Dunlop keeps on winning

Motor Cycling: Joey Dunlop extended his winning record in the Isle of Man TT to 26 races as he comfortably won the 125 cc ultra-lightweight title over four laps of the 37.73-mile Mountain Course at an average speed of 107.14 mph.

The 48-year-old from Ballymoney led throughout, winning the event for a fifth time in his 25-year career on the island as he finished 16 seconds ahead of Denis McCullough.

"The machine ran perfectly - I knew I was on for the win the first time down Bray Hill because it felt right there and that gave me the heart to go for it," said Dunlop.

"But the racing is tiring me out. On the 125 you have to be really tucked in so it's hard work."

Dunlop was out again later in the day, taking fourth place in the fourlap Junior TT which was won by David Jefferies, who powered his V&M Yamaha to victory at a record speed of 118.81 mph, ahead of Ulsterman Adrian Archibald.

Kit Row: Pat Hickey, the president of the Olympic Council of Ireland, came in for some sharp criticism in the Dail yesterday.

During Sports Questions, Labour's sports spokesman, Brian O'Shea, said he was "appalled" that Hickey had said that unless the Minister for Sports Dr Jim McDaid "changed his attitude and saw reason", he would not be accredited to attend the Olympics in Sydney.

He asked if the Minister had taken "any action regarding that insult to democratic politics". Had the State "arrived at the position where tin gods can insult and threaten ministers with impunity", he asked.

McDaid said he had not responded and he did not think it was "worthy of a response". Since he had not yet decided whether to attend the Olympic Games "the question of accreditation does not arise".

McDaid said contact had been made with both sides in the dispute - the Olympic Council and the Athletics Association of Ireland - as well as the sponsors, Asics and Adidas, but he still did not know "what gear will be used".

Rugby: Former England and Lions flanker Andy Robinson replaced Clive Woodward as England coach yesterday although the large membership of the anti-Woodward camp were not fully sated as he moved upstairs to the manager's post.

Robinson, who won eight England caps and was a member of the 1989 Lions tour of Australia, has been released by his club Bath and the 36-year-old will leave with the England squad for South Africa.

Rowing: Ailis Holohan and Albert Maher, who won the inaugural Guinness Sculling Challenge last year in Cork, successfully defended their titles at Blessington yesterday evening.

Holohan, the winner of the Dublin sculling ladder and fresh from her second-place finish with the lightweight quadruple scull in Munich, had 2 1/2 lengths to spare over Belfast's Jillian McCracken. Cork representative Allison Downey was a further 2 1/2 lengths back in third.

Maher's win was also emphatic; he had two lengths to spare over John Armstrong (the Belfast winner), with Cork's Noel Monahan four lengths further back.

Boxing: Ulsterman Eamonn Magee has been forced to pull out of his Commonwealth light-welterweight title defence against Shea Neary because of a damaged tooth. Magee was set to face Neary as part of Lennox Lewis' bill on July 15th at the London Arena.

He said: "On my way home from the gym one of my fillings fell out and I went to get it sorted out. I expected it to be a routine operation but it's been a nightmare. The dentist took out the nerve in my tooth and from then I was suffering severe pain. Now I've been given antibiotics. I've not been out of the house for a while and I can't train for two weeks."