Sports Digest: Alistair Cragg last night hinted he could yet impact on next month's World Championships with an impressive fifth-place finish over 3,000 metres at the Paris Golden League meeting - his time of 7:40.31 his quickest in three years, reports Ian O'Riordan.
Victory went to Uganda's Moses Kipsiro in a national record of 7:39.02, but it was Cragg who did the front-running over the closing two laps, leading into the home stretch before being marginally outsprinted by four Africans. Kenya's Joseph Ebuya took second in 7:39.53, with countryman Edwin Soi just edging out Cragg for fourth.
Yet Cragg had run a smart tactical race in what was his first outing on the European Grand Prix circuit this summer, and a marked improvement on his last outing over 5,000 metres in New York a month ago, where he dropped out.
Meanwhile in Budapest last night, David Gillick and Derval O'Rourke were in winning form. Gillick showed a sharp turn of speed in the Nepstadion to score a convincing victory in the 400 metres. The European indoor champion won in a time of 45.72 seconds ahead of England's Conrad Williams.
O'Rourke, who suffered a shock 100 metres hurdles defeat in last Saturday's Bupa Cork International meeting, bounced back with a solid display. Aided by a following wind of 1.3 metres-per-second, she recorded a fast time of 13.07 seconds.
EQUESTRIAN: Jessica Kürten has leaped back up to third place in the world rider rankings, updated yesterday by the International Equestrian Federation, reports Grania Willis. Fifth in last month's list, her good form has boosted her to within 101 points of the number one slot.
Kürten had two fourth-place finishes at the German Nations Cup show in Aachen yesterday. A double clear with the mare Castle Forbes Maike guaranteed her a share of the prize-fund in the feature jump-off class, but a time of 64.71 seconds wasn't fast enough to challenge Gerco Schroder, who won the €18,000 first prize for the Netherlands. Kürten filled the same place in the ride and drive line-up with driver Daniel Wurgler.
GAELIC GAMES: Three members of the University of Limerick Hurling club have decided not to proceed with an appeal to the Supreme Court against a High Court decision clearing the way for the GAA to hold a disciplinary hearing arising from the alleged illegal participation of a player in a third level hurling game.
In the High Court on Thursday Mr Justice Thomas Smyth granted an application by the GAA to discharge the interim injunction restraining that disciplinary hearing. The injunction was granted on an interim basis to Dr Peter Tiernan, chairman, Brendan Bulger, Club secretary and Clare senior hurler, and player Kieran Joyce of the University of Limerick's hurling club.
