A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Irish ninth after day one in Madrid
EQUESTRIAN: The Irish team of Shane Sweetnam, Nicola FitzGibbon, Denis Lynch and Billy Twomey were in ninth place overnight following yesterday's opening competition of the European show jumping championships in Madrid.
There are 16 nations competing at the Club de Campo Villa with France currently in the gold medal position ahead of Germany and Sweden.
All teams will jump again in today’s second round with the top 10 going through to tomorrow’s team final.
To qualify for next summer’s Olympic Games, Ireland must finish in the top three of those nations not already qualified.
Meade leads after opening stage
CYCLING: After a tough opening stage of the An Post Rás na mBan, Fiona Meade grabbed the first race leader's jersey yesterday evening when she won a 10-rider sprint into Sneem, writes Shane Stokes.
The WomensCycling.ie competitor beat Joanna McRae (Look Mum No Hands) and former national champion Olivia Dillon (Irish National Team) in the downhill dash to the line, ending the day two seconds clear of McRae due to time bonuses. The stage climbed Moll’s Gap and Carraig na Gaoithe and saw plenty of attacking.
Penfold leads as Howth finale looms
SAILING: Weather conditions finally eased off Howth yesterday, enabling five races to be sailed in the BMW J24 European Championship. American Mark Penfold from Rochester, New York leads overall as the gale-foreshortened series enters its final day today, writes David Branigan.
Penfold is under pressure from Ian Southworth and Chris McLaughlin from Cowes as both boats are tied for the lead and are clear ahead of Germany’s Stefan Karsunke in third place.
As expected, Irish national champion Flor O’Driscoll is best of the home fleet in ninth overall. The final four races take place today
Lisa Maguire takes the lead
GOLF: Lisa Maguire swept up the leaderboard yesterday in the Duke of York Young Champions tournament at Royal Liverpool, Hoylake, to grab pole position going into today's final round.
The 16-year-old European and Spanish Open Champion from Slieve Russell added a stunning level par 72 to her rather disappointing 80 of Tuesday to establish a one-stroke advantage in the 54-hole competition.
In second place on her own is German Antonia Scherer, while the all-African Boys Champion Haydn Porteous is third two shots off the pace.
Back-to-back birdies on 10 where she drilled a drive and four iron to six feet and 11 where she struck a four iron to 11 feet helped Maguire enormously.
Lisa’s twin sister Leona, the British stroke-play champion improved from 85 to 80 despite the wind which was still blowing hard when she went out.
Jordan Hood, the Irish boy from Galgorm in Co Antrim, is well down the field after shooting an 81 to add to his opening 82.
