After a four-day break following the conclusion of the Western Conference final, the Vegas Golden Knights began the 2023 Stanley Cup Final with a 5-2 victory over the Florida Panthers, taking a 1-0 series lead.

It was an even game until the third period, when many Vegas shots found the back of the net while many Florida shots struck iron.

What else did we learn about these two teams in Game 1, and how will it impact the rest of the series? ESPN's Ryan S. Clark, Emily Kaplan and Greg Wyshynski check in:

The start of something big for Theodore?

Is it the fact that Shea Theodore scored in Game 1? Or is it more about how he scored in Game 1 that should be the area of focus? It's possible Theodore's first goal of the playoffs could offer more insight into how he could score a few more in the coming games.

Theodore had just received possession when he walked it out to the blue line, skating laterally with Anthony Duclair in front of him. Theodore then did a spin in one direction before stopping, cutting and going in another direction. It created separation that left Duclair in his wake, giving Theodore the space to get into the slot before launching the shot that gave the Golden Knights a 2-1 second-period lead. Golden Knights captain Mark Stone said he was surprised to learn that was Theodore's first postseason goal because of how much offense he creates for his teammates.

"When you have a little bit of space, that's your time to be creative," Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. "Whether they go back down the wall or into the middle. Shea has the ability to move laterally as good as any defenseman I've ever seen."

The coach also inferred that this could be a turning point for the 27-year-old blueliner.

"It looks like it was pretty good coverage at first. But, again, he found his soft spot and then [Brett Howden's] at the net," Cassidy said. "I don't know who got the assist on the goal but at the end of the day, he's going to take away [Sergei] Bobrovsky's eyes and we've talked about that a lot. Really good play by him and you're starting to see his game come around." -- Clark

The "original six" continue to step up

This is still the Golden Misfits team. The first year of existence for the franchise was all about the players with a chip on their shoulder -- because their previous teams didn't want them. It was an "us against the world" mentality.

Then it became the world against Vegas, as the team aggressively traded for and acquired veteran players, including other teams captains.

But the six original Golden Misfits still on the roster -- Theodore, Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith, William Karlsson, William Carrier and Brayden McNabb -- have played a huge role for Vegas. They scored three of the five goals in Game 1, after accounting for four of the six goals in the clinching game of the Western Conference final. -- Kaplan

Get them a nickname!

Every so often, a fourth line becomes the most dependable line for a Stanley Cup winner. Like the Crash Line for the 1995 Devils or the Grind Line for multiple Detroit Red Wings champions or the Merlot Line for the 2011 Boston Bruins. The Vegas Golden Knights' line of Carrier, Nicolas Roy and Keegan Kolesar may not have a well-known nickname yet, but they've clearly earned the trust of head coach Bruce Cassidy in key situations, as evidenced by Game 1.

This trio of forwards saw the most ice time against the Panthers' explosive line of Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Nick Cousins. For just the second time in their entire playoff run, Florida didn't get an even-strength point from any of the three. The play of the Knights' fourth line was a big reason for that: Bending but not breaking, checking hard and mixing it up with the Panthers but not crossing the line. Beyond that matchup, the Knights' fourth line kept the energy up shift after shift early in the game.

"We just read off each other pretty well," Roy said. "It's not really complicated the way we play, right? Three big guys. Be hard on the forecheck. Be hard to play against. When we have the puck, we protect it well. But we're also really good defensively." -- Wyshynski

The legend of Adin Hill grows

Adin Hill is going to get paid this summer. It's hard to believe the goalie was only acquired for a fourth-round pick, and technically was Vegas' fourth-stringer.

The 27 year old -- a pending unrestricted free agent -- has showed up consistently ever since taking over the net. And his stretching paddle save on Nick Cousins early in the second period to keep the score tied 1-1 was the highlight of the night.

As Zach Whitecloud told me after the game: "That right there literally is who Adin Hill has been for us since he came to us. ... You love playing for a guy like that because no matter the situation, he shows up." -- Kaplan

Rough stuff gets going early

A tug of the sweater followed by a quick jab attempt or two to the face. Usually, an exchange such as that could lead to a reaction. This is what Matthew Tkachuk was trying to elicit from Alex Pietrangelo late in the second period, only to have the Golden Knights alternate captain hold firm.

That particular exchange with Pietrangelo and Tkachuk was one of many between the Golden Knights and Panthers. It's also possible that it could serve as a prelude in a series that could be decided by what team can master what it means to play the game within the game. If so, then it leaves both teams trying to toe the line that allows them to be physical while not being reckless.

Here's something to keep in mind. The Golden Knights went from averaging 7.18 penalty minutes per game in the regular season to 14.8 penalty minutes in the playoffs. As for the Panthers? They are averaging 14.65 penalty minutes per game in the playoffs after averaging 12.17 per game in the regular season.

"We've done it all year. We'll stick up for one another but it's also the maturity of this group, just being able to kind of hang back a bit," Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill said, after he was part of a first-period scrum that saw him jab the Panthers' Nick Cousins. "It's like when they do that stuff, they're going to try and instigate us. We don't need to react. We need to stay focused on the game plan." -- Clark

In all likelihood, Christian Pulisic has played his last game for Chelsea. The 24-year-old United States winger has just a year left on his contract at Stamford Bridge, playing a mere 1,012 minutes this season, and the Blues are desperate to receive transfer fees to help offset some of the market-warping spending they've engaged in for the past 12 months.

That makes Pulisic a prime candidate to be moved out of west London when the transfer window opens (June 14 in the U.K. and July 1 elsewhere in Europe). If his time is indeed up at Chelsea, where could he land?

Sources told ESPN's Mark Ogden that Juventus are leading the race to sign the former Borussia Dortmund starlet. Pulisic could be available for a £20 million transfer fee, sources say, but his £13m-a-year wages could prove a stumbling block for Juventus or any other interested clubs.

AC Milan, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Napoli all have been approached with details on the transfer fee and wage structure required to conclude a deal for Pulisic. Additional sources have told ESPN that Atletico Madrid also hold an interest in him.

How could the Pennsylvania native fit with any of these clubs? And which of them have the finances to pull off such a transfer? We asked our writers scattered throughout Europe for more insight.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

AC Milan

This is a very interesting option for Pulisic. AC Milan have been very good in their recruitment in the past few years, until last summer, when their new signings didn't really satisfy -- Malick Thiaw, Divock Origi, Charles De Ketelaere, Sergino Dest, Aster Vranckx. This summer, they have to get it right.

They will still look for players under the age of 25, with a transfer fee of less than €40m, experience and a point to prove. Milan like a coup in the transfer market, such as the ones they pulled off with the signings of goalkeeper Mike Maignan, centre-back Fikayo Tomori and playmaker Brahim Diaz. They believe Pulisic could have a similar impact.

With Rafael Leao on the left wing, they need someone strong on the opposite flank, where none of Alexis Saelemaekers, Ante Rebic or Junior Messias has fully convinced. Milan need someone like Pulisic. Even if he is at his best on the left, where Leao plays, the club believe he can do a great job on the right as well.

The team has been heavily reliant on the Portuguese talent in the past two seasons, and to get better, they need another top winger. Pulisic is on their shortlist for that reason. It also makes sense for them economically in terms of the marketing of the club in the U.S. -- Julien Laurens

Atletico Madrid

It's not immediately clear where a winger like Pulisic would fit into this Atletico Madrid side, with coach Diego Simeone tending to rely on his wing-backs -- usually Yannick Carrasco on the left, and Nahuel Molina on the right -- to give the team width.

Carrasco is a potential departure this summer, though, with Barcelona waiting to decide whether to exercise the option that they secured on the player as part of the Memphis Depay deal, and that would leave a vacancy at left wing-back that Pulisic could fill, if he's willing to do more defending than he's used to.

Atletico's finances are tight, though, and their planning so far for this summer has focused on bargain free-transfer deals for out-of-contract players, such as Leicester City centre-back Caglar Soyuncu, rather than big spending. The likelihood of a move for Pulisic would depend on how much Chelsea are willing to compromise on a fee. -- Alex Kirkland

Juventus

The situation in Turin is quite similar to the one in Milan: Juventus need a winger. When Juve play with three up front, Federico Chiesa is an automatic starter and a key player on one of the two flanks, but on the opposite side, there is a gap to fill. Angel Di Maria is leaving, Filip Kostic is not up to the necessary standard and Samuel Iling-Junior is still too raw (and more of a wing-back). That's the extent of the club's wide ranks.

Juventus need a good player in that position. Badly. The brief, which Pulisic fits, is a player under the age of 25 with pace who could take some attention away from Chiesa and is available for a good deal. Pulisic would offer Juve different options: as a winger or an inside No. 10 in a front three, or as a second striker alongside Dusan Vlahovic or Arkadiusz Milik. He can play on the right, on the left or in the middle.

Juventus like a bargain, as we have seen in the past. Money could be difficult for them to find this summer, though, so it could take some creativity to pull off a deal. One example would be asking Chelsea for a loan with an option to make the move permanent in summer 2024, which would require Pulisic agreeing to add another year to his contract at Stamford Bridge. That, however, wouldn't address the Blues' need to raise funds this summer. -- Julien Laurens

Manchester United

Manchester United have looked at Pulisic in the past but it's highly unlikely that he ends up at Old Trafford this summer, even if Chelsea are actively trying to move him on. Erik ten Hag's priorities are a striker and a central midfielder, and the Dutch manager has already been told that he will be working with a budget of between £100m and £150m, with anything generated through sales added on top. There won't be much room for luxury signings.

Ten Hag wants two quality players in each position and he already has Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Alejandro Garnacho in the wide areas. He has also been impressed by Facundo Pellistri this season, while Amad Diallo is set to rejoin the squad ahead of the preseason tour of the United States after scoring 14 goals on loan at Sunderland.

United's squad is in desperate need of improvement in some areas, but in others, Ten Hag has plenty of options. Regardless of whether he likes Pulisic as a player, he has other positions to focus on.

If Ten Hag gets his way, United will start next season with a world-class No. 9 and an established midfielder added to his squad. It's possible that, if the summer window doesn't go well and the club are scrabbling around for stopgaps close to the deadline, Pulisic might end up back on their radar. As things stand, though, there are no plans for United to follow up their previous interest. -- Rob Dawson

Napoli

For Napoli, the Pulisic option is not a priority in the sense that they are looking for a winger, but not an automatic starter. The newly crowned Serie A champions fully expect star left winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to stay at the club, as well as Matteo Politano and Hirving Lozano, the Italy and Mexico internationals who alternated well on the opposite flank throughout their title-winning campaign.

The Neapolitans do want another winger to add to their squad, and their interest in Pulisic is real because he is the kind of talent they would aim for, especially with his age and his versatility of being able to play on the left or the right. However, would they pay a transfer fee of around €40m for him, on top of his wages, considering he might not be a starter? Maybe not.

That said, they want and need to strengthen their squad in the summer if they're to defend their title next season and go further in the Champions League, and Pulisic would be a great signing for them in that sense. He would enjoy the challenge of playing for such passionate fans and for a club on the way up. -- Julien Laurens

Newcastle United

Newcastle will play in the Champions League group stage next season for the first time since 2002-03, so manager Eddie Howe needs to add quantity and quality to his squad at St. James' Park. At 24, Pulisic has European experience in abundance with Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund, not to mention the winners' medal he earned with Thomas Tuchel's Blues in 2021.

Signing Pulisic would give Newcastle the key Champions League knowledge that Howe's squad lacks, but the USMNT forward would also offer versatility in terms of his ability to play anywhere across the front three. Howe's teams are built on flexibility and commitment from his players, so Pulisic would fit the bill at Newcastle.

Having endured a frustrating four years at Chelsea, though, what Pulisic needs now is the prospect of playing regular football for whichever club he joins. There are no guarantees he will get that at St. James' Park.

Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak are the obvious options through the middle, while Howe has transformed the performances of Miguel Almiron since taking over at the club 18 months ago. Allan Saint-Maximin is another player who has delivered for Newcastle in the forward line, so Pulisic would face a similar situation as at Chelsea, albeit with less competition for places than in the overcrowded Stamford Bridge locker room.

With Chelsea looking for a transfer fee of around £20m, and Pulisic earning £250,000 a week right now, the figures involved would be well within Newcastle's budget if the club pursue a move for the player. -- Mark Ogden

BERLIN -- A motorcycle rider died and a triathlete was severely injured Sunday in a collision during the Ironman European championship in Hamburg, police said.

The rider, who was carrying a camera operator, crashed head-on with the cyclist at a narrow part of the race where both lanes were being used by competitors and accompanying vehicles.

The crash happened during live coverage of the race before Germany's ARD broadcaster interrupted transmission.

The 70-year-old rider died at the scene, police said. The triathlete, age 26, suffered severe injuries while the camera operator was in shock and was also taken to the hospital for treatment.

"A closure of the race track was unavoidable in the area of ​​the accident," Hamburg police said in a statement. "The athletes had to get off in front of the accident site and cross over to the dyke. Towards the direction of the city centre, the racetrack was briefly diverted."

The race was interrupted but resumed a little later.

The Arizona Diamondbacks will extend the contract of manager Torey Lovullo through the 2024 season, according to multiple reports.

The Diamondbacks are expected to announce the deal Sunday, according to reports.

Lovullo, 57, is in his seventh season with the Diamondbacks and is the longest-tenured manager in franchise history.

After three consecutive losing seasons, the Diamondbacks (35-24) are off to a solid start this season and enter Sunday tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the NL West.

Lovullo was named NL Manager of the Year after his first season in 2017, when he led the Diamondbacks to a 93-69 record and their only postseason appearance since 2011. He is 446-483 in his six-plus seasons with Arizona.

The Irish sprints talent will never forget her harsh introduction to life in Texas, but her American education is pushing her to greater heights

The shock was almost immediate. Rhasidat Adeleke was barely two weeks into her time at the University of Texas when she was faced with her first racing assignment. 

It was January 2021 and there had already been a lot for the then 18-year-old to contend with. The girl from Tallaght, just south of Dublin, had arrived in Austin mid-semester to start her scholarship and was just getting her bearings when the time came for a competitive test. 

Adeleke is an athlete around whom there has been high expectation for some time. European under-18 200m champion at the age of 15, she had become accustomed to being well ahead of the curve – and winning. The reality of her new surroundings was about to change all of that. 

“I had to get used to losing,” she laughs as she thinks back to the early days of life competing for the Longhorns. “I came from Ireland, I was in the European cycle, and I was very used to winning in that environment. Even before I came [to Texas], a lot of people I spoke to said: ‘You’re going to be a small fish in the big pond compared to being a big fish in a small pond’ and I was like: ‘Nah, I’ll be fine. I’ll be ready for it, I’m going to be good’. 

“In my very first competition I ran maybe 24.50 [it was 24.46 indoors] and I had run 23.80 when I was 15. I was so disappointed, I came dead last in my heat. It was a big shock to me, because I wasn’t used to losing by such a big margin and it was very embarrassing.

“Throughout the season, I got used to losing and I’d be really hard on myself, I’d be very upset, I’d be crying… all of that.”

University life, however, was providing a fantastic education.

“It helped me build up that aspect of short-term memory that is so important as a high performance athlete,” she continues. “You’re not always going to win and that’s something Flo [coach Edrick Floréal] would say: ‘You need to have short-term memory, because you might lose this meet, but you have another one next week so you have to get back into a good mindset and get that confidence back to be able to perform at a level that you need.’

“That was something I adapted to and now I’m at a place where I try to see competitions as an opportunity instead of a threat. 

“‘What if I lose? What if I don’t do well? What if other people don’t think I’m as good anymore?’. Instead of thinking those negative thoughts, I think of it as: ‘Let me show people what I’ve been working on, let me show people the talents I have’. This season I was looking at it as an opportunity more in a fun kind of way.

“That’s something I’ve been trying to tap into and I’ve really been enjoying it more. I want to keep that going throughout the rest of my career.”

It’s a career which has already delivered a number of highlights and there is a very real prospect of more. Only a few months on from that particularly harsh introduction to the NCAA circuit, Adeleke became European Under-20 100m and 200m champion. Last summer, she got her first taste of major senior championships when reaching the semi-finals of the 400m at the World Championships in Oregon before finishing fifth in the European 400m final in Munich. 

Her progress was being monitored by many but it is Adeleke’s performances in 2023 which have begun to really command attention, as she has set about destroying a chunk of the many Irish records she holds.

First to go was her indoor 200m mark when she clocked 22.52 in Albuquerque in January. Next was a 400m indoor performance of 50.33 in Lubbock in February. March also brought a slice of history when she became the first Irish athlete to win a medal in a sprint event at the NCAA championships, winning indoor 400m silver.

The standout moment so far, however, came during an eventful weekend in Florida which changed everything. On April 14, Adeleke ran 22.34 for 200m outdoors. On April 15, the full lap of the track was covered in 49.90. 

A truly historic 400m ?

Britton Wilson clocks a stunning 49.51 to win the 400m at the Tom Jones Invitational in Florida ??

Only three women ran faster in the whole of last year ?

Rhasidat Adeleke also smashes her own Irish NR with 49.90 ??pic.twitter.com/mqZqQcdI3j

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) April 15, 2023

No female Irish athlete had ever dipped under the fabled 50-second mark. This is the kind of progress which signals a genuine medal contender in the making. Adeleke believes she is now a far more formidable athlete, both mentally and physically. She is also paying heed to another major lesson learned in the heat of top-class battle. 

“One thing I learned from the World Championships was don’t give too much respect to the pros,” she says. “For example, when I was in my 400m semi-final, [eventual champion] Shaunae Miller-Uibo – someone who I have so much respect for and is definitely one of my favourite track athletes – was in the lane outside of me.

“Flo was like: ‘Don’t let her get away from you. If you want to qualify for the final, it’s top two only so you need to be right on her’. For some reason, there was this thought in my head that she was supposed to be in front of me, because of all her accolades, everything she’s achieved and how fast she’s run in previous years. So when the gun went off, and she was running away, I kind of let her because I thought she was supposed to be in front of me.”

Adeleke finished fourth and out of the running.

“That kind of changed my mindset that anyone is beatable – you just have to be able to commit to doing so,” she adds. “Regardless of anything that someone has achieved – Olympic gold medallist, world medallist – if you set your mind to it, you can do it so don’t count yourself out. 

“I took that approach when it came to the Europeans. I was racing against Femke [Bol] and Natalia [Kaczmarek], a bunch of athletes who had run really fast times and I just put us all on the same level, because we were all on the same level, we were all in the European final.

“I just tried to remove that preconception that these athletes are better than me, or they’re faster than me, and [gave myself permission] to just go for it. I kind of died at the end but at least I went for it. That was a really good learning experience for me.”

All of that will be poured into her efforts at this year’s World Championships in Budapest. 

“Because I have the time to back it up, that gives me more confidence that I can actually compete with these girls, instead of trying to convince myself that I can compete with them.”

First, however, will come the major focus of the collegiate season. The starting gun for the NCAA Championships will be fired on June 7 and, with this year’s edition being hosted at Adeleke’s home track in Austin, the pressure to perform will be real, particularly given that she was also part of the Longhorns line-up which won the 4x400m title at the Texas Relays last month. 

“[We’re] really close, [there’s a] a really good bond and that definitely helps us when it comes to competitions, because we’re all supporting each other,” she says of the set-up. 

“It’s really good to be in such a positive environment where everyone works with each other to help each other move forward. I couldn’t imagine myself at any other school than Texas. I absolutely love it here.”

Peaking for those championships and then doing likewise in Budapest later in the summer will be no easy task for the student whose degree focuses on Corporate Communication. A similar scenario could lie in wait next year ahead of what Adeleke hopes will be the summer in which she becomes an Olympian.

She may well also graduate in 2024 but, should the right opportunity come along, turning professional before then could become a new reality. The 20-year-old insists it’s not something to which she is giving much thought right now. Her preference is to focus on the long-term plan of overcoming the disappointment of not being selected for Tokyo. That still rankles but has also fuelled a desire not be to be denied again. 

“Now I won’t rely on trying to chase a time or trying to be on a relay team,” says Adeleke, whose love of beauty and fashion means she also harbours ambitions of a modelling career. “I’ll be going out there for myself and being able to do this for me and the people who support me and the people who have helped me to get to this point. It’s just so much bigger than I am. There are so many people who want it for me.”

Adeleke’s profile continues to grow back home. It’s only when she receives messages from her friends and family about the publicity her performances have been generating in Ireland that the realisation really starts to dawn. 

“I’m very naive sometimes to the fact that I’m becoming a bigger name,” she says. 

So would that 15-year-old who made such a big breakthrough on the European stage be surprised at what her world looks like now?

“To be honest, I was always very ambitious,” says Adeleke. “When I was at that stage, I was already looking to the next thing. My 15-year-old self would have been really happy with the way that I’ve progressed and the decisions I’ve made. I think she would be happy because I’m following the plan that she gave me.” 

This feature first appeared in the May issue of AW magazine, which you can buy here

The second edition of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, taking place in the splendour of the Austrian Alps this week, could be the perfect showcase for all things off-road

After its inaugural staging in Thailand last November, the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (WMTRC), heads this week to Europe – specifically the Alpine stage of Innsbruck-Stubai – for its second edition, writes Adrian Stott.

Once again, World Athletics’ vision of working with the different elements of mountain, trail and ultra running to create a true global championships will take centre stage. While Thailand, which had been postponed due to Covid, was deemed to be a success, this month’s event being held in one of the traditional mountain heartlands means hopes are high that competition – and attention – levels will rise and that more nations and athletes will embrace the concept.

There is the added challenge of accommodating these championships in a packed calendar of commercially backed races which attract the top names, too, so we decided to get the views of an administrator and an athlete when it comes to the next steps for the WMTRC.

Standards are set to rise

Sarah Rowell knows a thing or two about international competition, having raced for Great Britain in the 1984 Olympic marathon and in a number of mountain running championships. She is currently a World Mountain Running Association council member and treasurer and has been at the heart of the creation of the WMTRC. 

How was the vision of the WMTRC born?

It probably goes back to 2017 at a meeting of the various interested parties with World Athletics. Before 2017, mountain running was defined by World Athletics, but trail running – which was experiencing massive growth – wasn’t. 

When we talked about officially adding trail running, there was very little difference between the two. At the same time, European Athletics had a formal mountain running championships but World Athletics didn’t. 

European Athletics have been at the forefront of driving what they call off-road running.

In an attempt to ensure that the overall schedule was better for the athletes, it was agreed to move the world event to every other year with a European Championships in alternate years. The European schedule was looked at, and there was a strong view that they didn’t want another ultra-distance race. That’s why the European event has a medium trail race, not a long trail race. That was what the runners wanted. 

What role did World Athletics play in bringing everyone – all of the various organisations behind trail, ultra and mountain running – together? 

It was definitely because of World Athletics, in terms of looking at the definition of the championships within their rule books. There are also key individuals – Alessio Punzi [Head of Running and Mass Participation at World Athletics] being one – who are exceptionally supportive of what mountain and trail running are, and can see the potential both in terms of helping World Athletics deliver what it wants, as well as ensuring that World Athletics truly is the overarching body for all disciplines of athletics, not just the ones they have traditionally focused on. 

Where do you see the WMTRC fitting into a fixture list which is already crowded with federation-led and commercially-led initiatives?

I would love to see the event as a formal World Athletics biennial world championships. It’s one of the things we’re looking at, but that can’t be the only thing. It has to survive alongside the commercial series.

Can we create a way that at least the key people can sit down and look at it? Ultimately, athletes have to earn a living and I would like to see the best mountain and trail runners firstly recognised by the world governing body and, secondly, able to earn a decent living, should they want, through mountain and trail running.

That requires a mix of formal world championships, as well as commercial races. It also means that if you look at the upcoming event in Innsbruck, it will have over 1000 athletes there. That creates the world championships of the future. 

They will require a venue with a large, suitable infrastructure. That’s quite different to some of the current iconic mountain and trail races, which have a small infrastructure. If we get the mix right, they can all survive and thrive.

How do you see the championship developing in the next few years? Do you see it continuing to attract the better runners away from commercial races?

We’re already seeing the numbers are well up from Thailand to Innsbruck. From what I know, I think we’ll see a better standard, or a growing standard. If I’m being blunt, prize money is only part of the issue. The other thing is getting the shoe sponsors on board, and most leading athletes still get most of their income support through their commercial sponsors.

If those sponsors want and see the value in the championships, then the athletes are more likely to want to race them and that’s the same with any world championships. It’s the same with the Olympics, with any event.

So I am hopeful that Innsbruck will build on Thailand and you’ll get more athletes, encouraged by the shoe companies and more brands that see the value in having their top athletes competing. 

Going forward, do you see the championships as a vehicle not just to develop the top end of off-road running, but to improve the global base of the pyramid, as developing athletic nations get on board?

Yes. Running off-road is the biggest growth area in the sport. Part of that is due to nature, part of that is just due to the practicalities of the number of cars on the road now.

There are too many cars, so the trails and mountains is the space that will continue to grow.

There are certain countries who see themselves as trail running countries while there are others that say they’re mountain running countries. If you look at the overall picture, plus the commercial aspect, the off-road space right now is the genuine growth area of the sport with more countries getting involved and wanting to compete at the World Championships.

How was the vision of the WMTRC born?

It probably goes back to 2017 at a meeting of the various interested parties with World Athletics. Before 2017, mountain running was defined by World Athletics, but trail running – which was experiencing massive growth – wasn’t. 

When we talked about officially adding trail running, there was very little difference between the two. At the same time, European Athletics had a formal mountain running championships but World Athletics didn’t. 

European Athletics have been at the forefront of driving what they call off-road running.

In an attempt to ensure that the overall schedule was better for the athletes, it was agreed to move the world event to every other year with a European Championships in alternate years. The European schedule was looked at, and there was a strong view that they didn’t want another ultra-distance race. That’s why the European event has a medium trail race, not a long trail race. That was what the runners wanted. 

What role did World Athletics play in bringing everyone – all of the various organisations behind trail, ultra and mountain running – together? 

It was definitely because of World Athletics, in terms of looking at the definition of the championships within their rule books. There are also key individuals – Alessio Punzi [Head of Running and Mass Participation at World Athletics] being one – who are exceptionally supportive of what mountain and trail running are, and can see the potential both in terms of helping World Athletics deliver what it wants, as well as ensuring that World Athletics truly is the overarching body for all disciplines of athletics, not just the ones they have traditionally focused on. 

Where do you see the WMTRC fitting into a fixture list which is already crowded with federation-led and commercially-led initiatives?

I would love to see the event as a formal World Athletics biennial world championships. It’s one of the things we’re looking at, but that can’t be the only thing. It has to survive alongside the commercial series.

Can we create a way that at least the key people can sit down and look at it? Ultimately, athletes have to earn a living and I would like to see the best mountain and trail runners firstly recognised by the world governing body and, secondly, able to earn a decent living, should they want, through mountain and trail running.

That requires a mix of formal world championships, as well as commercial races. It also means that if you look at the upcoming event in Innsbruck, it will have over 1000 athletes there. That creates the world championships of the future. 

They will require a venue with a large, suitable infrastructure. That’s quite different to some of the current iconic mountain and trail races, which have a small infrastructure. If we get the mix right, they can all survive and thrive.

How do you see the championship developing in the next few years? Do you see it continuing to attract the better runners away from commercial races?

We’re already seeing the numbers are well up from Thailand to Innsbruck. From what I know, I think we’ll see a better standard, or a growing standard. If I’m being blunt, prize money is only part of the issue. The other thing is getting the shoe sponsors on board, and most leading athletes still get most of their income support through their commercial sponsors.

If those sponsors want and see the value in the championships, then the athletes are more likely to want to race them and that’s the same with any world championships. It’s the same with the Olympics, with any event.

So I am hopeful that Innsbruck will build on Thailand and you’ll get more athletes, encouraged by the shoe companies and more brands that see the value in having their top athletes competing. 

Going forward, do you see the championships as a vehicle not just to develop the top end of off-road running, but to improve the global base of the pyramid, as developing athletic nations get on board?

Yes. Running off-road is the biggest growth area in the sport. Part of that is due to nature, part of that is just due to the practicalities of the number of cars on the road now.

There are too many cars, so the trails and mountains is the space that will continue to grow.

There are certain countries who see themselves as trail running countries while there are others that say they’re mountain running countries. If you look at the overall picture, plus the commercial aspect, the off-road space right now is the genuine growth area of the sport with more countries getting involved and wanting to compete at the World Championships.

Where does Innsbruck-Stubai stand in the calendar?

Elsey Davis competed for Great Britain at both the 2022 European and world editions of the new Mountain and Trail Running Championships. She has been selected for the upcoming championships in Innsbruck for the 43km short trail event. A qualified doctor, she is currently taking a sabbatical to concentrate on running and is supported by The North Face.

What were the biggest lessons you learned from competing at the first joint championships at both European and world level last year?

Both times, I managed to travel out there with enough time to see the course beforehand. That helped me visualise how to run the race. Knowing when I could push and when I could relax a little because different parts of the course play to different strengths. 

Travelling early to Thailand helped us all acclimatise to the conditions and I did better in both races than I expected. Having the GB team support out there for a few days beforehand at both events helped, too. There was a lot of experience and advice to tap into. You can also mix and speak with other runners about their race plans.

Having support on the course on race day with drinks and simple things like getting a fresh ice bandana was so helpful in keeping me cool, too. In most races I do, there is an element of self-sufficiency. Having team support on the course helps you manage your race better.

When you know your performance is also contributing to a good team result, then you think less about yourself and more about the team. 

You know the standard will be high in a championship. Individually it’s hard to get on the podium. In my event in both championships, we finished on the podium as a team, which is always a special feeling.

How do you think Austria will compare with Thailand? And will that play more to your strengths? 

I think there’s a greater total elevation in Austria. They’re saying it’s a technical course, but I don’t think it’s as technical as they’re saying it is.

I am hoping to go out and see some of it a little earlier. With the trail events going up to 2000m, I’m also doing some altitude prep. I’ve got an altitude tent at home, and I’ll stay at altitude for a few days beforehand. I think that will make a big difference because last year, when I raced in Europe, as soon as I went over a certain elevation, I found breathing difficult. 

Again, it’s knowing the environment you’re going into and preparing for that. There is also the fact that being in Europe, early in the summer, the competition will be deeper and at a higher standard than the last worlds in Thailand.

As someone trying to make their name in the sport, where do you see the global championships fitting into a crowded calendar? How important an event could it become?

It would be nice if it felt like it was the biggest event of the year rather than the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB). At the minute, it feels like UTMB has taken over, but I don’t think they care for all their runners or their elite athletes at all. It would be nicer if everyone championed the WMTRC as the most important race. Hopefully, we can make that happen.

As professional athletes, we do want to make a living. Currently, the Golden Trail series and the Skyrunning series offer good prize money and a certain amount of support to get to their races compared with UTMB, who make you jump through so many hoops just to qualify and then offer elite athletes very little. Somehow we keep going back to it! 

There are only so many races you can run competitively every year, so we are faced with making choices. It would be nice to see the event as a priority in runners’ race calendars. It’s such an honour to represent your country in any sport.

The reality is it may take a few years for it to grow and be a real draw for all the top athletes. It will be easier for the shorter mountain runners to fit into their year with other events, but not so easy for those doing longer trail races.

The WMTRC should be the equivalent of heptathlon for trail running

British international athlete Tom Evans gives his thoughts on how the world championships could enjoy growth in the coming years

I ran the World Trail Running Championships in 2018, finishing third, and at the time I was really happy. It was a huge result. It kind of led to nothing, though. I understand the pressures that UK Athletics are under but for such a popular and growing sport there is zero interest.

As a professional athlete I get paid for races, whereas if I wanted to go to the World Mountain and Trail Running Champs, UKA would make a contribution for the costs associated with the race but you’re on your own. For me, if the governing body can’t support it then I’ve got very little interest. 

It’s just not got the same reputation as a race like UTMB or Western States. In the future it might, but it will have to take the best athletes in the world doing it and, by putting it in June, everyone has already got their race calendars scheduled. 

Track and field is a fairly well-funded sport whereas, with trail and mountain running, you’ve got athletes who probably can’t afford these things and struggle. It [the WMTRC] is an amazing opportunity but they won’t be able to go because they won’t get support. 

I get funding is a bigger issue but I’d love to sit down with someone at UKA and show them this is the exposure we can get. Look at mental health and how being outside in nature and the mountains can be good for you and be supported from the ground up. 

It’s a bit of a catch 22. You want to do the biggest events and race against the best of the best but they aren’t all competing at the championships.

I’m not trying to take anything away from the athletes who go on to win in any of the races this year but I want to be in the biggest races against those at the top of the tree. That’s happening more in races like UTMB and Western States. 

My view is that the WMTRC should be the equivalent of a heptathlon for trail running over a weekend. Get everyone in the same races. That can be everything from a vertical kilometre and a 10km time trial to a 30km technical mountain race and then finishing it with an 80km long run. 

That way you find out who is the very best at this sport rather than having athletes just compete in one discipline at the championships. I think that would be really interesting for people to watch. 

That change in format would draw in the very best athletes across all the different disciplines of trail running because they’ll want to prove themselves as the best of the best.

Timetable

June 7: Senior men’s and women’s uphill only vertical race. 7.3km (1020m elevation)
June 8: Short trail. 44.6km (3132m)
June 9: Long trail. 85.6km (5554m)
June 10: Junior men and women up and down 7.5km (374m)
June 10: Senior men and women up and down on a two-lap course of 15km (758m) 

This feature first appeared in the May issue of AW magazine, which you can buy here

Karim Benzema will leave Real Madrid when his contract expires this month, the club announced on Sunday, and he is now expected to sign for Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad.

ESPN reported on Thursday that Benzema had decided to leave the LaLiga giants after 14 years, to accept a lucrative offer from a club in Saudi Arabia.

Benzema is Real Madrid's all-time second highest goal scorer and has won a joint-record 25 trophies with the club -- including five Champions Leagues and four LaLiga titles -- as well as the 2022 Ballon d'Or.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

"Real Madrid C.F. and our captain Karim Benzema have agreed to put an end to his brilliant and unforgettable time as a player for our club," Madrid said in a statement. "Real Madrid wants to show its gratitude and all its affection for a player who is already one of our greatest legends.

"Karim Benzema's career at Real Madrid has been an example of behaviour and professionalism, and he has represented the values of our club. Karim Benzema has earned the right to decide his future ...Real Madrid is and will always be his home, and we wish him and his entire family all the best in this new phase of his life."

The club said an event would be held at its training ground on Tuesday, June 6, to pay tribute to Benzema.

ESPN reported earlier in the week that Benzema had been offered a two-year contract worth €400 million to move to Saudi Arabia in January, the same deal as Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Al Nassr after leaving Manchester United.

The centre-forward had been expected to stay at Madrid for one more season until June 2024 but is opting instead to accept a new challenge.

Benzema joined Madrid from Lyon in 2009 and, after a difficult start, found a place alongside Ronaldo and Gareth Bale as one of the club's most successful forward lines.

He took on the mantle of Madrid's lead goal scorer when Ronaldo left in 2018 and had a career-best season last year, scoring 27 times in LaLiga and 15 times in the Champions League as the club won both trophies. That form was recognised when Benzema was awarded the Ballon d'Or in October.

The Madrid captain has struggled with injuries this season, missing the World Cup, but still scored 18 goals in 23 LaLiga games.

His 25 trophies at the club -- a record shared with Marcelo -- consist of four LaLiga titles, five Champions Leagues, three Copas del Rey, four Spanish Supercopas, four UEFA Super Cups and five FIFA Club World Cups.

Claressa Shields returned to her home state of Michigan and left the same way she went in -- as the undefeated, undisputed middleweight champion of the world.

Shields beat challenger Maricela Cornejo by unanimous decision at Detroit's Little Caesars Arena on Saturday night, dominating from start to finish. The judges scored the bout 100-89, 100-90 and 100-90.

"I felt great, landed my shots," Shields said in the ring after the fight. "I won every round. Got to do what I could. ... I went for the knockout I don't know how many times in the fight. Maricela was just tough."

Shields landed massive punches every round, including one that caught Cornejo square in the face and appeared to stagger the challenger, who took the fight on less than two weeks' notice.

Shields (14-0, 2 KO), from Flint, Michigan, was supposed to fight Hanna Gabriels, the only fighter to knock Shields down in her pro career, but Gabriels tested positive for a banned substance and Cornejo stepped in to replace her. It showed.

Cornejo (16-6, 6 KO) absorbed the many power punches Shields threw throughout the fight but very rarely landed her own.

"It was like, I could land most of my shots, but some of them were curving that landed pretty good also," Shields said. "But the straight rights were money, and when I would hit her and hurt her, she would just take off.

"I let her out to the right too many times, so we'll work on that when I get back to the gym."

Saturday's bout was the culmination of a big night for Shields, who wanted to take championship-level boxing back to Detroit, once one of the biggest cities for the sport in the United States. Undisputed junior lightweight champion Alycia Baumgardner, who will defend her titles in Detroit next month, was among the fighters in attendance.

Rapper Kash Doll walked Shields out to the ring, performing along the way -- and briefly in the walkout, Shields and Doll faced each other to sing together. It was a Detroit-themed night as The Four Tops performed the national anthem, each wearing a different jersey of Detroit's four major sports teams.

Shields left her options open for her next opponent but said she will travel to Great Britain next month to attend the undisputed super middleweight title fight between champion Franchon Crews-Dezurn and challenger Savannah Marshall.

Shields has already beaten both opponents -- Crews-Dezurn in 2016 in the debut for both fighters and Marshall in her last fight in October -- but Marshall has been her toughest fight to date. Shadasia Green, the WBC mandatory challenger for the super middleweight title, is expected to fight the winner of Crews-Dezurn vs. Marshall, but Shields could be another option, especially because of her status in the sport.

"I'm only interested in the best," Shields said. "I'll be looking at the fight. I think I'll go over to the U.K., show my face a little bit.

She added: "Whoever wins, if they want to come meet me here at Little Caesars again, and when all my fans come out and watch me fight, I'm all down for it."