Today's other stories in brief
Gasquet cleared to return to tour
TENNIS: France's Richard Gasquet has been cleared to return to the tour after testing positive for cocaine, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said yesterday.
The world number 32 was provisionally suspended in May after a sample he had provided in March in Miami tested positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine. The ITF said Gasquets “inadvertent contamination” in a nightclub the night before his scheduled match meant a 12-month suspension would be disproportionate and instead handed him a ban of two months and 15 days which expired yesterday.
Bailey holds a four-second lead
CYCLING:Two stages into the M Donnelly Junior Tour of Ireland, Matt Bailey of the BCF West Midlands team holds a four-second lead in the general classification, writes Shane Stokes.
Bailey was clear with Louis Meintjes (South Africa) and Lawrence Brooking (North of England) on yesterday’s 110.5km race in and around Aghagowa, and finished second to Meintjes in their sprint.
The race continues today with a hilly 111km race from Castlebar to Achill and back. Bailey is clear of Brooking with Meinjtes a further three seconds back. Charles Prendergast (Stena Ireland) is the top home rider in the general classification, holding 14th place.
Hession struggles in Lucerne
ATHLETICS: Paul Hession endured a worrying dip in form at last night's IAAF meeting in Lucerne, Switzerland when he could only manage fifth place over 200 metres in 20.75 seconds – his slowest time of the summer, writes Ian O'Riordan.
Victory went to Olympic finalist Wallace Spearmon of the US in 20.31, but Hession was clearly disappointed to be so far off his season’s best of 20.45.
There were some better Irish performances elsewhere as Deirdre Byrne took third over 1,500 metres in 4:10.35, and Michelle Carey was fourth in the 400 metre hurdles in 56.63 – just shy of B-standard for next month’s World championships in Berlin. Dave Campbell later finished fifth in the 800 metres.
Ireland hammer Denmark in Jersey
CRICKET:Ireland's Under-19s brought up their second win at the European Under-19 World Cup Qualifier in Jersey yesterday as they hammered Denmark by eight wickets at FB Fields in St Helier, writes Emmet Riordan.
After Denmark were bowled out for 110, Ireland skipper Andrew Balbirnie and Lee Nelson put on 40 in the 10 overs before lunch and upped the pace afterwards before Nelson went for 20 with the score on 73. Ireland also lost James Shannon after he was run out for 16 with the scores level, before Balbirnie hit the winning run to finish unbeaten on 64.
Bolt promises 'something special'
ATHLETICS: Usain Bolt promised last night to offer "something special" to the crowd of the Stade de France tomorrow during the Paris stage of the Golden League.
“I’m here to compete and do my best. If the weather is good like today which is wonderful it should be something special,” the triple Olympic gold medallist said.
Asked if that could be to beat his own world record of 9.69 seconds in the 100 metres, he answered: “I don’t want to talk about a time, but I can run fast all the time. I think I’m in good shape.”
Bolt will run tomorrow without his two main rivals – American Tyson Gay, who set the fastest time this year in 9.77 seconds last Friday, and fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell – but stated that it could be an asset.
