Members of the Order of the British Empire

Golf: McIlroy splits with management to go it alone

Agence France-PresseMay 18, 2013 05:30

Former US Open champion Rory McIlroy is set to split with his Irish-based management company and organise his own business affairs, his close friend Graeme McDowell has confirmed. McDowell confirmed McIlroy would parting company with Horizon Sports Management after winning through to the last 16 in the World Match-Play Championship in Bulgaria. While McIlroy's parting has not been officially confirmed by his management company of some 18 months, McDowell admitted he knows enough that he's disappointed he will no longer have the double Major winner as a management stablemate.

Yachting: Ainslie joins outpouring of grief for Simpson

Agence France-PresseMay 12, 2013 17:01

British yachting great Ben Ainslie, the most successful Olympic sailor, joined the sailing community on Friday in mourning the death of Andrew Simpson in an accident on San Francisco Bay. "This is such a tragedy," Ainslie said in a statement that was posted on his website. "Andrew was such a wonderful husband, father, friend and one of the nicest people you would ever meet." Ainslie, who received a knighthood in March, won four Olympic gold medals and multiple sailing world titles before calling time on his Olympic career in November.

Formula One: 'Hell of long way off pace', says Button

Agence France-PresseMay 10, 2013 14:45

Jenson Button admitted that despite a raft of new parts from the McLaren team he remained "a hell of a long way off the pace" in practice for this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix. After struggling to compete in the four season-opening 'flyaway' races in Australia, Malaysia, China and Bahrain, the 2009 world champion had hoped he and McLaren would be back with a bang at the Circuit de Catalunya. But after the the opening two free practice sessions, he admitted that the progress that McLaren had made in improving the car had been lost by the equal progress made by their rivals.

World Champion O'Sullivan guarded over snooker future

Agence France-PresseMay 6, 2013 20:15

Ronnie O'Sullivan refused to say for definite if he would return to the Crucible Theatre after retaining snooker's World Championship title at the Sheffield venue with an 18-12 win over Barry Hawkins on Monday. His fifth World Championship title in total was all the more impressive as O'Sullivan had effectively taken a year out from the sport since his 2012 triumph. Fans' favourite O'Sullivan said during this year's edition that he was only playing to pay his son's overdue school fees and, not for the first time, threatened to retire from snooker.

O'Sullivan retains Snooker World Championship crown

Agence France-PresseMay 6, 2013 17:15

Ronnie O'Sullivan retained snooker's World Championship title with an 18-12 win over Barry Hawkins at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre on Monday. O'Sullivan's victory saw him become the first player to mount a successful title defence since Stephen Hendry in 1996 and gave the 37-year-old his fifth world championship in total. His latest World Championship was all the more impressive as O'Sullivan had effectively taken a year out from the sport since his 2012 Crucible triumph.

O'Sullivan retains Snooker World Championship crown

Agence France-PresseMay 6, 2013 16:46

Snooker: O'Sullivan locked in tight title battle

Agence France-PresseMay 5, 2013 18:15

Defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan was locked in a gruelling battle to cling into his world title after opening a 10-7 lead over Barry Hawkins in the best-of-35-frame final on Sunday. O'Sullivan had led 7-5 but then saw championship final debutant Hawkins level at 7-7 before the champion edged in front ahead of Monday's concluding frames. O'Sullivan, 34, was in record-breaking form in the final on Sunday. He hit four century breaks to edge him two ahead of Stephen Hendry's world championship record, which had stood at 127.

Snooker: O'Sullivan takes control of world final

Agence France-PresseMay 5, 2013 15:33

Defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan stormed back against first-time finalist Barry Hawkins to establish a 5-3 lead in the first session of the snooker World Championship final on Sunday. O'Sullivan trailed for the first time in the tournament after Hawkins overcame an unsteady start to the match to move 3-2 ahead. But the four-time champion roared back in stirring style, assembling successive breaks of 76, 113 and 100 to move two frames in front ahead of the second session later on Sunday.

Snooker: O'Sullivan sinks Trump to reach final

Agence France-PresseMay 4, 2013 14:30

Ronnie O'Sullivan booked his place in the World Championship final for the fifth time as the defending champion cruised to a 17-11 victory over Judd Trump in the semi-finals on Saturday. O'Sullivan will take on Ricky Walden or Barry Hawkins in the final after the latest in a long line of dominant displays at the Crucible Theatre in the northern English city of Sheffield. The four-time champion held a 14-10 overnight lead and he never looked likely to surrender that advantage as he clinched the three frames needed to progress to the final.

Golf: McIlroy refuses to rush Olympics choice

Agence France-PresseMay 4, 2013 10:00

Two-time Major-winner Rory McIlroy says he will take his time before deciding whether to represent the Republic of Ireland or Great Britain at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The 23-year-old Northern Irishman represented Ireland at the 2011 World Cup, but he believes he could still switch allegiances due to International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules. "Rule 41 of the IOC states I still have a choice. They can't take it away from me," he told Saturday's edition of British newspaper the Daily Express.