Sports Digest

Other sports news in brief

Rogge expects safe Rio Games

OLYMPIC GAMES:Brazil will find ways to ensure the safety of Rio de Janeiro's 2016 Olympics, IOC president Jacques Rogge said after reports of the violence between rival gangs of drug traffickers that erupted in Rio at the weekend, leaving 33 people dead.

“Security arrangements of the Games have always been very strong . . . we are confident the Brazilians will find good ways to do that,” Rogge said.

Begley reckons trying out AFL is a 'win-win' situation

GAELIC GAMES:Colm Begley has told Tommy Walsh and any other Irishman attempting to make the transition from Gaelic football to Aussie Rules, to make the best of the opportunity and try to build "a 10-year-career".

That is despite the fact that Begley himself has turned down a one-year contract extension reputed to be worth around €100,000 from St Kilda, the club Walsh is destined for, to bring the curtain down on his four-year stint in the AFL.

Begley reckons the time is right for him to return home but is adamant trying Aussie Rules is a “win-win” situation, even if players never get to play a senior game.

“It’s a benefit, definitely” said Begley. “Even if you only go out for the initial two years and it doesn’t work out, you learn more about your body, how best to look after it and about life as a professional sportsman.”

Top stars and coaches on start line to contest National Athletics Awards

ATHLETICS:Athletics Ireland has announced the nominations for the third annual National Athletics Awards, which will honour Ireland's most successful athletes, coaches, clubs and officials over the past year, writes Ian O'Riordan.

After a hugely successful year for the sport, the candidates include international medallists Olive Loughnane, who won silver in the 20km at the World Championships in Berlin, and also Mary Cullen and Derval O’Rourke, who won bronze medals at the European Indoor Championships back in March.

David Gillick, who ran consistently under 45 seconds for 400 metres this season, and Paul Hession, a semi-finalist over 200m in Berlin are nominated in the Track Athlete of the Year category with O’Rourke and Cullen.

The overall Performance of the Year Award will be decided by a panel of Ireland’s athletics journalists, with all the winners being announced on Saturday, November 14th, at the gala dinner in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry.

National Athletics Awards Nominations 2009:Track Athlete of the Year: Mary Cullen (North Silgo AC), David Gillick (Dundrum South Dublin AC), Derval O'Rourke (Leevale AC), Paul Hession (Athenry AC)

Cross Country/Road Athlete of the Year:Andrew Ledwith (Fr Murphy's AC), Mary Cullen (North Sligo AC), Maria McCambridge (Letterkenny AC), Martin Fagan (Mullingar Harriers AC). Race Walker of the Year:Robert Heffernan (Togher AC), Jamie Costin (West Waterford AC), Colin Griffin (Ballinamore AC), Olive Loughnane (Loughrea AC). Junior Athlete of the Year:Ciara Mageean (City of Lisburn AC), Niamh Whelan (Ferrybank AC), Colin Quirke (Crusaders AC), Karoush Faroughi (Star of the Sea AC). Field Athlete of the Year:Deirdre Ryan (Dundrum South Dublin AC), Eileen O'Keefe (Kilkenny City Harriers), Kelly Proper (Ferrybank AC), Zoe Brown (Raheny AC).

Coach of the Year:Eddie McDonagh (Dundrum South Dublin AC), Seán and Terry Cahill (Cushiontown AC), Brid Golden (Ferrybank AC), Eamonn Christie (Beechmount AC). Club of the Year:Clonliffe Harriers AC, Ferrybank AC, Raheny Shamrock AC, Leevale AC.

Loeb is the one doing the chasing

MOTOR SPORT:For the first time in seven years, Citroen's Sebastien Loeb finds himself chasing the leader going into the final round of the world rally championship in Britain this weekend.

Finland’s Mikko Hirvonen, in a Ford, can end the Frenchman’s bid for a sixth successive title on Sunday in what promises to be a high-stakes winner-takes-all duel through the forests of South Wales.

Hirvonen leads Loeb by a single point, with Citroen having already wrapped up the manufacturers’ title in Spain this month.

“The cocktail of rain, mud and fog – especially in the dark – has a habit of making this a very tough event,” said the 35-year-old Frenchman in a team preview.

“The two of us will obviously be under a great deal of pressure and even a small mistake could put either one of us out of the running for the title,” added last year’s winner.

Qualifier Pironkova ousts Zvonereva

TENNIS:Bulgarian qualifier Tsvetana Pironkova crushed top seed Vera Zvonareva 6-0 6-2 in the second round of the Kremlin Cup yesterday, eliminating the Russian from the season-ending tournament in Doha.

Zvonareva’s defeat enabled second seed Jelena Jankovic to clinch the last remaining spot in next week’s WTA championships regardless of her own progress in Moscow.

Jankovic stayed on course to defend her Kremlin Cup title with a 7-6 6-3 victory over Czech Lucie Safarova to reach the quarter-finals where she will meet unseeded Russian Alisa Kleybanova.

Zvonareva, however, was not too disappointed to miss out on the €3 million extravaganza.

“I’m happy my season is over,” the world number seven, who has been nursing a long-term ankle injury, told a news conference.

“This is the biggest win ever for me, definitely,” said the world number 126 Pironkova, 22, who will face Ukraine’s Alona Bondarenko in the last eight.