SPORTS DIGEST:RALLYING: Ford's Jari-Matti Latvala saw off a late challenge from Citroen's Sebastien Ogier on Saturday to become the youngest winner of his home Rally of Finland since the event's world championship debut in 1973.
Frenchman Ogier finished second with championship leader Sebastien Loeb in third.
Frenchman Loebs bid for a seventh world title remains on course as he leads the standings with 166 points, 48 ahead of Ogier.
Three silver at Coupe de la Jeunesse
ROWING:Ireland won three silver medals at the Coupe de la Jeunesse, a 12-country European junior tournament, at Hazewinkel in Belgium, writes Liam Gorman.
Paul O’Donovan and Shane O’Driscoll took silver on Saturday in the double scull and then repeated the achievement yesterday – again pushing Hungary close for the gold.
The junior women’s quadruple scull of Michelle Dineen, Christine Fitzgerald, Holly Nixon and Denise Walsh finished fourth in Saturday’s finals, but took silver yesterday, just over a second behind Italy and ahead of Britain.
Ireland’s other two crews, the junior pair and junior men’s quadruple scull, did not make the A Final on either day.
Armstrong team-mate fails dope test
CYCLING: Chinas cycling authority has confirmed Lance Armstrongs RadioShack team-mate Li Fuyu has failed a doping test after his B sample was returned positive.
"Now there is no doubt of him being not positive for doping," Zhang Bin, secretary-general of the Chinese Cycling Association, was quoted as saying on the China Dailywebsite (www.chinadaily.com.cn).
The 31-year-old was provisionally suspended by the International Cycling Union (UCI) in April after Clenbuterol was found in his A sample following an in-competition test during the Dwars Door Vlaanderen in Belgium in March.
China had yet to hand down punishment but their decision would be passed to the UCI this month, the paper said. Both the UCI and RadioShack were unavailable for comment.
Hong Kong in talks to host the Lions
RUGBY: The Hong Kong Rugby Football Union (HKRFU) has held preliminary talks about hosting a British and Irish Lions match before the tour of Australia in 2013, local media have reported.
"The HKRFU has had discussions with the British and Irish Lions regarding hosting a match as part of the tour of Australia in 2013," union chairman Trevor Gregory told the South China Morning Post.
“We understand the Lions are looking at different options but we believe Hong Kong would make a great host for such an historic match.
“The Lions have a unique heritage in international sport and Hong Kong is a proven venue for making rugby history, as was seen in the positive reaction to our hosting the Bledisloe Cup in 2008 and again this year.”
Although the Lions tour each of the Southern Hemisphere rugby powers at four-yearly intervals, they have in the past played neighbouring countries before or after the main tour.
Roche puts on a strong show in Spain
CYCLING:Irish pro Nicolas Roche showed good strength after the Tour de France when he placed an excellent eighth in the one-day San Sebastian Classic on Saturday.
The 26-year-old was involved in a major break near the end of the race, forging clear with the Tour’s fourth-placed rider Samuel Sanchez, Tour stage winners Alexandre Vinkourov and Joaquin Rodriguez, plus 2008 Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre on the second ascent of the feared Jaizkibel climb.
Others bridged across and the winning move went clear soon afterwards, with Luis Leon Sanchez (Caisse d’Epargne) sprinting to victory ahead of Vinokourov and Sastre. Roche came in 37 seconds later as part of a small chase group.
Closer to home, Martyn Irvine dramatically lost the race lead he’d held since winning Saturday’s opening stage of the Suir Valley 3 Day in Clonmel. He defended it when he finished third behind Marty Warren (Isle of Man A) on yesterday’s second stage, but then missed his start by 32 seconds in the evening time-trial.
Marquez calls out Pacquiao after outboxing Diaz again
BOXING:Juan Manuel Marquez retained his WBA and WBO lightweight titles with a unanimous decision victory over American Juan Diaz on Saturday before demanding a third fight with Manny Pacquiao.
The Mexican drew with the Filipino in 2004 and suffered a narrow defeat four years later but will hope to come away with a victory if they meet for a third time.
“The trilogy with Pacquiao is what I want,” said Marquez, 51-5-1, (37 KOs). “Everybody wants to see it. It’s good for all fight fans, for the Mexicans, the Filipinos. Everyone wants to see it. That’s the most important fight for me now.”
The fight with Diaz was a rematch of a February 2009 contest, in which Diaz set the pace early before Marquez took control and scored a knock-out in the eighth round.
There were no knockdowns this time, but on several occasions Marquez appeared to hurt Diaz with sharp combinations.
He scored with 288 punches, 133 more than his opponent.
