Today's other stories in brief
Australia lose Johnson as Hazelwood earns call-up
CRICKET:Mitchell Johnson is the latest casualty ahead of Australia's tour of Ireland and England after the left-arm bowler was ruled with an infected right elbow, writes Emmet Riordan.
The 28-year-old Queenslander picked up the infection during the recent World Twenty20 in the West Indies and it flared up on his return to Australia.
His place in the travelling part goes to 19-year-old New South Wales seamer Josh Hazlewood, who played against Ireland in the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year.
Ireland play Australia in a One-Day International next Thursday at Castle Avenue in Clontarf.
Rain rescued Ireland A from defeat in their three-day game against a Sussex second XI at Stirlands yesterday. The home side batted on in the morning before declaring on 261 for four to set Ireland an impossible 328 for victory. Ireland’s batting failed for a second time in the match before rain arrived with the score on 83 for seven.
Semenya waits
ATHLETICS:A decision on women's world 800 metres champion Caster Semenya's possible track return has been delayed because the results of her gender tests have not yet been discussed by the International Amateur Athletics Federation, the athlete's lawyers said.
South African Semenya, 19, has not run competitively since undergoing gender tests at the Berlin world championships last August.
Cup joy for Chicago Blackhawks
ICE HOCKEY: Ending a long Stanley Cup wait was a huge relief for a franchise, a city and for Slovakian right winger Marian Hossa, the first Chicago Blackhawks player to be handed the trophy by the captain.
Jonathan Toews, named most valuable player in the NHL play-offs, hoisted the bulky silver trophy above his head and kissed it before passing it to Hossa, who played for the Cup runners-up the last two seasons.
“It feels pretty heavy, actually,” said the 31-year-old Hossa, who fell short of winning the Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2008 and Detroit Red Wings in 2009.
“I put it on my shoulder. What a relief. I’m so happy to finally do this.”
Chicago’s 4-3 overtime win against the Philadelphia Flyers ended a 49-year wait for the Stanley Cup since they last won the National Hockey League title in 1961.
U-17s set for trip
HOCKEY:An Irish under-17 girls hockey team will compete in the inaugural World Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in August, the Olympic Council of Ireland announced yesterday.
Dave Passmore, the Irish Hockey Association’s high performance director, will be in charge of a 16-strong squad that will be up against some of the world’s leading hockey nations, including Argentina, New Zealand and South Africa.
Isle of Man TT claims another victim
MOTOR: Organisers of the Isle of Man TT have confirmed that New Zealand racer Paul Dobbs died after an accident in yesterday's second Supersport race.
The 39-year-old was involved in a “racing incident” on the Ballagarey section of the 37.733-mile track and leaves a wife and two children.
“Paul was a really popular rider in the paddock and was a great competitor . . he will be sorely missed,” said Jim Parker, chairman of organisers the Auto Cycle Union
The Onewhero native, who had finished 22nd in Monday’s first Supersport race, competed at the TT for the first time in 1999, recording a best finish of sixth in the 400cc lightweight race in 2000.
Yesterday Ian Hutchinson became only the second man in history to win four solo races at a single Isle of Man TT with victory in the second Supersport race on the Snaefell Mountain Course.
Irish stars in Cannes
EQUESTRIAN:Jessica Kürten, ranked fifth in the latest FEI world rankings, heads the Irish challenge at this weekend's Global Champions' Tour show in Cannes, where she rides her top horse, Castle Forbes Libertina. Also competing at the five-star French venue are Denis Lynch and Billy Twomey, writes Margie McLoone.
In the Netherlands, Shane Breen and Dermott Lennon will compete at the four-star show in De Steeg alongside Captain David O’Brien while Irish riders will also be in action at three-star level in Portimao (Portugal) and San Remo (Italy), at two-star level in Roeser (Luxembourg) at the French one-star show in Brienne le Chateau.
There are two rounds of the TRM national Grand Prix series this weekend (Ballinamona tomorrow and Ballivor on Sunday).
In Co Kilkenny, over 480 potential stars of the future are taking part in the Irish Pony Club minimus championships, which consist of swimming, running and riding phases.
Roddick makes early exit
TENNIS: Andy Roddick became the first big-name casualty at the AEGON Championships when he slumped to a 6-4 7-6 (10/8) defeat to Dudi Sela of Israel.
Ranked 63 in the world, Sela claimed one of his biggest scalps after being in control for most of his third-round match against the fourth seed.
Sela broke the American in the third game of the first set and then clinched the second on a tie break.
