Twelve athletes on new scheme named Twelve of Ireland's most promising athletes will benefit from an ESB-sponsorship support scheme, details of which were announced by Athletics Ireland yesterday, writes Ian O'Riordan.
The group consists of four emerging seniors, four under-23 athletes, and four juniors and features recent Irish 100-metre record breaker Paul Hession and European under-23 cross-county silver medallist Fionnuala Britton. Other senior athletes included are 400-metre runner Joanne Cuddihy of UCD and 5,000 metre runner Mary Cullen of North Sligo.
The under-23 athletes are Colin Costello of Star of the Sea AC, Danny Darcy of St Laurence O'Toole, walker Ann Loughnane of Craughwell AC and 1,500-metre runner Linda Byrne of Dundrum South Dublin.
The junior athletes are Ciarán Ó Lionáird from Leevale AC, David McCarthy from West Waterford, Kelly Proper of Ferrybank AC and Amy Foster of North Down AC.
McLaren take action ICC close loopholeA senior McLaren technical employee has been suspended for receiving information from rivals Ferrari, the Formula One championship leaders said in a statement yesterday.
"McLaren became aware that a senior member of its technical organisation was the subject of a Ferrari investigation regarding the receipt of technical information," it said.
"The individual has been suspended pending a full and proper investigation of the matter."The International Cricket Council (ICC) tightened its doping laws yesterday following the World Anti-Doping Agency's failed appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the lifting of a ban on Pakistan bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif.
"We have amended the ICC Anti-Doping Code to ensure we have more powers to intervene if we feel a member is not doing all it can in the fight against drugs in cricket," said ICC acting CEO Faisal Hasnain in a statement.