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Hamilton remains dominates in Styrian Grand Prix win

2020-07-14T02:05:11+01:00

Lewis Hamilton cruised to a comfortable victory in the Styrian Grand Prix after the World Champion led the majority of drivers in taking the knee ahead of the race - and then raised his fist in a Black Power salute twice after the race, as he stood on the front of his car with his helmet still on, and again on the podium.

The Mercedes driver led from pole as team-mate Valtteri Bottas overtook Red Bull's Max Verstappen late on for second. The Ferraris retired early after colliding with each other on lap one.

His first victory of the year was founded on a stupendous performance in wet qualifying, in which he took pole by more than 1.2 seconds.

A handful of drivers were not present for the moment ahead of the playing of the Styrian regional anthem, but all who were wore ‘end racism’ T-shirts other than Hamilton's, whose said ‘Black Lives Matter’.

Of those who were there, Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, Kimi Raikkonen and Daniil Kvyat chose not to kneel.

With his statesman-like presence coming to the fore throughout the Styrian GP, Hamilton, who has pledged to continue the fight against racism this year in parallel with his quest for a record-equalling seventh world title, was in total control of the race from the start.

The likes of McLaren and Renault said before the race that they were concerned about the pace of Racing Point, and their worries were well founded, with Renault launching a protest at the end of the race.

The six-time world champion converted his pole position into a lead at the first corner, survived an early safety car period following a collision between the two Ferrari drivers, and never looked back.

The fight was all behind him, as Mercedes sought to get Bottas ahead of Verstappen.
The Finn had qualified fourth in the rain, 1.4secs slower than Hamilton, passed McLaren's Carlos Sainz by lap six, but was not able to make much progress towards the Red Bull.
When Red Bull made Verstappen's pit stop for fresh tyres on lap 24, Hamilton was brought in three laps later, while Bottas was left out 10 laps longer than the Dutchman.
The aim was to give him a tyre off-set and greater pace at the end of the race.
And it worked. Bottas crept up on Verstappen and was with him with five laps to go.
Bottas looked to have the move down on the straight towards Turn Four on lap 66, but Verstappen fought back around the outside of the corner and held on to the place.
But his valiant defence lasted only another lap before Bottas was able to storm past to complete a Mercedes one-two.
He retains the championship lead over Hamilton, but it is now down to eight points.

Ferrari had worked flat out to bring upgrades to their car ahead of this race, after showing a dismal pace the week before.
But they did not have the effect they had hoped and the cars could qualify only 10th and 11th. Leclerc started a further three places back after a three-place grid penalty for blocking in qualifying.
But things got much worse in the race. Leclerc made an over-ambitious move up the inside of Turn Three on the first lap as Vettel was hemmed in on the outside and the two cars collided.
Vettel's rear wing was torn off and Leclerc suffered floor damage and both had to retire.
Sergio Perez in particular and Racing Point in general did not have a good day in the wet in qualifying, with the Mexican down in 17th on the grid, but the so-called 'Pink Mercedes' was soon making up ground.
Perez picked off driver after driver in a car that has drawn criticisms because of its likeness to last year's Mercedes - which Racing Point admit they have copied - until he was up into the top six after the pit stops.
He passed Daniel Ricciardo's Renault on lap 48, with just over 20 to go, and set off after Alexander Albon.
Perez was soon with Albon, but while the Anglo-Thai had been having an unremarkable race in the second Red Bull, he picked up his pace and was able to hold Perez back.
The Mexican finally made a bid for the position with two laps to go but came to grief as he tried to pass at Turn Four in a mirror of the collision between Hamilton and Albon at the same point last week.
Perez was alongside Albon, on the inside, but the Red Bull driver tried to hang on around the outside of the turn and tagged Perez's front wing on the exit.
Perez limped around the remaining two laps, but was passed by McLaren's Lando Norris for fifth at the final two corners of the last lap.
Their scrap was part of a hectic midfield battle in the closing laps, as Norris took advantage of Perez's team-mate Lance Stroll racing with Renault's Daniel Ricciardo for seventh and McLaren's Carlos Sainz, who qualified a brilliant third, faded in the race to finish ninth.

Lewis Hamilton's statesman-like presence comes to the fore after Styrian GP

Manchester United just as vulnerable to rogue owners as lower league clubs until regulator in place, says a sports journalism academic

2022-11-25T08:15:25+00:00

Supporters of English football clubs will continue to be at the mercy of rogue owners putting their own interest before that of the club until a football regulator is in place, a leading sports journalism academic has said in response to the news that Manchester United owners, the Glazer family, are preparing to sell the English club after 17 years in charge.

1 Year to Go!

2021-07-29T07:45:08+01:00

As the one-year countdown began, a festival of sport was showcased as many of the events that will be part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games programme – including a boxing ring, basketball court, netball court, squash court and sprint track - was on show in Centenary Square in the city.

1,000 personnel to represent the Armed Forces at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022

2022-07-24T07:30:49+01:00

Around 1,000 Armed Forces personnel will be a part of this year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham –by supporting security, competing for medals, officiating competitions, participating in the opening ceremony and supporting the delivery of a safe and secure event.

Hundreds of Armed Forces personnel will be deployed to Birmingham to support the West Midlands Police Security Operation, the biggest the region has seen.

117 athletes offered membership to World Class Programme

2020-11-16T19:35:54+00:00

British Athletics has confirmed the 117 athletes who have been offered membership to the 2020/2021 Olympic and Paralympic World Class Programme (WCP).

Due to the challenging circumstances brought by the Covid-19 pandemic this year, and the impact this has had on our athletes, they have retained all athletes from the 2019/2020 World Class Programme for the year ahead. They are fully committed to continuing their support as they target the rescheduled Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2021.

As a result, with limited spaces for additions to the programme, only two additional Paralympic athletes have been added to the 2020/2021 WCP. They will however be exploring options to put in place a Tokyo Support Package for those athletes who have demonstrated potential to make a final or increase the British team’s medal chances at next year’s Games.

Karim Chan and Harrison Walsh have been added to Podium Potential level on the Paralympic WCP.

Chan won gold at the World Para Athletics Junior Championships in 2019, leaping a personal best of 6.70 metres on his way to the title. Despite the shortening of the athletics season in 2020, he still achieved a season best of 6.48 metres which ranked him sixth in the world in the T20 classification, for athletes with an intellectual impairment.

F44 discus thrower Walsh set a personal best of 55.47 metres this summer which was an improvement by over four metres for the Swansea athlete. He will complete his final year on the British Athletics Para Futures Academy while also moving to the Paralympic Podium Potential level of the WCP.

The British Athletics WCP is UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded initiative to support the delivery of success at the world’s most significant sporting events. Membership onto the WCP for 2020-21 is based upon an athletes’ realistic potential to win a medal at Tokyo 2020 or Paris 2024.

There are three levels of membership of the WCP at Olympic level with numbers for 2020-21 broken down as follows: Olympic Podium (16), Olympic Podium Potential (30), and Olympic Relays (23).

There are two levels of membership of the WCP at Paralympic level with numbers for 2020-21 broken down as follows: Paralympic Podium (28) and Paralympic Podium Potential (18) (Guide Runners (2) are listed separately).

Athletes can use their discretion should they not wish to accept membership to the WCP.

World Class Programme Director, Steve Paulding, said: “The last few months have provided many challenges for everyone, so we are pleased to be able to retain all the athletes who were on the World Class Programme last year, for 2021. Additionally, we are delighted to be looking at creating alternative ways to support several athletes via a Tokyo Support Package.

“These discussions are taking place following a year in sport which has been like no other we have experienced. We want to engage and support as many athletes as possible who have shown real potential for Tokyo during the disrupted season, but we have not been able to add to the Olympic WCP. So, we will aim to support a limited number of athletes in accessing the support which will help them achieve this.

“I’d like to thank the National Lottery and UK Sport for their continued investment in the World Class Programme. The support enables our athletes to be the best prepared in their quest for success at the world’s most significant sporting events.”

Paralympic Podium (28)

Kare Adenegan (Job King; Coventry)

Hollie Arnold (David Turner; Blackheath & Bromley)

Olivia Breen (Aston Moore; City of Portsmouth)

Jonathan Broom-Edwards (Graham Ravenscroft; Newham & Essex Beagles)

Jo Butterfield (Phil Peat / Shona Malcolm; Forth Valley Flyers)

Richard Chiassaro (Jenni Banks; Harlow)

Libby Clegg (Joe McDonnell; Charnwood)

Hannah Cockroft (Jenni Banks; Leeds City)

Kadeena Cox (Joe McDonnell; Sale Harriers Manchester)

Aled Davies (Ryan Spencer Jones; Cardiff)

David Devine (Tony Clarke, Liverpool)

Kyron Duke (Anthony Hughes / Josh Clark; DSW Para Academy)

Sabrina Fortune (Ian Robinson; Deeside)

Dan Greaves (Self; Charnwood)

Sophie Hahn (Leon Baptiste; Charnwood)

Harri Jenkins (Nathan Stephens; DSW Para Academy)

Sophie Kamlish (Rob Ellchuk; Bristol & West)

Sammi Kinghorn (Self; Red Star)

Maria Lyle (Jamie Bowie; Team East Lothian)

Stephen Miller (Ros Miller; Gateshead)

Jonnie Peacock (Michael Khmel / Dan Pfaff; Charnwood)

Gemma Prescott (Mike Wood; British Wheelchair Athletics Association)

Derek Rae (Ron Morrison; Fife)

Stef Reid (Aston Moore; Charnwood)

Andrew Small (Rick Hoskins; Stockport)

Vanessa Wallace (Alison O’Riordan; Enfield & Haringey)

Richard Whitehead (Keith Antoine; Southwell)

Thomas Young (Joe McDonnell; Charnwood)

Paralympic Podium Potential (18)

Ola Abidogun (Steve Thomas; Horwich)

Martina Barber (Paddy O’Shea; Stevenage & North Herts)

Karim Chan (John Shepherd; Charnwood)

Lydia Church (Jim Edwards; Peterborough & Nene Valley)

Dillon Labrooy (Jenny Archer; Weir Archer Academy)

Nathan Maguire (Ste Hoskins; Kirkby)

Polly Maton (Daniel Hooker; Team Devizes)

Owen Miller (Steven Doig; Fife)

Anna Nicholson (Richard Kaufman; Gateshead)

Zac Shaw (Leon Baptiste; Cleethorpes)

Luke Sinnott (Roger Keller; Bournemouth)

Zak Skinner (Aston Moore; Loughborough Students)

Ali Smith (Chris Zah; Guildford & Godalming)

JohnBoy Smith (Christine Parsloe)

Hannah Taunton (Charlotte Fisher; Taunton)

Isaac Towers (Peter Wyman; Kirkby)

Harrison Walsh (Nathan Stephens; Swansea)

David Weir (Jenny Archer; Weir Archer Academy)

Guide runners (2)

Chris Clarke (Joe McDonnell; Marshall Milton Keynes)

Thomas Somers (Lloyd Cowan; Newham & Essex Beagles)

Olympic Podium (16)

Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie; Blackheath & Bromley)

Tom Bosworth (Andi Drake; Tonbridge)

Holly Bradshaw (Scott Simpson; Blackburn)

Mo Farah (Gary Lough; Newham & Essex Beagles)

Adam Gemili (Rana Reider; Blackheath & Bromley)

Callum Hawkins (Robert Hawkins; Kilbarchan)

Sophie Hitchon (Tore Gustafsson; Blackburn)

Zharnel Hughes (Glen Mills; Shaftesbury Barnet)

Abigail Irozuru (Self-coached; Sale Harriers Manchester)

Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Bertrand Valcin; Liverpool)

Nick Miller (Tore Gustafsson; Border)

Laura Muir (Andy Young; Dundee Hawkhill)

Reece Prescod (Mike Holloway; Enfield & Haringey)

Lynsey Sharp (David Harmer; Edinburgh)

Lorraine Ugen (Dwight Phillips; Thames Valley)

Jake Wightman (Geoff Wightman; Edinburgh)

Olympic Podium Potential (30)

Andrew Butchart (Self-coached; Central)

Taylor Campbell (John Pearson; Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)

Melissa Courtney-Bryant (Rob Denmark; Poole)

Tim Duckworth (Toby Stevenson; Liverpool)

Niamh Emerson (David Feeney; Amber Valley & Erewash)

Tom Gale (Denis Doyle; Team Bath)

Elliot Giles (Jon Bigg; Birchfield Harriers)

Neil Gourley (Ben Thomas; Giffnock North)

Charlie Da’Vall Grice (Self; Brighton Phoenix)

Dewi Griffiths (Kevin Evans; Swansea)

Josh Kerr (Danny Mackey; Edinburgh)

Morgan Lake (Eldon Lake; Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)

Kyle Langford (Jon Bigg; Shaftesbury Barnet)

Chris McAlister (Marina Armstrong; Thames Valley)

Eilish McColgan (Liz Nuttall; Dundee Hawkhill)

Sarah McDonald (David Harmer; Birchfield Harriers)

Sophie McKinna (Mike Winch; Great Yarmouth)

Naomi Ogbeta (Tom Cullen; Trafford)

Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (Derek Thompson; Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)

Andrew Pozzi (Santiago Antunez; Stratford-upon-Avon)

Aimee Pratt (Vincente Modahl; Sale Harriers Manchester)

Charlotte Purdue (Nic Bideau; Aldershot Farnham & District)

Jemma Reekie (Andy Young; Kilbarchan)

Daniel Rowden (Matt Yates; Woodford Green Essex Ladies)

Jazmin Sawyers (Lance Brauman; City of Stoke)

Steph Twell (Self; Aldershot Farnham & District)

Jamie Webb (Adrian Webb; Liverpool)

Laura Weightman (Steve Cram; Morpeth)

Callum Wilkinson (Robert Heffernan; Enfield & Haringey)

Ben Williams (Aston Moore; Sale Harriers Manchester)

Olympic Relays (23)

Amy Allcock (Glyn Hawkes; Aldershot Farnham & District)

Kristal Awuah (Matthew Thomas; Herne Hill)

Cameron Chalmers (Matt Elias; Guernsey)

Zoey Clark (Eddie McKenna; Thames Valley)

Emily Diamond (Benke Blomkvist; Bristol & West)

Beth Dobbin (Leon Baptiste; Edinburgh)

Eilidh Doyle (Brian Doyle; Pitreavie)

Miguel Francis (Glen Mills; Wolverhampton & Bilston)

Matthew Hudson-Smith (Lance Brauman; Birchfield Harriers)

Richard Kilty (Michael Afilaka; Middlesbrough)

Imani-Lara Lansiquot (Steve Fudge; Sutton & District)

Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (Lance Brauman; Newham & Essex Beagles)

Daryll Neita (Rana Reider; Cambridge Harriers)

Ashleigh Nelson (Michael Afilaka; City of Stoke)

Laviai Nielsen (Christine Bowmaker; Enfield & Haringey)

Asha Philip (Steve Fudge; Newham & Essex Beagles)

Martyn Rooney (Nick Dakin; Croydon)

Danny Talbot (Vince Anderson; Birchfield Harriers)

Jessica Turner (Nick Dakin; Amber Valley & Erewash)

CJ Ujah (Ryan Freckleton; Enfield & Haringey)

Jodie Williams (Stuart McMillan; Herts Phoenix)

Bianca Williams (Lloyd Cowan; Enfield & Haringey)

Rabah Yousif (Carol Williams; Newham & Essex Beagles)

12 Athletes among the first wave of selections for Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games

2021-06-24T07:25:23+01:00

Six reigning Paralympic champions are among the first group of 12 athletes selected to represent ParalympicsGB at the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games this summer.

Hollie Arnold, Jo Butterfield, Hannah Cockroft, Aled Davies, Sophie Hahn and Richard Whitehead all won gold at Rio 2016 and are part of a stellar group of athletes who are announced in the first wave of para-athletics selections.

Five-time Paralympic champion Cockroft, who lowered her own world records in the women’s T34 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m in Switzerland last month, is joined by fellow T34 wheelchair racer and Rio 2016 silver and bronze medallist, Kare Adenegan, in the women’s T34 100m and 800m.

For Whitehead and Davies, Tokyo 2020 will be their third summer Games - both claimed gold at London 2012 and Rio 2016. Whitehead has been selected to compete in the T61 200m, while Davies will go in the F63 shot put.

Hollie Arnold – selected for her fourth Games - will be looking to defend the title she won five years ago in the women’s F46 javelin, while reigning world champion Jonathan Broom-Edwards – a silver medallist at Rio 2016 – is selected in the T64 high jump. Sabrina Fortune, who won her first world title in 2019 to add to the bronze she won in Rio, will line up in the women’s F20 shot put.

Reigning Paralympic, world, European and Commonwealth champion, Sophie Hahn will go for a tilt at her second T38 100m Paralympic title in Japan. Meanwhile, Rio 2016 bronze medallist Andrew Small has sealed his place in the men’s T33 100m.

Scottish sprinter Maria Lyle, who won three Paralympic medals in Brazil five years ago, was in terrific form at the recent European Championships, claiming two golds to take her tally of European titles to eight since making her debut in 2014. The 21-year-old will compete in the T35 100m and 200m in Tokyo.

Lyle’s compatriot and defending Paralympic F51 club throw champion, Jo Butterfield (Phil Peat, Forth Valley Flyers), completes the duo of Tokyo-bound Scots in this first wave of selected athletes.

20-year-old Thomas Young makes his Paralympic debut after impressive performances on the European and world stage in recent years, including T38 100m gold the European Para Athletics Championships earlier this month.

Great Britain and Northern Ireland finished third in the para-athletics medals table at Rio 2016, behind China and USA.

Para Athletics Head Coach Paula Dunn said: “I am very pleased to confirm our first wave of athletes for this summer’s Paralympic Games. It has been a long wait for these athletes, but this is a significant milestone in their career, so I hope they savour this moment and reflect on their achievement so far and use it to fuel them in the final few weeks of preparation for the Games.

“I am proud of how these athletes have conducted themselves over the last year or so under very challenging circumstances. They have kept their focus on their goals in a year like no other, and I wish them all the best over these final few weeks of preparation prior to the Games. I am looking forward to seeing how they all perform out in Tokyo.”

ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission Penny Briscoe said: “It’s a great pleasure to welcome such talented athletes to the ParalympicsGB team with just over 60 days to go before the Games get underway in Tokyo.

“This tremendous group of athletes from both track and field has already shown great ability on the global stage, including gold and silver medal-winning performances at the last World Championships. I am in no doubt that their talent and experience will stand them in great stead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and I look forward to joining them on that journey.” The rest of the para-athletics team will be announced on Wednesday 21 July 2021.

The athletes selected for the Paralympic Games:

Kare Adenegan (Job King, Coventry) – Women’s T34 100m and 800m

Hollie Arnold (David Turner, Blackheath and Bromley) – Women’s F46 Javelin

Jonathan Broom-Edwards (Graham Ravenscroft, Newham and Essex Beagles) – Men’s T64 High Jump

Jo Butterfield (Phil Peat / Shona Malcolm, Forth Valley Flyers) – Women’s F51 Club Throw

Hannah Cockroft (Jenni Banks, Leeds) – Women’s T34 100m and 800m

Aled Davies (Ryan Spencer-Jones, Cardiff) – Men’s F63 Shot Put

Sabrina Fortune (Ian Robinson, Deeside) – Women’s F20 Shot Put

Sophie Hahn (Leon Baptiste, Charnwood) – Women’s T38 100m

Maria Lyle (Jamie Bowie, Team East Lothian) – Women’s T35 100m and 200m

Andrew Small (Rick Hoskins, Stockport) – Men’s T33 100m

Richard Whitehead (Keith Antoine, Southwell) – Men’s T61 200m

Thomas Young (Joe McDonnell, Charnwood) – Men’s T38 100m

2020 Men's T20 World Cup postponed due of Covid pandemic

2020-07-22T02:25:55+01:00

The men's T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in Australia later this year, has been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. The tournament was due to take place between 18 October and 15 November. An edition will be held in October and November 2021 and another in 2022.

ICC (International Cricket Council) chief executive Manu Sawhney "The decision gives us the best possible opportunity of delivering two safe and successful T20 World Cups.

"Our members now have the clarity they need around event windows to enable them to reschedule lost bilateral and domestic cricket."

It has not been announced whether the 2021 tournament will be held in India as planned, and the 2022 competition in Australia, or the Australia edition will be moved to 2021 and India to 2022.

The ICC also announced that the 2023 50-over men's World Cup in India will move from February and March to October and November. It says it will "continue to evaluate" the situation before deciding on the 2021 Women's World Cup in New Zealand in February, with planning continuing as scheduled.

The men's 2021 T20 tournament will finish on 14 November and England are set to start their Ashes tour of Australia later that month. Melbourne, which was scheduled to host seven games including the final, went back into a six-week lockdown on 9 July after a spike in coronavirus infections.

All travellers entering Australia currently need to undertake a mandatory 14-day quarantine period.

Test cricket returned in England on 8 July with all the players and people involved in the game in a bio-secure bubble but the ICC deemed that unworkable with 12 different nations involved. England are playing a three-Test series against West Indies - who arrived in England four weeks prior to the first Test in Southampton to meet isolation restrictions - before playing series against Ireland and Pakistan in late July and August.

They are also hoping to play a limited-overs series in September against Australia, who named a preliminary 26-player squad last week in a "positive albeit not definitive step".

The postponement means the Indian Premier League, which was due to start on 29 March, may take place in the vacant window later this year, while England's tour of Sri Lanka that was called off in March may also be rearranged.

The next Women's T20 World Cup is scheduled to be held in South Africa in 2022.
Australia won the 2020 edition in one of the last major sporting events before lockdown.
Top of Form

2021 World Cup set to be postponed

2021-03-03T08:10:21+00:00

The Rugby World Cup 2021 is set to be postponed until next year following a recommendation by governing body World Rugby. The tournament is currently scheduled to be hosted in New Zealand between 18 September and 16 October. A final decision is expected after the Rugby World Cup board and World Rugby's executive committee consider the recommendation on March 8 and 9. World Rugby said that the challenging Covid landscape influenced its decision.

It added: "It has become clear in recent discussions with key partners including New Zealand Rugby, the New Zealand government and participating unions, that, given the scale of the event and the Covid-19 related uncertainties, it is just not possible to deliver the environment for all teams to be the best that they can be on the sport's greatest stage." The country's borders are currently closed to almost all travellers and cases have recently emerged in Auckland, one of the country's host cities.

Nicky Ponsford, the Rugby Football Union's head of women's performance, said: "We are naturally disappointed but understanding of the decision.

"Player welfare has to be prioritised and ensuring teams both qualify on the pitch and can perform to their best at the tournament is also vitally important for the game."

Irish Rugby's director of women's rugby, Anthony Eddy, added: "We're obviously disappointed. We have always put player welfare at the heart of everything we do and that's never been as important as it has over the past 12 months."

New Zealand has always been viewed as one of the best places to be hosting a major sporting event in 2021, with some of the lowest Covid numbers in the world. However, hosting an additional 11 arriving Test sides and agreeing suitable quarantine arrangements has proved too much.

It is the first time the women's tournament has been hosted by a southern hemisphere nation, and it's thought the event will be rearranged for 2022.

2022, The Year of The Games!

2022-01-03T08:40:51+00:00

Happy new year! 2022 is the year of the Games. Don’t miss out on your chance to secure your tickets. Everyone wants a piece of the action, and Perry can’t wait to see you there.

2022-23 season to have revamped format across BBL Championship, Cup and Trophy Competitions

2022-06-16T07:05:39+01:00

The British Basketball League (BBL) have revealed new changes to the format of the BBL season ahead of the start of the 2022-23 campaign.

The new season will begin in September with BBL Championship action, with each team now facing each other four times (2H, 2A), playing 36 games across a 28-week league season.