Other Sports

'Nervous' Calzaghe picks up CBE

2008-11-26T20:32:00.001Z

Boxing champion Joe Calzaghe has received a CBE from the Queen at Buckingham Palace. (Pictures courtesy of British Ceremonial Arts)
Undefeated world champion boxer Joe Calzaghe admitted to being nervous as he received his CBE from the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
Calzaghe was recognised for services to sport and voluntary services in Wales, in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
"I think she said I was undefeated. I blabbered something out," he said after the ceremony.
Earlier this month, he recorded his 46th unbeaten fight by defeating American Roy Jones Jr in New York.
Trained by his father Enzo - who joined him at the Palace - Calzaghe, from Newbridge, has dominated the super-middleweight division for 10 years.
Calzaghe said he could barely remember what the Queen had said to him as he was so nervous.
"I was pretty relaxed until I got to the front then I started to get nervous. It's nerve-wracking talking to the Queen.
"It's a lot easier talking about boxing," he said.

Proud as punch - Joe Calzaghe with his CBE outside Buckingham Palace
Enlarge Image
"She said I do a lot of charity work and I said I do a lot of work with children."
The boxer, who is also an MBE, said he was still undecided whether to retire.
"It'll have to be something really special to make me want to fight again but I'll decide in the new year," he said.
"There'll always be another up-and-coming fighter. It depends how long you want to go on. It depends if I want to push it a bit or stop."
Calzaghe was accompanied to Buckingham Palace by his parents Enzo and Jackie and his girlfriend Jo-Emma Lavin.
Enzo added: "It's been a fantastic year for him".
In November 2007, Calzaghe beat Mikel Kessler to unify the WBO, WBA and WBC titles for the first time.
He then stepped up to light-heavyweight and defeated Bernard Hopkins in April to claim the championship belt.
He outclassed Jones Jr in their Madison Square Garden bout despite being knocked down in the first round, earning himself plaudits as the UK's greatest boxer yet.
Also receiving honours at the palace ceremony was actor Don Warrington, best known for playing Philip Smith in the 70s sitcom Rising Damp, and a contestant in the latest series of Strictly Come Dancing.
Architect Lord Rogers was made a Companion of Honour, while Sir Alan Beith, the Liberal Democrats' longest-serving MP and a former deputy leader of the party, was knighted.

Joe Calzaghe with his parents and girlfriend outside Buckingham Palace

Higgins open to Crucible switch

2008-10-27T16:36:00.000Z

Higgins beat Ryan Day to claim his fourth Grand Prix title
John Higgins says he would not object to snooker's World Championship being moved away from Sheffield.
Scotland's two-time winner says it could be time the event had a new home after 31 years at the Crucible Theatre.
"I've won twice and also lost a final in Sheffield and they were great times, but I'm not sentimental," said Higgins.
"[But] if something bigger and better comes along and maybe the money could go up, there's no way that we should stay there."
Head of World Snooker Sir Rodney Walker says he has been approached about switching the event to among other places, China.
And Higgins, who won his fourth Grand Prix Championship on Sunday, believes it may be time to take the World Championship overseas.
"If China are going to come in and give more money compared to the Crucible, I'm all for it," added Higgins.
"We've got to move ahead and it's a bigger world now. There are so many more countries out there that like snooker, whereas 20 years ago it was maybe just the UK that really liked the game.
My main aim this year was to come in and try to win again and try to get my name mentioned alongside the great players
John Higgins
"There are so many countries involved in trying to take the game of snooker on to another level and we should be embracing that.
"Hopefully, it can do well for all the players because that's what all the players want. We just want to be playing in more tournaments and, I suppose, winning more money."
Meanwhile, Higgins has revealed the motivation for his quest to regain a place among snooker's elite.
"It's a bit of vanity, I think," said the 33-year-old, who has seen himself recently eclipsed by O'Sullivan, Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy and compatriot Stephen Maguire.
"You hear everybody saying I used to be part of the 'big four', with Hendry, O'Sullivan, Williams and there's other people talking about the big four now.
"Obviously, Ronnie's still there, but with new ones: Selby, Murphy and Maguire.
"You think to yourself, 'I want to be spoken about in that breath because I still think I'm good enough to be spoken about in that company'.
"That was my main aim this year, to come in and try to win again and try to get my name mentioned alongside the great players. Because it's not nice when you fall away and people are not really expecting you to do anything.
"This must give me confidence to go on and play better this season. If it doesn't give you confidence, nothing will."

Cooke battles to world road title

2008-09-28T20:43:00.001+01:00

The gutsy Cooke timed her sprint finish to perfection
Britain's Olympic gold medallist Nicole Cooke won the women's road race title at the World Championships in Italy after a dramatic sprint finish.
Cooke overtook Marianne Vos of the Netherlands in a race for the line, with Germany's Judith Arndt third.
Welsh rider Cooke, with two bronze and one silver medal in previous World Championships, said: "I have always wanted the winner's rainbow jersey.
"At the finale I tried my best, it was instinct. It was a really hard race."
A group of 12 riders championed by American Kristin Armstrong had led for most of the eight-lap 86-mile (138.4 kilometre) race, with their advantage over the rest of the field fluctuating around the one-minute mark and at one point clearing two minutes.
The chasing pack lacked cohesion in their attempts to catch the leaders but GB's Emma Pooley launched a series of attacks off the front that helped to reduce the deficit.
And the breakaway 12, including Great Britain's Elizabeth Armitstead, were caught going into the final lap of the race and five riders - Cooke, Vos, Arndt, German Trixi Worrack and Sweden's Emma Johansson - were left to contest the medals for most of a thrilling final lap.
The riders launched a series of attacks and counter attacks, with German duo Arndt and Worrack launching one after another to try to unsettle the other three competitors.
Johansson, who won silver behind Cooke in Beijing, appeared to have caught the other four by surprise when she went off the front for a long-range finish with two kilometres remaining.
It looked for a while as though she would last the distance but was eventually caught by the impressive Vos.
I was set up perfectly by my team-mates. What more can you ask for?
Nicole Cooke
The Dutch rider, who won the points race at the Olympics, looked a strong bet but Cooke dug deep to overhaul more than a bike length and cross the line first.
"I tried to get back on her wheel," added 25-year-old Cooke. "After a long race 100 metres can seem more like 200.
"When I started the race I was very relaxed because I'd already achieved my goal for the year which was to win the Olympics.
"But I was set up perfectly by my team-mates. What more can you ask for?"
Dutch rider Vos said: "I felt good in the last lap. I couldn't do any better, I couldn't go faster.
"Last year I started my sprint too late and this year I thought I had gotten it just right.
"When I looked back and saw Nicole coming on strong I knew I couldn't win. I'm still second, it's still a spot on the podium."
GB cycling supermo David Brailsford said: "Nicole has shown that she is the best around at the moment.
"It is brilliant for Nicole and the rest of the team. We really are a team to be reckoned with now."
The final race of the World Championships is Sunday's men's road race.

Laoshan Velodrome, Beijing

2008-08-20T11:59:00.000+01:00

A few days ago I asked the slightly ridiculous question of who is the greatest Olympian of all time.
What prompted me to do so was having seen Usain Bolt's euphoric assault on physics in the 100m and the finale of Michael Phelps' accumulation of gold medallions in the pool.
But "GOATs" are a bit like London buses at the minute: none for ages and then three at once.
Now, I'm not going to suggest Chris Hoy is the greatest anything ever - I'll leave that to others.
I'm just going to tell you if there is a humbler, more inspirational, more personable Olympic sporting great out there, I would like to buy that person Beijing's finest steak supper and hear their story too.
Let me just recount some facts: three gold medals in these Games, another in Athens and a silver in Sydney. That makes Hoy the first British athlete to win three golds in a single Olympics since swimmer Henry Taylor in 1908. On top of all that, he has won nine golds, five silvers and four bronzes across 10 world championships. He is also a two-time Commonwealth champion.
The 32-year-old former BMX star finished his five-day shift in the Beijing velodrome as he started it: unbeaten, untouchable and unrivalled.
His 2-0 semi-final victory over Mickael Bourgain in the men's sprint suggests the Scot was a comfortable winner: trust me, that score flatters the Frenchman. Those races were the 15th and 16th wins for Hoy and he would not have to wait long for triumphs 17 and 18 (the same number of races Phelps swam on his way to eight golds...and he didn't win all of his).
The final pitted him against team-mate Jason Kenny - the second all-British final at Laoshan - and it is to Kenny's credit he actually stretched Hoy in their first race. The 20-year-old, who had teamed up with Hoy and Jamie Staff to get the British medal machine up-and-running in the team sprint on Friday, pulled off a sneak attack as they jockeyed for position on the bank.
Against anybody else, Kenny's move, which bought him a five-metre gap, would have worked. Hoy, however, simply muscled his way around the final lap in a time of 10.216 seconds (that's nearly 44mph) to beat the Englishman on the line.
The second race was more clear-cut and Hoy, who also led a British one-two in the men's keirin on Saturday, was able to sit up and celebrate as he crossed the line.
Those celebrations were a joy to behold. So focused and contained after his two previous gold-medal displays, Hoy was able to let it all out this time. There were big hugs for mum, dad, girlfriend and other friends and family, more hugs for coaches, team-mates and support staff, and hearty handshakes for just about everybody else.
After the medal ceremony was out of the way - the seventh of 10 at the velodrome to feature that upbeat ditty God Save the Queen and one or more Union Flags - Hoy embarked on a punishing round of interviews. They looked more tiring than some of his races but he never stopped answering the questions or agreeing to "one more over here please, Chris".
As is his wont, Hoy was quick to praise his beaten opponent.
"(Kenny) is going to be the best in the world," he said. "I'm just lucky to have met him now."
He then explained how much pressure had been released when he crossed the line for that third gold.
"It's an unbelievable feeling but everything just comes out," he said. "There was so much expectation, and it's been a really hard five days of racing, but then you cross the finish and it's all over and you've won. It makes everything worthwhile. All the sacrifices, all the hard work."
The expectations Hoy was labouring under were entirely self-inflicted. If you keep winning medals you're going to get a reputation.
British cycling's Olympic breakout has been one of those overnight miracles that have been a long time coming. Segments of the general public might be shocked by all this shameless success but cycling aficionados have been waiting for it - they're not surprised by what has happened, they're revelling in it.
"You can never expect a medal," Hoy said. "But we knew if we performed we'd be really hard to beat.
"I knew I could not have worked any harder. If somebody was going to beat me they were going to have to do something pretty special. And if they had I would have shaken their hand knowing I had given everything."
And that is British cycling's great "secret". They give it everything, be it in terms of training, equipment, preparation, you name it, no other team could match Team GB's efforts.
I spoke to Chris Boardman, the man who planted the seed of this week's mighty harvest with his individual pursuit gold back in 1992, and he summed it up like this: "The mission is clear - we're not involved in promoting cycling or anything like that. Our job is to win medals. We remember that all the time and everything we do is built around that objective.
"The attention to detail, the hard work, the great people we have, the hours we put in on the track or in the wind tunnel - everything starts from that clear mission."
There is no doubt British cycling has stolen a march on the rest of the world. The other teams could only look on enviously at the size and professionalism of Team GB's set-up (we were the only team to have a full-time sports psychologist here) and there is talk that many talented coaches from abroad want to join the winning team, not take it on.
Hoy was quick to praise the backroom effort - "our job is easy, we just ride our bikes, they look after everything else" - as have other members of the team all week.
But individuals matter too and it should not be forgotten British cycling is on top because it has remarkable talents like Hoy, Bradley Wiggins (who could also have won his third Olympic gold of the Games but ran out of steam in the Madison race) and Victoria Pendleton .In fact, Pendleton made it quite clear who her inspiration was: "Chris (Hoy) is a legend. He's my hero and he's even more of a legend now."
Hoy, the unofficial team captain (which is always the best way), is not the type to let that kind of talk go to his head - he'll be back training in a month and be back for more medals in London ("If I can get into the team," he said with genuine modesty), but his life will change now. He's made an undeniable bid for greatness, all that's left is how you define that.

O'Sullivan punished for comments

2008-07-28T10:20:00.000+01:00

O'Sullivan's points deduction will not affect his ranking
World champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has been fined by World Snooker and docked ranking points for lewd comments at a media conference at the China Open.
The 32-year-old lost the 700 ranking points he earned for his first-round defeat by Marco Fu in Beijing, but he will remain world number one.
O'Sullivan was fined £2,750 and a spokesman for O'Sullivan said: "Ronnie has accepted his punishment.
"He realises he made a mistake, but he never intended to offend anyone."
O'Sullivan's sexually suggestive comments were branded as "unacceptable" by World Snooker chairman Sir Rodney Walker and the matter was referred to a disciplinary committee.

oneball2"He wants to forget what happened and move forward," added the spokesman for O'Sullivan's management company 110Sport.
"He has apologised to World Snooker, the promoter of the China Open, his fans and also to his sponsors.
"He is keen to get on with his career and continue demonstrating why he is regarded as the best player in the world."
O'Sullivan had already apologised for his comments, admitting he was embarrassed by his actions and chastising himself for letting down his family with his behaviour at the tournament in March.
Since then, he has won his third world title with a comprehensive 18-8 defeat of Ali Carter in the final in April.
In May 2007 O'Sullivan was fined after walking out of a match against Stephen Hendry, and he was banned and fined in 1996 for assaulting a snooker official.

Wimbledon - Federer win over Hewitt!

2008-06-30T15:41:00.000+01:00

Defending champion Roger Federer eased past Lleyton Hewitt without ever hitting the heights to reach the quarter-finals at Wimbledon.
The Swiss star won 7-6 (8-6) 6-2 6-4 on a sun-drenched Centre Court.
Hewitt put up a good fight in a first set in which there were no break points, and Federer needed four set points before taking the tie-break.
The top seed then broke twice at the start of the second and raced away to win in one hour 48 minutes.
He will play grass-court specialist Mario Ancic or Spain's Fernando Verdasco in the last eight.
It was far from a flawless performance from Federer and he struggled to put away Hewitt - struggling with a hip injury - in the first set, thumping a forehand long on one of four set points.
But once he finally wrapped it up with an ace there was only going to be one winner - as there had been in the last 11 meetings between the pair.
Federer faced break points in four successive games at the end of the second and start of the third sets, but always raised his game when it mattered and never seemed unduly worried.
The Swiss had saved eight break points but got a crucial break of his own in game three of the third.
That was the decisive blow and Federer sealed victory soon after with yet another heavy serve that Hewitt could not return.

O'Sullivan 147 sees off Williams

2008-04-29T19:31:00.000+01:00

Ronnie O'Sullivan was in scintillating form at The Crucible
Ronnie O'Sullivan hit a breathtaking 147 to seal a 13-7 victory over Mark Williams and cruise into the last eight of the World Championship in Sheffield.
O'Sullivan led 9-7 going into the final session and continued to cue beautifully as he extended his lead.
Breaks of 71 and 60 added to the lead before a 100 took him to the brink.
O'Sullivan then polished his opponent off with the ninth maximum of his career and his third at the Crucible, a venue that has only seen seven in all.
O'SULLIVAN'S 147 BREAKS:
April 1997 at World ChampJan 1999 at Welsh OpenOct 1999 at Grand PrixApril 2000 at Scottish OpenOct 2001 at LG CupApril 2003 at World ChampNov 2007 at N Ireland TrophyDec 2007 at UK Champ April 2008 at World Champ
The 32-year-old will pick up a prize of £157,000 - £147,000 for the maximum plus £10,000 for the highest break - as long as no other player repeats the feat during the rest of the tournament.
The break took O'Sullivan eight minutes and 47 seconds to complete, three minutes longer than the astonishing world record time of 5:20 he set against Mick Price in 1997.
"As soon as I got on the first red I thought that I had to go for the 147," O'Sullivan told BBC Sport.
"Obviously it's more important to win the game but that money gives me a few options in the summer. I'll be getting a Bentley Convertible now - I've been dying to get one!
"The difference between this season and the last 13 seasons is that I've stumbled across a couple of things and kept my discipline with it and stayed patient.
"So I've never hit disastrous standards - before as soon as it went wrong I just wanted to get out of there."
O'Sullivan never put a foot wrong as he thrilled The Crucible crowd, while play stopped between Neil Robertson and Stephen Maguire on the other table inside the theatre.

O'Sullivan plans to spend the money on a car
In potting the 13th black, O'Sullivan released the last two reds with an exquisite cannon - and made the rest of the frame straightforward.
Former world champion Dennis Taylor, who commentated on the break for BBC Sport, described it as one of the finest positional shots he had ever seen.
O'Sullivan, who will face Liang Wenbo in the quarter-finals, now has the record for the most competitive maximum breaks, having previously been tied with Stephen Hendry on eight.
He added: "I really did think I was going to get beaten.
"I expected Mark to really make it count because he's a big game player.
"I had packed my bags because I thought it was one of those games that was going to get away from me."
Defeat for two-time world champion Williams means he will now drop out of the world's top 16, and will thus have to go through qualifying to make the ranking tournaments.
"I've made a big improvement from 12 or 18 months ago but it's still quite rubbish really," said Williams.
"I've got to go to the qualifiers now and I deserve to be going there at the end of the day. Hopefully I can try to get back into the top 16.
"I gave a lot of frames away when I was 50-odd up and kept missing frame ball.
"I could have been well in front after the first two sessions and instead he was.
"But the 147 was an excellent break. It's only him who can do a break like that and make it look so easy. I knew he was going to go for it from the moment he was going for the first red.
"He didn't look out of position once."

Great Britain's Mara Yamauchi finished ninth

2007-09-02T10:07:00.000+01:00

As Kenya's Catherine Ndereba claimed marathon gold on the final day of the World Championships in Japan.
Yamauchi, who lives in Japan, was in contention with just six miles to go but then fell away to finish in two hours 32 minutes and 55 seconds.
Ndereba broke clear in the last two miles to beat China's Chunxiu Zhou and Japan's Reiko Tosa in 2:30.37.
Briton Paula Radcliffe did not defend her title because of a back injury.
Yamauchi succeeded in reducing the leading pack from 20 to nine with an injection of pace at the 18-mile mark.
I thought this is my big chance so I've got to try, but I died a bit after that
Mara Yamauchi
But the 34-year-old soon got overtaken by her more experienced rivals, and finished in ninth - an improvement on her 18th-place finish in Helsinki.
"The men's race was decided right at the end so I thought I had to keep something in reserve," said Yamauchi.
"I thought this is my big chance so I've got to try, but I died a bit after that."

Britain's Tracey Morris, who is on the comeback trail after knee surgery, finished 19th in 2:36.40.
"I tried to put it all into this one day," said Morris, who finished comfortably.
There are seven more finals to be decided on the final day of competition in Osaka in the women's high jump, 1500m, the men's 5,000m, javelin and 800m and the 4x400m relays.

Roger v Rafa

2007-07-13T21:45:00.000+01:00

Roger Federer matched Bjorn Borg's five straight Wimbledon titles on Sunday with a 7-6 4-6 7-6 2-6 6-2 win over Rafael Nadal in a classic final.Here's what BBC Sport analyst, and three-time champion, Boris Becker made of it."It's a moment of history, matching Bjorn Borg with five consecutive Wimbledons, and Roger really deserves it. "He's been at the top of the men's game for over three years now, he's won all the major titles apart from the French Open."It's impossible to put the history out of your mind and when you see your idol, Bjorn Borg, sitting in the Royal Box it's even worse! I'm sure Roger had it in his mind and that put even more pressure on him."But all credit to Nadal. I never thought he was a contender for Wimbledon until he made the final last year, and he was a point away from going a break up in the deciding set. "I thought he was the man in control, but Federer wouldn't be Federer if he didn't know how to come back. He played like a champion in the end."The final was so good because it was number one in the world against number two. Those two guys seem to bring out the best in each other."I believe very much that Nadal is the future number one. He's only 21 years old and is improving every year. I couldn't believe how well he played in the final."What does this victory do to the 'Is Federer the best ever' debate? And will Nadal take his number one ranking soon?

Castillo style suits me - Hatton

2007-06-15T09:50:00.001+01:00

Ricky Hatton sees the sights ahead of his fight in Las VegasRicky Hatton says Jose Luis Castillo's style will suit him perfectly when the pair meet in Las Vegas on 23 June for the IBO light welterweight title.
Englishman Hatton plans a repeat of the performance that brought him his finest victory to date against Kostya Tszyu two years ago.
"I think this will be a similar fight to my Kostya Tszyu fight," said Hatton. "This really is my kind of fight.
"Styles make fights and we are two people who don't take a backward step."
Hatton added: ""I expect him to train harder than he has ever trained before in his life because a win against me could lead to so many big-money match-ups for him, but if he loses his stock goes down.
"Castillo's fight against Diego Corrales was one of the fights of the century and if there was any pair-up of styles that could even beat that, you would have to say it was me and Castillo.
It will be a war. I am going to win that war
Jose Luis Castillo
"I don't want to be remembered as the greatest of all time but in years to come I want people to say, he was a good fighter.
"People have DVDs of great fights on their shelves and I want a Ricky Hatton fight to be one of those."
Hatton has won all of his 42 fights but Castillo, who has lost seven of his 55 bouts, believes the 28-year-old has faced inferior opponents.
"I don't think for one minute Ricky Hatton's record bears any comparison with mine," said the Mexican.
"He is 42-0 but things like unbeaten records can be very misleading. I am not bothered about it. It will end."
The Mexican added: "I have fought and beaten some of the best fighters in the world whereas Hatton hasn't got names like Diego Corrales, Floyd Mayweather or Joel Casamayor on his record.
606: DEBATE
I have to agree with Castillo - being unbeaten doesn't mean a great deal
BW
"He fought Tszyu when Kostya was on the way down and even then Ricky had home advantage."
Nevertheless, Castillo conceded that Hatton was a tough proposition and said he has trained harder than ever before for the IBO light welterweight title bout in Las Vegas.
"Hatton is a good, strong fighter, but I am going to knock him out," said the 33-year-old. "Hatton is there to be beaten and I know I am going to be the first boxer to do it.
"My trainer told me he has never seen me any better in the sparring I have done. That is a warning to Hatton and he should know that on 23 June it will be a war. I am going to win that war.
"Hatton will have never seen anything like me. I have the best upper cut in the division and I will use it against Hatton.
"Ricky is used to slow, cumbersome fighters, but I have real hand speed and that will cut him down."

Kenyan trio to miss World Champs

2007-05-25T14:02:00.000+01:00

Tergat has told Athletics Kenya he is running elsewhereWorld record holder Paul Tergat is one of three Kenyan marathon stars who will not be available for August's World Championships in Osaka.
London champion Martin Lel and Boston winner Robert Cheruiyot are the others.
"We approached all the top runners but they told us they had contracts to run elsewhere around that time," said David Okeyo of Athletics Kenya.
"We respect their decisions because even our provisional team is composed of very good runners."
Last year's London marathon winner Felix Limo, who was third behind Lel in April, and Rotterdam champion Joshua Chelanga, have also been excluded from the provisional Kenyan team.

Selby fights back against Murphy

2007-05-04T22:25:00.000+01:00

Murphy could have taken a bigger lead against Selby in SheffieldMark Selby fought back from a two-frame deficit to end the second session of his World Championship semi-final against Shaun Murphy level at 8-8.
Resuming 5-3 behind, Selby took the first two frames to put the pressure back on the former champion.
Neither player really sparkled in an attritional session, although Selby's 128 clearance to go 7-6 up was the entertaining exception to the rule.
Murphy made a 64 in the last to ensure the session ended all square.
Shaun Murphy (Eng) 8-8 Mark Selby (Eng)77-0 75-31 (70) 19-94 (55) 90-1 (84) 101-0 (101) 62-18 (55) 22-85 46-66 1-75 1-67 (60) 70-5 (55) 12-79 0-128 (128) 87-43 28-90 65-20

'WWII bomb risk' to Olympic site

2007-04-20T21:13:00.001+01:00

More than 200 unexploded bombs are still buried in east LondonUnexploded World War II bombs may be buried under the east London 2012 Olympic Games site, BBC London has learned.
More than 200 of the 1,500 bombs dropped in east London failed to detonate, said a report for the London Development Agency (LDA).
It classed some of the 500-acre site as "high risk" and experts have begun scanning the area for ordnance.
The cost of the work has been factored into the site clean-up, said the LDA.
Luftwaffe
At the peak of the Blitz thousands of bombs were dropped on London by the German Luftwaffe and some failed to explode.
The only way you're going to get this dealt with is with a real pressure point like the Olympics
Ken Livingstone
A civil defence map used in the report, by independent site investigation firm Zetica, shows where bombs fell over east London.
Of 1,493 high explosive bombs identified, 207 remain unexploded, according to the report.
London Mayor Ken Livingstone said the Olympic site was one of the most polluted places in southern England.
"Of course there's a risk of bombs," he said. "We did get a lot of dropped on us during the war and we haven't found them all yet.
"The only way you're going to get this dealt with is with a real pressure point like the Olympics."
Report author Mike Sainsbury, of Zetica, said the area was targeted by the Germans as it was close to east London docks.
He said: "I believe it was Hitler's own personal goal to strangle London by targeting docks."
Steve Davis, of the LDA, said nothing was being left to chance.
"We will be able to detect ordnance if it's there in the areas we're going to probe," he said.

Froch ready for Tatevosyan clash

2007-03-23T21:41:00.000Z

Froch wants to fight WBO champion Joe Calzaghe this yearBriton Carl Froch aims to become the first man to stop rugged Russian Sergey Tatevosyan on Friday and further enhance his world title credentials.
Froch, the British and Commonwealth super middleweight champion, faces Tatevosyan at the Nottingham Arena.
The unbeaten 29-year-old said: "There is nobody left on the domestic scene who wants to know me now so it is all about moving on a world title shot.
"We have a plan and this opponent has been selected with the future in mind."
Froch may have been denied the chance to challenge for the European title by politics, but he is looking to make the most of this valuable non-title test.
Tatevosyan scored a career-best knockout of Dane Rudy Markussen in October, then went the distance with prospective future Froch opponent Lucien Bute in Montreal.
I've always been a late developer and I am just coming into my peak now
Carl Froch
Froch added: "Tatevosyan is a difficult, well-schooled fighter who can punch a bit.
"This is the type of fight where I can really cement my status with the various sanctioning bodies for a world title eliminator."
Now ranked at number three by both the WBC and the WBO, and fifth by the IBF, Froch believes he is close to reaching his potential.
"I've always been a late developer and I am just coming into my peak now," he said.
"I feel physically stronger and tactically and technically I am still working on stuff and learning."
Froch saw off Tony Dodson in November to retain his British and Commonwealth titles but insists Wales' WBO champion Joe Calzaghe is the man he really wants to meet.
"I'm high up in the rankings but Calzaghe is the one I'm interested in," he added.
Calzaghe, defends his WBO belt against America's Peter Manfredo in Cardiff on 7 April.

Fittipaldi negative on Lewis Hamilton's F1 chances

2007-03-21T08:51:00.000Z

Motor racing great Emerson Fittipaldi has attempted to put a lid on the hype surrounding Britain's Formula One newcomer Lewis Hamilton by claiming he will not win a race this season.

The 22-year-old McLaren driver finished an impressive third last weekend in the curtain-raising Australian Grand Prix. He has been made 8-15 favourite with Betterbet.com to win at least one race this season.

But Fittipaldi, once the youngest F1 world champion, was not swept away in the acclaim that surrounded the 2006 GP2 champion's debut.

"I like what I've seen of him so far," Fittipaldi told Sport magazine.

"He showed his talent in last year's GP2 championship, and that is what Formula One needs - races decided by overtaking on the road and not in the pits.”

Boxing - Napa fails in European title bid

2007-03-10T08:01:00.000Z

Londoner Napa suffered his sixth defeat as a professionalIan Napa failed in his bid to claim the European bantamweight title as he suffered a unanimous points defeat to champion Simone Maludrottu in Dagenham.
The 28-year-old Hackney stylist responded well after a disappointing start and briefly threatened to cause an upset against his Italian opponent.
But despite a high punch count Napa's lack of power again proved decisive.
And Maludrottu, the WBC's number one contender, weathered the storm to win on all three judges' cards.
Napa, the former ABA Champion, swarmed forward for the entire 12 rounds but the better quality punching came from the Italian.
And Maludrottu, making the seventh defence of his title, sealed the victory with scores of 117-112 117-112 116-113.
Napa said: "It was a good fight and all credit to the guy. I was at him for the whole 12 rounds but he's a good fighter."
A lack of height will always prove a handicap for Napa, but he ruled out trying to drop down a division.
"I'm not going to kill myself to be a super-fly," he said.
Maludrottu, also 28, claimed: "I am the best bantamweight in the world and I will be world champion. It is just a matter of time."

Phil powers ahead

2007-03-01T16:07:00.000Z

Betterbet.com now make Phil Taylor 4/5 favourite to win the Premier League Darts (Live on Sky) after he came from behind to beat old adversary Raymond Van Barneveld on Thursday.

Taylor gained a measure of revenge for his defeat in the World Championship final with a stunning 8-6 Holsten Premier League victory over Van Barneveld.

In front of a crowd in excess of 5,000 in Sheffield, the 13-time former world champion battled back from 5-1 down to win seven of the next eight legs and maintain his incredible 33-game unbeaten run in the Premier League.

Taylor won a scrappy opening leg before 'Barney' raced through the next five, hitting a 12-darter in the second and taking advantage of 'The Power' missing three darts at a double in the sixth.

But Taylor came out after the break a different player, immediately hitting a maximum and then a 13-darter on his way to squaring at 5-5.

With the crowd roaring their approval, the Dutchman hit a 116-checkout in the 11th leg with Taylor on 40 to edge ahead again, before Taylor levelled at 6-6.

Van Barneveld should have guaranteed himself at least a draw but he missed four darts at the double in the 13th leg and Taylor held his throw in the next to complete an incredible comeback.

"I had to come back, I had no choice," Taylor told Sky Sports. "Some of the people were shouting out 'Easy, Easy!' and I thought 'No, just keep going'. Hopefully Raymond will give me a shot and he did. And I took my chances, I think, because that's what you've got to do against him."

Barneveld added: "I am very happy for Phil after I beat him in the World final. He is a true sportsman and I am very happy that he beat me tonight - for him, of course. 5-1 up and then suddenly he hit some fantastic darts."

Blair warning over 2012 costs

2007-03-01T08:47:00.001Z

The estimated costs for London 2012 continue to riseThe costs for the 2012 London Olympic Games must be kept "under control", the Prime Minister has warned.
Tony Blair said the Games would be the "greatest sporting event on earth" but insisted a tight budget was key to its success.
Mr Blair was responding to concerns raised by MPs during Prime Minister's Question Time.
It comes following media speculation that costs for the Games could reach as high as £10bn.
Rising costs
David Evennett, Conservative MP for Bexleyheath and Crayford asked the Prime Minister: "With the increasing cost of the Olympics, do you share the concern of London council tax payers, particularly pensioners, about the Olympic levy and these rising costs."
Mr Blair said the Olympic Delivery Authority will publish its budget "in the next few weeks".
"Obviously it's important that we keep the costs properly under control but I think the Olympics will do an immense amount for London, for the whole of the country.
"I think, whether people are youngsters or pensioners or whatever age and in whatever part of the country, we should be extremely thankful we got the Olympics, we should make the investment necessary and we should make sure it is, as we believe it will be, the greatest sporting event on Earth in 2012."

Boxing champ on benefit charges

2007-02-12T22:28:00.000Z

Takaloo holds the World Boxing Union welterweight titleWorld champion boxer Takaloo and his wife have appeared in court charged with benefit fraud.
Iranian-born Mehrdud Takalobiagashi and his wife Sarah are jointly accused of falsely claiming social security, housing and council tax benefits.
Mr Takalobiagashi, of Upper Park, Loughton, Essex and his wife, of Gainsborough Avenue, Margate, Kent, appeared at Canterbury Crown Court.
They were released on bail until 30 April when they are due to enter pleas.
The alleged offences took place between April 2003 and September last year, the court was told.
Mr Takalobiagashi holds the World Boxing Union welterweight title.

Ronnie crashes back down to earth

2007-01-31T15:17:00.000Z

Ronnie O'Sullivan potted few balls and had little to say after being dumped out of the Malta Cup on Thursday night.

Ten days after producing an outstanding performance to crush China's Ding Junhui 10-3 in the final of the Saga Insurance Masters at Wembley Arena, O'Sullivan came crashing back down to earth.

After a lacklustre exhibition, the unpredictable twice world champion crashed to a 5-3 first round defeat at the hands of Michael Holt, the world number 21.

O'Sullivan did face the press - unlike after certain matches at the Masters - but when asked three innocuous questions about the result flatly refused to comment.

Whether O'Sullivan's press conference attendance can be deemed fulfilling his contractual obligation is open to debate.

Betterbet.com now make Michael Holt an even money chance to get past Mark King (8/11) in the next round.

The Federer building society offering good rates

2007-01-25T22:55:00.000Z

No surprise to see Roger Federer made 1-14 favourite by betterbet.com to win the Australian Open. It's hardly a working mans price and in the days of betting tax would have been a losing bet but with tax free betting the 7% rate of interest in such a short space of time looks a damn sight more attractive than what the Halifax will offer you.

Federer produced another tennis masterclass to destroy Andy Roddick's Australian Open title hopes.

The world number one continued his dominance of Roddick with a 6-4 6-0 6-2 victory in Melbourne to set up a final meeting with either Fernando Gonzalez or Tommy Haas.

Federer, who had won 12 of his 13 competitive meetings with Roddick heading into their semi-final, broke in the opening game of the match to set the tone, but Roddick managed to retrieve the situation and moved ahead 4-3.

Federer will find out his opponent for Sunday's title decider on Friday when Gonzalez, conqueror of Rafael Nadal in the last eight, meets Haas.

Hamilton escapes injury in crash

2007-01-25T20:52:00.000Z

Hamilton is left without a car for the rest of this week's testingLewis Hamilton escaped unhurt following an accident during a test session with McLaren in Valencia on Thursday.
Just 10 days after unveiling the new MP4-22 in the Spanish city, the 22-year-old Briton badly damaged his car at the Ricardo Tormo circuit.
Hertfordshire's Hamilton shrugged off the incident, saying: "Unfortunately, these things happen in this sport.
"I am completely fine and I'm looking forward to getting back to testing next week."
It has not yet been determined whether it was a mechanical failure or driver error that led to the shunt.
A McLaren spokesperson confirmed: "Lewis was unhurt but the MP4-22 will not be repairable in Valencia. The cause of the accident is being investigated."
Hamilton was confirmed as a McLaren's second driver alongside reigning world champion Fernando Alonso nearly two months ago.
He has long been groomed for success by team principal Ron Dennis, coming to prominence last year when he won the GP2 title.
This first serious accident in F1 for Hamilton leaves him a spectator on the final day of the three-day test session.
Alonso will continue the team's testing programme on his own on Friday.
McLaren are again in Valencia for more testing from next Tuesday through to Thursday.

Ohuruogu faces anxious ban wait

2007-01-11T18:24:00.000Z

Ohuruogu says her ban is disproportionately harsh
Christine Ohuruogu is likely to have to wait at least two weeks before finding out whether her drugs ban will stand.
The Commonwealth 400m champion was banned for a year after missing three out-of-competition tests in 18 months.

Ohuruogu's lawyer appeared before a Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) tribunal in London on Thursday.

A Cas spokesman said: "No decision is likely to be announced until the tribunal considers the matter, which can take between two and three weeks."

Ohuruogu was found guilty by an UK Athletics independent disciplinary committee and saw her ban begin in August last year, but almost immediately decided to appeal to the Cas.

The 2012 Olympic prospect has had her funding and medical support withdrawn as a result of her suspension.

Being classed as a drug cheat would see her banned from representing Great Britain at future Olympic Games.

UKA's disciplinary committee conceded Ohuruogu made an unintentional mistake due to forgetfulness, and stressed that she was not deliberately trying to beat the testing procedures.

Three-month ban

Ohuruogu's lawyers argued on Thursday that IAAF sentencing guidelines are notably tougher than other sports.

Britain's world triathlon champion Tim Don received only a three-month ban for the same offence under his sport's regulations.

IAAF and UK Athletics lawyers were also in attendance at the secret hearing.

Paula Radcliffe, one of the world's leading anti-doping campaigners, has already given her backing to Ohuruogu.

"If Christine lived in any other country, she would not be serving a 12-month ban and that is not fair," said Radcliffe.

"I think it is good that the rules are strictly applied in Britain but it cannot be different in other countries.

"I don't think for one minute she is guilty of doping."

Ohuruogu, who won the 400m gold medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, says she will quit athletics if her ban is upheld.

Murray fit for Australian challenge

2007-01-09T23:29:00.000Z

Andy Murray overpowered Ivan Ljubicic in the AAMI Kooyong Classic and then declared himself fit and ready to challenge for honours at the Australian Open.

Murray was given the chance to avenge his defeat by the Croatian in the final of the Qatar Open last week and took it with a solid 6-4 6-2 victory.

The 19-year-old is competing against seven other players - including former winners Andy Roddick and Roger Federer - in the Kooyong exhibition, which sees each competitor play three matches before a final on Saturday.

Murray got off to a fine start with a win over the man who beat him 6-4 6-4 to take the title in Doha and has now set his sights on performing at this month's grand slam.

Murray said: "I think I've learned to deal with things better, and I'm much stronger, not just physically but mentally as well.

Betterbet.com make Murray a 33/1 chance to win his first Grand Slam, with Federer the red hot 2/5 favourite.

2007 - off to a flier

2007-01-03T23:37:00.000Z

Extremely early days of course but could 2007 be a vintage year for sport ?

Well it certainly started a lot better than the last year ended. No disrespect to Zara Phillips but her BBC Sports Personality Of The Year gong was far more down to the dismal and abject failings of UK Sport PLC during 2006.

On New Year's Day however we saw the light at the end of the tunnel. After a thrilling encounter between Newcastle and Manchester United the evening continued with perhaps one of the most thrilling darts matches of all time at Purfleet where Phil 'The Power' Taylor was beaten in a thrilling deciding leg.

And then a few hours later even the England cricket team started to perform and were even spotted at single figure odds to win a test on betterbet.com !

Good quality, exciting sport makes the thrill of a bet even greater so let's hope the mediocrity has ended and we have a year to celebrate.