Frenchman takes first title of the championships as Cairess continues successful day for British athletes in Gävle

Jimmy Gressier won the first gold medal of the European U23 Championships in Gävle, Sweden, adding the 10,000m title to his two cross country titles.

Like his winning performance at the European Cross Country Championships in Tilburg in December, the Frenchman was dominant and celebrated in style. Unlike his victorious moment in Holland, however – where he attempted to slide over the line on his knees but ended up flat on his face in the mud with a flag in each hand – this time the colourful character stayed on his feet.

Weaving across the track with his arms in the air as he ran down the home straight, Gressier enjoyed a clear victory as he clocked 28:44.17 to win ahead of Israel’s Tadesse Getahon with 28:46.97.

Emile Cairess continued what proved to be a very successful first day for the British team in Gävle as he claimed the bronze medal, running 28:50.21 as his team-mates Jake Smith and Mahamed Mahamed were eighth in 29:01.08 and 14th in 29:10.46 respectively.

“Cross country is still my favourite event because I really enjoy running outside in the middle of nature,” said Gressier, who will also race the 5000m at the championships.

“Although running cross country comes very natural to me, I am slowly getting used to running on a stadium track, and I feel the 10,000m is the right event for me in the future.

“I couldn’t be happier with this European title, but now I want to focus on the 5000m on Saturday. I need to get some rest in my legs because I’d like to win another title here.

“During the press conference, I promised I’d celebrate in style again if I came first, but this track was too hard on my legs so I decided to just raise my arms and glide like an aeroplane.”

Kicking with four laps to go, it was the 22-year-old’s 61-second circuit which really made an impact and 21-year-old Cairess had moved up to third with three laps to go.

“Winning a bronze medal feels really good,” said BUCS cross country champion Cairess.

“Throughout the race I felt we were going really fast but, every time I looked around, there was still a lot of us in the group.

“I am happy the way I stayed alert, I knew I had to be ready to go if anyone made a move to the front.

“Before coming here I had hopes to get a medal, but there’s a long way between thinking it and that actually happening. I’m glad it worked for me today.”

On the first day of action in Sweden, every British athlete taking part in qualifying progressed to either the semi-finals or final in their respective events.

First up, Jacob Fincham-Dukes leapt 7.53m and Reynold Banigo 7.52m to qualify for the long jump final after placing in the top 12 in qualifying.

After being second-quickest in the men’s 100m heats with 10.46 (-1.0m/sec) behind Sweden’s Henrik Larsson with 10.45, British indoor 60m champion Dom Ashwell ran 10.63 (-1.4m/sec) to make the final, while Oliver Bromby clocked 10.83 into an even stronger headwind (-2.1m/sec) and then ran 10.49 (-1.2m/sec) in his semi-final.

European 4x400m silver medallist Cameron Chalmers won his 400m heat in 47.33.

Reigning European under-20 1500m champion Jemma Reekie, who is attempting a middle-distance double in Sweden, clocked 2:04.74 to go quickest in the 800m heats and she’ll be joined in the final by her fellow Briton Ellie Baker, who won heat two in 2:07.14.

Jake Heyward clocked 3:47.08 to win his 1500m heat and qualify quickest for the final, where he’ll be joined by Piers Copeland who ran 3:47.72 for third in the first heat.

All three of GB’s 110m hurdlers made the semi-finals as Cameron Fillery won his heat in 14.05 (-1.7m/sec), while Tade Ojora ran 14.15 (-2.8m/sec) and James Weaver clocked 14.21 (-2.5m/sec).

Britain’s three pole vaulters also qualified as Adam Hague, Joel Leon Benitez and Charlie Myers all cleared 5.20m and ho higher bars were needed to make the final.

Aimee Pratt won the first 3000m steeplechase heat in 10:05.79, while Anna Emilie Møller of Denmark won the second in 10:01.00.

It was one and done for Naomi Ogbeta as she booked her spot in the triple jump final with her first jump in qualifying of 13.57m (+1.5m/sec).

European indoor 60m champion Ewa Swoboda of Poland went quickest in both the 100m heats and semi-finals, clocking 11.48 and 11.41 respectively to make the final.

Reigning European indoor and outdoor long jump champion Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece automatically progressed to the final with a 7.80m leap, while European indoor shot put champion Konrad Bukowiecki will hope to continue his winning ways after claiming gold at the World University Games as he threw 20.44m in shot put qualifying.

Germany’s Sophie Weissenberg leads the heptathlon at the end of the first day, helped into the top spot by a PB of 14.18m in the shot put.

She has 3675 points after four events, ahead of Poland’s Adrianna Sulek with 3589 and Hanne Maudens of Belgium with 3576.

There was disappointment for France’s European indoor pentathlon bronze medallist Solène Ndama, however. After going fastest in the 100m hurdles with 13.38 she was then unable to clear her opening height of 1.67m in the high jump.

Results can be found here.

Ospreys have given a first senior contract to centre Kieran Williams.

The 22-year-old has made four senior appearances for the region, including one in the Pro14 at Zebre towards the end of the 2017-18 season.

Williams said: "It's been a tough last two years but with this contract I can look to the future and really push for a starting spot.

"This pre-season I want to hit the ground running so I can really do something with these next two years."

Williams played alongside Wales centre Owen Watkin at age-grade level for Ospreys.

Head coach Allen Clarke said: "A number of injuries have hindered his progress, but with a bit of good fortune he'll put a run of games together and we'll see his undoubted potential come to the fore."

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

SPARTA, Ky. – NASCAR confiscated the primary No. 52 Halmar Friesen Racing Chevrolet Silverado of Stewart Friesen on Thursday morning at Kentucky Speedway.

The truck was confiscated after NASCAR officials inspected the truck and deemed it “unacceptable” Thursday morning. Officials indicated there was a problem with the rear firewall placement in relation to the rear clip of the truck.

NASCAR officials allowed the team to remove the tires and the driver safety and comfort equipment from the truck.

The truck is now parked alongside the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series hauler, where it will remain until NASCAR’s research and development center in Concord, N.C.

Any additional penalties will be announced next week. Halmar Friesen Racing has prepared a backup truck for Friesen, but he will be forced to start at the rear of the field regardless of where he qualifies.

This isn’t the first time NASCAR has confiscated a race vehicle from a team. NASCAR confiscated the Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet of Tony Stewart in 2003 at Texas Motor Speedway when it failed to fit the template during inspection.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — New owners, new excitement, same great racing.

Lancaster Dragway at New York International Raceway Park, the former Lancaster National Speedway and Dragway, can continue to be a facility that’s beloved by locals. Veteran drag racers Mike Swinarski and Vito Antonicelli and his wife, Sylvia, recently purchased the upstate New York track, located just 15 miles outside Buffalo, earlier this year.

One of the first orders of business was signing a new sanctioning agreement with the International Hot Rod Ass’n. With a full schedule of events, the facility features an eighth-mile drag strip and a five-eighths-mile paved oval, which was originally a half-mile dirt track.

The track hosts some of the top racing events in Western New York. The oval features the 31st annual U.S. Open in September with a variety from Late Models to TQ Midgets on the program. The Buffalo Street Outlaws are held at the drag strip in addition to the IHRA Summit SuperSeries, the largest and most prestigious bracket racing program in drag racing.

Sharon Hughes serves as drag race director and has spent more than 25 years at the facility. She raced in the Super Pro class for a decade. She’s also an EMT instructor and bookkeeper. She even teaches ballroom dancing, although the quick footwork on the track is often measured in reaction times.

Racing is in her family’s blood with four generations including her two granddaughters who compete in Junior Dragsters.

Lancaster Dragway has a rich history with the IHRA Summit SuperSeries and the 2018 champions were: Jan Winkowski (Top), Dale Eckert (Mod) and Ethan Pilote (Junior Dragster). Eckert is one of the most accomplished racers in the Northeast winning over a dozen track championships. He also captured the IHRA Summit Team Finals Division 3 (North Stars) Mod championship in 2017.

“The IHRA Summit SuperSeries fits our track well,” Hughes said. “Last year, we had a lot of drivers join the program who weren’t a part of it before. They liked the opportunity to go to Memphis and race in the World Finals at the end of the year. It’s a great program for us.”

The track points championship extends later in the season and 2018 track champions were: Eckert (Top), Jeff Kerl (Mod), Mason Fix (Street), Mike Peters (Bikes/Sleds), Victoria Young (Junior Dragster).

Lancaster has been the home base for world champion drivers like Mike Janis, Fred Hahn and Jim Oddy. It’s a tightly-knit group of racers with so many of the drivers competing there for years and even decades.

“A lot of people have been racing at the track upward of 20 years,” Hughes said. “They get to know each other so well and that’s great to see. We also have the young kids coming up through the ranks out of the Junior Dragster program. We’ve had it for 26 years and it’s nice to see them still competing in the bracket racing program.”

BARRE, Vt. – Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl officials have announced the postponement of Thursday’s Passumpsic Bank Night due to an inclement weather forecast.

The event has been rescheduled for Friday, July 12 at 7 p.m. where the evening forecast calls for clear skies.

Passumpsic Bank Night features the second round of the Myers Container Service Triple Crown Series for the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers.

The Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models and Allen Lumber Street Stocks also have a full card of action. The pits for the rescheduled program open at 3:30 p.m. and the front gates open at 5:15 p.m.. Admission is $12 for adults, $3 for kids ages 6-12, and $25 for a family of four (2 adults, 2 kids).

Chad Reed, 37, continues to amaze fans and fellow racers with his incredible desire to race in the sport of Supercross.

What drives a man who already owns the world record for the most Supercross starts, who’s won multiple AMA Supercross and motocross championships, been named AMA Pro Athlete of the Year, has owned his own race team and has even been honored by being named a member of the Order of Australia?

What could possibly motivate this legend of the sport to continue racing in the grueling world of Supercross at an age when most riders have been retired for nearly a decade?

That’s a question Reed gets a lot. Naturally, he has a quick retort in the form of his own question, “Why wouldn’t I want to keep racing?” he says. “I still enjoy the challenge of competition, pitting myself against the best in the sport and feeling the support from the fans every weekend.”

To hear Reed tell it, it’s a no-brainer. When most riders speak of burnout because of the long and rugged slog of the season, Reed seems to relish the constant travel and training, but he admits there were times when he hit a wall and wondered why he put himself through the seemingly never-ending rigors of what it takes to be a top-level rider.

“I think I put it down to the sheer passion I have for the sport,” Reed said. “That burns really deep and strong. I wasn’t exempt from it either. I went through a phase where a part of me almost lost interest. I got to the point where I was thinking, ‘Man, it would be nice to jump in a NASCAR car,’ or ‘Man, it would be nice to jump into a rally car.’ But for me, timing was everything.

“I got the opportunity to run my own team. So right when I felt like I was getting exhausted with the political BS that goes on within a factory race team, I was able to create my own destiny and do my own thing, be my own boss and work with my own people,” Reed continued. “I think my passion for racing has just gotten stronger from that point on. I got a new perspective, looking at things from a different angle of the sport and I think that helped give me a deeper understanding of how things work. It’s like the saying, ‘If I knew then what I know now.’ With age and experience you begin to understand better how things work and maybe why things happen within a team like they do.”

Reed was a last-minute signee for Joe Gibbs Racing Yoshimura Suzuki prior to the Supercross season. Fourth on the all-time AMA Supercross win list with 44 victories, Reed is one of the most popular riders in the paddock.

“Chad Reed is a consummate professional and I see that he has that hunger to win,” said Jeremy Albrecht, JGRMX team manager.

While certainly impressive and inspirational, Reed is no longer unique in sports for his longevity and ability to remain competitive at the highest level of competition. There’s Roger Federer in tennis, Tom Brady in the NFL and MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi.

Reed is quick to point out with a grin that Rossi and Brady are “a little bit older than I am.”

As he continues with a smile in his voice, Reed quips he was born under the Chinese zodiac Year of the Dog.

“I think maybe that makes me a little more stubborn,” Reed said. “Maybe the generation before us had one way of doing things and we said, ‘No, we’re going to do it this way.’

“Valentino is a close friend and he also has such a passion for what he does,” Reed added. “I don’t know Brady and Federer, but I can relate to a lot of the things I read about them, the things that they say and do and the unwillingness to give up.

“We also came along at a time when training went to that next level. The way you train, the way you rest and eat. I think we’ve benefited from that knowledge and undoubtedly that’s helped extend careers.”

One of the things Reed and every serious competitor in Supercross and motocross have to learn to deal with is injury.

ROSEVILLE, Calif. – The Calistoga Hall of Fame announced Thursday that Brent Kaeding has been named Grand Marshal of the 12th annual Louie Vermeil Classic at Calistoga Speedway.

The 12th annual Louie Vermeil Classic continues to be held during the Labor Day weekend. The first of two nights of racing takes place Aug. 31 and concludes on Sept. 1. This year the King of the West-NARC Fujitsu Series will join the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series cars for a double header night of racing.

On Aug. 30, the Calistoga Speedway Hall of Fame dinner will take place inside the Tubbs building at the Napa County Fairgrounds.

Tickets for either the Hall of Fame dinner or Louie Vermeil Classic can be purchased by calling (916) 773-7223 Tuesday through Sunday.  Fans can also purchase general admission tickets by visiting hmc-promotions.ticketleap.com/2019-louie-vermeil-classic/.

Kaeding is a Hall of Fame member at Calistoga Speedway.  He is a 13-time champion of both the Northern Auto Racing Club and the Golden State Challenge Series.  Kaeding is the all-time leader in wins for both series. His 21 main event wins at Calistoga place him second all-time on the wins list.  He is listed with seven wins as a car owner at Calistoga.  Kaeding and Steve Kent are tied for the most Tribute to Gary Patterson wins at Calistoga.  Kaeding is one of the few drivers to win a non-wing and winged sprint car race at Calistoga Speedway.

“It’s a wonderful honor to be named Grand Marshall of the Louie Vermeil.  I have so many great memories of racing there with a wing and without,” Kaeding said. “The racing was always great but the things that stick out to me are all pre or post-race activities like the pancake breakfasts, racing during the fairs and drinking out in the pavilion until the sun came up.”

Kaeding was helped by legendary crew chief Billy Albini, leader of the hogs, who died on March 12.  This year the Calistoga Speedway has inducted Albini to join Kaeding in the Calistoga Hall of Fame.

“I knew of Billy in the ’70s but we actually partnered up in 1987.  We had a lot of success and won too many races to remember,”  Kaeding said. “We miss Billy tremendously and will be honored to be a part of his Hall of Fame induction to Calistoga Speedway.”