ATHLETICS: Ireland has lost one medal contender for next year's Beijing Olympics with the news that Gillian O'Sullivan has retired from competitive race walking, writes Ian O'Riordan.
A combination of injury, illness and the realisation she was now unlikely to regain her old form prompted the decision, which at the age of 30, is probably before her time.
O'Sullivan, however, has endured some fairly horrendous setbacks since winning a superb silver medal at 20km walk in the 2003 World Athletics championships in Paris, Ireland's only such medal at that level since Sonia O'Sullivan won gold over 5,000 metres in 1995.
The Kerry athlete also set a world 5,000 metres record on the track in 2002, the same year she finished fourth at the European championships, and was also a creditable 10th at the Sydney Olympics.
"To retire from competing was always going to be a huge decision for me," she admitted, "but I have put a lot of thought into it and I feel now is the best time to move on. Athletics has been so good to me, but it has got to the stage where with some of the problems I've had I didn't feel I could get back to the heights I hit in 2002 and 2003, and to leave now I can be happy with everything I have achieved and not have any regrets."
She had also won the IAAF Walks challenge in 2003, and remains the Irish record holder 5km, 10km and 20km - clearly a quality athlete who doesn't come along often.
CYCLING: Two days after finishing ninth in the Paris- Camembert Lepetit race, Nicolas Roche yesterday went three places better in the Grand Prix de Denain, another 1.1 ranked event, writes Shane Stokes.
The 22-year-old Crédit Agricole rider sprinted in sixth in the large gallop which settled the 199.4km French Cup race. He has been steadily building form and looks more and more likely to be selected to ride the Giro d'Italia, thus making his Grand Tour debut in the race his father, Stephen, won 20 years ago.
Meanwhile, Ciarán Power was forced to pull out of the Tour de Georgia, despite finishing 13th on Wednesday's third stage and lying in 12th place overall, after suffering concussion in a crash.
SAILING: Irish Star class contenders Max Treacy and Anthony Shanks boosted their hopes for Beijing 2008 with a creditable fourth place at the Spring European Championships in Mallorca earlier this week.
The Dún Laoghaire pair narrowly missed a podium finish when a light-airs race they were leading was abandoned when the wind died completely.
Maurice O'Connell and Ben Cooke, who are also vying for selection, had a disappointing 26th overall placing in the 58-strong fleet.
Treacy and Shanks have boosted their funding prospects with their result this week as the event is an ISAF Grade One regatta and may qualify for a bonus award from the ISA Olympic Group.
