Corbett calls time on Tipp hurling career
Tipperary hurler Lar Corbett has told county manager Declan Ryan and members of the panel that he will not play any part in the 2012 inter county season.
Corbett, 30 has been a star of the county team over 11 years and scored a hat trick in the 2010 All Ireland final when Tipp stopped Kilkenny completing five in a row titles.
He runs a pub in Thurles and it is believed that the commitment needed to making a success of his business has not left enough time to commit fully to another season of full inter county hurling.
He will continue to line out for his club side Thurles Sarsfields.
Irish runner breaks world ultra record
Richard Donovan, Ireland’s leading Ultra marathon runner has broken his own world record by completing seven marathons on seven continents in four days, 22 hours and three minutes.
He completed his odyssey in Sydney earlier today after running 42 kilometres in each of Hong Kong, London, Orlando, Sao Paolo, Cape Town and the Novo science base in Russia.
As well as his total of 295km run, he also clocked up 43,530km worth of flights.  At the end he admitted to being ‘absolutely wrecked’.  Unable even to keep down water he resorted to desperate measures and took a chance on a bottle of Heineken to hydrate and take on some carbohydrates.  That did stay down and he had another bottle at the end of the Sydney leg.
Donovan completed the endurance challenge on a shoestring budget out of his own pocket and all money raised through online donations at www.worldmarathonchallenge.com will go to Goal.
The Irish 50K Championship takes place in Donadea Forest Park on Saturday, February 18th.
British Rowing puts Nation on Trial
British rowing and their partner Siemens have developed an innovative way of engaging gym members and the general public in their build up to the Olympic rowing trials to be held in March.
The Nation on Trial initiative invites the public to get fit, get on a rowing machine and take their own 2km trial.  They register online at www.nationontrial.org and have access to training guides and video tutorials filmed by Olympic rowers.
All participants are encouraged to raise money for the Stroke Association and will be entered into a prize draw to win a behind-the-scenes trip to the Olympic Trials, at the Olympic rowing venue, Eton Dorney.
The 2K distance of the challenge matches that of the Olympic rowing event..’
Magnificent Seven aimed at Olympic Boxing Qualifiers
The Irish Amateur Boxing Association has confirmed that seven national champions from last Friday’s Irish Daily Star sponsored National Elite Finals in Dublin will compete in the final Olympic qualifying tournament in Turkey in April.
They include Joe Ward who was awarded Boxer of the Championship after retaining his light heavyweight crown.  Three Irish boxers have already qualified for the Olympics.