Latest news with #LondonGames
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
NFL fans left furious as 'horrible' Ticketmaster makes shocking decision over London ticket sale 's***show'
NFL fans are furious with Ticketmaster after the rollout of tickets for the London-based league games for this season were described as 'horrible' and a 's***show' by those waiting in the online queue. Ticketmaster has had issues with scalpers swooping in to buy tickets, with only the intention of reselling them and massively marking up the price, for NFL games before, as well as problems with the release of the recent stadium tours of Taylor Swift and Beyonce. The NFL had more than 250,000 people in the queue at its highest and paused the sale of tickets for more than an hour. 'Tickets for NFL London Games are still available and your spot in the queue is secure,' a representative for Ticketmaster said in a social-media statement. 'Our tech teams spotted bad actors and we are working to keep them out so have paused the queue. As soon as this is done, we will keep fans moving through the queues. Thank you for your patience.' Yet, a few fans spotted that while the pause was happening, the number of tickets on resale websites still increased. True gridiron fans based in England and those hoping to make the journey to Wembley Stadium to see the action have taken their frustrations at the NFL out on social media. 'Getting those NFL London tickets today was not a good experience. Ticketmaster and the NFL need to do better. It's such a drama every single year to get tickets. It's just issue after issue,' one fan said. 'How do @TicketmasterUK always manage to screw up with every ticket release in the UK?' a second fan said. 'NFL London ticket queue paused for nearly an hour now and resellers still able to get through, absolute joke. Need to plan a trip to USA at this point would work out cheaper.' 'Reading all of the posts about the NFL London tickets make me appreciate not even getting involved. Went to a game a few years back but lately Ticketmaster has gotten even worse. An absolutely horrible company and horrible experience every time something remotely popular is on,' a third stated. 'Online queue for NFL London tickets on @TicketmasterCS is 'paused'... but the number of tickets on resale sites is going up... great. Nice one Ticketmaster,' a fourth continued. 'A friend of mine suggested they should just do a ballot for NFL international games like say tickets for the open in the golf. You apply and if you a lucky enough to get a code to buy a couple of tickets , you are lucky enough. The NFL London/ Ticketmaster s***show has to stop. A collection of social-media messages about the release of NFL tickets for the London games The NFL's global reach expanded well beyond Wembley Stadium this year, holding games in Dublin, Brazil, Berlin, and Madrid as well. Tickets for the game in Spain do not go on sale for more than another month, with plenty of lessons to be learned for those Commanders and Dolphins fans wanting to make the trip to Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. The London matchups for this upcoming season see the Minnesota Vikings play the Cleveland Browns, the Denver Broncos taking on the New York Jets, and the Jacksonville Jaguars continuing their London residency against the Los Angeles Rams.
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Britain's Bradley Wiggins opens up about cocaine addiction
– Former Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins said he became addicted to cocaine after his cycling career and was 'lucky to be here' after getting sober a year ago. Wiggins, who retired from the sport in 2016, became the first Briton to win the Tour de France in 2012 and collected a then-British-record eight Olympic medals, including gold in the time trial at the 2012 London Games. In an interview with the Observer published on May 13, the 45-year-old spoke about how his drug use had affected his family. 'There were times my son thought I was going to be found dead in the morning. I was a functioning addict. People wouldn't realise. I was high most of the time for many years,' Wiggins said. 'I had a really bad problem. My kids were going to put me in rehab. I was walking a tightrope. I realised I had a huge problem. 'I had to stop. I'm lucky to be here. I was a victim of all my own choices for many years.' Wiggins also revealed that former cycling champion Lance Armstrong, who was involved in a doping scandal that led to him being stripped of his record seven Tour de France titles, had been helping him, adding: 'My son speaks to Lance a lot. 'He'd ask my son, 'How's your dad?' and Ben would say, 'I've not heard from him for a couple of weeks, I know he's living in a hotel'. They wouldn't hear from me for days on end. I can talk about these things candidly now.' In December last year, Wiggins said Armstrong had offered to fund his therapy for mental health issues. Meanwhile, British cycling great Chris Hoy said on May 13 he had entered 'a bit of a stability stage' in his cancer treatment and is appreciating life 'more than ever'. The six-time Olympic champion revealed in February 2024 he was undergoing treatment, including chemotherapy, and said in October his diagnosis was terminal, with doctors telling him he had between two to four years to live. 'I'm doing well,' the 49-year-old Scot told Sky Sports News. 'It feels like I've entered a bit of a stability stage at the moment and I'm feeling good, exercising, riding a bike, busy. 'Most importantly, cancer's not the first thing I think about in the morning when I wake up and it's not the last thing I think about when I go to bed at night.' Hoy, whose wife Sarra has an aggressive form of multiple sclerosis, added: 'I think we've got into a rhythm now where it's part of our lives and we manage that and crack on. 'It feels like it's been one of the busiest periods of my life, the last few months, just doing everything: fun stuff, family stuff, work, travel. 'I feel good. I'm on constant medications, constant treatment, but it's not interfering too much with my life and the most important thing is it's working, so I'm stable at the moment, everything's good. Making hay while the sun shines.' Hoy also won 11 world championship gold medals before he retired from competitive racing in 2013. He was at the vanguard of Britain's era of domination in track cycling, winning gold medals at the Athens, Beijing and London Olympics. Until 2021, Hoy was the most successful British Olympian and the most successful Olympic cyclist of all time before being overtaken by fellow Briton Jason Kenny who claimed his seventh Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games. 'I can't believe the position I'm in now compared to 18 months ago. I never imagined I'd be able to get to this point where I'm actually living life,' said Hoy. 'And not just living life, but actually appreciating it more than ever and able to enjoy the little things. It's not just about doing bucket-list stuff and doing massive things, it's about appreciating the daily, mundane fun of life.' REUTERS, AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
GMA Network
7 days ago
- Sport
- GMA Network
Hidilyn Diaz says inclusion of weightlifting in Palaro a huge step for sport
LAOAG CITY — When Hidilyn Diaz lifted the Philippines' first-ever Olympic gold medal in 2021, one question followed: 'What's next?' It wasn't just for her alone, but for the weightlifting community as a whole. Four years since her historic breakthrough in Tokyo, the Filipina weightlifter is now seeing the sport grow as seen in its inaugural inclusion in the 2025 Palarong Pambansa currently held in Ilocos Norte. Although the sport remains a demonstration event, Diaz is still beaming with joy in seeing weightlifting making its much awaited debut in the premier national event for student-athletes in the grassroots level. "Dream come true [ito] kasi nga for how many years pinapangarap ko 'to, and hindi lang ako [pero] lahat ng nasa weightlifting community, na ma-include itong weightlifting," Diaz told several members of media on Sunday at the Laoag Central Elementary School. "Para sa akin kasi, I won the silver, I won the gold in the Olympics, pero ayun nga... what's next? It's good that I won the gold pero paano ko siya dadalhin sa next generation." Diaz knew what it's like to start from the ground up despite lacking the local platform to compete at such as the Palarong Pambansa. But even then, she persevered and slowly made her name starting with a maiden Olympic appearance in 2008 in Beijing, then in the 2012 London Games. Her first Olympic medal came in 2016 in Brazil before capturing the gold medal in Tokyo five years later. Diaz hopes the next generation of weightlifters will gain the proper exposure right from the local levels, adding that the Palarong Pambansa will help nurture the athletes early on. "Para sa akin, napakaimportante kasi 'yung mga bata na may nilu-look forward na sila kasi ang Palarong Pambansa, hindi lang siya national eh, may district pa, may provincial, may regional," Diaz added. "Kung pupunta ka sa each region, mas marami pang talented athletes na meron diyan and makikita natin na ang Palarong Pambansa ay giving them the opportunity to excel sa weightlifting." In the ongoing Palarong Pambansa, 70 athletes across nine regions will participate in the weightlifting demonstration event that will feature five weight categories each for the boys and girls' divisions. The inclusion marks a significant step in Diaz's bid to make weightlifting a regular sport in the Palaro, though she emphasized that it must still go through the proper process and meet established criteria before it can be officially added. "Yes may mga criteria, may proseso. Pero ang sabi is kailangan maging popular ang sports, kailangan maraming participants, at 'yung mga regionals ay interested to make it a regular sports. Hoping na sana next year [mangyari]." —JKC, GMA Integrated News
The Journal
20-05-2025
- Sport
- The Journal
Former Swim Ireland performance director accused of 'toxic' practices during UK role
FORMER SWIM IRELAND national performance director Jon Rudd has been accused of 'bullying, a toxic training environment and controlling food culture' by 12 swimmers during a previous role he held in England. The allegations against Rudd were detailed in a BBC Panorama programme on Monday night. Rudd spent eight years with Swim Ireland but left his role last week to join the Saudi Olympic & Paralympic Committee as performance director. The Panorama investigation focuses on Rudd's time with Plymouth Leander, where he was head coach between 1989 and 2017. Lithuanian Rūta Meilutyte, who at the age of 15 became the youngest person to win the Olympic 100m breaststroke at the 2012 London Games, told Panorama that Rudd's training environment 'made me for a while and then it broke me'. Meilutyte said she once told Rudd she would make herself sick after meals, and he replied: 'Well, at least you get the calories out.' Panorama's investigation also revealed 17 witnesses gave evidence as part of a 2012 investigation which determined Rudd should be suspended, but Swim England did not take any action. Advertisement Swim Ireland say they were made aware of the 2012 investigation in 2023, but state there was 'no suggestion or indication of welfare issues' during his eight years at Swim Ireland. A Swim Ireland statement read: 'In September 2023, Swim England advised Swim Ireland of an independent review of a 2012 report concerning Plymouth Leander Swimming Club where Jon Rudd was Head Coach. 'Upon Swim Ireland requesting further details, Swim England issued the following correspondence: 'that specific case was more for information and records only, rather than any need for specific action on your [Swim Ireland's] end.' And further; 'case files don't get shared unless there is specific/threat which justifies it.' Swim Ireland never received the independent review or the original report from Swim England and have heard nothing further from them on the matter. 'Despite Swim England indicating that no action was required by Swim Ireland, Swim Ireland conducted its own internal assessment led by our Head of Safeguarding. Jon fully cooperated with this process. There has been no suggestion or indication of welfare issues during Jon's tenure with Swim Ireland. Furthermore, towards the end of 2022, a thorough independent Sport Ireland Culture Review was completed with our Performance Department that involved staff, coaches and included meetings with athletes. This Culture Review raised no concerns. 'Jon resigned his role with Swim Ireland to take up a position of Performance Director at Saudi Olympic & Paralympic Committee. 'The welfare and support of swimmers is a primary focus for Swim Ireland. The 'Here to Listen' section of our website details who to speak to and supports available to anyone with a concern relating to welfare of any swimmer.' Written by Ciarán Kennedy and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won't find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women's sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here .
The 42
19-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Former Swim Ireland performance director accused of 'toxic' practices
FORMER SWIM IRELAND national performance director Jon Rudd has been accused of 'bullying, a toxic training environment and controlling food culture' by 12 swimmers during a previous role he held in England. The allegations against Rudd were detailed in a BBC Panorama programme on Monday night. Rudd spent eight years with Swim Ireland but left his role last week to join the Saudi Olympic & Paralympic Committee as performance director. Advertisement The Panorama investigation focuses on Rudd's time with Plymouth Leander, where he was head coach between 1989 and 2017. Lithuanian Rūta Meilutyte, who at the age of 15 became the youngest person to win the Olympic 100m breaststroke at the 2012 London Games, told Panorama that Rudd's training environment 'made me for a while and then it broke me'. Meilutyte said she once told Rudd she would make herself sick after meals, and he replied: 'Well, at least you get the calories out.' Panorama's investigation also revealed 17 witnesses gave evidence as part of a 2012 investigation which determined Rudd should be suspended, but Swim England did not take any action. Swim Ireland say they were made aware of the 2012 investigation in 2023, but state there was 'no suggestion or indication of welfare issues' during his eight years at Swim Ireland. A Swim Ireland statement read: 'In September 2023, Swim England advised Swim Ireland of an independent review of a 2012 report concerning Plymouth Leander Swimming Club where Jon Rudd was Head Coach. 'Upon Swim Ireland requesting further details, Swim England issued the following correspondence: 'that specific case was more for information and records only, rather than any need for specific action on your [Swim Ireland's] end.' And further; 'case files don't get shared unless there is specific/threat which justifies it.' Swim Ireland never received the independent review or the original report from Swim England and have heard nothing further from them on the matter. 'Despite Swim England indicating that no action was required by Swim Ireland, Swim Ireland conducted its own internal assessment led by our Head of Safeguarding. Jon fully cooperated with this process. There has been no suggestion or indication of welfare issues during Jon's tenure with Swim Ireland. Furthermore, towards the end of 2022, a thorough independent Sport Ireland Culture Review was completed with our Performance Department that involved staff, coaches and included meetings with athletes. This Culture Review raised no concerns. 'Jon resigned his role with Swim Ireland to take up a position of Performance Director at Saudi Olympic & Paralympic Committee. 'The welfare and support of swimmers is a primary focus for Swim Ireland. The 'Here to Listen' section of our website details who to speak to and supports available to anyone with a concern relating to welfare of any swimmer.'
