Women sport news

England international Rachel Bell won her way on to the 2008 Ladies European Tour when she finished 14th at the final qualifying school at Le Fonti, Italy. photo ELGA

Natalie Coughlin (USA) was the swimmer in evidence in the second meet of the 2007 FINA/ARENA Swimming World Cup, held on October 27-28 in Singapore (SIN), by establishing a new World Record in the women’s 100m backstroke. photo US Swimming

Cassie Patten (Stockport Metro) took the British record in the 400m Individual Medley (18-24 years) with a time of 4:46.88, finishing 25m clear of the swimmer how came second in her heat. She also took the British record in the 400m Freestyle event with a time of 4:10.39.

Olympic champion Julia Mancuso (Olympic Valley, CA), carrying the momentum of the best U.S. women's season since 1984, tore through the icy second run of giant slalom Saturday to open the 2008 Audi FIS Alpine World Cup season finishing second. photo US Ski Team

The opening Giant Slalom race of the 2007/08 World Cup season was won by Italian Denise Karbon in a two-run combined time of two minutes and 23.21 seconds. photo US Ski Team

The 2008 Viessmann FIS Cross Country World Cup season opened Saturday with exciting head-to-head sprints before upwards of 100,000 spectators along the Rhine River. photo Doug Haney US Ski

Sports Travel magazine today announced that the 2007 State Farm U.S. Figure Skating Championships is the winner of the “Sports Event of the Year.”

The Acro Championships in Hertogenboesch Holland was an awsome display of the World's finest Gymnasts. Click below to read all of the final results from the weekend. photo Cherry-Ann Ballantyne

Less than two months after the World Championships in Stuttgart (GER) and two weeks before the 2007 Glasgow Grand Prix and World Cup event, the British gymnasts continue to improve their standings at the international stage. photo Brett Drapper

The Cooperative Netball Superleague returns this weekend, with a new sponsor, a new TV deal and new line ups to bring even more excitement to England’s so called “best kept sporting secret”!

The U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team roster for the upcoming FIVB World Cup, as announced today by Team USA Head Coach ‘Jenny’ Lang Ping, will have an Olympic feel as eight of the 12 players competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

After a four-week break, the SWATCH-FIVB World Tour resumes action with the final 2007 qualifying event for the Beijing Olympic Games with the teams from the ABCs of Beach Volleyball headlining the field for US$200,000 Phuket Thailand Open. photo FIVB

In tonight's (Saturday) historic final of the Madrid Women's World Open Squash Championship, Rachael Grinham beat Natalie Grinham in straight games in the Spanish capital in the first ever world final between two sisters. photo Wispa

Daniela Hantuchova earrned her No.8 place in the Race to the Sony Ericsson Championships, defeating Patty Schnyder 6-4 6-2 in Linz.

EKATERINBURG (FIBA Women's World League) - Kornelia Meszaros and Dalma Ivanyi led a balanced scoring attack with 12 points apiece as MiZo Pecs beat TEO Vilnius 79-69 in a FIBA Women's World League Classification Round game on Friday.

EKATERINBURG (FIBA Women’s World League) - CSKA Moscow were at their imperious best in a 103-56 mauling of CBA Beijing on Friday to storm into the final of the FIBA Women’s World League. photo FIBA

With the Moorings Yachts anchored in front of Mounu Island's white sand shores, the girls of this year's Cindy Mosey Island Odyssey Vava'u swam ashore to receive a colourful lei of flowers from the island's staff.

Former England U21 captain Sara Bayman has been called up to the England netball squad for the Netball World Championships, which take place from 10-17 November in Auckland.

GM Holden has reaffirmed its commitment to Australian netball by backing the Australian Netball Team’s bid to re-gain the world title at next month’s New World Netball World Championships in Auckland.

USA Volleyball Chief Executive Officer Doug Beal announced today the hiring of Monica Paul as the organization’s associate director of events. She previously served as the U.S. Women’s National Team technical coordinator from 1997 to 2001, including the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. photo US Volleyball

Kristin Richards, an outside hitter on the USA Women's National Team, recently completed the latest installment of "20 Questions with the Women's National Team." photo US Volleyball

Australian sisters Natalie and Rachael Grinham are on course for a showdown in the final of the Madrid Women's World Open Squash Championship in the Spanish capital after commanding victories in today's (Thursday) quarter-finals of the sport's biggest-ever women's event.

With no less than three sets of major Wakeboard titles to be won in the coming week, the Arabian Gulf City of Doha in Qatar will be the centre of attention for Riders and fans around the world.

Olympic champions Julia Mancuso (Olympic Valley, CA), who challenged for the overall title until the last week of the 2007 season, lead a ready-to-go U.S. Ski Team into the opening races of the 2008 season on the Rettenbach Glacier in Soelden. photo A view from the top of the "icebox" at Soelden, where US women's team trained for the opening World Cup giant slalom (credit: Doug Haney/U.S. Ski Team)

The 2007 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series begins this week at Skate America in Reading, Pa. Team USA will compete against 13 other countries, all vying for points and prize money in this first of six events in the series. photo Paul and Michelle Harvath US Figure Skating

Championnats du monde Gymnastique au Trampoline-Du 29 octobre au 10 novembre prochains, la Ville de Québec (CAN) accueillera les 25 èmes championnats du monde de Gymnastique au Trampoline. From October 29 - November 11, the City of Quebec (CAN) will be hosting the 25th World Championships in Trampoline Gymnastics. photo Alan Edwards