Irish swimmer Robbie Powell has been banned for 12 months after a failing a drugs doping test in November 2019 it has been confirmed.
RTE Sport report that the 20 year old had Clostebol in his system. This is obviously a banned substance. The UCD student didn’t ask for his B sample to be tested and therefore took the one year ban. Swim Ireland and Sport Ireland confirmed the news in a statement on Wednesday. They said, “Sport Ireland can impose bans of four years, two years and one year for this type of substance, but the fact that the one year ban is back-dated to the time of the incident last November, is an indication that Powell co-operated fully with Sport Ireland and it has been viewed as an accidental breach.”
Powell, who hails from Athlone said he had been using cream to treat eczema, but that he had used cream from a similar looking tube instead which obviously contained the banned substance. RTE state that Powell applied the cream Trofodermin as opposed to Denvercort. Powell was not able to how he came out in terms of possession of the banned cream as it’s only available in Italy and Brazil.
The ban will be backdate to the 28th of November 2019, meaning of course Powell will be allowed to compete in Tokyo next year should he qualify.Powell said in a statement, “I acknowledge my mistake and apologise sincerely to my supporters, my team colleagues and coaches. It is important to note that this was an honest mistake”. He continued, “Sport Ireland has confirmed that there was no intention to infringe the regulations which I fully support and have always been very careful to adhere to. I have always attended anti-doping sessions and will continue to do so”.
Powell intends to go back swimming once the ban is completed. He said,”The past few months have been extremely rough for my family and me. They are the reasons that I’ll be back. I’ve missed my friends, along with the grind. Until then, and subject to the Covid-19 restrictions, I’ll be focused on my training by myself.”
Republic of Ireland midfielder Jeff Hendrick will leave Burnley at the end of month it has been announced. Hendrick’s contract at the club will expire on June 30th.
He is not the only player that will be leaving the club though. In fact, Hendrick along with other players were left out of the trip to the Etihad where Manchester City won easily 5-0 on Monday. Burnley boss Sean Dyche saying the current contract situation of those who deals were on the point of expiration were left out.
Hendrick has been at Burnley since 2016. The 28 year old former St Kevin’s player has made over 120 appearances for the club in that time. He signed from Derby with whom he spent six seasons at making nearly 200 appearances. Hendrick has represented the Republic of Ireland at all level from U15 up to senior and to date has made over 50 appearances for the senior side.
This season Hendrick made 27 appearances for the side nicknamed the Clarets going on to score three goals. He is not the only player that will be on the lookout for a new team however. Former England number one Joe Hart will also be looking for a new team, as will Aaron Lennon who will also be leaving Turf Moor.
Burnley issued a statement confirming the news on Wednesday. They said on the club website, Burnleyfootballclub.com, “Jeff Hendrick is to leave Turf Moor to end his four-year stay with the Clarets after the club was unable to agree terms on a new deal with the Republic of Ireland international”. Furthermore, it said, “Goalkeepers Joe Hart and Adam Legzdins and winger Aaron Lennon are also leaving after reaching the end of their contracts”.
Mr Flanagan said he knows that the Covid 19 pandemic has probably changed the whole business landscape side of things but speaking to RTE Sport he said the naming rights of Munster’s home ground are very much on the table. He said, “I don’t think any company has been unaffected by this, but naming rights to Thomond Park is certainly one of the things on the table”. Flanagan said a new marketing commercial head has been at Munster since the start of the year. However, he said, nothing has come about in terms of a business coming on board as of yet. He said, “There is nothing to report of significance in that space yet.”
The Munster CEO acknowledged that the club is probably overly reliant on revenue from match days. He said, “What this period has proven is that a reliance on matchday revenue in this time where you can’t play games or get people in stadiums is extremely damaging to the revenues, and we have to as best we can find other ways of generating income and growing the revenue base.”
Munster will play their first games in August in a mini interprovincial format at first. Flanagan speaking to RTE Sport welcomed the format. He said,”We’re ambitious and the chance of winning a trophy is a huge motivator for me and for Johann [van Graan] and for everyone at the club and we will do our best to put ourselves in a position to be successful,”.
“It’s a great motivator to come back and effectively have a shortened season with a chance of winning a trophy in September.”
In 2009 Liam won aboard Mon Mome for trainer Venetia Williams. Mon Mome was a massive outsider on the day odds of 100/1. That was his first ever ride in the Grand National. In 2015 Treadwell was aboard Monbeg Dude and he came in third place.
However, he had other big race wins in his career win over 300 races in total. He won at the Cheltenham festival in 2013 with Carrickboy and also in the Grand Sefton at Aintree in 2015. Treadwell retired in 2018, but he was back in 2019. In addition, he was assistant trainer to Alastair Ralph who was saddened and described the news as a big shock.
Venetia Williams, whom Liam had 125 winners for, was speaking to the Racing Post in which she said, t’s such a shock. It’s so incredibly sad. He was part of the family here for many years. He and I shared probably the best day of our lives together when Mon Mome won the Grand National”.
wILLIAMS CONTINUED “He was not only a wonderful jockey, he was one of the loveliest people you could ever wish to find”
Former jockey and current horse racing pundit Mick Fitzgerald was also massively sad to hear the news. He told Sky Sports Racing, “He was a really nice guy, he was a lovely rider – and it’s just awfully sad. It’s sad for his family and anybody connected with him. It just highlights again how precious life is”. He continued, We used to call him ‘Tredders’. He just got on with it when he was racing. You never knew he was there. He wasn’t a shouter. He just wanted to do the best he could, and it’s just awfully sad for everybody involved.”
Everyone at SportsNewsIreland would like to extend our sympathies to Treadwell family at this time.
It has recently been speculated that we could see this heavyweight title bout take part in Croatia as organisers continue to look for opportunities to hold the delayed event, fans are also hoping it’s sooner rather than later as eyes are turning toward a possible fight between Joshua and Fury next yet – but what can fans expect from this event during the ongoing pandemic? We’ve seen other combat sports in the way of the UFC which has provided some insight to what we can expect.
No fans in attendance change the dynamic – As expected it’s likely that there will be no fans or very few in attendance, just the commentators and broadcasting team as well as some cornermen and key personnel, this does, however, change the dynamics of a fight in a big way and if it comes down to a decision, could even impact scoring. Without the crowd noise in the background, we can hear everything – every strike that lands, anything that glances, even indicators that a fighter is tired through heavy breathing. Whilst some MMA fighters have already mentioned it changes the way a fight feels, for a viewer, it’s a whole new experience.
Betting grows in importance – For big combat sports it’s already a known factor that betting can be a solid indicator of how well an event has performed, even more so without a ticket gate to show sales – with this PPV sales and betting numbers serve as an indicator. Within the UK, there have been regulation changes around betting too which could impact this – there has recently been a ban in credit card betting, this comes alongside a change that made the anti-gambling initiative known as Gamstop mandatory for all operators. There are a growing number of sites registering outside of the UK and away from GameStop, and a full comparison of them can be found to show how many there are active, but it could also impact the event in a big way if fewer can bet.
New broadcasting possibilities – There’s already a big effort in being a fly on the wall, being able to hear what coaches are saying in the corner between rounds, listening to the fighters during the fight, or even getting different thoughts from commentators or judges – without the crowd noise as mentioned in the first point, we get a much bigger insight into what is being said and done during the fight. This could cause a shift in broadcasting – maybe we get cornermen mic’d up so a strategy can be heard clearer between rounds, or perhaps causes changes in judging which have been questioned on many occasions since there’s a lot more clarity to what is happening during a fight, and as such what is being scored, especially if visible through broadcasting.
Fans are hoping it all takes place soon, however, as it will no doubt be an exciting fight. Further delays may push the fight back until the New Year, and it had already been suggested that as many efforts were to be taken as possible to get around some rules in other sports such as the fan attendance – as changes are now happening quickly, perhaps we’ll get a concrete date soon enough.
Johnny Murtagh was offered by some shrewd observers as a trainer to follow this year and he has certainly delivered on that confidence, maintaining an astonishing run of form in the last week in particular.
Lady Maura (10/3f) looks a potentially smart addition to the sprinting ranks on the evidence of her facile Kilberry Handicap triumph at Navan.
Ridden by Gary Halpin, the Muhaarar filly appeared to enjoy the stiff five furlongs and rain-eased going and the issue was settled very quickly to give Murtagh his 11th win of the campaign.
“I was worried about the ground with her” Murtagh admitted. “I’m glad we got a win into her because I was worried about the trip. We tried six, we tried seven but Niall McCullagh said she was all speed and Gary rode her work the other day and was happy with her.
“It probably wasn’t a great race but you couldn’t be more impressed with what she did today.
“We’ll see what the handicapper does. You’d love to go another three-year-old sprint to get her to learn how to sprint before she goes in against the older ones.
“Big thanks to (owners) Mark and Aisling Gittins, who sent her to me. She’d a good winter. She came back in good shape and I’m delighted they’re getting a few winners on the board now because they’ve had huge investment in racing in recent years.
“Last year we’d a great year but we’d loads of seconds. This year, all them seconds are winning. The lads are working hard at home, the horses were in great form. The races just seem to be there for them.”
It was a good day for trainers more noted for their National Hunt prowess, as Noel Meade, Gordon Elliott and Tony Mullins all scored.
Illetas (5/4f) was very gutsy and showed a likeable attitude in responding to Luke McAteer’s urgings, despite being one of the first under pressure, to prevail in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden for three-year-olds for Mullins, having been second at the track 13 days before.
It was a second Flat success in as many days for Elliott, when Chris Hayes delivered Lalipour (25/1) from out with the washing to deny the unfortunate Aasleagh Fawn in the dying strides of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden for three-year-olds and upwards.
Gary Carroll looked to have done everything right on Aasleagh Fawn but having appeared to see off allcomers resolutely, was nabbed in the shadow of the lollipop.
Noel Meade has made a noteworthy return to Flat competition in the past couple of seasons and Elysium (12/1) certainly caught the eye when overcoming a tardy break to bag the Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction Maiden for juvenile fillies.
A winner for first-crop sire Belardo, Elysium stayed on very strongly having been brought with a smooth run by Colin Keane, with Giselles Thunder a length and three quarters back in second.
Paddy Harnett capitalised on picking up a late spare from Denis Hogan by garnering the NavanRacecourse.ie Handicap, as Boughtinthedark (5/1) made light of a 16lbs hike from a course and distance victory.
Others to enjoy the journey to Navan were Laws Of Indices for Ken Condon and Billy Lee, Hy Brasil for Joseph O’Brien and Shane Crosse and Walking On Glass for the unrelated Roche duo, Padraig and Leigh.
Bicycles can be considered as one of the greatest inventions on earth. Many years back, bicycles were necessary because people had no other means of transportation but through a bike.
Today, the bike has evolved in terms of its features and its functions. Try walking to a bicycle shop, and you’re guaranteed to be confused with all of the available options that are right in front of you.
If you’ve long wanted to purchase a bike, it pays to be well informed about the necessary functions that you need to take into consideration. That way, you don’t end up with a bike that you’re only going to regret.
To help you out, here are some of the factors that you must consider when choosing a bike:
New Or Used?
Before going into more in-depth specifics of a bike’s features, you can immediately narrow your selection by asking yourself whether or not it’s a brand-new bike that you need. Especially when this is your first time getting into biking, you may not be sure that this is something you want to get into.
When you’re still testing out the waters, save yourself that financial worry of buying an expensive bike by purchasing a used bike first.
If you’re keen on buying a used bike, have in mind the following points:
The distance the bike has covered.
The frequency of repairs, if any.
The overall condition of the bike, if it’s still worth buying.
Location Of Use
The best BMX bikes today are equipped with features that best go along with the riding that you’ll do. It’s important to ask yourself, where do I intend to ride my bike? Are you after city driving to bring yourself to and from work? Long-distance driving on flat roads in the countryside? Rugged, mountainous terrain for mountain riding?
Knowing what you’ll do to your bike based on the terrain can help you narrow down your options. The moment you walk into the bike shop, you can immediately tell the sales representative what you’re looking for. That way, when it’s time to step out into the world after restrictions as of writing are over, you can have a bike that’s the perfect match for your intended use.
Right Size
There’s no universal size of a bike that fits everyone. Often, this choice would be dependent on the primary user of the bike. While biking is an excellent form of exercise, if it’s not made to fit your size, you’re going to be uncomfortable. At the very least, you won’t even enjoy using your bike anymore.
When you shop for a bike, it’s imperative, therefore, that you try them out. If you need to have a custom-sized one, then be open to that possibility as well.
With the right bike size, you’re not only preventing any discomfort but also saves yourself the possibility of any injuries. So, be sure that you have the perfect size for the following:
Saddle
Handlebar height
Frame size
Pedal position
To end up with the right fit, here are some tips to guide you:
Take your body measurements with your legs fully extended so that you can have a comfortable riding position.
To prevent neck and shoulder pain, work on the seat angle adjustment.
Ensure that the handlebar is of the same height as your seat so that you can develop a good riding position.
Bike Anatomy
The bike is composed of many parts, and each one of these has many options for you to choose from. Because this is a very technical choice, you need to have the assistance of sales personnel to make the right choice.
The bike frame is the heart of the bike. Here, you can choose from either metal frames or carbon fiber. The latter option is generally the most expensive one.
The bike suspension is of particular importance when you know you’re going for a rough trail.
The wheels of the bike are fixed at rubber, but you can make customizations about the rims.
The bike’s contact points include the seat or the saddle, the pedals of which you can choose between flat, toe-clips or clipless, and the handlebar and stem.
The brakes usually come in three types – coaster hub, rim, and disk brakes. The choice here will depend on the manner you intend to use your bike for.
Conclusion
With these tips to guide you, the process of buying a bike will no longer have to be that difficult. Plus, you also have that higher assurance of walking home with the bike that you know you’re going to love.
All these factors considered, keep in mind that the choice of a bicycle is entirely personal. You have to feel that the bike is the one you genuinely know to be yours for years to come.
back view of a cyclist on top of a mountains winding road, riding a black bicycle down a hill, wearing bike helmet and blue cycling jersey, with grey clouds sunset sky and forest ,banner
Cricket Ireland has today welcomed the recent Irish Government announcement on the accelerated return of sport, outlined the pathway for Return-to-Play, and released the first update to its COVID-19 Safe Return to Training Protocols that expand training ratios at club cricket and elite level.
Elaine Nolan, Participation Director for Cricket Ireland, said:
“We are delighted to see the Irish Government’s accelerated timetable for the resumption of competitive sport in the Republic and hope to see a matching statement in Northern Ireland soon. We’re working collaboratively and at-pace with the Provincial Unions and other stakeholder groups within the sport to enable clubs to move positively towards competitive action. However, the Government announcement last Friday was just a pre-cursor to the actual resumption of play, as there are a number of steps to take before competitive matches begin.”
“Consultation has continued this week with Sport Ireland, Unions, umpires, players and other stakeholder groups on the Return-to-Play protocols. This should be completed by the end of the week and we will then have an update on the implementation of safe return-to-play protocols for all stakeholders. The health and safety of players, officials, volunteers and the wider community will remain at the forefront of our decision-making.”
“Return-to-play will not mean a return to normal, and we will address changes and required risk mitigation activities in the protocols. This will involve continuing with a number of the measures outlined in the return-to-training protocols, but a number of playing-specific protocols will be introduced to complement playing regulations. Shining of the ball with saliva or sweat is still prohibited in accordance with ICC directives, and the implications of social distancing with respect to umpires, wicketkeepers, the non-access to changerooms and how we deal with spectators are just a few aspects that the new protocols will be required to cover. Even how to handle rain delays with social distancing given restricted access to indoor spaces and how this can be managed within clubhouses will need to be considered.”
“In addition, we have to acknowledge that many umpires, match officials and volunteers around clubs are in vulnerable age categories, so we all need to be mindful of the health risks to those within the cricket family who may need to continue to shield from the virus.”
“In the meantime, we have today released [attached] an updated advisory that expands training ratios immediately, and can advise that full return-to-training can commence from 29 June in the Republic, contingent upon the Government announcing a community-wide move to Phase 3. There is a divergence between Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland at this point and we are awaiting government advice on Northern Ireland’s move to Step 3. However, with the work currently ongoing by Cricket Ireland, Unions and clubs, we are in a position to act immediately once the NI Executive provide a date for the commencement of Step 3.”
“We continue to be grateful to the whole cricket family for their cooperation and understanding, and rest assured we are all working as quickly as possible in order to get cricket action back underway.”
Expanded training ratios
The return-to-training protocols released a fortnight ago, which include detailed guides and checklists for preparing a cricket club for restarting activity, are under constant review by cricket’s national and provincial governing bodies given the rapidly evolving emergence from lockdown. With the first update, clubs in the Republic and Northern Ireland can now increase the ratio of people within given training scenarios, with social distancing and sanitisation requirements still in place.
These changes can take effect immediately, however, will change once more in the ROI and NI as the respective communities move into Phase 3 / Step 3.
The detailed COVID-19 documents are available at: www.cricketireland.ie/covid-19 and any enquiries or issues that arise should be directed to Provincial Unions via the nominated COVID-19 Safety Support Officer.
The Munster senior squad returned to the High Performance Centre in Limerick on Monday for their first training session at the HPC since March.
Last week saw the first phase of PCR testing for senior players and high performance staff produce zero positive results.
Daily temperature checks are one of the mandatory protocols that all players and staff must undergo to access the High Performance Centre. A DAMOC Thermo Check has been installed, a contactless and accurate method of temperature measurement.
The device will provide a body temperature reading within 2 seconds and will immediately flag high readings.
On the player front, Chris Cloete and CJ Stander returned to Ireland from South Africa at the weekend and both players are currently self-isolating for the required 14-day period.
The majority of the Greencore Munster Rugby Academy squad have not returned to training to limit the number of people working in the HPC.
However, Academy quartet Thomas Ahern (lock), Jake Flannery (out-half/full-back), James French (prop) and Ben Healy (out-half) are training with the senior players during this initial phase.
On the injury front, the folllowing update was issued on the return to the HPC:
John Ryan has undergone a minor operation on his shoulder and has already begun his rehab period.
Tadhg Beirne (ankle) is continuing to rehab well while new signing Damian de Allende, Keith Earls and Calvin Nash have short-term injuries. All four players are expected to recover ahead of the proposed August fixtures.
Joey Carbery (wrist/ankle) is also continuing to rehab well and the out-half is expected to make a return to action in September.
The Longines FEI Endurance World Championships 2020 have been postponed until May 2021 due to the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on equestrian sport. The decision to postpone comes following agreement between the FEI, the Italian National Federation and the Organisers in Pisa.
The Championships were due to be held at San Rossore, Pisa in September this year, but the pandemic and the restrictions on both travel and training of horses has meant that is was simply not possible to maintain the original date.
The FEI Executive Board and the Endurance Temporary Committee were in favour of postponement and, following consultation with the Endurance Calendar Task Force and meetings with the Italian National Federation and the Pisa Organisers, the move to May 2021 was agreed. Final approval of the postponement was given by the FEI Board at an extraordinary Board meeting held by videoconference on 19 June.
Qualification for the Championships will be under Article 836 of the FEI Endurance Rules (11th Edition), which come into effect on 1 July 2020.
The FEI Board also agreed to prolong the qualification period for these Championships in order to allow more time for horses and athletes to qualify following the disruption to this year’s FEI Calendar caused by the pandemic. Details will be defined by the Endurance Temporary Committee and FEI Headquarters and communicated later.
Two Continental Championships are already scheduled to run next year – the FEI Endurance Pan American Championships for Seniors & Young Riders in Campinas (BRA) from 28-29 July and the FEI Endurance European Championships in Ermelo (NED) from 6-ll September. The FEI last week proactively reached out to all 51 National Federations that compete in Endurance in order to understand their views on the proposed postponement of the World Championships and its potential impact on next year’s Calendar.
National Federations were asked whether they were in favour of postponing the Longines FEI Endurance World Championships to May 2021 and if they would also participate in their region’s Continental Championships if the Worlds were moved to next year.
A total of 34 National Federations responded to the questionnaire, of which 33 were positive, both to the postponement and their participation, where relevant, in one of the Continental Championships next year.
“Our Endurance community made it very clear to the FEI that they want a World Championships, particularly after losing the last edition at Tryon in 2018, but horse welfare and a level playing field could not have been guaranteed if the Championships had run in September, so it was the best solution to move the Championships to May of next year”, FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said.
“Having consulted with the National Federations that compete in Endurance, we now feel that we have reached a compromise that works for everyone, but especially for our horses, as there will now be time for them to do the necessary preparation work and achieve their qualification for this major event.”
The Secretary General is in charge of the FEI Calendar and, throughout the Covid-19 crisis, has chaired the eight discipline-specific Calendar Task Forces that have been working to minimise the impact of the pandemic on the sport and the fixture list. More than 800 events have already been cancelled and numerous events have been rescheduled.
The FEI Endurance World Championships for Young Horses and the FEI Endurance European Championships for Young Riders & Juniors, which are due to be held in Vic (ESP) from 25-27 September 2020, will be discussed by the FEI Board during this week’s three-day meeting via videoconference (23-25 June).
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