Monday, January 19, 2009
Jan 19 (Reuters) -
Wales manager Warren Gatland named onMonday the following 28-man squad for the Six Nations. Squad:
Forwards: Gethin Jenkins, John Yapp, Adam Jones, Rhys
Thomas, Matthew Rees, Huw Bennett, Ian Gough, Alun-Wyn Jones,
Luke Charteris, Bradley Davies, Ryan Jones (Captain), Jonathan
Thomas, Daffyd Jones, Andy Powell, Martyn Williams, Robin
Sowden-Taylor
Backs: Mike Phillips, Gareth Cooper, Stephen Jones, James
Hook, Gavin Henson, Andrew Bishop, Jamie Roberts, Tom Shanklin,
Shane Williams, Leigh Halfpenny, Mark Jones, Lee Byrne
Wales manager Warren Gatland named onMonday the following 28-man squad for the Six Nations. Squad:
Forwards: Gethin Jenkins, John Yapp, Adam Jones, Rhys
Thomas, Matthew Rees, Huw Bennett, Ian Gough, Alun-Wyn Jones,
Luke Charteris, Bradley Davies, Ryan Jones (Captain), Jonathan
Thomas, Daffyd Jones, Andy Powell, Martyn Williams, Robin
Sowden-Taylor
Backs: Mike Phillips, Gareth Cooper, Stephen Jones, James
Hook, Gavin Henson, Andrew Bishop, Jamie Roberts, Tom Shanklin,
Shane Williams, Leigh Halfpenny, Mark Jones, Lee Byrne
Federer ~ Don't count him out just yet.......
ON TENNIS
Don’t count out Federer just yet
By DALE ROBERTSON Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
Jan. 17, 2009, 10:56PM
Federer in recent Australian Opens• 2004 – Won title, beating Marat Safin in the final. • 2005 – Reached the semifinals, losing to Safin. • 2006 – Won title, beating Marcos Baghdaditis in the final. • 2007 – Won title, beating Fernando Gonzalez in the final. • 2008 – Reached the semifinals, losing to Novak Djokovic.
Everybody thinks this will be Andy Murray’s year and, if it’s not, it will be Rafael Nadal’s year again. Or perhaps Novak Djokovic’s.
Almost nobody seems to believe Roger Federer has much gas left in his tank after he surrendered the No. 1 ranking to Nadal in 2008. Never mind that he did take the season’s last Grand Slam, claiming a modern-record fifth consecutive U.S. Open. Or that he did thump Murray, practically a consensus favorite to claim his first major at the Australian Open, in straight sets in the Flushing Meadow final.
But Federer himself is one guy who insists reports of his demise are absurdly premature. He asserted recently — before Murray beat him in an exhibition in Abu Dhabi and again last week in the Doha semis — that “I have been dominating for several years and obviously I think I can do it again. I expect 2009 to be a very good year.”
A bout of mononucleosis got him off to a slow start last year, and Nadal’s continued evolution from being a good player into an all-time-great candidate formally spelled the end of the Swiss’ 4½-year run on top when the Spaniard emerged victorious in their for-the-ages Wimbledon final.
Ranking not priority
History and the computer-point differential between Federer and Nadal weigh against his bid to return to No. 1. In the 36 years of the ATP computer system, only Ivan Lendl in 1989 reclaimed the top spot the year after he lost it. But that’s not Federer’s front-and-center priority anymore. Rather, he’ll pick his spots carefully as he attempts to surpass Pete Sampras’ record of 14 Slam titles.
Federer, 27, remains one behind Sampras with 13. Given that Sampras won three of his after turning 27 — and Andre Agassi won five of his eight — the odds favor him accomplishing the feat, even if Murray’s for-real emergence as an elite adds a layer of complication.
The Scotsman’s entry into the who’s-the-king-of-the-hill conversation has balanced the halves of the men’s draw in the major championships. The two semifinals are now equally challenging matchups if the seeding holds up. The Big Three have become the Big Four and the likelihood that any one of them can hog three of the four Slams, as Federer did in 2004, 2006 and 2007, appears minuscule.
It’s far more probable that each of them will claim one, the democratic norm before Federer took over the ATP Tour in 2004.
Nonetheless, it would be foolish to count out Federer anywhere except at Roland Garros, where all appears hopeless for him.
Different at Wimbledon
But Wimbledon’s lawns remain a level playing field. The five sets and five hours he and Nadal battled it out there in July only spoke to their respective greatness, not to any dramatic paradigm shift or changing of the guard. Healthy, Federer remains the Wimbledon favorite. For the near term, Murray will find the pressure crushing — no Brit has won since Fred Perry in 1936 and he will be reminded of this fact hourly for the fortnight — and Djokovic lacks the right grass-court stuff.
The Serb is the defending champion in Melbourne, though, and Murray is playing the best tennis of the four right now, having defeated each of the others in ’09. (He’s also 6-1 vs. Federer of late.)
That’s why everyone has fallen in love with him.
A reasonable response. But falling completely out of love with Federer is dumb.
Sure, he could lose Down Under, even early. Still, should he seize that fourth Aussie title two weeks hence, it won’t be an upset. Not yet, not this year.
dale.robertson@chron.com
Don’t count out Federer just yet
By DALE ROBERTSON Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
Jan. 17, 2009, 10:56PM
Federer in recent Australian Opens• 2004 – Won title, beating Marat Safin in the final. • 2005 – Reached the semifinals, losing to Safin. • 2006 – Won title, beating Marcos Baghdaditis in the final. • 2007 – Won title, beating Fernando Gonzalez in the final. • 2008 – Reached the semifinals, losing to Novak Djokovic.
Everybody thinks this will be Andy Murray’s year and, if it’s not, it will be Rafael Nadal’s year again. Or perhaps Novak Djokovic’s.
Almost nobody seems to believe Roger Federer has much gas left in his tank after he surrendered the No. 1 ranking to Nadal in 2008. Never mind that he did take the season’s last Grand Slam, claiming a modern-record fifth consecutive U.S. Open. Or that he did thump Murray, practically a consensus favorite to claim his first major at the Australian Open, in straight sets in the Flushing Meadow final.
But Federer himself is one guy who insists reports of his demise are absurdly premature. He asserted recently — before Murray beat him in an exhibition in Abu Dhabi and again last week in the Doha semis — that “I have been dominating for several years and obviously I think I can do it again. I expect 2009 to be a very good year.”
A bout of mononucleosis got him off to a slow start last year, and Nadal’s continued evolution from being a good player into an all-time-great candidate formally spelled the end of the Swiss’ 4½-year run on top when the Spaniard emerged victorious in their for-the-ages Wimbledon final.
Ranking not priority
History and the computer-point differential between Federer and Nadal weigh against his bid to return to No. 1. In the 36 years of the ATP computer system, only Ivan Lendl in 1989 reclaimed the top spot the year after he lost it. But that’s not Federer’s front-and-center priority anymore. Rather, he’ll pick his spots carefully as he attempts to surpass Pete Sampras’ record of 14 Slam titles.
Federer, 27, remains one behind Sampras with 13. Given that Sampras won three of his after turning 27 — and Andre Agassi won five of his eight — the odds favor him accomplishing the feat, even if Murray’s for-real emergence as an elite adds a layer of complication.
The Scotsman’s entry into the who’s-the-king-of-the-hill conversation has balanced the halves of the men’s draw in the major championships. The two semifinals are now equally challenging matchups if the seeding holds up. The Big Three have become the Big Four and the likelihood that any one of them can hog three of the four Slams, as Federer did in 2004, 2006 and 2007, appears minuscule.
It’s far more probable that each of them will claim one, the democratic norm before Federer took over the ATP Tour in 2004.
Nonetheless, it would be foolish to count out Federer anywhere except at Roland Garros, where all appears hopeless for him.
Different at Wimbledon
But Wimbledon’s lawns remain a level playing field. The five sets and five hours he and Nadal battled it out there in July only spoke to their respective greatness, not to any dramatic paradigm shift or changing of the guard. Healthy, Federer remains the Wimbledon favorite. For the near term, Murray will find the pressure crushing — no Brit has won since Fred Perry in 1936 and he will be reminded of this fact hourly for the fortnight — and Djokovic lacks the right grass-court stuff.
The Serb is the defending champion in Melbourne, though, and Murray is playing the best tennis of the four right now, having defeated each of the others in ’09. (He’s also 6-1 vs. Federer of late.)
That’s why everyone has fallen in love with him.
A reasonable response. But falling completely out of love with Federer is dumb.
Sure, he could lose Down Under, even early. Still, should he seize that fourth Aussie title two weeks hence, it won’t be an upset. Not yet, not this year.
dale.robertson@chron.com
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Scots robbed!
Olympics robs Scots of Lottery cash
Published Date: 23 November 2008
By Eddie Barnes Political Editor
CHARITIES and voluntary groups in Scotland are facing a crippling 70% cut in Lottery funding from next April as funds are sucked away to feed the vast £10bn cost of the 2012 London Olympics.
The body which represents Scotland's charities will warn this week that the Lottery cash available to good causes next year will plummet from £90m to just £25m.The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) claims that the cut will have a "devastating" effect on charities across Scotland, many of which rely on Lottery cash to keep going.The massive cutback is being triggered after ministers agreed to plough £2.2bn of Lottery cash into paying for the Olympics. Charities, arts groups and sports bodies across Scotland and the rest of the UK warned that the raid on Lottery funds would choke off funds to themselves, but the full scale of the cutbacks is only now becoming clear.According to the SCVO, the Big Lottery Fund – which distributes most of the cash available from the weekly national draw – will feel the effects the hardest. In Scotland, they claim that BLF funding will fall from £257m between 2006-09 to just £90m between 2009-12.The SCVO says that many groups will not be able to keep going because the cuts will last right up until 2012. Only after the Games are finished in 2012 will the sums start to rise once more. However, even then, SCVO officials say it will be 2015 before funding returns to current levels.The anger in Scotland is being felt across much of England as well, where charities and voluntary groups are also complaining about the vast sums which have been diverted from good causes to build the Olympic site in east London.The cuts are also set to hit the arts and sports bodies across the UK which distribute smaller sums of Lottery cash. However, UK ministers insist that the chance to host the Olympics is a "once in a generation" chance for the whole country to enjoy.In Scotland, groups which may now face heavy cuts include the well-known charity Quarriers Village, the carers for vulnerable people, and Fairbridge, a leading charity which attempts to prevent ex-prisoners from re-offending.Lucy McTernan, acting chief executive of SCVO, said: "The scale of the cuts is truly devastating for the voluntary sector as many charities, voluntary organisations and community projects in Scotland depend on such funding for their survival, especially in these difficult times. We are strongly urging the UK Government to compensate Scottish charities for the loss of Lottery funding which was diverted to pay for the Olympics."Lawrie Russell, chief executive of the Wise Group, a charity which helps unemployed people get back to work, said that the cuts may prevent them from expanding projects."Potentially, this will have a big impact on the whole sector," he said.Sources in the SCVO said they had been preparing for a reduction in funds due to the Olympics but were "shocked" last week when the true scale of the reduction became clear.Alison Magee, Big Lottery Fund Scotland's chairwoman, confirmed: "We will have less money available in the years leading up to 2012 due to the Olympic diversion."Scottish Sports Minister Stewart Maxwell said last night: "These are very worrying figures that point to a dramatic reduction in Lottery funding for Scotland. It cannot be right that the budget for Scotland's community and charitable organisations is reduced by around 70% – more than £150m – to finance the 2012 Olympic Games."But a spokeswoman for the Department for Media, Culture and Sport pointed to the massive benefits which, she claimed, would accrue to the whole country from the Games.She said: "Hosting the Olympic Games is a once in a generation opportunity that will benefit the whole of the UK: a legacy of world-class facilities, the inspiration of a generation to get active and take up sport, as well as huge economic and business benefits with £6bn worth of contracts. "Scotland will host Olympic football at Hampden Park and 29 locations across Scotland are included in the official guide to pre-Games training facilities for foreign teams in 2012."She added: "Scotland has received over £2bn in Lottery money since 1994 and we are clear that no further diversion from Lottery good causes will go to fund the Olympics."Earlier this year, Scotland on Sunday launched a campaign to win a substantial sum of Lottery funds to help to create a sporting legacy from Glasgow's 2014 Commonwealth Games. Campaigners point out that sportscotland, which distributes Lottery funds for sporting groups, is believed to have lost £13m in funds which will now be spent on the Olympics.
Published Date: 23 November 2008
By Eddie Barnes Political Editor
CHARITIES and voluntary groups in Scotland are facing a crippling 70% cut in Lottery funding from next April as funds are sucked away to feed the vast £10bn cost of the 2012 London Olympics.
The body which represents Scotland's charities will warn this week that the Lottery cash available to good causes next year will plummet from £90m to just £25m.The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) claims that the cut will have a "devastating" effect on charities across Scotland, many of which rely on Lottery cash to keep going.The massive cutback is being triggered after ministers agreed to plough £2.2bn of Lottery cash into paying for the Olympics. Charities, arts groups and sports bodies across Scotland and the rest of the UK warned that the raid on Lottery funds would choke off funds to themselves, but the full scale of the cutbacks is only now becoming clear.According to the SCVO, the Big Lottery Fund – which distributes most of the cash available from the weekly national draw – will feel the effects the hardest. In Scotland, they claim that BLF funding will fall from £257m between 2006-09 to just £90m between 2009-12.The SCVO says that many groups will not be able to keep going because the cuts will last right up until 2012. Only after the Games are finished in 2012 will the sums start to rise once more. However, even then, SCVO officials say it will be 2015 before funding returns to current levels.The anger in Scotland is being felt across much of England as well, where charities and voluntary groups are also complaining about the vast sums which have been diverted from good causes to build the Olympic site in east London.The cuts are also set to hit the arts and sports bodies across the UK which distribute smaller sums of Lottery cash. However, UK ministers insist that the chance to host the Olympics is a "once in a generation" chance for the whole country to enjoy.In Scotland, groups which may now face heavy cuts include the well-known charity Quarriers Village, the carers for vulnerable people, and Fairbridge, a leading charity which attempts to prevent ex-prisoners from re-offending.Lucy McTernan, acting chief executive of SCVO, said: "The scale of the cuts is truly devastating for the voluntary sector as many charities, voluntary organisations and community projects in Scotland depend on such funding for their survival, especially in these difficult times. We are strongly urging the UK Government to compensate Scottish charities for the loss of Lottery funding which was diverted to pay for the Olympics."Lawrie Russell, chief executive of the Wise Group, a charity which helps unemployed people get back to work, said that the cuts may prevent them from expanding projects."Potentially, this will have a big impact on the whole sector," he said.Sources in the SCVO said they had been preparing for a reduction in funds due to the Olympics but were "shocked" last week when the true scale of the reduction became clear.Alison Magee, Big Lottery Fund Scotland's chairwoman, confirmed: "We will have less money available in the years leading up to 2012 due to the Olympic diversion."Scottish Sports Minister Stewart Maxwell said last night: "These are very worrying figures that point to a dramatic reduction in Lottery funding for Scotland. It cannot be right that the budget for Scotland's community and charitable organisations is reduced by around 70% – more than £150m – to finance the 2012 Olympic Games."But a spokeswoman for the Department for Media, Culture and Sport pointed to the massive benefits which, she claimed, would accrue to the whole country from the Games.She said: "Hosting the Olympic Games is a once in a generation opportunity that will benefit the whole of the UK: a legacy of world-class facilities, the inspiration of a generation to get active and take up sport, as well as huge economic and business benefits with £6bn worth of contracts. "Scotland will host Olympic football at Hampden Park and 29 locations across Scotland are included in the official guide to pre-Games training facilities for foreign teams in 2012."She added: "Scotland has received over £2bn in Lottery money since 1994 and we are clear that no further diversion from Lottery good causes will go to fund the Olympics."Earlier this year, Scotland on Sunday launched a campaign to win a substantial sum of Lottery funds to help to create a sporting legacy from Glasgow's 2014 Commonwealth Games. Campaigners point out that sportscotland, which distributes Lottery funds for sporting groups, is believed to have lost £13m in funds which will now be spent on the Olympics.
More funding ~ Not less!!!!!!
Funding cut for GB Paralympians
Weir's double Paralympic gold was one of the GB highlights in Beijing
British Paralympic athletes face a cut in National Lottery funding as they work towards the 2012 Games.
UK Athletics says that future funding will be targeted towards supporting a smaller group of athletes who are deemed capable of success in London.
There are now 33 athletes who will be supported by the programme, down from the pre-Beijing total of 42.
Among those who have had their funding cut are former Paralympic champions Danny Crates and Kenny Churchill.
All of the athletes who medalled in Beijing have been given the top level of funding while a further 10 have been named in the next level and six athletes have been selected on the talent level to develop future talent.
Crates, who was the British team's flag-bearer in Beijing, was unable to compete in his 800m event at the Games because of a calf injury while javelin thrower Churchill finished out of the medals.
Beijing medallists Mickey Bushell and Ian Jones both move up from the development level to the top level of funding, along with throwers Claire Williams and Nathan Stephens.
With no major international event until the World Championships in 2009, UK Athletics say the focus for the future must be on 2012.
A new head coach for the Paralympic programme will be named shortly.
Funded athletes:
Podium: Mickey Bushell; Libby Clegg; Daniel Greaves; Sophie Hancock; Katrina Hart; Ian Jones; Chris Martin; John McFall; Stephen Miller; Kim Minett; Ben Rushgrove; Hazel Simpson; Nathan Stephens; David Weir; Daniel West; Claire Williams; Shelly Woods
Development: Brian Alldis; Martin Crutchley; Katherine Deal; David Devine; Thomas Green; Jenny McLoughlin; Kieron Murphy; Daniel Nobbs; Gemma Prescott; Bethany Woodward
Talent: Ola Abidogun; Hollie Arnold; Jonathon Adams; Hannah Cockcroft; Mark Hellard; Paul Willis
Weir's double Paralympic gold was one of the GB highlights in Beijing
British Paralympic athletes face a cut in National Lottery funding as they work towards the 2012 Games.
UK Athletics says that future funding will be targeted towards supporting a smaller group of athletes who are deemed capable of success in London.
There are now 33 athletes who will be supported by the programme, down from the pre-Beijing total of 42.
Among those who have had their funding cut are former Paralympic champions Danny Crates and Kenny Churchill.
All of the athletes who medalled in Beijing have been given the top level of funding while a further 10 have been named in the next level and six athletes have been selected on the talent level to develop future talent.
Crates, who was the British team's flag-bearer in Beijing, was unable to compete in his 800m event at the Games because of a calf injury while javelin thrower Churchill finished out of the medals.
Beijing medallists Mickey Bushell and Ian Jones both move up from the development level to the top level of funding, along with throwers Claire Williams and Nathan Stephens.
With no major international event until the World Championships in 2009, UK Athletics say the focus for the future must be on 2012.
A new head coach for the Paralympic programme will be named shortly.
Funded athletes:
Podium: Mickey Bushell; Libby Clegg; Daniel Greaves; Sophie Hancock; Katrina Hart; Ian Jones; Chris Martin; John McFall; Stephen Miller; Kim Minett; Ben Rushgrove; Hazel Simpson; Nathan Stephens; David Weir; Daniel West; Claire Williams; Shelly Woods
Development: Brian Alldis; Martin Crutchley; Katherine Deal; David Devine; Thomas Green; Jenny McLoughlin; Kieron Murphy; Daniel Nobbs; Gemma Prescott; Bethany Woodward
Talent: Ola Abidogun; Hollie Arnold; Jonathon Adams; Hannah Cockcroft; Mark Hellard; Paul Willis
Sunday, August 17, 2008
GB Athletics ~ Fighting to stay in the limelight...
Athletics must fight to keep No.1 status
ASK people to list their favourite Olympic memories and the vast majority will inevitably include athletics. Daley Thompson, Kelly Holmes, Bob Beamon, Cathy Freeman, Coe and Ovett – track and field moments dominate the proceedings.
For how much longer, though? Athletics has always been the No.1 Olympic sport, but in the eyes of the British sporting public the traditional hierarchy could be turned on its head if the GB athletics team fail to deliver in Beijing.
Britons in other sports have come out firing on all cylinders during the first few days of the Games. As I write this, Nicole Cooke has become Britain’s first “gold pedallist” of 2008 and her team-mates in the GB cycling squad are expected to continue the medal rush this weekend when the action in the velodrome begins.
Elsewhere, in the pool earlier this week Rebecca Adlington became Britain’s first Olympic women’s swimming champion for almost half a century. British cyclists, swimmers, rowers, sailors, triathletes and boxers will only be stronger in 2012, too.
So the message is clear to British track and field athletes this coming week. You’d better get winning, or athletics’ status as the premier Olympic sport will be under serious jeopardy.
ASK people to list their favourite Olympic memories and the vast majority will inevitably include athletics. Daley Thompson, Kelly Holmes, Bob Beamon, Cathy Freeman, Coe and Ovett – track and field moments dominate the proceedings.
For how much longer, though? Athletics has always been the No.1 Olympic sport, but in the eyes of the British sporting public the traditional hierarchy could be turned on its head if the GB athletics team fail to deliver in Beijing.
Britons in other sports have come out firing on all cylinders during the first few days of the Games. As I write this, Nicole Cooke has become Britain’s first “gold pedallist” of 2008 and her team-mates in the GB cycling squad are expected to continue the medal rush this weekend when the action in the velodrome begins.
Elsewhere, in the pool earlier this week Rebecca Adlington became Britain’s first Olympic women’s swimming champion for almost half a century. British cyclists, swimmers, rowers, sailors, triathletes and boxers will only be stronger in 2012, too.
So the message is clear to British track and field athletes this coming week. You’d better get winning, or athletics’ status as the premier Olympic sport will be under serious jeopardy.
And he's dome it!
Michael Phelps wins another gold today to bring his total to 8!
Greatest swimmer ever!
Greatest Olympian ever!
Greatest athlete ever?
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