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      Brit Paralympian Olivia Breen left ‘speechless’ after being told her sprint briefs ‘too short and inappropriate’

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      PARALYMPIAN Olivia Breen was left ‘speechless’ after being told her sprint briefs were ‘too short and inappropriate’.The Welsh star, 24, was competing in a long jump event at the English Championships in Bedford at the weekend when a volunteer raised concerns about her Adidas attire.
      Olivia Breen was left ‘speechless’ after being told her sprint briefs were ‘too short and inappropriate’Credit: Rex
      The comment was made by a volunteer during the English ChampionshipsCredit: Rex
      The 24-year-old will represent Team GB at the Tokyo Paralympics beginning on August 24.
      Breen, from Guildford, won bronze at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London for the 4x100m Relay T35-T38.
      She failed to medal four years later in Rio, but brilliantly bounced back to win gold in the long jump title at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
      Breen posted on Twitter: “I am always grateful for the incredible volunteers who officiate at athletics events.
      “They do an amazing job and make it possible for us to compete.
      “However, tonight I feel disappointed because just as I finished my long jump competition one of the female officials felt it necessary to inform me that my sprint briefs were too short and inappropriate. I was left speechless.
      “I have been wearing the same sprint style briefs for many years and they are specifically designed for competing in.
      “I will hopefully be wearing them in Tokyo. It made me question whether a male competitor would be similarly criticised.
      “I hope no other female athletes had similar issues.
      “I recognise that there needs to be regulations and guidelines in relation to competition kit but women should not be made to feel self-conscious about what they are wearing when competing but should feel comfortable and at ease.”
      Breen, who has cerebral palsy, revealed to The Guardian that she intends on making an official complaint to UK Athletics.

      British shot putter Amelia Strickler backed up Breen’s comments and believes officials who make ‘unnecessary’ comments should not officiate.
      Strickler, 27, said: “Female athletes shouldn’t be subjected to such criticism when there is already so much pressure on women to be ‘perfect’.
      “We are there to compete. You don’t like the outfits? Don’t officiate. We don’t need officials adding unnecessary stress in those moments.”
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      Inside Tokyo’s Covid-19 secure Olympic and Paralympic village – where athletes are forced to sleep in anti-sex beds

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      TOKYO is a city full of famous buildings and iconic architecture.And its Olympic and Paralympic Village comes across as a homely, if slightly sterile, home for athletes that will descend upon it next month.
      Olympians will sleep in eco-friendly, anti-sex single bedsCredit: Getty
      Chairs will bring some colour to athletes’ roomsCredit: Getty
      Stars will be instructed to eat alone in the dining areaCredit: Getty
      Athletes will sleep in single beds, with decoration kept to a minimum within the Covid-19 secure bubble.
      The Tokyo 2020 pads possess a clean feel, while tenants will be ordered to eat alone.
      Rio’s 2016 Olympics was a Tinder hotspot, with matches having rocketed up 129 per cent in the area during the games.
      Sex is set to be BANNED at this summer’s edition – but precautions have been taken anyway.
      Organisers are distributing a staggering 160,000 condoms for the event, to encourage romping athletes to be safe.
      The official line is that the mass distribution is to ‘raise awareness’.
      And rule-breaking rompers could be left red-faced if they attempt to have threesomes, as the beds will likely COLLAPSE.
      Tokyo organisers are committed to being as eco-friendly as possible, with each bed having been built from recycled cardboard.
      Athletes will take questions in a state of the art media centreCredit: Getty
      Athletes will walk these streets between July 23 and August 8Credit: Alamy
      Press were given a tour of the village this morningCredit: Getty
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      A spokesperson for Airweave, who made the beds, stated: “We’ve conducted experiments, like dropping weights on top of the beds.
      “As long as they stick to just two people in the bed, they should be strong enough to support the load.”
      In the main dining hall, where athletes will be instructed to eat alone, hand sanitising stations are a regular feature.
      Pink and orange signs add some colour to the otherwise dull features.
      And multi-coloured chairs aim for the same effect.
      Competitors will be tested by anti-doping officials hereCredit: Getty
      Beds will be fully recyclableCredit: EPA
      The world’s greatest athletes will descend upon TokyoCredit: Getty

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      Who is USA sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson and what substance did she test positive for?

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      THERE are few greater thrills in sport than watching an Olympic sprinter run on the biggest stage.And that was the dream for US 100 metres star Sha’Carri Richardson, who was tipped by many for a medal at this summer’s Olympics in Tokyo.
      Richardson had been expected to take the Olympics by storm this summerCredit: Reuters
      Who is Sha’Carri Richardson?
      Born in Dallas, Texas in 2000, Richardson is one of Team USA’s rising stars.
      An exciting sprinter, she competes in the 100m and 200m and rose to fame after a stunning run for Louisiana State University in 2019.
      Sha’Carri ran a 10.75sec race for the 100m, breaking the NCAA record and in turn becoming one of the fastest teenagers of all time.
      Fast forward to 2021 and she was breaking records again, recording a personal best 10.72sec in the run-up to the Olympics in Tokyo.
      As a result of that run, she is now the fourth-fastest American woman in history.
      But the US star will not be competing in TokyoCredit: Getty
      Richardson has always been a talented sprinter and won the 100m title at the Junior Olympics in 2016.
      She is known for her colourful hair styles and revealed after qualifying for the Olympics that her girlfriend picked the colour.
      She told USA Today: “My girlfriend actually picked my [hair] colour.
      “She said it like spoke to her, the fact that it was just so loud and vibrant, and that’s who I am.”
      Richardson’s stunning athleticism has seen fans compare her to the legendary Florence “Flo Jo” Griffith Joyner.
      Flo-Jo won gold medals in the 100m, 200m, and relay race at the 1988 Seoul Olympics in South Korea.

      What did she test positive for?
      Unfortunately, Richardson will not be competing this summer at the Olympics.
      She was disqualified last month from participating in individual Olympic events after testing positive for THC, the chemical found in marijuana.
      Cannabis was banned by WADA as of January 1 this year and could carry a ban of up to four years.
      Sha’Carri claims that she only smoked weed to cope with the pain of finding out that her biological mother had died. 
      Richardson had qualified for the Olympics earlier this year but that run has been scrubbed from the record booksCredit: Reuters
      Her cousin Chasity Lanell told the US Sun: “I really feel [the ban] is unfair.
      “Sha’Carri really does inspire a lot of people and everybody makes mistakes. 
      “She is going through a very hard time because of the loss of her mother. 
      “It’s unfair to take something from someone who started from the bottom and made their way up to the top, from nothing. 
      “People are judging her from the outside but they don’t really know what she’s going through on the inside. 
      “It was just a little marijuana, it is a legal substance in the state where she took it.” More

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      Australian basketball star Elizabeth Cambage pulls out of Tokyo Olympics over ‘terrifying’ coronavirus bubble in Japan

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      AUSTRALIAN basketball star Elizabeth Cambage has pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics over fears of living in a Covid-19 bubble.Several athletes have already withdrawn from the Games due to Covid concerns, with British tennis player Dan Evans testing positive for the virus.
      Elizabeth Cambage, 29, has pulled out of the Olympics due to mental health concernsCredit: Getty
      Tokyo’s 68,000-seater stadium, built for the Olympics, will be empty this summerCredit: EPA
      All athletes competing in the delayed Games will be forced to live in a bio-secure bubble in Tokyo until their participation ends.
      Social contact will be kept to a minimum during that time, with stars even being forced to eat alone.
      There are fears the strict environment will have a detrimental effect on the mental wellbeing of the athletes, with Cambage being the first to pull out.
      The 29-year-old said: “Anyone that knows me knows one of my biggest dreams is winning an Olympic gold medal with the Opals.
      “Every athlete competing in the Olympic games should be at their mental and physical peak, and at the moment, I’m a long way from where I want and need to be.
      “It’s no secret that in the past I’ve struggled with my mental health and recently I’ve been worried about heading into a ‘bubble’ Olympics.
      “No family. No friends. No fans. No support system outside of my team.
      “It’s honestly terrifying for me. The past month I have been having panic attacks, not sleeping and not eating.
      “Relying on daily medication to control my anxiety is not the place I want to be right now. Especially walking into competition on the world’s biggest sporting stage.
      “I know myself, and I know I can’t be the Liz everyone deserves to see compete for the Opals. Not right now at least.
      “I need to take care of myself mentally and physically.
      “It breaks my heart to announce I’m withdrawing from the Olympics, but I think it’s best for the Opals and myself.
      “I wish them nothing but the best of luck in Tokyo and I hop they go forth and win a gold medal.”
      The Olympics are due to begin on July 23 – despite several athletes pulling out of the Games due to Covid-related problems.

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      Tennis stars Evans, Alex de Minaur and Johanna Konta have all been forced to withdraw from the event due to a positive Covid test.
      And tennis icon Serena Williams has decided against competing, although she hasn’t clarified whether the pandemic is a reason for her decision.
      Covid cases in Tokyo have hit a six-month high and there are fears the Olympics could become a super spreader event.
      Fans will not be in attendance at the Games but thousands of people are still expected to flood in and out of Japan in the coming weeks.
      The lack of spectators has led to tennis star Nick Kyrgios withdrawing, claiming ‘it doesn’t sit right with me’ to play with no fans.
      The Olympic village in Tokyo is deserted ahead of the GamesCredit: AP
      British tennis star Dan Evans will miss the Olympics after contracting Covid-19Credit: Getty
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      Ex-long jump star Susen Tiedtke spills sex secrets of Olympic village with noisy romps keeping athletes up all night

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      OLYMPIC stars ‘release their energy’ in crazy athletes’ village parties after the Games, a former long-jumper has revealed.Tokyo 2020 organisers have officially banned athletes from having sex at this summer’s showpiece due to the threat of coronavirus.
      Competitors are housed in a huge complex for this summer’s OlympicsCredit: AP
      But ex-athlete Susen Tiedtke claims that officials are powerless to stop the alcohol-fuelled romps that are a fixture of every Games.
      The German, 52, told Bild: “[The ban] is a big laughing stock for me, it doesn’t work at all.
      “Sex is always an issue in the village.
      “The athletes are at their physical peak at the Olympics. When the competition is over, they want to release their energy.
      “There is one party after another, then alcohol comes into play. It happens that people have sex and there are enough people who strive for that.”
      Tiedtke competed in the 1992 and 2000 Olympics, meeting Joe Greene, her former husband of over four years and a fellow long-jumper, during the Barcelona Games.
      But any horseplay was firmly off the agenda until after her competition had finished.
      She continued: “Our competitions were towards the end of the games.
      “Nothing would go on before, that was tough. The coaches said, ‘When you have sex, the body first has to recharge itself energetically. So you shouldn’t do that’.
      “After the competition, however, roommates were considerate if you needed the room for yourself…”
      PLENTY OF CONDOMS
      Team GB star Jade Jones has previously described how competitors waste no time in starting the party after their tournament is over.
      Tokyo chiefs have organised 160,000 condoms to be made available at the athletes’ village to ‘raise awareness’ of safe sex.
      The manufacturers of the socially-distanced beds have even advised that each can only hold the weight of two people – in what served as a stark warning against threesomes.
      But athletes will be hoping that their colleagues and rivals keep noise to a minimum.
      Tiedtke admitted: “You always heard the ‘party’ of the others, sometimes you could hardly sleep.
      “Sex was always a huge topic, especially before the Games.
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      “My coach was my father and he was very strict.
      “If a boy wanted to go out with me, he’d have to do 100 pushups first.
      “I had to meet secretly, otherwise I would never have met anyone. The whole village knew the story.”
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      How many false starts are sprinters allowed in athletics? 100m, 200m, 400m, hurdles and relay rules explained

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      SPRINTERS are allowed ZERO false starts at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and if found guilty will be instantly disqualified.From January 2010 onward, the official track and field false start regulation indicated that any athlete starting within 100 milliseconds of the gun being fired would be disqualified from the race.
      Usain Bolt’s false start in the men’s 100m final at the World Athletics Championships in South KoreaCredit: AP:Associated Press
      James Dasaolu holds head in hands after disqualification from 2016 World Indoor Championships, OregonCredit: Reuters
      Research has found that a reaction time faster than one-tenth of a second is impossible for a human, and the runner is therefore deemed to have anticipated the gun.
      On the ‘Track & Field 101: Rules’ on the Olympics website, it states: “If a sprinter commences his or her starting motion from the set position before the Starter’s gun is fired, it is deemed a false start. The first false start of a race results in an automatic disqualification to the offending runner.”
      How can they detect a false start?
      False start detection systems were introduced in 1979 and Omega’s false start detection system made its Olympics debut at the Los Angeles Olympics Games.
      In major athletics competitions, reaction times are currently detected using IAAF accredited false start detection systems.
      These systems determine athletes reaction time using encased accelerometers or force sensors fixed to the rear of the starting block rail to detect changes in force or acceleration exerted on the blocks through the feet.
      RT’s can now be instantly calculated accurately to 0.001 of a second, but for results, are recorded to the nearest 0.01 second.
      For athletics and specifically sprint athletes reaction times and overall sprint time detection methods have improved dramatically since the original 1896 Olympic Games.
      Were false starts previously allowed?
      Originally, before 2010, the “one-and-done” regulation was implemented meaning one false start per race in events up to 400 metres would be allowed rather than one false start per athlete as in the past.
      This means the athlete making the second false start of a race, breaking the accepted reaction time of 0.10 seconds, will be disqualified regardless of whether he or she was responsible for the first one.
      However, sprinters would often take advantage of the previous false start rules, purposely jumping the gun either to play mind games with their competition and set them on edge before the race or use the extra leniency to predict the gun and gain bonus milliseconds from their efforts.
      So, World Athletics just decided to just ban any false starts – it’s one and YOU’RE OUT.
      Famous false starts at previous track and field events
      Usain Bolt
      At the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea, Usain Bolt, 100-meter world record holder, jumped the gun in the 100-meter final over a year after the new regulations had been put into place.
      Bolt walked off the track, head in hands, only to watch his Jamaican teammate Yohan Blake take the gold.
      Usain Bolt after disqualification at 2011 World ChampionshipsCredit: AFP
      Jon Drummond
      Drummond’s infamous “I did not move!” plea after his disqualification at the 2003 World Athletics Championships in Paris.
      Drummond protested his disqualification by storming into the infield, repeatedly yelling in front of officials and laying on the track.
      His tantrum delayed the 100-meter final by ONE HOUR. 
      A race official shows Jon Drummond the red card after his false start at the 2003 World Athletics Championships in ParisCredit: AP:Associated Press
      Linford Christie
      The 1992 Olympic 100-meter champion was disqualified under an even older false-start rule.

      Before 2003, any sprinter could false start once and get away with just a warning however Christie reacted early twice, delayed the competition and refused to leave the track.
      This was the first time a previous champion was unable to defend his title live on TV.
      Linford Christie walking back to his starting blocks after disqualification at the 1992 Barcelona gamesCredit: Reuters More

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      Tokyo Olympics chaos with fans set to be banned from Opening Ceremony as coronavirus continues to sweep through country

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      TOKYO Olympic chiefs are ready to ban spectators from this month’s Opening Ceremony as more covid concerns sweep Japan.Games bosses had previously announced maximum capacities of 10,000 Japanese-only fans at venues throughout the Olympics, which start later this month.
      Tokyo Olympic chiefs are ready to ban spectators from the Opening CeremonyCredit: AP
      But now it is likely that only VIPs will be allowed to attend the gala Opening Ceremony and parade of nations in the Olympic Stadium on July 23.
      Japanese Government officials are also seeking to slash the number of dignitaries in the sparse crowd, but the International Olympic Committee is pushing hard for some sponsors, guests and diplomats to attend.
      It now seems certain that all events at large indoor venues and those taking place after 9pm local time will be entirely fan-free.
      Final decisions on attendances are due to be confirmed by multi-party talks on Thursday but the direction of travel is increasingly pointing to the entire Games taking place without spectators.
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      Overseas fans were banned from attending earlier this year amid safety fears from those in charge.
      And Japan’s President, Yoshihide Suga, made it clear last month that he’s ready to reverse the decision on fans if a state of emergency is declared.
      As reported by the Japan Times, Suga said: “We won’t hesitate to ban spectators to ensure safety and security.
      “If a state of emergency is declared, that is a possibility.”

      Japan was previously in a state of emergency that lasted from April 25 to May 11.
      This was implemented due to surging covid deaths among locals who have been protesting against the Olympics.
      SunSport reported this week however that several Team GB stars were pictured flying out to Japan ahead of the opening.
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      Which events are in the decathlon?

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      THE decathlon is for those athletes who are just gluttons for punishment.It is the great all-around test in athletics – a 10-event contest covering the whole range of running, jumping, throwing and hurdling disciplines, spread over two days.
      Steven Bastian competes in the JavelinCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Markus Ballengee competes in the shot-putCredit: AP
      Joseph Delgado competing in the discusCredit: AP
      What does the decathlon consist of?
      Decathletes are usually masters of no discipline, but strong in all areas of track and field.
      The decathlon is just for male athletes – women compete in the heptathlon.
      A perfect score in the decathlon is 1,000 points in each event for a cumulative score of 10,000 points, over the ten events.
      The gruelling decathlon consists of:

      Pole vault
      High jump
      Long jump
      Javelin
      Shot put
      Discus
      110-metre hurdles
      100 metres
      400 metres
      1500 metres

      So gruelling that athletes only get a maximum of 30 minutes rest in between events.
      Factor in stretching, toilet breaks, water refuelling and coach input – well that’s less than a formula one pit-stop.
      The 110m hurdlesCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      Solomon Simmons competing in the long jumpCredit: AP

      Who are the greatest decathletes of all time?
      United States’ Jim Thorpe became the first winner of the decathlon in 1912 although he broke amateur rules by playing professional baseball.
      Thorpe had all of his Olympic titles deleted, although after his death they were later reinstated.
      Fast forward some 110 odd years and Ashton Eaton’s victory at the 2016 Olympics was the 14th decathlon gold medal for the USA, who have been the most dominant nation in the event by a long way as no other country has won more than two gold medals.
      He also became the fastest 100-metre runner in a decathlon, crossing the line at 10.21 seconds.
      Ashton Eaton won gold for USA at Rio 2016Credit: EPA
      Bruce Jenner, now known as Caitlyn Jenner, won gold for USA at the Montreal Olympics in 1976Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      Britain’s Daley Thompson won Olympic decathlon golds in Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984Credit: Rex
      Compare that to the world record of 9.58 seconds set by Usain Bolt at the 2009 World Championships – not bad for someone who also competes in nine other events!
      Team GB’s most famous decathlete is Daley Thompson, who was unbeaten in the decathlon for nine years, from 1978 to 1987, winning two Olympic gold medals, and at the age of 61 he still holds the British record.
      His 8,847 points, set in 1984, is a marker of Thompson’s brilliance and a measure of how far British men in the decathlon trail in his wake. More