Ryan sets record on way to final

SWIMMING

SHANE RYAN competes the for European 50-metre backstroke title having set a new Irish record in yesterday’s heats en route to this morning’s final.

Ryan smashed his Irish senior record and posted the third fastest time in the event this year with a time of 24.32 seconds, taking four tenths of a second off his previous best.

However, Darragh Greene, who made Irish history in the 100m breaststroke semi-final by breaking the minute mark in 59.92, had to settle for first reserve in the final.

Conor Ferguson clocked 24.99, finishing fifth in his heat and ninth overall in the 50m backstroke semi-finals, just missing a place in the final by three hundredths of a second.

CYCLING

KATIE-GEORGE DUNLEVY and Eve McCrystal defended their world title in the time trial at the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Maniago, Italy yesterday.

The Paralympic champions finished the 27.7km time trial in a time of 35:26:37 – 17 seconds ahead of silver medallists Lora Fachie and Corrine Hall from Great Britain.

Meanwhile, Shannon McCurley and Felix English both had to settle for eighth place in the men’s and women’s scratch race at the European Championships in Glasgow yesterday.

TENNIS

JULIE BYRNE enjoyed a shock victory for the second day in a row when securing a semi-final place in the Irish Open.

The 21-year-old Dubliner powered her way to a 6-2, 7-5 success against the No 3 seed, Germany’s Lisa Ponomar, at the Carrickmines Club, while Emily Appleton dismissed Amy Bowtell 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 6-3.

BOXING

EVAN METCALFE has been stripped of his Irish elite title and banned for four months after testing positive for a byproduct of cannabis.

The Crumlin fighter will appeal the decision and has already admitted to smoking what he thought was a cigarette at a friend’s house – the week before beating Thomas McCarthy in February to take the national bantamweight title.