A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Magee loses out in Russia
BADMINTON:Despite a bright start, Irish number one Chloe Magee lost in the final of the women's singles at the Russia White Nights Pre-Olympic tournament in Gatchina, Russia, yesterday.
Playing Polish number one Kamila Augustyn, Magee won the first set 21-19 as Augustyn struggled to stay in the longer rallies.
In the second set, the experience of the Polish player began to tell when Magee struggled with her length. Gaining confidence all the time, she led 11-7 at the mid game interval and then saw out the set 21-14.
Magee looked in control of the third set at 10-6 when Augustyn again came out on top in a series of rallies. She went on to win the set 21-14 and with it the White Night title.
Pedrosa wins after Stoner slip up
MOTO GP:Dani Pedrosa won the German MotoGP in dramatic circumstances yesterday after his Honda team-mate Casey Stoner, who started in pole position, crashed out of the race on the last lap of the Sachsenring.
The Spaniard claimed his first victory of the season, with compatriot Jorge Lorenzo second and Italian Andrea Dovizioso third.
Stoner and Pedrosa, swapping the lead throughout the race, had both turned up the pressure during the final few laps, with the Australian in determined mood and hoping to open up a lead in the championship.
However, the defending champion slid off the track while attempting to overtake Pedrosa, allowing championship challenger Lorenzo to claim second place and some vital points in the title race. Lorenzo now enjoys a four-point lead on top of the table and, talking to the BBC afterwards, cheerfully admitted luck had played its part. “Things can change completely in two races,” Lorenzo said.
“At Assen we have zero points and were very disappointed but then we have luck from Casey’s crash today.”
Murphy breaks Irish 50-metre butterfly record in Canada
SWIMMING:At the Canada Cup in Montreal Barry Murphy broke the Irish senior 50-metre butterfly record. Murphy was just .01 of a second off the record of 24.49 in the morning heats but went into the final and clocked 24.42 finishing in fifth place.
Also at the European Junior Championships in Antwerp. there were more records for Ireland’s junior swimmers on the final day of competition. Brendan Hyland, who has already set seven junior and senior records this week, added another two junior records to his repertoire yesterday. A time of 4:31.48 in the 400m Individual Medley bettered the 2007 record of Tommy Bergin (4:33.22).
Kilkenny’s Jane Roberts had another personal best, this time in the 50m butterfly (28.62).
US name team to defend gold
BASKETBALL:Five members of the gold-medal winning line-up at the 2008 Beijing Games were included in the 12-man US Olympic basketball team announced by USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo.
LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Deron Williams return for another bid for Olympic glory and will spearhead a potent roster in London where the US are favourites.
Colangelo announced the selections after two US team training sessions in Las Vegas, though final approval is still required by the US Olympic Committee.
The US team had been hit by a recent rash of injuries to several leading candidates, including Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls, Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat players Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
US OLYMPIC TEAM
Carmelo Anthony (Knicks), Kobe Bryant (Lakers), Tyson Chandler (Knicks), Kevin Durant (Thunder), Blake Griffin (Clippers), James Harden (Thunder), Andre Iguodala (76ers), LeBron James (Heat), Kevin Love (Timberwolves), Chris Paul (Clippers), Russell Westbrook (Thunder), Deron Williams (Nets).
Williams to return to Rugby League after stint in Japan
RUGBY:Sonny Bill Williams will put his All Blacks career on hold to return to rugby league after a stint playing in Japan, Australian media reported yesterday.
The New Zealand centre had signed a lucrative deal to play with Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan’s Top League and was also poised to announce a deal with the Sydney Roosters in Australia’s top-flight National Rugby League (NRL), Sydney’s Daily Telegraph newspaper said.
The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU), who coaxed Williams home from Europe in 2010 with the lure of an All Blacks jersey for the World Cup, declined to comment on the report, but said they had scheduled a news conference in Hamilton for today with the 26-year-old and All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster.
Williams played one season with the Canterbury-based Crusaders in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition last year before crossing to the Chiefs this season. Dual international Williams began his professional career playing rugby league for the Sydney-based Canterbury Bulldogs in the NRL.
Wilson added to Irish squad
CRICKET:Gary Wilson has replaced Graeme McCarter in Ireland's squad for the four-day Intercontinental Cup clash against Afghanistan, which gets underway in Rathmines this morning.
Seam bowler McCarter is required by Gloucestershire for their county championship clash against Essex, which starts on Wednesday, while wicket-keeper/batsman Wilson is surplus to requirements for Surrey’s game against Lancashire.
With most of the county players unavailable, coach Phil Simmons is likely to hand debuts to Limavady’s Stuart Thompson and John Anderson, who made an unbeaten century in Merrion’s Irish Senior Cup victory over Civil Service North on Saturday.
EMMET RIORDAN
