MOTOR SPORT: Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya proved yesterday, on the eve of the new Formula One season, he is in no mood for messing around.
Montoya, who will serve out the remainder of his contract with Williams this season before linking up with British rivals McLaren, stormed out of a press conference after it was hijacked by two irreverent Australian comedians.
At one point the 28-year-old was physically restrained from leaving as officials tried to persuade him to return, but he drove away from the Sandown Raceway, on the outskirts of Melbourne, furious and without fulfilling his sponsor commitments.
Officials said afterwards Montoya did not appreciate being made a fool of and he had disagreed with comedians infiltrating a serious racing event. The duo had already put Montoya on edge when they attempted to involve him in a sketch in the middle of the press conference. Having warned "either this stops or I walk off" when one of the comedians took a phone call, Montoya's patience finally snapped after being handed a telephone by the other and asked if he wanted to play golf.
EQUESTRIAN SPORT: Lt-Col Gerry Mullins, commanding officer of the Army Equitation School at McKee Barracks in Dublin, is to retire in the middle of next month, writes Grania Willis. Mullins (50), said yesterday the decision to take early retirement was based on a number of reasons, including medical grounds.
"I've loved the job, but I was advised I needed a change of lifestyle," he said yesterday. "It's a very big decision, but I've been very lucky that the Minister for Defence has always been very supportive of the Equitation School."
Mullins joined the Equitation School as a riding officer in 1973 after a two-year cadetship, forging a winning partnership with the talented gelding, Rockbarton, in the 1980s. The duo picked off Grand Prix wins in La Baule, Bordeaux and Dortmund in 1982, the year Mullins finished fourth in the world show jumping championships in Dublin.
Four years later, Mullins returned to the RDS to lift the Dublin Grand Prix, a win he views as the highlight of a competitive career during which the Limerick-born rider flew the Irish tricolour on over 50 Nations Cup teams and won more than 100 international classes. He retired from competition at the end of 1997 and, two years later, took over as commanding officer of the Equitation School.
The international selectors last month confirmed Mullins would continue as second chef d'equipe to the senior show jumping team.
"As I said last month, if I can help the team in any way I will," Mullins said. "I certainly won't be outside the sport, but at least if there's a show on Sunday I'll have a choice whether I go or not."
No successor has yet been named to fill the vacancy, but an announcement is expected in advance of Mullins's official departure date of April 16.
CYCLING: This year's intervarsity cycling championships will take place tomorrow in Cork, with an eight-mile time trial in the morning and a 40-mile road race taking place at 2 p.m. There will also be a road race for non-competitive cyclists. Hosted by the Cork Institute of Technology and promoted by St Finbar's Triton CC, all events will start at the Angler's Rest, Carrigrohane. Further information is available from Eithne Lydon, (021) 4326826.
ATHLETICS: World high jump champion Jacques Freitag announced yesterday he was withdrawing from the Olympic Games in August, due to an ankle injury. The 21-year-old South African, who won the world championships in Paris in 2003 with a leap of 2.35-metres, first sustained ankle ligament damage in 2001.
IOC NEWS: International Olympic Committee (IOC) vice-president Kim Un-yong is expected to give evidence in a Seoul court on March 16th after denying corruption charges, his lawyer said yesterday.
Kim (72), was investigated over alleged bribery and corruption in connection with his leadership of the National Olympic Committee and the world taekwondo federation. Taekwondo is South Korea's national martial art and an Olympic sport.
He faces charges of taking $3.2 million won from taekwondo federations and receiving bribes from sports officials and businesses, Oh Se-chang, a defence lawyer for Kim, told Reuters.
