Women sport news

Australian Para-Athlete Kristy Pond has beaten off stiff competition from a number of Paralympic and World Champion athletes, including South African `Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius, to be crowned the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) `Athlete of the Month' for May 2011.

The International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) official magazine, The Paralympian, has won a prestigious international accolade at the 2011 Communicator Awards.

The Australia youth squad left for Europe on Monday for a European tour in preparation for the FIVB Beach Volleyball Youth World Championships 2011 which are due to be played in Umag, Croatia from June 22 to 26.

Glasgow is gearing up for the first Glasgow Riverside Rat Race, a new urban running event with challenges in and around the River Clyde on Sunday 21 August 2011; and organisers are looking for 1,000 runners (and walkers) from the city and all over the UK to sign up.

A few weeks ago, LPGA Futures Tour player Kathleen Ekey was in Tuscaloosa, Alabama with the Alabama women’s golf team, serving up meals to victims of the late-April tornado that ripped apart her college town. photo LPGA Futurestour

The English Women’s Golf Association has announced team selections for five major events. Players include new English champion Lucy Williams of Hertfordshire. Image Leaderboard Photography

The World Squash Federation has added a new dimension to its world squash championships' roster with the launch of the WSF Under-21 World Cup.

Maria Clara Salgado Rufino and Carolina Solberg Salgado of Brazil defeated compatriots Angela Vieira/Liliane Maestrini in straight sets here on Monday to claim a berth in the women’s qualification tournament of the 2011 FIVB Beach Volleyball Swatch World Tour Beijing Grand Slam. photo FIVB

Brit Heather Watson is into round two of the women's singles at the AEGON Classic after a 6-3, 7-5 round one win. Alize Cornet, Kimiko Date Krumm and Virginie Razzano all out.

TTR Pro Snowboarding, the non-profit sports organization behind the TTR World Snowboard Tour, have made important decisions for the further development of competitive snowboarding

Agnes Zawadzki, the 2010 U.S. junior champion, announced today she will resume training with David Santee after spending three seasons under coach Tom Zakrajsek. Photo - www.usfigureskating.org

British sailing team manager Stephen Park says his charges will face their biggest test of this Olympic cycle so far when the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta kicks off on the 2012 waters of Weymouth and Portland on Monday (6 June). Photo - www.rya.org.uk

British teammates Liz Johnson and Charlotte Henshaw are preparing to go head-to-head for gold at the 2011 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming European Championships in Berlin, Germany. Photo - www.paralympic.org

Rounds five and six of the Jaguar Championship took place over the bank holiday weekend with Gail Hill lying second in the overall Championship but leading the saloon drivers standings, hoping to consolidate her position at the top.

Reigning world champions, the Australian Diamonds have included three uncapped players in their squad to defend their title in Singapore in July. FISU, the International University Sports Federation, has announced that Cape Town, South Africa will host the inaugural FISU World University Netball Championships, to take place in 2012. Report by Rona Hunnisett

British senior champion Bev New will bid for a second major title next week when the English senior strokeplay championship is played from 14-16 June at Saltford Golf Club, in her home county of Somerset.

After six months in charge of the Hockeyroos and getting a first-hand look at Australia’s vast hockey talent, coach Adam Commens has reselected the Hockeyroos squad and also selected the 2011 Champions Trophy squad to compete in the Netherlands from June 25..

Munich tops PyeongChang and Annecy in the final edition of the Around the Rings Olympic Bid Power Index for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. The Power Index comes with one month left before the IOC vote that will decide the host city for the 2018 Games.

It was a testing first day at the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta (6 June), with light and fickle wind conditions giving rise to race postponements and a long opening day at this ISAF Sailing World Cup event. Photo - www.skandiateamgbr.com

Germany caused a huge upset in the EuroBasket Women Additional Qualifying Tournament on Sunday night as they routed Italy 78-57 on their home floor in Taranto. photo FIBA

Olympic champions Kerri Walsh/Misty May-Treanor of the United States will lead the field at the Chaoyang Park as Beijing hosts the first FIVB Beach Volleyball Swatch World Tour Grand Slam of the year from June 6-11. photo FIVB

Sally Fitzgibbons (Gerroa NSW, AUS) 20, today won the Asp 6-Star Swatch Girls Pro France in an enthralling final over Sage Erickson (CA, USA) 20, in solid 4ft peaks at Les Bourdaines in front of hundreds of spectators lining the shoreline. photo Aquashot aspeurope.com

Warwickshire's new Australian overseas signing Delissa Kimince played a major part in their win over Cheshire here.

Meeting International Mohammed VI d'Athlétisme - Rabat (MAR) - 5 June 2011 - Results

Findlay has now won four of her last five Dextro Energy Triathlon Series races, including London and Kitzbühel last year and the 2011 season opener in Sydney. photo Delly Carr/ITU Triathlon

The Women's International Squash Players' Association has confirmed that the 2011 US Open will become part of the WISPA World Series - and boast the biggest prize-fund in its history.