Sports Digest

WINTER OLYMPICS: Organisers were forced to use a back-up flame in the torch-lighting ceremony for the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics yesterday.The ceremony in the temple of Hera, a few metres away from the stadium that hosted the ancient Olympics 25 centuries ago, marked the start of the torch relay that will pass through Greece and Italy before lighting the Games cauldron in Turin on February 10th.

Organisers of the Winter Olympics, to be held between February 10th and 26th, hope the torch relay will improve sluggish ticket sales and trigger a last-minute rush once Italians see the flame making its way across the country. Only about 60 percent of tickets have been sold against a target of 82 percent.

"The 20th Olympic Winter Games of Turin celebrate passion, a characteristic for which Italians are well known and now it's reaching its climax in Turin," Games chief organiser Valentino Castellani said.

In front of a small crowd of officials in the cypress-ringed site where the heart of the modern Games founder Pierre De Coubertin is buried, Greek polevaulter Costas Filippidis lifted the torch and an olive branch and started his short run as the first of the 534 runners who will cover 2,006 km across Greece.

The flame will pass through most of the country's skiing resorts before being handed over to Italians on December 6th in Athens.

GOLF: Robert Allenby won his second Australian Open title yesterday after he squandered a big lead but still managed to scrape home by a single shot at the Moonah Links course near Melbourne.

Allenby shot a final-round, five-over 77 to finish with a four-under-par 284 total that left him a stroke clear of fellow Australians Nick O'Hern, John Senden and Paul Sheehan.

Sheehan birdied the 17th hole as the leader made a bogey to set up a thrilling finale, but both made par on the last to give Allenby his second Australian Open title, after his 1994 victory.

CYCLING: Roger Aiken showed strong form in advance of the defence of his National cyclo cross title in early January when he was the clear winner of the Tymon Park Classic cross race near Tallaght yesterday. The Banbridge CC rider beat former multiple champion Robin Seymour (Team WORC) by 39 seconds to win the eight lap, off-road race, with Niall Davis (IMBRC) a further one minute and 25 seconds back in third.

MOTOR SPORT: The world of sport lost another great hero when British rally ace Richard Burns died on Friday night, after losing a long battle against cancer. Richard was born in Reading, Berkshire in January 1971 and started rallying at an early age. He was the youngest ever winner of the British Rally Championship in 1993. In 1999 and 2000 he finished second in the World Rally Championship, which he won in 2001. His list of successes include many of the classic rallies - Safari, Acropolis, Portugal, Australia, Argentina and a hat trick of wins in the RAC Rally of Britain. He drove for Mitsubishi, Subaru and Peugeot works teams, and a few years ago he was the star attraction at the Punchestown Rally Experience event.

SHOW JUMPING: Shane Breen was declared international rider of the year at the Show Jumpers Club ball in Co Kildare on Saturday night. The 36-year-old Co Tipperary rider, who was a member of the team that kept Ireland in the Samsung Super League at the finals in Barcelona, won out in a telephone text poll by just 20 votes over Billy Twomey. And Jessica Kurten became the first recipient of the Paul Darragh memorial award for special achievement in recognition of her current sixth place in the world rider rankings.

International rider of the year - Shane Breen. IJM Timberframe outdoor Grand Prix league champion - Cian O'Connor. Hall of Fame - Paul Duffy senior. Paul Darragh memorial award for special achievement - Jessica Kurten. Rookie of the year - Sarah Kate Quinlivan. Owner of the year - Billy Daly (Newmarket Girl). Breeder of the year - Billy Daly (Newmarket Girl). Autumn indoor league champion - Olive Clarke. Team of the year - European bronze medallists - Jessica Burke, Stephen Duncan, Conor Liggett, Laura Brown and Andrew Latta. Young rider of the year - Nicola Fitzgibbon. Amateur of the year - Fiona Roche. Groom of the year - David Scally (Conor Swail).