Yesterday GB's women gymnasts finished third in the team competition in the World Championships in Glasgow behind only the US and Russia. It is a performance that secures the team that narrowly missed out on team medals finishing 5th in London 2012. The men led the way after completing their competition on Sunday but with other nations taking part on Monday their qualification will not be officially made until every nation has completed.
Yesterday also say action at the Lee Valley White Water Centre. In the Olympic Trials David Florence took two wins in the C-1M and then pairing up with Richard Hounslow in the C-2M. It means that the pair who had the last run in the final in 2012 but were unable to unseat team mates Etienne Scott and Tim Baillie have provisionally booked the only spot in the event for Rio. The selectors will confirm the selection on 4 November.
Meanwhile a win for Australia today was enough to see Ireland's men's hockey team jumping for joy. The win for Australia over New Zealand in the Oceania cup final today means that the highest ranked team from the Hockey World League semi-finals in July yet to qualify for Rio secure a slot. The 11th place that Ireland's men secured in that event mean that for the first time Ireland will be represented in Olympic hockey.
Elsewhere, in Frankfurt, Scottish distance runner Callum Hawkins making his debut appearance in a Marathon finished 12th in a time of 2 hours, 12 minutes and 17 seconds. It means that he is only the second British man, along with Scott Overall, to have run under the Olympic qualifying time of 2 hours 14 minutes this year. Callum's elder brother Derek wore the blue of Scotland in last year's Commonwealth Games Marathon, while the younger sibling took part in the 10,000m. Derek, who is currently out with a foot injury will be inspired to have a chance of competing alongside his brother in Rio when he returns.
Showing posts with label athletics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label athletics. Show all posts
25 October 2015
4 January 2014
Today in Sport 4th January 2014
Today there are 200 days until the start of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The FIS Cross Country Skiing Tour de Ski travels to Val de Fiemme for the weekend. Today it is the men's 10km followed by the women's 5km. Russia's Nikita Kriukov is currently leading the men's sprint rankings and Germany's Denise Herrmann leads the ladies.
In ski jumping the men move to Innsbruck for the third competition in this year's Four Hills Competition. Thomas Diethart of Austria is currently leading the competition but didn't lead qualification, that honour went to Swiss jumper Thomas Fannamel. The women meanwhile are preparing for their debut at next month's Winter Olympics with a trip to another Russian hill at Chaikovsky. Sara Takanashiof Japan won the first of two events there this week yesterday, she has won all four of the events so far and has maximum points on the women's world cup tour. Behind her the competition is between Daniela Iraschko (AUT), Carina Vogt (GER) and Irina Avvakumova (RUS).
Today in Freestyle skiing the women are taking on the Moguls in Calgary.
In Winterberg Germany the 4 men bob (heat 2) and women's skeleton (heat 1 and heat 2)are taking place. Current leader of the 4-man bob world cup is Steven Holcomb USA, from Max Arndt GER, Chris Spring CAN and Alexander Kasjanov RUS. While in the women's skeleton Liz Yarnold GBR leads from her compatriot Shelly Rudman then Anja Huber GER and Noelle Pikus-Pierce USA.
Meanwhile athletics in the form of Cross Country comes to Northern Ireland with the Antrim IAAF International event. The men's field is headed by World Champion Japhet Korir KEN, he will face tough competition from his countryman Emmanuel Bett and Ugandan Thomas Ayeko. In the women's race Ireland's Fionnula Britton is looking to defend her title against opposition that included Gemma Steel GBR and Bahrain two time 1500m world champion Maryam Jamal.
The FIS Cross Country Skiing Tour de Ski travels to Val de Fiemme for the weekend. Today it is the men's 10km followed by the women's 5km. Russia's Nikita Kriukov is currently leading the men's sprint rankings and Germany's Denise Herrmann leads the ladies.
In ski jumping the men move to Innsbruck for the third competition in this year's Four Hills Competition. Thomas Diethart of Austria is currently leading the competition but didn't lead qualification, that honour went to Swiss jumper Thomas Fannamel. The women meanwhile are preparing for their debut at next month's Winter Olympics with a trip to another Russian hill at Chaikovsky. Sara Takanashiof Japan won the first of two events there this week yesterday, she has won all four of the events so far and has maximum points on the women's world cup tour. Behind her the competition is between Daniela Iraschko (AUT), Carina Vogt (GER) and Irina Avvakumova (RUS).
Today in Freestyle skiing the women are taking on the Moguls in Calgary.
In Winterberg Germany the 4 men bob (heat 2) and women's skeleton (heat 1 and heat 2)are taking place. Current leader of the 4-man bob world cup is Steven Holcomb USA, from Max Arndt GER, Chris Spring CAN and Alexander Kasjanov RUS. While in the women's skeleton Liz Yarnold GBR leads from her compatriot Shelly Rudman then Anja Huber GER and Noelle Pikus-Pierce USA.
Meanwhile athletics in the form of Cross Country comes to Northern Ireland with the Antrim IAAF International event. The men's field is headed by World Champion Japhet Korir KEN, he will face tough competition from his countryman Emmanuel Bett and Ugandan Thomas Ayeko. In the women's race Ireland's Fionnula Britton is looking to defend her title against opposition that included Gemma Steel GBR and Bahrain two time 1500m world champion Maryam Jamal.
14 August 2013
First Irish world gold for 18 years.
The last time Ireland won a medal in the World Athletics Championships it was a silver in 2009, before that it was another silver in 2003. Both those came in the women's 20km walk to Olive Loughnane and Gillian O'Sullivan respectively. The last time Ireland won a gold it was in 1995 by Sonia O'Sullivan in the women's 5000m, who had won silver in the 1500m two years earlier. The last time an Irish man won a medal of any description was in the first World Athletics Championships back in 1983, when Eamon Coghlan took gold in the 5000m.
That was until this morning.
This morning Ireland earned their third World Athletics gold medal, their third medal in the walking events and only the second medal (both gold) by any male athlete. Today in Moscow Rob Heffernan made a little bit of Irish history.
Heffernan, from Cork, had been fourth in the Olympics last year in the 50km walk and at the start today as three men pulled away it looked like he could best hope for the same today. The three had been Mikhail Ryzhov and Ivan Noskov both of Russia and Jared Tallent of Australia. At 15km those three were 12 seconds ahead, but 10km later Rob Heffernan was with them. Then 10km further on with just 15km remaining the Irish man had assumed the lead ahead of the two Russians and Poland's Gregorz Sudal. Tennent was still hanging just behind.With about 10km remaining Heffernan had the sole lead, from Ryzhov, Tallent over took Noskov and Sudal and the order at the line was Heffernan, 62 seconds ahead of Ryzhov five seconds ahead of Tallent.
The Irishman's winning time of 3 hours, 37 minutes and 56 seconds is the fastest in the world this year by more than three minutes on the previous best. But two seconds slower than his Irish national record which he set in London last August.
That was until this morning.
Heffernan, from Cork, had been fourth in the Olympics last year in the 50km walk and at the start today as three men pulled away it looked like he could best hope for the same today. The three had been Mikhail Ryzhov and Ivan Noskov both of Russia and Jared Tallent of Australia. At 15km those three were 12 seconds ahead, but 10km later Rob Heffernan was with them. Then 10km further on with just 15km remaining the Irish man had assumed the lead ahead of the two Russians and Poland's Gregorz Sudal. Tennent was still hanging just behind.With about 10km remaining Heffernan had the sole lead, from Ryzhov, Tallent over took Noskov and Sudal and the order at the line was Heffernan, 62 seconds ahead of Ryzhov five seconds ahead of Tallent.
The Irishman's winning time of 3 hours, 37 minutes and 56 seconds is the fastest in the world this year by more than three minutes on the previous best. But two seconds slower than his Irish national record which he set in London last August.
15 April 2013
Thoughts of those caught up in explosions at Boston Marathon
The 26 mile post of the Boston Marathon today was decorated to celebrate the lives of the victims of the Newton Elementary School shooting in Connecticut last year. Not from from that spot about three hours after the elite racers finished two explosions near the finish turned the 117th running of Boston Marathon turned into a blood bath.
Two explosions went off near the finish in Copley Square, blowing runners off their feet as they approached the finish but more frighteningly shattering the spectators who had gathered there to watch friends, loved ones of just the spectacle of one of the World's Great Marathons.
There are confirmations of deaths and injuries that have occurred numbers are still in the early days.
As a runner I know how much support the spectators on the side of the road are a lift when are you are feeling you cannot go on. So my thoughts and prayers are with those who had gathered to give that support today and have been caught up in this tragedy today.
Two explosions went off near the finish in Copley Square, blowing runners off their feet as they approached the finish but more frighteningly shattering the spectators who had gathered there to watch friends, loved ones of just the spectacle of one of the World's Great Marathons.
There are confirmations of deaths and injuries that have occurred numbers are still in the early days.
As a runner I know how much support the spectators on the side of the road are a lift when are you are feeling you cannot go on. So my thoughts and prayers are with those who had gathered to give that support today and have been caught up in this tragedy today.
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