MOTOR SPORT: Stephane Peterhansel retained his overall lead in the Dakar Rally yesterday as Giniel de Villiers took victory on stage 12.
De Villiers' Nissan was the first car past the finish line at Bamako in Mali, completing the 586km from Kiffa in Mauritania in seven hours 20 minutes 58 seconds. Peterhansel brought his Mitsubishi home just over three minutes later to extend his overall advantage.
The Frenchman's chief rival, team-mate Luc Alphand, finished yesterday's stage in third place, losing ground on the leader.
Volkswagen's Jutta Kleinschmidt too lost out when she finished sixth on stage 12,, though she still lies third overall. De Villiers is in fourth place after his first stage win of the rally.
Yesterday's motorcycle stage was cancelled as a mark of respect for two-time former winner Fabrizio Meoni, who was killed in an accident on Tuesday.
TENNIS: Two-time winner Jennifer Capriati has pulled out of the Australian Open because of a nagging shoulder injury.
The 28-year-old first hurt her shoulder at the 2004 Advanta Championships in Philadelphia in November. Champion in 2001 and '02, she was seeded 10th for this year's event which begins on Monday. Defending champion Justin Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters are also out because of injuries.
RUGBY: Departed Scottish Rugby Union chief executive Phil Anderton has urged the country's clubs to push for the reinstatement of David Mackay as chairman of the game's governing body.
Anderton issued the plea yesterday as he confirmed his resignation from his post at Murrayfield in the wake of ally Mackay being forced out by the SRU's general committee.
Mackay had proposed a radical re-structuring of the game in Scotland and his plans are due to be voted on by the clubs on January 30th at a special general meeting. Anderton is unhappy with the general committee's move to pre-empt the sgm by issuing a vote of no confidence in Mackay.
SWIMMING: The fate of the 2005 World Swimming Championships is to be decided next week after host city Montreal ran into financial difficulties.
The prospect of the event being moved from Montreal - or even cancelled - increased after the Canadian organisers were handed a deadline of Tuesday, January 18th by governing body FINA to assure them they have the funding to stage the event.
Organisers have so far raised only €2.51m of the €7.5m needed, with sponsorship and ticket sales far below expectations.
CRICKET: Andrew Flintoff will play in the fourth test against South Africa starting today after passing a fitness test.
Flintoff tore a side muscle during the third test but England captain Michael Vaughan said yesterday he would bowl in Johannesburg.
Meanwhile, South Africa are considering playing fast bowler Charl Langeveldt despite his fractured hand, captain Graeme Smith revealed yesterday.
"The injury doesn't affect his bowling and fielding, just his batting." said Smith.
TENNIS: The Dublin University ladies tennis club will have more to play for this season following the presentation on Tuesday of the Sir John Arnott trophy. Sir John was London editor of The Irish Times for almost 20 years and the presentation was made by his widow Lady Annie Arnott. The trophy will be put up for the Trinity competition held annually during April and May.
