Cycling: Mountain bike rider Robin Seymour yesterday suffered a blow to his preparations for the Sydney Olympics when he was forced to retire from the European championships with a back problem, writes Shane Stokes.
Seymour had been hoping for a top 20 finish in the race but had injured his back when he fell in an English event last week. Yesterday's proceedings in Rhenen, the Netherlands, means that he now must now undergo treatment in England on Tuesday with physiotherapist and former Irish professional Martin Earley. Of the other Irish riders, Tarja Owens was 33rd in the women's event, Colm Mullen 63rd in the under-23 competition and Ollie Gray and Glen Kinning 58th and 69th respectively in the junior race.
At home, Italian-based Mayo cyclist David O'Loughlin yesterday registered an emphatic final victory in the three day Ras Connachta, winning overall by one minute 42 seconds ahead of Martin O'Loughlin.
Tennis: Karen Nugent's victory over Gina Niland in the East of Ireland Senior Open Tennis Championships at Londonbridge Road on Saturday deserves more merit than her win over the same opposition last year because she has been mostly inactive since then.
Saturday's match was only her fifth since October. "Lying on a hospital bed a few months ago, I didn't believe I would be playing here, never mind retaining the title," she said
Nugent along with Yvonne Doyle may yet make the Ireland Olympic team for Sydney. "If a country drops out we will be in," said a hopeful Nugent, after her 7-5 6-3 win.
Owen Casey beat Neil Fagan of Malahide in the men's final 6-1 6-0.
Equestrian Sport: Denis Coakley, who makes his debut on a Nations Cup squad at Linz in Austria at the end of the month, scored an impressive double at Millstreet over the weekend, winning Saturday's Waterford Crystal Masters with Toshiba Dreampoint and then riding the same talented gelding to score in yesterday's Guinness Grand Prix for owners O'Brien's Office Systems.
Lieutenant Shane Carey claimed Saturday's Aer Rianta Cork Airport Speed Derby on Galtee Beg.
Cricket: Clontarf, who had got past Pembroke in the proverbial skin-of-the-teeth fashion on Saturday, pulled off a far more convincing nine-wicket victory over The Hills at Milverton yesterday to further consolidate their position at the top of Section A in the Leinster Senior League, sponsored by Whitney Moore and Keller.
The match was a personal triumph for Australian-born opening bat Andrew Kemmis, on his debut match for the Clontarf 1st X1. His 91-run partnership with skipper Ronan O'Reilly laid the foundation for success, and Kemmis went on to score an undefeated 81, hit off 103 deliveries and including eleven fours.
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