Sports digest

A round-up of today's other stories in brief

Olympics the target now as Gillick puts end to his season

ATHLETICS: David Gillick has drawn a line under his competitive season after injury and a subsequent loss of form in a bid to focus on his preparations for the London Olympics next summer.

It means the Irish 400 metres record holder will not be taking part in the World Championships in Daegu in September and the Dundrum runner admitted his frustration yesterday.

“Obviously I am very disappointed to have to sit the season out. I have invested a lot of time and effort in attempting to make this a successful year, but unfortunately, tearing my calf muscle and the subsequent problems have put me way behind where I want to be.

“Now I want to do everything in my power to achieve my full potential on the biggest stage of all, the Olympic Games. I truly believe that I can perform at the highest level again on the world stage.”

Top Irish female sprinter Ailis McSweeney is also out for the remainder of the season with an Achilles tendon injury.

Lavin makes Youth Olympics 100 metres final

ATHLETICS: Ireland did well on the second day of the European Youth Olympics in Trabzon, Turkey. Sarah Lavin, (16), from Castletroy College, Limerick, recorded a personal best in her 100 metres hurdles heat, finishing second in 13.71, an Irish record and moved into tomorrow’s final.

In the 3,000m final Seán Toibín (CBS High School, Clonmel) came fourth in a personal best 8:29.91. Karl Griffin (Tír Chonaill AC) qualified for the boys’ 800m final on Friday in a time of 1:51.89. Irish youth 100m sprint champion Greg O’Shea (Crescent College Limerick) ran a personal best of 10.90 in his semi-finals heat and then went on to finish sixth in the final in 10.88. Irish 800m champion Amy O’Donoghue (Villiers School Limerick) came seventh in a time of 2:21.43, well short of her best of 2:09.67.

Nocher sets new PB in Shanghai

SWIMMING: Co Down’s Melanie Nocher showed good form on day three of the World Long Course Championships in Shanghai by finishing third in her heat of the women’s 200 metres freestyle, in a personal best time of 2.01.33.

The 23-year-old Loughborough student swam a controlled race, splitting 59.07 at the half-way mark and maintaining her position alongside the leader, Joerdis Steinegger of Austria.

Also in action yesterday was Dubliner Barry Murphy, who clocked a 28.13 in his 50m breaststroke heat to finish 18th overall. It left him two places shy of advancing to the semi-final.

Murphy now goes in the 50m freestyle on Friday morning, his last remaining event of the Championships.

There are no Irish in action today. Day-Three Results: Heats: Men’s 50m breaststroke: B Murphy 28.13, 18th. Women’s 200m freestyle: M Nocher 2.01.33, 31st.

Big boost as Ireland hammer Korea

HOCKEY: Ireland’s men picked off one of their biggest wins of the last decade as they smashed world number six side Korea 5-1 in Paris yesterday to begin the Five Nations in brilliant fashion.

Geoff McCabe struck twice inside four minutes before Mikey Watt roofed a penalty corner rebound and Andy McConnell arrowed in a fourth before the interval to stun the Asian side.

Korea pulled one back from a corner in the second half but Watt finished off Mitch Darling’s slip-pass to complete the win.

Ireland face world number one side Australia today as they continue their warm-up matches ahead of the European championships in three weeks’ time.

IRELAND: D Harte, D Ames, P Caruth, T Cockram, M Darling, P Gleghorne, R Gormley, C Harte, J Jackson, J Jermyn, E Magee, G McCabe, B McCandless, A McConnell, I Sloan, M Watt. Unused: C Cargo, D Fitzgerald.

Springboks lose two more as injury list grows

RUGBY: South Africa’s ranks were further depleted ahead of this weekend’s clash with the All Blacks after lock Flip van der Merwe and fullback Gio Aplon were sent home and loose forward Heinrich Brussow ruled out of the match yesterday.

Van der Merwe injured a rib cartilage in the 39-20 loss to Australia in the Tri-Nations opener last Saturday, while Brussow is suffering from a hamstring strain. Aplon suffered back and shoulder injuries after falling awkwardly in the defeat.

The Springboks squad, already missing more than 20 injured frontline players, was further weakened last week when lock Johann Muller returned to South Africa.

Muller was replaced by uncapped secondrow Gerhard Mostert but there will be no reinforcements for Aplon and Van der Merwe.