Russia has been handed a four-year ban from major international sporting events after being found guilty of manipulating laboratory doping data.

The 42-year-old from Belmullet finished a superb fifth in the marathon major against a world-class field, clocking 2:26:23 to come home less than four minutes behind race winner Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya (2:22:38).

Breaking Sonia O’Sullivan’s 24-year-old Irish 1500m record is one of the key things keeping Ciara Mageean motivated while drug scandals continue to haunt and damage her sport.

Rory McIlroy has said he will play golf at the Olympics for Ireland.

‘The Shock of Shizuoka’, as it became known around the world, was alluded to by a number of Japanese media outlets in the build up to last Saturday.

Ayeisha McFerran has been passed fit to play some part in the women’s EuroHockey Championships which get underway next weekend in Antwerp.

“To come in off the water and know that it’s done and dusted is just amazing. (I’m) so happy.”

The United States are through to the semi-finals of the Women's World Cup.

Paris St Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has been charged with corruption by French authorities, his lawyers have confirmed.

Ireland Sevens boss Anthony Eddy targeted qualification for Tokyo’s 2020 Olympics as the next step for the national men’s squad following its success at the annual World Series qualifier in Hong Kong yesterday.

A giant photo of Olympic silver medallist Annalise Murphy took centre stage when Irish Sailing unveiled its new High Performance HQ in Dun Laoghaire yesterday - but not the one you would expect.

It’s 11 years since Chloe Magee picked up her sole AIG FZ Forza Irish Open Badminton title and after last year’s loss in the mixed doubles final, she thinks it’s high time herself and her brother Sam added to their haul of silverware on home turf.

Medals have a habit of distracting attention, bright and shiny as they are, so to get a feel for the current state of Irish athletics after the European Championships in Berlin you have to step back from Thomas Barr’s brilliant bronze and look at the week as a whole.

Charlie and his appearances on the Champs Elysee in 1987 and at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico three years later, writes Brendan O’Brien. 

R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers insists the organisation should "stay out of politics" after revealing its relationship with Turnberry owner Donald Trump has not changed since he became US President.

Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi has rejected the Italian city’s bid for the 2024 Olympics, effectively dooming the capital’s candidacy for the second time in four years.

“Nice guys finish last,” so goes the old sports adage — Irish Olympian Thomas Patrick Barr is one of the truer exceptions.

EGYPT: Egyptians in a Nile Delta province were left outraged after a cleric allegedly changed a line in the traditional Islamic call to prayer to mention Facebook.

“When you lose out on an Olympics, you tend to cry quite often.”

Security forces across the globe are now defending against terrorist attacks with the help of cutting edge, remotely controlled robots manufactured by West Cork start-up ICP NewTech.

RTÉ has yet to decide if it will broadcast the 2020 and 2024 Olympics after US-based media giant Discovery Communications secured the European broadcast rights for four Olympics through 2024 in a landmark deal worth €1.3bn.

Big in Japan — but for one night only: It wasn’t long before the Taoiseach became yesterday’s news in Tokyo as Joe Biden rolled into town.

A video has emerged showing a volleyball coach repeatedly slapping a schoolboy — just days after Tokyo was awarded the 2020 Olympics — in the latest example of brutality to tarnish Japanese sport.

Japan voiced outrage over cartoons published in a French newspaper that took aim at the decision to award the 2020 Olympics to Tokyo despite the ongoing nuclear crisis at Fukushima.

The vote to elect the most powerful man in world sport takes place tomorrow after a campaign that has descended into controversy and acrimony.

Tokyo will host the Olympics and Paralympics in 2020 after seeing off rivals Madrid and Istanbul in dramatic circumstances to win the vote.

Madrid has been eliminated as a host city for the 2020 Olympics, leaving Tokyo and Istanbul to advance to the final round.

Outgoing president Jacques Rogge has conceded the International Olympic Committee can do little to influence Russia’s anti-gay laws ahead of the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.

Derval O’Rourke welcomed news that Turkey’s European indoor 60m hurdles champion Nevin Yanit has been banned for two years, which should see the Cork star upgraded to the bronze medal — but believes she should also be getting the European outdoor gold from 2010.

World marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe has called for nations guilty of institutionalised doping to be banned from participating in the World Championships.

Cycling’s world governing body the UCI has announced its intention to appeal against the decision of a Spanish court to destroy more than 200 blood bags seized during Operation Puerto.

The Spanish doctor at the heart of one of cycling’s biggest doping scandals has been found guilty of endangering public health and given a one-year suspended jail sentence in the Operation Puerto case.

Pat McQuaid, the embattled president of the International Cycling Union, has stood down from the panel assessing host cities for the 2020 Olympics, the International Olympic Committee has confirmed.

The Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales will submit an expression of interest to host Euro 2020, the Football Association of Ireland have announced.

Rome has today abandoned plans to host a Formula One grand prix.