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Guy Learmonth set for Scottish Indoors

Published in Athletics
Friday, 24 January 2020 07:45

A number of GB internationals are among the entries for the senior and under-17 championships in Glasgow

British Championships medallist Guy Learmonth is among the GB internationals set to compete at the 4J Studios Scottish National Indoor Senior and U17 Championships in Glasgow on Sunday (January 26).

There could also be an exciting head-to-head in the women’s high jump, with GB duo Nikki Manson and Emma Nuttall both entered and having made good starts to their indoor seasons.

Just over 600 athletes are entered in the two age categories and Stephen Maguire, head of performance and coaching with Scottish Athletics, anticipates an exciting day.

“We’re at the start of a year which features the Olympics and the European Championships in Paris and there will be a number of Scots competing on Sunday who believe they can make GB and NI vests for those big summer events,” he said.

“But there’s also the SPAR British Champs coming up back at the Emirates in Glasgow on February 22/23 – so this is an opportunity to show form in the preparation for that weekend.

“And, of course, in both the seniors and the under-17s, we’ve Scottish National championship medals up for grabs which should always be important for our athletes, at whatever stage of their development.

“So I anticipate keen competition – the men’s long jump last year was terrific for example and we might see that repeated given those on the startlists. And the women’s high jump could be very competitive with Nikki Manson, Emma Nuttall, Emily Borthwick and Somer Lecky on the startlists.”

GB international Alisha Rees races in the women’s 60m as she looks to start 2020 in good form.

The men’s 400m field looks highly competitive with GB international Grant Plenderleith, GB U20 international Billy Doyle and Scotland international Kyle Alexander under threat for podium places from two English athletes as well as top seed, Joseph Brier of Swansea (46.66).

In the women’s 400m, expect to see the likes of Stacey Downie, Kelsey Stewart and Megan Davies firmly in contention for medals.

Learmonth has entered both the 400m and the 800m and it remains to be seen which start line is in his plans.

Both 1500m fields look likely to deliver competitive finals. Stephen Mackay leads the men’s seedings from Michael Ferguson, while the women’s field has a top five of Erin Wallace, Kerry Macangus, Jenny Selman, Eloise Walker and Sarah Calvert.

The men’s long jump delivered some great action last year when Alessandro Schenini and Stephen Mackenzie went head-to-head – Schenini winning with 7.52m to Mackenzie’s 7.51m. This year, they are joined by Che Richards and in fact there are nine men on the startlist with PBs over 7.40m.

In the women’s long jump and triple jump, Scots in contention could include Sarah Warnock, Ellie O’Hara, Nony Mordi and Carolyn Harvey.

The event takes place at the Emirates Arena, with the action set to be shown on BBC Sport Scotland from 3.30pm as well as all-day online coverage via Vinco Sport.

World Athletics Indoor Tour begins in Boston

Published in Athletics
Friday, 24 January 2020 10:37

Saturday’s New Balance Indoor Grand Prix is the first stop in the 2020 series

This year’s World Athletics Indoor Tour begins in Boston on Saturday (January 25) as the Reggie Lewis Center welcomes athletes for the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.

USA’s Sydney McLaughlin, Nia Ali and Donavan Brazier are among those competing, along with the likes of Britain’s Jake Wightman, Chris O’Hare and Tiffany Porter, who continues her comeback following the birth of her daughter, Chidera, in July.

World champion Ali and British record-holder Porter both race in the 60m hurdles, where they will be joined by Jasmin Stowers, Isabelle Pedersen and Lolo Jones.

After almost two years away from racing, Porter returned to action in Michigan on January 11 with times of 8.32 and 8.37 in the 60m hurdles and 7.75 in the 60m.

Brazier won the world 800m title in Doha and also broke the world indoor 600m best last year, clocking 1:13.77, and it’s the three-lap event he will contest in Boston.

The rarely-raced 500m is the event in which McLaughlin will line up, and the world 400m hurdles silver medallist faces the likes of Lisanne de Witte.

Wightman, who finished fifth in the world 1500m last year and claimed European and Commonwealth bronze medals at that distance in 2018, takes on the 1000m against the likes of NCAA champion Bryce Hoppel and world indoor medallist Saúl Ordóñez.

The 3000m features world indoor medallist Bethwell Birgen and 2017 European indoor champion Adel Mechaal plus Britain’s Jonny Davies, Adam Craig and steeplechaser Jamaine Coleman.

Another steeplechaser in action is 2017 world champion Emma Coburn as she races the 2-mile event.

The Tommy Leonard Memorial Men’s Mile will be contested by Britain’s Chris O’Hare and USA’s Olympic 800m medallist Clayton Murphy, while Britain’s 400m specialist Amy Allcock goes in the 300m against the likes of 2015 world 400m hurdles medallist Shamier Little.

World 5000m bronze medallist Konstanze Klosterhalfen drops down to race the 1500m after winning the 5000m at this meet last year and she’ll line up alongside Britain’s Sarah McDonald and Ireland’s Ciara Mageean.

USA’s Trayvon Bromell won the world indoor 60m title in 2016 but hasn’t raced indoors since that season, having been hit with injury. He returns in Boston where he goes up against multiple world medallist Asafa Powell and Britain’s Harry Aikines-Aryeetey.

The action kicks off with the women’s high jump at 5pm local time (10pm UK time), while the women’s 500m is the final event at 7.55pm.

The full schedule and entry lists can be found here.

More information on the seven-meeting 2020 World Athletics Indoor Tour, including dates, disciplines and scoring details, can be found here.

The fifth edition of the tour features 11 point-scoring disciplines, including the men’s 60m, 800m, 3000m/5000m, pole vault, triple jump and shot put and the women’s 400m, 1500m, 60m hurdles, high jump and long jump. The scoring disciplines rotate each year.

As well as prize bonuses, wildcard entries for the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing are up for grabs.

Six-time champion Roger Federer survived a huge scare to beat unseeded Australian John Millman 10-8 in a final-set tie-break and reach the Australian Open fourth round.

The Swiss world number three won 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 4-6 7-6 (10-8) in an epic that lasted four hours three minutes.

Federer, 38, trailed 8-4 in the deciding tie-break - but won six points in a row to progress.

He will face Hungary's Marton Fucsovics in the fourth round.

Federer looked emotionally and physically drained after a contest which he eventually clinched at 00:50 local time in Melbourne.

Even his wife Mirka, who has witnessed plenty of emotional rollercoasters during her husband's illustrious career, could barely watch as high-pressure moments came and went in a pulsating encounter.

Like the 15,000 people watching on Rod Laver Arena, and millions around the world, her face became contorted with strain as the match looked to be slipping out of Federer's grasp.

The 20-time Grand Slam winner stared at defeat when he trailed 8-4 in the first-to-10 super tie-break which decides matches at the Australian Open.

But he dug in to seal an extraordinary win to cap a remarkable day five at the opening major of the year.

The win keeps alive Federer's hopes of extending is record total of 20 major titles - with Rafael Nadal chasing on 19 and Novak Djokovic close behind both of them on 16.

Millman pushes Federer to the limit... again

Millman earned the best win of his career when he beat the flustered Federer in the 2018 US Open fourth round, in a match that will live long in the memory.

This match surpassed even that in terms of intensity and drama.

Millman pushed Federer to the limit on that humid night in New York and managed to do the same in Melbourne, in much cooler temperatures which did not sap the 38-year-old of his physical strength this time.

Federer could never put clear daylight between himself and an opponent who refused to back down - with Millman winning the first set and losing the next two before recovering to take the fourth.

"He's just so tough from the baseline," Federer said.

"He's got good speed on the backhand and on the forehand. The way he hits makes me unsure if I should pull the trigger or I shouldn't.

"I was not returning poorly. I was just not getting into those neutral rallies, finding the ways to unlock him. That's his credit. He's a great player."

The Rod Laver Arena crowd usually gets fully behind Federer - but not this time, with the 15,000 fans in the stands split between the Swiss great and the Australian number three.

That division will unite almost wholly back in favour of Federer when he faces Hungary's world number 67 Fucsovics on Sunday, where his biggest problem might be how he quickly recovers - mentally and physically - from this bruising battle.

'If you understand tennis you will know' - Millman not beating himself up about loss

Millman, a charismatic 30-year-old from Queensland, always seems to enjoy his moments in the spotlight, unsurprising after a long route to the big time following serious shoulder and groin injuries which left him close to quitting.

The Australian thrives against Federer, who was powerless to stop some unnerving winners - typified by two crackerjacks in the match tie-break - and could not cope with his second serve.

But only a second victory against a top-10 player in 16 attempts - the other also against Federer - was snatched from his grasp.

"What a match. John deserves half of this. He made it so difficult for me," said Federer.

"He deserves all the support, he is a great story and a great fighter."

Millman looked emotionally drained as he spoke to the media less than half an hour after the match ended, disappointed with the manner of his defeat but content he had "left it all out there".

"Roger made it tough, that's what all the best players do," he said.

"If you're engaged in 10, 20-ball exchanges, you ticked a few boxes. It is not as if it was double faults or first ball errors.

"I will cop it about that [letting the 8-4 lead slip] but if you understand tennis, you will know there was not a whole lot wrong. But it still hurts. I'd rather lose 10-5 or something."

New heights for Slovenia, the no.11 seeds in Gondomar; the booking made by overcoming another outfit that is climbing the echelons of the sport. They beat India, the no.5 seeds, the nation that in 2018 made major breakthroughs, winning gold at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and then later at the Asian Games in Jakarta.

Fielding the same trio that gained success in Luxembourg, the backbone of the victory was Darko Jorgic, a young man who has made most substantial progress since the watershed success in small European nation. At the time in September 2017, he stood at no.164 on the men’s world rankings, now his name appears at no.40 in the global order.

He beat both Sathiyan Gnanasekaran (11-9, 11-7, 11-5) and Sharath Kamal Achanta (10-12, 11-7, 12-10, 11-8), after Slovenia had changed the doubles partnership from the previous encounter against Iran.

Doubles dilemma

In the opening round, Deni Kozul had partnered Darko Jorgic; they beat Nima Alamian and Hamidreza Taherkhani (10-12, 11-4, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8).

Facing India, Deni Kozul joined forces with Darko Jorgic, the pair having been together at the Liebherr 2019 World Championships and on the ITTF World Tour in Hungary and Hong Kong; the best a quarter-final finish in Hungary. The decision did not bear fruit, the Slovenian duo experienced a straight games defeat at the hands of Sharath Kamal Achanta and Harmeet Desai (11-9, 11-7, 11-5).

A change to the order but the decision was somewhat forced upon Slovenia; Bojan Tokic, one of the most positive characters you could ever wish to meet, had not been well.

“I have had 38 degrees fever since yesterday, so yes we changed our draw. I was not able to play two singles. It was not a tactical decision, it was a sign from up above that Darko should play the two singles and he played really well. It was not easy to play under the fever, my co-ordination and speed was not working well, so I needed a little more time but in the end it was perfect.” Darko Jorgic

Not fully fit but great credit to Bojan Tokic; matters level, in the third match of the fixed , he fought for the cause, he beat Harmeet Desai, the player who last year had won the men’s singles title at the Commonwealth Championships. He won in five games (5-11, 12-10, 6-11, 11-5, 11-6) to set the scene for Darko Jorgic. The 21 year old duly obliged.

Disappointment for India, who like Slovenia have never appeared in an Olympic Games team event, endured a heart breaking day which had started with high hopes.

Earlier in the women’s event, the no.17 seeds, the trio comprising Manika Batra, Ayhika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee had experienced a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the no.5 seeds, Romania’s Daniela Monteiro-Dodean, Elizabeta Samara and Bernadette Szocs.

In both the men’s team and women’s team events India now plays for the no.9 spot, the one remaining place.

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Exeter fly-half Joe Simmonds has been banned for three weeks for a dangerous tackle in his side's 33-14 Champions Cup win over La Rochelle.

Simmonds was cited for a 16th-minute tackle on La Rochelle winger Kini Murimurivalu which went unpunished.

A disciplinary panel found Simmonds made contact with Murimurivalu's head in a dangerous manner that had warranted a red card.

Simmonds will not be able to play again until Monday 17 February.

He will miss Saturday's game with Sale as well as the Premiership Cup game with Harlequins and the league trip to Gloucester.

Judicial officer Tommy Dalton decided that Simmonds' offence was of mid-range level meaning a starting point of a six-week ban.

But Simmonds' previously clean disciplinary record, guilty plea and expression of remorse afforded him a maximum 50% reduction in his ban.

Wing Owen Lane has been released from Wales' Six Nations squad following a "significant hamstring injury" sustained in training.

The Cardiff Blues player, 21, has won two caps and scored a try on his debut against Ireland in August 2019.

Wales have not yet called up a replacement for Lane.

A Welsh Rugby Union statement read: "Further assessments will be concluded early next week to establish an accurate prognosis."

Wales begin the defence of their Six Nations title at home to Italy on Saturday, 1 February.

Head coach Wayne Pivac has an abundance of options on the wing, with 2019 World Cup top try scorer Josh Adams, George North, Leigh Halfpenny and uncapped duo Louis Rees-Zammit and Johnny McNicholl among those who could play there.

North, Adams and Lane have also been tipped to plug the midfield gap created by Jonathan Davies being out injured.

Pivac has said North is an "exciting" option for that role.

For the latest Welsh rugby union news follow @BBCScrumV on Twitter.

Jacques Nienaber has been confirmed as South Africa's head coach as World Cup-winning boss Rassie Erasmus returns to the role of director of rugby.

South African Rugby has confirmed Nienebar, previously assistant coach, is to take daily responsibility from Erasmus, who will focus on strategy.

The Springboks play Scotland and Georgia in July, before welcoming the British and Irish Lions in 2021.

South Africa beat England 32-12 in the World Cup final in November.

"The coaching team has undergone a refresh but there is a strong theme of continuity and succession planning," said South African Rugby chief executive Jurie Roux.

"Rassie will remain the director of Springbok affairs but this is a deserved opportunity for Jacques to come out of the shadows."

Deon Davids has become forwards coach - replacing Matt Proudfoot, who has taken that role with England - and Daan Human joins as a scrum consultant.

Winger Darcy Graham will miss Scotland's Six Nations opener against Ireland next Saturday due to a knee injury.

And the Edinburgh back could also miss the match with England, with Scottish Rugby saying ligament damage will keep him out of the "opening rounds".

Meanwhile, Worcester Warriors fly-half Duncan Weir has been added to the squad in place of Finn Russell.

Russell was disciplined for a "breach of team protocol".

The incident related to alcohol consumption and a missed training session, so the 27-year-old Racing 92 fly-half told he would not be considered for the trip to Dublin.

Weir earned the most recent of his 27 caps in the 2017 Six Nations and will now join the squad as they prepare to fly out to Spain for a training camp.

He is the only addition to the 34-man group, with Edinburgh prop Jamie Bhatti, Glasgow Warriors back-row Tom Gordon and Sale Sharks wing Byron McGuigan joining Russell as players from the wider squad not to travel.

Diversified Motorsports Adds Backing From Teletrac

Published in Racing
Friday, 24 January 2020 07:09

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Officials from Diversified Motorsports Enterprises have announced that Teletrac Navman, a leading software-as-a-service provider, has joined the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series team for a minimum of six races.

Teletrac Navman will make its debut on the team’s No. 97 truck during the season-opening NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona Int’l Speedway on Feb. 14. Veteran driver Jesse Little will drive the No. 97 Teletrac Navman truck in the 100-lap Truck Series race.

With specialized solutions that deliver greater visibility into real-time insights and analytics, Teletrac Navman helps companies make better business decisions that enhance productivity and profitability.

Its fleet and asset management technology uncovers information that would otherwise go unseen, helping customers reduce risk and confidently move their business forward with certainty. It tracks and manages more than 500,000 vehicles and assets for more than 40,000 companies around the world.

The company is headquartered in Garden Grove, Calif., with additional offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico.

“This is so humbling for our race team,” said team owner Logan Puckett. “I am a new owner in the Truck Series but to immediately be able to connect the dots and establish a business-to-business partner that is not only joining our team for one race but for a minimum of six races is a huge blessing in our mission to put a competitive product on the track and develop a maximizing experience.

“I can’t wait for Daytona.”

In addition to Daytona, Teletrac Navman will also serve as the primary partner for DME at Dover (Del.) Int’l Speedway, Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Chicagoland (Ill.) Speedway, Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway (September) and the season-finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway on Nov. 6.

“We are thrilled for the opportunity to partner with Diversified Motorsport Enterprises and the No. 97 race team,” said Jens Meggers, president Teletrac Navman. “NASCAR is associated with brands that are influential in their space and we are honored to be among those brands during the 2020 season.

“Working together with Logan (Puckett) and the DME team will make for an exciting year in both of our first seasons. We are eager to take advantage of the exposure this partnership will surely bring.”

Speedy Cash Back With Front Row & Nemechek

Published in Racing
Friday, 24 January 2020 07:14

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Speedy Cash is expanding its sponsorship pact with Front Row Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Speedy Cash, an omni-channel financial services provider specializing in short-term loans, will lead a multifaceted program with Front Row Motorsports. The signature asset of the partnership will include primary sponsorship rookie John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 38 Ford Mustang team at multiple races, including Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.

In addition, Speedy Cash will serve as an associate sponsor throughout the year for both Nemechek and Michael McDowell and the No. 34 Ford Mustang team. The brand will utilize the drivers in ads, social media and more.

Speedy Cash made its debut with Front Row Motorsports during Nemechek’s NASCAR Cup Series debut last year.

“As an organization, we pride ourselves on prioritizing our customers with mutual appreciation and respect,” said Don Gayhardt, CEO, CURO Financial Technologies. “We received nothing but positive feedback during last year’s program with Front Row Motorsports and John Hunter. We were very impressed with the team and Nemechek’s performance on track and his personality off-track. It was natural for us to step up and increase our partnership for the new season. We’re excited to support Front Row Motorsports and can’t wait to see what this year brings.”

“As a driver, partnerships like this one with Speedy Cash are so important to our entire team,” said Nemechek. “It’s always great to see partners expanding their involvement in the sport. For me, Speedy Cash is pretty cool. If you need cash, there are so many easy ways you can get it using their services. I enjoyed getting to know them in the last few races of the 2019 season and we’re going to work hard to make them proud in 2020.”

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