Anthony Joshua has agreed to terms to challenge WBC world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury on Dec. 3, with the fight expected to take place at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

Joshua's management company 258 said in a post on Twitter: "258 and Matchroom Boxing can confirm, on behalf of Anthony Joshua, that we accepted all terms presented to us by Fury's team for a fight Dec. 3 last Friday.

"Due to the Queen's passing, it was agreed to halt all communication. We are awaiting a response."

Former WBA-IBF-WBO world heavyweight champion Joshua was outpointed for a second successive time by Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk on Aug. 20 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. But despite back-to-back losses, he was offered another title shot by Fury.

Joshua has accepted a 40-60% deal, but negotiations have been put on hold due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II last Thursday.

Joshua-Fury update:

258 and @MatchroomBoxing can confirm, on behalf of @anthonyjoshua, that we accepted all terms presented to us by Fury's team for a fight Dec 3rd last Friday.

Due to the Queen's passing, it was agreed to halt all communication.

We are awaiting a response.

— 258MGT (@258mgt) September 13, 2022

Joshua (24-3, 22 KOs) had initially hoped to fight again closer to Christmas -- Dec. 17 -- but Fury (32-0-1, 23 KOs) said the deal hinged on fighting either on Nov. 26 or Dec. 3.

The Principality Stadium, where Joshua successfully unified the world heavyweight titles with a points win over Joseph Parker in 2018, could potentially accommodate around 75,000 spectators for Fury vs. Joshua.

With Usyk announcing he will not fight again in 2022 due to injury, Fury switched targets for his next fight and offered Joshua the opportunity to challenge him via social media.

When Fury and Joshua verbally agreed to fight each other in 2020, before both pursued different opponents (Fury fought Deontay Wilder, Joshua fought Usyk), it was claimed the all-English encounter was worth £200 million.

Fury has made two WBC title defences in his second reign as champion and last fought in April when he stopped English rival Dillian Whyte in six rounds.

The Dallas Cowboys will not put Dak Prescott on injured reserve, according to owner Jerry Jones, who thinks the star quarterback "has a real chance" to return within four games.

Jones updated Prescott's status during an interview with 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday, one day after Prescott had right thumb surgery.

Sources told ESPN that Prescott initially was expected to miss six to eight weeks, but Jones was more optimistic Tuesday.

"Dak has a real chance to be back out there throwing the ball pretty quick," he said.

The Cowboys, coming off a disappointing home loss to the Buccaneers in their season opener, host the defending AFC champion Bengals in Week 2 before facing the Giants in Week 3, the Commanders in Week 4 and the reigning Super Bowl champion Rams in Week 5.

Prescott would have to miss a minimum of four games if he were to be placed on IR. The initial six-week minimum timeline for his expected recovery would have had Prescott returning on Oct. 30 against the Bears at the earliest, with a more likely comeback on Nov. 13 against the Packers in Mike McCarthy's return to Lambeau Field. The Cowboys have a Week 9 bye.

Prescott suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday night's 19-3 loss after his throwing hand twice hit the hand of linebacker Shaq Barrett.

Welcome to Week 2 of the NFL regular season.

After a wild opening week, our NFL Power Rankings are, as expected, all over the place. From the Minnesota Vikings dominating the Green Bay Packers at home, to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott suffering a right thumb injury that required surgery after their loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the unexpected happened in Week 1, resulting in some major moves up and down the list.

While there was plenty of movement throughout the rankings, the Josh Allen-led Buffalo Bills stayed put at the top. And even though they handed the Los Angeles Rams a loss on Thursday night, the Rams still stayed in the top five. But two new teams did creep into the top 10 this week, while others fell out.

Along with the rankings, our 32 NFL Nation reporters from around the league provide us with one rookie on each team who made the biggest first impression -- good or bad -- in the first week of the season. Many rookies made a difference this week, including the Jacksonville Jaguars' No. 1 overall pick, Travon Walker, and the Los Angeles Chargers' seventh-round pick, Zander Horvath. And let's not forget Washington Commanders rookie receiver Jahan Dotson, who scored two touchdowns in his debut.

So let's get right into it with our No. 1-ranked team.

Jump to a team:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LV | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

1. Buffalo Bills (1-0)

Preseason ranking: 1

Rookie who stood out: RB James Cook

Unfortunately, the second-round pick stood out for the wrong reason -- fumbling on his first career NFL snap during the Bills' turnover-filled start against the Rams. The Bills recovered from their three turnovers in the first half to finish with a convincing win, but Cook played only two more snaps. With the talent that Buffalo has on offense, his playing time will likely slowly increase over the course of the season. "I'm glad [Cook] got [the fumble] out the way," Von Miller said. "He showed us all types of crazy stuff in practice, man, he's gonna have an excellent year this year." -- Alaina Getzenberg

2. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0)

Preseason ranking: 4

Rookie who stood out: RB Isiah Pacheco

Pacheco led the Chiefs in rushing with 62 yards and scored on a 3-yard run. Sixty of his yards came in the fourth quarter, with the Chiefs resting their starters and protecting a 37-7 lead. But he still showed the hard-running style that led the Chiefs to draft him in the seventh round. One negative for Pacheco was a fumble, though he wound up recovering the ball himself. -- Adam Teicher

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0)

Preseason ranking: 2

Rookie who stood out: G Luke Goedeke

Against the Cowboys, Goedeke had a pass block win rate of 87.5% (14-of-16) and a run block win rate of 70.4% (19-of-27), according to ESPN Stats & Information research. He wasn't perfect, but it was a good first game. Transitioning from playing right tackle in college to playing inside at guard and also transitioning to the left side has been quite an adjustment. Goedeke also helped create some huge holes for running back Leonard Fournette to work with -- he rushed for 127 yards, averaging 6.0 yards per carry with the bulk of those yards coming before contact. -- Jenna Laine

4. Los Angeles Chargers (1-0)

Preseason ranking: 8

Rookie who stood out: FB Zander Horvath

A seventh-round pick from Purdue, Horvath made his debut in a 24-19 win over the division rival Raiders. The rookie fullback proved dependable in the second quarter, when he caught a 1-yard pass from quarterback Justin Herbert to put the Bolts up 10-3. He finished the game with one carry for 2 yards and two catches for 6 yards and a touchdown. Not huge numbers by any stretch, but a solid -- if not unexpected -- contribution from a seventh-round pick. -- Lindsey Thiry

5. Los Angeles Rams (0-1)

Preseason ranking: 3

Rookie who stood out: LB Keir Thomas

Only four rookies played Thursday against the Bills, and Thomas, a rookie free agent from Florida State, was the lone first-year player to play a non-special-teams snap. This is not really surprising, given that the Rams' first draft pick was in the third round, and that top selection, guard Logan Bruss, tore an ACL during a preseason game. Cornerback Cobie Durant, linebacker Jake Hummel and running back Kyren Williams each played on special teams, with Williams injuring his right ankle on his one snap. He has a high ankle sprain that required surgery and will sideline him for six to eight weeks. -- Sarah Barshop

6. Baltimore Ravens (1-0)

Preseason ranking: 9

Rookie who stood out: P Jordan Stout

Stout, the first punter selected in this year's draft, is living up to the hype. He helped the Ravens win the field-position battle by averaging 48.5 yards on six punts and placing half of them inside the 20-yard line. There is a lot of pressure on Stout, who is replacing the longest-tenured player in franchise history (Sam Koch). But Stout proved to be the team's most consistent rookie, outshining first-round picks Tyler Linderbaum and Kyle Hamilton as well as preseason sensation Isaiah Likely. -- Jamison Hensley

7. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)

Preseason ranking: 5

Rookie who stood out: OL Cordell Volson

Volson, a fourth-round pick, made the start at left guard and had some shaky moments. But he showed why the Bengals are so optimistic about his potential. The North Dakota State alum finished with a pass block win rate of 93.1% in the second half, which is above average. Cincinnati knows Volson will have some rookie moments as he continues to adjust to the league. But his work ethic and consistency were major reasons he won the starting job and should boost the left side of the offensive line. -- Ben Baby

8. Green Bay Packers (0-1)

Preseason ranking: 6

Rookie who stood out: WR Christian Watson

No one said standing out had to be in a good way. You get only one chance at your first big play in the NFL, and Watson's came on the very first play of the season. And he dropped it. He ran a beautiful route to blow by Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson for what should have been a 75-yard touchdown. After that, he wasn't targeted until the 3:57 mark of the fourth quarter. -- Rob Demovsky

9. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)

Preseason ranking: 15

Rookie who stood out: DT Jordan Davis

The No. 13 overall pick out of Georgia played 22 defensive snaps (32%) against the Lions and made the most of his opportunities -- recording a pair of tackles, including a stuff. The Eagles were gashed on the ground to the tune of 181 yards on 28 carries (6.5 average) but did not appear as vulnerable when Davis was on the field controlling blockers and reshaping the line of scrimmage. He earned more playing time going forward, starting Monday night against the Vikings. -- Tim McManus

10. Minnesota Vikings (1-0)

Preseason ranking: 23

Rookie who stood out: G Ed Ingram

The right guard was one of two rookies, along with punter Ryan Wright, to play extensively from scrimmage in Week 1. Ingram was decent as a run-blocker, ranking No. 11 among guards in run block win rate, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. But he struggled on passing plays, giving up a third-down sack to Rashan Gary and a third-down pressure to Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark. Overall, Ingram ranked No. 29 among guards in pass block win rate. -- Kevin Seifert

11. Miami Dolphins (1-0)

Preseason ranking: 19

Rookie who stood out: CB Kader Kohou

Kohou earns this title by default, considering he was the only Dolphins rookie to play more than two snaps. But he earned it nevertheless, recording a pass breakup and forcing a fumble in 18 defensive snaps. The undrafted rookie could see that snap count go up over the next few weeks with Byron Jones still on the PUP list until at least Week 5. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques

12. San Francisco 49ers (0-1)

Preseason ranking: 7

Rookie who stood out: G Spencer Burford

The Niners didn't have many good performances from anyone in Week 1, let alone the rookie class. But Burford followed a strong preseason in which he earned a starting job with a solid debut. He played all 67 offensive snaps and posted a 96.2% pass block win rate, which was 15th among guards through Sunday. He was less effective in the run game (65.2%, ranking 40th among guards), but it was an encouraging start for the fourth-round pick out of UTSA. -- Nick Wagoner

13. New Orleans Saints (1-0)

Preseason ranking: 20

Rookie who stood out: WR Chris Olave

Olave's debut is going to get overshadowed by the performances of Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry, but that certainly doesn't take anything away from him. He had the most snaps of any Saints wide receiver and had three catches for 41 yards. Olave, like Thomas and the rest of the offense, didn't really get going until the third quarter, but he was responsible for catching a key 2-point conversion and had a 20-yard reception. Olave will certainly be used a lot this year as the offense starts to jell. -- Katherine Terrell

14. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)

Preseason ranking: 22

Rookie who stood out: RB Jaylen Warren

Even though the Steelers have rookies on the roster who figure to be major players this season, there weren't many opportunities for the young guys to flash on Sunday. Warren, an undrafted rookie, ended up with the most playing time among the rookies (23 offensive snaps). He stepped into a big role when Najee Harris went down at the end of regulation, and though he had only three carries for 7 yards, he figures to have an even bigger role against the Patriots if Harris misses time. Honorable mention standout rookie: third-round pick defensive end DeMarvin Leal, who played 17 snaps. -- Brooke Pryor

15. Denver Broncos (0-1)

Preseason ranking: 12

Rookie who stood out: WR/returner Montrell Washington

It was not a night for many in the Broncos' rookie class to unveil their potential -- two of the 2022 draft picks, S Delarrin Turner-Yell and DE Eyioma Uwazurike, were among the game-day inactives -- so Washington had the only real opportunity of the rookies to make an impact in Week 1. He discovered it's going to be bumpy at times. A 21-yard kickoff return was his best effort in the return game as he didn't quite show the decisiveness he had in the preseason, but his spirit was willing, and he made good decisions for the most part. -- Jeff Legwold

16. Indianapolis Colts (0-0-1)

Preseason ranking: 14

Rookie who stood out: S Nick Cross

The third-round pick started at strong safety and played all 70 defensive snaps for the Colts, recording four tackles in his debut. Cross earning the starting job immediately was a mild surprise given the presence of veteran safety Rodney McLeod, who signed with the Colts earlier this year as a free agent. But Cross' speed and playmaking potential catapulted him into a starting role. -- Stephen Holder

17. Las Vegas Raiders (0-1)

Preseason ranking: 13

Rookie who stood out: G Dylan Parham

The third-round pick was a surprising starter at right guard in the Raiders' season-opening loss at the Chargers. And while he was subbed out by Lester Cotton Sr., Parham did return as part of four different offensive line variations. His 35 offensive snaps (60%) were the fifth most of any Raiders O-lineman in the game. And if center Andre James is unable to go Sunday against Arizona with a concussion, Parham will replace James and the workload will grow. -- Paul Gutierrez

18. Cleveland Browns (1-0)

Preseason ranking: 17

Rookie who stood out: K Cade York

How about a kicker who gave Cleveland its first Week 1 win since 2004 with a game-winning, 58-yard field goal in the final eight seconds? In his NFL debut, York booted one of the biggest kicks in Browns history, saving Cleveland from a disastrous defeat to former quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Carolina Panthers. The Browns expended a fourth-round pick to select York out of LSU, hoping that he would be a special-teams difference-maker. Already, York has proved to be just that. -- Jake Trotter

19. Tennessee Titans (0-1)

Preseason ranking: 11

Rookie who stood out: WR Kyle Philips

Philips' strong training camp carried over to the season opener. The fifth-round pick's impact was felt immediately when his first NFL touch resulted in a 46-yard punt return. The Titans scored a touchdown five plays later. Philips led all Titans receivers with six receptions for 66 yards. His 21-yard reception with 23 seconds left in the fourth quarter helped set up a 47-yard field goal attempt by Randy Bullock that could have won the game. The fact that Ryan Tannehill went to the rookie wideout in that situation says a lot about the level of trust he has earned from the veteran quarterback. The day wasn't perfect for Philips, however. He muffed a punt that the Giants recovered, and he had two drops in the game. -- Turron Davenport

20. Washington Commanders (1-0)

Preseason ranking: 21

Rookie who stood out: WR Jahan Dotson

Dotson caught only three passes for 40 yards, but two catches were for touchdowns and both highlighted his skill as a receiver -- and why Washington is so high on him. He also got open on a couple of other throws but was missed. The No. 16 overall draft pick caught a 7-yard touchdown pass in which he froze the corner, got him leaning outside and then cut back inside to catch a dart from quarterback Carson Wentz. In the fourth quarter he caught the go-ahead touchdown pass, on which he was obstructed and had to make a lunging grab in the end zone. Dotson ran good routes and showed excellent hands -- traits that drew Washington to him in the first place. -- John Keim

21. New England Patriots (0-1)

Preseason ranking: 16

Rookie who stood out: CB Jack Jones

The fourth-round pick from Arizona State played just 11 snaps, but he lands here because of a great lesson he learned from one of them. In coverage against one of the most explosive receivers in the NFL, Tyreek Hill, he was in great position to come down with a 50-50 ball for an interception ... but didn't make the play. Jones has flashed potential to be a sticky cover man, but if he wants to become a finisher, making those type of plays will be an important step. -- Mike Reiss

22. Arizona Cardinals (0-1)

Preseason ranking: 18

Rookie who stood out: DE Cameron Thomas

The Cardinals played just two rookies on Sunday, Thomas and cornerback Christian Matthew. Thomas had a tackle in four snaps and Matthew made a tackle on his only snap. Both could see more reps as the next few games go on because of the struggles Arizona went through Sunday against the Chiefs. -- Josh Weinfuss

23. Seattle Seahawks (1-0)

Preseason ranking: 24

Rookie who stood out: OTs Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas

None of Seattle's rookies had a standout performance against Denver. Some of them (RB Kenneth Walker III) didn't play, while others (CBs Tariq Woolen and Coby Bryant) had some forgettable moments. Left tackle Cross and right tackle Lucas were hardly flawless in their NFL debuts, but the young bookends of Seattle's offensive line did their part to give Geno Smith plenty of clean pockets. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, this marked only the third time since 1970 that an NFL team started a pair of rookie tackles in its season opener. -- Brady Henderson

24. New York Giants (1-0)

Preseason ranking: 28

Rookie who stood out: OT Evan Neal

Kayvon Thibodeaux didn't play. Wan'Dale Robinson left early with a right knee injury. But you didn't hear much about the No. 7 overall pick in Nashville. That's a good thing for an offensive lineman. Neal wasn't dominant by any stretch of the imagination. But he wasn't a complete liability, which by rookie offensive line standards is considered a success. In fact, Neal did some really good things in the run game. It helped the Giants dominate the second half on the ground and helped Neal leave a positive first impression. -- Jordan Raanan

25. Chicago Bears (1-0)

Preseason ranking: 25

Rookie who stood out: DE Dominique Robinson

The Bears got the consistency they hoped would show up from their high-ceiling fifth-rounder who began playing defensive end only two years ago. Robinson logged 1.5 sacks, two quarterback hits, one tackle for loss and seven total tackles -- which was the second-largest output by any Chicago defender in a 19-10 win over the San Francisco 49ers. What's most impressive is how effective Robinson was in limited action. The defensive end was on the field for only 28 of 68 total defensive snaps. -- Courtney Cronin

26. Dallas Cowboys (0-1)

Preseason ranking: 10

Rookie who stood out: OT Tyler Smith

The No. 24 overall pick was serviceable in his first start replacing Tyron Smith. Remember, he took no snaps at left tackle in the preseason and had just a handful of days at work there in practice before facing the Buccaneers. And he spent most of the game playing with an almost equally inexperienced left guard in Matt Farniok. He had a false start penalty and some other missteps, but for a first start with such little time on task at that spot, he was good enough. The question is how much longer will he stay there. With Connor McGovern suffering a high ankle sprain, the Cowboys might move him to left guard once veteran tackle Jason Peters gets up to speed. -- Todd Archer

27. Detroit Lions (0-1)

Preseason ranking: 26

Rookie who stood out: LB Malcolm Rodriguez

Many people didn't know what to expect when the Lions drafted Rodriguez as a sixth-rounder this summer, but the rookie earned a starting role in his NFL debut at linebacker, racking up six total tackles -- including a tackle for loss. The Oklahoma State product is becoming a fan favorite after being prominently featured on HBO's "Hard Knocks." Although No. 2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson gets a ton of hype, and rightfully so, the 23-year-old -- nicknamed "Rodrigo" -- is proving to be another top option on defense. -- Eric Woodyard

28. Carolina Panthers (0-1)

Preseason ranking: 29

Rookie who stood out: LT Ikem Ekwonu

Ekwonu unfortunately stood out for the wrong reasons. He gave up consecutive sacks to Myles Garrett in the second half, the second after he was given help from the tight end. Garrett was one of two Browns with a pass rush win rate (36.4 %) among the top 10 in the NFL Sunday. Overall, not a disaster, although we didn't see Ekwonu's ability to dominate as a run-blocker. The Panthers rushed for only 54 yards. -- David Newton

29. Atlanta Falcons (0-1)

Preseason ranking: 32

Rookie who stood out: WR Drake London

We didn't know what the Falcons were going to get out of London, who was injured in the preseason opener against Detroit and didn't return to practice until last Monday. But he showed he could slide into an NFL lineup with ease, tying for the team lead in targets along with tight end Kyle Pitts (seven) and leading Atlanta with five receptions for 74 yards. He also showed a willingness to run block, so a good overall first game for London. -- Michael Rothstein

30. Houston Texans (0-0-1)

Preseason ranking: 31

Rookie who stood out: CB Derek Stingley Jr.

Stingley allowed only two catches on five targets and finished with a pass breakup on Colts wideout Alec Pierce in the end zone to prevent a touchdown. Colts QB Matt Ryan's expected completion percentage when targeting Stingley was 57%, but he completed only 40% of his passes according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Stingley's technique and ball skills were sound throughout the day. -- DJ Bien-Aime

31. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)

Preseason ranking: 27

Rookie who stood out: LB Travon Walker

How about a sack and an interception to go along with three tackles for the No. 1 overall pick in his debut? The interception was pretty impressive: He stopped his pass rush when he saw Antonio Gibson out of the corner of his eye slide in behind him, moved to his left and extended his arms to grab Carson Wentz's pass. Walker returned the interception to the 11-yard line and the Jaguars scored on the next play to take a 22-14 fourth-quarter lead. Walker said after the game a No. 1 overall pick is expected to make big plays, and he needs to make more of them. -- Michael DiRocco

32. New York Jets (0-1)

Preseason ranking: 30

Rookie who stood out: CB Sauce Gardner

The No. 4 overall pick was very good in his debut. He played every defensive snap, broke up a long pass in the end zone and allowed only two receptions for 19 yards on four targets as the nearest defender, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. The Jets allowed three touchdown passes to Lamar Jackson, but Gardner wasn't in the area on any of them. A couple of times, he was used on the Ravens' big tight ends because of his size (6-foot-3). That kind of versatility makes him a useful chess piece for the defensive coaches. No doubt, some teams will go after the rookie more than the Ravens did, but he passed his first test easily. -- Rich Cimini

THE CHICAGO BULLS were hosting the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 14 in a marquee matchup featuring, at the time, the top seed in the East versus the top seed in the West, but one that quickly turned into a disaster for the home team.

Bulls guard Zach LaVine had already left the game in the opening minutes of the first quarter because of a knee injury that would linger for the rest of the season and now the Bulls were trailing by more than 30 points with about five minutes to go in the third quarter.

After Stephen Curry knocked down another 3-pointer to extend the Warriors' lead, Bulls coach Billy Donovan called a timeout with 5:02 remaining in the game. Coming out of the huddle, rookie guard Ayo Dosunmu replaced a wincing Lonzo Ball for the duration, a seemingly innocuous move with the team facing such a large deficit.

Ball's health wasn't even a topic during the postgame news conference that night, with concerns about LaVine's MRI scheduled for the following day and the Bulls' third double-digit loss in four games dominating the conversation.

Unbeknownst to everyone at the time, including Ball himself, he would not play another minute for the rest of the 2021-22 season.

Ball was ruled out of the following game the next day because of left knee soreness. By the next week, the team announced he would require arthroscopic knee surgery with a recovery timeline of six to eight weeks.

Ball was the catalyst for Chicago's red-hot start through the first half of last season with his pesky defense serving as a constant disrupter, his vision in the passing lanes producing easy transition baskets and his knowledge of the game leaving teammates raving. The Bulls were off to a 27-13 start when Ball injured his knee; they finished 19-23 down the stretch without him.

Ball turns 25 on Oct. 27 but played in 35 games last season, a career low during his five-year NBA tenure. But even in a handful of games, Ball's talent and impact on the court has been clear. What has been less clear has been his ability to stay healthy.

"He's gotten better every year; he was having another career year last year," Bulls guard Alex Caruso told ESPN earlier this month. "Shooting was lights out, the usage was up, assist percentage was up. Defensively, me and him went like top 5-10 guards in the league, on ball defense.

"We were that team last year [that couldn't stay healthy]. After maybe November, I don't think we had a full team, even through the playoffs. [Ball] is a worker, so he'll come back ready."

Now eight months have passed, and it remains unclear when Ball will be ready to rejoin the Bulls. There is confidence the bone bruise and meniscus tear is structurally sound following the surgery, but Ball still experiences pain when attempting certain basketball activities. Sources told ESPN earlier this month that Ball is not expected to participate when the team begins training camp, and he seems almost certain to miss the start of the regular season.

Here is a timeline of how a projected eight-week return for Ball turned into a summer filled with question marks.

Jan. 19, 2022: Donovan tells reporters Ball's left knee is not responding to the team's initial treatment plan.

Jan. 20, 2022: Ball is diagnosed with a bone bruise and small meniscus tear in his left knee that will require arthroscopic surgery following an "initial period of rest and targeted intervention."

Jan 28, 2022: Ball undergoes surgery in Los Angeles with Dr. Neal Elattrache.

March 12, 2022: During a video produced by the team, Ball is shown lifting weights and running on the court at the team practice facility, and he says: "Feeling pretty good. Obviously, it's a slow process. I definitely want to get back on the court as soon as possible."

March 21, 2022: With Ball experiencing discomfort while running, the Bulls announce they will "pull back" on Ball's rehab process, pushing him past the initial timeline.

March 31, 2022: Ball restarts the rehab process.

April 6, 2022: The Bulls officially rule Ball out for the rest of the 2021-22 season and playoffs. In a news release, the team says he is still experiencing pain with high-level physical activity.

WITH THREE GAMES remaining in the regular season -- on the morning between back-to-back games against the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics, two of Chicago's most likely potential playoff opponents -- the Bulls officially announced Ball would not return for the 2021-22 season.

By that point, the announcement felt like a fait accompli. The previous night, following a double-digit loss to the Bucks, Demar DeRozan was asked about the impact Ball made this season and reminisced on the "swagger and excitement" Ball's presence had brought to the team before finishing by saying Ball's "health is more important than anything."

The Bulls knew they were running up against the clock, but they had hoped a 10-day pause near the end of March would help with the discomfort Ball was feeling from running. When Donovan admitted earlier in the week Ball was having the same issues when they tried to ramp him back up, the end of his season seemed near. After the season, Ball acknowledged he was "going at it pretty hard" trying to get back on the court.

The Bulls were in first place for most of the first half of the season before their roster started getting decimated by injuries, and there was internal belief in giving their roster another chance, alongside the return of Patrick Williams, who missed most of last season because of a wrist injury.

"Especially for the younger guys it'll be a lot better for them just to kind of already have that understanding of what we want to try and do," Caruso said. "For the older guys on the team, it's understanding how everybody likes to get to their spots. What you're going to get from everybody night in and night out so you understand how to play with guys or what looks they're looking for coming off pick-and-rolls or transition or isolation.

"I think that extra year of us not having to learn on the go is going to be really beneficial."

Before Ball's injury, the Bulls ranked sixth in points per game off turnovers while Ball ranked in the top 10 in the league in transition assists. He shot a career-high 42.3% from 3 on 7.4 attempts per game helping keep Chicago's 3-point shooting afloat -- despite taking the fewest number of 3s in the NBA (30.3 attempts per game), the Bulls made them with the highest frequency (38.6%).

However, in Ball's absence, those traits all but disappeared from the Bulls' offense. They plunged toward the bottom in points per game off turnovers (26th) and failed to replicate his 3-point shooting, still attempting the fewest 3s in the league but now making them with the 22nd-most frequency.

During their first-round playoff series, Milwaukee all but dared Chicago to beat it from behind the line, and the Bulls couldn't capitalize, shooting a league-worst 28% from 3 in the postseason.

"Every time you watch the game, you feel like you can leave an impact on the game," Ball said during his end of the season exit interview in April. "I feel like my shooting could've for sure helped. And also obviously defensively versus the guys they have on the other side that are All-Stars.

"You can't change what already happened. I couldn't be out there. So I didn't tell the guys, 'Oh, I wish I was out there with y'all.' Or, 'I could've been doing this if I was there.' It was more about them. They were there. They were ready. And I was just encouraging them."

April 8, 2022: Bulls lose to the Charlotte Hornets, locking them into sixth in the East.

April 20, 2022: Bulls shock the Bucks in Game 2, their last win of the season.

April 27, 2022: The Bulls are eliminated in Game 5 of their first-round series against the Bucks.

April 28, 2022: At his exit interview, Ball says his knee recovery is at a standstill.

"Obviously something needs to be addressed this summer. A lot more leg workouts as opposed to probably upper body. I'm going to work with the doctors and strength coaches and do what I've got to do to get healthy."

May 18, 2022: Ball's father, Lavar, tells NBC Sports Chicago he took issue with how quickly his son began running again after the surgery. "It's too fast and it's too hard, and that's when I knew he's not going to be able to play. They're training him the wrong way."

June 23, 2022: Speaking to reporters on the night of the NBA draft, Bulls general manager Marc Eversley says Bulls performance staff is working with Ball and Ball's trainers on his rehab in Los Angeles. When asked whether Ball would be ready for training camp, Eversley says he "certainly hopes so."

AS THE BULLS' summer league squad took the floor at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas for their first game against the Dallas Mavericks on July 8, a large contingent of the current Bulls formed a cheering section down the sidelines.

Bulls vice president Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley sat in seats along the baseline aside coach Billy Donovan and a few assistant coaches, while 40% of their current roster sat to their right along the sidelines -- DeRozan, Williams, Coby White, Javonte Green, Ayo Dosunmu and Ball.

Ball wore an all-black T-shirt with black shorts while sporting a black Washington Nationals cap. He smiled and politely declined an interview with reporters as to not detract from the summer league team's 100-99 overtime win that day but said he was doing well as he made toward the exit.

But a few days later during a broadcast of another summer league game Karnisovas delivered a less-than-encouraging assessment of Ball's status, saying Ball was "getting better, probably not at the speed we would like."

Since becoming lead executive in April 2020, Karnisovas has flipped the bulk of the roster, with only LaVine and White remaining from the players he inherited. But after 18 months of roster overhaul, "continuity" has been the buzzword while the team remained quiet at both the trade deadline and during the offseason. After re-signing LaVine to a max contract, the Bulls added a couple of veterans in Andre Drummond and Goran Dragic.

"I hope for continuity because we're constantly competing against teams that have been together for three, four, five years," Karnisovas said at his exit interview on April 28. "Results come obviously when you keep the same group [and] when you keep the same group longer."

The Bulls made an attempt to address their lack of shooting in the offseason and were in the running to sign forward Danilo Gallinari before he chose to sign with the Boston Celtics and eventually suffered a torn ACL this summer. Adding a 14-year NBA veteran like Dragic, a career 36.2% 3-point shooter, could help provide a boost from behind the line, but the move was intended to provide guard depth and veteran presence behind the team's two young guards, Dosunmu and White, per a team source.

But the team's lack of major additions this offseason once again underscores the heighted importance of getting Ball back this season.

"We missed him greatly this year," Karnisovas said at the end of last season. "We missed his size, we missed him pushing the break. We got a little bit slower the second half of the season. ... We're missing him, but we also have to pay attention to what's going on there and we'll try and figure it out."

While the Bulls were focused on keeping their roster intact, the Eastern Conference appears to have gotten more competitive around them. The Bulls finished in sixth place in the East last season, but the three teams that finished directly behind them are the Brooklyn Nets, with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving committed to the roster (for now at least), the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who made major trades this offseason to add Dejounte Murray and Donovan Mitchell, respectively.

The Bulls have a deep rotation of guards to absorb a potential absence from Ball with LaVine and Caruso rounded out by White, Dosunmu and Dragic coming off the bench. But after returning to the postseason for the first time in five years, the Bulls find themselves in a familiar position for the organization: entering a season with their playoff hopes, perhaps, hinging on the health of their point guard.

TORONTO -- The Tampa Bay Rays put three new pitchers on the roster Monday before a pivotal four-day, five-game series against wild-card rival Toronto, adding right-hander Cooper Criswell as a substitute player to start the opener.

Tampa Bay also selected righties Kevin Herget and Javy Guerra from Triple-A Durham.

The Rays put unvaccinated left-hander Brooks Raley on the restricted list ahead of their second and final regular-season visit to Canada and optioned right-handers Calvin Faucher and Luis Patino to Triple-A.

Also Monday, the Rays transferred left-hander Brendan McKay (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL.

To enter the country, the Canadian government requires a person to have received a second COVID-19 vaccine dose -- or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine -- at least 14 days before entry. Unvaccinated players go on the restricted list because they are not paid and do not accrue major league service time, according to a March agreement between Major League Baseball and the players' association.

Raley will lose $93,407 of his $4.25 million salary during the series, which runs from Monday to Thursday. He forfeited the same amount when he missed the Rays' first series at Toronto this year, from June 30 to July 3, bringing his total loss to $186,814.

A 34-year-old left-hander, Raley is 1-1 with a 2.03 ERA and six saves in 52 appearances.

Rays reliever Ryan Thompson, who went on the restricted list for the Rays' first trip to Toronto, is on the injured list with right triceps inflammation.

Tampa Bay (78-61), which lost 3-2 to Toronto on Monday, is a half-game behind the Jays and idle Seattle (79-61) in the standings for the three wild-card spots after play Monday. Baltimore (73-67) was 5½ games behind the Rays.

The Rays trail the Yankees (85-56) by 6 games in the AL East race. Toronto is 5½ games behind New York.

Criswell will face Blue Jays right-hander José Berríos in his Rays debut Monday. Criswell, who was claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels in July, will make his second career appearance and first since Aug. 27, 2021, when he allowed three runs in 1⅓ innings in a loss to San Diego.

Tampa Bay shortstop Wander Franco is not in the starting lineup Monday. Franco returned Friday after missing two months because of a wrist injury and played all three games of a weekend series against the Yankees. Manager Kevin Cash said Franco was available off the bench.

The Rays and Blue Jays will play a doubleheader Tuesday, the second of two scheduled this year to make up for early-season games wiped out by the lockout.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The latest track and field round-up includes a big hammer throw in Woodford and another masters record for Luton athlete

BRAT JUNIOR FIELD FEST, Birmingham (U), September 11

U17 mixed events: HJ: 1 C Cook (R&N, U13) 1.45

U20 men: HT: 1 C Richardson (A’dare) 44.01

U17: HT: 1 J Callaghan (BRAT) 44.04

U15: JT: 1 O Boon (Yate) 42.86

Women: DT: 1 E Baker (Lon Hth, U15) 27.59

U13: SP: 1 B Pendlebury (Traff) 10.47.

DT: 1 B Pendlebury (Traff) 32.15

KINGSTON SEPTEMBER OPEN, Hull, September 11

U17 women: JT: 1 B Moodie (KuH) 36.23

U13: DT: 1 L Hope (KuH) 21.68

Full results are here

RON BOWDEN AUTUMN MEMORIAL, Woodford, September 11

Charlotte Payne came close to her hammer PB and Anna Purchase’s UK lead of 70.63m with a 70.12m throw.

Kai Barham was another close to his best and he threw 70.03m in the under-17 hammer.

Men: HT:

B: 1 S Thurgood (Ports, M45) 50.39; 2 S Whyte (TVH, M55) 40.47.

C: 1 T Head (NEB) 64.10.

HT: A: 1 S Talbot (Dartf, M50) 34.83

Mixed events:

HT: A: 1 R Robert (Dartf, U15) 35.04.

B: 1 L Moffat (Mil K, U20W) 48.99; 2 S Sikiru (WG&EL, W) 47.26; 3 O Austin (NEB, U20W) 42.43; 5 B Gates (Swale, U15) 36.27.

HT: A: 1 D Presswell (Mil K, W55) 32.40

U20: HT: B: 1 N Wooding (WG&EL) 47.10

U17: HT: C: 1 K Barham (Dartf) 70.03; 2 C Elford Pond (Win) 61.40; 3 F Ogunwolu (Bas) 55.15; 4 W Larkins (Col H) 45.61

M50: HT: C: 1 G Holder (Bexley) 52.86

M60: HT: A: 1 A Rushbrook (Bexley) 36.96

Women:

HT: C: 1 C Payne (Read) 70.12; 2 Z Price (Liv H) 58.98; 3 L Marshall (WG&EL, W40) 50.56; 4 L Murray (Swale, U20) 49.34.

HT: B: 1 H Still (Dartf, U17) 49.18; 2 S Lawrence (Thurr, W50) 37.55

U17: HT: C: 1 W Bedding (Hunts) 53.64; 2 C Harris (WSEH) 45.72

Full results are here

WEST YORKSHIRE LEAGUE, Cleckheaton, September 11

Men: JT: 1 E Hinchliffe (Holm) 55.10

U15: 800: 1 C McAndrew (Wake) 2:03.2; 2 R Mirfin (Sky) 2:03.8

Women: 

SP: 1 L Holmes (Wake) 11.37; 2 J Ibbitson (Wake, W65) 7.92. DT: 2 J Ibbitson (Wake, W65) 25.79. HT: 1 J Ibbitson (Wake, W65) 24.51

Full results are here

TRAFFORD COMBINED EVENTS CLASSIC & OPEN MEETING, Stretford, September 10-11

U13 mixed events: 75: r1: 1 C Peter-Thomas (B’burn, U13W) 10.05; 2 E Anwyl (Sale, U13W) 10.08.

150: r1: 1 E Anwyl (Sale, U13W) 20.10; 2 C Peter-Thomas (B’burn, U13W) 20.35

Men: 100: D (0.1): 1 D Scott (SHS, M50) 11.78.

400: 1 D Scott (SHS, M50) 56.13.

HJ: D: 1 D Scott (SHS, M50) 1.59.

LJ: 1 D Scott (SHS, M50) 5.26

U15: HJ: B: 1 E Adams (NSP, U13) 1.63.

HT: 2 S Gooddy (Bury) 35.59.

JT: 1 I Bromwich (Dees) 45.01

U13: 75H: P2: 1 (Deeside AAC, SEN) 12.62.

HJ: P: 1 (Deeside AAC, SEN) 1.50.

Pen: 1 (Deeside, SEN) 1930; 2 D Oakes (Sale) 1663; 3 O Cooper (Bury) 1610; 4 A Lee (Traff) 1406

M45: Dec: 1 R Cordwell (Chor ATC) 4389

M50: 100H (0.9): 1 D Scott (SHS) 16.67.

Dec: 1 D Scott (SHS) 6386

Women: 100H: Ht: 1 G Bower (Liv H) 14.89; 3 N Rutter (BWF, W35) 16.26.

HJ: Ht: 2 N Rutter (BWF, W35) 1.53.

LJ: Ht: 2 N Rutter (BWF, W35) 4.70.

SP: Ht: 1 N Rutter (BWF, W35) 11.31.

Hep: 1 S Whittaker (Sale) 4089; 2 (Amber V, M) 3109

U17: 80H: Ht: 1 K Jones (Kend) 11.88.

Hep: 1 K Jones (Kend) 4236

U15: 75H: P6: 1 O Schrimshaw (Dees) 11.71; 2 V Anestik (Falk) 11.80.

LJ: PB: 1 O Schrimshaw (Dees) 5.24.

JT: 2 L Oldale (Sale) 38.11.

Pen: 1 O Schrimshaw (Dees) 2804

U13: 70H: P4: 1 M Skelton (York) 11.95.

HJ: P: 1 L Hewitt (Wig D) 1.41.

LJ: P: 1 L Hewitt (Wig D) 4.52.

Pen: 1 M Skelton (York) 2255; 2 L Hewitt (Wig D) 2246; 3 A Ely (Prest) 2135; 4 H Webster (Wirr) 2095

W35: Hep: N Rutter (BWF) 4386

Full results are here

SOUTH OF ENGLAND U15/17 INTER COUNTIES CHAMPIONSHIPS, Horspath, September 10

U17 men:

100 (1.9): 1 O Acquah (Essex) 10.92; 2 R Anthony-Deyemo (Berks) 10.97; 3 V Charles (Middx) 11.11; 4 J Oldham (Hants) 11.14.

r1 (2.6): 1 O Acquah (Essex) 10.99; 2 R Anthony-Deyemo (Berks) 11.10; 3 L Godfrey (Kent) 11.20.

r2 (1.6): 1 J Oldham (Hants) 11.17; 2 V Charles (Middx) 11.20.

400: 4 S Samuel (Sussex, U15) 53.58.

r1: 2 S Samuel (Sussex, U15) 53.18.

800: 1 M Ayling (Suffolk) 1:55.74; 2 G Ward (Herts) 1:55.86; 3 A Riley (Sussex) 1:56.34.

1500: 1 B Peck (Suffolk) 3:59.56.

100H: 1 N Hanson (Essex) 13.1; 2 R Mourtada (Kent) 13.4; 3 D Clarke (Surrey) 14.0.

r1 (0.6): 1 N Hanson (Essex) 13.21; 2 D Clarke (Surrey) 14.01.

r2 (1.3): 1 R Mourtada (Kent) 13.68.

400H: 1 C West (Kent) 57.56; 2 Z Williams (Hants) 58.28.

HJ: 1 C Seago (Essex) 2.00.

PV: 1 O Witcombe (Kent) 3.90.

LJ: 1 H Christian (Surrey) 6.53/1.3.

SP: 1 T Scottow (Hants) 16.15; 2 A Brown (Suffolk) 14.84; 3 T Babatunde (Kent) 14.26; 4 A Abebrese (Surrey) 13.48; 5 A Akende (Essex) 13.42.

DT: 1 T Babatunde (Kent) 53.20; 2 A Brown (Suffolk) 42.76; 3 S Simpson (Berks) 42.63; 4 T Scottow (Hants) 42.28.

HT: 1 K Barham (Kent) 64.00; 2 C Elford Pond (Hants) 61.37; 3 F Hanham (Berks) 52.62; 4 A Brown (Suffolk) 46.27; 5 O Staples (Sussex) 39.69.

JT: 1 F Mcardle Hodge (Kent) 61.61; 2 G Johnson (Surrey) 59.69; 3 B Williams (Essex) 50.19; 4 K Greening (Middx) 49.94

U15:

100 (1.2): 1 Z Azabdaftery (Middx) 11.32; 2 C Fisher (Sussex) 11.36; 3 N Graham (Essex) 11.43; 4 V Redman (Kent) 11.44.

r1 (2.9): 1 C Fisher (Sussex) 11.45; 2 V Redman (Kent) 11.57.

r2 (1.8): 1 Z Azabdaftery (Middx) 11.24; 2 N Graham (Essex) 11.51.

200 (1.6): 1 A Foster (Essex) 23.20; 2 C Presnail (Berks) 23.53.

300: 1 F Hake (Surrey) 37.06; 2 S Brown (Middx) 37.18; 3 T Niewczasinski-Kirkland (Essex) 38.37.

r1: 1 F Hake (Surrey) 37.89.

800: 1 F McLaren (Essex) 2:03.86; 2 J Pepin (Hants) 2:04.19; 3 H Verster (Kent) 2:05.52; 4 N Scott-Donkin (Cambs) 2:05.88.

1500: 1 S Scrase-Field (Kent) 4:16.88.

80H (2.5): 1 W Allinson (Surrey) 11.63; 2 E Hughes (Essex) 11.64; 3 T Croft (Berks) 11.71; 4 H London (Herts) 11.72; 5 H Nmaju (Kent) 11.99.

r1 (2.5): 1 E Hughes (Essex) 11.78; 2 H Nmaju (Kent) 11.85.

r2 (1.7): 1 W Allinson (Surrey) 11.71; 2 H London (Herts) 11.84; 3 T Croft (Berks) 11.86.

HJ: 1 O Horton (Sussex) 1.73.

PV: 1 C Platt (Kent) 3.60.

LJ: 1 H Nmaju (Kent) 6.06/0.8; 2 J Sobrasuaipiri (Sussex) 5.95/0.7; 3 S Silly (Surrey) 5.90/0.9.

TJ: 1 D Osei-Poku (Essex) 13.00/1.6; 2 L Sorhaindo (Middx) 12.00/1.8; 3 N Clarke (Surrey) 11.92/1.6.

SP: 1 S Hatch (Kent) 14.42; 2 S Das (Berks) 12.83.

DT: 1 G Mutandwa (Herts) 45.99; 2 A Henry-Daire (Berks) 40.78; 3 J Burgess (Hants) 36.98; 4 S Hatch (Kent) 33.90.

HT: 1 A Axtell (Hants) 44.05; 2 J Buscombe (Essex) 41.95; 3 S Das (Berks) 41.07; 4 J Campbell (Suffolk) 38.70.

JT: 1 B Hastings (Sussex) 51.12; 2 E Ibrahim (Kent) 50.25; 3 A Henry-Daire (Berks) 43.88

U17 women:

100 (1.1): 1 T Rizzo (Herts) 12.10; 2 K Slater (Berks) 12.16.

r1 (0.6): 1 K Slater (Berks) 12.35.

200 (1.2): 1 E Lucas (Hants) 25.25; 2 H Medlen (Kent) 25.49.

400: 1 C Harvey (Surrey) 57.58; 2 I Wilson (Berks) 59.79.

800: 1 A Hedge (Herts) 2:12.83; 2 M Kent (Hants) 2:14.70; 3 C Wormley (Surrey) 2:15.33; 4 H Watson (Essex) 2:15.86.

1500: 1 R Le Fay (Sussex) 4:44.80.

80H (2.0): 1 P King (Essex) 11.16.

r1 (1.5): 1 P King (Essex) 11.09.

300H: 1 S Okoro (Essex) 43.15; 2 S Osborn (Surrey) 46.43.

HJ: 1 M Judd (Hants) 1.70; 2 M Secker (Kent) 1.65.

PV: 1 A Smith Jarman (Sussex) 3.00; 2 B Norvill (Surrey) 2.70.

LJ: 1 H Lawrence (Essex) 5.39/1.6.

TJ: 1 O Nzekwe (Essex) 11.40/2.9; 2 A Purcell (Sussex) 11.03/1.3; 3 E Algeo (Kent) 10.84/2.1.

SP: 1 M Hopkins (Essex) 13.74; 2 E Bostock (Herts) 13.66; 3 H Bridge (Kent) 13.65.

DT: 1 E McBriar (Hants) 34.05; 2 M Hopkins (Essex) 32.60; 3 C Sarr (Middx) 32.00; 4 H Bridge (Kent) 32.00.

HT: 1 W Bedding (Cambs) 50.52; 2 E MacDonald (Hants) 49.37; 3 H Still (Kent) 48.36; 4 C Harris (Berks) 46.51; 5 N Akyol (Suffolk) 46.30.

JT: 1 D Yelling (Sussex) 47.47; 2 A Palmer (Berks) 39.87; 3 I Law (Hants) 38.17

U15:

100 (1.9): 1 E Taylor (Surrey) 12.38.

r2 (1.2): 1 E Taylor (Surrey) 12.37.

200 (1.4): 1 E Rennie (Surrey) 25.39.

r1 (0.9): 1 E Rennie (Surrey) 25.8.

300: 1 L Brown (Surrey) 40.13; 2 S Omotosho (Essex) 41.04; 3 M Barnes (Berks) 41.22; 4 M Paitoo (Middx) 41.46; 5 A Firla (Kent) 41.63; 6 L Bertacchini (Hants) 41.86.

r1: 1 L Brown (Surrey) 41.51; 2 M Paitoo (Middx) 41.60; 3 M Barnes (Berks) 41.73.

r2: 1 S Omotosho (Essex) 41.40; 2 A Firla (Kent) 42.42; 3 L Bertacchini (Hants) 42.79.

800: 1 N Wynn (Essex) 2:13.90; 2 M Barlow (Kent) 2:15.60; 3 D Hodgson (Hants) 2:15.85; 4 B Taylor (Suffolk) 2:17.97.

1500: 1 K Pye (Surrey) 4:44.17.

75H (0.6): 1 L Wagstaff (Cambs) 11.22; 2 R Wright (Essex) 11.37; 3 E Lacey (Kent) 11.60.

r1 (3.0): 1 L Wagstaff (Cambs) 11.24; 2 R Wright (Essex) 11.42.

r2 (2.6): 1 E Lacey (Kent) 11.52; 2 J Howells (Surrey) 11.79.

HJ: 1 D Corp (Herts) 1.60.

PV: 1 I Clarke (Sussex) 2.80; 2 L Trott (Hants) 2.60; 2 E Pawson (Kent) 2.60; 4 M Dodd (Surrey) 2.60.

LJ: 1 I Amartey (Kent) 5.40/1.2; 2 A Fairmaner (Essex) 5.29/1.2; 3 G Osman (Hants) 5.25/2.2; 4 T Mason (Beds) 5.24/2.0.

TJ: 1 I Amartey (Kent) 10.76/1.0; 2 E Hutton (Hants) 10.22/1.6; 3 A Thomas (Middx) 10.07/1.7.

SP: 1 I Stamp (Surrey) 13.59; 2 M Hewitt (Essex) 11.26.

DT: 1 M Farrar (Surrey) 34.81; 2 A Thomas (Middx) 32.28; 3 R Roberts (Sussex) 29.79; 4 E Simpson (Kent) 29.45; 5 A McBriar (Hants) 26.99.

HT: 1 A Howie (Sussex) 52.46; 2 E Scott (Hants) 34.11; 3 L Webb (Kent) 33.02.

JT: 1 E Christian (Surrey) 41.67; 2 H Court (Kent) 36.90; 3 A McBriar (Hants) 33.25; 4 C McGonnell (Berks) 32.77

Full results are here

GLOUCESTER AC SEPTEMBER OPEN, Gloucester, September 8

Mixed events:

3000: r1: 3 T Whetton (Western Tempo, U17) 8:48.9; 6 C Thornley (Chelt, U20W) 9:46.8; 8 R Hamilton-James (W’bury, W) 9:52.0.

r2: 5 T Hinxman (Glouc, W45) 10:43.3

LATE SEASON OPEN MEETING, Parliament Hill, September 7

Mixed events:

100: r1 (-0.1): 2 A Long (Herne H, M80) 15.68.

800: 4 M Russell (Col H, M50) 2:06.65.

LJ: 3 S Nash (TVH, M50) 5.30

STAN ALLEN MILES, Tooting Bec, September 7

Mixed events:

Mile: r3: 6 L Woolhouse (Vets, W60) 6:14.0.

r4: 2 L Thomas (HW, W55) 5:47.8.

r6: 2 N Sturzaker (Herne H, W45) 5:35.1.

r7: 3 I Harrison (HW, U13W) 5:19.8; 4 T Tuohy (Dulw, M60) 5:20.2; 5 R Beswick (B&B, M60) 5:22.6; 7 C Elms (Kent, W55) 5:26.5.

r8: 2 T Booth (G&G, M55) 4:59.5; 5 D Lewis (Hill, U13) 5:12.6.

r9: 8 G Englefield (S Lon, M45) 4:56.7; 9 A Russell (Dulw, M45) 4:58.5.

r10: 5 G Bell (SB, W) 4:38.1; 9 M de Freitas (HW, M50) 4:52.9

Full results are here

TAVISTOCK AC SUMMER SERIES, Tavistock, September 7

U15 girls: DT: 1 C Doney (Tav) 27.42

U13: DT: 1 I Doney (Tav) 21.57

WATFORD OPEN GRADED MEETING, Watford, September 7

A week after smashing the UK W50 800m record, the hugely versatile Sally Cooke equalled Michelle Thomas’s 100m record with a time of 13.06.

Melissa Courtney Bryant, who competed over 1500m in the World Championships, Commonwealth Games and European Championships, moved back to 3000m and ran 8:47.67 in a mixed race which puts her fourth in the UK rankings for 2022.

Mixed events:
100: r2 (0.8): 1 S Cooke (Lut, W50) 13.06.

r4 (0.4): 5 M Vassiliou (E&H, M60) 12.64.

200: r3 (0.2): 3 M Vassiliou (E&H, M60) 25.54; 5 S Gittens (Herts P, M60) 26.33.

r4 (1.0): 2 A Gibb (Belg, M35) 22.97.

800: r7: 2 J Smith (Mil K, U13) 2:17.27.

r8: 5 O Chilton (Mil K, U15W) 2:16.30; 9 B Rivero-Stevenet (AFD, U13) 2:19.93.

r9: 5 C Kelly-Gordon (B&B, U20W) 2:14.27; 6 L Wright (Herne H, U15W) 2:14.95.

r10: 4 S Atkinson (Phoe, M55) 2:09.86; 5 D Olima (Dac, M45) 2:10.85; 6 M Squibb (B&B, U20W) 2:11.13.

r11: 12 J Elvin (Thurr, U20W) 2:12.19.

r12: 7 P Howard (B&H, M40) 2:04.27; 10 R McClay (Brack, W) 2:06.88.

r13: 6 A Pinder (Chilt, U17) 1:59.93.

r14: 3 J Hiorns (Notts, M35) 1:58.24; 7 I Jessop-Tranter (Chilt, U17) 1:59.42.

r15: 1 C Foley (K&P, U17) 1:55.55.

r16: 2 P Grange (Ilf, M40) 1:55.12; 7 G Ward (Herts P, U17) 1:58.11.

3000: r1: 2 E Lewis (Oxf C, U15) 9:48.39; 6 H Greenwood (THH, W) 9:57.19; 8 D Taylor (B&B, M55) 10:06.03; 9 M Fieldsend (Brack, U15W) 10:07.71; 12 M Barker (Have, U20W) 10:18.94; 13 K Webb (Mil K, U15W) 10:23.25; 16 L Webb (Mil K, U15W) 10:39.79.

r2: 1 S Gebreselassie (Belg) 8:25.26; 3 S Maund (Strag, U20) 8:32.26; 4 S Stevens (Norw) 8:35.68; 5 N Boase (Orion, U20) 8:39.17; 6 T Crockett (Wyc P) 8:39.58; 11 M Courtney-Bryant (Poole, W) 8:47.67; 12 E Taylor (C&C, U17) 8:50.24; 15 S Beedell (PNV, U17) 8:53.00; 16 O Denson (WSEH, U17) 8:54.23; 17 L Jolly (Read, M40) 8:54.30; 18 D Shattock (AFD, U17) 8:58.84; 20 L Dunham (Herts P, U15) 9:08.75; 21 R Johnson (High, W) 9:13.80

Full results are on Power of 10 here

CARDIFF THROWS MEETING 8, Aberdare, September 6

Men: SP: 1 J Matthews (Halesowen ACC) 14.36

U20: DT: 1 J Knight (Card Arch) 41.32.

HT: 1 T Conibear (Yate) 59.77

Women: DT: 1 L Harris (Swan, U17) 35.00; 2 L Gregson (Card, U20) 31.87

U17: HT: 2 E Cooper (Neath, U15) 39.83

Full results are here

ENGLAND THROWS CAMP THROWS FEST, Moulton, September 3-4

Nick Percy threw 63.72m in a discus competition and also won a separate event with 63.36m ahead of European bronze medallist Lawrence Okoye’s 61.38m.

Men:
DT: Oa: 1 N Percy (SB) 63.72; 2 J Martin (Gate) 48.38; 3 J Hedger (Bir, M35) 46.72; 4 R Vaughan (Croy) 44.42.

Ob: 1 N Percy (SB) 63.36; 2 L Okoye (Croy) 61.38; 3 J Martin (Gate) 51.42.

HT: O: 1 T Head (NEB) 61.97.

Oa: 1 T Head (NEB) 62.35.

JT: Oa: 1 B Pearson (Bir) 66.06; 3 S Walker (Bath, U20) 49.00

Mixed events:
JT: Oa: 1 E Dibble (Liv H, W) 46.23; 2 O Boon (Yate, U15) 43.83; 3 S De Kremer (Corby, W) 42.56; 4 L Wilkinson (Salis, U20W) 41.85; 5 H Watson (W’bury, U15) 41.78; 6 N Emerson (NEB, W) 37.90; 7 H Arnold (B&B, W) 37.50

U23:
SP: E: 1 K Aubrey (Harrow) 15.83.

Eq: 1 K Aubrey (Harrow) 15.66.

DT: E: 1 C Osammor (Shef/Dearn) 57.46.

Eq: 1 C Osammor (Shef/Dearn) 54.84.

JT: Ob: 1 O Wright (York) 58.23

U20:
SP: E: 1 I Delaney (Prest) 17.82; 2 D Pawlett (P’broke) 16.90.

Eq: 1 I Delaney (Prest) 16.79; 2 D Pawlett (P’broke) 15.96.

Oa: 1 A Williams (W Norf) 14.37; 2 F Zamparelli (Corn) 14.28.

DT: E: 1 C Uzoigwe (Traff) 52.19; 2 M Jenkins (P’broke) 49.30.

Eq: 1 C Uzoigwe (Traff) 52.49; 2 M Jenkins (P’broke) 48.26.

Oa: 1 F Zamparelli (Corn) 42.25.

Ob: 1 F Zamparelli (Corn) 44.11; 2 Z Grinsted (Lut) 39.71; 3 P Harewood (SB) 39.42.

HT: E: 1 O Merrett (Yate) 65.53; 2 H Ricketts (Read) 64.18.

Eq: 1 O Merrett (Yate) 68.21; 2 H Ricketts (Read) 62.72.

O: 1 C Richardson (A’dare) 46.61.

Oa: 1 C Richardson (A’dare) 48.62.

JT: E: 1 B East (Team K) 69.76; 2 C Taylor (Ports) 64.20; 3 C Evans (Banb) 62.07; 4 A Padaruth (Hill) 61.18.

Eq: 1 B East (Team K) 69.36; 2 C Evans (Banb) 66.73; 3 C Taylor (Ports) 63.02; 4 A Padaruth (Hill) 61.41

U18:
SP: E: 2 T Scottow (Soton, U17) 15.69; 3 A Brown (W Suff, U17) 15.28.

Eq: 2 A Brown (W Suff, U17) 15.21; 3 T Scottow (Soton, U17) 14.70.

DT: E: 1 T Babatunde (Dartf, U17) 56.43; 2 T Gannon (WSEH, U17) 53.58.

Eq: 1 T Babatunde (Dartf, U17) 55.54; 2 T Gannon (WSEH, U17) 52.40.

HT: E: 1 K Barham (Dartf, U17) 68.09; 2 C Hendry (VPCG, U17) 58.15; 3 C Elford Pond (Win, U17) 58.12; 5 S Thomas (Neath, U17) 41.93.

Eq: 1 K Barham (Dartf, U17) 67.30; 2 C Elford Pond (Win, U17) 58.65; 3 C Hendry (VPCG, U17) 56.18; 5 S Thomas (Neath, U17) 41.93.

JT: E: 1 L Jones (Swan, U17) 57.12

U17: HT: O: 1 A Merrett (Yate) 47.81.

Oa: 1 J Berry (Hale) 55.94; 2 A Merrett (Yate) 43.46.

JT: Ob: 1 G Johnson (HW) 56.75

U15: DT: Oa: 1 L Nash (Mil K) 36.87.

Ob: 1 L Capes (PNV) 41.31; 2 H Beard (Shef/Dearn) 34.12

Women:
SP: Oa: 1 N Emerson (NEB) 13.33; 2 M Joseph (Harrow, U20) 13.00.

DT: Oa: 1 A Baltazar-Hall (SB, U20) 43.28; 2 K Ennis (Have, U17) 32.36.

Ob: 1 K Woodcock (Oxf C) 44.45; 2 O Austin (NEB, U20) 40.95; 3 E Beardmore (Harrow) 40.77; 4 E Darvell (Banb, U20) 36.01.

HT: Eq: 1 N Tuthill (Bandon AC, U20) 58.18; 1 Z Price (Liv H) 53.57; 2 L Moffat (Mil K, U20) 47.13.

O: 1 C Payne (Read) 65.98; 2 L Marshall (WG&EL, W40) 53.63

U23:
DT: E: 1 Z Obamakinwa (B&B, U20) 52.50; 2 E Botham (WG&EL) 46.27; 3 A Gavigan (LSA, U20) 45.51; 4 M Porterfield (VPCG, U17) 44.00; 5 S Evans (Carm, U17) 41.95; 6 E Lovett (Ports, U20) 39.83; 7 L Harris (Swan, U17) 35.15.

Eq: 1 Z Obamakinwa (B&B, U20) 55.13; 2 E Botham (WG&EL) 45.96; 3 A Gavigan (LSA, U20) 44.98; 4 M Porterfield (VPCG, U17) 44.81; 5 S Evans (Carm, U17) 42.65; 6 E Lovett (Ports, U20) 40.74; 7 L Harris (Swan, U17) 31.77.

HT: E: 1 Z Price (Liv H) 59.93; 2 N Tuthill (Bandon AC, U20) 59.79; 3 L Moffat (Mil K, U20) 50.06.

Oa: 1 C Payne (Read) 68.75.

JT: Eq: 1 L Farley (B&B) 44.01; 2 S Hamilton (B&W, U20) 40.96.

Ob: 1 C Colbert (Here, U20) 43.92; 2 J Brown (Amber) 41.22; 3 A Sutcliffe (Oxf C, U20) 36.83

U20:
SP: E: 1 C Agyepong (B&B) 14.94; 2 T Tchoudja (Shett) 13.77; 3 A Kennedy (Jag) 13.53.

Eq: 1 C Agyepong (B&B) 14.88; 2 T Tchoudja (Shett) 13.23; 3 A Kennedy (Jag) 13.09.

JT: E: 1 S Hamilton (B&W) 41.54

U18:
SP: E: 2 M Porterfield (VPCG, U17) 14.39; 3 J Gray (Law, U17) 12.45.

Eq: 2 M Porterfield (VPCG, U17) 14.28; 3 J Gray (Law, U17) 12.38.

HT: E: 1 A McAuslan-Kelly (A’deen, U17) 57.94.

Eq: 2 A McAuslan-Kelly (A’deen, U17) 56.67.

JT: E: 1 A Jones (Mil K, U17) 44.67; 2 L Lloyd (P’broke, U17) 40.67.

Eq: 1 A Jones (Mil K, U17) 44.59

U17:
HT: O: 1 L Ellis (Gate) 47.68.

Oa: 1 L Ellis (Gate) 46.04.

JT: Oa: 1 P Radford (Dac) 37.89

Full results on Power of 10 here

British middle-distance man ran the race of his life at London 2012 but still finished last. Here he explains why he looks back with mixed emotions on the monumental two-lap event

The men’s 800m is widely regarded as the best race of the London 2012 Olympics. From winner David Rudisha through to last-placed Andrew Osagie, the race oozed quality. The event saw seven PBs, three national records, one world junior record and a world record of 1:40.91. There wasn’t a pacemaker or super shoe in sight, either.

Osagie’s time of 1:43.77 would have been good enough to win gold at the previous three Olympics and was not beaten by another British athlete for almost a decade. “It was,” he says, “a pure test.”

Looking back fondly on arguably the greatest 800m race of all time, he continues: “Rudisha was unbelievable. What a guy! Off the track he’s an incredible person – a family man and always willing to chat. As a competitor he was able to switch his smile into an aggressive racing style where he was able to push himself to a level which was almost unattainable. I’m really happy that I was around to be around to race him and to be part of his legacy.”

The race on August 9, 2012, saw Rudisha blast into the lead full of purpose. As the Kenyan went through the first 200m in a blistering 23.6, Osagie settled into seventh place with only five-time US champion Nick Symmonds behind him. Pressing on relentlessly, Rudisha passed 400m in 49.28 and 600m in 1:14.30, by which stage he was drawing away from his rivals.

#OnThisDay David Rudisha broke the World record. #London2012 @rudishadavid @iaaforg pic.twitter.com/Wpv30qCN3K

— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) August 9, 2019

Rounding into the home straight with the aim of breaking his own world record of 1:41.01, which was set in Rieti two years earlier, Rudisha strode through the finish in 1:40.91 as his opponents recorded a raft of red-hot times.

Osagie went into the Games in the form of his life. “I was on the crest of a really positive wave,” he remembers. “I was happy, content and confident. I’d run PBs and under 1:45 four times and I’d had an incredible build-up.”

Lining up against Rudisha at a home Games would have been a terrifying proposition for many but Osagie says he had no nerves. “Even now I have such a smile on my face thinking about it,” he says. “I absolutely revelled in that position. I love pressure.

“Craig (Winrow, his coach) and myself had been through tough times due to injuries. I was seemingly injured every three to six months. Shin splints, stress fractures and all sorts that I had to manage. But for about a year and a half before the Olympics we nailed the ability to do more consistent training and it allowed me to do what I enjoy best, which is to race.”

Osagie was drawn against Rudisha in his heat and semi-final, too. The latter was particularly pleasing as he clocked 1:44.74 behind the Kenyan and ahead of Symmonds to make the final.

His sharpest memories are a little random. He remembers enjoying a slice of pepperoni pizza with his lunch as a treat after his heat, for example. Then, before the final, he recalls lying on the floor in the call room with his feet up watching Symmonds put tape over a tattoo on his arm.

“The semi-final was incredible and from the moment I finished it through to the final I was on cloud nine. I felt this contentment. The weight was off. I’d crossed the final hurdle as I couldn’t really screw up from that point.”

Osagie was sharing an apartment with athletes like Chris Tomlinson, Robbie Grabarz, Ross Murray and Chris Thompson. “They really helped as it kept me grounded during the rounds,” he remembers. “Looking back, I loved every minute.”

When introduced to the crowd on the start line in the final, Osagie did his trademark ‘Osagie boom!’ gesture with a big smile on his face. “My target time was low 1:44 and thought it might place me about fifth and, if so, I’d be in with a chance of a medal. But obviously David and the others had very different plans. I didn’t imagine he would front-run a world record in my home city!”

Osagie had mixed feelings with his own result. “At the time I felt I could have run significantly quicker if it hadn’t been for badly timed injuries and (lack of) consistency. But that’s the mentality of an athlete – to always want more.

“It was a shock that I’d run that time and still finished in eighth and last place. I didn’t dip at the line and was really pissed off that I’d underperformed on my home track. So that’s one of the hardest and biggest things I took from that day.

“On the good side I know I gave my all on the day and yet couldn’t really change anything. It was a pure test and that was the best I was on the day.”

Despite running the fastest time of his life, the race was a humbling experience. “One of the hardest things was that I pushed myself to my absolute limit and came last. It took me some years to get over that mentally. Where did I go from there?

“Also, it was such a big occasion. I would never have that much support and attention again. I spoke to a lot of athletes from those Games who also found it quite tough afterwards. It sounds really ‘spoiled’ to say this, but when you’re going to a stadium that only has 40,000 people instead of 80,000, it is a comedown.”

Now aged 34, Osagie was still running 1:46 indoors just days before the pandemic struck in 2020. His wife – the former athlete Emily Pidgeon – was about to give birth to their first child, so he prioritised his family and got a job in marketing.

Things are going well as he has become European brand manager for a tech company called ATG which provides software to auction houses. He is still running, too.

Clearly not the retiring type, he smiles: “I think you only retire if you have a title, a bit like a boxer. I’m never going to retire and I might do some races again at some stage in my life.”

Yet nothing surely will ever top that memorable Thursday night in the London Stadium 10 years ago.

Olympic 800m final, London, August 9, 2012

1 David Rudisha (KEN) 1:40.91 (WR)
2 Nijel Amos (BOT) 1:41.73 (WJR)
3 Timothy Kitum (KEN) 1:42.53 (PB)
4 Duane Solomon (USA) 1:42.82 (PB)
5 Nick Symmonds (USA) 1:42.95 (PB)
6 Mohammed Aman (ETH) 1:43.20 (NR)
7 Abubaker Kaki (SUD) 1:43.32
8 Andrew Osagie (GBR) 1:43.77

Seb Coe recalls that record-breaking run

“It is still jaw-dropping. When we had the events I would often ask somebody to come and sit next to me that I knew it mattered to so I asked [Kenyan former steeplechase and 1500m Olympic champion] Kip Keino to come and sit with me to watch the 800m.

“He came up to his seat minutes before the race because he had been on the warm-up track to talk to the two Kenyan 800m runners. He’d asked what the team tactics were and the youngest [the 17-year-old Timothy Kitum] had pointed at David Rudisha and said: ‘I’m going to follow him’. Rudisha took one look at him and said: ‘Don’t do that. I’m going to break the world record today and if you do [follow me] you will die’.

“Kip relayed this story to me and that was when I sensed [something special was coming]. He said: ‘I’ve never seen a guy so focused on one thing’.

“It was an extraordinary performance. The mental presence and supreme physical confidence going into an Olympic final, thinking ‘actually, it’s not about winning, it’s about breaking the world record today’ – I think that’s what most athletes like me were so stunned by. 

“And then to execute it, without pacemakers … it was not just the best athletics performance – for me it was the single best performance of the Games in any sport.”

Exercising restraint has been one of the key lessons for the British distance runner to learn after joining the NN Running Team as he targets future success

“Jake tells us off sometimes, like: ‘Hey, come on, I want to race’,” he laughs, “but we’re trying to look after him, not break him down. He’s not one of those you need to push to go for training. You need to hold him back, put him in a cage sometimes.”

Smith smiles in the background. He is not known for his restraint – at least not yet. 

Following his 18th place – in a PB of 60:31 – at the 2020 World Athletics Half Marathon Championships in Poland, he admitted that he had wanted to see how much TV coverage he could get as part of the lead group. 

His performance took him to third on the British all-time list and rightly gained plaudits, but he made an even greater name for himself when he ran 2:11:00 at the 2021 Chester Elite Marathon after pacing through halfway and opting to finish. It wasn’t planned, but it was classic Smith – fearless and fun.

Van der Velden and NNRT were aware of his talent, but his impromptu marathon brought him back to their attention: “We thought, ‘Why would he run a marathon?’ Then we got the story and thought, ‘okay, let’s dig a little bit deeper, let’s try to understand who he is’.

“There were so many things, we thought if we can help him be a better athlete and understand the sport better – because he’s still so young and so new to it – we can add so much as long as it’s step-by-step and progressive. We can hopefully help him be one of the best European runners ever, and I truly think that’s possible, but of course he still has a long way to go, and he knows that. We’re pretty open and honest about that!”

Smith announced that he had joined NNRT – a project which also features the likes of distance greats Eliud Kipchoge, Kenenisa Bekele and Joshua Cheptegei –  in January 2022, and while he laughs at Van der Velden’s assessment, he knows it’s frighteningly accurate. He has a lot to learn. 

“When I got the call saying, ‘We’ll take you out to Uganda to train with Cheptegei,’ it was incredible,” he says.

“It’s so different [out there]. In the UK you take everything for granted, whereas in Uganda it makes you really think. You have kids running with you barefoot on every run, similar to Kenya … there’s like 150 Ugandan runners, guys that have run 2:04 for marathons, just turning up. 

“It was great fun, but it was very tough. It was very hilly. I was climbing 10,000ft at altitude over 100/110 miles per week and running constantly on trails. I loved the whole experience, but I pushed my body to the absolute limit out there and, I put my hands up, I did overtrain because it was my first time there.”

Smith’s training in Uganda – which included shorter sessions with increased recovery due to the altitude and challenging terrain, and significantly slower recovery runs compared to what he was used to – was overseen by Dutch coach Addy Ruiter, the endurance lead for NNRT.

True to his enthusiastic nature, however, the pupil did more work than he was given. Additionally, while the food provided to fuel his hard work was “amazing”, he found he couldn’t handle the iron-rich red meat and came close to suffering from anaemia. 

“I think I lost 6-7kg in the space of four to five weeks,” Smith admits. “When I came back, I went through a bad couple of weeks… I remember doing a session the week before the half [Ghent Half Marathon, from which he eventually withdrew] and after the first lap I just called it, I just couldn’t do anything else. I knew there was something wrong with me, but I’ve bounced back really quickly.”

Born in Bermuda to British parents before moving to Hong Kong, Smith is used to adapting to change. His family relocated to England when he was 16 and he joined Exeter Harriers before moving to Cardiff, his current base, for university. 

Having made significant progress through his university years under the guidance of coach James Thie, Smith returned from Uganda intent on exploring his potential over longer distances. He is now coached by Gavin Pavey, husband and coach to world, European and Commonwealth medallist Jo Pavey. 

“In terms of mileage, it’s still very similar to what I was doing previously, but there’s a focus on speed right now,” he says. “Some of the sessions I’m given are horrible and I just want to do the marathon stuff at an easier, slower, pace, but I know it’s going to help me in the long run and mentally I’m just getting stronger and stronger.

“I’m a big fan of cross training, so at times during the week I take the run out and it just saves my legs. I know what works for me. Gavin is also implementing new things; I had a rest day two days before the British Champs [5000m], I’d never done that before and I felt incredible in the race, so it’s just little things that are really helping me and benefiting me.”

Coincidentally, Smith’s parents are based in Devon not too far from the Paveys, so when he’s in Exeter he has the opportunity to link up with them at his former club. “I had heard of Jo,” he says, “but it’s going to be hard to get one up on her when she’s been to five Olympics.” 

He hopes that Paris 2024 will be his first. Good things come to those who wait, and restraint – once an unknown phenomenon to this charismatic young athlete – is becoming one of his strengths. 

“I was offered the chance to run at the Worlds, Euros and Commonwealth Games this year for the marathon, but I turned them down because, at the end of the day, my ambition is to win a medal at 2024/2028 [at the Olympics] and I need to get quicker,” he says. 

“That’s why I’m doing the 5/10km now. You look at the likes of [Eliud Kipchoge, world record-holder and fellow member of NNRT] and you see how fast they were when they were younger, so that’s why I’m trying to get my leg turnover now, I need that leg speed. It’s like little stepping stones working towards the marathon.”

Smith, who paced Olympic and world bronze medallist Bashir Abdi to the European record at the Rotterdam Marathon last year, was selected to be part of NNRT on the basis of his potential to become one of the best runners in Europe. He’s not there yet, but that was never the plan.

“We do that [team] selection carefully,” says Van der Velden. “It’s a small group and it should feel special. It’s early days [for Jake]. I think he’s already changed quite a lot, but it’s just waiting for results to come. We all know in athletics it’s an honest sport, so you need to put in a lot of work before something comes out so it’s mentally sometimes a little bit tough, but if Jake has patience… like 60:30 is really nice, but it won’t win him any medals, so there are still a lot of steps to take, and he knows that, we talk about it quite a lot. We try to keep him with both feet on the ground.

“He’s made a lot of progress over the last six months. You can’t really see it in the races he’s doing right now, but I think next year at this time if you did the same interview, it would be very different, also in terms of performances.”

For Smith, all eyes are now on the big picture. This isn’t Cheshire Elite Marathon. This time he’s pacing his own race – and he’s exactly where he needs to be. 

Study shows a short-term, high-protein diet can change your gut microbiome

Highly-trained endurance athletes were shown to display “microbial instability” in their gut when they followed even a short-term high protein diet, report researchers from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in the American Society for Microbiology’s journal mSystems. 

This gut disturbance was accompanied by a 23.3 per cent drop in time trial performance on a treadmill test, says Justin Roberts, associate professor in Health and Exercise Nutrition at ARU and co-author of the study. Conversely, when athletes followed a short-term, high-carb diet, their time trial performance was boosted by 6.5 per cent.

Roberts and his team assessed microbiome imbalance by analysing the diversity and altered composition of the gut, as well as monitoring levels of viruses and bacteria present. 

In some people gut disturbance can cause cramps, nausea and sickness.

“While we cannot be certain that the high amount of protein in the body was entirely responsible for the significant drop in time trial performance, it was found that there were certainly changes to the gut microbiome following a short-term, high-protein diet which appeared to be associated with performance,” he says. 

“These results suggest that consuming a high-protein diet may negatively impact the gut via an altered microbial pattern, while a high-carbohydrate intake, for example containing a variety of grains and vegetables, was associated with greater gut microbial stability.”

READ MORE: Antibiotics lower endurance and motivation

Since the diets were carefully balanced it is unlikely that protein itself was to blame for the downturn in performance. “Instead, we think it is possible that the changes to the gut microbiome could impact intestinal permeability or nutrient absorption, or the messages between the gut and the brain, affecting perceived effort and therefore performance,” Roberts says.

Royal jelly CO-Q10 combo brings down muscle damage

Supplements of bee-derived royal jelly and Co-Q10, a molecule that plays a key role in supplying energy to cells, can help to reduce oxidative stress and muscle damage, enhancing performance in elite athletes, according to scientists from Lobachevsky University in Russia reporting in the International Journal of the Society of Sports Nutrition. Both ingredients have potent antioxidant activity and CoQ10 is known to activate AMPK, an enzyme that increases cell survival in the body.

“Co Q10 and some RJ components contain medium chain fatty acids, amino acids, proteins, flavonoids and phenolic compounds which have antioxidant properties,” the researchers write. For their trial, they provided 20 elite swimmers with either 400mg of royal jelly and 60mg of CoQ10 (RJQ) or a placebo once daily for 10 days. Results showed that during and immediately after high intensity interval training “reduced muscle damage in the swimmers and improved their exercise performance”.

Why hunger is held at bay after a tough session

Molecule released in higher amounts during intense exercise seems to stifle appetite and explains why athletes don’t feel hungry immediately following an intense training session, suggests an international team of researchers reporting in Nature journal. 

Gareth Wallis, associate professor of exercise metabolism and nutrition at the University of Birmingham, one of the scientists involved in the research, says the molecule called Lac-Phe is a hybrid of the compounds lactate and phenylaninine that are produced during intense activity.

Eight male athletes were asked to exercise three times – performing a gentle, continuous bike ride of 90 minutes, an indoor bike session with intermittent 30-second sprints or weight training – with blood samples taken during and after each session.

Results showed the interval sprints induced the most dramatic spike in blood levels of
Lac-Phe, followed by resistance training, with the long, slow cycle producing the lowest levels of the molecule. “We know from animal studies that more Lac-Phe leads to fewer calories consumed, a natural conclusion would be to assume that it is involved in the suppression of hunger,” Wallis says.

Emma Raducanu is through to the second round of the Slovenia Open after winning her first match since her unsuccessful US Open title defence.

The 22-year-old Ukrainian, who is 89th in the world, injured her wrist while 30-0 down serving to stay in the match.

Raducanu, 19, went into the WTA 250 hard-court event as top seed but having slid from 11th to 83rd in the world.

Her first-round defeat by Alize Cornet at Flushing Meadows meant she failed to defend any of the ranking points earned in her victory at last year's US Open, which remains her only WTA title.

Raducanu rose as high as number 10 in the world on the back of that surprise run as a teenage qualifier but has found her full-time transition to the WTA Tour a testing one.

She was never really troubled by Yastremska, however, breaking three times to take the first set, then again in the third game of the second set to assume full control of the match.

Raducanu was two points from victory when her opponent, who had lost her previous seven matches on the WTA Tour, seemed to injure her wrist after losing grip of her racquet while following through on a forehand shot.

Her second-round opponent will be either world number 124 Elizabeth Mandlik, from the United States, or Germany's Anna-Lena Friedsam, who is ranked 95th.

A quirk of the seedings at the Slovenia Open, which are based on world rankings before the US Open, means many of Raducanu's potential opponents will now be above her in the world rankings.

Cornet, who ended Raducanu's hopes in New York, is sixth seed, Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina is third seed and Brazil's world number 18 Beatriz Haddad Maia, who won on the grass in Birmingham earlier this year, is second seed.

While Raducanu has been sliding down the world rankings, fellow Briton Harriet Dart has moved up three places to 85th following her run to the second round of the US Open.

Dart, 26, is now just two places below Raducanu and putting pressure on her status as Britain's number one.