Sports Digest/CYCLING: Paul Griffin showed that he is in top form heading into the final races of his season when he won the Giant Cup in Taiwan over the weekend. The Kerry rider was on the attack throughout the hilly 160 kilometre race, going clear with two others and winning their sprint to the line.
Giant Asia team-mate David McCann continued his run of good form when he took fourth.
"I was going really well today," said Griffin.
"I was away in different moves throughout the race and then won the sprint to take the win."
BOXING: The Irish Amateur Boxing Association were celebrating yesterday after winning one gold and two silver medals at the Senior Multi Nations in Finland. Eric Donovan (57Kg) led the way beating Finnish boxer Jal Naskali 44-22 in his final while Conor Ahern (51Kg) just lost out to Philipino Warlito Parrenas 21-16 and Roy Sheehan (69kg) went down in his decider to Finland's Are Korhonen 21-16.
Donovan is guaranteed his place on the Irish team for next month's senior world championships in China along with Ken Egan (81kg) and Darren Sutherland (75kg).
MOTOR SPORT: Ralph Firman scored the first podium finish for A1 Team Ireland in round three of the World Cup of Motorsport yesterday's feature race of the A1 Grand Prix of Nations in Estoril, Portugal.
A good race strategy and excellent pit work enabled Firman to work his way into the top three in a race full of incidents. The earlier sprint race saw the Irish car damaged in a collision with Britain's Robbie Kerr, necessitating a pit stop for a new nose section which dropped Firman to finish 19th.
In the feature race, however, a strong start saw Firman take 11th place on lap one, and then move up the field as other's made their pit stops. Once into the leading group Firman made his pit stop during the second of three safety car periods, the pit crew ensuring a quick stop maximised his track position. Ireland are now seventh in the A1 Grand Prix of Nations with 16 points. The feature race was won by Alexandre Premat for France with Neel Jani of Switzerland second.
Firman will miss the next two races in Sydney, Australia, due to previous racing engagements, and Michael Devaney will take over the A1 Team Ireland car on November 6th.
SAILING: In a welcome development for racing on the east coast, Sheila and James Tyrell J109 Aquelina from Arklow Sailing Club emerged overall winner of the Anglo-Irish Bank Autumn League at Howth over the weekend.
On the 25th anniversary of what is claimed to be the largest such series in Europe, the visiting boat marked a season of improving results and secured the overall win following victory in Class One at the event.
The big boats of Class Zero was taken, predictably by Colm Barrington's Flying Glove.
There was a good turnout of nine 1720 Sportsboats featuring their "Club" rig but the newly formed Etchells class produced 14 boats for the six-race series.
SHOW JUMPING: Robert Splaine has been tipped as favourite to take the post of chef d'equipe for Ireland's senior show jumping team when the final decision is ratified at a meeting of the Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) executive in Co Kildare this evening, writes Grania Willis. The Cork man and former Army rider John Ledingham both have their names in the hat for the €100,000 a year job, but it is expected that tonight's vote will go in favour of Splaine.
A meeting between the international riders and senior representatives of the equestrian governing bodies, which was due to be held in Dublin tomorrow, has been postponed. The meeting, which is a follow-up to the August 30th meeting, has been provisionally rescheduled for Tuesday next, November 1st.
Harry Marshall, who will be attending next week's meeting, was on international duty this weekend and came away from the Dutch fixture at Leeuwarden with a string of placings, including second yesterday with All Shook Up.
But it was Denis Lynch who was best of the Irish in the weekend Grand Prix classes when finishing ninth in Leeuwarden with the stallion Schnee Sturm.
