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Rheinisch sixth in Augsburg regatta

CANOEING: Eoin Rheinisch took a creditable sixth place in the final of the K1 Slalom at the World Cup regatta in Augsburg on Saturday. The Kildare man finished third in the semi-final to set himself up for the result, writes Liam Gorman.

The big target this year is the World Championships in Seu D’Urgell in Spain in September, and Rheinisch said this result “gives me encouragement going forward”.

He has changed to new coach Ettore Ivaldi recently and said he had also took time to adapt to new rules. His results in the first two World Cups (40th and 55th in Bratislava and Pau) were well below par for the man who finished fourth at the Olympic Games.

Murphy claims gold number three in Prague

SWIMMING: Gráinne Murphy claimed her third gold medal at the European Junior Swimming Championships in Prague yesterday, when she touched the wall in first place in the 200m Individual Medley in 2.14.22. The 16-year-old from Ballinaboola, New Ross, broke the European Junior Record in Saturday's semi-finals, in 2.14.15.

She took gold earlier in the week in the 400m IM and 800m, as well as bronze in the 1500m freestyle.

“This was the toughest out of all her races to win, as the competition was closest in this event. It was a good challenge for Gráinne today to get up and race but she did absolutely fantastic,” said Ronald Claes, who coaches Murphy full time at the Limerick High Performance Centre (University of Limerick).

“We really need the Irish Sports Council (ISC) to keep investing in and supporting Irish swimming because swimming in Ireland is on the move upwards. I hope that the ISC will continue to focus on swimming as one of the key sports for the Olympic Games.”

Describing her race afterwards, Murphy said: “The race felt really strong, my butterfly leg was good and my stroke rate on my breaststroke was really high – which was what I was looking for. I expected the British girl to come back on the breaststroke and I knew the Italian girl was going to go out strong too.”

She added “I don’t think it has really sunk in yet that I’ve won three golds and a bronze this week but I’m really thrilled.”

Casey makes top 10 in Lucerne

ROWING: Seán Casey gave Ireland a boost in advance of next month's World Championships when he finished in the top 10 in the most competitive of all rowing events, the men's single scull, at the final World Cup regatta in Lucerne yesterday, writes Liam Gorman.

Casey finished third in the B final, ninth overall, in a race won by Lassi Karonen of Sweden. The 31-year-old Irishman sculled very well, led at 500 metres and had established himself in a solid third by the closing stages, ahead of Warren Anderson of the United States, who finished fourth. Norway’s Nil Jakob Hoff took second.

“I’m very pleased for Seán, it’s a great step on for him,” said Ireland performance director Martin McElroy.

Casey had fewer strokes per minutes than his opponents for much of the race, and McElroy said part of what the new coaching regime had been working on was getting more distance per stroke.

“He’s been going faster at 28 (strokes per minute) than he was at 35,” said McElroy, who paid tribute to Casey’s flexibility in adapting to the new regime.

Ferrero clinches it for Spaniards

TENNIS:Defending Davis Cup champions Spain were made to battle all the way before emerging victorious from their World Group quarter-final encounter with Germany in Marbella yesterday.

Spain, without the injured Rafael Nadal, clinched a 3-2 win as Juan Carlos Ferrero beat Andreas Beck 6-4 6-4 6-4 in the deciding rubber.

Germany, trailing 2-1 overnight, had levelled the tie earlier as Philipp Kohlschreiber beat Fernando Verdasco 6-4 6-2 1-6 2-6 8-6 at the Puerto Banus bullring.

Kohlschreiber’s efforts in defeating the world number nine were in vain, however, as former world number one Ferrero eased to victory against Beck as Spain set up a semi-final encounter with Israel, who wrapped up a 4-1 win against Russia in Tel Aviv.

Having booked a first ever appearance in the final four by easing to an unassailable 3-0 lead on Saturday, Israel had to share the honours in yesterdays reverse singles as Igor Andreev restored some pride for Russia with victory over Dudi Sela, who retired injured when trailing 3-4 in the first set.

Harel Levy ensured Israel ended on a high note, however, taking his second singles win of the weekend as he defeated Igor Kunitsyn 6-4 4-6 7-6 (7/2).

Croatia marched into the last four after taking an unassailable 3-1 lead over the United States in Porec.

With the US trailing 2-1 after Saturday’s rubbers, all eyes were on James Blake yesterday to level the tie for the Davis Cup’s most successful nation, but he failed to rise to the challenge of Croatian number one Marin Cilic, who posted a hard-fought 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-2 win to settle the tie.

In Ostrava, Radek Stepanek, battling a knee problem, claimed a 7-6 (7/5) 6-3 6-2 victory over Juan Monaco to guide the Czech Republic into a semi-final clash with the Croats at the expense of last year’s beaten finalists Argentina.

Earlier, world number five Juan Martin del Potro had levelled the tie with a 6-4 6-4 6-4 win over Tomas Berdych, to take it to a decider.

Swimmer Watson best of Irish at Barbury

EQUESTRIAN:Sam Watson finished best of the Irish when taking third place with Horseware Bushman in the CIC*** at Barbury Castle yesterday.

Watson and the home-bred 10-year-old Puissance gelding completed on a dressage score of 54.2 penalties with Cork’s Patricia Ryan a place further back on 54.9 having picked up 2.4 cross-country time penalties with the Tattersalls winner Fernhill Clover Mist.

Disappointingly for Elizabeth Power who led after dressage with Kilpatrick River, she slipped to sixth with one fence down show jumping and then out of the reckoning with a run-out on the cross-country.

She did, however, finish 10th with Doonaveeragh O One in the three-star class, won by Britain’s Daisy Dick on Spring Along, and sixth on September Bliss in the ex-racehorse competition.