SPORTS DIGESTSAILING: Ellen MacArthur's attempt of setting a new record time and lifting the Jules Verne Trophy for the fastest circumnavigation of the planet ended late on Sunday evening when their 120-foot catamaran's mast fell down, writes David Branigan.
Having established a small gain over the existing record, MacArthur and her crew, including Kerry sailor Damian Foxall, were focused on their rival contender Geronimo, which is about to leave the South Atlantic for the final stage to the finishing line.
The giant catamaran was sailing in moderate conditions of 25-30 knots of wind in a 1.5 metre swell under full mainsail and spinnaker approximately 100 miles south east of the Kerguelen Islands.
Suddenly, without warning, the mast came crashing down, falling forward and missing the three crew who were on deck at the time. The carbon rig broke in two places and the cause of the failure has yet to be established.
The crew has a jury rig in place and is making between seven and ten knots towards their nearest safe haven in Perth, Western Australia, some 2,000 miles to the east of their position.
ATHLETICS: Paula Radcliffe is contemplating running the 10,000 metres and the marathon at the Athens Olympics next year. It is an audacious double and were she to win both it would put her on a pedestal with perhaps the greatest runner of all-time, Emil Zatopek, who achieved the feat more than 50 years ago.
"I couldn't run a 10,000m if the marathon was first in Athens - you can't do anything after the marathon," she said. "But it looks like the marathon is on the last day. "We don't think there will be heats in the 10,000m because the International Association of Athletics Federations have raised the qualifying standards so much to keep it to a straight final. I could do it."
CRICKET: Kenyan captain Steve Tikolo basked in the glory of his side's shock victory over former World Cup winners Sri Lanka and finally allowed himself to consider that their dream of reaching the Super Six stage was within touching distance. The African minnows produced the shock of the tournament so far with their 53-run victory over Sri Lanka yesterday, throwing Pool B wide open in terms of qualification for the next stage.
Australia defeated Zimbabwe by seven wickets yesterday to record their fourth successive win in the World Cup.
SCHOOLS RUGBY: The boot of Naas CBS scrumhalf Colin O'Brien settled a 9-8 Leinster Schools Junior Section B semi-final victory over Skerries at Anglesea Road yesterday. With just a minute gone O'Brien sent over a penalty from just inside the right touchline.
But Skerries then kept control of possession and when the ball eventually came back to outhalf, Eoghan Dempsey, he sent over a drop goal from inside the 22.
Four minutes after the break Eddie O'Mahon ysaw off a series of challenges before finally making the line. Naas got themselves back into contention with O'Brien adding his second penalty with five minutes remaining and when Skerries went over the top O'Brien sent over the winning points in the dying
