THE HIDDEN SIDE OF ATHLETICS | SHAPING THE BEST BRITISH ATHLETES

 

BRITISH CYCLIST FINLAY TARLING DEAD AT 19

 

British cyclist Finlay Tarling, 19, has died after a serious accident during the eighth stage of the Volta a Portugal road race.

- Sky Sports 

BURNA BOY CREDITS ED SHEERAN FOR SHAKIRA WORLD CUP ANTHEM FEATURE

 

Burna Boy feat. Ed Sheeran, "For My Hand"
COURTESY PHOTO

Nigerian singer Burna Boy has revealed that British music star Ed Sheeran played a key role in helping him secure a feature on Shakira’s FIFA World Cup song, ‘Dai Dai’.

The Grammy-winning artiste disclosed during a recent interview with Capital FM. He also spoke about Sheeran’s support ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.

Sheeran’s role in the collaboration

According to Burna Boy, Sheeran helped him navigate the opportunity and prepared him for the demands of performing on one of football’s biggest stages.

“He had to give me a heads-up like, ‘Yo, you’re going to have to perform at the finals.’ He knows me… he knows how I get down,” Burna Boy said.

The Afro-fusion star explained that Sheeran understood the pressure such a performance could bring.

“He knows the stress part is a bit crazy for me and stuff, so he gave me a heads-up. He was like, ‘Yo, it’s going to be real stressful.’”

Burna Boy praises Ed Sheeran

Speaking further, Burna Boy described Sheeran as a close friend whose advice he values.

“He’s just a very sensible and lovable guy. He is someone I have taken to personally from the beginning. Ed is very smart, man. He always knows what he is doing.”

Sheeran shares songwriting credits on ‘Dai Dai’ with producer Alexander Castillo.

Shakira’s reaction to Burna Boy’s verse

Shakira previously disclosed that she waited 20 days for Burna Boy to deliver his verse for the song.

Despite the delay, the Colombian singer praised his contribution. She described it as the “cherry on top” and said his vocals took the track “to another level”.

The official World Cup anthem explores themes of resilience and inner strength. It combines Shakira’s global pop appeal with Burna Boy’s Afro-fusion sound.

The collaboration marks another major international milestone for Burna Boy. The Nigerian star has continued to expand his global reach through partnerships with some of the biggest names in music.

- Alexandra Aiyudu

HUGE BRITISH FEMALE CELEBRITY'S 'AFFAIR WITH TIP SPORTS STAR EXPOSED AFTER THOUSANDS OF INTIMATE PICTURES AND MESSAGES ARE LEAKED'

 

A huge female celebrity's alleged affair with a top sports star has seemingly been exposed after 'thousands of intimate messages and pictures leaked online'.

The woman has been described as a 'high-profile personality and entrepreneur' who is believed to be British.

A cyberstalker has allegedly used 'spyware' to infiltrate her email and social media accounts where nearly 90,000 screenshots from her mobile phone were stolen.

The pictures and messages have reportedly leaked online after the cyberstalker stored them incorrectly - which meant anyone could access it.

American cybersecurity expert and researcher Jeremiah Fowler allegedly came across the leak, which had been online for at least two weeks.

The stolen data also included invoices and receipts, as well as selfies and private chats from Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and TikTok.

Jeremiah has protected the woman's identity after the information claimed she had been having an affair with a 'well-known sportsman'.

He told The Sun on Sunday: 'They were both married. The type of data that was there would have been very damaging. It was clear there was an affair going on with a prominent public person.

A huge female celebrity's alleged affair with a top sports star has seemingly been exposed after 'thousands of intimate messages and pictures leaked online'

'This information of the affair never appeared in the media but, because the files were exposed for such a long period of time, it is highly possible that someone else accessed them and may release them at a later date or attempt to use them for some sort of extortion.'

He added: 'I reported it to the police by email. The victim was notified but I don’t know if she also went to the police.'

The Daily Mail has contacted Jeremiah for a comment. 

Those caught using stalkerware illegally can be prosecuted in the UK under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. 

In a blog post on the ExpressVPN website, Jeremiah penned: 'Although the case involves public figures such as celebrities and social media influencers, the underlying issue is not limited to high-profile targets.

'The same tools used in these incidents are commonly deployed in broader cybercrime, harassment, and stalking situations affecting everyday users.

'My goal in publishing these findings is to raise awareness about the risks posed by stalkerware.

'By showing real examples of what this type of software can capture, readers can better understand the seriousness of the privacy violations, ways to identify and protect themselves against it, and the potential harm that it can cause.'

- Lily Jobson

150/1 QIRAT PRODUCES BIGGEST BIG-RACE SHOCK IN BRITISH FLAT RACING HISTORY AT SUSSEX STAKES

 

THE MASTER OF SILVERSTONE | SIR LEWIS HAMILTON'S

 

ASAL VS. ELIAS | BRITISH OPEN SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIP | FINAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

BRITISH STAR BURSTS INTO TEARS AFTER AUSTRALIAN OPEN VICTORY AFTER NEARLY QUITTING TENNIS

Jodie Burrage secured her first ever win at the Australian Open

Jodie Burrage has endured a raft of injuries and considered walking away from the sport during her recovery but stuck at it and has now landed a first ever Australian Open win

Jodie Burrage was left in tears after securing her first Australian Open main-draw victory - shortly after the Brit considered retiring after a horrid run of injuries.

The 25-year-old claimed a 6-2 6-4 success over French qualifier Leolia Jeanjean in Melbourne - six months after Burrage weighed up whether or not she should continue playing the sport. She was left crying "happy tears" after her victory Down Under.

Burrage hit 23 winners en route to beating Jeanjean, who is ranked 24 places higher than her, and her reward is a clash with American third seed Coco Gauff in the second round.

She secured victory on her first match point and immediately sunk to the ground, covering her face with her hands. Burrage returned to her chair and spent a few moments crying under a towel after taking in the crowd's applause.

She said: "It was a good decision (not to retire). All of those emotions from the last nine months I think were bottled up in there. I think because I know I have been playing some good tennis, I know what such a good opportunity today was. I knew the hard work that went in for the last year."

It was back in 2020 that Burrage first considered quitting tennis as she battled several injuries before fighting back to enjoy some landmark victories. A maiden Grand Slam win came at Wimbledon in 2023, later landing her an appearance on Centre Court in the second round. She also secured a win at that year's US Open.

That left her a career-high 84th in the world before her progress was derailed by injuries, once again. In February Burrage required surgery on a snapped tendon in her wrist - the fourth operation of her career. She then suffered another blow in April when she was closing in on a return to action.

Jodie Burrage cut an emotional figure after considering retirement

Burrage ruptured an ankle ligament in a practice session with fellow Brit Katie Boulter - whom Burrage now avoids training with after claiming she has PTSD. That injury resulted in her missing another 10 weeks.

The 26-year-old made her comeback on the lower-tier ITF Futures Tour. Burrage later broke down in tears during a training session and questioned whether it was worth the struggles, but has now seen all her efforts vindicated at the Australian Open.

Harriet Dart is another Brit joining Burrage in the second round. She saved two match points in a 7-5 2-6 7-6 (10-7) win over Croatian qualifier Jana Fett. Dart had lost in qualifying but ended up in the draw as a lucky loser when 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova withdrew through injury earlier on Monday.

- Samuel Meade

FURY VS. USYK 2 | FULL FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS 🔥

 

MAURICE WILKS | 'FATHER' OF LAND ROVER

Maurice Wilks, a British engineer, was the key figure behind the creation of Land Rover. 

In 1947, Wilks, who was working as engineering director at Rover Company, had the idea to develop a tough vehicle that could tackle any terrain.

Inspired by the military Jeep of World War II, Wilks designed a utility off-road vehicle, suitable for both agricultural and civilian use. 

This is how the first Land Rover was born, presented in 1948 at the Amsterdam Motor Show.

Land Rover is synonymous with adventure, durability, and luxury, and it all began with Maurice Wilks’ vision.

WHO EVERY BRITISH SIDE WILL FACE IN TGE LEAGUE PHASE OF THE 24/25 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

 

FLEETWOOD SHARES OLYMPIC LEAD AS GOLD GOLD RACE TAKES SHAPE

Tommy Fleetwood of Great Britain hits onto the 18th green during the second round of the 2024 Olympic Games at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, France. Erik S Lesser/EPA

SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France -- British golfer Tommy Fleetwood is on familiar turf and chasing another gold trophy at Le Golf National, this one an Olympic medal instead of that 17-inch Ryder Cup trophy.

The medal chase in men's golf began to take shape Friday with Fleetwood sharing the 36-hole lead with defending Olympic champion Xander Schauffele and Hideki Matsuyama, giving another sellout crowd plenty of star power at the top.

Schauffele was slowed by ants in the rough and posted a 5-under 66, tying the 36-hole Olympic record he set at the Tokyo Games. He was joined by a pair of sloppy finishes. Fleetwood took bogey from a fairway bunker for a 64, while Matsuyama went from rough to water for a double bogey on the 18th and a 68.

They were at 11-under 131, two ahead of Jon Rahm (66).

Schauffele appears to be on autopilot at times, not missing a step from winning the British Open for his second major of the year.

Fleetwood, however, has the experience on this track. He won the French Open at Le Golf National in 2017 and then starred in Europe's Ryder Cup victory a year later, going 4-1 in his matches.

"You're always better off coming to a course where you have good feelings and good things have happened. So I'll definitely draw on those," he said. "But again, I have to stand up there tomorrow and hit the golf shots. Nothing that's happened in the past is going to do it for me.

"It's better having good feelings than having a course that's battered you to pieces."

Schauffele had three straight birdies around the turn and was making it look easy until one bad drive on the 13th and one weird lie. The ball was buried so deep a marshal stuck his finger in the tall grass to show him where it was. Schauffele noticed something else -- ants.

He was trying to position his club when he saw something behind his golf ball.

"It was a pile of ants, an ant pile, whatever you want to call it," he said.

There is free relief from a dangerous animal -- fire ants are cited in the rules -- but these weren't the dangerous variety. One official said Schauffele could scrape it away with his club, only Schauffele wasn't sure about that. A second official said he could use his tee to scrape away the pile. All that for a shot that he could only hack out some 50 yards, leading to a bogey.

That was the extent of his drama for the day.

"Five under is a good score on this property," he said. "Overall, sitting in a good spot coming into the weekend."

Scottie Scheffler, the world's No. 1 player, is at least in range and plenty happy about that. He took a double bogey on the seventh hole from grass so thick he could advance the shot only about 10 feet, and the next one only about 80 yards. He was 2 over for the day and losing ground quickly.

"Panic is definitely not the right word," Scheffler said. "But when you look up at the leaderboard, I think at the time I was maybe nine shots back or something like that. Around a golf course like this, where the scores are going to continue to get lower, it could be tough to catch up. I needed to do something to get back in the tournament."

He shot 31 on the back nine for 69 and was five shots behind. The greens have been so perplexing to Scheffler that after misreading a 6-foot birdie chance on the ninth hole, he had caddie Ted Scott read them the rest of the way and he trusted it.

"The way I was feeling, I wasn't really going to disagree with what he was saying," he said.

Thomas Detry of Belgium had the low round at 63 that got him within three shots of the lead, along with 22-year-old Tom Kim of South Korea (68) and C.T. Pan of Taiwan (65), the bronze medalist from the Tokyo Games.

Rahm played alongside Schauffele and at one point found himself five shots back. But the big Spaniard ran off three straight birdies in the middle of the back nine, including a tee shot to 3 feet on the par-3 16th, and saved par on the final hole.

It's his first time contending on a big stage this year. Rahm tied for seventh in the British Open for his best result in a major, though he was never really in the mix. Now he is, and he got a good look at what he faces in Schauffele riding a wave of momentum.

"What Xander has done this year weighs much more than the medal from three years ago," Rahm said. He added with a laugh, "And I didn't tell him because I don't want to remind him of all the good things he has achieved."

Rory McIlroy was six shots behind, a big push late halted by a double bogey from deep rough on the 17th hole.

"A few too many mistakes, similar story to yesterday," he said.

- Associated Press 

CAUDERY SETS BRITISH POLE VAULT RECORD AHEAD OF GAMES

Reuters 

 Britain's Molly Caudery set the world's leading height of the year and broke the British record in women's pole vault at the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meeting in Toulouse on Saturday.

The 24-year-old cleared a world pole vault lead of 4.92 metres at the Toulouse Capitole Perche for the highest women’s pole vault clearance since 2021 and beat Tokyo Games bronze medallist Holly Bradshaw's previous British record of 4.90m.

Caudery had already secured victory with an initial clearance at 4.61 m but continued to push for more and persevered in the rainy conditions. France's Marie-Julie Bonnin finished second, with 4.51 m.

Caudery, who said she aimed to clinch her first Olympic medal in Paris after winning the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow in March, has taken the current world lead with the seventh best jump of all time.

The Briton cleared 4.73 m to win bronze at the European Championships in Rome earlier in June. Her previous best was 4.86 m, set in Rouen in February.

"It’s more fire in the belly," Caudery said of her Bronze medal in Rome. “It just shows that not everything goes to plan all the time. This is a medal at the European Championships."

"It’s a huge positive. It will still be up on my little shrine, it may not be at the very centre, but it will still be up there.”

- Reuters 

NEW BRITISH HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!

PREMIER LEAGUE IMPORTANCE TO THE BRITISH ECONOMY | ERNST & YOUNG

 

RED SEA FACE-OFF | USYK VS. JOSHUA 2

FORMER BRITISH CHAMPION BOXER JULIUS FRANCIS IN ACTION IN LONDON

Former heavyweight British Champion boxer who fought with Mike Tyson, Julius Francis, now working as a security guard at BOXPARK was in action in London.

He taught some hooligan a lesson with only one punch. The fool Will not misbehave again in his life. 😄 

RUGBY: ALL BLACKS VS. BRITISH & IRISH LIONS | 3RD TEST HIGHLIHTS