SCOREBOARD

ATHLETICS

CHEPTEGEI SMASHES RECORD Joshua Cheptegei smashed the world record for a 10km road race, clocking 26 minutes 38 seconds at the 10km Valencia Trinidad Alfonso in Spain.

The Ugandan clipped six seconds from the previous record of 26:44 set by Kenya’s Patrick Komon in 2010 to complete a sensational 2019 hat-trick that included world titles in cross country and 10,000m on the track.

Cheptegei consistently clocked off kilometre splits of 2.40 and 2.42, a pace that will be readily appreciated by the hundreds of Courier Country runners that regularly turn out for the Saturday morning 5km Parkruns slogging out km splits of four to 12 minutes.

The halfway 5km point was reached in 13:23, one second shy of the world record for that distance. Running on his own over the entire second half, a determined Cheptegei reached 8km in 21:37, when it became clear that the world record was within reach.

With 23:59 on the clock at the 9km point, Cheptegei needed to cover the final kilometre in 2:45, a close well within his capabilities.

Making his debut over the 26.2-mile distance at the Valencia Marathon Ethiopia’s Kinde Atanaw clocked a winning 2:03:51 ahead of Turkey’s Kigen Özbilen, whose 2:04:16 for the runner-up spot took almost a minute off the European record of 2:05:11 set by Mo Farah in Chicago in 2018. Welshman Andrew Davies broke the British veteran over-40 UK record held by Steve Way with 2:14:36.

Roza Dereje ran 2:18:30 to win the women’s race ahead of fellow Ethiopian Azmera Abreha (2:18:33).

Dundee Hawkhill results, Valencia Marathon: 493 Lee Strachan 2:41.01, 513 Billy Gibson 2:41.24, 1306 Gareth Irons 2:53.11, 1672 Kenny Liddell 2:56.59, 6943 Raymond Tully 3:28.09.

BASKETBALL

Great Britain’s women basketball players, who exceeded all expectations in reaching the last four of the European Championships in Belgrade last July to claim a place in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in February, have been handed a tough draw.

With funding still a possible issue, GB face a 22-hour flight to China while the three other venues are in the Western hemisphere, at Bourges (France) Ostende (Belium) and Belgrade (Serbia).

It will almost certainly entail a shortened preparation period before playing hosts China in Foshan on February 6, Korea on Saturday Feb 8 and European champions

Spain on Sunday Feb 9.

If they can beat one of those three – and that is still a tall order – they should go through to the tournament proper in Japan next summer.

Team GB’s former Spanish Olympic coach Chema Buceta admitted that he would like to have avoided the long flight but was still upbeat when the draw was announced at the International Basketball Federations HQ in Geneva this week.

“The travelling is important but I think the main factor is the opponents – I’d prefer to play in China with weaker teams than in Europe with strong teams.”

Results: Scottish League, Men, Div One – St Mirren 83 Falkirk Fury 81; Edinburgh Lions 80 Dunfermline Reign 82; Ayrshire Tornadoes 52 Glasgow Univ 75; Perth Phoenix v City of Edinburgh Kings postponed. Div Two – Inverness City 96 Glasgow Univ B 67; North Lanarkshire Colliers 65 Heriot-Watt Univ 70; Stirling Knights 77 City of Edinburgh B 76; Pleasance 78 Glasgow City 73. Women – Glasgow Univ 33 Edinburgh Kats 86. Scottish Chairman’s Cup, men – Aberdeen Beacon 76 Glasgow Fever 67.

BOWLS

ARBROATH INDOOR: Ladies Open League – H Calder 13 M Martin 11, A Glen 13 M Croll 12, J Gilbert 19 K Gordon 7, S Geddes 14 I Teviotdale 9, J Carr 10 M Armstrong 6, I Ingram 11 A Kinnear 11. Gents SIBA Pairs – A Furye 19 C Paton 13, E Eaton 8 S Smith 16, D Farquharson 9 K Tosh 16, P Carnegie 18 I Garioch 11.

CURLING

Perthshire curler Glen Muirhead and his team still need one more win to reach the Saskatoon Classic quarter-finals in Saskatchewan following yesterday’s defeat to three-time champion Mike McEwen. A Canadian three at the fourth end proved pivotal as McEwen won 6-2 to book his last eight spot, but Muirhead, his brother Thomas and fellow siblings Kyle and Cammy Smith will join him there if they beat China’s Qiang Zou.

FOOTBALL

FINTRY FAVOURITES TO FEATURE IN FIFTH ROUND

While the icy weather and a solitary draw ensured that the three remaining Midlands clubs are still in the Scottish Amateur Cup, Fintry now appear to be the favourites of the three to progress to the round five stage, writes our Amateur correspondent.

They meet Campsie Minerva of the Central Scottish Amateur League who appear to be the weakest of the three West Coast opponents that our local clubs have to face.

They are in the lower territory of their own league – and carry a negative 15-goal difference to boot – so assuming Fintry’s fire power is “on a business as usual” this Saturday then round five beckons.

As for the others, Menzieshill had a great chance of moving through at the weekend with the DISC and Craigie 3G the only two playable pitches in the area, but they could not convert the chances they had against a well organised Shawbridge side. Derek Mitchell’s men now have to travel this weekend to replay against the Strathclyde Saturday Morning League team.

The hosts have gathered 11 points from their seven Premier League games, a record which is poor by comparison with Premier leaders Menzieshill. Let’s hope the form book works out in Hill’s favour. Merpro also have to travel west to meet Castlemilk of the Scottish Amateur Football League in what seems to be the most difficult of the three contests. Their hosts lie in second spot in their association’s top league so Graham Riach’s boys will recognise the tough task that faces them.

The only other match played was the Alliance 1 match between Morgan Academy FP A and Arbroath High School FP B which Morgan won 8-1. A hat-trick from veteran Neal Bone and singles from Kevin Scott, Robert Bickerstaffe, Alex Thom, David Finlayson and Connor Kennedy gave the Craigie 3G side an easy win.

FIFE SUNDAY AMATEURS: Scottish Cup, fourth round – Bellshill United 7 FC Brig 1, Charlies Bar 5 Sky 0. 2nd Division – Windsor Rovers 2 Kingdom Rovers 8. All other games off.

PAFA: Result – Letham 3 Luncarty ASC 1. All other games postponed.

RJM SPORT KFAFA: Results, Glendale Plastics Championship – St Andrews University 2 Burntisland United 3. Division 1 – Kinross Colts 1 Fife Thistle 4 Fife Athletic 4, Methilhill Strollers and East Fife 0.

RJM Sports Scottish Cup, fourth round – Leven United 0 Laurieston Thistle AFC (LEAFA) 2, Tarves AFC (AAFA) 4 AM Soccer 4. North Road Garage Fife Cup, round two – Strathmiglo United 5 St Monans Swallows 2, Duloch 0 Lochgelly United 2. All other games postponed.

GOLF

CARNOUSTIE GOLF CLUB: Saturday Championship Course, stableford 16 holes (CSS N/A), all one class – R Matthew (4) R Goodman (4) B Sharp (23) 36pts. Burnside Course, stableford, 14 holes (CSS N/A), all one class – D Russell (16) 33pts, B Proctor (6) B Allan (20) 32. Buddon Course, stableford, 18 holes (CSS N/A), all one class – P Goodrum (5) 32pts.

CARNOUSTIE WINTER LEAGUE: A Boath and J Gilbert halved with S Fairweather and G Kidd (res), C Saunders and P Gordon beat E Kerr and C Boath 4 and 3, S Norrie and G Robson beat D Taylor and I Frier 2 and 1, G Duncan and D Kydd halved with S Cadden and J Watson, T Convery and E Matthew lost to N Watson and C Smith, 2 and 1: Sweepstake: 1 P Gordon (12) 64, 2 G Robson(8) 66.

DOWNFIELD: Saturday, 12-hole Winter Eclectic – Alastair Menzies (14) 37, David Hayes (7) 40, Frank Flood (11) 41, Ronald Smith (11) 41, Douglas Scott (10) 41, Ronald Dwyer (9) 41.

GRANGE AND BROUGHTY: Medal Course winter eclectic, CSS 72, section 1 – R Dodds (9) 34 points, W Lambie (4) 33, A Robertson (4) 33, R Watson (10) 32. Section 2 – G Young (12) 37pts, S Tovey (13) 36, B Sanderson (15) 36, D McCombie (18) 36. Section 3 – E Kane (23) 41 points, R Schiavetta (19) 35. Ashludie Course winter stableford, CSS 64, all one section – B Wicksted (19) 37pts. Yesterday, Medal Course, winter eclectic, CSS 73, section 1 – G Thomson (8) 34pts. Section 2 – S Thomson (15) 33pts. Ashludie Winter League, CSS 65, section 1 – A Ritch (11) 37pts, R Tully (6) 34. Section 2 – J Elder (20) 41pts, D Kilcullen (20) 41.

GRANGE AND BROUGHTY LADIES: Winter League, 13-hole stableford – M McInally (31) 30pts, D Watson (21) 25, L Fenton (30) 24 bl6, M Laing (20) 24 bl6, C Blake (14) 24 bl6.

D Watson had a hole-in-one at the 3rd on Ashludie Course. Her playing partners were P Campbell and C Blake.

MONIFIETH: Winter League – P Guilcher/F Anderson beat S Barnett/G Reekie 4 and 2, D Mitchell/M McBride halved with E Radley/A Boyle, N Anderson/D Smart beat S McDonald/D Eastaugh 3 and 2, A McClymont(res)/I Kelly beat P Gardiner/T Lumsden 3 and 2, C Cairnie/G Smith beat I Hutcheon/J Ferrie 1 hole C McKay/I Newlove (res) beat S Hills/R Darling (res), one hole. Scratch: G Anderson 69, N Anderson C McKay 71. Handicap: E Radley (8) 65 C Cairnie (6) F Anderson (10) 66 T Lewis (9) 67.

SPORT ON TV

FOOTBALL: FA Cup, Solihull Moors v Rotherham – BT Sport 1 7pm; Sky Bet Championship, Preston v West Brom – Sky Sports Main Event 7.30pm.

CRICKET: Second Test, Australia v Pakistan – BT Sport 2 3.15am (Tues).

GRIDIRON: NFL, Seattle Seahawks v Minnesota Vikings – Sky Sports Action 1am (Tues). SNOOKER: UK Championship – BBC Two 1pm, Eurosport 1 1pm, 6.45pm.

Picture: Caroline Trotter. Prizewinners at Lundin Ladies Golf Club were presented with their awards recently.