second from early on, while Lizzy Lee from Leevale claimed third.
Joe Sweeney of Dundrum also started his season on a winning note, taking the men’s five-mile title in 24 minutes, 20 seconds – which left him 36 seconds clear from Michael Mulhare of Laois, with Mark Hanrahan of Leevale third.
Curran boosts Olympic hopes
EQUESTRIAN:Ireland's chances of gaining individual places in the eventing competition of next summer's London Olympics were boosted yesterday when Capt Geoff Curran finished fourth of 87 starters in the CIC*** in Cameri, Italy, writes MARGIE McLOONE.
Riding Maurice Cassidy and the Minister for Defence’s gelding The Jump Jet, Curran was lying ninth after dressage but was one of only two riders to come home clear within the time on Saturday’s cross-country phase. The Irish combination lowered two show jumps yesterday to drop to fourth, although they picked up 34 Olympic ranking points.
Places secured by Irish riders are available to Ireland and do not automatically go to the riders that secured them.
Meanwhile, at the world breeding championships for young event horses in Le Lion d’Angers, France, the Irish Sport Horse Studbook finished a close second to the Royal Warmblood Studbook of the Netherlands.
England left in a spin by India again
CRICKET:England had no answer to Indian spin in a crushing six-wicket defeat which leaves them 4-0 down in the one-day international series.
They were bowled out for 220 in 46.1 overs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, and were unsurprisingly unable to defend their inadequate total as India put themselves one more win away from a series whitewash.
A stand of 131 in just 113 balls between Suresh Raina (80) and Virat Kohli (86no) piled on the misery as another one-sided contest was concluded almost 10 overs early.
England, who chose to rest their own world number one bowler Graeme Swann despite predictions of a spinners’ pitch, lost five wickets for 79 in 20 overs of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
If England are to avoid a 5-0 scoreline, they must get heads and bodies right on their travels to Calcutta today before the final match at Eden Gardens tomorrow.
Kallis leads as South Africa level it up
CRICKET:Jacques Kallis scored 76 and Morne Morkel took four for 22 as South Africa beat Australia by 80 runs in the second one-day international to level the three-match series in Port Elizabeth.
Four of the hosts’ top six recorded half-centuries as they reached an impressive 303 for six before bowling their opponents out for 223 with David Warner the best of the Australians with a knock of 74.
Michael Hussey and Steven Smith were the next highest scorers with 37 and 26 respectively with Australia hampered by Shane Watson’s restricted participation due to injury.
Although he managed to bowl 3.5 overs and came in to bat fifth, making 15, it was always going to be a tough assignment for the tourists without their star man and the South African attack took full advantage.
Irvine impresses at Europeans
CYCLING: Ireland's Martyn Irvine continues to show strong progress in track racing, winning one of the six races making up the omnium contest at the European championships in Apeldoorn, and finishing fifth overall in yesterday's final classification of the event.
Having placed between sixth and eighth in the pursuit, flying lap, points race and elimination race events Saturday and yesterday, he then broke clear in the scratch race yesterday afternoon, gained a lap over the rest of the field and won the event.
Irvine was then eighth in the concluding one kilometre time trial last evening, ending up a fine fifth overall. He is pushing for a place in the 2012 Olympic Games, and will be encouraged by how things went over the weekend.
In the other events, Caroline Ryan finished 13th in the women’s omnium.
