Taylor's final outing in Cork

SPORTS DIGEST: BOXING: World number one Katie Taylor will have her final outing before next month's European Women's Championships in the Netherlands in Cork on September 30th. The Bray lightweight will face Dutch champion Jessica Belber over four two-minute rounds on the third St John's BC annual show outside Fermoy. Taylor is part of a nine-strong squad for the European Championships which begin in Rotterdam on October 16th.

Grant four off pace at Tour

GOLF: Irishman Stephen Grant made a solid start in his bid to gain a European Tour card yesterday with a two-under-par 70 over the Fleesensee course near Berlin.

Former amateur international Cian Curley from Newlands and Athenry’s Shane Franklin are both on 72 after the opening round.

Setting the pace is German Benjamin Wuttke with a 66.

RACING:Former Newmarket trainer Michael Jarvis died yesterday at the age of 73. Among his successes, Carroll House won the Irish Champion Stakes and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 1989, Eswarah won the Epsom Oaks in 2005, Holding Court won the French Derby in 2000 and the brilliant Rakti claimed a host of big races between 2002 and 2005.

Stich condemns strike threats

TENNIS: Top players threatening to strike in protest at a crowded schedule should stop living in a dream world, according to former Wimbledon champion Michael Stich.

Rumblings of discontent have surfaced in recent weeks, with world number four Andy Murray claiming on Monday leading players were “not afraid” to consider strike action. The jam-packed calendar has long been an issue and leading players will meet at the Shanghai Masters next month to discuss their grievances.

However, Stich believes they have little to complain about.

“I don’t think it’s a big issue,” said the German, who won Wimbledon in 1991. “I think the players forget that all the tournaments out there provide them with jobs.

“They have a shorter season than we used to have. I played singles and doubles and you look at guys like Stefan Edberg they played singles and doubles at Grand Slams and they never complained, they loved it, it was their job.”

Mullen 16th in Junior as Arndt takes women's title

CYCLING:Current and former Irish national champions Matt Brammeier and David McCann will today square up against cycling's top TT experts in the Elite time-trial at the World Road Race championships in Copenhagen. Brammeier prepared for the race by riding the Tour of Britain and will hope that will put him in a good position for today's 46.4km clash.

Yesterday Ryan Mullen had a very solid showing in the junior men’s event, netting 16th place out of the 54 starters in the race. He covered the 27.8km in a time one minute 31 seconds off that set by the gold medallist Mads Wurtz Schmidt (Denmark). Kiwi rider James Oram took silver, while Australian rider David Edwards was third.

Judith Arndt (Germany) won the women’s time-trial, going 21 seconds quicker than the Kiwi Linda Villumsen with defending champion Britain’s Emma Pooley in third.

Marathon bodies oppose reclassifying world records

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ATHLETICS: Marathon bodies have opposed a move by the governing IAAF to reclassify Paula Radcliffes 2003 women's world record and replace it with a slower time.

The IAAF agreed in Daegu, South Korea, last month to acknowledge as womens world records only those times set in all-women competitions.

Performances achieved in mixed fields would instead be referred to only as a world best.

The rule change, due to come into effect in January next year, would see Radcliffe’s record of 2:15.25 set in London in 2003 downgraded to a world best while the Briton’s time of 2:17.42 – set in London in 2005 – would become the new record.

World Marathon Majors (WMM) and the Association of International Marathons (AIMS) said in a joint statement they felt the IAAF Congress decision “does not represent what is required by the sport of road running.”