WINDSURFING: Irish windsurfer Mikey Clancy will compete in the final two rounds of the PWA World Championships travelling first to Klitmuller on Denmark’s north west coast, where competition starts on Monday. He then moves on to Westerland, Sylt in Germany on September 28, where Finn Mullen will join him. Clancy competes in the spectacular wave discipline.
BADMINTON: After playing the final at the Irish U19 European Circuit event in Baldoyle, Jonathan Dolan and Joshua Magee are seeded to face each other again in today’s Munster Open at the Mardyke Cork. Last weekend, Dolan took a second European Circuit title of the season when he beat Magee in straight sets. Rachael Darragh dropped the opening set in her final against Alanna Stephenson but controlled the match after that and took the title.
Sinead Chambers is top seed in Cork and expected to face her doubles partner Jennie King in the women’s final. In the doubles, Dan Magee and Niall Tierney of Mount Pleasant are favourites to win although Ulster pair Scott Burnside and Conor Hickland could provide tough opposition.
Leinster pair Kirsty Kelly and Laura Butler are No 1 seeds for the women’s doubles, with Chambers and King at No 2. The mixed doubles looks wide open, with several strong pairs entered. Any one of Nigel Boyne and Grace Webster, Dan Magee and Jennie King, and Kirty Kelly and Conor Hickland could take the title.
Next weekend, most of these players will be back in Dublin for the Autumn Open in Terenure.
MODERN PENTATHLON: After his late call-up for the London Olympics, where he felt he didn’t do himself justice, Arthur Lanigan-O’Keeffe was determined to make amends at the Junior World Championships in Drzonkow, Poland. He did that in no uncertain terms when he took a bronze medal – a first ever medal for Ireland at this level.
The 20-year-old Dubliner, who comes from a horse-riding background, was top of the table after the fencing and held on to that lead during the swim and showjumping. Only in the combined run/shoot did he falter, dropping from first to third place.
HOCKEY: UCD provides the bulk of the Irish women’s hockey squad selected for the Electric Ireland FIH Champions Challenge I tournament in UCD, Dublin from September 29. In all, six members of the 18 strong squad come from UCD, while 17 of the 18 play for Leinster clubs. The exception is Michelle Harvey of Pegasus. Captain of the side is Alex Speers of Railway Union. Ireland open their campaign with a match against South Africa on Saturday Setpember 29 and also play Scotland, and the USA in their pool matches. Playing in the second pool are Australia, India, Belgium and Wales. The winner of the tournament qualifies for the next Champions Trophy.
SNOOKER: A thrilling win over England gave the Irish senior men’s team only a fourth ever victory in snooker’s annual Home Internationals in Pontins, North Wales.
Victory for Brendan O’Donoghue in his match against Billy Castle had sealed a 7-5 victory for the Irish.
Earlier, the Irish had beaten the Isle of Man, Scotland and Wales A, but had lost to Wales B. It all came down to the final match and when Wales A beat England, it handed the title to Ireland. O’Donoghue, unbeaten in the tournament, got the star performer award. Making up the strong Irish team were Rodney Goggins, Greg Casey, Johnny Williams and Robert Redmond
While there was joy for the senior team, Lady Luck wasn’t on the side of Irish U19 squad who missed out on victory by a single frame. The team of Josh Boileau, Ryan Cronin, David Cassidy and Chris Cooney had hammered the French 11-1 in their final match, but needed a Welsh draw or better against England B to take the title. When the English clawed back a 28 deficit in the final frame, they not only beat the Welsh but snatched the title from the Irish.
TRIATHLON: Ex-athlete Robbie Wade from Waterford proved best of the Irish when he finished 24th in the pro men’s division at the 70.3 Ironman World Championships in Las Vegas. Conditions were far from ideal with temperatures of 40 degrees making the dropout rate particularly high. Wade trailed after the 1.9km swim, but pulled back on the 90km bike and half marathon run to finish in 4hr 20min 57seconds.
Karl Kildea of Muckno Tri Club was fifth in the in the men’s 25-29 age group, finishing in 4hr 37mins and 26seconds. Just nine minutes behind for 17th place was Wheelworx’s Colm Sheehan. North West’s Eimear O’Brien was 6th in the women’s 25-29 age group in a time of 5hr 3mins 16secs while Desi McHenry of Olympian TC, a pioneer of the sport in Ireland, finished sixth in the men’s over 65 age group in 6hr 33mins 39secs.
Locally, London Olympic athlete Finnuala Britton and Olympic sailors Annalise Murphy and Scott Flanigan competed in the Tri an Mhi Sprint triathlon at Collinstown, where Joe Lynch of Pulse Tri and Piranha’s Anna O’Neill took the honours. Britton finished third woman, with the fastets run of the day. In Kenmare, a strong swim gave Shane Scully of Nenagh Tri victory in the Lost Sheep Half Tri. In second place was former Irish Ironman record holder Liam Dolan of Setanta who produced the fastest cycle and run of the day. Katie Cooke of West Cork Tri was first woman. Current Irish Duathlon champion Paul Carroll and Marie-Triona Keane took top honours at the Ashford Duathlon.
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