CANOEING: Ireland’s latest Olympic qualifier, Andrzej Jezierski from Cork, is in Duisberg, Germany this weekend for sprint canoeing’s second World Cup.
At the season’s opening World Cup in Poznan, Poland last week, Jezierski finished 2nd in the C1 (canoe) 200m and booked his place at London 2012. His time of 43.034 seconds put him only half a second behind the winner Lubomir Hagara of Slovakia; he is a genuine medal hope for Ireland.
Also competing in Poznan was Jenny Egan of Salmon Leap who finished 7th in the women’s K1 final in 2:04.061, and also made the semi-final. She goes in the 200m, 500m and non-Olympic 1,000m this weekend and still has hopes of making London 2012. Neil Fleming of Celbridge Paddlers, fifth in the non-Olympic K1 500m in Poznan, competes in both 500m and 1000m, along with Barry Watkins of Salmon Leap. Competing in the K2 200m are two Irish boats – Seán Marchetti and Val Peirce of Celbridge Paddlers in one, and Peter Egan and Maciej Majchrzak of Salmon Leap in the other.
Update: Andrzej Jezierski finished 2nd in his C1200m heat, won his semi-final, but although he clocked a faster time of 41.558 secs, finished 7th in the final. Barry Watkins was 3rd in the K1000m B final in a fast time of mins 35.782 secs. He also won his K1 500m heat coming from 5th place at halfway. Jenny Egan was eighth in the K1 500m. In the K2 200m C final, Pierce and Marchetti finished 5th with Egan and Majchrzak 6th.
SNOOKER: Five former champions made the final eight for the weekend’s Irish Snooker Championships in Letterkenny. Leading the posse is the consistent Rodney Goggins of the 147 club in Wexford, who currently tops the Irish rankings. In the Irish rankings series, Goggins won two tournaments and made the semi-finals in all seven. Amazingly, Goggins’s only Irish title came in 2000.
Veteran of the qualifiers is Colm Gilcreest, the 1993 champion. Like his Celbridge clubmate, Martin McCrudden, who he faces in the quarter-finals, Gilcreest has kept a low profile this season.
McCrudden is going for a fourth Irish title – previous wins came in 2001, 2009 and 2010.
Vincent Muldoon, a final year student at NUI Maynooth, won his first title in 2007 at the age of 15 and repeated that victory a year later. He has won two ranking tournaments this season, as has Brendan O’Donoghue of New Institute, Nenagh, currently second in the rankings behind Goggins.
Hoping for a first title are Dubliners Robert Murphy of the Q Club in Wicklow and Robert Redmond of the Griffith club. Murphy put out reigning champion Jason Devaney in the last 16. Surprise package of the draw is Johnny Williams from Carrickmacross, who beat former champion TJ Dowling in the last 32.
Update: Vincent Muldoon won his third title, beating Martin McCrudden in the final. Quarter finals: Goggins bt Murphy 5-3, McCrudden bt Gilcreest 5-1, Muldoon bt Redmond 5-2, Williams bt O’Donoghue 5-4. Semi-finals: McCrudden bt Goggins 6-3, Muldoon bt Williams 6-2.
BADMINTON: Chloe Magee and Scott Evans, who are both set for their second Olympic Games later this summer, were deserved winners of the Aer Lingus Player of the Year awards at the annual Badminton Ireland Awards in Dublin last Saturday.
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| Scott Evans |
Magee, who made the second round at the Beijing Olympics four years ago, looks certain of her place at London 2012, while Evans as first reserve is very likely to join her.
Special presentations were made to two other London Olympics-bound badminton players: clay target shooter Derek Burnett, who represents Ireland for a fourth time, and umpire Carol Ui Fhearghail.
Taking the coveted Yonex Club of the Year award was Ennis Lawn Tennis and Badminton Club – a club that not only provides top quality facilities but is committed to promoting and coaching badminton at all levels.
Thomas Bohan was named Volunteer of the Year for his hard work in establishing the Beag’s Beo club and on Badminton Ireland’s video streaming project. Young players and volunteers from all four provinces were also honoured.
HOCKEY: A strong Hermes squad takes on teams from Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland in the pool stages of the Euro Hockey Club Champions Challenge 1 in Wettingen Switzerland this weekend, with play-offs on Monday. Among those travelling are Emma Gray, Aine Connery, Sinead McCarthy and Audrey, all members of the Irish squad for the London Cup a week later. Aine Connery is joined by sisters Sinead and Eimear Connery on the Hermes squad. Team coach is former Irish captain Mary Logue.
ROWING: Crews from UCD, Trinity and Blackrock College take on the strongest line-up yet at the Belfast University Boat Race next Saturday June 2 (12.30pm).
In a first for Belfast, the University of Cambridge is sending some of its best rowers to Belfast, while the host club Queen’s have recently taken medals in Belgium, Nottingham and Portadown. At the recent British Universities Rowing Championships, Queen’s made 17 ‘A’ finals and took home six medals, including the Queen’s Ladies’ medal for a first time ever.
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