Today's other stories in brief
Harlequins 'matter is now closed'
RUGBY: The Rugby Football Union will take no further action against Harlequins or any of the club's staff or members in the wake of the fake blood scandal, it said yesterday.
The RFU’s disciplinary officer Jeff Blackett said the bans and fines already issued were “sufficient punishment” and that there was insufficient evidence to support a case of misconduct which had not already been considered by Heineken Cup officials. “There will, therefore, be no further misconduct proceedings against Harlequins . . . in relation to the use of fake blood, or any related activities up to the final ERC (European Rugby Cup) appeal hearing,” he said in a statement. As far as the RFU is concerned the matter is now closed.
The ERC said earlier this week it would be taking no further action.
Jordan makes Hall of Fame
BASKETBALL: Michael Jordan, considered by many the greatest basketball player of all time, was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame yesterday. Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles and finished his career with the Washington Wizards. He enters the Hall of Fame alongside John Stockton and Jerry Sloan, who, respectively, played for and coached the Utah Jazz who the Bulls defeated in the 1997 and 1998 NBA finals.
Rheinisch advances after improved second round
CANOEING: Ireland's Eoin Rheinisch put in a very good first run in the K1 event at the Canoe Slalom World Championships in Spain yesterday, and looked set fair for the semi-finals. He then improved on it in the second round – and was breathing a sigh of relief last night that he did.
Rheinisch placed seventh after the first heat, but his time of 89.67 seconds would not have got him through as the hectic second round threw the game completely open. The Dubliner cut over a second off in the final run of the day (88.62) and made it through in 13th. Under the new rules of this event only the top 20 qualify for the semi-finals, with the best of the two rounds counting.
“The only way to describe that second round was frightening,” Rheinisch said. Only in the commentary as he readied himself to compete did he get an inkling that something special was happening. “I thought I would improve – and it was a good thing I did. I would have been pushed out if I hadn’t.”
The red-hot favourite for the event, Peter Kauzer of Slovenia, set a remarkable time of 84.74 seconds in that second round – over two seconds faster than first-round leader Joan Crespo of Spain.
The Olympic silver and bronze medallists, Fabien Lefevre and Benjamin Boukpeti, also made it through with greatly improved performances, but Olympic champion Alexander Grimm of Germany placed 29th and did not make the cut.
Hesjedal takes 12th stage
CYCLING:Canadian cyclist Ryder Hesjedal earned a second consecutive victory for the Garmin Slipstream team on yesterday's 12th stage of the Vuelta a España, beating breakaway companion David Garcia (Xacobeo Galicia) at the top of the Alto de Velefique.
The two were part of a 12-man breakaway group which went clear early in the stage and built a considerable lead. The others were all caught by the main favourites but Hesjedal and Garcia reached the line six seconds ahead of Robert Gesink (Rabobank), sprinting it out between them.
Ongoing race leader Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne) and his closest challenger Cadel Evans (Silence Lotto) finished in a group a further 10 seconds back.
Irish rider Philip Deignan placed 18th on the stage and went from 22nd to 18th overall as a result of his ride. Fellow Irish professional Daniel Martin rode in support of his Garmin Slipstream team-mate Tom Danielson who remains fourth overall.
O'Sullivan through to face Higgins
SNOOKER: Ronnie O'Sullivan booked his place in the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters yesterday with a 5-3 win over Ding Junhui.
The three-time world champion will now take on John Higgins in the last four today, after the Scot beat Ryan Day 5-1.
O’Sullivan came out on top in a match featuring seven breaks over 50, and one century. Ding forged ahead with a break of 57 and led in the second before a clearance of 28 from O’Sullivan levelled it, and the Englishman then went 3-1 ahead with a 64 and a 101. O’Sullivan triumphed in the fifth with a cool 70 but the Chinese player hit back to make it 4-3 with 61 and 99. He had a chance in the eighth frame but after his break ended on 26, O’Sullivan rattled off 83 to set up a meeting with Higgins next.
Higgins overcame Welshman Day in a scrappy match which lasted one hour and 43 minutes.
Higgins said: “I’m very pleased to win but it was a bad match.”
Ireland finish with wooden spoon
GOLF: Ireland finished with the wooden spoon in the Women's Home International Championship at Irvine on the Ayrshire coast yesterday when they crashed to a defeat at the hands of England.
But although bottom place sounds a disaster the whole series was pretty close as Ireland lost by a mere point to Scotland, tied with Wales in a game they could have won and then went down to England after a succession of tight matches.
Being whitewashed 3-0 in the foursomes was too steep a hill to climb and although at the top of the singles order Danielle McVeigh, the British stroke-play champion won the last three holers to beat English champion Charlie Douglass England always had the upper hand.
Charlene Reid who had gone through the first two days unbeaten found Rachel Jennings too hot to handle and lost 2 and 1 and Sarah Cunningham was a 4 and 2 loser to Nikki Foster.
