Latest news with #Nik
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Video: Tennis at the Australian Open and tracking down James Haskell
Video: Revealed: The key figure behind Will Skelton's emotional Wallabies return against the British and Irish Lions Nik and Kev's Lions tour adventure continued as they arrived in Melbourne for the crescendo moment of the series. They touched down in Victoria where they were reunited with some old friends to show them the city that prides itself on being every bit different. With hidden gems around every corner, they ended up stepping out of the rugby bubble to experience street art, coffee culture and the state's vibrant multi-culture.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Tennis at the Australian Open, a visit to Ramsey Street... and Roar & Uncut tracks down James Haskell in the pool during the Lions' tour
Nik and Kev's Lions tour adventure continued as they arrived in Melbourne for the crescendo moment of the series. They touched down in Victoria where they were reunited with some old friends to show them the city that prides itself on being every bit different. With hidden gems around every corner, they ended up stepping out of the rugby bubble to experience street art, coffee culture and the state's vibrant multi-culture. Here is what the guys got up to in the fifth episode of Roar & Uncut, in association with Dr Squatch. MONDAY It was an early start for the Wallabies ' press conference at the Crowne Plaza Melbourne by IHG. As the official tour partners, IHG decked out the riverside hotel with paraphernalia ahead of the big match, so we checked out their pop-up bar before heading out of town to Ramsay Street. The Neighbours set brought back a few teenage memories, visiting the houses that played out so many storylines for the likes of the Bishops and the Kennedies. TUESDAY All kitted up, we made tracks to the iconic blue tennis courts that host the Australian Open. Kev prides himself on being the Essex schoolboys champion at Under 15 level so we brought Mail Sport columnist Dan Biggar along to step up the competition. Dan was a professional sportsman until last month and his athleticism shone through, wiping the court with both of us to win the inaugural Dr Squatch trophy. After the match, we stopped off at Proud Mary, which was recently named in the top 10 coffee shops in the world, to fuel up before the Lions match against the Pasifika XV. WEDNESDAY We boarded a boat up the river for a memorable tour of the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It is a colossus of an arena, with 100,024 seats that host concerts, AFL, cricket and more. Damien Fleming, Australia's fast bowler from the 1990s, gave the travelling media a private tour, joining us for lunch in the Long Room. Come Christmas, the iconic stadium will be packed to its old rafters for the upcoming Ashes series. THURSDAY After Andy Farrell and Joe Schmidt named their teams for the second Test, we visited the Lightscape exhibition at the Royal Botanic Gardens. It was an immersive display featuring dozens of illuminations, strolling through floral canopies that offered an enchanting escape from the day-to-day touring schedule. And then it was back to the MCG, where the Hawks were hosting Carlton in an all-Victorian AFL derby. FRIDAY Our hotel, the voco Melbourne Central by IHG, was situated in the heart of the action. We were surrounded by the bright lights of China Town, vibrant street art and independent outlets on every corner. James Haskell and Mike Tindall were also staying in our hotel, as part of their work with the The Good, The Bad & The Rugby. We caught up with Haskell in the hotel's skyline swimming pool, where he shared a few hilarious anecdotes from his rugby career. SATURDAY Match day in Melbourne, but not before some fish and chips down on the beach in St Kilda. We boarded the city's free tram service for a hit of sea air, enjoying the winter coastline. Then it was back to the MCG to join more than 90,000 supporters for the series-defining Test. Kev was a guest of Qatar Airways in their hospitality area, while Nik was sat up in the media tribune to report on a thrilling Lions victory for the ages. Roar & Uncut comes to you in association with Dr Squatch, ensuring Nik and Kev are the best-smelling guys on tour.
TimesLIVE
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
Nik Rabinowitz's best holiday ever? His entire life before kids
Hi, I'm Nik. I'm a hunter-gatherer, Xhosa-light, forest-farm boy, raised on the mean, green streets of Constantia, Cape Town. I went to a Waldorf school, where I learnt to sew felt elephants and crochet my own underwear. My new show Geriatric Millennial is very funny. How do I know that? I checked with multiple audiences that didn't include my mother. Describing yourself as 'a traveller' in 2025 is like putting 'photographer' in your LinkedIn bio after you bought an iPhone, although I've been to six continents, so maybe I can. Come to think of it, I'm one continent away from the full box set. Hopefully my friend Riaan Manser invites me to Antarctica because I'm not willingly paying 200k to freeze my arse off. Three words that describe my travel personality: adventurey, outdoorsy, off-the-beaten-tracky. I grew up on a farm in Cape Town and for the holidays we'd often camp on the farm Boontjieskloof (subsequently gentrified to Bushmanskloof) in the Agter-Pakuis Cederberg mountains. I remember campfires, condensed milk, moerkoffie, pothole swimming, rock-art hunting, sleeping under 500-million-year-old rock overhangs, watching sparks float up towards stars ... and the time my dad dropped the matza balls. My first trip abroad was to Sea Point. From Constantia. To see my Great Aunt Sarah. My mom packed me a little suitcase full of matchbox cars, my parents loaded the car full of supplies and padkos and off we went. My first overseas trip was to the UK on a school cricket tour. I remember my teammate 'Festicles' buying a magazine full of images unlike anything we'd seen in Scope. Our coach Christoffel arrived looking like he'd wrestled a brewery and lost. And we drank Bristol Exhibition cider like it was apple juice — until Dovvi vomited all over our host family's house. 'Cultural exchange' sometimes just means learning how to apologise in a foreign language while your parents work out whether travel insurance covers diplomatic embarrassment caused by fermented fruit products. My most remote destination was Cordillera Blanca in Peru. I learnt that sharing a tent with Jon-Jon-Keegan at 5,000m while one of you has violent vomiting and diarrhoea is a real test — especially with only Spanish-speaking donkeys for moral support. My most difficult was Kilimanjaro at -10°C, with acute pulmonary oedema. And there's nothing cute about it. I'm not an adventurous eater on holiday. Though I did eat flambéed pigeon shin in Peru, followed by Arequipan guinea pig. It was either that or Alpaca testicles. Best place for a night out? Upington. There's a club called Plan B; 60% of the town enjoys being tied up. They don't have a Plan A. Also Amsterdam — bikes, dykes and Hollandse Nieuwe Haring [young herring, a traditional Dutch delicacy]. One thing I always do on holiday is try to disappear in the morning to 'explore' — that is have a midlife crisis. Then attempt the 'Great Holiday Seduction' on my wife, usually met with the enthusiasm of someone who's been applying sunscreen to toddlers all day. When travelling, I am a sucker for malaria. Got it in Malawi. Didn't die, so that was a good outcome. Also, I once dug my boss a long drop in Mozambique. That's the day you become a man. Best holiday ever? A mokoro safari in the Okavango. Also backpacking through Mozambique before it was cleared of landmines. I once survived a cyclone and clubbed a fish like Tom Hanks in Cast Away, except with more guilt. Most relaxing destination? Churchhaven, on Langebaan Lagoon in the West Coast National Park. You rent a house for the price of a small European nation, but it reminds you what 'free' feels like. Tourist attractions that surprised me? Bredasdorp: window view of a brick wall. Malindi, Kenya: too Italian — rather just go to Italy. Must-see before you die? West Point, Liberia. Because you probably will. Kandahar, Afghanistan — terrifying but beautiful mountains. Favourite museum? Cradle of Humankind. Nothing makes you feel more evolved than seeing your ancient grandmother in a glass box while someone explains evolution like it's Survivor. Favourite hotel? The Drake, Toronto. Cool vibe. Theatre. And every room has a book titled God is Very Disappointed in You. Inspirational. What I think when I see South Africans abroad? 'I hope they talk smack about me in Afrikaans.' Bucket-list destinations? North Korea; Lithuania (grandfather's expropriated house, ideally with EFF support); the NG Kerk in Comodoro Rivadavia, Patagonia; the Great Wall of China — for my 50th, with my favourite chinas. Places I'd return to? Lamu Island, Kenya; Hydra Island, Greece; Delta Camp, Okavango; Joshua Tree, California; the Transkei's Wild Coast — it's mystical and has a wall with a hole in it. Never again? Holocaust memorial in Riga, Latvia. Cathartic, but not for the faint-hearted. Also, Europe. So many languages. €8 sandwiches. You won't like it. Trust me. Best holiday ever? My entire life before I had kids. Worst hotel? Formula 3 in Nairobi. They gave us flip-flops for the bathroom.
Mint
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Mint
Can a woman run a four-minute mile?
More than 70 years ago, Roger Bannister became the first person to run a mile in under 4 minutes. And, as runners continued to obsess over the mark, several thousand more followed in his wake. But all of them had one thing in common: They were men. Now, for the first time, a woman is taking aim at a 4-minute mile. Faith Kipyegon, a three-time Olympic champion from Kenya, will make her attempt at the previously unimaginable target on Thursday in a closed-course event at the Stade Charléty in Paris. 'I think it will cement my legacy and also give hope to other women that everything is possible," Kipyegon said. The question is exactly how possible. Nike, her sponsor and the event's organizer, is calling this a moonshot, and with good reason. To go under 4 minutes, the 31-year-old Kipyegon needs to slash nearly eight seconds off her current world record of 4:07.64. Nike has supplied her with special spikes and a sleek, custom racing suit. But the most crucial element probably won't be anything she's wearing. The biggest difference-maker will likely be the pacesetters running with Kipyegon to help maintain the frenetic rhythm and shield her from wind. A spokesperson said Nike had tested different strategies and that the final formation would be revealed on Thursday. Kipyegon has already written her name into the history books repeatedly by setting world records in the 1,500 and 5,000 meter races. But the mile remains the distance that stays in the minds of even casual weekend runners. World Athletics President Seb Coe, who set the mile world record three times in the 1970s and 1980s, pointed out that more people have reached the summit of Mount Everest (an estimated 7,000) than achieved a 4-minute mile (about 2,100, according to Track & Field News editor Sieg Lindstrom). 'The mile still has a universal cachet," Coe said. Nike has plenty of experience with stunts like this one. Eight years ago, it staged a race in Italy for Kenyan star Eliud Kipchoge to try to run a marathon in under two hours. The company equipped him with state-of-the-art shoes and a phalanx of pace-setting runners tagging in and out to escort him on his way. Kipchoge missed the mark by 25 seconds at the time. But in a subsequent staged attempt two years later, he hit the historic mark on a closed course in Vienna. Due to the highly controlled conditions, Kipchoge's effort wasn't eligible for world-record ratification—no one has run a marathon in under 2 hours in competition. The same will be true of Kipyegon's attempt. Track and field governing body World Athletics requires that world records be set in live competition. Still, Kipyegon is throwing herself into uncharted territory for women. Trimming 7.65 seconds over the course of a mile is a monumental leap that will require every possible efficiency. Aerodynamic drafting with the help of pacesetters could contribute to a saving of 3 to 4 seconds at 4-minute-mile pace, according to a recent academic paper written in part by two Nike-funded researchers. When Bannister broke the 4-minute barrier, he drafted closely behind two different pacers for more than 80% of the run. Another study, published in February independently of Nike, said its calculations 'suggest that Kipyegon could run ~3:59.37 with drafting provided by one pacer in front and one in back who change out with two other pacers at 800 [meters]." Wouter Hoogkamer, one of the authors of the February study, said, 'We didn't think they were going to try it this soon. But I guess if anybody's going to do it, it's going to be Faith Kipyegon." Beyond the pacers, Kipyegon—who once won a junior title running barefoot—will also rely on a knee-length bodysuit studded with raindrop-sized nubs that Nike calls 'aeronodes," which are designed to 'split the air in front of Faith and create smaller eddies behind her to reduce drag." The kit includes arm and leg sleeves and a headband. Her custom track shoes, meanwhile, feature six spikes instead of the regular five and more cushion under the forefoot. The general category of super spikes, developed with high-tech foams and carbon-fiber plates, has driven a surge in 4-minute miles among men. Kipyegon's attempt comes as Nike seeks to rejuvenate its brand and capitalize on the rising profile of women's sports. But not everyone necessarily sees the sporting merit. Kara Goucher, a retired U.S. Olympian and former Nike athlete who has been critical of the brand, called Kipyegon a 'true prodigy," but thought that fixating on 4 minutes was misguided. 'We are focused on a woman breaking a men's barrier instead of what she has already done," Goucher wrote in an email. 'She has run 4:07 in the mile. That is wayyy faster than what was ever believed that a woman could run." Write to Rachel Bachman at
Edinburgh Reporter
10-06-2025
- Edinburgh Reporter
Understanding And Profiting From Slot Momentum: The Payout Pulse
The dynamic and often changing realm of online slots sometimes seems to run under complete chance. Still, experienced players and sharp observers talk of a phenomena called 'slot momentum' or 'payout pulse.' This is about spotting trends in payments and adjusting one's approach rather than on forecasting particular results, which Random Number Generators (RNGs) make impossible. Knowing this pulse helps gamers to make more wise judgments, so improving their enjoyment and possibly their returns. Direct web slots (สล็อตเว็บตรง) have made this research more accessible than ever by offering a clear, instantaneous link to the game's mechanics free from the layers of intermediaries that can hide these small changes. Photo by Nik on Unsplash Clarifying the Random Number Generator (RNG) Designed to generate millions of possibilities every second, this sophisticated algorithm guarantees that every spin is totally autonomous and erratic. The RNG lacks memory; it does not 'know' past performance or project future ones. One must understand this basic idea since it refutes conventional wisdom regarding 'hot' or 'cold' machines. Every spin is a statistically isolated occurrence driven just by the mathematical probability set into the game. The illusion of cycles: knowing RTP Slot machines are configured with a Return to Player (RTP%) percentage, a notional long-term average of how much money is returned to players while individual spins are random. For instance, a 96% RTP indicates that, on millions of spins, the machine is supposed to give back $96 for every $100 wage. Not in quick sessions, this RTP is attained over an immensely large number of plays. Thus, what would seem to be a 'cycle' of wins or losses is really the normal variance and statistical distribution acting out over time, not a predictable pattern. Payout Trends: Short-Term Variance Human mind often searches for patterns despite unpredictability; even in cases when none really exist. Though not for prediction, short-term payout trends can nevertheless be a useful component of a player's approach for bankroll management and strategic changes. A machine might experience periods of more frequent, lesser wins or longer dry spells followed by a notable payoff. Understanding these transient changes helps a player choose, depending on their own risk tolerance and present luck, when to raise or lower their bets or even change games. Volatility and Its Part in the Payout Pulse Low-volatile slots provide a constant stream of tiny winnings even if they pay out less overall. Conversely, high-volatile slots provide few wins but could have considerably higher payouts including jackpots. Finding the volatility of a game shapes one's betting approach and helps create expectations. While players chasing a large win could lean for high-volatility machines, adjusting their play style to the natural pace of each game, a player wanting a consistent, longer gaming session may select low-volatility, slower machines. The Payout Pulse: Recognizing and Capitalizing on Slot Momentum' addresses the human need to organize chaos. Although the foundation of online slots is advanced Random Number Generators that guarantee really random results, knowing how to see and respond to short-term trends can surely improve a player's experience. Though fleeting these trends may be, it's about playing better by matching one's strategy with the observable flow of payments rather than about subverting the system. Direct web slots (สล็อตเว็บตรง) accessibility helps players to interact directly with these games, therefore creating a transparent environment where disciplined play and personal observation may grow. Players may really negotiate the countless opportunities of online slot gaming by appreciating the knowledge of strategic management as well as the thrill of chance. Like this: Like Related
