JASON SMYTH will have the qualifying standard for next year’s Olympic Games on his mind when he lines up for the 100m at tonight’s Classic meeting in Lucerne.

A DREAM ending to the perfect fairytale would see Willie “Big Bang” Casey claim the belt at the Citywest Conference Centre tonight but even the Limerick man’s combination of heart, strength and a defiant attitude is unlikely to strip Guillermo Rigondeaux of his WBA world super bantamweight title.

WILLIE “Big Bang” Casey is about to face the best 122 lb puncher of all time.

DAVID GILLICK installed himself as the favourite for the gold medal in the 400m at the upcoming European championships when he posted the fastest time of the year by a European one-lap runner at 44.98 secs in the Swiss town of La Chaux-De-Fonds on Sunday.

Katie Taylor, Paddy Barnes and Carl Frampton all won their semi-final bouts at the men's and women's Ahmet Comert Cup in Istanbul, Turkey today.

THE central, uplifting and sometimes divisive part sport plays in the Irish psych and life was plain to see on at least three occasions over last weekend.

A SMILING Roisin McGettigan last night compared the Beijing Olympic experience to her Community Games career after securing a place in tomorrow’s 3000 metre steeplechase final (2.30pm, Irish)

Sean Kelly has announced that he is stepping down from his role as executive chairman of the Irish Institute of Sport.

Chinese Olympic organisers say all tickets to events in Beijing have sold out.

British Formula One star Lewis Hamilton was involved in an another high speed collision – but this time it was on the water in the JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race.

China is suspending the Beijing Olympic torch relay for three days as part of a national mourning for victims of a powerful earthquake.

Riot police, protesters and Chinese well-wishers converged on Nagano in central Japan today as the embattled Beijing Olympic torch arrived on one of its final international stops before moving on to China.

SCORES of Tibetan demonstrators were arrested yesterday as thousands of police and soldiers defended the Beijing Olympic torch on a suffocating run through the Indian capital.

Hollywood actor and humanitarian Richard Gere joined protestors in California on Tuesday to voice his support for Tibetan independence.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will consider scrapping the international leg of the Beijing Olympic torch relay as a result of the anti-Chinese protests.

India’s football captain Bhaichung Bhutia has refused to carry the Beijing Olympic torch during its run in the capital New Delhi later this month in protest at Chinese authorities’ crackdown on protests in Tibet.