Gold for Roberto Pavoni at British Swimming Championships

Roberto Pavoni swam a lifetime best of 1:57.79 in the 200m individual medley at the British Swimming Championships in London.  This took the gold ahead of Dan Wallace and Tristan Slater and secured a place in the GB team for the World Championships.

Robert Pavoni at Swim4Leukaemia, Ponds Forge, Sheffield, February 2014

He joins Jazz Carlin, Adam Peaty, Chris Walker-Hebborn and James Guy who secured their spots on the team earlier in the meet.

Jessica Ennis-Hill confirms participation at the Anniversary Games

Jessica Ennis-Hill has added to her growing list of comeback events this year by confirming that she will compete at the Anniversary Games Diamond League meeting in London on 24-25th July.

This comes after confirmation of her entry at the Manchester City Games and Gotzis Hypo meet, both in May.

"My race schedule is starting to take shape and it will be good to compete," she said.  "My main goal this season is to be as competitive as possible with the long term goal being at the Rio Olympics."

World Snooker qualifiers - update on some former champions

Peter Ebdon, champion in 2002, will miss out again on a return to Sheffield's Crucible this year after losing in the World Championship second qualifying round.  He lost 7-10 to Grimsby's Stuart Carrington

A view of the main hall at Ponds Forge with its 11 tables

Six-time finalist Jimmy White defeated James Wattana 10-3 in the first qualifying round to keep his dream of a Crucible return alive, but although he started 7-2 in his second-round match to Matthew Selt eventually lost 10-8.

Table 1, main hall Ponds Forge

Six-time World Champion Steve Davis beat Jamie Cope 10-9 on the last black in his first round qualifier.  He later bombed out 10-1 to Kurt Maflin after losing a one-sided morning session 8-1.   

Ken Doherty progressed again - after beating Lee Walker 10-6 he will next face Mark Davies.

Sheffield Junior Saints U14s start well in the National Basketball playoffs

Sheffield Junior Saints U14s continued their unbeaten season with a 90-69 win over Liverpool at All Saints school today in the first round of playoffs.

An untypical first quarter saw them well down at 10-25 as Liverpool defended well and scored regularly in what looked to be a tough game for the Saints.  After that, Saints found their rythmn, pulled the deficit back to 35-41 at half-time, led 59-56 at the third and then scored 31-13 in the fourth.

Snooker World Championship 2015 - Reanne Evans starts qualifying match against Ken Doherty

Reanne Evans, England's 10-time ladie's champion has made a good start against 1997 World Champion Ken Doherty in their first round qualifying match in her bid to become the first woman to qualify for the World Championship.

Ken Doherty competing in the 2014 World Championship

Watching an enthralling match in my lunch break, Ken came back to make it 3-3 in the best of 19 match. There was a strict no cameras rule in the qualifiers (unless you are PA...) which means that there is little chance of shutter noise disrupting players in the open arena - and also means I get to watch the matches but have to post older pictures like the one above.

All of the winners from the qualifying first rounds must get through two more qualifying matches to reach the main draw proper which starts on Saturday 18th April.

Natasha Jonas announces her retirement

Natasha Jonas, the first woman to box for Great Britain at the Olympic Games, has decided to hang up her gloves.  With Rio 2016 less than 500 days away she has decided to retire and look to move into coaching.

The Liverpudlian won bronze at the 2012 World Championships and reached the 2012 Olympic quarter finals.  She only took up the sport in 2005 to lose weight and rose through the amateur ranks to compete for Britain alongside Nicola Adams and Savannah Marshall.

 

On her retirement, she said "London 2012 will never be matched, it was surreal.  I remember saying to my mum when I was 4 and watching the Olympics on TV: 'Mum, mum, I'm gonna be there.  It took me 24 years but I still achieved it."

All the best Natasha - hope the coaching goes well.

Less than two weeks til Planet Snooker returns to Sheffield

Been away in the Easter sunshine rain and wind but back in sunny Sheffield now and counting down to the start of the Betfred World Snooker Championships at the Crucible.  Just to celebrate I got up early this morning (so that no-one else would need editing out of the panorama) and took a series of the Crucible and Lyceum.  Photoshop was easy to stitch them together, clone over the cracks and then turn into a little planet:

Roll on Saturday, 18th April.....