Latest news with #BBCSportsPersonalityoftheYear
Metro
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Metro
Chloe Kelly can win the BBC SPOTY award after penalty heroics
Chloe Kelly's glorious penalty which nailed England's shootout victory against Spain as they successfully defended their Women's European Championship crown has catapulted her to the top of the betting for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. The winger was already as short as 12/1 with bet365 before the Lionesses roared to victory and has been a class act throughout the tournament, picking out team-mates with precise crosses, including two off the bench in the quarter-final win against Sweden, then in the final when she teed up Alessia Russo's towering header for the equaliser in the 57th minute. Kelly, who famously scored the extra-time winner in the 2022 Wembley final against Germany, was cut to 7/2 to be named the sports personality of the year after the final whistle at the St Jakob-Park stadium in Basel and has been further backed into as short as 6/4 with Betway and 888Sport and no better than 2/1 with BoyleSports. On the face of it she looks a shoo-in but England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton will also receive loud cheers when the Lionesses hold a victory parade around London after saving two of Spain's three missed penalties as Sarina Wiegman's side won the shoot-out 3-1. Hampton made a series of superb stops in the final and was one of the heroes en route to the decider, especially against the Swedes when she again thwarted the opposition by saving penalties after extra-time, and she is 13/2 with William Hill, bet365 and Betfred to land SPOTY. Kelly and Hampton fully deserve their positions as second and third favourites respectively in the market but are their amazing achievements better than Rory McIlroy's Masters victory at Augusta in April, which means he has now won all four majors in a dazzling career? Hmmm, good question. Rory remains the 6/5 favourite with Ladbrokes, Coral and Sky Bet but what about Luke Littler, who has become only the fifth player to win darts' triple crown after adding the World Matchplay at Blackpool to his world championship and Premier League titles? He has to be in with a decent shout at 14/1 with Coral and Ladbrokes. There are other contenders waiting in the wings and if Finn Russell produces another kicking masterclass and the British & Irish Lions complete an historic whitewash against Australia in Sydney on Saturday, his long odds of 150/1 with Hills would surely shrivel while the 14/1 with Betfred and bet365 for Lando Norris to clinch the award will swiftly shrink if he wins this year's Formula One plaudits. Jack Draper's odds will also plunge to single digits from the 66/1 with Ladbrokes and Coral if he wins the US Open in September so while classy Chloe would deserve the SPOTY crown there's a lot of sport still to be played this year. Prices on the team Alexander Isak will be scoring goals for after the transfer window closes have flip-flopped over the past couple of days with Liverpool cut from 4/1 to a current 2/5 with Ladbrokes and Coral after the Sweden striker was left out Newcastle's pre-season tour while the Magpies have drifted from 1/3 to 11/4 with bet365 to retain his services. The Premier League champions are selling Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich for £63m and Darwin Nunez could also be heading for the Anfield exit for a similar fee with clubs in Italy lining up bids, which will pave the way for a blockbuster raid for Isak. More Trending Newcastle are no bigger than 1/2 with Bet Victor to replace Isak with Benjamin Sesko with Arsenal ending their interest in the RB Leipzig marksman after capturing Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting. Joseph O'Brien's Masoun has won his last two starts at the Curragh and Leopardstown and can get punters off to a winning start at Glorious Goodwood with a strong show in the opening race, the Chesterfield Cup. Back the four-year-old bay gelding each-way at 12/1 with Paddy Power, Betfair, Betfred, Bet Victor and StarSports. Dorset can land the Vintage Stakes for Aidan O'Brien at 2/1 with Coral while Noble Champion won the Jersey Stakes and Royal Ascot, handles racing well on the Sussex Downs and is worth siding with at 6/1 with Ladbrokes, Coral and William Hill in the Lennox Stakes. MORE: 'The Lionesses have transformed women's football – here's how we continue their work' MORE: Inside England Lioness Chloe Kelly's marriage to husband Scott Moore after unlikely first date MORE: England hero Chloe Kelly criticised for 'cocky gesture' during Euro 2025 final
The Irish Sun
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘How do you stay so fit?' – Bradley Wiggins pokes fun at disgraced Lance Armstrong as fans say ‘love this bromance'
BRADLEY WIGGINS poked fun at disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong as he quipped 'how do you stay so fit?' The two cycling legends linked up for an unlikely meeting at a bike event. 8 Bradley Wiggins and Lance Armstrong forged an unlikely bromance Credit: INSTAGRAM 8 Wiggins was left puzzled as Armstrong tucked into a cinnamon roll Credit: INSTAGRAM 8 Wiggins asked his pal a very cheeky question Credit: INSTAGRAM 8 Some fans were more interested in Wiggins' short shorts Credit: INSTAGRAM Wiggins, 45, and And as they continued to talk, Armstrong tucked into a packed plate of cinnamon rolls. But And he Fans were left amused as they 'loved the bromance' between the pair, although some were more concerned by Wiggins' extremely short shorts. One said: 'The breakfast of champions.' Another declared: 'Wiggo loves them short shorts.' One noted: 'The real story is those shorty shorts though.' Most read in Cycling BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS Another added: 'Two legends.' Armstrong won a record seven consecutive Tour de Frances during the peak of his career between 1999 and 2005. Inside the 'second coming' of Sir Bradley Wiggins as he makes return to cycling after 'isolating himself from the world 8 Wiggo won the Tour de France in 2012 Credit: Getty Images - Getty 8 He also scooped four gold medals for Team GB Credit: Getty 8 Lance Armstrong won a record seven in a row after beating cancer Credit: AP:Associated Press 8 He was stripped of his titles after being found guilty of using performance-enhancing substances Credit: Getty The victories were made even more remarkable by the fact he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996. However, Armstrong was stripped of his victories in 2012 after he was found guilty of using performance-enhancing drugs. The legend was banned for life from professional cycling events and reportedly lost around £70million-worth of sponsorship deals in one single day. As for Wiggins, he won the 2012 Tour de France and also picked up four gold medals for Team GB ranging from the 2004 Olympics up to Rio 2016. Wiggins was knighted in 2013 and was also crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
Daily Mirror
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
How Daniel Dubois will pull off the biggest win of a monumental sporting weekend
The 27-year-old British heavyweight needs to avenge a defeat to Oleksandr Usyk but is in the prime of his heavyweight career ahead of the Wembley showdown Approaching a monumental sporting weekend, here's an interesting exercise. Make a list of great athletes who are acknowledged for their excellence but do not get the neon attention their talent deserves. There is one currently taking part in the Tour de France. Tadej Pogacar is well on his way to becoming the greatest bike rider that has ever lived but a household name outside of the cycling bubble? No. Another at the absolute peak of his powers is Ryan Moore, who has won 18 British Classics. But if you were not into horse-racing, there would be little chance of you recognising the record-breaking jockey if he walked into the local. That is two, for starters. And another will take centre-stage on Saturday. If there was one sporting event I attended last year that generated way more comment - way more - about the loser than about the victor, it was on September 21, 2024. That was a night on which Daniel Dubois produced one of the most destructive, explosive heavyweight performances seen in a British boxing ring. Yet all the talk was about what had happened to his opponent, Anthony Joshua. To jog the memory, here is what happened. Joshua - twice a world champion - was severely beaten by a younger, more skilful, more powerful fighter, whose hands carried twice the speed and force of Joshua's. That is what happened. It was a sensational win, confirming his IBF world title and following up a brilliant stoppage of the previously unbeaten Filip Hrgovic. But acknowledgement of his feats remained low-key. Dubois did not even make the shortlist for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Presumably, it is because Dubois does not talk a great deal and when he does speak, he is fairly guarded. He has not exactly thrown himself into the build-up to Saturday's meeting with Oleksandr Usyk but this is a fight that does not need talking up. Beaten by the Ukrainian in April, 2023 - a bout which saw the British fighter knock Usyk down in the fifth only for the punch to be controversially deemed a low blow - Dubois now has the tools to upset the odds at Wembley. Pound for pound, Usyk is one of the best boxers to have ever lived, there is no doubt about that. But there will come a time when age will blunt his weapons, if only by small degrees. Usyk will turn 39 in January. At 27, Dubois has been on a learning curve, both mentally and physically. For a boxer to have his or her stomach/heart for the fight questioned must be as hurtful as it gets but that is what happened to Dubois when he took a knee in defeat to Joe Joyce. It transpired he had suffered a career-threatening - indeed sight-threatening eye injury. And some observers suggested Dubois had 'quit' in that ninth-round defeat to Usyk two years ago. But one thing is for sure - Dubois did not quit against Jarrell Miller when he won late in the tenth round of his first fight since the Usyk defeat. And he did not quit against Hrgovic and did not quit against Joshua, a fight for which he was a clear underdog. Again, Dubois does not talk about how the 'quitting' accusations hurt him but his response has been to grow more skilful and more destructive as a fighter. Illness meant Dubois had to pull out of a fight with Joseph Parker in February and ten months is a long lay-off. But the evidence of the win over Joshua suggests Usyk will be facing a fighter who has become the hardest puncher in the division. Dubois does not look for the headline and the spotlight but come late Saturday night and Sunday morning, he might not be able to avoid them. Because on a monumental sporting weekend, I fancy Dubois to pull off the most monumental victory.
Graziadaily
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Graziadaily
Mary Earps: ‘Retiring Was The Right Decision At The Right Time'
When she was a little girl, Mary Earps was aware that her love of football marked her out as different from the other children. 'While the girls at my junior school played netball or hockey, all I wanted to do was play football and I played on the boys' team, something no girl had ever done before,' Earps tells me. 'My parents and teachers were supportive. But a few of the other parents had something to say about it, like, 'Why are you letting Mary play football?' I was conscious I had to fight for something and aware I was doing something out of the ordinary.' This trailblazing continued. In the summer of 2022, Earps became one of the breakout stars of the Women's Euro victory, and again in 2023, when England reached the Women's World Cup final (they lost to Spain). Both tournaments were turning points for the women's game, and thrust it – and Earps – on to the world stage. Such was Mary-fever that when Nike initially chose not to sell an Earps replica goalkeeper T-shirt in the run-up to the 2023 World Cup (despite selling replicas of England men's goalie Jordan Pickford's shirt), a petition demanding one quickly gained more than 150,000 signatures – and a U-turn by Nike. Later that year, she was named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. But this May, in the kind of surprising move we're more used to seeing on the pitch, the 32-year-old announced her retirement from international football (she still plays club football for the French team Paris Saint- Germain) ahead of the 2025 Women's Euro, which kicked off on 2 July. 'I have taken the difficult decision to retire internationally,' she posted on Instagram on 27 May, calling the chance to play for England 'the greatest honour and privilege of my life'. She later said it was the right time 'to step aside and give the younger generation an opportunity to thrive'. 'Of course it's been an emotional time,' she tells me when we speak. 'It wasn't an easy decision to make. It's been really difficult and emotional. There was a lot of consideration, a lot of conversations and a lot of heartache. But it felt like the right decision at the right time. There were a few reasons behind my decision, and I know a lot of people don't necessarily understand it, but I think they will in time.' Right now, she says, she wants the focus to be not on her retirement, but on the upcoming Women's Euro. Some football pundits and columnists criticised the move, which they believe is the result of Lioness manager Sarina Wiegman replacing Earps in this summer's starting line-up with 24-year-old Chelsea goalie Hannah Hampton, who used to be Earps' understudy. Some pointed out her retirement means Wiegman's squad is now missing an experienced goalkeeper to mentor Hampton through the pressure of a big tournament or a (famously formidable) spare pair of hands if she's injured. Earps says the criticism she's faced has been difficult, 'including the narrative that 'Mary's made the best decision for herself .' Some people think I'm the bad guy. Social media is a hard place to be at times, but that comes with the territory of having a job that's public facing. You have to take it on the chin.' Not being a football pundit, I admire Earps for making a decision that, while undoubtedly difficult, was the right one for her – and I tell her so. After all, who hasn't left a job or relationship for reasons that feel right to us, but that others struggle to understand? When Earps made her shock announcement, fellow Lioness Jess Carter said of her, 'The bravery that she has to have stayed true to herself and made the decision to leave, I think we forget that this is such a tough job to do. Sometimes it's not just about the team, it's also about you. I really wish her all the best.' Earps says the other Lionesses have also been supportive. 'The girls have been so brilliant and so understanding. I flew in [from Paris] to see them and they were amazing and gave me the best team send-off I could have asked for. I'm now looking forward to watching them head into this really big tournament. They're a bloody great team and, I know I'm biased, but I believe they're going to win the thing.' She says it will be a different experience watching an England game from the stands 'but I will try to make it to as many of the games as possible'. She's also looking forward to focusing on her club career and having more free time, and tells me this is the first time in her career that she's had more than 12 consecutive days off. 'It's given me the opportunity to be physically and mentally rested.' The day England won the Women's Euro in 2022 remains the best day of Earps' life. The late Queen sent the team a message call- ing them 'an inspiration', Ian Wright said, 'This is the proudest I've ever felt of any England side,' while Prince William called their win 'history in the making'. 'I was on cloud nine,' Earps says, 'living a reality I could never have imagined as a schoolgirl. But while I thought winning trophies would be the best thing, what mattered more was the systemic change that took place in women's football afterwards. The Lionesses showed girls you can be whoever you want to be and that there's nothing wrong with being a strong and powerful woman. 'Just like we stood on the shoulders of the female players who came before us, the Lionesses changed the condition of women's football for the next generation. That's been my proudest achievement. As much as I want to be remembered for being a fantastic goal-keeper, the biggest compliment you could pay me is that I've left the game in a better place than I found it.' Earps grew up in West Bridgeford in Nottingham with her parents and younger brother, and signed with Doncaster at 18. She studied business at Loughborough University, graduating in 2016, and straight out of university was offered a football contract that, while not as lucrative as the men's game, was the same as a graduate salary. 'For the first time, I thought maybe I could pursue football as a profession,' she says. She played for several teams, including Manchester United and Nottingham Forest, and won her first cap for England in 2017. So, what's next? 'I want to play for as long as possible and keep going until my body says stop. I want to win more trophies, break down more boundaries and keep pushing the women's game forward. Off the pitch I want to take my clothing line, MAE27, to another level, and spend more time with friends and family. Normal stuff, I suppose.' She also wants to make goalkeeping cool. Earlier this year, in the BBC documentary Mary Earps: Queen Of Stops , she said she knew she wanted to be a goalkeeper from her very first game. 'For me, it's the hardest position on the pitch,' she says. 'It's high pressure, high criticism and it's an individual sport within a team sport. If somebody scores a goal, everybody runs off celebrating. If you make a save, it's expected. But I think goal- keeping is an art. When I chat to kids about being a goalkeeper, I say it's like being a superhero. You have to dive, be athletic and strong and put your body into all sorts of positions. If there were a film about goalkeepers, we'd be played by Superman. Or Superwoman.'
Irish Daily Mirror
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
'We're all with you' - Top athletes flood Ciara Mageean with messages of support
Top athletes from around the globe have reached out to Ciara Mageean following her recent cancer diagnosis. The European Champion broke the shocking news on Friday evening, and promised ' to face this with the same fight I've always brought to the track'. Mageean said she has already started treatment and will be focusing on her recovery. After revealing the news, she was flooded with messages of support. "Ciara, you're one of the toughest and strongest people I know!! We're all with you," said ex-athlete turned Athletics host David Gillick. "Sending you so much love and strength," said fellow Irish Olympian Sharlene Mawdsley. "We are all behind you. Sending you so much love and strength," added 400 m sprinter Sophie Becker. "Sending all our love Ciara . New fight for you now warrior woman," said Rob Heffernan. "I don't have the words worthy to send you. Just you are so loved and so so strong. And I wish I could give you the biggest hug. Thinking of you all, your family, Thomas and mostly importantly you. You've spent your entire life defying odds. Saying lots of prayers," said Olympic flag bearer Sarah Lavin. "Thinking of you at this difficult time and wishing you all the best as you face this unexpected challenge," added Sonia O'Sullivan. "Thinking of you! You got this," said Olympic Gold medal winner and BBC Sports Personality of the Year Keely Hodgkinson. Taking to social media on Friday, Mageen released a statement about her diagnosis. "To everyone who's been part of my journey so far, I have some difficult news to share: I've been diagnosed with cancer. "It's been a lot to take in, but I've already started treatment and I'm incredibly grateful to be surrounded by the love and support of my family and close friends."Right now, my focus is on healing and taking things one day at a time. I kindly ask that you respect my privacy and that of my loved ones as we move through this together. Your understanding means more than I can say."Thank you for the love and strength. I'm ready to face this with the same fight I've always brought to the track." The Portaferry native has had a stellar track career which culminated in an enthralling 1,500m European Gold last June when she raced to victory in Rome. She did suffer heartbreak when missing out on the Paris Olympics through injury but vowed to return for the Los Angeles games. Mageean holds national records in the 800m, 1000m, 1500m and the mile and has three European medals to her name, as well as a Commonwealth Games medal.
