Gebrselassie nabs record race fee

ATHLETICS: Haile Gebrselassie has signed the biggest deal in athletics history to run his first serious marathon in London next year. He stands to make £342,000 sterling in appearance fees and bonuses when he runs on April 14th. The 28-year-old Ethiopian is a double Olympic 10,000 metres gold medallist, four-time world 10,000m champion and world record holder at 5,000m and 10,000m. He has set 15 world records, and won the world half-marathon championships in Bristol last month.

--(Guardian Service)

SKIING: The world of Alpine skiing was shaken by the death yesterday of France's top woman racer, Regine Cavagnoud, from severe brain injuries sustained two days earlier in a training accident in Austria. The Austrian Ski Federation said her death had robbed the sport of one of its greats.

BASKETBALL: "My shot was pretty short and pretty flat," said Michael Jordan after his comeback game had ended with a shot to tie the game falling short and his Washington Wizards losing 93-91 to the New York Knicks. "I had a good look and it came up short."

Jordan, in the familiar No 23 and the unfamiliar blue, black and gold of the Washington Wizards, fell short of what is expected of a living legend but performed impressively for a 38-year-old millionaire who has spent the past three years golfing, gambling and tending his investment portfolio. He finished with 19 points, five rebounds, six assists and four steals, but missed 14 of his 21 shots.

"The game is a little bit different, my team-mates are a little bit different, and obviously the outcome is a little different from what I wanted," he said.

--(Guardian Service)

BASEBALL: George Bush threw the first pitch, jet fighters screeched overhead and a torn flag rescued from the World Trade Centre fluttered above the scoreboard at Yankee stadium: defeat for the hosts was unthinkable. In the event, the New York Yankees did their duty on Tuesday night, albeit only just.

Humbled by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first two games and acutely aware that no team has ever overturned a 3-0 World Series deficit, the Yankees turned to their most celebrated pitcher, Roger "The Rocket" Clemens, who obliged by yielding only three hits in seven innings, setting up a 2-1 victory.

--(Guardian Service)

TENNIS: Tim Henman's capacity to crack when the pressure is at its most intense was once again amply demonstrated in the French Indoor Open at Bercy yesterday. By losing 6-4, 6-3 in the second round to French wild-card Julien Boutter, the British number one effectively blew his chances of appearing in the end-of-season Masters Cup in Sydney.

If one or more players drop out, and nobody is sure whether Andre Agassi will go to Australia so soon after the birth of his son, Henman may squeeze in by the back door.

In Munich, Germany's Anke Huber was crushed 6-1, 6-1 by Justine Henin in what was a humiliating last match before retirement for the 26-year-old.

--(Guardian Service)

BOXING: The inaugural women's international boxing match between Ireland and England, a two-bout competition, ended on level terms at the National Stadium last night.

Bantam Debbie Rogers of Westside BC Tallaght lacked experience against and was stopped in the second round by Nicola Adams of Leeds, having trailed 11-1 at the end of the first. Rogers took two standing counts of eight in the second before referee Sadie Duffy of Donegal called a half.

Sligo welter Sallie McArdle, of the St Joseph's club, scored a 26-7 win over mother-of-three Julia Field (31), of Dorking BC.

Earlier, schoolgirl Katie Taylor from St Fergal's, Bray, won an all-action warm-up flyweight contest 23-12 against Belfast's Elanna Audley of the Sandy Row club.