SPORTS DIGEST

More sports news in brief.

Myers takes Santry feature

ATHLETICS:American Rob Myers won the feature mile race at the Morton Memorial meeting in Santry last night - a 50th anniversary celebration of Herb Elliott's world record of 3:54.5, writes Ian O'Riordan.

Despite the ideal conditions and decent crowd, Myers couldn't better that mark, 50 years on, winning in 3:56.21 - the fastest mile in Ireland this year. The next eight finishers also beat the four-minute barrier.

In a separate mile race under the auspices of the Irish Milers Club, 19-year-old Ricky Stephenson of England won but fell just short of the four-minute target in 4:00.34.

Josphat Boit of Kenya won the three-mile race in 13:37.62. Stephen Haas (USA) was second in 13:39.11. Brian Farrell was fourth in 14:11.45.

Maria McCambridge was second in the 3,000 metres, just losing to American Melissa Cook (9:03.38), while American Bernard Williams won the men's 100 metres in 10.28.

No dream return for Macken 

SHOW JUMPING:The track for yesterday's Samsung Super League nations' cup at Hickstead produced few clear rounds and none from the Irish team, which finished a disappointing equal fifth of the eight teams, writes Margie McLoone.

Cian O'Connor and Rancorrado, which was making its debut at this level, fared best with four faults in both rounds. Eddie Macken and Tedechine Sept also recorded four faults in round two having been the discard score in the opening session with 10 faults.

Captain David O'Brien recorded eight faults in both rounds with Mo Chroi while Olympics-bound Denis Lynch had nine faults with Nebab's Son at the first stage, recovering to incur just four in round two.

The competition was won by Germany with 24 faults. Irish team manager Robert Splaine said: "I suppose our final place wasn't all that bad, but I still don't think our performance was good enough. We are capable of much better."

McGettigan claims Grand Prix win

ATHLETICS:Róisín McGettigan posted a superb victory at the London Super Grand Prix in Crystal Palace last night - taking the 3,000-metre steeplechase in a style that suggests she is now a definite contender to at least make the final at the Olympics.

It was McGettigan's last race before Beijing, and she made the most of it, sitting behind the early pace-setter, Romania's Ancuta Bobocel. In the end no one could match McGettigan's finishing speed, as the Wicklow woman won by almost four seconds in 9:33.76.

Fionnuala Britton also ran well to take eighth in 9:45.82.

But there was little joy for Una English as she trailed home last in 10:09.63.

Deirdre Byrne ran a disappointing ninth over 1,500 metres, clocking 4:14.25.

Leaney sets butterfly record

SWIMMING:Conor Leaney produced an outstanding performance at the Irish youth and open championships in the National Aquatic Centre last night.

Following on from his Irish junior record-breaking performance on Thursday night, the Ulsterman set an Irish senior and junior best for the 100m butterfly.

Leaney, who will represent Ireland at the European junior championships in Belgrade next week, touched for gold in 55.68.

Leaney broke the previous senior best of Muiris Ó Riada set four years ago of 55.89 and the junior record of Cian Holland, 56.74.

His fellow Ulsterman Steven McQuillan took second place.

Hardy protests her innocence

OLYMPICS:The US swimmer Jessica Hardy protested her innocence yesterday over a positive doping test threatening to derail her Olympics and said she was living a nightmare.

"It's heartbreaking and devastating," the 21-year-old told CBS TV's The Early Show.

Hardy's attorney, Howard Jacobs, said the swimmer had tested positive for the stimulant clenbuterol.

Impressive Simon safely through to semi-finals

TENNIS:The in-form Frenchman Gilles Simon continued his magical hardcourt campaign by beating Marin Cilic 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 to reach the Toronto Masters semi-finals yesterday.

It was a battle of the giant-killers, the Frenchman having shocked the world number one, Roger Federer, in the second round while the 19-year-old Croatian claimed the scalp of the former champion and sixth seed, Andy Roddick, in the third round.

Simon now awaits the winner of the quarter-final between the US seventh seed, James Blake, and Germany's Nicolas Kiefer for a chance to play in his third final of the season.

The 22-year-old has had a remarkable run on the North American hardcourts, winning nine matches in 11 days.