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Tag: Gray

  • More Sports (Sky Sports)

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    Great Britain have claimed a second gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics after Huw Nightingale and Charlotte Bankes won the mixed team snowboard cross event.

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  • England v Nepal scorecard

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    Scorecard: England vs Nepal, T20 World Cup, Mumbai

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    Scorecard: Sri Lanka vs England, third T20

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    Ball-by-ball Ashes updates: England face Australia in final Test at SCG

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  • Zanetti: Serving Inter and my mission to help the next generation

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    Javier Zanetti lived out his dreams as a player, lifting 16 trophies in an Inter Milan career that spanned a record 858 appearances, winning 145 caps for Argentina, and earning a reputation as one of the best defensive players of his generation.

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  • Australia v England scorecard

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    Scorecard: Australia vs England, fourth Ashes Test, Melbourne

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    Ball-by-ball updates: England face Australia in must-win Ashes Test

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  • Hearts sweep aside Falkirk to move six points clear

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    Claudio Braga and Stephen Kingsley were on target as resurgent Hearts won 2-0 away to misfiring Falkirk to move six points clear at the top of the William Hill Premiership.

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  • Australia v England scorecard

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    Scorecard: Australia vs England, first Ashes Test

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  • New Zealand v England scorecard

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    New Zealand v England – third ODI: live scorecard and commentary

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    New Zealand v England – second ODI: live scorecard and commentary

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  • Steph Curry exclusive: Golden State Warriors superstar opens up on free agency in 2027 and preparing for the 2025/26 season

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    Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry speaks exclusively to Sky Sports to discuss 2027 free agency

    Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry has opened up on his plans for free agency in 2027 after admitting situations change “really fast” in the NBA.

    The prospect of Curry, a two-time league MVP and 11-time All-Star, playing for any franchise other than The Dubs is a strange one.

    After being drafted with the seventh overall pick in 2009, Curry has gone on to revolutionise the game of basketball, helping himself to four championships, one finals MVP and the NBA record for most three-pointers made with 4,058 to add to his overall tally of 25,386 points.

    All while wearing No 30 for the Warriors.

    • 4 x NBA champion
    • 2 x NBA MVP
    • 2022 NBA Finals MVP
    • 11 x NBA All-Star
    • 2 x NBA All-Star MVP
    • 11 x All-NBA Team selection
    • 2024 NBA Clutch Player of the Year
    • 2 x NBA Three-Point Content champion
    • Most three-pointers made in NBA history

    Curry signed a one-year extension with the team in 2024, worth a reported £47.5m ($62.6m) and ending growing speculation around his future in the process, keeping him in San Francisco until 2027.

    Two years from now, when that deal expires, the greatest shooter of all time will be 39.

    After averaging just under 25 points, six assists, and over four rebounds in his 16th season, as well as longevity being more prominent than ever in the league, it is clear to see that his time in the NBA is far from over.

    But could the next chapter in his illustrious career lie away from Chase Center? Do not rule it out.

    “What I have learned about this league is that things change really fast,” Curry told Sky Sports while discussing Underrated Golf, a programme set up by the point guard to break down barriers to entry and increase diversity in the game of golf.

    Underrated Golf is an initiative led by Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry to create a pathway into the sport for young athletes from underrepresented communities.

    The programme aims to break down barriers in the game of golf to give prospects a level playing field, in a bid to create a more inclusive and accessible environment for young golfers.

    “What you might feel like in two years from now could be totally different. I try to stay in the moment as much as possible; it’s not the glitziest answer but it allows me to enjoy what is happening now.

    “I do want to play for only one team, let’s keep that pretty clear. Being at the Warriors has been unbelievable and I feel blessed to have only played for one franchise and to have accomplished what we have.

    “So if I could have the best of both worlds and continue to be championship relevant over the next couple of years, that would be great but this league is wild. You kind of just stay in the moment.”

    Despite a decision on his future looming as we approach 2027, Curry’s full focus remains on securing more success with the team he holds so dear to his heart in the upcoming 2025/26 season.

    The arrival of six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler in February has shown early signs of promise after the Warriors reached the Western Conference semi-finals last time out, only to be denied the opportunity to show their title-winning credentials following a Grade 1 hamstring strain for Curry in game one against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

    A 4-1 defeat in the series would follow but heading into 2025/26, the roster has been bolstered by a new two-year deal for Jonathan Kuminga, as well as the arrival of 2024 NBA champion Al Horford,to run alongside long-term teammate Draymond Green in the frontcourt.

    Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler (left) Stephen Curry (centre) and forward Draymond Green (right)

    Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler (left) Stephen Curry (centre) and forward Draymond Green (right)

    With Curry now back to full fitness and fresh depth surrounding him, the intentions from the Warriors have been clear from pre-season.

    The Dubs are 3-1 in games Curry has featured in, beating the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers twice, with attention now turning to the season opener against the Lakers on October 21, live on Sky Sports.

    When asked what aspects of the game still motivate a player who has already achieved so much in the sport as we approach a new 82-game season, Curry added: “I talk about championships, and that drive – it allows every part of the journey to matter.

    “Even in the off-season, how you prepare for the year, come in and try and build chemistry with your teammates and how you get through the emotional rollercoaster of an 82-game season.

    “All of that is built into being at your peak come playoff time in April.

    Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry during the pre-season game against the Los Angeles Clippers

    Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry during the pre-season game against the Los Angeles Clippers

    “Individual accolades take care of themselves. When you win, everybody is rewarded. As long as I’m taking care of championship motivation, everything else takes care of itself. Whether you win or not, you just lay it all out there.

    “We have a brand new team again. We’ll all try and stay healthy and try and get to the finish line. That’s our goal.”

    The Warriors have won seven championships in total across their 78-year history, with Curry leading them to more than half of that total.

    If the franchise is to add an eighth banner to the rafters in 2026, their point guard will be the man to lead them there.

    His powers at the highest level are showing no signs are waning, with the 37-year-old looking to replicate the successes of the likes of LeBron James and Kevin Durant by “redefining” what it is to be playing at a high level towards the latter stages of their respective careers.

    “I feel like I’ve got some good basketball ahead of me. I’m trying to redefine what it is to be playing at a high level at this age,” said Curry when the question of his timeline leading the roster was posed.

    “I still love the work that goes into it and playing the game; hopefully, that will carry me. I don’t want to put any limits on it.”

    Watch the Golden State Warriors against the Los Angeles Lakers live on Sky Sports + on October 21, tip-off 3am UK time.

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  • Kirk killing suspect feared being shot by police and agreed to surrender if peaceful, sheriff says

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    Tyler Robinson, the Utah man charged with assassinating Charlie Kirk, was afraid of being shot by police and agreed to surrender as long as it was done peacefully, a sheriff involved with taking him into custody said Wednesday.Robinson appeared quiet and somber when he turned himself in with his parents last Thursday at the Washington County Sheriff’s office, a day after Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University, said Sheriff Nate Brooksby.”He didn’t want a big SWAT team at his parent’s house or his apartment,” said the sheriff, who was only involved with the surrender and not the broader investigation. “He was truly fearful about being shot by law enforcement.”On Tuesday, prosecutors charged the 22-year-old Robinson with capital murder and announced they will seek the death penalty while revealing a series of incriminating messages and DNA evidence that they say connect Robinson to the killing of Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and confidant of President Donald Trump.Utah Valley University students returning to campus Wednesday clustered silently, staring down at the barricaded courtyard where an assassin struck down conservative activist Charlie Kirk in an attack that upended the nation.Care stations offering stuffed animals, candy and connections to counseling dotted the campus on the first day of classes since the shooting more than a week ago.Matthew Caldwell, 24, said his classmates were quieter and seemed more genuine about being in class, even with sadness still in the air.”The way that we treat each other in our words can ultimately lead to things like this,” he said. “And I think everybody sort of understands that a little bit better now.”Since the shooting, the Republican president has threatened to crack down on what he calls the “radical left” and has classified some groups as domestic terrorists. Former Democratic President Barack Obama said this week that Trump has further divided the country rather than working to bring people together.On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee called on the chief executives of Discord, Steam, Twitch and Reddit to testify on how they are regulating their platforms to prevent violence.”Congress has a duty to oversee the online platforms that radicals have used to advance political violence,” said GOP Rep. James Comer, the committee chair, signaling a shift for congressional Republicans, who had previously scrutinized online platforms for policing free speech.Video below: Students at Utah Valley University returned to campus after Kirk’s killingHidden note in suspect’s apartmentInvestigators say that sometime after Robinson fired a single fatal shot from the rooftop of a campus building overlooking where Kirk was speaking on Sept. 10, he texted his romantic partner and said to look under a keyboard.There was a note, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to court documents.After expressing shock, his partner who lived with Robinson in southwestern Utah, asked Robinson if he was the shooter. Robinson responded, “I am, I’m sorry.”Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said DNA on the trigger of the rifle used to kill Kirk matched Robinson, who faced his first hearing in the case Tuesday. A judge read the charges and said he would appoint an attorney to represent him. A message was left Wednesday with the county’s public defender office.Robinson’s family has declined to comment to The Associated Press since his arrest.Investigators looking at whether Robinson had helpLaw enforcement officials say they are looking at whether others knew about Robinson’s plans or helped, but they have not said if his partner is among those being investigated, only expressing appreciation for the partner sharing information.The partner apparently never went to law enforcement after receiving the texts. Robinson remained on the run for more than a day until his parents recognized him in a photo released by authorities.Also getting a closer look is the security on the day of the attack. Utah Valley is conducting a review, university President Astrid S. Tuminez said Wednesday.Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox met with students and campus leaders near the shooting scene, saying he understands they might still be haunted and angry over what happened. “What you do with that anger, that’s what determines where we go from here,” he said.Was Charlie Kirk targeted over anti-transgender views?Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but Gray said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, was credited with energizing the Republican youth movement and helping Trump win back the White House in 2024. His political organization, Arizona-based Turning Point USA, brought young, evangelical Christians into politics through social media, his podcast and campus events.While court documents said Robinson wrote in one text that planned the attack for more than a week, authorities have not said what they believe that entailed.Gray declined to answer whether Robinson targeted Kirk for his anti-transgender views. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings and transgender people.Robinson was involved in a romantic relationship with his roommate, who investigators say is transgender.Parents said their son became more politicalRobinson’s mother told investigators that their son had turned hard left politically in the last year and became more supportive of gay and transgender rights, Gray said.She recognized him when authorities released a picture of the suspect and his parents confronted him, at which time Robinson said he wanted to kill himself, Gray said.The family persuaded him to meet with a family friend who is a retired sheriff’s deputy. That person was able to get Robinson to turn himself in, the prosecutor said.Robinson detailed movements after the shootingIn a text exchange with his partner released by authorities, Robinson wrote about planning to get his rifle from his “drop point,” but that the area was “locked down.”The texts, which Robinson later told his partner to delete, did not include timestamps, leaving it unclear how long after the shooting Robinson sent the messages.”To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you,” Robinson wrote.___Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.

    Tyler Robinson, the Utah man charged with assassinating Charlie Kirk, was afraid of being shot by police and agreed to surrender as long as it was done peacefully, a sheriff involved with taking him into custody said Wednesday.

    Robinson appeared quiet and somber when he turned himself in with his parents last Thursday at the Washington County Sheriff’s office, a day after Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University, said Sheriff Nate Brooksby.

    “He didn’t want a big SWAT team at his parent’s house or his apartment,” said the sheriff, who was only involved with the surrender and not the broader investigation. “He was truly fearful about being shot by law enforcement.”

    On Tuesday, prosecutors charged the 22-year-old Robinson with capital murder and announced they will seek the death penalty while revealing a series of incriminating messages and DNA evidence that they say connect Robinson to the killing of Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and confidant of President Donald Trump.

    Utah Valley University students returning to campus Wednesday clustered silently, staring down at the barricaded courtyard where an assassin struck down conservative activist Charlie Kirk in an attack that upended the nation.

    Care stations offering stuffed animals, candy and connections to counseling dotted the campus on the first day of classes since the shooting more than a week ago.

    Matthew Caldwell, 24, said his classmates were quieter and seemed more genuine about being in class, even with sadness still in the air.

    “The way that we treat each other in our words can ultimately lead to things like this,” he said. “And I think everybody sort of understands that a little bit better now.”

    Since the shooting, the Republican president has threatened to crack down on what he calls the “radical left” and has classified some groups as domestic terrorists. Former Democratic President Barack Obama said this week that Trump has further divided the country rather than working to bring people together.

    On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee called on the chief executives of Discord, Steam, Twitch and Reddit to testify on how they are regulating their platforms to prevent violence.

    “Congress has a duty to oversee the online platforms that radicals have used to advance political violence,” said GOP Rep. James Comer, the committee chair, signaling a shift for congressional Republicans, who had previously scrutinized online platforms for policing free speech.

    Video below: Students at Utah Valley University returned to campus after Kirk’s killing

    Hidden note in suspect’s apartment

    Investigators say that sometime after Robinson fired a single fatal shot from the rooftop of a campus building overlooking where Kirk was speaking on Sept. 10, he texted his romantic partner and said to look under a keyboard.

    There was a note, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to court documents.

    After expressing shock, his partner who lived with Robinson in southwestern Utah, asked Robinson if he was the shooter. Robinson responded, “I am, I’m sorry.”

    Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said DNA on the trigger of the rifle used to kill Kirk matched Robinson, who faced his first hearing in the case Tuesday. A judge read the charges and said he would appoint an attorney to represent him. A message was left Wednesday with the county’s public defender office.

    Robinson’s family has declined to comment to The Associated Press since his arrest.

    Investigators looking at whether Robinson had help

    Law enforcement officials say they are looking at whether others knew about Robinson’s plans or helped, but they have not said if his partner is among those being investigated, only expressing appreciation for the partner sharing information.

    The partner apparently never went to law enforcement after receiving the texts. Robinson remained on the run for more than a day until his parents recognized him in a photo released by authorities.

    Also getting a closer look is the security on the day of the attack. Utah Valley is conducting a review, university President Astrid S. Tuminez said Wednesday.

    Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox met with students and campus leaders near the shooting scene, saying he understands they might still be haunted and angry over what happened. “What you do with that anger, that’s what determines where we go from here,” he said.

    Was Charlie Kirk targeted over anti-transgender views?

    Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but Gray said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”

    Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, was credited with energizing the Republican youth movement and helping Trump win back the White House in 2024. His political organization, Arizona-based Turning Point USA, brought young, evangelical Christians into politics through social media, his podcast and campus events.

    While court documents said Robinson wrote in one text that planned the attack for more than a week, authorities have not said what they believe that entailed.

    Gray declined to answer whether Robinson targeted Kirk for his anti-transgender views. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings and transgender people.

    Robinson was involved in a romantic relationship with his roommate, who investigators say is transgender.

    Parents said their son became more political

    Robinson’s mother told investigators that their son had turned hard left politically in the last year and became more supportive of gay and transgender rights, Gray said.

    She recognized him when authorities released a picture of the suspect and his parents confronted him, at which time Robinson said he wanted to kill himself, Gray said.

    The family persuaded him to meet with a family friend who is a retired sheriff’s deputy. That person was able to get Robinson to turn himself in, the prosecutor said.

    Robinson detailed movements after the shooting

    In a text exchange with his partner released by authorities, Robinson wrote about planning to get his rifle from his “drop point,” but that the area was “locked down.”

    The texts, which Robinson later told his partner to delete, did not include timestamps, leaving it unclear how long after the shooting Robinson sent the messages.

    “To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you,” Robinson wrote.

    ___

    Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.

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  • World Athletics Championships: Team GB target top-eight finish in Tokyo, while new ‘sex test’ is introduced in world first

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    Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson is in good form going into the World Athletics Championships

    The world’s best athletes will take to the track and field this weekend when the World Athletics Championships get under way in Tokyo from September 13-21.

    Many of the stars who shone at Paris 2024 will be there, including Britain’s 800m Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson and USA’s 100m Olympic champion Noah Lyles.

    One of the major talking points away from the sport has been the introduction of a mandatory SRY or sex test for athletes who intend to compete in female categories.

    All athletes in female category take new ‘sex test’

    World Athletics, led by their President Seb Coe, have taken an unambiguous stance for several years when it comes to talking about and defining new rules around the sensitive issues of the protection of female categories, transgender and DSD (Difference of Sexual Development).

    They became the first global sporting federation to announce they would introduce a mandatory, once-in-a-lifetime gene test, known as an SRY Test earlier this year.

    The test identifies the Y chromosome which causes male characteristics to develop. If an athlete returns a negative result, they are eligible to compete in female categories at world ranking events, including these World Championships.

    World Athletics President Lord Coe says the governing body will do 'whatever is necessary' to protect the female category in the sport after it approved the introduction of cheek swabbing to determine if an athlete is biologically female

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    World Athletics President Lord Coe says the governing body will do ‘whatever is necessary’ to protect the female category in the sport after it approved the introduction of cheek swabbing to determine if an athlete is biologically female

    World Athletics President Lord Coe says the governing body will do ‘whatever is necessary’ to protect the female category in the sport after it approved the introduction of cheek swabbing to determine if an athlete is biologically female

    Coe told Sky Sports he expected every athlete required to take an SRY Test will have done so by the time track and field events get under way in Tokyo, including all French athletes.

    In France, the process has been complicated by French law where the SRY gene test is illegal in France due to a 1994 law banning DNA testing for non-medical, non-judicial purposes to protect family integrity, so French athletes have had to undertake the SRY test by travelling outside of France.

    Coe confirmed that while it is World Athletics’ stated aim to have all athletes tested by the start of the World Championships next month, the results do not have to be known due to the tight time frame.

    For athletes whose national federation hasn’t been able to offer an SRY test yet, World Athletics will step in and offer the test at holding camps in Japan used by athletes prior to competing in Tokyo.

    “By and large, the process has gone pretty smoothly, but it’s not been without its challenges,” Coe said. “The vast majority have been pretty straightforward and we’ve (World Athletics) made a contribution of about US$100 per test.”

    How important are championships for Coe?

    Very.

    He has transformed the athletics governing body since his election in Beijing in 2015 from the tarnished old IAAF to the new World Athletics.

    He’s serving his third and final term as president and while no doubt still pondering his defeat in March’s International Olympic Committee (IOC) presidency election to Kirsty Coventry, his first love has always been track and field, and during his term as president he has tackled controversial issues like banning Russia and bringing in updated rules on gender eligibility.

    Lord Coe accepts defeat to Kirsty Coventry in the IOC Presidential vote and says he welcomes the fact it's a former Olympic athlete who will take up the role

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    Lord Coe accepts defeat to Kirsty Coventry in the IOC Presidential vote and says he welcomes the fact it’s a former Olympic athlete who will take up the role

    Lord Coe accepts defeat to Kirsty Coventry in the IOC Presidential vote and says he welcomes the fact it’s a former Olympic athlete who will take up the role

    While those issues can be divisive, the progress of time has shown that many, if not most, sporting federations have followed athletics’ lead by watching and then following.

    It’s interesting to note that the new IOC President, whom he lost out to, is preparing the IOC to greater understand and perhaps even lead on gender eligibility and protections for female sports stars.

    He also wants athletics firmly in the position of the world’s second most popular sport behind football by showing off packed out stadia in Tokyo.

    The World Championships take place in the 70,000 capacity Olympic Stadium where during the 2020 Olympics not one fan was able to watch the sport on offer due to a strict Covid-19 lockdown in Japan.

    Many of the sessions during the nine days of competition are sell-outs and, according to Coe, no session will have fewer than 50,000 people in attendance.

    Tokyo heat, humidity and typhoons

    World Athletics deliberately scheduled the start of their marquee championships later than they would normally. Two years ago in Budapest, for example, the schedule ran during August.

    High temperatures and humidity can be exceedingly high in Japan during the months of July and August, as many athletes who competed at the Tokyo Olympics four years ago will testify to.

    The 2025 World Athletics Championships will be held at the National Stadium in Tokyo from September 13-21

    The 2025 World Athletics Championships will be held at the National Stadium in Tokyo from September 13-21

    However, heat mitigation measures will again be in place as Japan has experienced temperatures 2.36 Degrees Celsius above average between June and August, with local temperatures in Tokyo this week reaching 33 Degrees Celsius.

    World Athletics president Seb Coe is of the belief that climate change is not temporary and is here to stay; at these championships, decisions on whether competition will go ahead will not be in the hands of local organisers, but World Athletics.

    Information on drinks, ice baths and cooling techniques has been shared widely with athletes and their federations, while plenty of provision will be in place for spectators.

    Tokyo and Japan, in general, is prone to typhoons at this time of year, indeed many British and Northern Irish athletes were confined to their hotel at their training camp for a few days due to a typhoon. If such a weather system hits Tokyo during the championships, it will again be a decision for World Athletics to make as to whether to postpone or cancel events.

    Where could GB medals come from?

    Great Britain and Northern Ireland haven’t been set a medal target, but a top-eight finish in the medal table is the challenge, with an expectation of several of their world-leading track stars to medal and all relay squads to medal.

    So who are the stars? The women’s 800m final has been scheduled for the last session of the last day of the championships, as it’s been viewed as being a hot ticket in town. Two Brits could well end up on the podium, both friends and training partners coached by husband and wife duo Jenny Meadows and Trevor Painter – Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson and Georgia Hunter-Bell.

    Hodgkinson was one of the stars of Paris last year, streaking home to become Olympic champion and, although she has suffered hamstring injuries this year, she has come back to racing in time and is running ferociously quickly.

    Keely Hodgkinson says she is in a good place after receiving her MBE and is fully focused on the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo

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    Keely Hodgkinson says she is in a good place after receiving her MBE and is fully focused on the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo

    Keely Hodgkinson says she is in a good place after receiving her MBE and is fully focused on the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo

    While perhaps not quite the right time for a tilt at the 800m world record, if Hodgkinson feels it, she’ll go for it.

    Elsewhere, medals could come in men’s middle distance, with 1500m runner Josh Kerr defending his world title he won in 2023.

    His battles with Norway’s Jacob Ingebrigtsen have already become legendary, with the two not the best of pals. At the Paris Olympics, one of the two should have taken the gold medal, but their attention on one another allowed the USA’s Cole Hocker to shock them both and cross the line first.

    George Mills, son of Danny – the former Leeds, Manchester City and England defender – is a serious contender for medals in the men’s 5000m. This season he’s beaten Sir Mo Farah’s long-standing British 5000m record and ran the second fastest 1500m by a Brit, so the 26-year-old is well warmed up.

    Katarina Johnson-Thompson is always a threat at major championships, and at Tokyo she will defend the heptathlon world title she won two years ago. She was also crowned world champion in 2019, and took Olympic silver in Paris.

    Dina Asher-Smith will make her seventh appearance at a World Championship and, while the competition is fierce in both the 100m and 200m, she is running quickly this season.

    “I’m just really happy,” she told Sky Sports. “I think the other week in Zurich is testament to what kind of shape I’m in because, honestly, I knew that I’ve been in good shape for a very long time and I know that I’ve been putting together some great races in the past few months, but to run a 10.90!

    !I was picking it out because I know I could have had faster in me that day, but still obviously I’m very happy.”

    Could Dina Asher-Smith medal at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo?

    Could Dina Asher-Smith medal at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo?

    Also very quick is Daryll Neita, who finished fourth in the women’s Olympic 100m final in Paris, narrowly missing out on a medal. She did, however, take home an Olympic Silver medal from the 4x100m women’s relay and in Tokyo it is expected that Great Britain and Northern Ireland medal in all five relay disciplines.

    Individually, in the men’s sprint events (100m and 200m), Zharnel Hughes should at the very least make finals, as the qualified pilot has run sub-10 seconds in the 100m and sub-20 seconds in the 200m. With age, Hughes seems to get faster, as he broke both British 100m and 200m records in 2023, the same year he took his first ever global medal, a bronze at the last World Athletics Championships.

    “Obviously the experience has been taking me into finals and stuff like that,” he said. “I’ve always been one to be reckoned with when it comes to the championships. I’ve always been able to position myself into the finals at every major championship.

    “Unfortunately, last year it didn’t get to happen due to injury, but I’m feeling confident and I’m looking forward to getting myself on that podium for sure. I’ll be giving it my very best, I’m filled with determination and I’m quite confident in my ability that I can always catch you at the very end.

    “I’m trusting myself and trusting my speed. The work that I’ve put in leading up to this championship has been tremendous. It’s going to be great.”

    While the British team is medal heavy on expectation from the track, also keep an eye on pole-vaulter Molly Caudery. She won the 2024 World Indoor title and won the Diamond League meeting in Doha in May.

    The Cornishwoman is a huge talent was expected to challenge for the gold at the Olympics last year, but had a shocker and failed to even qualify for the final. The 25-year-old is determined to learn the mental lesson from a year ago.

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  • West Indies v England scorecard

    West Indies v England scorecard

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    Latest score from Antigua as England begin their three-match ODI series against West Indies, with Liam Livingstone standing in as captain.

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  • In key congressional race, Republicans criticize Democrat’s Central Valley real estate deal

    In key congressional race, Republicans criticize Democrat’s Central Valley real estate deal

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    When the federal government closed Castle Air Force Base in Merced County in the 1990s, the dilapidated buildings and vast expanse of aging tarmac left behind seemed more like a liability than an opportunity.

    But by 2018, the old runways that once carried B-52 bombers had found a new and unexpected customer: Google, which was testing its experimental self-driving vehicles there, far from the prying eyes of Silicon Valley.

    At the urging of then-state Assemblyman Adam Gray, California gave Merced County $6.5 million that year to expand the self-driving testing program at the old base.

    A few years later, Gray invested there, too.

    In 2022, a company in which Gray is a minority owner bought four apartment buildings on the former base from Merced County, according to a Times review of business filings, property records and Gray’s financial disclosures. Gray’s link to the real estate deal has not been previously reported.

    The sale closed for $600,000 in August 2022, records show, and the property is now valued at more than $2.5 million. Gray’s representatives said that the investment shows his interest in providing affordable housing, and that renovations have been so costly that he has yet to make money.

    Nonetheless, the real estate deal in rural Atwater, Calif., has come under scrutiny as Gray, a Democrat, fights to unseat first-term Rep. John Duarte (R-Modesto). The race in California’s 13th Congressional District is a bitter rematch of 2022, when Duarte beat Gray by the second-closest margin in the nation: 564 votes.

    The race is among the handful of contests across the U.S. that are seen as pivotal in determining which party controls Congress after the November election.

    Republicans have questioned the timing of Gray’s purchase, which closed four months before he left the Legislature and less than a year before California officials awarded nearly $50 million in new funding for the site. The 2023 grant from the California State Transportation Agency helped Merced County build out a rail hub on the base site to handle cargo loaded onto trains from the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.

    “Gray’s self-serving scheme reveals his true colors as a Sacramento politician who lines his own pockets at the expense of Valley families’ trust and hard-earned dollars,” said Ben Petersen, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, which works to elect Republicans to the House of Representatives.

    Petersen accused Gray of “mixing taxpayer money with personal profit” and said the apartment deal should be investigated.

    Far from Gray lining his pockets, his campaign and company said, the old Castle Air Force Base apartments have required so much renovation that Gray has actually lost money.

    Ben Rodriguez, Gray’s campaign manager, said the allegations were false and “intended to distract voters from John Duarte’s disastrous record.”

    “While Adam Gray has brought back real help for families across this district, Duarte is making things worse for families every day he spends in Congress,” Rodriguez said.

    Gray is a minority owner in Gemenii LLC, the company that owns the apartment complex at the base. Gemenii is a subsidiary of a family-owned residential and commercial construction company of which Gray is also a member, the firm said.

    Gray learned about the Castle Air Force Base apartments about six months before the sale, when “partners that own other properties at Castle” approached him with the idea of renovating the 80-unit complex to provide affordable housing, the company said.

    The four spartan buildings, once barracks for airmen, were in disrepair, and three were vacant. Merced County had classified the property as surplus and assessed the buildings and the 5.3 acres of land beneath them at $400,000 to $600,000, the company said.

    When the county received “no other competitive offers,” the firm said, Merced County sold the buildings for $600,000.

    The firm has since spent millions on renovations, “exactly as intended by Merced County when the property was sold in an open and public sale process,” company attorney Richard Marchini said in a written statement.

    Gray was still representing the Modesto area in the state Assembly when the sale closed.

    A Google Waymo autonomous vehicle navigates the roads inside the company’s facility on the property of the former Castle Air Force Base, which is now a municipal airport, in Atwater, Calif. in 2017.

    (San Francisco Chronicle / Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images )

    Gray has a 30% stake in the firm that owns the apartments, the company said. His name does not appear in the company’s state business filings.

    Gray first disclosed his investment in his 2022 Form 700, the financial disclosure that California lawmakers are required to file annually with state ethics officials.

    Government experts said it did not appear that Gray’s real estate deal broke the law.

    But, they said, elected officials who invest in real estate must be aware of the appearance of conflicts of interest, particularly when investing in their districts.

    Dan Schnur, the former head of the California Fair Political Practices Commission, said that Gray’s real estate investment at the site being bookended by the award of taxpayer funds seemed “suspicious.”

    “Everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt, but the best way to receive the benefit of the doubt is to earn it,” Schnur said. “A public servant ought to be aware of how these things might be perceived.”

    After Gray lost his run for Congress in 2022, he filed a federal financial disclosure with the House in which he did not disclose the real estate investment or his stake in the LLC that owns the buildings.

    His campaign said that Gray did not mention the apartment complex investment because there was no revenue to report, but that he disclosed his position in the parent company.

    In a new filing made public this month, for Gray’s second run for Congress, he said he received between $100,000 and $1 million from the LLC that owns the apartments in 2023, and between $50,000 and $100,000 in the first half of 2024.

    Those figures represent the company’s total revenue, rather than Gray’s, and were listed “out of an abundance of caution,” the campaign said.

    Gray has not received any income from the business in 2023 or 2024, the campaign said, and the investment has not made a profit.

    The former air base, now called Castle Commerce Center, covers about 3 square miles. It’s home to miles of empty roads, as well as dozens of private and government tenants, including a federal prison, a post office, Merced’s commercial airport and Waymo, Google’s autonomous vehicle company.

    After Gray helped secure the $6.5-million grant for the self-driving car testing site in 2018, Merced County converted vast stretches of unused tarmac at the base into a testing hub. There are now full intersections with traffic lights and signage and a 2.2-mile test freeway with on- and off-ramps where vehicles can practice driving in urban environments.

    The site, operated by an Ohio-based company, has hosted two dozen companies from Silicon Valley and major automotive firms.

    In the midst of that boom, Merced County’s supervisors continued selling portions of the base as surplus land. That included the 5.3-acre site and the 80-unit apartment complex, which the board sold on a 4-0 vote in May 2022 to Gemenii.

    At the time of the sale, the land was valued at $465,000, and the structures were valued at $135,000, according to tax records provided by the company.

    The company took out an $885,000, 30-year mortgage at the end of 2022, and a $3-million, 15-year mortgage in June of this year, to finance renovations at the building, the company said.

    Two buildings have been gutted and renovated so far, a process that included asbestos removal and replacing windows and appliances, the company said.

    The renovated buildings are now valued at more than $2 million, while the underlying land value has risen by $9,300, according to tax bills provided by the company.

    The increase in value is “directly connected to the material financial efforts of Gemenii to revitalize the property,” the firm said. Any developments at the air base site, the company said, “have had no impact on the property’s value.”

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    Laura J. Nelson

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  • San Francisco man arrested after allegedly vandalizing mosque, leaving community ‘living in fear’

    San Francisco man arrested after allegedly vandalizing mosque, leaving community ‘living in fear’

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    A San Francisco man suspected of vandalizing a Nob Hill mosque was arrested Wednesday evening while visiting the scene of his alleged crime for the second time in as many days.

    San Francisco resident Robert Gray, 35, was booked on one felony count of vandalism with damage of more than $400 and a misdemeanor violation of civil rights by damaging another property. He currently sits in a county jail.

    Neither Gray nor a representative were reached for comment.

    San Francisco Police officers responded to a call from congregants of Masjid al-Tawheed mosque around 7:55 p.m. on Wednesday. Mosque-goers told police that Gray was the man who had vandalized their sanctuary on April 4, having recognized him for security footage.

    Arriving officers detained Gray after they concluded he matched the description of the suspect wanted in the attack.

    “Through the course of their investigation, officers developed probable cause [for] arrest,” Police spokesperson Paulina Henderson said in a statement.

    Henderson said the investigation was still active and police were looking for more information.

    Surveillance video obtained by the San Francisco Standard shows a man with a skateboard smashing multiple mosque windows on April 4.

    The man returned to the mosque, according to the Standard, on Tuesday and Wednesday. During the latter incident, mosque congregants confronted Gray and distracted him long enough to call police, who arrived in time to arrest him.

    “Community members were living in fear for the last two weeks,” said Yemeni American Aseel Fara, 24, a Masjid al-Tawheed mosque member and a San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commissioner.

    Fara said the incident shocked many community members who emigrated to San Francisco because of its pluralistic society.

    He said he received a call from another Bay Area mosque that suffered similar vandalism incident wanting to review surveillance footage to see if Gray was involved.

    “You don’t expect this here,” he said. “This has been very divisive and hopefully we can begin to heal thanks to this arrest.”

    The news of Gray’s arrest was celebrated by the Council on American-Islamic Relations Bay Area chapter.

    “We are relieved that an arrest has been made in these distressing incidents,” CAIR Bay Area Executive Director Zahra Billoo said in a statement. “It’s important for our community to see tangible actions being taken to protect our places of worship, where everyone has the right to feel safe and secure.”

    Billoo said that the number of complaints of Islamophobia made nationwide is at a 30-year high.

    There were 8,061 reports received by CAIR last year. The organization said nearly half of those complaints took place in the last three months since the Oct. 7 Hamas’ assault on Israel that sparked a war, resulting in the killing of 30,000-plus Palestinians by Israeli forces. That number of Islamophobic complaints represents a 56% increase in incidents from 2022 to 2023, according to the organization.

    “This arrest sends a clear message that hate-driven behaviors will not be overlooked and serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges we face in combating Islamophobia,” Billoo said.

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    Andrew J. Campa

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  • (Sky Sports)

    (Sky Sports)

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    New Zealand Women 1st innings

    Total

    207 all out, from 48.2 overs.

    Batting

    Runs
    Balls
    4s
    6s
    SR

    1. Bates
      c Jones b Dean;
      50 runs,
      74 balls,
      6 fours,
      0 sixes,
      and a strike rate of 67.57
    2. Bezuidenhout
      lbw b Ecclestone;
      35 runs,
      62 balls,
      2 fours,
      0 sixes,
      and a strike rate of 56.45
    3. Kerr (c)
      lbw b Cross;
      24 runs,
      36 balls,
      1 fours,
      0 sixes,
      and a strike rate of 66.67
    4. Plimmer
      lbw b Cross;
      17 runs,
      24 balls,
      0 fours,
      0 sixes,
      and a strike rate of 70.83
    5. Green
      c & b Bell;
      7 runs,
      23 balls,
      0 fours,
      0 sixes,
      and a strike rate of 30.43
    6. Halliday
      c Jones b Dean;
      6 runs,
      12 balls,
      1 fours,
      0 sixes,
      and a strike rate of 50.00
    7. Gaze (wk)
      b Bell;
      18 runs,
      23 balls,
      1 fours,
      0 sixes,
      and a strike rate of 78.26
    8. Rowe
      c Knight b Sciver-Brunt;
      16 runs,
      20 balls,
      2 fours,
      0 sixes,
      and a strike rate of 80.00
    9. Kerr
      b Bell;
      9 runs,
      11 balls,
      1 fours,
      0 sixes,
      and a strike rate of 81.82
    10. Tahuhu
      c Wyatt b Dean;
      1 runs,
      2 balls,
      0 fours,
      0 sixes,
      and a strike rate of 50.00
    11. Jonas
      not out;
      0 runs,
      2 balls,
      0 fours,
      0 sixes,
      and a strike rate of 0.00

    Fall of Wickets

    • Suzie Bates at 90 for 1, from 20.6 overs
    • Bernadine Bezuidenhout at 100 for 2, from 23.2 overs
    • Georgia Plimmer at 139 for 3, from 30.6 overs
    • Amelia Kerr at 148 for 4, from 34.1 overs
    • Brooke Halliday at 157 for 5, from 37.6 overs
    • Maddy Green at 159 for 6, from 38.6 overs
    • Hannah Rowe at 191 for 7, from 44.6 overs
    • Izzy Gaze at 204 for 8, from 46.6 overs
    • Lea Tahuhu at 207 for 9, from 47.4 overs
    • Jess Kerr at 207 for 10, from 48.2 overs

    Bowling

    Overs
    Maidens
    Runs
    Wickets
    Econ

    1. Cross:
      10overs,
      3 maidens,
      24 runs,
      2 wickets,
      and an economy of 2.40.
    2. Bell:
      9.2overs,
      0 maidens,
      41 runs,
      3 wickets,
      and an economy of 4.39.
    3. Sciver-Brunt:
      10overs,
      0 maidens,
      44 runs,
      1 wickets,
      and an economy of 4.40.
    4. Ecclestone:
      10overs,
      0 maidens,
      39 runs,
      1 wickets,
      and an economy of 3.90.
    5. Dean:
      9overs,
      0 maidens,
      57 runs,
      3 wickets,
      and an economy of 6.33.

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  • (Sky Sports)

    (Sky Sports)

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    England 1st innings

    Total

    52 for 0, from 15.2 overs.

    Batting

    Runs
    Balls
    4s
    6s
    SR

    1. Crawley
      not out;
      30 runs,
      43 balls,
      5 fours,
      0 sixes,
      and a strike rate of 69.77
    2. Duckett
      not out;
      21 runs,
      48 balls,
      3 fours,
      0 sixes,
      and a strike rate of 43.75

    Yet to bat

    • Pope
    • Root
    • Bairstow
    • Stokes
    • Foakes
    • Hartley
    • Wood
    • Anderson
    • Bashir

    Bowling

    Overs
    Maidens
    Runs
    Wickets
    Econ

    1. Bumrah:
      7overs,
      1 maidens,
      24 runs,
      0 wickets,
      and an economy of 3.42.
    2. Siraj:
      7.2overs,
      1 maidens,
      23 runs,
      0 wickets,
      and an economy of 3.13.
    3. Ashwin:
      1overs,
      0 maidens,
      4 runs,
      0 wickets,
      and an economy of 4.00.

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