Sports Digest
ROWING: Irish rowing was reflected in all its glory in the calm waters of Blessington on Saturday at the Neptune Head of the River, writes Liam Gorman. All classes from the recreational rower to former world champions dipped their oar in the water on a beautiful day.
It was perhaps a unique occasion, too, in that, as former world champion and multiple Olympian Niall O'Toole watched on, three Irish world champions from 2001 were involved in different capacities. Tony O'Connor - soon to emigrate to New Zealand - was there as an organiser, Sam Lynch as spectator and Sinéad Jennings as competitor.
Jennings, wearing the St Michael's singlet and competing in an Irish club event for the first time, showed her best form in the afternoon head, when she clocked 16 minutes 43 seconds, ahead of Garda's Caroline Ryan, who would seem to have recovered from the muscle strain which plagued her for most of the year.
Lynch, looking fit and content, was given plenty to cheer in the performances of his club: St Michael's were also fastest in the men's senior four and in the junior eights and fours.
Irish Olympian Eugene Coakley of Skibbereen was the best single sculler of the day, but only by two seconds from Albert Maher of Commercial, who had four seconds to spare over another lightweight international, Tim Harnedy.
Coakley and Harnedy, who were at one stage in real contention to form Ireland's lightweight double for Athens, were set to reform this partnership in Saturday's second head but had to pull out due to equipment problems. The two young Skibbereen men may still form a crew to watch in the future.
Hope for the future was also in evidence in the fastest crew of the day. The Commercial senior eight, an all-lightweight crew, were stroked by Ger Ward, who is only 17, and featured a number of recent ex-junior oarsmen.
Fittingly, though, the men's intermediate single scull, the biggest event in terms of numbers (33), was won by the brightest prospect of all. Paul O'Brien does not turn 17 until a month from today, but is over 6ft 3in tall and moves fast. His time of 15 minutes 28 seconds was a full 10 seconds faster than nearest rival, Jonny Devitt of Old Collegians.
SPORTS AWARD: Cork doctor Clare O'Leary has won the 2004 Texaco Special Achievement Award in recognition of her becoming the first Irishwoman to climb Mount Everest earlier this year. The award will be presented by the Taoiseach at the Texaco Sportstars banquet in Dublin tonight.
From Bandon, Co Cork, O'Leary is registrar in gastroenterology at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin. A member of the 2004 Irish Everest Expedition led by fellow Cork climber Pat Falvey, O'Leary's gruelling climb took six weeks to complete. It ended successfully on Tuesday, May 18th, when she reached the summit at 6.45 a.m.
ATHLETICS: Mark Kenneally was yesterday crowned Dublin senior cross country champion, running away from a quality field over the closing stages of a tough but dry course at Santry, writes Ian O'Riordan. In the process he led Clonliffe Harriers to an easy victory in the team race, with team-mates Cian McLoughlin and Gary O'Hanlon in second and fourth.
While Dundrum's Peter Mathews denied them a sweep of medals, Kenneally was a convincing winner, his time of 32 minutes 27 seconds leaving him 10 seconds clear of McLoughlin. Olympic 1,500 metre semi-finalist James Nolan ran well to take fifth in 33:61.
Another Athens Olympian Maria McCambridge was a slightly closer winner of the women's title, with the Dundrum athlete holding off Jolene Byrne of Donore by just two seconds when clocking 15:59. In the process though she led Dundrum to the team title.
The in-form Joe Sweeney gave Dundrum another individual title when he took the junior men's race, defeating Raheny's Michael Clohisey by 28 seconds. Linda Byrne also of Dundrum took the junior women's title from another Raheny athlete Fiona McGreevy.
All the leading finishers go on to represent Dublin in the intercounty cross country in Dungarvan in two weeks' time.
EQUESTRIAN SPORT: Billy Twomey lifted the Sony Ericsson Trophy in Brussels on Saturday night, writes Grania Willis. The 27-year-old Cork-born rider clinched the €5,000 winner's purse with a double clear, clocking 36.33 seconds with the mare Anastasia II.
America's Sheila Burke and Jamison collected a single time fault in the first round but won through to the jump-off under the ruling that allowed the best eight into the decider. Her time of 36.6 left the American duo fractionally off the pace but fast enough to claim the runner-up slot ahead of Belgium's Ludo Philippaerts and Tornado R.
Olympian Kevin Babington also kept the Irish flag flying at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto.
Sixth in the World Cup qualifier at the Canadian fixture last week, Babington moved up to second in the $60,000 Ricoh Big Ben International Challenge on Saturday night.
Riding Carling King, Tipperary-born Babington notched up one of only four double clears, but his time of 29.25 seconds wasn't quite fast enough to catch Eric van der Vleuten and Audi's Jikke.
BOXING: Don King's "Battle For Supremacy" night of heavyweight boxing turned into a battle for credibility at Madison Square Garden.
While Britain's Danny Williams will next month take on WBC title holder Vitali Klitschko for the right to call himself the true heavyweight champion of the world, several pretenders to the throne failed to impress in New York.
Andrew Golota was once again on the wrong end of a controversial decision as John Ruiz retained his WBA title with a unanimous points win. Golota floored the champion twice in round two, the first time with a straight left and then bustling his opponent over.
IBF champion Chris Byrd, fortunate to escape with a draw against Golota in his previous fight, retained his belt with a majority points win over Jameel McCline, but only after being floored with a right hand at the end of round two.
Four-time heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield was easily outpointed by Larry Donald, via scores of 119-109 twice and 118-109.
Former Lennox Lewis conqueror Hasim Rahman will target a clash with the winner of the Klitschko-Williams contest after beating Kali Meehan in a WBC/WBA title eliminator.
