Paralympics: The 2014 Para-cycling Track World Championships will take place in Aguascalientes, Mexico, the UCI has announced. Para-cyclists have faced uncertainty over future events on the track and the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics in 2016 were the next scheduled event on the calendar prior to official confirmation of the World Championships. The April 10-13 event is certain to be fast. Agua-scalientes is at altitude and hosted the Track World Cup second round earlier this month, with world records sent tumbling.
Swimming: Scottish swimmer Michael Jamieson proved he was back on top form following a recent health scare as he thrilled a home crowd in the Duel in the Pool in Glasgow. The 25-year-old, whose heartbeat became irregular during a training exercise last month, claimed first place in the 200 metres breaststroke in front of around 2,000 supporters at the Tollcross Swimming Centre on Friday. It proved to be a good night for the European Allstars as a whole, as they led Team USA 68-54 at the end of day one of the two-day event.
Rugby Union: Sale director of rugby Steve Diamond believes Danny Cipriani will eventually receive an England recall if he continues his outstanding form. In front of the watching Red Rose head coach Stuart Lancaster, Cip-riani endured a mixed night on Friday with the boot in Sale’s 15-3 victory over London Irish, converting just two out of six kicks. But the fly-half was impressive in open play and Diamond insists his form cannot be ignored by the international selectors for long. “We don’t want to talk about playing for England just yet, just let him keep playing the game he’s playing and if the opportunity comes in the Six Nations then brilliant. If he plays like he is playing and controls the game like he is then the England coaches will definitely have to have a look at him,” Diamond said.
Alpine Skiing: Lindsey Vonn’s injured knee let her down once again yesterday, raising doubts about whether the downhill Olympic champion would be in a position to defend her title at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The American four-times World Cup champion, watched for the first time in a World Cup race by boyfriend Tiger Woods, missed a gate in the middle section of French resort Val d’Isere’s OK piste and later said her knee was to blame. “I didn’t hurt myself more than I’m already hurt,” Vonn told reporters. “Unfortunately I have no ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and it gave out on me.” Now the doubts are back for the second most successful female skier in history with 59 World Cup wins.
Darts: Britain’s top-ranked Phil Taylor lost his world darts title after a stunning 4-3 defeat by outsider Michael Smith in the second round at a raucous Alexandra Palace late Friday. “My heart is pounding, I can barely speak,” world youth champion Smith, 23, told Sky Sports, barely able to hold back tears of joy after punching the air in triumph. “When I broke in the second set I thought ‘I can beat him here’.” The 16-times world darts champion Taylor, 53, who won the crown last year by beating young Dutchman Michael van Gerwen, was well below his best in a display littered with errors.