SPORTS DIGEST:A team of 15 animals representing the Irish Sport Horse Studbook is en route to Belgium for the FEI world breeding jumping championships for young horses which start in Lanaken on Thursday.
The squad is divided equally into five-, six- and seven-year-olds and contains four stallions, seven geldings and four mares. Commandant John Ledingham, who is acting as chef d’equipe, said: “I am very much looking forward to this year’s world championships in Lanaken as we have a really nice team of horses travelling.”
Qualifying rounds will take place on Thursday and Friday, consolation classes will be held on Saturday with the championship finals being staged on Sunday.
Wozniacki edges qualifier to continue her winning run
Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki squeezed through to the second round of the Pan Pacific Open, just one day after ending a 13-month title drought in South Korea.
The Dane made hard work of beating Serb qualifier Bojana Jovanovski 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 in a match halted for an hour in the third set by lightning flashes and torrential rain.
Nine of the world’s top 10 women are competing in Tokyo this week at the $2.16 million event, with the leading eight seeds receiving byes into the second round.
Wozniacki, who captured the Korea Open on Sunday, powered through a first set played in a warm breeze before fatigue hit her in the second.
The heavens broke at 3-3 in the decider and Wozniacki, down 15-30, eventually dropped her serve after waiting for the roof to be closed and the waterlogged court to be mopped dry.
Normal service was quickly resumed, however, as the 10th seed took the next three games to wrap up victory in two hours 17 minutes after forcing Jovanovski into a wild backhand.
Team-mate refutes Cooper's 'toxic environment' claim
Quade Cooper’s belief there is “a toxic environment” in the camp will not distract Australia ahead of Saturday’s Rugby Championship Test against South Africa, said utility back Adam Ashley-Cooper.
Outhalf Cooper, who is missing from the squad because of knee trouble, made his outspoken comments at the weekend but his team-mate responded yesterday by saying there was a convivial mood in the dressingroom.
“This won’t be a distraction for us,” Ashley-Cooper told a news conference in Johannesburg.
Cooper had launched a Twitter outburst against Robbie Deans, venting his frustration at the tactics of the coach and also at the Australian Rugby Union.
The 24-year-old outhalf, who needs a knee operation, then continued his tirade in an interview.
“There are a lot of people who are afraid to say what they feel so they just go along with it and nothing is going to change,” Cooper said.
“That’s why I feel so strongly. I don’t want to be involved in the toxic environment and that’s how it is at the moment.”
Usada to forward Armstrong file
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) will send Lance Armstrong’s file to the cycling world governing body this week to get the American rider’s life ban ratified, its chief Travis Tygart told French daily L’Equipe yesterday.
Armstrong was stripped of his record seven Tour de France wins last month and handed a lifetime ban by Usada after indicating he would not challenge charges that he had doped throughout his career. Armstrong has always denied doping. The Usada sanction, however, needs to be confirmed by the International Cycling Union (UCI).
Asked when his agency will send the material to UCI, Tygart said: “It is imminent. By the end of the month.”
UCI said earlier this month they have no intention of appealing the Usada decision. “. . . unless the Usada’s decision and case file give serious reasons to do otherwise, the UCI has no intention to appeal to Cas or not to recognise the Usada’s sanctions on Lance Armstrong,” said UCI president Pat McQuaid.
McLaren increase offer to Hamilton
McLaren have increased their offer to Lewis Hamilton in an attempt to see off a bid from Mercedes, placing an extra €2.5 million a year on top of the €12.5 million already on the table. They expect their driver to stay, probably making a decision within the week, even though the new offer is still short of what Hamilton is currently paid.
The anticipated success is why McLaren executives left Singapore on Sunday looking a little more relaxed than they were entitled to after Hamilton retired on the 23rd lap when in the lead. It could have been his third victory in four outings but the retirement dropped him from second to fourth in the championship table, where he trails Fernando Alonso by 52 points.
Hamilton’s existing contract, which ends in November, is often reported to be around €94 million over five years, or €18 million a year, but is believed to be a little less than that.
According to sources at McLaren, the money on offer from Mercedes is not as substantial as the €25 million a year that has been reported.
Guardian Service
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