Latest news with #EuropeanChampion
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Boccia European gold win 'huge' for Kidson
New European boccia champion Sally Kidson says she will take "huge" momentum from winning her first major championship into the rest of this season. The 20-year-old beat defending champion, Sonia Heckel of France, 3-2 in the individual BC3 final in Zagreb, Croatia, earlier this month to win the gold medal. "I'm very happy," Kidson told BBC Radio Wiltshire. "It never hurts to win a big tournament like this and especially a major, but it's not all about that, it's about the momentum going into the rest of the year and ahead of the World Championships next year this sort of thing is huge." Sally Kidson: GB's youngest Boccia athlete Kidson, from Salisbury, made her Paralympic debut last summer for Great Britain in Paris where she was the youngest person on the team. She was introduced to the sport in primary school and made her international competition in 2022, aged 17. "The last Europeans [championships] I did in 2023, I literally came dead last and so to go from dead last to first place is absolutely mental," Kidson said. Honouring former Paralympians Kidson said the gold medal win was even more poignant following the deaths of her pairs partner Will Arnott and Great Britain team-mate Matt Berry at the end of 2024. Kidson and Arnott's gold medal in the Paralympic Games qualifying event secured Great Britain a place in the BC3 category at last summer's event. "It's nothing short of a tragedy to lose both Will and Matt at the tail end of last year," Kidson said. Kidson worked with Arnott's long-time assistant Connor Welfare in Zagreb which she said made the event more special. "This one especially, we know it was a big one because me and Connor Welfare, who was [Arnott's] assistant for 11 years, we thought it would be good to do this together and do it for the big guy," Kidson said. "To be able to get a gold medal and also Zagreb is where Will had his first international competition and his first gold medal [in 2019]. "It was really special to be able to do it."
Irish Times
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
European gold medallist Ciara Mageean diagnosed with cancer
All within Irish athletics, and far beyond, are reeling from the shock announcement that Ciara Mageean has started treatment for cancer. In a statement issued on Friday evening, the 33-year-old Mageean briefly outlined the extent of her illness, and the reason for going public with her cancer diagnosis. Her clear intention to pursue all available treatment was also made clear. 'To everyone who's been part of my journey so far, I have some difficult news to share: I've been diagnosed with cancer,' she said. 'It's been a lot to take in, but I've already started treatment and I'm incredibly grateful to be surrounded by the love and support of my family and close friends. READ MORE 'Right now, my focus is on healing and taking things one day at a time. I kindly ask that you respect my privacy and that of my loved ones as we move through this together. Your understanding means more than I can say. 'Thank you for the love and strength. I'm ready to face this with the same fight I've always brought to the track.' The announcement comes heartbreakingly sudden, just over a year since Mageean was crowned European champion in the 1,500m, winning the gold medal inside the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. With that Mageean became Ireland's only second individual European athletics champion after Sonia O'Sullivan. It also completed her full set of European medals, the Down athlete previously winning 1,500m bronze in 2016, and silver in 2022 – plus a European indoor bronze from 2019. Mageean's hopes of transferring that Rome success on to the Olympic stage were then dashed on the eve of her 1,500m heat in Paris in August, when she was forced to make the tortured decision to withdraw after struggling with an Achilles tendon injury in the two weeks before. A month later, Mageean underwent surgery in London on her right Achilles tendon, 12 years after she required the exact same surgery on her left Achilles tendon. Both were potentially career-ending injuries, and yet characteristically undeterred, Mageean was already planning full steam ahead for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. In a lengthy interview with this newspaper at the end of May , carried out on bright sunny afternoon at the Sport Ireland Institute in Abbotstown, Mageean was planning ahead in other ways too. She'd travelled down that morning from her new home in Belfast, which she bought a few months after Paris with her fiance Thomas Moran. The couple were engaged on New Year's Eve. 'Yeah, my focus is LA,' she said, 'and [I] fully believe if I just get two consistent seasons, nothing special, no injuries, I think I can still be dangerous. 'I've been running in pain for so long, seven or eight years, the aim is to be able to run and not be in pain. I just ran 30 minutes, four miles, on the flat. With no pain. Then all of my gym with no pain. So today was a good day.' She was also convinced she can still improve on her Irish record of 3:55.87, clocked in 2023. 'I look back at my 3:55, what I did before that, and if I'm not in pain, I can do that and then some. If I didn't think I could run faster than 3:55 I would retire. I know I'll be 36 in LA, but I'm determined to be there.' [ Ciara Mageean: 'You do have to be selfish as an athlete, it's the part I find least enjoyable... But no regrets' Opens in new window ] [ Few Irish athletes have displayed more resilience than Ciara Mageean Opens in new window ] [ Few Irish athletes have displayed more resilience than Ciara Mageean Opens in new window ] Ireland's Ciara Mageean with her gold medal. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho There were also highs and lows in her 2023 season, which included a fourth-place finish in the World Championship 1,500 metres in Budapest. Paris was meant to be Mageean's third Olympics. A calf-muscle injury crushed her hopes of progressing beyond the heats in Tokyo; she was typically hard on herself after running short of her best in the semi-finals in Rio; and although at one point close to qualifying for London in 2012, her then young running career soon came to a complete standstill. She's always taken considerable heart from her former coach Jerry Kiernan, who died suddenly in January 2021, aged 67, and who more than anyone else nurtured her through that difficult transition out of the junior ranks, when the troublesome Achilles issue left her wondering might she ever make it back. Still few if any Irish athletes have endured more setbacks and displayed more powers of resilience in the face of adversity than Mageean. A year after Tokyo, she won silver at the European Championships and Commonwealth Games, then finally broke O'Sullivan's Irish 1,500m record which had stood since 1995. It is 17 years now since she won her first Irish indoor senior title, at age 15, over 1,500m, knocking two seconds off the Irish junior record. Since then, she's had to live with a few labels as well (whisper 'the next Sonia'), but she always carved her own pathway. She currently holds Irish records over 800m, 1,000m, 1,500m and the mile – which at one stage all belonged to Sonia O'Sullivan. Growing up in Portaferry, at the tip of the Ards Peninsula, she'd begin her school days with an 8.15 ferry trip across Strangford Lough to catch the bus to Assumption Grammar, Ballynahinch. After Paris, and having been based in Manchester since 2017, Mageean's search for a new home was originally split between Dublin and Belfast, then focused on Belfast, and they settled on Dunmurray, on the city's southside, within beautiful running spaces. 'I'm absolutely loving being home, it's been the right decision,' she said. 'Now we've two wee cats, we've got our name for a dog. I feel we're building a little life for ourselves, close to family. 'And I'd definitely love to start a family. As an athlete, I'm well aware you can have a baby and keep racing. But I've been knocked back in so many seasons due to injury, I don't know if I wanted to willingly miss one to have a baby. 'But post-LA, definitely, and you can only hope you'll be lucky enough and graced with the ability.' Her focus now is on healing, and all of Irish athletics wishes her the very best.
BBC News
04-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Olympian Mageean reveals cancer diagnosis
European champion and two-time Olympian Ciara Mageean says she has been diagnosed with cancer. The middle-distance runner, from Portaferry in Northern Ireland, said the diagnosis has "been a lot to take in", but added she is "ready to face this with the same fight I've always brought to the track".Posting on Instagram, 33-year-old Mageean said: "To everyone who's been part of my journey so far, I have some difficult news to share: I've been diagnosed with cancer."It's been a lot to take in, but I've already started treatment and I'm incredibly grateful to be surrounded by the love and support of my family and close friends."I've already started treatment and I'm incredibly grateful to be surrounded by the love and support of my close family and friends."Right now, my focus is on healing and taking things one day at a time. I kindly ask that you respect my privacy and that of my loved ones as we move through this together. "Thank you for the love and strength. I'm with the same fight I've always brought to the track." Mageean has won gold, silver and bronze medals at the European recovering from a serious ankle injury, she came third in 2016 and was a runner-up in 2022 before topping the podium in Rome last made her Olympic debut in Rio in 2016 and competed at the delayed 2021 Games in Tokyo, however her preparations were hampered by a calf issue. She was set to race at the Paris Olympics last year as a reigning European champion but an Achilles injury ruled her out on the eve of her 1500m heat. Mageean's stellar career has also included a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2022, fourth place at the World Championships in 2023, and Irish records in the 800m, 1,000m, 1500m and mile. She was named the 2023 BBC Northern Ireland Sports Personality of the Year after an impressive year, in which she broke national records and was fourth in a competitive World Championships final.
Bloomberg
02-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
UniCredit Renews Commerzbank Merger Pitch as Germany Stands Firm
UniCredit CEO Andrea Orcel and German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil exchanged letters over the future of Commerzbank AG, according to people familiar with the matter. Orcel renewed his push for a deal that he says would create a European banking champion, in a June 18 letter addressed to top German officials including Klingbeil and Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Klingbeil responded by urging Orcel to direct any proposals to Commerzbank's management and reiterated the government's support for the bank's independence, emphasizing it should not become the target of a hostile takeover, the people said.
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Lauren Hemp is the Lionesses' quiet star who could have been a cricketer, writes TARA ANSON-WALSH - but she's ready to take centre stage at the Euros
Lauren Hemp wanders into a padel club in Manchester on a sunny Saturday afternoon to very little fanfare. She's greeted at the door by the owner, but beyond that, people are too preoccupied with the sweaty battles going on inside their glass cages to pay much attention to what's going on outside – or to the Manchester City and England footballer who has just walked into their midst. And this is just the way Hemp likes it – without too much fuss. 'I do get nervous speaking,' Hemp says as she sits down to talk with Mail Sport, which is perfectly understandable. The women's game has grown at a breakneck pace, and many players are still growing accustomed to the intense media scrutiny that comes with being an England player. 'I feel like on the pitch is where I feel most comfortable,' she says. 'When I get on the pitch all my nerves go away, and I feel so confident – that's the way I express myself. 'Off it, I feel like I'm quieter, more reserved. I get on with everyone I meet, but I don't take centre stage. I'm not one to put myself out there. I'm pretty chilled and laid-back. But then when I'm on the pitch, it feels like something just changes. A spark ignites in me.' The problem is, Hemp deserves far more recognition. At just 24, she's already a European champion and World Cup finalist. She's the youngest player to reach 50 goals in the Women's Super League (WSL), has won a record four consecutive PFA Young Player of the Year awards – more than anyone in the competition's history, male or female – and was nominated for the Ballon d'Or last year. Add an FA Cup and League Cup to that list for good measure. Those who follow the women's game closely understand just how vital Hemp is to the Lionesses' hopes of defending their Euros title this summer. After playing every game of the Euro 2022 success in her first major tournament, including whipping in the corner for Chloe Kelly's final winner, her star has been on an infinite, upward trajectory. Yet her quiet nature off the pitch has often left her overshadowed in the wider public eye, as louder personalities have dominated the spotlight. That said, a fully fit and fired-up Hemp is really all England need. At just 5ft 5in, she's one of the quickest players in the game. When Mail Sport asked the Lionesses which teammate they'd back for pace, the response was unanimous: 'Hempo'. Her directness is refreshing at Manchester City, where the team's possession-heavy style can sometimes test the patience of fans. A naturally left-footed winger with extraordinary ball-carrying ability, Hemp never shies away from taking on defenders – and whenever she gets on the ball, seats inevitably start to bang. Hemp topped the WSL assist leaderboard for the second consecutive time this season – an incredible feat given she spent half of it on the bench, playing just 10 of the 22 league games. And when she's not setting up her England or City teammates, Hemp is scoring the goals herself – her opener in the 2023 World Cup semi-final against Australia was one of the tournament's defining moments. Asked what she attributes her meteoric rise to, Hemp replies: 'I don't know. I feel like whenever I get accolades like PFA Young Player of the Year, one thing I haven't done – which I wish I maybe did do – was celebrate it. I've always thought, 'You won that, nice one, right on to the next.' I've always thought about the thing after. 'I've made the Ballon d'Or list, and now I want to get one step closer. Things like that – just taking every game as it comes, and every accolade that I get along the way is great, and I want to win as many trophies as I can. Equally, I don't put too much pressure on myself. I remind myself that I love playing football, and that's how I perform at my best.' Hemp's sporting prowess When we meet at The Padel Club near the Trafford Centre, Hemp unexpectedly arrives dressed in jeans. Having only recently returned from injury, she wisely decides to sit out – unwilling to risk the summer ahead. Still, padel has become a part of her life, and just talking about it stirs her natural competitiveness. 'There's a padel court near where I live and me and my girlfriend (former Liverpool player Ashley Hodson) tried it one day. Turns out I was actually quite good. I let her be on my team and we took two other players on,' she says, grinning. 'I used to like tennis as well. I think I'm one of those annoying kids that was good at every sport. But it's nice to get together and do something other than football. I play a lot with my City teammates.' The Norfolk native is under-selling herself. She was more than just 'good' at other sports – she might have gone on to play cricket professionally. As for football, it was only because her dad used to take her to Norwich to watch her older sister Amy – a promising youth footballer whose career was cut short by double ACL injuries – that she ended up giving it a try. 'I wasn't really interested in playing football, to be honest. I'd be on the sidelines, not even watching the game. But when I was around seven, my dad took me to a trial, and I just joined in with my sister for a bit. Turned out I was actually pretty decent,' she laughs. 'As a kid it was always cricket in the summer, football in the winter. But as I got older, football became more of a full-time thing and I couldn't commit to both. 'It got to the point where I had to make a choice. When I was 15, Norwich City's Girls' Centre of Excellence – where I was training – shut down, and I had to think seriously about my future and how to get the best out of myself. 'There weren't any teams around me where I was going to be able to keep playing football, so I took the decision to join Bristol City, but I was really sad to stop playing cricket. I'd even started going to England camps – little weekend things – for cricket as well.' After two standout seasons at Bristol – where she was named PFA Young Player of the Year in her debut WSL campaign – Hemp moved to Manchester City in 2018, and the focus has remained firmly on football ever since. Return in time for Switzerland Now we turn to this summer's Euros and the difficult, drawn-out rehab that nearly cost her a place. 'I tore my meniscus last November. I had a scan on it, and I was told I was going to be out for two to three months with a repair. I got it repaired and I was coming back, I was back on the pitch and I was feeling good, feeling confident,' she says. 'And then it was getting a bit irritable when I was out on the pitch and I thought, 'This is a bit weird'. I was coming up to being ready to play. I had a scan and I was told I had to get a re-surgery. 'The recovery was a lot less than the time I had originally – it was around four to six weeks – but I ended up being out for a lot longer than I thought it would be. It was about six months in total. 'The bit that was probably the hardest was thinking that I'm so close to being back and then that being taken away – and then feeling like I was back to square one, even though it wasn't. That was probably the hardest part. Because if I'd been told at the start it was going to be six months, I'd have been able to mentally prepare myself for that. But when you're on the way back and you're thinking that you're nearly there – that was tough.' Still, she kept her sights on the summer, as England prepare for a difficult group stage against France, Netherlands and Wales. Hemp kept her sights on the summer, as England prepare for a difficult group stage against France, Netherlands and Wales 'Of course, my priority was always with City, but long term I was thinking about this summer – and that was a real driver for me. And then to finally get the call from Sarina to say that I was going to the Euros, it was a massive relief. I was so happy and I was quick to call my parents and tell them, because it means so much to me to play for England.' As the conversation winds down – after detours into her worst padel opponent ('Grace Clinton!') and childhood heroes ('Kelly Smith, Karen Carney, Jill Scott') – we come to one final question: how does she want to be remembered? 'The thing that I pride myself in is doing anything for the team, and I want people to think that no matter what, I'd run through a brick wall for my team,' she says, before adding: 'I'd love to go down as one of the best wingers in the world.' At just 24, and with the trajectory she's on, that goal feels well within reach. But first it's off to Switzerland where Hemp can get back to doing what she does best, letting her football do the talking.
