A round-up of today's other sports news in brief . . .
Steffen sets world record in Berlin
SWIMMING:Germany's double Olympic champion Britta Steffen set a world record in the 100-metres freestyle yesterday, but predicted it would not last long and complained that futuristic swimsuits were damaging the sport.
Steffen, who won Olympic gold in the 50 and 100 metres freestyle in Beijing last year, won the preliminary heat of the German national championships in Berlin in 52.85 seconds, beating the mark of 52.88 set by Australia’s Libby Trickett in March, 2008.
“I feel really good, I’m in good shape and the new swimsuit gives me an extra boost,” Steffen said.
Steffen said the record would last only until the world championships in Rome starting next month. She also lamented the impact high-tech swimsuits were having on swimming, even though it benefited her yesterday.
“This development is a shame for the sport – where will it all stop? My new suit is like something from another planet, it’s like a space suit.”
Taylor cruises into semi-final
BOXING:Irish lightweight Katie Taylor recorded a comfortable win to progress to the semi-finals of the European Union women's Championships in Pazardjik, Bulgaria yesterday.
The Irish woman beat Italian Cordio Giacoma 14-1 over four rounds to register her 33rd victory in a row. She will now meet Cindy Orain – an opponent she has beat in last year’s EU final in Liverpool, her third victory over the French woman – in today’s 60kg semi-final.
Taylor had her coach and dad Peter and Pat Ryan working her corner yesterday, and Taylor senior was delighted with the quarter-final win. “Katie was always in control against the Italian and was 2-0 up at the end of the first and was 10-1 ahead at the end of the third. It was a comfortable win.”
Ireland A lose to Yorkshire XI
CRICKET: Ireland A went down to a three-wicket defeat to a Yorkshire XI in an exciting finale to their three-day game at Weetwood College in Leeds, writes Emmet Riordan.
Adrian Birrell’s side entered the final day five runs ahead, before an unbeaten century from Andrew Balbirnie and 99 from skipper Nigel Jones helped then declare on 399 for eight and set the opposition a target of 230 for victory.
They got there with one over to spare, thanks in the main to an innings of 107 from 16-year-old opening batsman Billy Root.
Meanwhile, Ireland’s opening game in their defence of the Intercontinental Cup against Kenya next week has been moved to Eglinton in Derry.
The game will is scheduled to run from next Friday to Monday and will be followed by three One-Day Internationals between the sides at Clontarf, starting on Thursday, July 9th. The other games will take place on the Saturday and Sunday.
Eight boats set sail for St Petersburg
SAILING:With the overall outcome already decided, the eight boats that started the Volvo Ocean Race sailed for their final port of call yesterday when the 400-mile leg 10 departed Stockholm for St Petersburg, writes David O'Brien.
Team Russia, which suspended racing six months ago due to lack of funds and tried to re-join the fleet this week, has had to shadow the other seven as skipper Stig Westergaard’s efforts fell foul of the event’s safety rules. Ericsson 4 has won the event outright.
The fleet, including Ireland’s Green Dragon and the Limerick- owned Team Delta Lloyd is due to arrive in the Russian port tomorrow morning though light winds are threatening to delay the final weekend of the nine-month circumnavigation.
The Chinese-Irish entry’s fifth place in the race is to be celebrated on July 12th when the Dragon returns to these shores as the major attraction in a fleet of 450-boats at Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta. The town and waterfront yacht clubs are joining forces to stage the home- coming reception on the East Pier.
French man defeats Cluskey
TENNIS:The home challenge bowed out disappointingly yesterday in the Irish Men's Open Futures. With James McGee, Colin O'Brien, and last week's City of Dublin Championships runner-up Barry King having fallen by the wayside, it was left to James Cluskey to fly the Irish flag. Indeed, after two glorious wins, the Dubliner entered his quarter- final contest against the number three seed, Philippe de Bonnevie, at Fitzwilliam, harbouring high hopes of nailing down a last-four place.
But, unfortunately, the Swords man largely failed to come up with the big shots and the measured play which had helped him overcome his two earlier opponents, and the French man clinched a semi-final place on a 6-4 6-3 scoreline.
China promises to co-operate
GYMNASTICS:China has said it will help an International Gymnastics Federation probe into the age of two medallists from the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
The FIG announced this week it would investigate whether Yang Yun, uneven bars bronze winner and Dong Fangxiao, who shared a team bronze, were younger than the minimum age requirement of 16 at the time.
“We will positively communicate with FIG and cooperate on their investigation in our authority,” said Lu Shanzhen, coach of Chinese women’s gymnastic team.
Busy weekend for Irish competitors
EQUESTRIAN:Irish riders are competing internationally in three disciplines this weekend, the main focus falling on the show jumping contingent at the All-England Showgrounds in Hickstead where the DFS Derby takes place on Sunday, writes Margie Mcloone.
Ireland will also be represented in show jumping at Monaco’s five- star show, at the four-star Spruce Meadows show in Canada, at three-star level in both Vilamoura (Portugal) and Hamina (Finland) and in two-star events at Hoofddorp in the Netherlands and at Bonheiden in Belgium.
In eventing, the Irish compete at one-, two- and three-star level at France’s Haras de Jardy and in one- and two-star events at Arville in Belgium. And Barry Capstick is driving at Sandringham, England.
