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    Major sporting event watched by 28 million people on the BBC at risk of being axed with no city willing to host

    THE future of the Commonwealth Games is in doubt after a potential host city for the 2026 event pulled out.More than 28million people tuned in to BBC to watch last year’s theatrics in Birmingham.
    The future of the Commonwealth Games has been plunged into doubtCredit: Getty
    Over 28million people tuned in to BBC to watch last year’s Games in BirminghamCredit: PA
    England finished second behind Australia and ahead of Canada in what was hailed as one of the most successful Commonwealth Games ever.
    However, questions are now being raised about the future of the prestigious event.
    Gold Coast, the 2018 hosts, looked set to step in after fellow Aussies the State of Victoria decided in July against staging the event because of the cost.
    An initial £1.4billion estimate had leaped to over £3bn, according to the government.
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    But now the Queensland city have withdrawn their bid too, despite originally reckoning they could do a streamlined version for £360million.
    And it leaves no candidates for either the ’26 and ’30 Games, despite reports of a secret plan to move the next event to Scotland.
    It appears federal and state governments in Oz have ruled out supporting the 93-year-old Games.
    And organisers are now facing the possibility of postponing or even cancelling the 2026 Games.
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    Two Australian cities have now pulled out of hosting the 2026 eventCredit: Getty
    England finished second at last year’s GamesCredit: Reuters
    Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate said: “We did our best and that’s all people can expect.”
    A spokesperson for the Commonwealth Games Federation added: “Since the sudden withdrawal of Victoria in July 2023 as the host of the 2026 Games, the Commonwealth Games Federation has been working tirelessly with Commonwealth Games Associations to find a new host who would be able to step in at such short notice.
    “We are in active conversations with a number of potential hosts across the Commonwealth and hope to provide an update on those discussions in early 2024.” More

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    My mum is one of Great Britain’s greatest ever athletes – now I’m out to beat her last remaining record

    EILISH McCOLGAN plans to run her first marathon next year – and finally take down one of her mum’s best times.The Dundee runner, 33, may not have won the same Olympic or world medals as mum and coach Liz, 59, did during a glittering career.
    Eilish McColgan is getting ready to run her first marathonCredit: Getty
    Her mum Liz has a decorated career as a 10,000 metre runningCredit: PA
    But she has run quicker in her household over multiple distances between 1500 metres and the half marathon.
    McColgan had planned to compete for the first time at the London Marathon in April but was ruled out with a knee complaint.
    Her plans for the Paris 2024 Olympics will depend on the coming months and whether her body can cope with 10,000 metres on the track or 26.2 miles on the road.
    If that is not possible, then she will look to partake in one of the Berlin, Chicago or New York marathons later in the year.
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    Currently recovering from spinal surgery in August, she told a new BBC Scotland documentary: “One by one, I started taking all of my mum’s records.
    “I’ve broken every Scottish record of hers from 1500 metres, 3,000 metres, 5k, 10k, all the ones on the road as well.
    “I only have one of my mum’s times now to beat. The marathon is the only outstanding one.
    “There’s no rivalry between us. She’s part of the reason I’m breaking them now.
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    Liz McColgan ran her personal best marathon in 1997 – a time of 2:26:52Credit: Getty
    She also won silver in the 1998 Olympics in the 10,000 metresCredit: Alamy
    “Jumping into the marathon will not be all rainbows or unicorns, it will be tougher than that but my team think I can do it. They have more belief in me than I do.
    “From a very young age, my mum told me I’d be better than her.
    “When I was growing up, people expected me to win everything purely because of my name.
    “It’s a remarkable story and journey that my mum has been on.
    “Somebody with her on a council estate in Dundee wouldn’t have thought my mum would be destined for any greatness. Yet she proved a lot of people wrong along the way.”
    Liz, the 1988 Olympic 10,000 metres silver medallist and a former world champion, ran a PB in the marathon of 2:26:52 in London in April 1997.
    But she added: “I saw her, as a little girl, what she is capable of doing.
    She is definitely her mother’s daughter.
    “Eilish has really, really struggled with confidence and dealing with the family name.”
    McColgan attended her stepfather John Nuttall’s funeral last Friday, which was held in Preston with the wake taking place at Deepdale.
    Qatar-based Nuttall – a former middle-distance athlete and coach – suffered a fatal heart attack on Thursday November 9. He was 56.
    McColgan said: “I didn’t see my mum and John a huge amount over the past five years because my boyfriend and I have travelled a lot.
    “But because I was injured, it was quite unusual that we spent two weeks in Portugal with them.
    “And then we all had six or seven weeks at their home in Qatar. It was nice we had that quality time all together.”
    Eilish McColgan: Running in the family, BBC Scotland, Thursday, 10pm
    Eilish McColgan is the 2022 Commonwealth Games 10,000 metre championCredit: PA
    Mum Liz was in the crowd to watch her win Gold in BirminghamCredit: Getty More

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    ‘Secret’ plan to host 2026 Commonwealth Games in Scotland ‘revealed’

    SCOTLAND could be hosting a major sports event BEFORE the 2028 Euros, it has been claimed.Some 12 years since Glasgow hosted the Commonwealth Games the event could be making a return north of the border after secret proposal papers were uncovered.
    Hampden had a running track installed almost a decade ago to host the GamesCredit: Scottish News and Sport
    Usain Bolt was one of the many big names to head to GlasgowCredit: AP:Associated Press
    A home event could be in the pipeline again after the collapse of 2026 and 2030 venue bidsCredit: AFP
    Victoria, in Australia, was due to be the host venue in three years time and took on the baton after last year’s Games in Birmingham.
    But the plans Down Under have been withdrawn after costs more than doubled to £3.1bn – leaving the event in doubt.
    If the next staging of the Games doesn’t go ahead many fear for its future.
    When news broke in July Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf suggested an emergency return to these shores – and now that could come to fruition with a four-way solution.

    The UK could step in an host across Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales, the Herald claims.
    It says a “highly confidential” document produced by UK Sport has outlined a “potential revised hosting model”.
    Crunch talks to save the next stage were held in AUust and outlined areas to be investigated in order to potentially solve the crisis.
    But the papers did state that the discussion “does not infer that any offer would be made or that any funding has been made available to do so.”
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    “It would still be for all partners to explore in a robust way whether it is in the interests of the UK, both societally and aligned to wider hosting aspirations, whether this would be worth pursuing.
    “The broad conditions where that course of action might be considered feasible and/or desirable are outlined here, but not explored in full.” 
    Other Freedom of Information papers show officials urging caution over the tentative steps being taken.
    One email reads: ““There are significant financial implications here against the backdrop of extremely stretched budgets.”
    Adding a “very short timeframe in which to deliver the event… will increase costs. “
    More emails explained: “The inflationary pressures on many aspects of major event delivery remain strong so a significant degree of contingency and optimism bias would need to be built into any business case.”
    Scotland is already slated to host football’s 2028 Euros at Hampden having been part of the successful bid with Northern Ireland England and Wales, confirmed by Uefa earlier this month.
    The Games were last north of the border in 2014 at Glasgow, while Edinburgh was host city in 1970 and 1986.
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    Stadium with bigger capacity than Premier League teams ‘left to rot’ with weeds & graffiti as locals blast £70M ‘waste’

    A STADIUM that can hold a larger capacity crowd than some Premier League sides has been left to rot as locals say it was a huge waste of money.Residents living in the shadow of Birmingham’s Commonwealth Games stadium say the area has been left “to rot and go to waste” amid the council’s bankruptcy woes.
    Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium used for the Commonwealth Games has now been left to rotCredit: SWNS
    The flats which were built for the athletes are now left emptyCredit: SWNS
    The stadium has been daubed with graffitiCredit: SWNS
    Locals in Perry Barr, in the north of the city, claim the costly bid to host last summer’s games has had little benefit to their community despite a staggering £184m investment.
    Alexander Stadium was revamped ahead of the multi-million pound sporting event – but the surrounding area has since been left in disrepair and “like a building site”.
    The stadium could hold a capacity crowd of 18,000, making it larger than Luton Town’s ground which can hold 11,500 while Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium can accommodate 11,379.
    Apart from seeing “no legacy whatsoever” following the games people say the area is now a complete mess with much of it still fenced off with graffiti-clad boards.
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    Parts of Perry Park have remained inaccessible since last summer with a Birmingham 2022 tarmac car park still in place.
    Families also say there is no equipment for children to use following the removal of the play area and little green space for them to enjoy.
    Angry residents have now called for the works on the park to be completed but fear they may never happen following the council effectively declaring itself bankrupt.
    They accused the local authority of making “empty promises” and say they should have known the cost of hosting the games would be the “final nail in the coffin.”
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    Birmingham City Council boasted it would regenerate the inner city area including new homes, a shipping container park and the revamped stadium.
    New flats were also built nearby for the athletes’ village but the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and spiralling costs meant they were not ready on time.
    A whopping £16m was spent moving the Perry Barr bus depot 300 metres to make way for the flat development.
    Residents say the benefits of hosting the event was difficult to see 13 months on from welcoming people from across the globe to the city.
    Mum-of-two Sandra Wilde, 45, of Perry Barr, said: “It’s no wonder the council has gone bankrupt – we should never have hosted the games. It was just a vanity project.
    “It was all unveiled to great fanfare when behind the scenes they were struggling to balance the books even back then.
    “The area has been left a real mess with people unable to use our local park. You’ve got fences and big boards up everywhere which are strewn with graffiti.
    “It’s attracting anti-social behaviour. If anything the area has got worse not better.
    “They have made empty promises the whole way through – from an athletes’ village which wasn’t even used to a train station design that changed from a state-of-the art place to what looks like a copper garden shed.
    “The council also spent stupid amounts of money on moving a bus depot a few yards down the road – it’s just baffling this has been allowed to happen.”
    Jon Pritchard, 31, an IT worker, from Perry Barr, added: “We’ve been constantly fobbed off with false promises and the place has been left to rot.
    “It’s been a complete waste of money and now the council has gone bust I fear the work will never get finished.
    “It’s still like a building site a more than a year on. The stadium lies derelict most of the time. The place is dead. Nobody lives in the athletes’ village flats yet either.
    “The atmosphere during the games was magical and it felt like Birmingham was finally on the map – now we’re just back to being a laughing stock again.
    “It’s scandalous what they have done. How can a big city likes this, the Second City, be allowed to go bankrupt. It’s sheer incompetence.”
    Amdadur Rahman moved to Perry Barr from Stratford, East London, a few weeks ago and said the Birmingham games legacy was nothing compared to the 2012 Olympics.
    He said: “They should have put on more activities and sorted the park for the children. You go to the Olympic Stadium and there’s lots of stuff for kids.
    “Compared to the London stadium which is open to people, this stadium is dead. So they should be doing something.
    “This place should be busy, but it’s not, they should be working with schools to advertise it for community use. It could be really nice.
    “Now the council going bankrupt makes me very concerned they won’t finish the work off in the park and surrounding area.”
    Full-time mum Khameela Bukhari, 35, added: “It’s just horrible, you can’t take the kids to do anything. It’s one of those places you don’t want to go anywhere near now.
    “We were promised the park would be finished for residents to go back there and there’s nothing. It’s heartbreaking. It’s not a nice place to be anymore.
    “It’s like a junk place, people would dump things. It was horrible. We were told it would go back to normal. We didn’t think we would be stuck like this.
    “It’s like one big hole. At the stadium nothing is happening, it’s all fenced off, what’s the point? It’s all false promises.
    “We were told everything would be better for residents and there would be this games legacy and there’s been nothing. Nothing has been done.
    “it’s not fair on us, we all pay our taxes. The facilities were there and they’ve not been given back. It’s dead money. They’ve invested but what’s happening after? Nothing.”
    Kath Sandra, 70, who lives near the stadium, said: “It was only yesterday we said it was looking a right mess. We don’t know what’s going on.
    “They took a play area away and haven’t given it back. There’s a lot of gripe there with parents. They built some flats but nobody uses them.
    “The Commonwealth Games was amazing and it must have bought money in. But now they are bankrupt through their own fault and it us that will have to pay for it.”
    The largest local authority in Europe this week issued a Section 114 notice preventing all but essential spending and still has a budget gap of £87m to plug.
    The total cost of the games was estimated at about £778m, with the city council and local partners contributing around £184m.
    Months before the games, the council reported a £25m hole in its funding for the event and said the shortfall would be made up from a contingency fund.
    A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: “Since the Alexander Stadium was handed back by Games organisers to the council in November 2022, a programme of reinstatement works has started in parallel with the development of plans to deliver a wide range of further legacy enhancements to the surrounding park area.
    “This has resulted in various parts of the site being re-opened to the public as soon as possible since then.
    “Local residents, site users and community groups have been kept updated throughout – and we are preparing for a period of public engagement on the legacy proposals that will be starting soon.
    “We fully understand the desire for the park to be reinstated and appreciate the patience that has been shown in recent months.
    “We are determined to work with those who have an interest in the park to shape plans for a significantly enhanced site for everyone to enjoy.”
    Regarding the Games, the spokesperson added: “The Commonwealth Games was a fantastic achievement and a great showcase for the city on a global stage.
    “These immediate challenges will not diminish the council’s ambition in supporting the upward trajectory that the City of Birmingham is currently experiencing following the successful delivery of the Games.
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    “Record levels of investment continue to flow into the city, and the council will work with key strategic partners to ensure that this remains the case.
    “Birmingham is very much open for business.”
    Locals say the area has been left ‘to rot and go to waste’ as Birmingham City Council struggle with its financesCredit: SWNS
    Alexander Stadium, which remains incomplete and inaccessible to the public, has left a bad feeling among localsCredit: SWNS More

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    Glamorous British athlete Lauryn Davey told ‘it should be illegal to look this good’ as she stuns in bikini

    GLAMOROUS British athlete Lauryn Louise Davey has left fans stunned with her latest online snaps.The heptathlete is currently gunning to qualify for a future Olympic Games.
    Lauryn Davey is aiming for a spot at the OlympicsCredit: Instagram @laurynlouisedavey
    Davey is a heptathlete from WalesCredit: Instagram @laurynlouisedavey
    The 24-year-old has caused a stir with snaps on the social mediaCredit: Instagram @laurynlouisedavey
    Her exploits don’t stop there however, with Welsh national Davey also pursuing a medical degree at Swansea University.
    But in the meantime the 24-year-old has been causing a stir online thanks to a host of steamy pics on her social media pages.
    Davey has built up a following of 21,000 fans on her Instagram page.
    She can often be seen sharing snippets of her training routine and breaks.
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    Another post in late August saw her posing in a red bikini as she enjoyed some downtime in a swimming pool.
    Reacting to her post, one user commented: “It should be illegal to look this good, be this talented AND be so intelligent 😂❤️.”
    A second wrote: “The Welsh vegan queen is chilling. 🥰💚🌱.”
    “ARM DEFINITION 😱👏🏻,” remarked a third.
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    She is eyeballing the 2026 Commonwealth Games as her ticket to the OlympicsCredit: Instagram @laurynlouisedavey
    Davey has 21,000 followers on InstagramCredit: Instagram @laurynlouisedavey
    A fourth said: “GOBSMACKED.”
    While another typed: “Insane 😍🔥.”
    Davey revealed she is eyeballing the 2026 Australia Commonwealth Games as her ticket to the Olympics – a dream of hers since the age of five.
    She told Further in 2022: “It’s not entirely impossible so why don’t I give it my all? If I give it my all and don’t make it, I’ll have no regrets.
    “Whereas if I tell myself now, ‘I’m not ever going to make it, there’s no point in trying,’ how will I ever know what I can do?”
    Davey, who has a vegan diet has won dozens of junior national titles.
    Davey leads a vegan lifestyleCredit: Instagram @laurynlouisedavey
    She often shares pics of her workoutsCredit: Instagram @laurynlouisedavey More

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    Huge sporting event facing extinction after 93 years due to potential £1.57bn bill

    THE COMMONWEALTH Games are close to extinction – unless they quickly find a new host with very deep pockets.A sporting institution that has been running for almost a century, one that is backed by the soft power of the British Royal Family, is in danger of fizzling out and disappearing from our calendars.
    England’s 4x100m relay team celebrate silver at Birmingham’s Commonwealth Games in 2022Credit: AFP
    Performers as a butterfly during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Closing CeremonyCredit: Getty
    There might be 72 associated nations and territories but NOBODY is prepared to stage the next two events this decade due to rising costs.
    Organises have been rocked by the news that Canadian province Alberta will not mount a bid for the 2030 Games given the billion-dollar price tag.
    It followed last month’s devastating decision by the Australian State of Victoria to cancel its plans to stage the Games in three years’ time due to budget blowouts.
    Though Birmingham did a fantastic job staging the multi-sport Commonwealths only 12 months ago, the quadrennial tournament is under serious threat of never happening again.
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    It was late on Thursday night that Joseph Schow, the Minister of Tourism and Sport for Alberta, announced the decision not to continue pursuing a bid for 2030.
    Initial plans had to be held the sports over 11 days in Calgary and Edmonton.
    That particular year marks the centenary year of the first British Empire Games, which were held in Hamilton, Canada, in 1930.
    Schow said: “Any proposal to host major games is considered with the interests of Alberta taxpayers at top of mind.
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    “We committed to remain transparent with Albertans about the costs of hosting international sporting events and clearly demonstrating a return on our investment for the people and communities in Alberta.
    “Based on current bid estimates, hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games could result in a cost of up to C$2.68 billion (£1.57billion).
    The Commonwealth Stadium in Alberta, where the Games were meant to be heldCredit: Getty
    Ozzy Osbourne performs during the closing ceremony for the Commonwealth Games in 2022Credit: AFP
    “The corporate sponsorship model and limited broadcast revenues for the Commonwealth Games would have put 93% of those costs and risks on taxpayers.”
    The under-pressure Commonwealth Games Federation continue to say the right things, stressing that “dialogue with other potential hosts is on-going”.
    They talk about its “proud history”, its “iconic sporting moments” and representation for athletes being “the experience of a lifetime”.
    But money talks in professional sports and unless they locate a suitable location, the Commonwealth Games may follow the path of the Dodo.
    London Mayor Sadiq Khan has offered an olive branch, claiming the “sporting capital of the world” would be the perfect next hosts after the success of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.
    But any final decision would need to be made by the UK government, which does have a General Election to consider.
    Elsewhere Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf has said he is willing to “explore” proposals for Scotland to accommodate at least part of the 2026 Games.
    But until someone wealthy enough comes forward soon, then the next edition will have to be postponed by several years or even scrapped altogether.
    Whatever happens, a complete rethink is needed about what the Commonwealths look like and how big it should be logistically.
    Perhaps the size of the competition and number of individual sports – which was 20 in Birmingham – may have to be reduced dramatically.
    Inevitably it’s the athletes who suffer the most and Katy Marchant echoed the disappointment of many who have competed at Commonwealth level.
    The Leeds-born cyclist, who won Commonwealth Games team sprint bronze in 2018, said: “The cancellation of Victoria is a massive hit. It was a disappointing headline to read.
    “We are unsure yet of what will come of that and how that will be rectified.
    “The Commonwealth Games are huge. It’s a massive stepping stone for an athlete.
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    “If the Olympics don’t go to plan, the Commonwealths give you another chance to rectify or to perform on a big stage.
    “Medals, whatever the level, all mean something to an athlete and are all part of a journey.” More

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    London ready to step in and save 2026 Commonwealth Games… but UK’s Euro 2028 bid could stand in the way

    LONDON “stands ready” to step in and save the 2026 Commonwealth Games after Australia pulled the plug on hosting the tournament amid spiralling costs.Mayor Sadiq Khan said the “sporting capital of the world” would be the perfect host after the success of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.
    Sadiq Khan has said London is ready to step in to host the gamesCredit: Getty
    Events could be hosted at WembleyCredit: PA:Press Association
    And at West Ham’s London StadiumCredit: Getty
    But ministers fear Britain hosting the event for the third time in just 12 years is a major risk to the future of the Games.
    The 93-year-old contest is in serious doubt after the Australian State of Victoria dramatically cancelled its plans on Tuesday less than three years before its start date due to budget blowouts.
    The multi-billion pound event had been scheduled to run in March 2026 in various regional centres, including Melbourne.
    Yesterday Mr Khan said London “stands ready”, believing the Capital has the capability and top-class venues to stage sports like athletics, swimming and cycling.
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    However Whitehall sources have played down the prospects of Britain stepping in. 
    One said: “Obviously we want athletes to have the opportunity to compete and fans to enjoy, but we want the Games to be a success all over the world, not just here.”
    No formal approach for help has yet been made to the UK Government or any decision made.
    What would hinder any possible rescue job inside the corridors of power is the substantial costs involved, the short timeframe and the target of getting Uefa’s Euro football championships in 2028.
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    Birmingham stepped in to stage a successful 2022 Games when the South African city of Durban was stripped of hosting rights due to financial issues and missing key deadlines.
    But the Brummie officials had the benefit of FIVE years to get everything ready.
    The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) were completely flummoxed when they were told this week that the 2026 Games were being axed by the hosts.
    Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said that spending “6-7 billion Australian dollars” (£3.1-3.7billion) on the 12-day sporting event “did not represent value for money, that is all cost and no benefit”.
    He added: “It’s more than twice the estimated economic benefit the Games would bring our State.
    “When the Commonwealth Games needed a host city to step in at the last minute, we were willing to help – but not at price. And not without a big lasting benefit for regional Victoria.”
    The only time the Commonwealths have ever been cancelled was during the Second World War.
    The CGF said: “We’re disappointed that we were only given eight hours’ notice and that no consideration was given to discussing the situation to jointly find solutions prior to this decision being reached by the Government.
    “Up until this point, the Government had advised that sufficient funding was available to deliver the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games.
    “We are taking advice on the options available to us and remain committed to finding a solution for the Games in 2026 that is in the best interest of our athletes and the wider Commonwealth Sport Movement.”
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    The 2026 Commonwealths were due to be the first of the new era of King Charles III following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last September at the age of 96.
    But there is a major concern the multi-sport tournament – formerly known as the British Empire Games – could soon become scrapped altogether unless they are postponed by several years. More

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    Shaun Pickering dead at 61: Brit Olympian and son of BBC commentator dies as Greg Rutherford leads tributes

    WELSH Olympian Shaun Pickering has died at the age of 61. Pickering was a shot put bronze medallist for Wales during the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.
    Shaun Pickering has passed away aged 61Credit: Kenny Ramsay – The Sun Glasgow
    Pickering won bronze at the 1998 Commonwealth GamesCredit: Allsport
    He was also an Olympian at the 1996 Atlanta games, where he finished 27th.
    Pickering’s best shot of 20.45 metres in 1997 still stands as a Welsh record and places him as sixth best in the across the UK.
    He also held the Welsh record for hammer throw, with a best distance of 68.84m
    Pickering later became UK Athletic’s national event coach for heavy throws.
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    He was the son of the late BBC commentator Ron Pickering and former British Olympian Jean.
    Team GB long jump gold medallist Greg Rutherford led the tributes online.
    Taking to Instagram, Rutherford said: “Incredibly sad news to wake up to.
    “Shaun was a really good man and a pillar of the athletics community.
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    “He will be deeply missed.”
    In tribute, Welsh Athletics said: “Everyone at Welsh Athletics is sad to hear the news that ‘Hall of Fame’ inductee, multiple Welsh Champion and record holder Shaun Pickering has passed away.
    “Our thoughts are with Shaun’s friends and family at this sad time.”
    The Ron Pickering memorial fund, a charity aimed at helping aspiring British athletes which Pickering helped to build following his retirement, also paid a heartfelt tribute.
    They said: “It is with deep sadness that we learned of the passing today of our beloved Shaun Pickering.
    “Shaun did so much for athletics and to carry on the amazing legacy of his parents Ron and Jean.
    “All our hearts go out to Shaun’s family and friends at this dreadfully sad time 💔.”
    British Athletics also added: ” Everyone at @BritAthletics is so saddened to hear this news today.
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    “Shaun loved the sport passionately and cared deeply for athletes and his many friends across the sport.
    “His work to continue the success of @RunforRon Fund supported so many athletes. RIP Shaun 🖤.” More