A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Only cramps can stop James as Heat move to 3-1 in finals
BASKETBALL:A case of leg cramps did what the Oklahoma City Thunder have yet to accomplish in four games of the NBA Finals – stop LeBron James. Despite having to watch the final minute from the bench, the Miami Heat were able to secure a 104-98 victory that gave them a 3-1 lead and move within touching distance of claiming the best-of-seven championship series.
“It’s a big-time team win,” said James, who still led Miami with 26 points, nine rebounds and 12 assists. “We needed everyone’s effort, and everyone came up and made a play. “
James crumpled to the floor in pain from the cramping with a little more than five minutes remaining when Miami led 92-90. About a minute later, he re-entered the game with a noticeable limp but was able to hit a three-pointer to break a 94-94 tie and give the Heat a lead would they never relinquish. “I was able to drain that three and give us a lift.”
Game Five takes place tonight in Miami.
Rheinisch and Heurteau in action
CANOEING:Two Ireland canoeists with Olympic prospects go into action in their final events before London 2012 tomorrow – at venues where they have won gold medals.
Eoin Rheinisch has a string of good results at La Seu d’Urgell in Spain, which hosts the third canoe slalom World Cup this weekend. He won the World Cup here in 2004 and was ninth in the World Championships in 2009, the year following his fourth-place finish at the Beijing Olympics.
Ciarán Heurteau was fifth last weekend at the second World Cup in Pau in France, a new high for the 24-year-old, who has bounced back well from losing out to Rheinsich in the battle for Olympic qualification.
Ireland’s representative in the C1 in canoe sprint in London will be Andrzej Jezierski, who will head up this weekend’s team for the European Championships in Zagreb.
The Poznan native who lives in Ballincollig won gold at the World Championships in Zagreb in 2005 in the C4 for Poland.
LIAM GORMAN
Merveldt gets sole dressage spot for London
EQUESTRIAN:Horse Sport Ireland has nominated Anna Merveldt and her 16-year-old Bavarian Warmblood gelding Coryolano for Ireland's sole place in the dressage competition at the London Olympics.
The selection was made at a meeting of HSI’s dressage high-performance committee yesterday evening.
The committee consists of Joan Keogh (chair), David Lee, Robert McCormick and Norbert Von Cramon.
The dressage competition at the Olympic Games will be held in Greenwich Park in London – a 5.7km cross-country course set beside the Thames river – and runs from August 2nd to 9th.
MARGIE MCLOONE
It was just the drink talking, says official
OLYMPIC GAMES:A senior Ukrainian Olympic official accused of offering to sell London Games tickets on the black market was inebriated when he spoke to an undercover reporter and never planned to sell them, Ukraine's National Olympic Committee (NOC) said yesterday.
Volodymyr Gerashchenko, the general secretary, resigned last month after a BBC report which said he had offered to sell up to 100 tickets to a reporter posing as a buyer.
But NOC member Olga Zhukovskaya said Gerashchenko had been “in a state of inebriation” when he met the reporter.
Zhukovskaya told reporters the NOC has condemned Gerashchenko’s behaviour and will vote on his expulsion on June 22nd. But she said the former official had not been in a position to sell tickets.
“We have found out that Gerashchenko did not have the power to negotiate on such matters,” she said. “There are no left-over tickets and he had no access to ticket distribution.”
Potgieter debuts as Springboks change three for the final Test
RUGBY:South Africa will hand loose forward Jacques Potgieter his debut as coach Heyneke Meyer made three changes to his starting side named yesterday to face England in the third and final Test in Port Elizabeth.
The Springboks hold an unassailable 2-0 series lead ahead of Saturday but have been forced to bring in fullback Gio Aplon, inside centre Wynand Olivier, who is promoted from the bench, and Potgieter.
Making way are fullback Patrick Lambie (ankle), and flanker Willem Alberts (knee), injured in the second Test, while centre Frans Steyn will skip the contest because it clashes with his wedding.
Jean de Villiers, originally named captain for the England series, has been appointed for the rest of the year.
SOUTH AFRICA (v England, Saturday): G Aplon; J P Pietersen, J de Villiers (capt), W Olivier, B Habana; M Steyn, F Hougaard; T Mtawarira, B du Plessis, J du Plessis, E Etzebeth, J Kruger, M Coetzee, J Potgieter, P Spies. Replacements: A Strauss, W Kruger, F van der Merwe, R Kankowski, R Pienaar, E Jantjies, B Basson.
