Ireland's Maria Coleman continued her steady progress towards Sydney 2000 at the pre-Olympic regatta over the weekend when she ended sixth overall in a fleet of 25 European single-handers. Having opened poorly at Sydney last week, two second place results for Finn sailor David Burrows brought him up the fleet and he soon regained his potential and finished 10th overall out of 20 boats.

Cricket: The Irish Cricket Union judgment that saw Ireland and Brigade all-rounder Stephen Smyth banned from representative cricket for five years and from club cricket for one year still stands after an appeal held in the Ballymascanlon Hotel near Dundalk yesterday was dismissed.