OLYMPICS: The Olympic Council of Ireland yesterday confirmed the selection of three further designated team managers for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, reports Ian O'Riordan.
The appointments were made in consultation with the relevant national federations, and will see Jim Walsh take charge of boxing, Hans Bijnen act as manager-coach for canoeing and slalom and Keith Bewley take charge of swimming.
They join the previously announced team managers of Patsy McGonagle (athletics), Donal O'Halloran (badminton), Frank Campbell (cycling), Nuala McGarrity (fencing), Michael O'Callaghan (rowing), James O'Callaghan (sailing) and Kevin Kilty (shooting) on the short list of designated team managers for Beijing.
EQUESTRIAN: Peter Charles broke a vertebrae just below his neck in a fall while warming up for a show at the Hampshire Equestrian Centre, Medstead Grange last Friday.
The 46-year-old, a triple winner of the British Jumping Derby at Hickstead from 2001-2003 on the grey mare Corrada, also sustained a severe trauma of the ligaments and muscles but results of an MRI scan suggested he will make a full recovery and could be back in the saddle next year.
OLYMPICS: Marc Hodler, the senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) member who exposed the Salt Lake City corruption scandal, died yesterday in Switzerland at the age of 87.
The Swiss native was the main whistleblower in the biggest corruption and bribery affair in the IOC's 110-year history, which involved several of its members and Salt Lake City officials.
The accusations centred on lavish gifts and other inducements to IOC members in return for their votes in the contest to host the 2002 Winter Olympics. These included cash payments, presents, scholarships and other benefits.
Salt Lake City crushed Switzerland's Sion to win the nod.
TENNIS: Scotland's Andy Murray upset world number three and third seed Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the second round of the Madrid Masters yesterday.
Murray, ranked 19th in the world, put Ljubicic, a finalist in Madrid last year, under pressure from the start and won the first set with a single break of serve.
Ljubicic, who had won nine of his previous 10 games, eased ahead to take the second set but Murray got the decisive break in a finely balanced third set. The 19-year-old Murray held firm on his serve and took the match with an ace.
Earlier Belgian Kristof Vliegen defeated James Blake 6-4, 3-6, 7-6.
