Latest news with #ParisOlympicGames


Time of India
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
AFI plans robust monitoring system to prepare Indian athletes for 2026 international events
Nagpur: The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) established a comprehensive monitoring system to enhance the performance of the Indian track and field team for the 2026 Commonwealth and Asian Games. The 2026 Commonwealth Games are scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 2 in Glasgow, while the Asian Games will be held from September 19 to October 4 in Japan. Eleven months following the decentralisation of national coaching camps after the 2024 Paris Olympic Games held in France from July 26 to August 11, the results were promising at the Gumi Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea, held from May 27 to 31, and in domestic competitions, according to AFI spokesperson Adille Sumariwalla. During a one-day meeting in New Delhi on Friday with all stakeholders, including govt and private entities, Sumariwalla addressed the successful decentralisation training model. He noted initial concerns regarding doping and declining performance as top athletes trained at various centres across the country post-decentralisation. "But both issues were successfully tackled due to a good monitoring system," Sumariwalla, vice president of World Athletics, said. He added, "The national team finished second with 24 medals, eight of them gold, behind China in the medal tally at the continental meet. Several national records were also improved in Gumi, which augurs well for the future." To achieve significant impact in continental and global track and field events, Sumariwalla urged all stakeholders to collaborate. "There is a large pool of over 1,000 athletes, including elite training across various centres. All stakeholders, including departments and private entities, should work in tandem for the holistic development of track and field in the country," he emphasized. Sumariwalla also called on stakeholders to adhere strictly to AFI guidelines on the annual competition calendar to provide more opportunities for promising athletes. "Domestic competition has become more competitive. AFI has also introduced regional competitions. Private institutions and govt departments should encourage athletes to compete on home ground rather than send them abroad to participate in low-key events," he added. Addressing the issue of doping, Sumariwalla urged all stakeholders to take strict action against offenders. "AFI has a no needle policy and zero tolerance towards doping. Accountability of officials and coaches at the district and state levels whose athletes test positive for performance-enhancing drugs should be enforced. Strict punishment will act as a deterrent."


Newsweek
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Simone Biles and Riley Gaines Feud: What We Know As Tension Escalates
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Simone Biles and Riley Gaines have been involved in a public feud, and tension has escalated as MyKayla Skinner has inserted herself into the drama. Newsweek reached out to Skinner's representative via email for comment on Wednesday. The Context Biles is a record-breaking Olympic gymnast who gained attention in 2011 at national competitions. She won her first world title in 2013, and by 2015, she became the first woman to win three-straight world all-around titles. To date, the 28-year-old has 11 Olympic medals, including seven gold. Gaines, 25, is the host of Outkick's Gaines for Girls podcast. She's a former swimmer at the University of Kentucky and is an advocate against trans women in women's sports. What To Know The now-viral drama began on June 6 when Gaines reposted a photo on X, formerly Twitter, from the Minnesota State High School League's account. "Meet Champlin Park, the Class AAAA Softball State Champion for 2025," the post read. In response, Gaines said: "Comments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy." Multiple outlets reported that transgender athlete Marissa Rothenberger is a pitcher on the team. At the time of publication, Gaines' post garnered 33.1 million views, 98,000 likes and over 5,900 comments. (L) Simone Biles celebrates after finishing her routine during the Artistic Gymnastics Women's Vault Final on day eight of the Paris Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena on August 3, 2024 in Paris, France. (R)... (L) Simone Biles celebrates after finishing her routine during the Artistic Gymnastics Women's Vault Final on day eight of the Paris Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena on August 3, 2024 in Paris, France. (R) Riley Gaines visits "The Megyn Kelly Show" at the SiriusXM Studios on May 20, 2024 in New York City. More;Biles reacted to Gaines' message on X, writing: "@Riley_Gaines_ You're truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser." She added: "You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!! But instead... You bully them... One things for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!" Her post had 54.1 million views, 263,000 likes and 73,000 comments. Biles was referring to Gaines' 2022 race with the University of Pennsylvania athlete Lia Thomas, a trans woman. They tied for fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle, and Gaines testified in Congress about fairness in women's sports. "Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male @Riley_Gaines_," Biles hit back in a separate post. "This is actually so disappointing," Gaines said in response. "It's not my job or the job of any woman to figure out how to include men in our spaces. You can uplift men stealing championships in women's sports with YOUR platform. Men don't belong in women's sports and I say that with my full chest." "And the subtle hint at 'body-shaming'???? Plzzzz I'm 5'5," the conservative political activist said. Biles is 4-foot-8. Biles later apologized for her remarks, telling her 1.9 million followers on X that she's "always believed competitive equity & inclusivity." "The current system doesn't adequately balance these important principles, which often leads to frustration and heated exchanges, and it didn't help for me to get personal with Riley, which I apologize for," she said. "These are sensitive, complicated issues that I truly don't have the answers or solutions to, but I believe it starts with empathy and respect." Gaines accepted Biles apology. "She's still the greatest female gymnast of all time," she said. On June 13, Skinner—who was a former teammate of Biles at the Tokyo Olympics—weighed in on their social media exchange in a statement to One America News. "As an athlete who has dedicated years to a sport, I've always believed that true competition should elevate us—not diminish others. That's why it's deeply troubling to see @Simone_Biles publicly label a fellow female athlete a 'sore loser'—simply for expressing valid concerns about fairness in women's sports." Skinner later doubled down on her remarks about Biles in an interview with FOX News on June 16. "Throughout my career, there's been many times where I have been belittled and bullied by Simone and have wanted to keep quiet for the other athletes," the 28-year-old alleged. "I stand by Riley and for the amazing way that she is helping athletes to fight for women." Newsweek reached out to Biles' representative via email for comment on Wednesday. What People Are Saying The Biggest Loser star Jillian Michaels wrote on X: "@Simone_Biles While many appreciate your opinion maybe it's time to discuss the facts? If you are so confident have the courage to debate @Riley_Gaines_ on this topic. Litigate this honestly and with integrity. I want to provide this forum. While I agree with @Riley_Gaines_ unilaterally I am confident I can maintain a neutral stance to moderate this conversation." ESPN anchor Sage Steele said on X: "Easy to say this @Simone_Biles when you only had to compete against fellow women. Every one of your Olympic medals came competing against fellow women. @Riley_Gaines_ was not only forced to compete against a man, but forced to share a locker room with a man. THAT is SICK. Shocked and disappointed that you'd attack another woman who has done nothing but uplift other women. If YOU think it makes sense to create a league for trans people, go for it! Use that huge platform of yours! But to attack Riley for what she has done for little girls who want to be the next Simone Biles Conservative political commentator Tomi Lahren reshared a USA Today opinion piece on X: "Her greatness? She literally made fun of Riley Gaines' appearance!!! Yall fake stream media hacks really know how to stand up for real women, don't you?! Disgusting!!" Gymnast Sam Phillips wrote on X: "This whole fight between Riley and Simone is NULL & VOID because the basis of the right's attack is that she would lose medals in the men's gym category when in reality, she would actually STEAL GOLDS from LOTS of the best Male floor and vault workers. So their base is FLAWED... And Null and Void because Riley G.B. is in fact an evil spirited, loser mentality, unreliable, misinformed, hateful person." What Happens Next Biles has not yet responded to Skinner's bullying claims.


The Province
11-06-2025
- Sport
- The Province
McIntosh just misses breaking oldest women's swimming record by blink of an eye
The 18-year-old from Toronto swam the 200-metre butterfly in 2:02.26 — just .45 off the record of 2:01.81 set by China's Liu Zige in 2009. Published Jun 11, 2025 • 5 minute read Olympic medalist Summer McIntosh speaks to members of the media after arriving at Pearson airport following the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, in Toronto, Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. Photo by Christopher Katsarov / The Canadian Press VICTORIA — Summer McIntosh came within a blink of an eye of breaking swimming's oldest women's world record at the Bell Canadian Swimming Trials on Tuesday night. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors With a sold-out crowd's cheers ringing in her ears, the 18-year-old from Toronto swam the 200-metre butterfly in 2:02.26 — just .45 off the record of 2:01.81 set by China's Liu Zige in 2009. She also shaved .76 off her own Canadian record and notched the second fastest time in history in the event. Meanwhile, four new swimmers earned selection to Team Canada for this summer's World Aquatics Championships. McIntosh was pleased with her swim, but also believes the record remains within her grasp. 'I think this world record is the hardest one to get,' said McIntosh, who has set two world records and four Canadian records in four days. 'I'm just so happy with the 2:02 low tonight. I didn't know if that was possible for me.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. McIntosh was on world record pace when she made the final turn for home. 'I was kind of upset with myself with the finish,' she said. 'My last stroke was just a little bit wonky. I can definitely find the other little deficiencies through the race. 'The fact I'm knocking on the door on that world record is really encouraging. That's the one world record I never thought I would even come close to. To be pretty close to it is pretty wild.' McIntosh won the 200-m individual medley on Monday in 2:05.70, lowering the time of 2:06.12 set by Hungary's Katinka Hosszu that stood for nearly 10 years. She opened the trials, winning the 400-m freestyle in 3:54.18 on Saturday, breaking the old mark of 3:55.38 held by Australia's Ariarne Titmus. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. She broke her own Canadian record in the 800-m freestyle Sunday. Her time of 8:05.07 shaved almost five seconds off her own Canadian record and was the third fastest time ever, 0.95 of a second off the world record American legend Katie Ledecky set in May. Ilya Kharun of Montreal picked up his second victory of the trials, winning the men's 200-m butterfly in 1:53.41. Kharun earned a bronze medal in the 200 fly at the Paris 2024 Olympics, setting a Canadian record time. It was the first medal ever for a Canadian in the event. Kharun said the race remains a learning curve for him. 'I'm really glad how it's progressing,' said Kharun, who swam a personal best time to win the 100 fly on Sunday. 'I think it should be a lot better once we get some more work in.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It was an emotional moment for Toronto's Ruslan Gaziev, who won the men's 100-m freestyle in 48.37 seconds. That was under Swimming Canada's secondary standard of 48.82. Gaziev is returning to swimming after serving an 18-month suspension due to an anti-doping rule violation regarding keeping his whereabouts information fully up-to-date. 'I'm just happy I won,' said the 25-year-old. 'I'm honestly proud of myself and how I've handled the struggles I've had. I feel like I've really built up my resilience.' Antoine Sauve of Montreal's CAMO club was second in the men's 100 in 48.42. Toronto's Josh Liendo was third in 48.62, followed by Filip Senc-Samardzic of Toronto in 49.13. Liendo had already earned selection in two events (100 fly and 50 free) while Sauve and Senc-Samardzic added their names to the list. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Three-time Olympian Penny Oleksiak of Toronto won her second event of the trials, taking the women's 100 free in 54.03, well under the AQUA A standard of 54.25. She swam a personal best to win the 50 free on Monday. 'I think I had a lot more in that race,' said Oleksiak, the owner of seven Olympic medals. 'I'm excited to get back into training and just getting faster for the summer.' The top four finishers in the men's and women's 100 freestyle events will be selected to join Team Canada at this summer's World Aquatics Championships. Finishing second in the women's 100 free was Kelowna's Taylor Ruck in 54.41, followed by Brooklyn Douthwright of Riverview, N.B., in 54.74 and Ingrid Wilm of the High Performance Centre_Vancouver in 55.15. Ruck (100-m) and Wilm (50-m) had already earned selection in backstroke events, while Douthwright earned her spot for the first time. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. STRONG NIGHT FOR PARA SWIMMERS Para swimmers enjoyed another strong night with Alyssa Smyth, Nicholas Bennett, and Sebastian Massabie all setting Canadian records. Katie Cosgriffe won the multi-class women's 100-m butterfly in 1:07.61, a time the S10 swimmer from the Oakville Aquatic Club believes she can improve on. 'There's lots of technical ways that I can be a lot faster,' she said. 'I have to work on my speed in general.' Alyssa Smyth of the Orangeville Otters Swim Club was second in the race in an S13 Canadian record time of 1:06.42. A mix-up resulted in Smyth arriving at the pool late. She didn't have time for a warm-up before her race. 'There was a lot of adrenalin,' said Smyth. 'I thought to make the best of the situation, I would just try the best I could. It went pretty well.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Fernando Lu of Langley's Olympian Swimming won two races. The S10 swimmer started the evening taking the multi-class 100-m butterfly in 58.20 seconds, then the 50-m freestyle in 24.44. 'It went well for me tonight,' said Lu, who reached two finals at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. 'I feel more energized than ever. I'm really happy with the way I've recovered from the past races.' Sebastian Massabie of the Pacific Sea Wolves broke the S5 Canadian record twice in the 50 freestyle. He swam 36.22 seconds in the morning preliminaries, then 35.42 in the final. He broke the Canadian record in the S5 50-m butterfly twice on Monday. Nicholas Bennett, an S14 swimmer with the Red Deer Catalina Swim Club, swam 57.50 to lower his own Canadian record in the 100-m butterfly. The six-day trials, which run through Thursday, have attracted more than 700 swimmers to Saanich Commonwealth Place in Victoria. 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West Australian
08-06-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Double Dutch calamity for hammered Hockeyroos
The Hockeyroos changed their line-up and tried to summon up new resolve but, ultimately, were still overwhelmed for the second time in 24 hours by their ruthless Dutch hosts in international hockey's Pro League. Australia's hockey women are not used to the sort of hammerings they were handed in consecutive days at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen as the world's No.1 side, the Netherlands, followed up their 8-1 win on Saturday with a 5-1 trouncing on Sunday. Hockeyroos' coach Katrina Powell made four changes in the hope of stemming the tide after the calamitous display on Saturday and for a moment, all looked good when NSW's Alice Arnott put the visitors ahead in the seventh minute. Arnott was back in international action for the first time since her terrific Paris Olympic Games performance last August, and made it nine goals in just 23 appearances with her reverse-stick finish. "I was very excited to be back out there, in fact, I think it was probably the adrenaline talking that got me that goal!" said Arnott. "It was a great play from the defence to attack, the build up was really great, and I was the lucky one on the end of it, but it was nice to be back out there and that settled the nerves a little bit for me." Alas, for the team, it was only the prelude to another brilliant demonstration by the Dutch masters, aided by some careless turnovers from the Aussies. The Olympic champs equalised through Marijn Veen after 13 minutes, went ahead through Maud van den Heuvel in the 21st before Yibbi Jansen scored with a familiar drag flick on the stroke of halftime. There was no way back for the Hockeyroos as the Dutch completely dominated after the break, Jansen adding her second - and her fifth across the two matches - in the 41st minute before Felice Albers sealed their nap hand of goals seven minutes later. It was not the happiest way to celebrate Grace Young's 50th international appearance for Australia, nor Queensland striker Jamie-Lee Surha's historic debut as just the fifth Indigenous woman to represent the Hockeyroos. "Pulling on the Indigenous uniform was one of the most special moments for me, being a First Nations athlete in this team, I'm very proud to be here and in this uniform," Surha said. Captain Grace Stewart was adamant that the team would "take a lot from this" as they now move on to London for the next stage of the Pro League, where they'll face India twice before taking on hosts England. The Hockeyroos currently lie seventh of the league's nine teams, having lost seven of their 10 matches.


The Advertiser
08-06-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Double Dutch calamity for hammered Hockeyroos
The Hockeyroos changed their line-up and tried to summon up new resolve but, ultimately, were still overwhelmed for the second time in 24 hours by their ruthless Dutch hosts in international hockey's Pro League. Australia's hockey women are not used to the sort of hammerings they were handed in consecutive days at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen as the world's No.1 side, the Netherlands, followed up their 8-1 win on Saturday with a 5-1 trouncing on Sunday. Hockeyroos' coach Katrina Powell made four changes in the hope of stemming the tide after the calamitous display on Saturday and for a moment, all looked good when NSW's Alice Arnott put the visitors ahead in the seventh minute. Arnott was back in international action for the first time since her terrific Paris Olympic Games performance last August, and made it nine goals in just 23 appearances with her reverse-stick finish. "I was very excited to be back out there, in fact, I think it was probably the adrenaline talking that got me that goal!" said Arnott. "It was a great play from the defence to attack, the build up was really great, and I was the lucky one on the end of it, but it was nice to be back out there and that settled the nerves a little bit for me." Alas, for the team, it was only the prelude to another brilliant demonstration by the Dutch masters, aided by some careless turnovers from the Aussies. The Olympic champs equalised through Marijn Veen after 13 minutes, went ahead through Maud van den Heuvel in the 21st before Yibbi Jansen scored with a familiar drag flick on the stroke of halftime. There was no way back for the Hockeyroos as the Dutch completely dominated after the break, Jansen adding her second - and her fifth across the two matches - in the 41st minute before Felice Albers sealed their nap hand of goals seven minutes later. It was not the happiest way to celebrate Grace Young's 50th international appearance for Australia, nor Queensland striker Jamie-Lee Surha's historic debut as just the fifth Indigenous woman to represent the Hockeyroos. "Pulling on the Indigenous uniform was one of the most special moments for me, being a First Nations athlete in this team, I'm very proud to be here and in this uniform," Surha said. Captain Grace Stewart was adamant that the team would "take a lot from this" as they now move on to London for the next stage of the Pro League, where they'll face India twice before taking on hosts England. The Hockeyroos currently lie seventh of the league's nine teams, having lost seven of their 10 matches. The Hockeyroos changed their line-up and tried to summon up new resolve but, ultimately, were still overwhelmed for the second time in 24 hours by their ruthless Dutch hosts in international hockey's Pro League. Australia's hockey women are not used to the sort of hammerings they were handed in consecutive days at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen as the world's No.1 side, the Netherlands, followed up their 8-1 win on Saturday with a 5-1 trouncing on Sunday. Hockeyroos' coach Katrina Powell made four changes in the hope of stemming the tide after the calamitous display on Saturday and for a moment, all looked good when NSW's Alice Arnott put the visitors ahead in the seventh minute. Arnott was back in international action for the first time since her terrific Paris Olympic Games performance last August, and made it nine goals in just 23 appearances with her reverse-stick finish. "I was very excited to be back out there, in fact, I think it was probably the adrenaline talking that got me that goal!" said Arnott. "It was a great play from the defence to attack, the build up was really great, and I was the lucky one on the end of it, but it was nice to be back out there and that settled the nerves a little bit for me." Alas, for the team, it was only the prelude to another brilliant demonstration by the Dutch masters, aided by some careless turnovers from the Aussies. The Olympic champs equalised through Marijn Veen after 13 minutes, went ahead through Maud van den Heuvel in the 21st before Yibbi Jansen scored with a familiar drag flick on the stroke of halftime. There was no way back for the Hockeyroos as the Dutch completely dominated after the break, Jansen adding her second - and her fifth across the two matches - in the 41st minute before Felice Albers sealed their nap hand of goals seven minutes later. It was not the happiest way to celebrate Grace Young's 50th international appearance for Australia, nor Queensland striker Jamie-Lee Surha's historic debut as just the fifth Indigenous woman to represent the Hockeyroos. "Pulling on the Indigenous uniform was one of the most special moments for me, being a First Nations athlete in this team, I'm very proud to be here and in this uniform," Surha said. Captain Grace Stewart was adamant that the team would "take a lot from this" as they now move on to London for the next stage of the Pro League, where they'll face India twice before taking on hosts England. The Hockeyroos currently lie seventh of the league's nine teams, having lost seven of their 10 matches. The Hockeyroos changed their line-up and tried to summon up new resolve but, ultimately, were still overwhelmed for the second time in 24 hours by their ruthless Dutch hosts in international hockey's Pro League. Australia's hockey women are not used to the sort of hammerings they were handed in consecutive days at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen as the world's No.1 side, the Netherlands, followed up their 8-1 win on Saturday with a 5-1 trouncing on Sunday. Hockeyroos' coach Katrina Powell made four changes in the hope of stemming the tide after the calamitous display on Saturday and for a moment, all looked good when NSW's Alice Arnott put the visitors ahead in the seventh minute. Arnott was back in international action for the first time since her terrific Paris Olympic Games performance last August, and made it nine goals in just 23 appearances with her reverse-stick finish. "I was very excited to be back out there, in fact, I think it was probably the adrenaline talking that got me that goal!" said Arnott. "It was a great play from the defence to attack, the build up was really great, and I was the lucky one on the end of it, but it was nice to be back out there and that settled the nerves a little bit for me." Alas, for the team, it was only the prelude to another brilliant demonstration by the Dutch masters, aided by some careless turnovers from the Aussies. The Olympic champs equalised through Marijn Veen after 13 minutes, went ahead through Maud van den Heuvel in the 21st before Yibbi Jansen scored with a familiar drag flick on the stroke of halftime. There was no way back for the Hockeyroos as the Dutch completely dominated after the break, Jansen adding her second - and her fifth across the two matches - in the 41st minute before Felice Albers sealed their nap hand of goals seven minutes later. It was not the happiest way to celebrate Grace Young's 50th international appearance for Australia, nor Queensland striker Jamie-Lee Surha's historic debut as just the fifth Indigenous woman to represent the Hockeyroos. "Pulling on the Indigenous uniform was one of the most special moments for me, being a First Nations athlete in this team, I'm very proud to be here and in this uniform," Surha said. Captain Grace Stewart was adamant that the team would "take a lot from this" as they now move on to London for the next stage of the Pro League, where they'll face India twice before taking on hosts England. The Hockeyroos currently lie seventh of the league's nine teams, having lost seven of their 10 matches.