Monthly Archives: May 2024

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Summer McIntosh smiles during the breaststroke leg on her way to breaking the World Record in the women's 400m IM at the Canadian Olympic Swim Trials in Toronto on May 16, 2024.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press

Summer McIntosh has turned the volume all the way up at the Canadian Olympic trials this week.

Not just the sound levels inside the Pan Am Sports Centre, where she has dominated four events and drawn frenzied reactions from the Canadian crowds.

McIntosh has also cranked up the decibels on the buzz shes been generating around the world, as the weeks tick by until the Paris Olympics in July.

When she smashed her own world record in the 400-metre individual medley this week, the news reverberated from the United States to Australia, where her main competitors are all clocking her performances.

Yet, for all the noise McIntosh is creating these days, the 17-year-old from Toronto insists she isnt hearing any of it.

I think Im getting used to it at this point, McIntosh said of the din that now surrounds her. I dont really hear any of the outside noise. When Im at a pool like this, all I hear is the support and the screaming from the stands. So thats what I try to focus on.

As for the screaming, theres been a lot of it.

During her race Saturday night, her fourth of the trials, McIntosh won the 200-metre butterfly in a time of 2 minutes 4.33 seconds, as the roar from the roughly 1,700 fans in attendance drowned out the announcer.

It was the fastest time in the world this season for that event, solidifying her as Canadas leading medal contender in the pool in France.

McIntosh allowed herself a brief smile when asked about the season-best time she put down, then quickly pointed out that its all just more noise.

Shes got 10 more weeks to Paris, and thats where shes putting her energy and attention, McIntosh said.

I try not to focus too much on how fast it was compared to others. When it comes to the Olympic Games, everyones going to give that much more, McIntosh said.

McIntosh also won the 200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, and 400m individual medley at the trials this week.

Saturdays victory secured McIntosh entry into her fourth individual event at the Summer Games, in addition to multiple relay events she will likely swim for Canada.

She first made noise at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, arriving as a precocious 14-year-old who was part of a Canadian relay team that narrowly missed the podium. Now, heading into Paris, shes arriving as a contender, a serious threat expected to win a medal in multiple events, and a generational talent for Canada.

It will be her biggest stage yet. But until then, McIntosh said her preparation is devoted to the small details: honing her technique a little more, shaving milliseconds from her times and whatever else it takes.

Ive got about 10 weeks until Paris, not a ton of time, but enough to still have time to improve on some small things, McIntosh said. Just small little tweaks.

Until then, shell be doing everything she can to tune out the noise, which given the way shes been swimming lately will only grow louder.

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As Summer McIntosh wins at the Canadian Olympic trials, the noise around her grows louder - The Globe and Mail

Many of the most beloved Air Jordan colorways of all time were inspired by Michael Jordans legacy on the court. Largely that means borrowing palettes from the uniforms of his six-time champion Chicago Bulls or his championship-winning UNC Tar Heels. Less common but just as desirable are the Js that pay tribute to Jordan's feats with the United States men's national team, with whom he won gold at the 1983 Pan American Games, the 1984 Summer Olympics, the 1992 Tournament of the Americas, and the 1992 Summer Olympics.

The Air Jordan 6 Olympic is one of the most beloved USA squad makeups. This particular red-white-and-blue version didnt debut until the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydneyeight years after Jordan and the Dream Team ran rampant in Barcelonawhere it was worn by Team USA legends of the era like Ray Allen. It returned at London 2012 with a slightly revamped silhouette, featuring a narrower profile and redesigned outsole, not unlike the popular Air Jordan 6 Carmine, one of the best-known Jordan 6 retros. The Olympic colorway has appeared more recently on an Air Jordan 5 and as a cleated golf version of the AJ6, but the OG hasn't gotten a proper release in over a decade.

Ray Allen wearing the Air Jordan 6 Olympic at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

Thats set to change this summer, when Nike will reissue the Air Jordan 6 Olympic just in time for Paris 2024. The Jordan 6 has been somewhat underrated by sneakerheads in recent years, and underrepresented as a retro model by Jordan Brand in general, with few must-have releases dropping outside of the return of the Carmine in 2021. The Olympic shows the silhouette at its best, with a crisp aesthetic thats at once sleek and strikingly geometric. The dominant white and blue offset by the red Jumpman logo looks about as perfectly clean as Air Jordan colorways get.

The Air Jordan 6 Olympic is set to return via Nike and the SNKRS app on August 3but if you really can't wait to get your hands on a pair, you can nab the 2012 release via StockX right now instead.

Nike

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12 Years Later, Air Jordan Is Finally Re-Releasing a Legendary Olympic Sneaker - GQ

The University of Limoges' Centre for Law and Economics of Sport (CDES) claims that the 2024 Olympic Games will generate a net economic gain of somewhere between 6.7 billion and 11.1 billion for the Paris region.

The Paris 2024 Organising Committee commissioned the independent study to model the overall economic impact of construction work, extra tourism and event organisation on the le de France region from 2018-2034. The Paris Tourism Office expects up to three million tourists to visit Paris during the Games and spend around 2.6 billion.

In 2016, the CDES carried out a previous economic impact study in support of a Paris Games bid which estimated the economic gain at 5.3-10.7 billion. Three years ago, the Pariseconomy was estimated at 765 billion by the French national statistics agency.

At under 10 billion, theGames budget is set to be smaller than recent editions with at least 2.6 billion coming from public funds. In an intermediate scenario, each euro of public spending will lead to an around three euros of economic impact.Eighty percent of the public investment is in Seine-St-Denis, home to the Olympic Village which will be converted into 2,800 housing units and two new schools after the Games.

The economic gains of major sporting events are hard to measure with the study's authors urging caution with regard to interpreting the results. In March, French central bank governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau said that the Games' impact would be more psychological than economic.

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Olympics to provide 7-11bn boost for Paris region, says independent report - Insidethegames.biz

Alyssa Roenigk, ESPN Senior WriterMay 17, 2024, 11:38 AM ET

The past and future of American gymnastics is colliding in Hartford, Connecticut, on Saturday. At the U.S. Classic, the first step toward this summer's Olympic trials in Minneapolis, the past three Olympic all-around champions -- Gabby Douglas, Simone Biles and Suni Lee -- will compete alongside one of the most talented groups of Olympic hopefuls in history. It is a meet rife with storylines -- but it is Douglas' return to the sport that is perhaps the most unexpected plot twist of this quad.

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Twelve years after becoming the first Black gymnast to win the Olympic all-around title at the 2012 London Games and inspiring a generation of Black girls to pursue elite gymnastics, Douglas returned to competition at the American Classic in Katy, Texas, in April. Now 28, she looked at times shaky and inconsistent and at others ready to reclaim the Olympic spotlight.

In Katy, Douglas' difficulty scores on bars and beam were on par with the top gymnasts in the country and she was as good as ever landing a double-twisting Yurchenko vault. But she came off bars twice, landed low on her beam dismount and stepped out of bounds on two tumbling passes, finishing 11th overall.

But no matter the outcome this summer, Douglas has said her quest to make the Paris team is as much about ending her career on her terms as it is about proving she's one of the five best gymnasts in the country right now. To many of the young Black women she's competing against for those coveted spots, her return means even more.

"Seeing her up there on the podium [in London], I was, like, 'Oh, I want to do that. I want to be there one day,'" 17-year-old Kaliya Lincoln said during a national team camp earlier this year. "That moment inspired me."

Twelve years ago, Lincoln watched Douglas win in London and reset her goals for herself. She never imagined that, more than a decade later when she came of Olympic age in a sport once defined by youth, she'd compete against Douglas for a spot on the 2024 Olympic team.

"Not in a million years did I think I'd ever compete against Gabby," said Lincoln, who will share the floor with Douglas for the first time Saturday. "It's surreal. Seeing her passion and love for this sport after so many years is really inspiring."

Until April, Douglas hadn't competed in elite gymnastics since the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where she became the first all-around champion since Nadia Comaneci to win the title and return to the Olympics four years later. In Rio, Douglas helped the U.S. team win a second straight team gold and qualified into the uneven bars final, where she finished seventh.

Despite finishing third overall in qualifying, Douglas was unable to defend her all-around title due to the two-per-country rule. Teammates Biles and Aly Raisman represented the U.S. and took gold and silver. Biles became the second Black woman, and fifth American woman, to win the Olympic all-around.

Five years later, at the postponed 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Lee became the first Hmong American and the first Asian American to win the title. In 2022, Konnor McClain led the first all-around podium trio of Black gymnasts at the U.S. championships, and at the 2023 world championships in Antwerp, Belgium, in October, Biles topped the first podium of three Black gymnasts in world championship history.

"I remember looking at Simone and we were like, we did it," two-time world champion Shilese Jones said in Antwerp. Jones is the only woman who was part of both podiums, having taken silver in the all-around at the 2022 U.S. event and bronze at 2023 worlds. "It's been a long time coming. Sometimes I feel we get overshadowed. This means so much to younger girls and the Black community."

Jones, who is a favorite to make the Paris team, also credits Douglas' win in London with changing the course of her career, and her life. "I saw the 2012 Olympics and was like, 'That's where I want to be. I want to be Gabby Douglas,'" she said. "That's when it clicked for me. Like, 'Oh, we can take this to another level.'"

Jones, 21, began to formulate a plan. Three years later, at 13, she persuaded her parents to move from their hometown of Seattle to Columbus, Ohio, so she could train at Buckeye Gymnastics alongside Douglas, who trained there through the 2016 Games.

"I thought, 'You're elite now, but you need to get somewhere where you're training with other elites,'" Jones said. "That's when I moved and trained with Gabby. We became close, and I got a different view for the Olympic-style athlete."

Skye Blakely, who is also in the mix to make this summer's Olympic team, was 8 when she watched Douglas walk to the top step of the Olympic podium and bow her head to receive her first Olympic gold medal.

Throughout her career, Blakely, 19, has trained at World Olympic Gymnastics Academy in Texas, the same gym where Olympic all-around champions Carly Patterson and Nastia Liukin once trained. She said that she remembers hearing about their wins and watching replays of their performances on YouTube but that she wasn't impacted by them in the way she was when Douglas won in London.

"It was seeing Gabby compete with my own eyes," Blakely said. "She was Black; she looks like me and was someone I could relate to. I was like, 'Wow, it is a possibility.' Since then, it's been my goal to get there. I was like, 'I see the plan. I see the vision. Just keep working hard and you can get there, too.'"

With Douglas' return to the sport alongside two-time Olympian Biles, 27, in a field that could yield the first over-20 Olympic team in U.S. history, Douglas is once again helping to shift perceptions of what an Olympic gymnast looks like.

"I'm only 17," Lincoln says. "Now I look at it like, I still have a lot of time. It's not, 'If I don't do good this season, then that's it.' I have many more years in this sport."

That's how Douglas once viewed her career, too. It's why she never used the word "retired" after Rio. But she knows this is her last go-round, so she's trying to take in every moment along the way.

"Happy and grateful to be back out there on the floor doing what I love again," Douglas wrote on social media after competing in Katy. "With anything there are always kinks to work out, get better and improve. I've never been more excited to get back into the gym and work even harder ... I'll see you in Hartford."

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What does Gabby Douglas' comeback mean to the sport? - ESPN

That Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were the overwhelming favourites to win the 2024 Thailand Open was well known by the business end of the BWF Super 500 tournament.

They were the highest ranked pair and did not face a seeded pair in a draw already depleted by absences and then blown wide open by the early losses of the other top pairs.

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But every favourites tag on paper must be justified with on-court performances and the top seeds did just that, rubber-stamping their credentials with a dominant title run, without dropping a game. They beat China's world no. 29 pair Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi 21-15, 21-15 in a performance that grew more commanding as the match progressed.

This title - the second of the season out of 4 finals - sealed their return to the world no. 1 spot in the seesaw of men's doubles rankings again. More importantly, this title is a morale boost after a rough couple of months - due to injury and early losses - after a splendid start to the year (three straight finals).

The Indians came into the Thailand Open after tough losses in the two tournaments they had set their targets on this year - a second-round loss at the All England Championship in March and two back-to-back narrow losses at the Thomas Cup in May, where defending champions India made a quarterfinal exit.

It also was a chance for Satwik, whose injury had forced them to miss the Badminton Asia Championship in April, to test his match fitness over the course of a tournament. The title run was a win on both counts, as they looked fit and fast after a slight off-colour performance earlier this month. In this respect, the lack of big names in the field didn't matter as much as testing the rhythm of their own performances.

Thailand has always been a happy hunting ground for Sat-Chi, a fact both reiterated after their semi and final wins. It is this very Thailand Open title that, back in 2019, heralded the young Indian pair's arrival on the scene. That was their first major title, then on the back of a giant-killing run.

Their path to the title this time could not have been more different as they did not face a single Top 25 pair. It took them only 35 minutes to win the semifinal, and while the final was only 10 minutes longer and looked easy enough on paper, it was also a reminder of how much both Satwik and Chirag have grown.

In the first game, for example, Chen and Liu fought back after an early burst to extend the rallies and levelled things at 7-7 before taking a slim 1-point lead at the mid-game interval. But the Indians, whose natural game is swift points, recalibrated and got into the longer rallies to build their points and raced away in the second half.

The second game saw the top seeds build a sizeable lead right at 11-6 before the Chinese pair clawed their way back to reduce the gap to just 1 at 16-15. Satwik and Chirag then turned on their afterburners and did not lose another point. The very next shot was pure doubles symphony; the two punching in back-to-back angled smashes - all returned - before Satwik found the spot they opened up and sent down the kill shot.

These are small moments in the bigger picture but it adds on to their confidence and comfort on court in what is a very important season. As much as the trophies and points on the BWF World Tour count, 2024 is very much about the Paris Olympics and planning their performance ahead of it. Satwik and Chirag are one of the medal favourites from India and have spoken about how crucial calendar and fitness management will be ahead of the Games in July.

Also Read: Path to Paris: After historic 2023, 'hungry' Sat-Chi embrace pressure, master the mind games

They have not entered next week's Malaysia Masters, also a Super 500, and will likely play the Singapore Open Super 750 the week after. With the confidence they would have gained in their fitness and momentum this week, the Indian will be back to being favourites the next time they play on tour.

Excerpt from:

Satwik-Chirag peel off rust to claim Thailand Open silverware ahead of Paris Olympics - ESPN India

Mike Sullivan is getting his chance.

The Penguins coach had been tabbed to coach Team USA four years earlier, but schedule alterations due to the COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible. Now, the two-time Stanley Cup winner will guide Team USA in the 2026 Olympics and the 2025 4 Nations Face-off.

Team USA general manager Bill Guerin worked with Sullivan for many years in Pittsburgh and has a strong bond with him.

Were excited to have Mike guiding our teams, Guerin said. He is one of the very best coaches in the game and his background, including with international hockey, is well-suited to help put our team in the best position to win.

Sullivan, 56, was an assistant coach at the World Cup of Hockey in 2016 and has coached on many other occasions internationally for Team USA. Hes coached the Penguins since December 2015, guiding them to championships in 2016 and 2017.

While he has come under fire from some members of the fan base in Pittsburgh because of the teams recent woes the Penguins havent made the playoffs in either of the past two seasons and havent won a postseason series since 2018 he remains highly regarded in NHL circles.

Sullivan, a native of Marshfield, Mass., was eager to coach Team USA when he was last presented with such an opportunity and it comes as no surprise that he was picked to guide this team.

He commands much respect around the NHL, especially among star players. Sullivan is one of the most successful coaches in recent NHL history and has extensive experience coaching in international tournaments. His reputation as a good communicator is well known and, in such short tournaments, that skill would seem particularly important.

No one will be more familiar with the competition in these tournaments than Sullivan. Canada is Team USAs biggest rival and the Canadian captain figures to be Sidney Crosby, who Sullivan has coached for nearly a decade. Other big names from the Penguins could play in these tournaments, and Sullivan will likely get another chance to coach Jake Guentzel, an American whom the Penguins recently traded to Carolina.

Probably. Sullivan has three years remaining on his contract, not to mention firm backing from Crosby, president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas and Fenway Sports Group ownership.

Still, there will be unprecedented pressure on Sullivan with the Penguins this season, as the franchise has only missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons once in the past 35 years.

Extremely good. Team USA will be one of the favorites in this tournament. They are loaded at the goaltending position with the likes of Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, Jeremy Swayman and Thatcher Demko.

Theyre loaded everywhere. Consider the star power: Auston Matthews, Jack Hughes, Jack Eichel and Tage Thompson could play down the middle, and will have potential teammates such as Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk, Kyle Connor, Quinn Hughes, Adam Fox, Charlie McAvoy (Sullivans son-in-law).

(Photo: James Guillory / USA Today)

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Penguins' Mike Sullivan to coach Team USA for 2026 Olympics - The Athletic - The New York Times

Jeff Jacoby is exactly right that Boston dodged a bullet no, make that a cannonball in not hosting the Olympic Games this summer (I rejoice that Boston didnt get the 2024 Olympics, Ideas, May 12). The likely costs and disruption were staggering. Imagine Bostons current fiscal woes with a few hundred million dollars of Olympic shortfall added to the mix.

Unfortunately, the laudable goal of international, peaceable athletic competition has been sullied by an untransparent, unaccountable organization, the International Olympic Committee, and the trail of financial and physical ruin to its host cities is long and well-documented.

So its especially heartening, and an important lesson for us today, that the determined efforts of a few committed citizens can overcome the powers that be every once in a while. The grass-roots effort that beat back Bostons proposal about 10 years ago was much like the successful effort in the late 1960s to prevent the Inner Belt freeway from destroying city neighborhoods. A few so-called little guys said no to the self-aggrandizing plans of Bostons monied and political elite and won. Sometimes it takes a few Davids to take down a Goliath.

Mark Lohr

West Roxbury

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Score one for the little guys in fending off Boston's Olympic bid - The Boston Globe

Scottish runner out-sprints Fiona OKeeffe to take womens win as Mohamed Ismael of Djibouti enjoys mens victory over Patrick Dever

After training in Edinburgh and Inverness in the build-up to the Night of the 10,000m PBs, Megan Keith applied a bit of self-tanning lotion before taking to the track at Parliament Hill. I hate to say it, but I just had enough of being really pasty in photos! she said.

There was nothing fake or artificial about her performance on Saturday (May 18) though as she stormed to a thrilling and narrow victory in 31:03.02 ahead of Fiona OKeeffe of the United States. With an Olympic qualifying time of 30:36.84 already in the bag from earlier this year, it means the 22-year-old has booked her spot in the GB team for the Olympics. Paris, she said, is a reality now, which is nice.

On a night where the main British sporting spotlight focused on the Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk boxing fight in Saudi Arabia, a similarly brutal battle unfolded on Hampstead Heath in north London as Keith and OKeeffe slugged it out for 25 laps. This was hardly a two-horse race either as Amanda Vestri of the United States, Klara Lukan of Slovenia and Francine Niyomukunzi were all prominent and in the mix until the final three laps when Keith began to draw away with OKeeffe.

Megan Keith pips Fiona OKeeffe (David Hicks)

Until that point, Keith had run a patient race too. I dont mind being at the front and pushing it along, she said, but I didnt have to tonight and it was hard not to take my turn leading in the early stages. I had to be selfish and didnt want to be the workhorse for everyone else. I had to be patient, which is difficult when the crowd are making so much noise.

When she made her move, though, the lead group splintered. Only OKeeffe, 22, the surprise winner of the US Olympic Marathon Trials in Florida in February, could match Keiths pace. Ultimately, in a rip-roaring home straight sprint, Keith edged past her rival with a packed Parliament Hill crowd screaming them on.

The crowd carried me down the home straight, said Keith.

OKeeffe was less than half a second behind at the finish with Vestri seven seconds back in third, Lukan a further three seconds behind in fourth and Niyomukunzi, who had threatened to run away from the field mid-race, fifth.

Jess Warner-Judd leads Fiona OKeeffe and Megan Keith (David Hicks)

With the event doubling as the British Olympic trials, Jess Warner-Judd faded to ninth in 31:36.37 almost a minute outside the 30:40.00 qualifying target and she spent some time in the medical tent post-race.

Abbie Donnelly, one of the big British success stories of the recent cross-country season, ran a PB of 31:45.37 in 11th as Sophie Wallis was 12th in 31:57.65.

With American athletes like OKeeffe and Vestri excelling, it was not Keira DAmatos night as the former US marathon record-holder dropped out at 7km.

Megan Keith and Fiona OKeeffe (David Hicks)

As for Keith, the Edinburgh student is on the rise right now after winning European under-23 5000m and cross-country titles last year. After demolishing her rivals at the Euro Cross in December, she must have been tempted to run the World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade in March but instead she focused on getting a solid block of training in before her 30:36.84 Olympic qualifier in California in March, followed by another build-up to these Olympic trials in London.

Next for Keith is the Euro Championships in Rome from June 7-12. Then Ill probably take a break and build back up for the Games, she said.

Like the main womens championship race, the athletes in the mens main event also failed to break the Olympic qualifying mark of 27:00.00. It was nevertheless a thrilling race as Mohamed Ismael of Djibouti clocked 27:22.38 to out-sprint Patrick Dever the British hope running 27:23.88.

Mohamed Ismael wins (David Hicks)

Enjoying an inspired race in front of several thousand cheering fans as darkness fell on the venue at close to 10pm, Dever broke away from the rest of the field soon after passing halfway in 13:30 although Ismael caught him with two kilometres to go before out-gunning the Preston Harrier.

In third, Felix Bour of France ran a PB of 27:27.11 as Paul Chelimo, the 2023 winner at the Night of the 10,000m PBs from the United States, finished a gritty fourth in 27:34.04.

Mohamed Ismael, Patrick Dever and Charles Hicks follow the pacer (David Hicks)

It was a little bit bittersweet, said Dever, but winning the British title is great. To come short of 27:00 is a bit annoying but I gave it my best.

When I was out by myself I was struggling a bit so I was quite glad when I was caught as it meant I wasnt out there alone anymore. I expected a great atmosphere but didnt quite expect it to be this big. It was quite chaotic and it was hard to keep calm before the start. The crowd was incredible.

Dever could still make the Olympics, too, as UK Athletics has a separate standard of 27:20.00 which they say will make athletes eligible for consideration assuming they also have a World Athletics rankings position.

Rory Leonard (David Hicks)

Dever had run 27:08.81 earlier this year and couldnt quite match that on Saturday, but he proved the best of the Brits as Rory Leonard clocked 27:38.39 in eighth, Charles Hicks 27:46.41 in 15th and Zak Mahamed 27:46.55 in 16th with, further down the field, Charlie Wheeler running 28:04.89 and Scott Beattie 28:23.25.

For Leonard it was a particularly pleasing run as the European under-23 champion smashed his PB of 28:04.83 to qualify for the European Championships in Rome. Im in a little bit of shock, said Leonard. I felt as the race progressed that if the wheels dont fall off randomly then Im going to run really fast here.

Zak Mahamed (right) with Tadesse Getahon (David Hicks)

The winner, Ismael, says the 5000m will be his main goal at the Olympics in August. The 27-year-old ran an Olympic qualifying mark of 12:56.43 for that distance in Stockholm a few days ago and eagle-eyed fans will remember him finishing ninth in the world indoor 3000m final which was won by Josh Kerr in Glasgow in March.

With GB international runner Mo Aadan helping translate from Somali to English, Ismael who does most of his training at altitude in Ethiopia told AW he thought the spectators were really good and hes looking forward to coming back to the event in future.

Was winning a surprise? After running 12:56 for 5000m I was feeling good and feeling in shape so I was confident.

Rory Leonard, Patrick Dever, Charles Hicks (David Hicks)

The Night of the 10,000m PBs continues to grow following its humble beginnings in 2013. Organised by Ben Pochee with members of Highgate Harriers and sponsors On Running all lending their support, the 2024 event was perhaps the biggest yet with warm sunny weather drawing the crowds during the afternoon.

The in-field is particularly packed with people, trade stands and plenty of things to keep young fans entertained such as a climbing wall. The only downfall is that it makes viewing the races difficult as the athletes circle the track.

Still, the basic principle of allowing fans on to parts of the track to cheer the athletes as they run through a tunnel on each straight is one that is simple yet effective. In between races there were also jugglers, music and even some sprint hurdling through rings of fire.

Athletics entertainment at Parliament Hill (David Hicks)

The young athletes 800m races have also expanded this year and are well received by competitors and fans. Among these, Jorjia March of Barnet & District won the under-15 girls race impressively in 2:08.70 just a few days after winning another young athletes race at the Bannister Miles meeting in Oxford.

Noah Penfold of North Shields Polytechnic won the under-13 boys race of 2:13.96. His mum, Charlotte Moore, was on hand to watch, too. Back in 2002 Moore reached the Commonwealth 800m final aged 17 on home soil in Manchester where she clocked a British junior record of 1:59.75.

There were even more links with those 2002 Commonwealth Games too. In the under-17 womens race when Florence East, the daughter of 2002 Commonwealth 1500m champion Mike East, was runner-up in 2:10.28 as Natasha Wynn of Woodford Green with Essex Ladies lived up to her name to win in 2:09.36.

Holly Ovens, the daughter of 2002 Commonwealth 1500m finalist Hayley, won the under-20 womens 800m in 2:09.35.

Elsewhere, Evan Grime once again showed his great ability by taking the under-17 mens race in 1:51.83, while William Rabjohns, who is probably better known as a 1500m runner, surprised himself with a big 800m PB and win in the under-20 race in 1:49.63.

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Megan Keith seals Olympic selection in Night of the 10,000m PBs thriller - AW - Athletics Weekly

BILLINGS The First Interstate Arena was host to hundreds of athletes from around Montana Wednesday night for the opening ceremony for the 2024 Special Olympics Montana games, marking the event's three-year stay in Billings.

(Competitors are) all running and giving each other hugs and its a competition, but they are coming together," said Holli Bennett, the director of Silver Bow Developmental Disabilities Council Incorporated in Butte.

The event included a torch lighting, notable speakers like Billings Mayor Bill Cole, honorees, and a dance party, but athletes said they were most excited to connect with family and friends.

It makes our relationship stronger," Jessica Hasler, a competitor, said about herself and her boyfriend, Payton Miller, who is also a competitor.

Many said despite the bonds, there remains a focus on friendly competition.

"I feel like a champion," said competitor Frank Zapada, who has earned over 100 medals during his special Olympic career.

It is estimated that coaches, volunteers, and organizers contribute hundreds of hours throughout the year to make the event come together.

People who have never been to a special Olympics event or participated in anything like this, they should come and experience what it does for your soul," said Bennett.

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Montana Special Olympics begins three years of family and friends in Billings - Q2 News

Hong Kongs Olympic triathlon hopeful Jason Ng Tai-long remained ahead of his rival in the race for Paris, but only just, after failing to finish the Asia Cup event in Lianyungang, China on Saturday.

Ng was one of the three Hongkongers, alongside Robin Elg and Mark Yu Shing-him, with a DNF (Did Not Finish) next to his name, while Ayan Beisenbayev of Kazakhstan was just 26 seconds off the podium places, which were occupied by Chinese triathletes in Jiangsu province.

Beisenbayev and Ng are vying for the Games only new flag berth, reserved for the highest-ranked Asian nation or region not already represented in Paris. There is one race left for Beisenbayev to overtake the Hongkonger, on Beisenbayevs home territory next Saturday.

The China team gave us a lifeline by filling the podium, Hong Kong head coach Andrew Wright said. But next week it will mean the Kazakh has to get no points for us to qualify.

Its not the best day for the team, to be honest. We were visibly struggling, but as were all athletes who raced last weekend [in Taizhou].

Elg helped Ng during the cycling leg and did not run. Ng and Yu ran 5km before dropping out. Luke Schofield, of Australia, who triumphed last week in Zhejiang, did not even make it to the start line.

Teamwork could thwart Ng in Kazakhstan. Five of Beisenbayevs six teammates finished in the top 25 on Saturday, with Temirlan Temirov the best, in eighth.

Chinas Teng Yunfeng won the race in two hours, one minute and 18 seconds, with compatriots Ma Yunxiang and Fan Junjie second and third.

Hong Kongs Oscar Coggins, in his first official race since his abandoned Asian Games outing last September, finished 65 seconds behind Beisenbayev, in 2:04:36.

Coggins was good, he hasnt trained much and got an 11th place, Wright said. Its looking good for him going forward.

Entering the final race in Burabay, Ng is still ahead and his team know where they stand.

[Beisenbayev] needs a podium next weekend, Wright said. But we are only really in control of our squad.

So what we have to do is make the swim and bike as hard as possible and get Jason finishing as high as we can.

The Hong Kong team will stay in Jiangsu to recover until Tuesday, when they will travel to Xian to spend a night before heading to Kazakhstan on Wednesday.

Optimising recovery is the most important objective between these events, Wright said. We have a physio travelling with the team. Other than that, its about doing the basics well. Nutrition, sleep and discipline.

Its equal pressure all round on both them and us, but I dont think the pressure will affect our performance.

In the womens event on Saturday, Hong Kongs Bailee Brown finished first in a field of only nine triathletes.

The 24-year-old clocked a time of 2:22:32 seconds, over four minutes ahead of Lu Meiyi of China and almost 10 minutes quicker than Lus compatriot Xu Xinyi.

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Hong Kong triathlon hopeful Ng down to wire in race for last ticket to Olympics - South China Morning Post