Sports Digest

A round-up of today's other stories in brief

Eight gold medals for McMahon

SWIMMING: Sycerika McMahon took her tally of gold medals at the National Short Course (25 metre) Swimming champions in Lisburn to eight to add to the nine she won at the Long course (50 metre) championships at the NAC in Dublin earlier this year, writes John Kenny.

The versatile 16-year-old landed the 50 Breaststroke, 400 Freestyle and the 100 Individual medley (IM) on Saturday and yesterday added the 400 IM and 200 Breaststroke gold medals to her impressive tally.

London Olympics-bound Barry Murphy broke the 10-year old Irish senior record for the 50 Butterfly yesterday in the heats in a time of 24.03 seconds. In the final, he won his sixth gold medal in another Irish senior record of 23.95 seconds.

Meanwhile in Atlanta Gráinne Murphy broke her own Irish senior record for the women’s 800m Freestyle when she finished third in the event at the Duel In the Pool.

McIlroy named Sports Person of the Year

AWARDS: US Open champion Rory McIlroy was awarded the RTÉ Sports Person of the Year title for 2011 last night. McIlroy won the US Open by eight shots at Congressional near Washington in June just two months after dramatically losing a four shot lead heading into the final round of the Masters at Augusta.

The RTÉ Sports Team of the Year award was presented to the Leinster Rugby team, winners of the Heineken Cup in 2011. Leinster regained their European champions crown after a thrilling final against Northampton Saints which saw them trailing 22-6 at half time before turning the match around with a remarkable performance, winning 33-22.

The RTÉ Sports Manager of the Year award was presented to Republic of Ireland football manager Giovanni Trapattoni. who led the Republic of Ireland to the European Championship finals.

Brian O’Driscoll presented rugby hero Jack Kyle with the RTÉ/Irish Sports Council Hall of Fame Award.

Bangladesh put  it up to Pakistan

CRICKET: Pakistan finished day two of the second Test against Bangladesh on 87 for one to leave the match in Mirpur evenly poised.

A superb knock of 144 from Shakib Al Hasan – his best first-class score – helped Bangladesh post a total of 338 and the removal of Pakistan opener Mohammad Hafeez for 14 raised home hopes of levelling the series.

Hafeez hit 143 as Pakistan recorded an innings victory in the first Test at Chittagong, but even with him gone Pakistan were able to steady the ship.

By stumps, Taufeeq Umar had reached 44, with eight fours, and Azhar Ali was unbeaten on 26.

Meanwhile, Rookie seam bowler Vernon Philander covered himself in glory once again as he took five wickets, and 10 in the match, to lead South Africa to victory by an innings and 81 runs in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Centurion on Saturday.

Philander took five for 49, for match figures of 10-102 as Sri Lanka produced a shameful batting display.

Ward proves too powerful for Froch

BOXING: Carl Froch has vowed to learn from last night’s lopsided points defeat by Andre Ward and come back stronger in 2012.

The Nottingham warrior was outthought and outfought by unbeaten American Ward, who was always in control en route to a unanimous decision win in Atlantic City.

The slick WBA champion added Froch’s WBC title to his collection while also lifting the Super Six tournament trophy to anoint himself as the world’s top super-middleweight.

Scores of 115-113 by two of the three judges suggested the Boardwalk Hall clash was closer than it actually was, with British judge John Keane closer to the mark with 118-110. Froch, 34, said he got his tactics wrong against the awkward but classy Ward.

Romo keeps Dallas on track

AMERICAN FOOTBALL: Tony Romo passed for three touchdowns and scored another as the Dallas Cowboys kept their NFC East title hopes on track with a 31-15 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday.

Quarterback Romo stoked the Cowboys (8-6) to a 28-0 half-time lead as they moved a half-game ahead of the New York Giants in the NFC East.

New York (7-6) can regain a share of the lead with a win over the Washington Redskins.

Lennon third in World Cup qualifier

EQUESTRIAN: Ireland’s Dermott Lennon made a brave bid to land yesterday’s Rolex FEI World Cup qualifier at Olympia when, drawn third of 11 in the jump-off round, he posted the first clear with Hallmark Elite, writes Margie McLoone.

The former world champion’s time of 42.43 was always under threat, however, and the first to beat it and come home unpenalised was Germany’s Marcus Ehning who, with the mare Sabrina, stopped the clock on 39.05. Then, much to the delight of the home crowd, Britain’s in-form Ben Maher cut a third of a second off Ehning’s time to take the Rolex trophy and first place prize-money of €33,000 when clear in 38.71 with the Anglo European stallion Triple X III.

Banbridge-based Lennon (42), a winner earlier at the show, picked up €13,200 for his efforts with Hallmark Elite, an 11-year-old bay gelding owned by Woods Rosbotham’s Keonan Stables.