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      in Athletics

      We’re twin sisters, 27, who both secretly battled same disease… now we’re plotting Olympic gold at Paris 2024 together

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      TWO TWIN sisters aiming to bring back Olympic gold for Team GB this summer have been battling the same disease since being 13.The 27-year-old Londoners Lina and Laviai Nielsen first started to dream of representing their country in the relay race together while chasing around the primary school field.
      Twin sisters Laviai and Lina Nielsen are hoping to bring back the gold this summerCredit: Rex
      The success of the siblings is even more remarkable after the pair were diagnosed with the same diseaseCredit: Reuters
      That looked set to become reality when they were selected for Britain’s 4x400m team at the 2017 European Indoor Championships.
      However, after a stress fracture in her foot ruled Lina out, it took another five years before the pair were chosen together again.
      But they were unable to compete alongside each other at the 2022 World Championships as Lina suffered a relapse of the multiple sclerosis that both sisters suffer from.
      Up until that point in their careers they had kept it secret after originally being diagnosed aged 13, but the flare-up prompted them to finally reveal their story.
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      Laviai is still yet to suffer major symptoms like her sister, and she told BBC Sport: “We’re still deciding not to take medicine because we’re not sure of the side effects.
      “We’ve always been pretty good with our diet and nutrition, but after Lina’s flare-up we’ve taken it even more seriously. So far it’s all gone well.”
      Despite those previous setbacks, the duo are hoping it will be third time lucky after being chosen together again for the World Indoor Championships this weekend in Britain’s 4x400m team.
      Laviai explained how they hope to not only make it to at least the final, but that she is desperate to compete over 400m hurdles and join her sister in a bid for Olympic gold at the Paris Games this summer.
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      And Laviai tried to put into words just exactly what it would mean if they were to stand together on the relay podium.
      She said: “We would definitely celebrate it greatly. It would be huge.”
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      Lina, who finally made her international debut in 2022, has now switched and made the 400m hurdles her primary individual event.
      She added: “There have been so many setbacks along the way.
      “It’s the nature of sport – it is cut-throat. Sometimes you need luck on your side.
      “Hopefully we’re all good this time round. It can’t get better than finally racing together in front of a home crowd.”
      The sisters are hoping it’ll be third time a charm at the World Indoor ChampionshipsCredit: Getty
      Laviai Nielsen pictured winning the 400m ahead of Lina in Birmingham this monthCredit: Rex More

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      in Soccer

      My husband was a Premier League star but I’m making my own way as an Olympic gold medal skiing champion

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      LARA GUT-BERHAMI is to many just the wife of a former Premier League star.The 32-year-old is married to former West Ham and Fiorentina midfielder Valon Behrami, whom she tied the knot with in the summer of 2018.
      Lara Gut-Berhami is the wife of former West Ham midfielder Valon BehramiCredit: EPA
      But the 32-year-old is an Olympic and World Championship downhill skierCredit: GETTY
      Lara has a slew of medals in her trophy cabinetCredit: EPA
      But she’s much more than Mrs. Berhami.
      Lara – who is fluent in FOUR languages – is a Swiss alpine ski race sensation who has a slew of major medals in her trophy cabinet.
      She participated in her first-ever race at the FIS races at the tender age of age FIFTEEN back in December 2006.
      Appearances at the Alpine Youth World Championships and World Cup followed in 2007, with the then-teenager winning silver in the downhill race in the former competition.
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      The year 2007 proved to be a successful one for Lara, who became the second youngest Swiss national champion of all time in the super-G.
      A slow recovery from a hip would prevent Lara from competing in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Canada.
      But she would fulfil her dreams four years later when she competed at the Sochi Games in Russia.
      And it was at those Games where she picked up her first Olympic medal in the downhill, winning a bronze medal.
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      That year’s World Cup would see Lara win the super-G season title and claim a third-placed finish.
      Lara claimed a bronze medal in the super-G at the 2017 World Championships, although she would suffer a horrific ACL injury in the ensuing combined event.
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      After a long and arduous recovery, she returned to action at the 2019 World Championships – although she was a shell of her former self.
      But a mere two years later, she claimed gold medals in the Giant Slalom and super-G events.
      She would take the winning form into her second Olympics – the 2022 Games in Beijing.
      And the tournament proved to be the highlight of her career as she left China with a gold medal after winning the super-G event.
      After fulfilling her childhood dream, she said: “I am really happy to have got that gold.
      “But you can’t build your life around winning gold.
      “I just thought it was probably going to be my last Olympic super-G of my life and I just wanted to show something great. I just wanted to ski.
      “I am happy that this time I am fast enough because last time for sure I was fourth and it was always tight.
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      “It’s not bad to have the hundredths by my side this time.”
      Lara was in World Cup downhill action last Friday, stretching her lead in the heated race for the crystal globe with victory at Crans-Montana.
      Lara Gut-Behrami has two World Championships and one Olympic Gold medal to her nameCredit: AFP
      Lara Gut-Behrami is currently in World Cup action at Crans-MontanaCredit: AP More

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      in Athletics

      Olympics athletic event may never look the same with plans to trial radical new format

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      THE LONG jump competition will undergo a radical change – as athletes take a leap of faith into the future.World Athletics bosses are trialling a new format where long jumpers use a “take-off zone” rather than a take-off board.
      World Athletics chiefs are planning major changes in the long jump eventCredit: Keith Campbell – The Sun Glasgow
      Trials will start taking place in the lower competitionsCredit: Getty
      Long jumpers will use a “take-off zone” rather than a take-off board.Credit: Getty
      Data collected during the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest showed that a THIRD of all attempts were recorded as no-jumps.
      The rule experiment will take place throughout this year in lower-level competitions and jumps will be measured from the front of the take-off foot within that zone.
      If the tests are successful – and if the competitors fully embrace and love the concept – then it could become permanent for the event from 2026 onwards.
      Jon Ridgeon, 57, a former British athlete and now CEO of World Athletics, said: “We’re looking at all of the disciplines, particularly the field events, and going: ‘Right, how do we make them better?’
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      “At the World Championships in Budapest last summer, a third of all the jumps were no-jumps where athletes stepped over the front of the take-off board.
      “Well, that doesn’t work. That’s a waste of time. So we’re testing at the moment a take-off zone rather than a take-off board.
      “We’ll measure from where the athlete takes off to where they land in the pit.
      “That means every single jump counts. It adds to the jeopardy and drama in the competition.
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      “At the same time we’re working out ways we can get instant results so you don’t have to wait 20-30 seconds before the result pops up.
      “How can we speed up the whole competition? It’s a whole range of innovation we’re looking at based on hopefully robust data.”
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      Britain have had three Olympic long jump champions – Mary Rand (1964), Lynn Davies (1964) and Greg Rutherford (2012).
      The men’s world record is 8.95 metres set by American Mike Powell in Tokyo in 1991 while the top women’s mark of 7.52 metres was established in 1988 by Russian Galina Chistyakova.
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      Ridgeon – who won 110 hurdles silver at the 1987 World Championships in Rome ahead of Colin Jackson – accepts that the traditionalists may not be happy.
      Especially as the event was part of the 1896 Olympics for the men while women starting jumping at the 1948 London Games.
      Speaking on the Great British Bosses series on the Anything but Footy podcast, he said: “We’ll spend this year testing it in real life circumstances with very good athletes.
      “If it doesn’t pass testing, we’ll never introduce it.
      Measures have to pass testing
      “So, we aren’t going to introduce things on a whim because one of us thinks it’s a good idea.
      “Yes, it’s going to be based on good data. Yes, we’re going to test it really well.
      “If you have dedicated your life to hitting that take-off board perfectly and then suddenly we replace it with a take-off zone, I totally get that there might be initial resistance.
      “As long as it is based on good testing and good data, I think eventually it’ll work through.
      “It will not be without its controversy. You cannot make change in a sport that was basically invented 150 years ago without some controversy. But I think it’s worth doing.
      “Ultimately this is about not this year, but making sure we have got a sport that is hopefully fit for purpose for another 150 years.”
      In the summer of 2026, World Athletics will introduce a new global competition that will run in the years where there are no World Championships or Olympic Games.
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      This World Cup of Athletics will be staged with countries pitted against each other in semi-final and final stages. The host city will be announced this year.
      + Listen to the whole interview which is part of the Great British Bosses series on the Anything but Footy podcast More

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      in Athletics

      Controversial British athletics icon Dwain Chambers to make shock return to competitive sprinting aged 45

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      DWAIN CHAMBERS will run in a competitive race at the age of 45, yet he should really forget all about winning!Despite his dodgy drugs past, UK Athletics are open to him working with and talking to the current generation about his chequered past and complicated history.
      Dwain Chambers is still competingCredit: PA
      He is unlikely to qualify for the World Indoor ChampionshipsCredit: PA
      In his pomp, Chambers was one of the best sprinters around, winning bronze at the 100 metres at world level in 1999 plus gold over 60 metres indoors in Doha 14 years ago.
      But infamously, he was caught up in the USA BALCO doping scandal – in 2003, he tested positive for a banned steroid, was suspended from the sport for two years and was stripped of some medals.
      Chambers probably should have retired by now and given up competition but he will be the oldest person in the field at the two-day UK Athletics Indoor Championships in Birmingham.
      UKA Olympic Head Coach Paula Dunn said: “The reality is he’s not going to qualify for the World Indoors with the standards.
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      “He enjoys his athletics. He’s qualified as right.
      “He’s doing great work down in Lee Valley with his academy. So like every other athlete, he can continue to race.
      “I don’t think he has aspirations, realistically, to go to the World Indoors (in Glasgow) but he’s running very well for somebody who’s in his mid-forties.
      “Some people enjoy keeping fit and competing. He obviously feels he has more to give.
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      “And like any athlete he feels he wants to reach his full potential at the age of 45.
      “As a sport, we’re inclusive. So, he’s welcome to do that.”
      British track sprinter Dwain Chambers races a HORSE ahead of Cheltenham
      It is ten years since he last ran in GB colours, notably finishing fourth in the 100 metres final at the European Championships in Zurich.
      That year, he also ran at the 2014 World Indoors in Sopot, Poland, but came sixth as Teesside Tornado Richard Kilty claimed the 60-metre title.
      Some will not forgive Chambers for his indiscretions and UKA policy prevents someone who has served a drugs ban from being employed as a national coach.
      Dunn would have no issue potentially bringing him into a UKA camp on a one-off basis, especially as he tried to redeem himself, teaching people about the pitfalls of cheating.
      She said: “Dwain has done lots of workshops telling youngsters about the dangers and how you have to say focused on what you are trying to achieve without taking shortcuts.
      “So for me, it’s a story of redemption. He got caught, he owned up to it and he has tried to make the best of a situation.
      “If he can educate people about the pitfalls, I think that’s a bonus.
      “Sometimes the best people to give the message is the person who has suffered through some consequences.
      “So it is not off the table but I haven’t actually thought about it. Long-term, it could be something that could be useful for the programme.
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      “As an adviser and as a speaker to athletes in the areas that he talks in at the moment then he could be useful.”
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      in Soccer

      Brighton fans say ‘love him already’ as Barco’s Argentina ‘s***housery’ to ruin Brazil’s Olympic dream goes viral

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      VALENTIN BARCO’S “s***housery” to ruin Brazil’s Olympic dream has sent social media into meltdown. The 19-year-old signed for Brighton for £7.87million in January from Boca Juniors but has been away on international duty.

      Valentin Barco was in action for Argentina against rivals BrazilCredit: https://twitter.com/SEAGULLz69/status/1757002907172450440
      Barco was shoved to the floor by livid Brazil players who crowded around the Seagulls youngsterCredit: https://twitter.com/SEAGULLz69/status/1757002907172450440
      On 93 minutes Barco’s mischief began as Brazil were awarded a free-kick with Argentina’s under-23 side 1-0 up.
      Brazil’s chances of grabbing an Olympic gold for a THIRD successive year were rapidly slipping away from them.
      But Barco was having none of it and cheekily booted the free-kick up into the gods.
      Barco was shoved to the floor by livid Brazil players who crowded around the Seagulls youngster.
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      But Brighton fans have fallen in love with the youngster
      One Seagulls supporter wrote on Twitter: “Meet our new s***house. He’s ours.”
      Another added: “Been missing a proper cheeky lil rascal, who winds up ya dad, since Neal Maupay left.”
      While another said: “Love him already.”
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      Barco’s superb cross from the left led to the only goal, on 77 minutes, as Argentina won in the final round of the CONMEBOL Olympic qualifying tournament in Venezuela.
      He whipped in a delicious left-footed, dipping and curling delivery which was headed home by Argentinos Juniors forward Luciano Gondou.
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      It is the first time since 2004 that Brazil will not feature.
      Argentina, who won gold in 2004 and 2008, finished the final qualifying event with five points.
      Barco has played predominantly on the left side as a full-back, wing-back or winger, but also across midfield.
      He made 35 first-team appearances for Boca after coming through the academy and helped them reach last year’s Copa Libertadores final.
      Barco celebrates Argentina’s big winCredit: AP More

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      in Boxing

      My dad died days after my greatest triumph, I put my Olympic gold medal in his hand in the coffin, says Oleksandr Usyk

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      OLEKSANDR USYK put his Olympic gold medal in his father’s coffin when he passed away.The heavyweight champion won gold at the London 2012 Olympics as his dad battled illness.
      Oleksandr Usyk put his Olympic gold medal in his father’s coffinCredit: X @boxingontnt
      Usyk won gold at the London 2012 OlympicsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Usyk was able to tell his father he was Olympic champion but did not see him before he passed away.
      The Ukrainian recalled: “My father was a tough man. He never told me sentimental words but, when I won the Olympics, he was already very sick.
      “I called him on the phone that evening and he told me he loved me. He said, ‘Now I’m ready to take death’. I told him, ‘This is only the beginning for us, there are professional belts,’ but a few days later my mum called at 2.30am and said, ‘That’s it, Dad’s gone’.
      “I flew to Chernihiv, where they lived, and, when I entered the room, he was lying in a wooden coffin.
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      “I took the medal and put it in his hand and said, ‘Here you go’. I know he’s up there in the skies watching me and he’s proud. I think about him every day, and I never miss a chance to tell my children that I love them.”
      Usyk has spoken about his father many times and has stated he was his biggest source of motivation.
      The 37-year-old often gets emotional when speaking about his dad and credits him for his success.
      Usyk said previously: “God rest his soul. He was the one who always motivated and forced me to train and study.
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      “Everything I have now is down to him. He put so much into me, taught me about priorities in life, which are family, sport and education.
      “He was a military man, by the way. My mum hated it when he taught me how to fight with a knife. She’d shout ‘Sasha, he’ll grow up to be a criminal, what are you doing?’
      “He’d be like ‘Get away, if he knows how to do it, he will never use it on others but when he needs to protect someone, that’s when he’ll use it.’”
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      in Athletics

      Olympic chiefs unveil medals for Paris 2024 with each award containing ‘piece of Eiffel Tower’

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      THE medal design for this year’s Olympic and Paralympic games in Paris has been unveiled, with each recipient set to pick up a unique piece of the Eiffel Tower.The medals will feature a hexagon-shaped piece of iron taken from the original Eiffel Tower in their centre, organisers have revealed.
      The medal design for this year’s Olympics and Paralympics includes a piece of the Eiffel TowerCredit: AFP
      All 5,084 medals will feature the six-edged metal medallionCredit: Getty
      The medals have been designed by ChaumetCredit: AP
      All 5,084 gold, silver and bronze medals for the Paris Games will feature the six-edged metal medallion which will be set like a gemstone under a design by elite French jewellery house Chaumet.
      Tony Estanguet, head of the local organising committee, said: “We wanted to offer to all medal-winners at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics a piece of the Eiffel Tower from 1889.
      “A combination of the most precious metals from the medals – gold, silver and bronze – with the most precious metal in our country, from this treasure that is the Eiffel Tower.”
      The design by Chaumet also features a circular arrangement of ridges intended to catch the light and evoke the sun’s rays.
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      The iron hexagon – a shape which echoes the contours of mainland France – is held in place by six spurs on each corner which are intended to resemble the rivets used on the Eiffel Tower.
      Thierry Reboul, the director of ceremonies, went on to explain: “We found out that over the years during the maintenance of the Eiffel Tower that they were obliged to remove some of the original structure.
      “We used these pieces. There were more than enough of them.”
      Paris organisers requested that the traditional medal design – which includes Greek goddess Nike flying into the historic Panathinaikos stadium in Athens on the back – be slightly altered so that they could add an Eiffel Tower to the scene.
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      All the metal used in the Paris medals, which weigh around half a kilogram, has been recycled.
      They will be manufactured by the national mint, which has strongly denied a recent report that it has struggled to find a non-toxic agent to coat each one.
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      The puddle iron used in the construction of the Eiffel Tower in particular needs protection from air and humidity to prevent it from oxidising.
      However, Joachim Roncin, head of design for the Paris Games, insisted: “We’ve not had any issue with this.”
      Chaumet is one of the more than 70 leading luxury brands owned by French conglomerate LVMH, which is a major corporate sponsor.
      Other LVMH brands including Berluti, Dior and Louis Vuitton are also set to feature at the Paris Olympics under the company’s sponsorship deal.
      The Eiffel Tower is set to have a central role during the Olympic Games which will run from July 26 to August 11 and the Paralympics from August 28 to September 8. More

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      in Soccer

      I’m a former Premier League star who played at London 2012 – I was on FIRE in sex-mad Olympic Village

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      MICAH RICHARDS has lifted the lid on life inside the London 2012 Olympic village, declaring: “I was on fire!”The former Manchester City star was one of 18 players selected by Stuart Pearce for the Team GB football squad 12 years ago.
      Micah Richards says he was ‘on fire’ at the sex-mad London 2012 Olympic GamesCredit: PA:Press Association
      Richards was part of the Team GB football side that was KO’d in the quartersCredit: Getty
      Richards revealed all about the Olympic Village, including unlimited free condomsCredit: Paul Edwards – The Sun
      Captained by Ryan Giggs, the side also featured aces including Craig Bellamy, Aaron Ramsey and Daniel Sturridge.
      However, Team GB ended up crashing out of the tournament in the quarters after losing on penalties to South Korea.
      And Richards has revealed the sex-mad lifestyle of athletes inside the Olympic village may have played some part.
      The London Games saw sportspeople from all over the world living together in close proximity.
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      As a result, some decided to partake in all there was to offer, from the free food to photos with celebrities.
      But it was a “massive room full of condoms” that really caught the attention of Richards and the athletes.
      And speaking with Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer, he admitted he “was on fire” during the tournament.
      Richards told the Rest is Football podcast: “It was the party of all parties. You got all the different athletes, all sorts of different specimens in there. 
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      Athletes lived in close proximity during the GamesCredit: PA:Press Association
      The Village also boasted free food as celebrity athletes roamed aroundCredit: Getty – Pool
      “Absolutely everything was there, we had McDonalds there, a Chinese, a big cafeteria with everything you want, it’s free.
      “It’s what I imagine when you go to uni when you’re in halls and sharing a room, I was with Daniel Sturridge.
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      “Kobe Bryant was there, people were taking pictures with him, we were standing around exploring the village. I went up to say ‘legend, is it possible to have a photo’, and he said ‘no not right now!’
      “I never felt so silly in all my life, he didn’t have a clue who Big Meeks was!
      “We were there for three nights, we went training, come back to the village, them three nights we were up to 4am.
      “You have different campuses, Team GB in one block, Brazil, France, all these countries, and there’s a massive big room full of condoms!
      “It was like what, obviously promoting safe sex, and honest to god, I was on fire.
      “I was on absolute fire, honestly. I was a little slimmer, a bit more ripped, bit more lean, it was summer time, walking around with my top off.
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      “There was multiple gold medals. one of the best times of my life, it was incredible.”
      This prompted Alan Shearer to wittily retort: “No wonder you lot got beat on penalties, you were absolutely knackered!” More