BULLS STAR IS OFF TO A FLIER
Igor can send Brazil nuts by reaching the Crucible
■ (left)
NEW Bradford signing Linda Mclean will fight fire with fire when Women’s Super League returns this week.
And nobody is better prepared than a woman who spends her life working as a test engineer on some of the world’s deadliest fighter jets. That includes testing weapons on the Eurofighter Typhoon – as the combat aircraft is flying at incredible speeds of up to 1,500mph. The 30-year-old might be brought back to earth with a bump on Sunday when she makes her Super League bow for the Bulls against St Helens. But Mclean (left) insists both her RAF and playing careers give her an adrenalin rush that is hard to match. She said: “I have wanted to be a flight test engineer ever since I joined the airforce. I feel exceptionally lucky to do what I do. “To go flying and testing all the new equipment we are bringing on
BRAZIL’S Igor Figueiredo wants to light up the Crucible with his samba snooker.
The 43-year-old from Rio de Janeiro stands one win away from being the first player from South America to qualify for the Betfred World Championship.
Figueiredo has made huge sacrifices chasing his dream, relocating from one of the world’s greatest cities to Darlington.
That has meant leaving his beloved wife and three kids behind, leading to moments of “crying alone” and bouts of depression.
But after failing to win a World Championship qualifier for five years, now only Walsall’s Mark Joyce stands in his way tomorrow.
Figueiredo had not even seen a full size 12x6ft snooker table until he was 32 because those in Brazil are 10x5ft.
Sports fans in the UK are more used to seeing Brazilians performing magic with a football than a cue ball but Figueiredo’s raw talent has got him a long way.
He said: “Snooker is so popular in Brazil, though obviously football is the religion back home. A lot of people watch my matches online.
“Many famous Brazil footballers just love it. Basically to relax they play cards and also snooker.
“I know Neymar and Romario are huge fans and a lot of players have tables in their houses. If I could be
EXCLUSIVE by JULIE STOTT
to the aircraft – from something simple to new weapons – is pretty exciting.”
The RAF has also supported Mclean’s love of rugby, with the centre representing the RAF and the UK Armed Forces at both league and union.
But running out for the Bulls will be a step up in standard and Mclean cannot wait for her debut.
She said: “I have spent years watching men’s Super League on TV, so to get the opportunity to play Women’s Super League is so exciting.
“It will definitely be a pinchmyself
■ (right) the first player from South America to make the Crucible, it would be very big for snooker in Brazil.
“I’ve made many, many sacrifices for chances like this. I have not seen my beautiful wife and three children since Christmas and probably won’t see them again until next Christmas.
“Because of Covid, and especially the situation in Brazil right now with a big quarantine, it is much harder to travel but they are all healthy.
“Sometimes you find yourself crying alone with the depression from the snooker life and the sacrifices.
“I am practising 10 hours a day. It is food, sleep, shower, practise and that’s it. Nothing more.”
Figueiredo owes his place in the final qualifying round to two huge slices of luck against regular Northeast practice partner Thepchaiya Un-nooh from Thailand.
Fluked reds in the last two frames when trailing 5-4 eased his path to victory, almost certainly saving his place on tour and a season’s best payday of £15,000 and counting.
He said: “They were two very big flukes. There are good words and bad words to describe that sort of luck in Portuguese! But a good word is ‘Sorte’ – very lucky.
“I remember seeing Mark Selby shaking his left foot after a fluke. I think that means the same thing, like you stepped in something!” moment when I drive into the car park for the first game and it becomes real.”
Joining her will be Corporal Alice Fisher, who also works at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire and who has been with the Bulls for two years.
While Mclean does her work at supersonic speeds, Fisher is on the ground supporting the fighter jets in flight operations.
Mclean said: “The RAF have helped both of us massively because it takes us nearly two hours to get to training and then another two hours to get back.
“Some of the Bradford girls are a bit shocked that we come so far but we feel so lucky to be playing.
“It is so exciting to see young girls looking up to us as role models and seeing that there is a path that they can go on. But at the moment I’m just looking forward to the Super League season.
“Sunday is not only my first game for Bradford, but my first game in over a year because of Covid.”