Women sport news

Demand for the Northern Rock Cyclone Challenge sportive ride has risen so much that limits on numbers have had to be raised by two thirds to 5,000 for 2011.

ETSA Park was a sea of pink on Wednesday night as the Adelaide Thunderbirds launched its new brand, team colours and 2011 Premier Partner.

China had a mixed opening day of the 16th Asian Games Beach Volleyball competition, with title-holders and top seeds Xu Chen and Zhang Xi pulling off a scintillating win. photo FIVB

Round Rock TX -The Independent Women's Football League is proud to announce that Brandon Williams, representing the Desert Fire Cats, has been awarded a full delegate membership license.

31 federations are playing for 15 tickets to the tournament in the qualification. The only national team already qualified is the Czech Republic as organisers. photo EHF

With a victory over Leipzig, Spain´s Itxako celebrated its biggest success in the EHF Champions League so far, by reaching the Main Round. Andrea Barnó is the captain of the Spaniards, and will be the heart of this group for another year. photo EHF

Bojana Popoviæ has won the EHF Champions League five times, but at national team level she only has the bronze medal that she won with the Yugoslavian national team at the 2001 World Championship in Italy. photo EHF

Silver medalist at the EHF EURO 2008, Spain confirmed its rise to the top of international handball last year at the World Championship by reaching the semi-final again.

Following yesterday's power-packed start, the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink, continues today Haleiwa Ali'i Beach Park. The Cholo's women's pro begins, and the second bout of the Reef Clash of the Legends goes down.

Led by 35 points from the tournament's Most Valuable Player, Ekaterina Gamova, Russia won their second straight FIVB Women's World Championship title, defeating Olympic champions Brazil. photo FIVB

Malaysian squash star Nicol David reached another significant milestone in her illustrious career when she beat Australian Rachael Grinham in the final of the $74,000 Women's Qatar Classic to net her 50th WISPA World Tour title at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha.

England women were indebted to Claire Taylor and Jenny Gunn as they overcame their Sri Lankan hosts by just five runs in a tight last over finish in the 1st One Day International in Colombo today.

U.S. Olympian Vicky Galindo, 2007 ESPY winner Taryne Mowatt and 2010 National Pro Fastpitch Defensive Player of the Year Lisa Modglin are teaming up with Bandits assistant coach Mike Steuerwald to hold a December clinic in Saratoga, Calif. and a January clinic in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

World Champion silver medalist Kikkan Randall (Anchorage) started the 2010-11 season strong, winning the Muonio season opener. Randall beat the field by nearly a second in the final round.

Mariko Adachi was predicted for gold at the Asian Games and she did not disappoint, dominating today's women's triathlon competition in Guangzhou for the gold medal. Photo: Satoshi Takasaki / ASTC JTU

The U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team lost to Russia 25-16, 13-25, 25-19, 25-21 in the first semifinal match of the 2010 FIVB Women's World Championship on Saturday evening in Tokyo.

The Confederation of Argentine Hockey, (CAH) are pleased to announce that Luciana Aymar of has been honoured bypeers in the international hockey community , voting her 2010 FIH( World Hockey Federation ) Player of the Year. Article and photographs from john coxon

Reigning Olympic slalom gold medalist and World Champion Maria Riesch of Germany let over a half second lead slip Saturday as Austrian Marlies Schild captured the opening slalom of the 2011 Audi FIS Alpine World Cup season.

The England Hockey Board (EHB) today learned that it has failed in its bid to bring the men’s and women’s hockey World Cups to London in 2014. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced at its Congress and Forum in Montreux, Switzerland, that the Netherlands has won the right to host the tournaments. photo John Coxon

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) can announce that The Netherlands will be the host nation for the Men’s and Women’s FIH World Cups in 2014. The decision was confirmed by the Executive Board and announced on Thursday evening at a special ceremony at the FIH Congress and Forum in Montreux, Switzerland. photo John Coxon

After a highly successful slalom camp in Vail, CO, the U.S. Ski Team, featuring Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO), is locked for the second Audi FIS Alpine World Cup stop of the young season – a pair of slaloms north of the Arctic Circle.

The Rocky Mountain Rollergirls of Denver, Colorado, have won the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association’s 2010 Championship. Their thrilling 1-point win over the Oly Rollers, of Olympia, Washington, to clinch the championship Nov. 7 capped a roller derby tournament season that was full of surprises.

Brazil's Juliana Felisberta Silva has been named the most outstanding women's player on the SWATCH FIVB World Tour for the second straight season.

Nour El Tayeb produced her third successive giant-killing conquest in the Women's Qatar Classic when she beat 13th seed Joelle King to reach the semi-finals of the $74,000 WISPA World Tour squash event at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha.

The England Hockey Board has today announced some exciting developments ahead of the 2011 National Indoor Hockey Championships.

Tiffany, from East Brighton, is a freshman at Grand Canyon University, Arizona, and returned 76, 75, 75 to win the Dennis Rose Invitational golf championships in Hawaii.