Sport-in-brief - your weekly update from the high performance sports community
Subscribe
Christine Ohuruogu
Getty images
Related content
Grace Cullen 25 September 2012
Archery: GB archer Danielle Brown won a silver medal at the World Cup Grand Final in Tokyo. Brown defeated Italy's Marcella Tonioli and the USA's Christie Colin, before losing to another American, Jamie Van Natta, in the gold medal match.
The first Paralympian ever to take part in a World Cup Grand Final, Brown became the fourth GB archer to win a medal at this event. Alan Wills won bronze in Dubai five years ago, Nichola Simpson took silver in Lausanne in 2008, and Simon Terry a silver in Copenhagen the following year.
She said: "I'm so pleased that I managed to shoot better scores than at the Paralympics. I'm really happy with this medal, I didn't know I would be coming here until a week ago, so I didn't expect anything at all - but to come home with a medal is brilliant.
"It was easier to shoot here than at the Paralympics. The competition level was obviously higher here, but there were no expectations on me at all. I'm really happy."
Athletics: Olympic silver medallist Christine Ohuruogu is leading thousands of schoolchildren from all over the world in a global ‘race against hunger’ next month in the World Marathon Challenge.
On 16 October, World Food Day, over 20,000 children from 500 schools across the world will compete against each other in the World Marathon Challenge for Save the Children, raising awareness of the millions of children who don’t have enough food to eat.
From Scotland to Spain and Kathmandu to Kenya, teams of children from over 40 countries will run the marathon distance of 26.2 miles as a relay race and try and smash Patrick Makau’s world record of 2 hours, 3 minutes and 38 seconds.
Ohuruogu will lead off a group of schools participating in the World Marathon Challenge in Willesden, north-west London on October 16.
She said: “As an ambassador for the Aviva Athletics Academy I’ve seen countless lives changed by athletics, as kids are given an opportunity to fulfil their sporting potential and live healthier lives. For that reason, I am pleased to be supporting the 2012 World Marathon Challenge in aid of Save the Children. Giving kids the opportunity to run as part of a marathon relay team on October 16 will change lives across the globe.”
Badminton: BADMINTON England has appointed 2004 Olympic mixed doubles silver medallist and 2006 World Champion Nathan Robertson as an ambassador, joining his former mixed doubles partner Gail Emms in the role.
Adrian Christy, Chief Executive of BADMINTON England, said: “Nathan has so much to offer the game and as soon as we were aware of his decision to retire we began to make plans that would ensure we could retain his knowledge and enthusiasm as well as respecting the many other plans he has.
“We have several exciting projects being scoped right now and we will draw on all of Nathan’s experience as these take shape. I am delighted to have him working with us.”
Cycling: GB’s elite riders missed out on the medals at the Road World Championships in Limburg, but there was success for the junior women in both the time trial and the road race.
Alex Dowsett, British time trial champion, was Britain’s sole representative in the elite men’s time trial with Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins and Olympic bronze medallist Chris Froome both opting out. Dowsett finished eighth, with Germany’s Tony Martin winning from Taylor Phinney of the USA. In the women’s elite time trial, Emma Pooley finished an agonising fourth, as reigning world champion Judith Arndt of Germany retained her title with a stunning performance on the 24.3km Limburg course. The other British representative, Wendy Houvenaghel, finished 14th.
Elinor Barker took gold in the women’s junior time trial finishing in 22:26.29 - 35 seconds clear of second place Cecile Uttrup Ludwig of Denmark. For Barker the gold follows the silver she won in the same event in Copenhagen last year and caps a superb 12 months which has seen her crowned European junior women's individual pursuit champion before she picked up a silver in the omnium and individual pursuit as well as a bronze in the team pursuit at the junior world track championships in New Zealand in August.
The men’s elite road race was won by Belgium’s Phillipe Gilbert, with Jonathan Tiernan-Locke Britain’s highest placed finisher in 19th. Defending champion Mark Cavendish withdrew with 110km to go. The women’s elite road race was won by Olympic champion Marianne Vos of Holland, with Emma Pooley the best-placed Briton in 15th place.
Reigning champion in the junior women’s road race, GB’s Lucy Garner successfully defended her title, staying with the lead group throughout, assisted by team mates Elinor Barker, Emily Kay, Molly Weaver and Jessie Walker.
With the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Glasgow selling out in just one hour, British Cycling has launched a campaign to promote Track Cycling in Glasgow.
The On Track to Glasgow campaign will see a series of initiatives around the Track World Cup taking place in November to inspire people in Glasgow to try Track Cycling. British Cycling has held back a quarter of the seats on the Friday of the sell-out event for local school children to attend with each school receiving a personal invitation from Sir Chris Hoy. Track riders will also visit select schools across Glasgow to engage school children in the sport. Pop up track bikes will also appear over the coming months around Glasgow city centre giving people the chance to try out track cycling.
Tennis: Olympic mixed doubles silver medallist and British number one Laura Robson became the first British woman to reach a WTA singles final since 1990 at the WTA Guangzhou event in China. Robson ultimately lost the match 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 to Chinese Taipei’s Su-Wei Hseih in two hours 48 minutes, but will now rise into the top 70 of the world rankings for the first time.
British number two Heather Watson was knocked out of the Pan Pacific Open in Japan with a narrow defeat by world number two Maria Sharapova of Russia. Watson came through qualifying to reach the main draw in Tokyo and beat world number 30 Sabine Lisicki in round one.
