SALING: The Swiss challenger, Alinghi, surged from behind to narrowly beat defenders Team New Zealand yesterday in the race for the America's Cup, taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-nine series.
Team New Zealand, already reeling from a disastrous first-day loss on Saturday during which their radical new boat almost sank, led throughout most of the second race, but Alinghi powered ahead on the sixth and final leg to win by seven seconds.
It was a record 11th consecutive America's Cup victory for Alinghi skipper Russell Coutts, a 41-year-old New Zealander who twice led his nation to America's Cup victories before defecting to the Swiss syndicate.
With New Zealand's America's Cup campaign deep in crisis, the two contenders will meet again for the third race tomorrow following today's rest.
The loss dealt a staggering blow to New Zealand after they had to abandon the first race on Saturday due to multiple equipment breakdowns on both NZL-82 and NZL-81.
Within minutes of Saturday's start, NZL-82 was swamped with up to six tonnes of water washing inexplicably onto its decks.
Strained by the added weight, the boat's ultra-lite carbon fibre boom snapped and then a ring holding the headsail broke.
The New Zealanders abandoned the race after 25 minutes, the quickest withdrawal by a defender in the America's Cup 152-year history.
ATHLETICS: There was an unfortunate sub-text to two of the most impressive performances by Irish athletes this past weekend.
Neither Gillian O'Sullivan, who lowered the world indoor record in the 3,000 metres walk, nor Alistair Cragg, who clocked another world-class time on the US Indoor circuit, will be competing in next month's World Indoor Championships.
For O'Sullivan, who on Saturday provided a thrilling start to the National Indoor Championships at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast, the world tests in Birmingham will be by-passed for the simple reason that the walking events don't feature as part of the championships.
However, in improving the world record to 11 minutes, 35.34 seconds (beating by five seconds the old mark of Romania's Claudia Ivan) O'Sullivan continues her exciting progression towards the top of her discipline.
Cragg maintained his unbeaten streak this season when winning the 5,000 metres at his own university, Arkansas, who were staging the Razorback Invitational. His time of 13:35.93 underlined his potential as a future medal contender on the world stage though he remains committed to his collegiate racing schedule until next May.
The National Indoor Championships in Belfast still provided several encouraging performances in the countdown to Birmingham in mid-March. Three athletes added their names to the list of Irish qualifiers, starting with Dundrum team-mates Maria Lynch and Maria McCambridge in Saturday's 3,000 metres final, and Carlow's Geraldine Hendricken in yesterday's 1,500 metres final.
BASKETBALL: While the men's ESB Superleague title pursuit remains finely balanced, the University of Limerick defeated Waterford Wildcats 73-55 on Saturday to secure the 2003 women's title - and so added it to the Cup title won earlier this month.
As has been the case all season, Limerick were hardly troubled on the day. Starting strongly with some superb baskets from Jillian Aherne and some three-pointers from Michelle Aspell, they were leading 21-11 at the end of the first quarter and from there to end looked like nothing but the deserving champions they now are.
On the men's side, Star of the Sea kept their noses in front with a 79-69 win over UCC Demons - their cup conquerors earlier this month. On this occasion Star were never threatened from the second half onwards, pulling away for a 13-point lead at the end of the third quarter (46-59) and running out victorious with superb play from Adrian Fulton and Pat Campolieta.
RUGBY: Holders St Mary's College beat CBC Monkstown 29-3 to gain a place in the semi-final of the Leinster Schools Section C Senior Cup at Donnybrook on Saturday.
It was a tense, close-run thing, as CBC , unluckily trailing 10-3 at the interval, exerted maximum pressure on the St Mary's defence without any reward.
ST MARY'S COLLEGE: G Roche; P Keegan, S Grissing, M Finlay, E Lenihan; J Sexton, V Hammond; M Houlihan, D Fallon, B McGovern, C McInerney, B Smith, P Nash, A Hutchinson, G O'Meara. Replacements: B McDermott for Hammond (52 mins); C O'Driscoll for Fallon (68 mins). Scorers: S Grissing, C McInerney, M Finlay, E Lenihan, B McGovern try each; J Sexton 2 cons.
CBC MONKSTOWN: J Lynn; K Casey, N Walsh, P Nolan, F Beirne; G Widger, D Walsh; R Wolfe, M Cooney, I Phillips, N Staines, R Taaffe, M Jenkinson, C Byrne, R Boucher. Replacements: D Simington for Walsh, A Sykes for Beirne (both 59 mins); L Murray for Phillips (63 mins); S Verso for Jenkinson (68 mins). Scorer: J Lynn pen.
Referee: A Rogan (Leinster Branch).
