Today's other stories in brief
O'Sullivan to lead Ireland team at London Olympics
ATHLETICS: Sonia O'Sullivan has been appointed Chef de Mission by the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) and will lead the Irish team at the London 2012 Games, writes Paul Gallagher.
O’Sullivan will head up an experienced management team, including OCI chief executive Stephen Martin and Martin Burke, OCI sports director.
O’Sullivan, Olympic 5,000 metres silver medallist at the Sydney Games in 2000 and a former World and European champion, has experience in the role after serving as Chef de Mission for the European Youth Olympic squad.
“Sonia is a sporting legend and she will ensure the Irish team’s preparations and participation at the London Olympics will be totally athlete focused,” said Jamie Costin, chairman of the Olympic Athletes Commission. “This is a superb move by the OCI.”
Women's champion beats Higgins
SNOOKER:Reanne Evans pulled off an amazing victory over John Higgins in snooker's battle of the sexes at the 888sport.com Six Reds World Championship in Killarney last night
Evans, the reigning women’s world champion, made a superb 51 break to secure the decider and complete a dramatic 4-3 defeat of the current Crucible king.
A tired Higgins had lost a gripping UK Championship final to Ding Junhui just 48 hours earlier and failed to find his top form.
But Evans played well from the start and came close to winning 4-2 before Higgins scrambled the sixth frame on the pink.
He was in first in the decider but, with standing room only for a sizeable crowd at the INEC arena, broke down on just three and Evans killed off frame and match in a single visit.
Higgins won his opening match, 4-1 against James Corbett, and is still likely to qualify for the knockout phase.
Ken Doherty made a winning start to his campaign with a 4-1 victory over fellow Irishman John McBride.
Renault to reveal F1 team plans today
MOTOR SPORT:Renault will reveal the future of their Formula One team later today, ending weeks of speculation that they are planning to sell a majority stake in the former champions.
The French car maker said team president Bernard Rey and managing director Jean-Francois Caubet would attend a news conference in Paris “to present the position of Renault in Formula One”.
Formula One’s commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone said last week Renault were evaluating several rival bids for the team, who were champions in 2005 and 2006 with Spain’s Fernando Alonso.
Klitschko has Haye lined up
BOXING: WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko has reached a preliminary agreement to fight Britain's WBA champion David Haye, the Ukrainian was quoted as saying yesterday.
“In the near future I plan to fight Haye and take the title,” Ukrainian daily Fakty quoted Klitschko as saying. “The preliminary agreement has already been reached.”
Haye must first fight John Ruiz in March or April.
