DIGEST/SAILING:Chris Dickson, who led BMW Oracle's challenge for the America's Cup as skipper and chief executive, resigned yesterday after the US syndicate's earlier-than-expected exit from the competition.
The big-budget BMW Oracle was one of the favourites to take on Alinghi for sailing's most coveted silverware.
But despite having dropped only three of 20 races in the round robins, the team were thumped 5-1 in their semi-final series by the Italian syndicate Luna Rossa.
"After four years of intense effort . . . I have decided to step aside," Dickson told reporters.
Dickson was replaced at the helm by Sten Mohr for the race that clinched Luna Rossa's passage into the final.
HOCKEY: Hermes opened their European Champions Trophy campaign in Swansea yesterday with a 3-1 win over their Swiss opponents Rotweiss Wettingen, writes Mary Hannigan.
Caitriona Carey and Liz McInerney gave the Dublin side a 2-0 half-time lead before Jenny Burke and Wettingen's Stephanie Malti scored a goal apiece after the break.
Hermes play the hosts, Swansea, today.
European Champions Trophy (at Swansea) - Pool A: Real Club de Polo de Barcelona 1 St Germain (France) 0; HC Gintra (Lithuania) 5 ARA La Gantoise (Belgium) 1. Pool B: HC Mori Villafranca (Italy) 4 Swansea 1; Hermes 3 HC Rotweiss Wettingen (Switzerland) 1.
Today - Pool B: Hermes v Swansea, 2pm.
RUGBY:The Irish Rugby Football Union has appointed Allen Clarke as "elite player development manager". This newly created role entails overseeing player development at provincial and national level.
Clarke, assistant coach to both Ulster and the Ireland A team in the Churchill Cup, undertook a similar role with Ulster from 2001 to 2004.
In his new position, Clarke will report to the IRFU director of rugby and to the union's representative games committee, which oversees the professional game.
The job will entail working closely with the provincial structures to ensure a quality pool of players from which to choose provincial and national age-grade sides.
CYCLING: Italy's Danilo Di Luca yesterday won the 12th stage of the Giro d'Italia, from Pinerolo to Briancon in France, and retook the overall race lead.
Di Luca rode aggressively on the Colle dell'Agnello and the Col d'Izoard climbs and attacked one kilometre from the finish in the centre of Briancon. His compatriot Gilberto Simoni finished second in the same time. Andy Schleck of Luxembourg was third, seven seconds behind.
Liquigas rider Di Luca, who led the Giro for three days during the first week of the race, tops the overall standings by 63 seconds from Marzio Bruseghin of Italy. Spain's David Arroyo is third at 1:16.
Today's time trial stage is a 12.6-km uphill test from Biella to Santuario di Oropa.
MOTOR SPORT: Fernando Alonso proved his season is far from over as he produced a perfect practice performance yesterday ahead of his bid for a second successive Monaco Grand Prix victory.
The Formula One world champion trails McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton by just two points in the drivers' standings after four races .
Given Hamilton's stirring start to his debut campaign, it has been suggested Alonso is rattled.
Alonso looked far from affected around the streets of Monte Carlo as he finished more than six tenths of a second clear of Hamilton in the first 90-minute run, and then just under three tenths ahead of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen in the second.
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