mpjmcevoy

It's weird. There are certain sports GBR - not many, GBR is notable for having lots of fingers in lots of pies - has just not got any weight in - Canoe sprint is among the hardest to understand, especially given the line of sprint canoeists they had for a while, from Brabants through to Heath. The Slalom squad are pretty good, and have been for over a decade. The Paracanoe guys are excellent. and yet... Other sports where the GB failure to 'matter' confuses me include Basketball, which thrives at grassroots level but nothing much at elite. Sports where I am not confused include wrestling, water polo, rhythmic gymnastics and shooting.

The fact so many of the top ranked pentathletes have already secured a quota does rather reduce the jeopardy in terms both of the two world champs and the rankings quotas

That's a good thing. He's actually had a really bitty season, pulling up a few times with achilles tendonitis - to get himself in world silver, European record shape is little short of a miracle, but there was a gold chance here that might not be there in Paris. That said, if he can do this off bits, he might go into Paris in very good heart.

Wightman made a point in the studio (and I get the feeling the two (Jakob and Wightman) don't get on, btw): Without a pacemaker in the race, Jakob is stuck not only taking the wind, but having to do all the thinking, and he struggles with that.

Probably worth noting Mageaan's progress on the same basis.

The really clever bit on Farah was that his tactic absolutely got into the heads of his rivals, and they fell into the trap again, and again, and again. They practically ran for him sometimes. Really, Farah was basically a good 1500 metre runner who worked on strength endurance. He just hid the fact well. Yep, that thinking goes all the way back to Coe. An 800 metre specialist, really, in season, but it was 1500 that he won at the big ones in'80 and '84 because he had the sprint of an 800m runner, and could live with a championship 1500 pace, whereas super kickers could take him in a championship 800. It used to be a truism that your best distance was your favourite distance + 1, but you need to get strong. Conversely, Dave Bedford had the world record for 10K and could not win a gold. Great runner. no kick. If you are going to do it not kicking, you need to be a rudisha or Kipyegon that is so fast, so dominant, that you simply run your rivals off your wheels. Jakob is great, but he's not that great. Mu is possibly an example. Her strongest rival is obviously Keely. But her most dangerous one might be Moraa and her ferocious ability to accelerate for short period - if the big two haven't distanced her by 650, Moraa is very dangerous. That's the conundrum of W800 at the moment. Moraa is super clever/sneaky, borders on obstruction, and turns races into fights. It's a brilliant tactic v two runners who are basically a second an a half quicker than her. But it only works vs 1 of them at a time - she can't obstruct two simultaneously, and Mu is not afraid to go a la Rudisha (Keely is a more natural 'tucker' than Mu who front runs)

There seems something in the fact that the two wins, last year and this, were almost identical. Doesn't seem just race luck, seems like a brilliant plan worked out by Wightman pére last year and brilliantly copied by Kerr. It takes a certain confidence to run a sub 3:30 while relying on outkicking the fastest in the world.

Isn't this the plot from Les Miserables?

I'm assuming lip service to 'sustainability' is a condition of the broadcast contract because it's one of Budapest and World Athletics big 'messages'. Beeb would be happy soldiers on this, it fits their self image too, but it all seems a bit tedious - not least as nothing but the abolition of international sport (and most other post industrial activity) is ever going to please the hardcore activists. If you're a sports administrator, understand, they aren't your friends - they hate your sponsors, they hate your building work on venues, they hate the international travel your athletes, coaches admins and fans do, and they aren't much fussed on sport in any event. You can't placate them, and their mates will try and disrupt your events every chance they get. Environmental awareness is a good thing, I just hate performativity.

It's intriguing, to put it mildly. I'm half surprised they haven't taken another young tiro - maybe Whitehouse - instead of James Hall. James is an absolute soldier, but you know what he gives you.

Budapest are doing a good job, and to be fair, with some technical issues, World Athletics are doing a pretty nice job. Scheduling is clever; the end of fastest loser is proving gamechanging in terms of heats, which are becoming true run races - but also including more fallers, so jeopardy increases - bad for athletes, but excellent for fans; couple of fabulous narratives in the first few days - the women's hundred was simply amazing from heats onwards, the redemption of KJT and Rhasidat continuing her breakthrough. Tonights 1500 will be lit - 5 into three won't go.

There's hubris from the french, here - ought to be a french word, frankly. It's obvious they cannot maintain the water quality in the Seine, but they are too proud to admit their picturesque triathlon idea's not going to work.

got to a World Cup final once. Miracles can happen...

I would add one caveat. Brownlee is a gifted sprint and super sprint triathlete. I'm not sure Izzard is. If they have a choice, Team GB may gamble that neither Izzard nor Brownlee are doing anything big in the individual, but Brownlee is a safer bet in, say, the first leg of the relay, where his strongish swim can prevent other teams opening up a big gap that's hard to bridge - much as Learmonth did in Tokyo. If he doesn't pull much on the bike, just following wheels, he may reach the run fresh enough to hold on and put the first woman in better position than Izzard would.

If you are a decent but not spectacular pro like Izzard is, this may be an astonishing opportunity to get an Olympic medal, because all things being equal, you're going to have Yee, Potter, and Taylor-Brown/Coldwell to pull back any losses you make in the sprint relay, and even if they don't win, they're likely to be in the mix for a medal. Brownlee, like his brother, seems sadly to have simply run out of wheels. An astonishing career in his own right, but he only looks headed in one direction, sadly. Yee, if fit, has to be favourite now for Paris. Potter is in a small group of favourites, but much will depend on the fitness and attendance of Taylor Brown and Duffy. Taking out Beaugrand in her home event on her home course, however, is a massive mental win for Beth, and affirms again that Cassandre, fabulous athlete though she is, remains vulnerable over the full Olympic distance when placed against a strong runner - which Potter, GTB and Duffy all are.

The 'SuperWorlds' cycling was very strong for GNs Olympic and Paralympic hopes as well, as was the diving in the World Aquatics - and given the absence of Peaty, the swimming there too. The gymnasts have been on for for a while now, so the World Athletics is the last of the big 'tentpoles'. The boxing campaign at the European Games was pretty poor though, and the archers and shooters have stuttered badly - although the main medal booked their spots some time ago. The GBR women's football team need England to get through the Nations Cup campaign, but if they do so they could be well set. Rowing looks strong again, sailing's going pretty well, but Canoe has gone a bit backwards....

[hide] Event & Date Athletes Gold Silver Bronze Men's 20km Race Walk Day 1 August 19th 2023 Declan Tingay Any Other Australian Athlete Caio Bonfim Zhang Jun x Any Other Chinese Athlete Eider Arevalo David Hurtado Brian Daniel Pintado Christopher Linke Francesco Fortunato x Koki Ikeda x Any Other Japanese Athlete Alvaro Martin Perseus Karlstroem Any Other Athlete Men's Shot Put Day 1 August 19th 2023 Darlan Romani Filip Mihaljevic Tomas Stanek x Leonardo Fabbri Zane Weir Rajindra Campbell Uziel Munoz Jacko Gill Tom Walsh x Josh Awotunde Ryan Crouser x Joe Kovacs Payton Otterdahl Any Other Athlete Women's 10000m Day 1 August 19th 2023 Rahel Daniel Mizan Alem Lemlem Hailu Ejgayehu Taye x Gudaf Tsegay x Eilish McColgan Ruth Chepngetich Irine Jepchumba Kimais Catherine Relin Sifan Hassan x Alicia Monson Any Other American Athlete Any Other Athlete Mixed 4x400m Relay Day 1 August 19th 2023 Belgium Czech Republic Dominican Republic x France Germany Ireland Italy Jamaica Netherlands x Nigeria Poland United States x Any Other Nation Women's 20km Race Walk Day 2 August 20th 2023 Jemima Montag Any Other Australian Athlete Liu Hong Ma Zhenxia x Yang Jiayu Lorena Arenas Saskia Feige Antigoni Ntrismpioti x Alegna Gonzalez Kimberly Garcia Leon Evelyn Inga Maria Perez x Any Other Athlete Women's Long Jump Day 2 August 20th 2023 Brooke Buschkuehl Mikaelle Assani Any British Athlete Larissa Iapichino x Tissanna Hickling Ackelia Smith Sumire Hata Ese Brume Ruth Usoro Agate De Sousa Any Serbian Athlete x Any Spanish Athete Quanesha Burks x Tara Davis-Woodhall Jasmine Moore Any Other Athlete Men's Hammer Throw Day 2 August 20th 2023 Ethan Katzberg Mostafa Elgamel Any French Athlete Any Greek Athlete Bence Halasz Diego Del Real Denzel Comenentia Any Norwegian Athlete Pawel Fajdek x Wojciech Nowicki x Mykhaylo Kokhan Daniel Haugh x Rudy Winkler Any Other Athlete Women's Heptathlon Day 2 August 20th 2023 Nafissatou Thiam x Noor Vidts Saga Vanninen Carolin Schaefer Sophie Weissenberg Katarina Johnson-Thompson x Any Dutch Athlete Adrianna Sulek Taliyah Brooks Anna Hall x Annie Kunz Any Other Athlete Men's 10000m Day 2 August 20th 2023 Mohammed Ahmed Berihu Aregawi x Selemon Barega x Yismaw Dillu Kibiwott Kandie x Stanley Njhia Shadrack Rono Domnic Lokinyomo Lobalu Any Ugandian Athlete Paul Chelimo William Kincaid Joe Klecker Any Other Athlete Men's 100m Day 2 August 20th 2023 Terrence Jones Any British Athlete x Lamont Marcell Jacobs Ryiem Forde Oblique Seville Rohan Watson Ferdinand Omanyala x Joseph Fahnbulleh Any Nigerian Athlete Akani Simbine Issamade Asinga Cravont Charleston Christian Coleman Fred Kerley x Noah Lyles Any Other Athlete Men's Triple Jump Day 3 August 21st 2023 Yasser Mohammed Triki Hugues Fabrice Zango Zhu Yaming x Lazaro Martinez x Christian Napoles Preveen Chithravel Emmanuel Ihejeme Andy Diaz Hernandez Jaydon Hibbert Pedro Pichardo x Will Claye Donald Scott Any Other Athlete Men's Discus Throw Day 3 August 21st 2023 Matthew Denny Lukas Weisshaidinger Daniel Jasinski Lawrence Okoye Fedrick Dacres Travis Smikle Roje Stona Mykolas Alekna Andrius Gudzius Connor Bell Alex Rose Kristjan Ceh x Daniel Staahl x Any American Athlete x Any Other Athlete Men's 110m Hurdles Day 3 August 21st 2023 Roger Iribarne Wilhem Belocian x Any Other French Athlete Orlando Bennett Rasheed Broadbell Hansle Parchment x Shunsuke Izumiya Any Other Japanese Athlete Antonio Alkana Jason Joseph Grant Holloway x Daniel Roberts Cordell Tinch Any Other Athlete Women's 100m Day 3 August 21st 2023 Anthonique Strachan Marie-Josee Ta Lou x Dina Asher-Smith x Daryll Neita Shashalee Forbes Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Shericka Jackson x Natasha Morrison Zoe Hobbs Julien Alfred Brittany Brown Tamari Davis Sha'Carri Richardson Any Other Athlete Men's High Jump Day 4 August 22nd 2023 Joel Baden Brandon Starc Thomas Carmoy Wang Zhen Luis Enrique Zayas Tobias Poyte Gianmarco Tamberi x Hamish Kerr Luis Castro Rivera Mutaz Essa Barshim x Woo Sanghyeok JuVaughn Harrison x Any Other Athlete Women's Discus Throw Day 4 August 22nd 2023 Feng Bin Sandra Perkovic x Yaime Perez x Any Other Cuban Athlete Melina Robert-Michon Shanice Craft Kristin Pudenz Claudine Vita Daisy Osakue Jorinde Van Klinken Chioma Onyekwere Liliana Ca Valarie Allman x Laulauga Tausaga Any Other Athlete Women's 1500m Day 4 August 22nd 2023 Linden Hall Jessica Hull Birke Haylom Frewejni Hailu Diribe Welteji Any Other Ethiopian Athlete Melissa Courtney-Bryant Laura Muir Ciara Mageean x Faith Kipyegon x Any Other Kenyan Athlete Sifan Hassan x Nikki Hiltz Cory Ann McGee Athing Mu Any Other Athlete Men's 3000m Steeplechase Day 4 August 22nd 2023 Abrham Sime Getnet Wale Any Other Ethiopian Athlete Avinash Mukund Sable Osama Zoghlami Ryuji Miura Abraham Kibiwot x Leonard Kipkemoi Bett x Simon Kiprop Koech x Soufiane El Bakkali Daniel Arce Any Tunisian Athlete Hillary Bor Any Other American Athlete Any Other Athlete Women's Pole Vault Day 5 August 23rd 2023 Nina Kennedy Alysha Newman x Amalie Svabikova Wilma Murto Margot Chevrier Aikaterini Stefanidi Eliza McCartney x Olivia McTaggart Tina Sutej Katie Moon x Sandi Morris Bridget Williams Any Other Athlete Men's 1500m Day 5 August 23rd 2023 Oliver Hoare Any Ethiopian Athlete Azeddine Habz Elliot Giles x Neil Gourley George Mills Timothy Cheruiyot Reynold Kipkorir Cheruiyot x Abel Kipsang Samuel Tanner Jakob Ingebrigtsen x Narve Gilje Nordaas Mohamed Katir Any Other Spanish Athlete Yared Nuguse Any American Athlete Any Other Athlete Women's 400m Day 5 August 23rd 2023 Salwa Eid Naser x Sada Williams Marileidy Paulino Aliyah Abrams Rhasidat Adekele x Candice McLeod Nickisha Pryce Lieke Klaver Femke Bol x Natalia Kaczmarek Talitha Diggs Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Britton Wilson Any Other Athlete Men's 400m Hurdles Day 5 August 23rd 2023 Alison Dos Santos Kyron McMaster x Gerald Drummond Wilfried Happio Ludvy Vaillant Any German Athlete Alessandro Sibilio Roshawn Clarke Any Other Jamaican Athlete Karsten Warholm x Ayden Owens-Delerme Abderrahman Salsaleck CJ Allen Trevor Bassitt Rai Benjamin x Any Other Athlete Men's 35km Race Walk Day 6 August 24th 2023 Rhydian Cowley Caio Bonfim Evan Dunfee He Xianghong x Wang Qin Any German Athlete Massimo Stano Massatora Kawano x Satoshi Maruo x Tomohiro Noda Jose Luis Doctor Alvaro Martin Any Other Spanish Athlete Any Other Athlete Women's 35km Race Walk Day 6 August 24th 2023 Rebecca Henderson Erica Sena Bai Xueying Li Maocuo x Qieyang Shije Magaly Bonilla Antigoni Ntrismpioti Kumiko Okada x Serena Sonoda x Kimberly Garcia Leon Katarzyna Zdzieblo Raquel Gonzalez Cristina Montesinos Maria Perez Any Other Athlete Men's Long Jump Day 6 August 24th 2023 Wang Jianan Any Other Chinese Athlete Arnovis Dalmero Maykel Masso Miltiadis Tentoglou x Jeswin Aldrin .Sreeshankar Mattia Furlani Wayne Pinnock Any Otther Jamaican Athlete Hiromichi Yoshida Simon Ehammer x Marquis Dendy x Any Other American Athlete Any Other Athlete Women's Hammer Throw Day 6 August 24th 2023 Stephanie Ratcliffe Hanna Skydan Camryn Rogers Wang Zheng x Any Other Chinese Athlete Silja Kosonen Sara Fantini Anita Wlodarczyk x Bianca Florentina Ghelber Brooke Andersen Janee' Kassanavoid DeAnna Price x Jillian Shippe Any Other Athlete Women's 100m Hurdles Day 6 August 24th 2023 Michelle Jenneke Devynne Charlton Any French Athlete Ackera Nugent Megan Tapper Danielle Williams Nadine Visser Tobi Amusan x Pia Skrzyszowska Jasmine Camacho-Quinn Ditaji Kambundji Marione Fourie Nia Ali x Kendra Harrison x Masai Russell Any Other Athlete Men's 400m Day 6 August 24th 2023 Steven Gardiner Any Athlete from Botswana Matthew Hudson-Smith Kirani James Sean Bailey Any Other Jamaican Athlete Michael Joseph Emmanuel Bamidele Zakithi Nene Wayde van Niekerk x Jereem Richards Bryce Deadmon Quincy Hall Michael Norman x Vernon Norwood x Muzala Samukonga Any Other Athlete Women's 400m Hurdles Day 6 August 24th 2023 Kemi Adekoya Hanne Claes Viivi Lehikoinen Jessie Knight Ayomide Temilade Folorunso Rushell Clayton Andrenette Knight Janieve Russelll Noura Ennadi Femke Bol x Gianna Woodruff Any Ukranian Athlete Anna Cockrell Shamier Little x Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Daliah Muhammad x Any Other Athlete Women's Triple Jump Day 7 August 25th 2023 Zeng Rui Leyanis Perez Hernandez Lidagmis Povea Thea Lafond Any Italian Athlete Shanieka Ricketts x Ackelia Smith Ruth Usoro Ana Peleteiro Maria Vicente Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk x Tori Franklin Jasmine Moore Keturah Orji Yulimar Rojas x Any Other Athlete Women's Javelin Throw Day 7 August 25th 2023 Kelsey-Lee Barber Mackenzie Little Victoria Hudson x Any Chinese Athlete Nikola Ogrodnikova Anni-Linnea Alanen x Elina Tzengko Haruka Kitaguchi Marina Saito Lina Muze Tori Peeters Sigrid Borge x Adriana Vilagos Maggie Malone Any Other Athlete Women's 200m Day 7 August 25th 2023 Anthonique Strachan Adaejah Hodge Marie-Josee Ta Lou Daryll Neita Rhasidat Adekele Shericka Jackson x Any Other Jamaican Athlete Julien Alfred Favour Ofili Talitha Diggs x Kendall Ellis Lynna Irby Any Other Athlete x Men's 200m Day 7 August 25th 2023 Terrence Jones Letsile Tebogo x Aaron Brown Reynier Mena James Dadzie Zharnel Hughes Joseph Fahnbulleh x Udodi Chudi Onwuzurike Issamade Asinga Tarsis Gracious Orogot Champion Allison Michael Cherry Michael Norman Randolph Ross Any Other Athlete x Women's Marathon Day 8 August 26th 2023 Eunice Chebichii Chumba Desi Jisa Mokonin Dolshi Tesfu Megertu Alemu Tsehay Gemechu Yalemzerf Yehualaw Any Other Ethiopian Athlete Hitomi Niiya Any Other Japanese Athlete x Selly Chepyego Kaptich x Rosemary Wanjiru Any Other Kenyan Athlete Sifan Hassan x Any Other Athlete Men's Pole Vault Day 8 August 26th 2023 Kurtis Marschall Ben Broeders Any Chinese Athlete Thibaut Collet Any Other French Athlete Bo Kanda Lita Baehre Emmanouil Karalis Claudio Michel Stecchi Menno Vloon Sondre Guttormsen Ernest John Obiena Piotr Lisek x Armand Duplantis x Ersu Sasma Zachery Bradford Zach McWhorter Christopher Nilsen x Any Other Athlete Women's Shot Put Day 8 August 26th 2023 Sarah Mitton Gong Lijiao x Song Jiayuan x Sara Gambetta Yemisi Ogunleye Danniel Thomas-Dodd Jorinde van Klinken Jessica Schilder Maddison-Lee Wesche Auriol Dongmo Axelina Johansson Fanny Roos Adelaide Aquilla Chase Ealey Maggie Ewen x Any Other Athlete Men's 800m Day 8 August 26th 2023 Slimane Moula Djamel Sedjati Peter Bol Joseph Deng Marco Arop x Azeddine Habz Benjamin Robert Max Burgin x Ben Pattison Daniel Rowden Wyclife Kinyamal x Alex Ngeno Kipngetich Emmanuel Wanyonyi Any Spanish Athlete Bryce Hoppel Any Other American Athlete Any Other Athlete Women's 5000m Day 8 August 26th 2023 Jessica Hull Letesenbet Gidey Gudaf Tsegay x Any Other Ethiopian Athlete Nadia Battocletti Faith Kipyegon x Lilian Kasait Rengeruk Sifan Hassan x Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal Sarah Chelangat Alicia Monson Any Other American Athlete Any Other Athlete Men's Decathlon Day 8 August 26th 2023 Pierce Lepage Damian Warner Karel Tilga Kevin Mayer x Niklas Kaul Leo Neugebauer Lindon Victor Rik Taam Markus Rooth Sander Skotheim Jorge Urena Simon Ehammer x Kyle Garland Harrison Williams x Zachery Ziemek Any Other Athlete Men's 4x100m Relay Day 8 August 26th 2023 Brazil Canada France Germany Ghana Great Britain x Italy Jamaica Japan x South Africa United States x Any Other Nation Women's 4x100m Relay Day 8 August 26th 2023 Cote d'Ivoire Germany Great Britain x Italy Jamaica x Netherlands Nigeria Poland Spain Switzerland United States xx Any Other Nation Men's Marathon Day 9 August 27th 2023 Marius Kimutai Bashir Abdi Tsegaye Getachew x Tamirat Tola Seifu Tura Any Other Ethiopian Athlete Joshua Belet Timothy Kiplagat Titus Kipruto x Othmane El Goumri Abdi Nageeye Kaan Kigen Ozbilen Any Other Athlete x Women's High Jump Day 9 August 27th 2023 Nicola Olyslagers x Eleanor Patterson Merel Maes Any German Athlete x Morgan Lake Lamara Distin Nadezhda Dubovitskaya Daniela Stanciu Angela Topic Iryna Gerashchenko Yuliia Levchenko Yaroslava Mahuchikh x Vashti Cunningham Any Other Athlete Men's 5000m Day 9 August 27th 2023 Mohammed Ahmed Berihu Aregawi x Telahun Haile Bekele Any Other Ethiopian Athlete Jimmy Gressier Luis Grijalva Nicholas Kipkorir x Jacob Krop Any Other Athlete from Kenya Mohamed Katir Thierry Ndikumwenayo Joshua Cheptegei x Jacob Kiplimo Any American Athlete Any Other Athlete Men's Javelin Throw Day 9 August 27th 2023 Keyshawn Strachan x Timothy Norman Jakub Vadlejch Oliver Helander x Toni Kuusela Julian Weber Anderson Peters Neeraj Chopra x Any Other Indian Athlete Edis Matusevicius Keshorn Walcott Artur Felfner Any Other Athlete Women's 800m Day 9 August 27th 2023 Any Australian Athlete Noelie Yarigo Habitam Alemu Worknesh Mesele Renelle Lamote Keely Hodgkinson x Jemma Reekie x Natoya Goule-Toppin Mary Moraa x Any Other Kenyan Athlete Anita Horvat Prudence Sekgodiso Halimah Nakaayi Nia Akins Athing Mu Raevyn Rogers Any Other Athlete Women's 3000m Steeplechase Day 9 August 27th 2023 Luiza Gega Winfred Mutile Yavi Mekides Abebe Sembo Almayew Zerfe Wondemagegn Alice Finot Beatrice Chepkoech x Jackline Chepkoech Faith Cherotich x Marusa Mismas Zrimsek Marwa Bouzayani Peruth Chemutai Any American Athlete x Any Other Athlete Men's 4x400m Relay Day 9 August 27th 2023 Belgium Botswana France Great Britain x Italy Jamaica Netherlands x Spain Trinidad and Tobago United States x Any Other Nation Women's 4x400m Relay Day 9 August 27th 2023 Botswana Canada Cuba France Great Britain x Ireland Jamaica x Netherlands Nigeria Poland Spain Switzerland United States x Any Other Nation

it's an interesting call, not least because there's a wild card or two and we don't know the story - e.g. whitehouse. I think Tulloch is, oddly, more secure than whitlock. They NEED his rings score, whereas for all Max's pommel brilliance, they have decent pommel depth. I think, sadly, Hall is the reserve here. Not much comfort that in both temprement and skill set, he's almost the perfect substitute.

Nope, part of the agreement with FIH, only one 'home nation' can try and qualify each cycle - in hockey, it's likely always to be England. If Scotland win, the next team will get the spot through the OQT.

Cycling has a long history of being male centric and male dominated going back to its competitive roots. When you consider only this year of our lord 2023 have the three grand tours all have women's races - and none of those 'grand tour' in nature, that two of the Monuments still don't have a women's race, and Paris Roubaix femmes is still very new (and brilliant, as it happens). And since France, Belgium and Italy are the roots of modern competitive cycling, at least on the road, you expect that to be reflected. The singular exception always seems to have been the dutch - reflected in their current dominance. i was stunned to think yesterday was the first time a Belgian had won a women's world road race for fifty years Not that Ireland is wildly better, it has to be said, Rás an mBan and all. GB, Australia and North America seem to have a solid base of women riders going back some years, but none of these were a road cycling heartland historically either.

There also seems a habit of boosterism from Nigerian media sources. not the first time an unusually positive spin has been put on some issue or other - I vaguely remember stuff about Blessing Okagbare being about to be cleared, when in fact she couldn't have been more bang to rights if they'd found a needle in her arm.

To be fair, they are trying - possibly at the expense of the soul of the sport - no longer the cavalry officer's escape, closer now to an infantryman's escape. Without being facetious, I would have thought a) GPS technology, b) drone cameras and c) computer graphics should make sailing a readily televisual sport. The GPS should allow very clear graphics of where on a course a boat is, immediately providing some narrative structure, backed up by decent drone footage.

Because someone punched a horse.

Ridiculously good; and not even all that inflated by the Gran Fondo. Presumably Zoe Backstadt and Ethan Hayter will be back for next year too...

I'd say GBR are VERY pleased with the way things stand. The revelation for them will have been Finucane (and to a lesser extent Capewell); if Marchant continues to gain ground, the GBR sprint team will be a serious player, not something you could say recently. You also have to factor in a couple of missing names here - specifically Ethan Haytor and Zoe Backstedt -and presumably improvements from Marchant and Barker, and for different reasons Archibald. I'm assuming at this point Trott-Kenny is done.