Australia's Gout on track for World Championships debut at 17
Peter Bol, who ran fourth in the 800 at the Tokyo Olympics, will return to the Japanese capital in good form after taking the national record (1:43.79) at the Perth championships.
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Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Team GB sprint star admits European hat-trick bid is mission 'to redeem myself'
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Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Man Utd star banned for 30 years and six other staggering sports suspensions
A number of the world's leading athletes throughout history have found themselves suspended from their respective sports - including a Manchester United player who was initially banned for life A Manchester United star was once banned for life for match fixing. After plying his trade with Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest, Enoch West made his way to the Red Devils in 1910. A prolific centre-forward, he racked up 72 goals in 166 appearances for United - but his heroic stint was marred with controversy after just five years. That's because in 1915, West and four of his team-mates, as well as three Liverpool players, were banned for life after being convicted of match-fixing. As many of those who received suspensions went off to fight for their country during the First World War, they saw them rescinded upon returning. However, West refused to adhere to the stipulation, and as a result, his ban stayed in place for 30 years before it was eventually lifted in 1945. The longest suspension in Football Association history, West never played professionally ever again, given he was 59 when his ban expired. And he is just one of a number of athletes who have been banned for one reason or another throughout their respective careers... Lou Vincent Lou Vincent was handed a lifetime ban from playing cricket at any level, as well as entering any cricket ground or working in a professional coaching capacity in July 2014, after admitting to match-fixing offences. The New Zealand batter released an open letter which saw him admit to his "dark secret" which "shamed" not only himself, but also his country and the sport. After his suspension commenced, Vincent became a builder in Raglan. However, following a successful appeal in December 2023, his lifetime ban from domestic cricket was lifted, which allowed him to return to play and coach outside of the international game. Lance Armstrong One of the most famous cases of doping in sporting history, Lance Armstrong was handed a lifetime ban by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in 2012. As a result, the American - who won the Tour de France seven years in a row between 1999 and 2005 after recovering from testicular cancer - saw all of his major accomplishments on the roads and tracks of the world scrubbed from history. Ben Johnson While Ben Johnson's rise to superstardom was unprecedented to say the least - breaking the 100-metre and 60-metre world records and winning a gold medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul - his downfall was equally as shocking. The Canadian sprinter tested positive for Stanozolol after the Olympics, while he admitted to having used steroids in the past. As a result, Johnson was later banned for two years and stripped of his Olympic medal for doping offences. Despite a brief comeback in 1991, he was once again found guilty of doping just two years later, and was banned for life by World Athletics. Hansie Cronje One of the country's most idolised stars, South African Test Cricket captain Hansie Cronje was handed a lifetime ban from the sport in 2000. Cronje, alongside Herschelle Gibbs, Nicky Boje and Pieter Strydom, was caught up in allegations of match-fixing, with the King Commission banning him from any involvement in cricket for life as a result. Despite challenging his ban the following year, his application was dismissed and he remained forbidden from competing in the sport. Liang Wenbo & Li Hang Liang Wenbo and Li Hang were among the snooker stars caught out in a widespread match-fixing ring in China, which rocked the sport in 2023. While eight others were suspended during the investigation, including 2025 World Snooker Champion Zhao Xintong, Liang and Li were deemed to have fixed matches, to have persuaded and encouraged others to fix matches, and to have bet on matches themselves. As a result, they each received lifetime bans. Zhao, meanwhile, was given a ban of one year and eight months, reduced from two-and-a-half years for early admissions of wrongdoing and his guilty plea. While the 28-year-old never rigged matches himself, he did accept charges of being a party to another player fixing two matches and betting on games himself.
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Ryan Lochte breaks silence on divorce from Playboy wife Kayla with emotional message
US Olympic icon Ryan Lochte has spoken out on Instagram over the influx of support he has received after it emerged he is getting divorced from his wife, Kayla Reid. The couple announced the news on Wednesday and speaking on social media, the 12-time Olympic medalist said it was 'rough' going public with the split. 'I just want to say thank you to everyone that wrote a message, reached out to me — just open arms,' he said in an Instagram video. 'It means a lot to me. Yesterday was a rough day for me, but, like always in life, you've got to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward, so, that's what I'm doing.' The 40-year-old Lochte said he had been sent gifts by his 'second family', such as candy and a card. 'Thank you guys, I love you guys,' he added. The couple have three kids together. Kayla announced the split on June 4, saying: 'I hold marriage in the highest regard, so this has been one of the most painful, revealing, and challenging seasons of my life. 'I've been hesitant to share until I could do so from a place of healing - not from fresh, open wounds.' 'Sometimes we face trials we didn't choose or see coming. And in those moments, we're forced to make the hardest decisions to protect our peace, our children, and our future. 'I've come to the understanding that staying isn't always the most loving decision someone can make. For me, leaving was an act of love - for those around me and for myself.' The couple shares son Caiden, 7, daughter Liv, 5 and nearly two-year-old daughter Georgia. According to court records cited by People, Kayla filed for divorce on March 26. Lochte shared a statement himself, saying: 'I want to take a moment to acknowledge what Kayla shared. This past year has brought major changes for both of us as we've come to the difficult decision to end our marriage. 'I'm deeply grateful for the life we've built together and especially for the love we share for our three children. 'Although this decision hasn't been easy, I believe it's the right step toward peace and well-being for us both. I remain committed to healing, growth, and co-parenting with care and respect as we move forward separately.' The couple met in 2016 before getting engaged that same year in the fall. Lochte was also thrust into controversy during the 2016 Rio Games, after he claimed that he and three teammates were robbed at gunpoint after a night out. It was later revealed that the armed men were actually security guards and several details of Lochte's story proved to be fabricated. He was ultimately charged with submitting a false report to police, but charges were later dismissed after he apologized.
