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MIDLAND, Mich. — Morgan Pressel and Paula Creamer shot a best-ball 6-under 64 on Thursday for a share of the second-round lead in the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, the LPGA Tour's first-year team event.

Stephanie Meadowand Giulia Molinaro had a 61, and Frenchwomen Celine Boutier and Karine Icher shot 62 to match Pressel and Creamer at 10-under 130 at Midland Country Club. The teams will play alternate shot Friday and close Saturday with a best-ball round.

''You have two balls in play, you can play much more aggressively,'' Pressel said. ''I know I certainly could play aggressively knowing my partner had my back the whole way around.''

Trying to get into the U.S. Solheim Cup mix, Pressel and Creamer birdied six of the last eight holes on their opening nine - the course's back nine - then parred the last nine.

''Morgan played awesome on the back nine, which was our front nine,'' Creamer said. ''I couldn't really get anything going on this side. But we've got two more days left so we're not in bad position by any means. It wasn't our 'A'-game today, but still very pleased with where we're sitting.''

Meadow, from Northern Ireland, and Molinaro, from Italy, had eight birdies in a 10-hole stretch, making five straight on Nos. 5-9.

''We talked about it and said, 'We've just got to time it right,'' Meadow said. ''There's something about when your partner's in a little bit of trouble we kind of pick up the pace and try to make birdie and kind of have their back. I think that's what we did really well today.''

Boutier and Icher birdied four of the five and closed with three straight birdies.

''Our games complement each other really well,'' Boutier said. ''When I was struggling a bit, she was there to save the team, and the opposite, so it was pretty good.''

Canadians Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp, the first-round leaders after a 65 in alternate-shot play, had a 66 to fall a stroke back with Kim Kaufman-Kris Tamulis (62), Tiffany Chan-Peiyun Chien (62), Pajaree Anannarukarn-Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras (63), Mirim Lee-Amy Yang (64) and Cydney Clanton-Jasmine Suwannapura (64).

''Would have liked to make a few more birdies,'' Henderson said. ''I feel like it's very unusual that we have a better score alternate shot than in best ball.''

The French duo of Celine Herbin and Joanna Klatten had a 60, the best round of the day, to get to 7 under.

Cristie Kerr and Lexi Thompson were 5 under after a 64. Sisters Jessica and Nelly Korda (67) and Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn (65) also were 5 under.

Poston (62) takes one-shot lead at Barbasol Championship

Published in Golf
Thursday, 18 July 2019 12:19

NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. — J.T. Poston shot a 10-under 62 on Thursday to take the first-round lead in the PGA Tour's Barbasol Championship.

Poston birdied six of the first eight holes at rain-softened Keene Trace, bogeyed the par-3 ninth and added five more birdies on the back nine for his lowest score on the PGA Tour.

''It was one of those days everything clicked,'' Poston said. ''Hit it good, hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens. I was hitting it so good I didn't really have that many lengthy birdie putts that I made until the last hole.''

Winless on the tour, the 26-year-old former Western Carolina player closed with a 27-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th.

''The greens had been a little on the firmer side at the start of the week, firmer than I think most guys would expect,'' Poston said. ''But a lot of rain last night and so they're soft, and they're really good greens and you can make a lot of putts. They're rolling really well. You hit the fairway and you get a lot of wedges in your hand and guys are going to make a lot of birdies.''

Nick Taylor was a stroke back. The Canadian had an eagle and seven birdies in a bogey-free round.

''I hit every green, I didn't miss a fairway, so it was very solid tee to green and putts were going in,'' Taylor said. ''Everything was kind of clicking today. With the soft conditions, it was different than the practice rounds. I thought it would be a little bit more difficult, and then that rain came in last night and definitely softened things up. ''

Wes Roach opened with a 64.

''I played solid, hit a lot of fairways, gave myself some good opportunities with some wedges and short irons, and was able to hit some quality shots, and putted nice,'' Roach said.

Bill Haas was at 65 with Roberto Castro, Jim Herman, Kelly Kraft, Josh Teater, Kramer Hickok, D.J. Trahan and Sebastian Munoz.

John Daly shot a 71, following a triple bogey on the par-4 fourth with an eagle on the par-5 fifth. Fighting osteoarthritis in his right knee, Daly was denied a cart by the R&A for the British Open, but has been approved for a cart at PGA Tour events until the end of the year. This is his first PGA Tour event since he was approved for a cart last fall.

''It's just getting worse every day,'' Daly said. ''Probably have to go back and maybe duct tape it. I did it in Wisconsin. The knee's falling, so you could literally pick my knee up and put it back. It's brutal, but especially downhill and stuff like that.''

The tournament winner will receive a spot in the PGA Championship, but not in the Masters.

Watch: Hadwin holes out for eagle at Royal Portrush

Published in Golf
Thursday, 18 July 2019 23:02

Adam Hadwin was having a solid morning at Royal Portrush, 2 under through his first seven holes in Northern Ireland. Still, Hadwin was 1 over for the tournament, but had momentum on his side.

It got a lot better in a hurry at the par-4 eighth hole.

Hadwin placed his drive in the short grass and found himself with a green-light opportunity to attack the pin.

The eagle moved Hadwin to 4 under on the day and into red numbers at 1 under for the week. With a par at the ninth, Hadwin made the turn in 32 and finds himself comfortably inside the projected cut line. 

Inter target Lukaku to miss another Utd match

Published in Soccer
Friday, 19 July 2019 02:43

SINGAPORE -- Romelu Lukaku will not face Inter Milan in Singapore, according to Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The striker is keen on a move to the Serie A side and is yet to play for United during the tour of Australia and the Far East.

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Lukaku is still with the travelling squad but Solskjaer says he will not face Inter as he continues his recovery from injury.

"He's not fit," Solskjaer said. "He won't be available."

Sources have told ESPN FC there are no meetings scheduled between the two clubs while they are in Singapore and Solskjaer said the situation has not moved forward. Inter are lining up a bid of around £60 million with £15m in add-ons while United value the 26-year-old at between £80m and £90m.

"I don't have any update from last time I spoke to you," Solskjaer said.

United have not ruled out Lukaku's departure and Solskjaer has already suggested he will look to replace the forward if he goes but, with just three weeks left before the transfer deadline, time is running out.

United are still working on deals for Leicester defender Harry Maguire and a central midfielder following the departure of Ander Herrera to Paris Saint-Germain.

"As I've said a few times, we're working on one or two cases," Solskjaer said. "But my objective here now is we've got to get ready for the games and training sessions."

Solskjaer has put the squad through their paces during the trip in an effort to get the players' fitness levels up after a disappointing end to last season.

After games against Inter, Tottenham, Kristiansund and AC Milan, United kick off their league season with Chelsea at Old Trafford and Solskjaer has warned that if they are not ready, they could blow their campaign in the first two months.

They face Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool in the first nine games of the season.

"I don't think many players have had a preseason like this before," Solskjaer said. "In the first eight to 10 games you can lose the chance to win games so the first two months are vital."

The European transfer window is open. Click here to review all the latest transfers and keep up to date with the latest gossip below.

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TOP STORY: Man United eye Maguire alternative Demiral

Manchester United's much-publicised pursuit of Leicester defender Harry Maguire looks set to fail and they'll need to start looking at other options. Leicester want around £90 million for the 26-year-old and sources have told ESPN FC that the two clubs are still "miles away" from doing a deal.

So it makes sense that United are turning to other players and one that comes as a bit of a shock is Juventus defender Merih Demiral. Turkish-football reports that after Juve's signing of Matthijs de Ligt, Demiral feels like his development will be stunted, just a few weeks after arriving from Sassuolo for €18m following a six-month loan spell.

The 21-year-old Turkey international doesn't fancy battling with De Ligt, Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Daniele Rugani for a place in the XI and is already attracting interest from AC Milan and Atletico Madrid, so United need to move fast. Though the player has said his idol growing up was Nemanja Vidic, so that should help...

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12.00 BST: Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte has confirmed he wants to sign Romelu Lukaku from Manchester United.

The two clubs have held talks over the Belgian striker but a deal is yet to be agreed. Inter are willing to offer around £60m with £15m in add-ons but United value the 26-year-old at between £80m-£90m.

Conte confirmed Mauro Icardi and Radja Nainggolan will not be part of his "project" at the Serie A club and suggested that Inter will play without a striker against United in Singapore on Saturday while the pursuit of Lukaku continues.

"Lukaku is a United player," Conte told a news conference at Singapore's National Stadium on Friday. "This is the reality. You know very well I like this player. In the past when I was Chelsea coach I tried to bring him to Chelsea. But I repeat, today Lukaku is a player of Man United. This is the reality and this is the truth.

"I think that in this moment, we are talking about player of another club. For this reason it's right don't talk about Lukaku. I have great respect for United. As I said before for sure I consider this player. I like this player.

"I consider him an important player for us to improve. There is a market. We know our situation. We'll see what happens. Now Lukaku is United's player."

11.28 BST: Manchester United legend Bryan Robson has told Paul Pogba he should not let super-agent Mino Raiola push him out of the door at Old Trafford -- and teammate Andreas Pereira said he is prepared to steal the Frenchman's phone to stop him talking to others clubs.

play
2:13

Darke: Man United should bite the bullet and sell Pogba

ESPN FC's Ian Darke weighs in on Paul Pogba's Man United future, calling on the club to sell their star midfielder and use the money to rebuild the squad.

11.11 BST: AS Nancy are in desperate financial situation and may sell 18-year-old winger Bilel Hassaini, say Footmercato, with Liverpool leading the race.

Arsenal and Barcelona are also keen, while Hassaini has reportedly attracted attention from Ligue 1 clubs St Etienne and PSG.

10.51 BST: Barcelona have made Bayern Munich defender David Alaba their No. 1 target as they look to bring in competition for Jordi Alba this summer, various sources have told ESPN FC, but they are also weighing up other options.

Real Betis youngster Junior Firpo's name is also on the table, while sources say Augsburg's Philipp Max is also being considered.

Alaba, 27, offered himself to Barca through his agents several weeks back and is the club's first choice due to his versatility and experience at the top level.

10.31 BST: Romelu Lukaku will not face Inter Milan in Singapore, according to Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The striker is keen on a move to the Serie A side and is yet to play for United during the tour of Australia and the Far East. Lukaku is still with the travelling squad but Solskjaer says he will not face Inter as he continues his recovery from injury.

Sources have told ESPN FC there are no meetings scheduled between the two clubs while they are in Singapore and Solskjaer said the situation has not moved forward. Inter are lining up a bid of around £60m with £15m in add-ons, while United value the 26-year-old at between £80m-£90m.

"I don't have any update from last time I spoke to you," Solskjaer said.

10.20 BST: Hugo Lloris has told ESPN FC that Tottenham have signed a player with "massive potential" following the £55m club record transfer of France midfielder Tanguy Ndombele.

play
2:48

Lloris: Juve a club Spurs can follow for success

Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris shares his views on ICC opponents, Juventus' Champions League chances, and what new signing Tanguy Ndombele brings to Spurs.

10.05 BST: Sources have told ESPN FC that Paris Saint-Germain are concentrating their efforts on reinforcing the midfield after signing Abdou Diallo earlier this week to bolster their defence.

Sporting director Leonardo has a number of targets in mind and has been in touch with Juventus regarding a move to bring Blaise Matuidi back to Parc des Princes, while Everton's Idrissa Gueye, Brescia's Sandro Tonali and Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic are also on the list.

The French champions want to bring in two of those four names this summer and ESPN FC sources added that Leandro Paredes could be moved on if the circumstances are right.

Matuidi is likely to prove difficult to land, despite Juve signing Adrien Rabiot and Aaron Ramsey on free transfers this summer, but Leonardo is keen to restore the Frenchman's experience and professionalism to the PSG dressing room -- something that coach Thomas Tuchel agrees with.

Sources said that the Ligue 1 giants have been told that Tonali will cost upwards of €25m, while Everton would prefer to keep Gueye and Lazio ideally want to hold on to Milinkovic-Savic. However, none of those club have completely closed the door to negotiations with PSG at this time.

09.43 BST: Mattia Perin's future at Juventus was sealed when they brought back Gianluigi Buffon, so he looked for a way out on loan.

However, the goalkeeper reportedly failed his Benfica medical due to a shoulder problem and looks set to stay at Juve at least until December.

09.26 BST: Fenerbahce goalkeeper Berke Ozer is being tracked by Manchester City, Liverpool and FC Basel, according to Goal.

Ozer, 19, is highly-rated but has struggled to make an impact on the first XI and is reportedly available on loan this summer.

08.59 BST: The New York Red Bulls have rebuffed transfer offers from an unnamed Premier League side for U.S. international Aaron Long, and aren't interested in selling the defender during the current transfer window, multiple sources have told ESPN FC.

08.45 BST: West Brom striker Salomon Rondon has signed for Chinese Super League side Dalian Yifang, joining up with his former manager at Newcastle, Rafael Benitez.

08.33 BST: Celta Vigo winger Brais Mendez says he is flattered by reports linking him to Bayern Munich.

Bayern are reportedly willing to pay the Spain international's release clause of €25m following a strong season with Celta, where he scored six goals and set up seven more in 31 league appearances.

When asked about Bayern's reported interest, the 22-year-old said as reported in Marca: "I'm flattered but I know nothing. I'm happy at Celta."

Mendez has two years left on his contract but Celta are expected to offer the player a contract extension with an improved deal and an increase his release clause.

08.00 BST: Flamengo executives are in England to discuss the potential sale of their 17-year-old starlet Reinier to Everton, Globo Esporte reports.

Reinier is a reported target of AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid and Manchester City. He has a €70m release clause but according to Globo Esporte, Everton are willing to pay up to €40m, including add-ons, to sign the attacking midfielder.

Flamengo own 100% of the player's rights and he has been included on the club's list for the Libertadores Cup but has yet to play for the first team. He is currently on international duty with Brazil's under-17 side and will play a warm-up game against Paraguay ahead of the Under-17 World Cup in October.

Tied to the Rio de Janeiro-based club until Dec. 31, 2020, even if sold, Reinier will remain at Flamengo until Jan. 19, 2020, when he turns 18. If the deal is not completed, Flamengo intend to extend the player's contract until 2024.

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1:32

Where Ndombele fits in at Tottenham

ESPN FC's Steve Nicol likes Tanguy Ndombele for Tottenham but wonders what part of the midfield he will occupy with Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli and Moussa Sissoko all with clearly defined roles.

PAPER TALK (by Nick Judd)

Spurs' Rose could Paris?

Tottenham look set to lose another full-back before the start of the season, with Paris Saint-Germain interested in signing Danny Rose, according to the Mirror.

The England defender was left out of the club's preseason tour to Singapore to allow him to "explore prospective opportunities with other clubs," with Spurs seemingly willing to listen to offers for him.

Rose has two years left on his contract and Spurs appear keen to avoid letting any other players run down their contracts, with both Christian Eriksen and Toby Alderweireld unwilling to sign new contracts in their last year.

Rose has been a major player for Spurs since signing from Leeds United 12 years ago. However, he has been linked with a move away from Spurs for some time and this summer would appear to be his last in London.

Should Rose move, that could pave the way for Tottenham's much expected bid for Fulham's Ryan Sessegnon.

Fekir move to kickstart Lo Celso transfer to Spurs?

Nabil Fekir could sign with Spanish side Real Betis, a move that would end months of speculation linking him with a move to either Liverpool and Arsenal, among others.

That's according to L'Equipe, which is reporting that Betis are the surprise side leading the race to land the 26-year-old.

Valencia and Sevilla have both also been linked with the Frenchman, but L'Equipe is reporting that Fekir's move is close to being finalised, with Lyon boss Sylvinho confirming Fekir will move on this summer.

Fekir's move to Betis could pave the way for Spurs to secure the signing of Argentine playmaker Giovani Lo Celso from PSG. Fekir would also prove to be a ready-made replacement for Lo Celso, who spent last season on loan at Betis from PSG, and Los Verde Blancos would be willing to let him go knowing they would have already reinforced their own ranks.

Have Barca bid to bring Neymar 'home'?

Barcelona have made their first move for former striker Neymar, according to Sky Sports, although multiple ESPN FC sources have knocked back the rumour.

Sky is suggesting that the Spanish champions have offered £90m plus two players from a list of six, including Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembele, Ivan Rakitic and Malcom, in an effort to reclaim their former Brazil striker.

Neymar has made it clear he wants to leave the French capital this summer and now it seems PSG are keen to recoup as much as the £198m world-record fee they paid for him in 2017, with a cash-plus-players offer seemingly the best option for all parties.

Barca are certainly reluctant to pay the full asking price and have asked that any payment be delayed until 2020, mainly because of the £108m they've already spent on forward Antoine Griezmann. Any further purchases risk Barca failing to comply with financial fair play regulations.

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De Rossi inching closer to Boca move

Former Roma captain Daniele de Rossi is close to finalising a deal with Boca Juniors to play at Argentina's giant, according to media reports in both Argentina and Italy.

The 35-year-old, who departed from his hometown club after 18 seasons, will reportedly fly to Buenos Aires this weekend to close the deal, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

De Rossi has been candid about his affinity for Boca Juniors and their fans in the past and has said it would be "a dream" to play at La Bombonera. The potential move has been negotiated by Boca sporting director Nicolas Burdisso, a former teammate of De Rossi in Roma.

Tap ins

- The Sun reports that Wilfried Zaha has told Crystal Palace bosses that he wants to leave the club on his return from the Africa Cup of Nations. Zaha, 26, has been a target for Arsenal this summer after impressing since his return to Selhurst Park in 2015. Boss Roy Hodgson wants to keep his star man, however, and reiterates that no one has yet lodged a bid that comes anywhere near Palace's valuation.

- Manchester United are reportedly in "advanced negotiations" to sign Lyon's in-demand starlet Florent da Silva, according to L'Equipe. The 16-year-old is one of the hottest prospects in France and is out of contract next summer, and while he has mainly played for the club's reserves, he has also caught the eye in action in the UEFA Youth League.

New Zealand broadcaster Sky Sport has extended its deal with Cricket Australia to exclusively broadcast all Australian cricket for a further six years until the end of 2024-25.

Sky Sport has been CA's broadcaster in New Zealand for over two decades and the deal comes ahead of a summer where the New Zealand side will play three Tests and three ODIs on Australian shores.

New Zealand are set to play their first Boxing Day Test in Australia at the MCG since the famous 1987 draw, before playing the traditional New Year's Test in Sydney.

They will begin their Test tour with a day-night Test in Perth, which intriguingly due to the five-hour time difference, will not finish until the early hours of the morning in New Zealand. The three ODIs will be played in March 2020.

In addition to men's international matches, Sky Sport will also broadcast women's international matches, the Big Bash League and Women's Big Bash League matches, some men's domestic one-day matches, Prime Ministers XI matches, Governor-General's XI matches and the Sheffield Shield final.

Director of Sky Sport Tex Teixeira said he was delighted to continue the long-term partnership with CA.

"We are excited to be extending our longstanding relationship with Cricket Australia," Teixeira said.

"With this deal we now have six incredible Australian summers of cricket to look forward to, including the Boxing Day Test which was last played between our two great cricket nations in 1987."

Ben Stokes nominated for New Zealander of the Year

Published in Cricket
Friday, 19 July 2019 01:25

England's World Cup hero Ben Stokes who ended New Zealand's dream has been nominated for New Zealander of the Year. Yes, you read that right.

The official shortlist is yet to be made but the 28-year old allrounder is an early contender among the public nominations with New Zealander of the Year Awards chief judge Cameron Bennet quoted on stuff.co.nz saying, "there's clearly a few Kiwis about who think we can still claim him". Stokes was born in Christchurch, but he later moved to the UK along with his family and forged a career with England.

New Zealand captain and the player of the World Cup Kane Williamson was also nominated for the award. "He's been the embodiment of the qualities we cherish as New Zealanders - courage, fairness, humility," Bennett said.

All New Zealand citizens over the age of 15 are eligible to be nominated. Film maker Taika Waititi and former All Blacks captain Ritchie McCaw are among the previous award-winners.

Stokes made 465 runs in the World Cup and was named Man of the Match in the final, where, outside of top-scoring with 84, he was involved in a very bizarre play.

It was the final over of the game and he was diving into the crease to complete a second run when he inadvertently deflected a throw from outfielder Martin Guptill to the third-man boundary. England were handed six runs, which raised questions about the laws of the game and set up the World Cup's first Super Over. Stokes returned to bat in the Super Over and hit a crucial boundary against Trent Boult to help push England to 15. New Zealand, too, scored 15 in the Super Over, but England eventually won the title on boundary count.

Andrew McDonald has been confirmed as the men's coach of Birmingham Phoenix with Daniel Vettori as his assistant, as first revealed by ESPNcricinfo last month.

McDonald, 38, has a growing reputation as a coach, after leading Melbourne Renegades to their maiden Big Bash League title this year. He has also taken Victoria to two Sheffield Shield titles, and a domestic one-day crown.

He has also held roles in the IPL, where he was Royal Challengers Bangalore's bowling coach, and in county cricket with Leicestershire.

Trevor Bayliss had previously been linked with the role after Paul Farbrace, his deputy for most of his tenure as England coach, was appointed as director of cricket, and as many as eight candidates were shortlisted, but McDonald came out on top.

Vettori has previously coached Royal Challengers, Middlesex, and Brisbane Heat with limited success, and will be assisted by Warwickshire and Worcestershire's coaches Jim Troughton and Alex Gidman.

"The Hundred is a tournament that's generating interest across the globe," said McDonald, "and the opportunity to be part of it as Head Coach of the Birmingham team is something that I'm relishing.

"From behind the scenes talking to players at the Renegades and from talk in the IPL, players around the world want to be a part of it," he said.

"The players that have a clear schedule at that time of the year want to be nominating to be a part of it. It's an exciting new format and they get to put their footprint on it."

If you are just waking up on the East Coast, it's been an interesting morning at The Open. Perfect conditions for scoring -- not much wind, no rain (yet). Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka and Tommy Fleetwood all making serious moves up the leaderboard.

Nick Pietruszkiewicz

WMRA World Cup leaders head to North Wales

Published in Athletics
Friday, 19 July 2019 03:22

Ireland’s Sarah McCormack and Scotland’s Andrew Douglas are among those racing at the Snowdon International Mountain Race

A selection of the world’s best athletes will head to the Castell Howell Snowdon International Mountain Race on Saturday.

The 44th edition of the famous mountain race will host the fourth round in the 2019 WMRA Mountain Running World Cup that started in Annecy and will culminate in Ljubljana this October.

The 10-mile race scales the highest mountain in Wales before returning to finish in Padarn Park in Llanberis.

This year’s race will host teams from England, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Northern Ireland, RAF, Scotland and Wales. There will also be international athletes looking to claim valuable WMRA World Cup points.

The 2018 women’s race saw a first Welsh winner in nearly 30 years with Bronwen Jenkinson storming to victory ahead of Miranda Grant but Jenkinson is absent this time.

Sarah McCormack has won the Snowdon race on two occasions and will lead the team from the Republic of Ireland on Saturday. Her recent form includes a top 20 placing at the European Mountain Running Championships earlier this month. McCormack is also the current leader in the WMRA World Cup following the third race in Heiligenblut, Austria, last weekend.

Elisa Sortini is the sole Italian athlete in the women’s race but knows the mountain well thanks to a fourth place finish in 2015. Sortini will be riding a wave following a fifth spot at the European Championships that saw her lead her team to victory.

Hatti Archer is a former international on the track and at cross country and is now an accomplished mountain runner. She will be joined in the England team by Kelli Roberts and 2015 third-placer Katie Walshaw. Youngster Jemima Elgood completes the England team line-up.

Emma Clayton is a high-profile English athlete that will not be in their team but is likely to feature during a comeback where she looks to recapture the fitness that saw her claim a bronze medal at the 2015 WMRA World Championships in neighbouring county Conwy.

Grant will hope to improve on her runner-up spot from 12 months ago whilst leading the Scottish team. Katie Beecher, Elliw Haf and Gemma Moore will race for the hosts Wales.

Lucy Wambui of Kenya is a big name in mountain running and will be a huge race favourite on Saturday. The reigning WMRA champion and 2017 winner also claimed victory at the season opener in the French Alps earlier this summer.

Lucie Marsanova of the Czech Republic and Claire Chatterton of New Zealand will add further international flavour in the women’s contest.

Italy have been a dominant force at the event in recent years and will be led by twins Bernard and Martin Dematteisin in the men’s race. Both secured gold team medals at the 2015 WMRA World Mountain Running Championships at Betws Y Coed with Bernard also claiming individual silver.

England will be represented by the relatively unknown quartet of Dan Haworth, Michael Cayton, Billy Cartwright and Joe Baxter. Zak Hanna leads the Irish challenge, hoping to improve on a previous best performance in seventh.

Scotland’s Andrew Douglas is the current leader of the WMRA World Cup and the outright winner in the second round at the Broken Arrow Skyrace in Olympic Valley, California. The Caithness man was one of five Scottish athletes in the great Britain and Northern Ireland team in Switzerland and a member of the winning team in the senior men’s race.

Mark Hopkinson will lead the Welsh team following a win at the iconic Cader Idris race in May. Russell Bentley is a notable member of the Welsh team and is a twice winner at the nearby Snowdonia Marathon Eryri.

Open race interest here sits with Kenya’s Robert Panini, Australian Etinenne Blumstein Jones, Szabo Sandor of Hungary and American duo Joseph Gray and Sam Sahli.

Sahli was the second athlete home at the Broken Arrow race with Szabo ninth in the Californian Mountains.

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