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Loughnane back on track after good performance

ATHLETICS: Olive Loughnane is back on course for a medal challenge at next month's European Athletics Championships in Barcelona after an encouraging performance at the IAAF Road Racing Challenge in Krakow in Poland, writes Ian O'Riordan.

Having failed to finish her only two walking events so far this season, the World Championship silver medallist posted fifth in Saturday’s 10km race, half the usual 20km distance, which was won Russia’s Olga Kaniskina – who beat Loughnane to the gold medal in Berlin last August.

Kaniskin’s winning time was 43 minutes and 3 seconds, with Loughnane just over a minute back in 44:08 – the second best time of her career behind the 43:22 national record she set last year. Melanie Seeger of Germany was second in a personal best 43:05.

Robert Heffernan produced his best 10km time when finishing sixth in the men’s event in a time of 39:21 with his team-mate, Jamie Costin, doing likewise when finishing 11th in 39:56. That race was won by Fafei Chu of China in 38:40.

Roseanne Galligan added her name to the list of 23 Irish qualifiers for Barcelona when winning the 800 metres at the British Miler’s Club meeting in Manchester. Galligan clocked a time of 2:02.39 to get inside the European standard of 2:02.50.

Klitschko defends title

BOXING:Vitali Klitschko beat challenger Albert Sosnowski by technical knock-out on Saturday, ending the Pole's bid to become his country's first heavyweight champion.

Towering over his lighter opponent, Klitschko clinched a successful defence of his WBC title when the fight was stopped in the 10th round. The 38-year-old Ukrainian dominated the fight against the younger Sosnowski.

Bryant inspires Lakers to reach final

BASKETBALL: Kobe Bryant inspired the Los Angeles Lakers all the way into the NBA finals with yet another stellar performance against the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference finals.

The Lakers will meet the Boston Celtics in the big one for the 11th time in history after winning the series 4-2. with a 111-103 win on Saturday night. That mouth-watering series will begin on Thursday in California.

Bryant produced 37 points against the Suns, stepping things up in the final 120 seconds with nine points, and he was ably assisted by Ron Artest’s 25.

Amare Stoudemire’s 27 for the Suns was not enough for the Arizona outfit while Steve Nash, still craving a finals appearance, had 21 points and nine assists.

Slattery wins by four shots

GOLF: Englishman Lee Slattery closed with a round of four under par 67 to reach 21 under to win the Telenet Trophy on the European Challenge tour, four shots in front of French youngster Edouard Dubois, who could not quite match his third-round exploits with a 69 on the final day.

Dubois set a new course record with a nine under par 63 the day before to move to within two shots of Slattery, but mustered only three birdies in wet and windy conditions at Rinkven Golf Club on the outskirts of Antwerp, Belgium. The last time Slattery won a tournament was in the 2004 Telia Grand Prix,

Ireland’s Gareth Shaw finished on five under for the event in a share of 21st place.

Colm Moriarty finished on a four under total after a round of 71 with just two birdies – on the second and 10th – and one bogey on the 18th to finish in a tie for 28th place.

Hero's welcome for Basso

CYCLING: Italian Ivan Basso wrapped up his second Giro dItalia title in Verona yesterday, arriving at an ancient Roman amphitheatre to a heros welcome just three years after being banned in disgrace.

The Liquigas rider, winner in 2006, had another victory all but sealed and carefully negotiated the cobbled streets of Verona to ensure there were no late calamities on the final time trial of the three-week race.

“I’m so happy. It’s been a really difficult Giro,” Basso, 15th on the stage, said.

Roared on by thousands of compatriots who lined the 15 kilometre route through the city of Romeo and Juliet, Basso reaffirmed his love for the world’s second biggest stage race by unleashing a huge smile as he crossed the line.

Basso was banned for two years in 2007 for his involvement in Spain’s Operacion Puerto doping scandal, the latest in a series to rock the troubled sport.

Ogier holds off Loeb challenge

MOTOR SPORT: Sebastien Ogier fended off the challenge of reigning champion Sebastien Loeb to claim his first World Rally Championship success in Portugal yesterday.

The 26-year-old Frenchman confirmed his status as the fastest rising talent of the rally circuit as he beat home his more experienced compatriot by 7.9 seconds.

Ogier still had plenty of work to do despite heading into the final day with a 21.1secs advantage over Loeb, who pressed his rival after going quicker through the opening four stages.

But Ogier stood firm, after leading at the end of the previous two days, to clinch his breakthrough success on the final all-tarmac head-to-head stage. Dani Sordo ensured it was an all-Citroen podium as he took third place, albeit more than a minute further back.