Women sport news

Three Olympic medalists and several paddlers from London 2012 confirm their participation. canoephotography.com / Balint Vekassy (ICF)

The first edition of the FINA World Junior Open Water Championships successfully concluded in Welland (Ont., CAN) with more than 130 swimmers from 31 countries making their debut on the international open water stage from August 16-19, 2012.

South Australia’s Maddy Proud and New South Wales’ Gabi Simpson have been named Australian captain and vice-captain respectively for the 21/U International Netball Series commencing on Thursday in Ballarat, Victoria.

Jamaica’s two-time Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will take on the second fastest woman of all-time, and Olympic 100m silver medallist Carmelita Jeter, at the Aviva Birmingham Grand Prix at the Birmingham Alexander Stadium on Sunday 26 August.

The world No.1 took 44-minutes to see off the challenge of Englishwoman Laura Massaro, who forced the Malaysian to a gruelling 17-15 tie break in the first game.

FIVB world champions Juliana Felisberta and Larissa Franca won their fourth straight gold medal at the Mazury Orlen Grand Slam on Saturday when they beat Italy’s Greta Cicolari and Marta Menegatti in the women’s gold medal match. photo FIVB

Sarah Kippax has completed a back-to-back title swoop after winning the WSA Tour 15 Squash On Fire event in Washington D.C.

The Bandits entered tonight's regular season finale looking to even up the series against the Diamonds, as they prepare to face off against each other next week during the first round of the Championship Series.

Sweden's Antonella Cvitan picked up her first victory on the LET Access Series, winning the Samso Ladies Open after a one-hole play-off against young Danish amateur Nicole Broch Larsen.

World number four Karen Murphy will enter this year’s Australian Indoor Championships as the pre-tournament favourite but faces a cluster of contenders en route to her fifth title.

West Coast Fever midcourter Ashleigh Brazill will make her debut for Australia after being named in the Diamonds squad for the international season. Meanwhile, New Zealand's selectors will name their squad for the autumn internationals this weekend. England will be without three of its most experienced players for the forthcoming test series against Jamaica and the Quad Series, plus more

HANDBALL remains on track to be the most successful legacy sports of the London 2012 Olympics, despite doubts over UK Sport funding for the elite side of the sport.

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Coming off a 9-5 loss to the Diamonds last night, the Bandits headed to the field looking to turn things around tonight.

AKRON, OH – Following a 14-8 win for the Bandits on Saturday night, the Bandits’ and Racers’ bats were still swinging as they entered game three of their series.

With the North American and Caribbean Rugby Association 7s Championship, a 2013 Rugby 7s World Cup regional qualifier, just a week away, Rugby Canada is pleased to announced the schedule for next week's event.

Reigning champion Nicol David moved a step closer to retaining her title at the Hi-Tec Australian Open as she eased past Madeline Perry to make the 2012 final.

With just 13 days to go until the London 2012 Paralympic Games, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Committee announced on Thursday (16 August) that a record number of women will take part in the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Four new caps have been named in the England team which will defend the women’s Home Internationals at Cork Golf Club, Ireland, from 4-6 September. photo leadboardphotography

More surprise results dominate the headlines from the *Hi-Tec Australian Open* in Canberra as 19-year-old Havard student *Amanda Sobhy* beat anotherseeded player to progress to the quarter-finals of the *WSA World Tour Gold45* event.

After clinching the second seed in the NPF Championship Series, the Chicago Bandits entered the final series of the 2012 regular season against the Carolina Diamonds, the team they are currently scheduled to play in the first round of the Playoffs.

British triple jumper Yamile Aldama (Frank Attoh), who celebrates her 40th birthday today, will take on Kazakhstan’s Olympic triple jump champion Olga Rypakova, as well as Olympic bronze medallist and current World Champion Olha Saladuha of Ukraine, at the Aviva Birmingham Grand Prix at the Alexander Stadium on Sunday 26 August.

It was a good day for the youngsters in the first round of the Hi-Tec Australian Open, as Harvard Sophomore Amanda Sobhy and England's Emily Whitlock upset the seedings.

The Olympic flame has only just gone out but British Cycling is already underway with plans to continue the London 2012 legacy and build on the phenomenal success of the Great Britain Cycling Team.

The United States claimed the gold medal at the NORCECA Girls' U-18 Continental Championship by defeating the Dominican Republic 3-1 (21-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-15) on Saturday night. photo FIVB

As the curtain falls on an exhilarating Olympic Games, Eurostar, the official International Rail Services Provider to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, proudly waved goodbye to hundreds of jubilant athletes from the Dutch, French and Belgian Olympic teams today as they departed London on three specially charted Eurostar trains. photo DNA

As the London 2012 Olympic Games draw rapidly to a close with Sunday’s closing ceremonies, two of the many disciplines on display here, volleyball and beach volleyball, both proved to be successful in all ways, way beyond the great expectations that even LOCOG and FIVB have had for these disciplines in the XXX Olympiad. photo FIVB