Latest news with #RogerBannister
Telegraph
17-07-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Telegraph style book: Bb
B baby boomers: People born 1945–1964. Boomers only in features/comment articles back benches, backbenchers, back-bench (adj) bacteria: Plural form of bacterium Badenoch: Kemi is Mrs Badenoch at second mention, not Ms Bafta: never BAFTA bale/bail: Bale is something made of hay; bail is on a set of cricket stumps or a surety. Bail out is the verbal form. Bailout acceptable when referring to finance balls: Unless a ball has an adjective before it (May ball, hunt ball etc), the plural is 'dances' BAME: Avoid unless in quotes or in direct reference to reports. Always spell out (black, Asian and minority ethnic) banister Bangalore: Do not use except in historical contexts. It is now called Bengaluru Bank of England: The Bank at second mention bank holiday: Lower case Bannister, Sir Roger barbecue: Not barbeque or BBQ Barclays Bank Barnardo's: Note the apostrophe baronets: Sir John Smith, Bt, when necessary to distinguish from a knight. Baronets are not knights battles: Specific ones are capped – Battle of Hastings, Battle of Britain battleships: Use only in historical context. Use warships otherwise baulk: Not balk BBC style: BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5 Live sports extra; but BBC 6 Music and 1Xtra, CBeebies BC: Follows dates Beckham, Sir David: His wife is Lady Beckham in news copy; Victoria Beckham in fashion/professional contexts Beck's beer begging the question: A specific logical fallacy involving founding a conclusion on a basis that itself needs to be proved. It does not mean avoiding a question or inviting a question Belarus, Belarusian benefited: One T Beretta: The gun – not to be confused with biretta Berwick-upon-Tweed between: for when things are shared between two people 'He divided the money between his two children' see among Beverly Hills / Beverley (East Yorks) / Beverley Knight Bible: Cap unless figurative ('his bible'). Biblical is lower case Biblical references: e.g. Genesis 1:1, Matthew 3:2 bi- (prefix): Use bimonthly, biweekly, biannual with caution; the meanings are often unclear bid: Use only in context of auctions, finance, football transfers, Olympic bids, bridge biennial: Once every two years biannual: Twice a year big tech, big five etc: lower case billion: A thousand million. Abbreviate to bn for money (£10bn) but not for other things (10 billion people) bin Laden, Osama Birds Eye: Frozen food brand (no apostrophe) biretta: A priest's headgear. Not to be confused with Beretta the gunmaker Biro: A trademark Bitcoin: Capitalised black: Preferred term for African-Caribbean ethnicity. Capitalise only in organisation names Blanchett, Cate blizzard: Use only when wind speed is at least 35mph bloc: Lower case, as in 'Eastern bloc'; from French. Also bloc vote blond/blonde: Blond for men, blonde for women Blumenthal, Heston Blu-Tack BMJ: Abbreviation of British Medical Journal. Full name no longer used Boudicca: Not Boadicea Bonhams: Auctioneers Bonham Carter, Helena: And others – no hyphen bon viveur: Incorrect French; use bon vivant. A woman is a bonne vivante border: Between Scotland and England is lc born of: Not born out of Botox: Botulinum toxin bottle bank Bournville: No middle e bouquet: Adding 'of flowers' is tautological Boy's Own Paper Brands Hatch: No apostrophe brave: Use for courageous acts, not for illness Brexit: Capped, as are Leave and Remain. Withdrawal agreement lower case unless referring to the Bill brilliant: Use carefully. Describes dazzling objects or intellectual distinction, not just anything good British/UK: Avoid unnecessary repetition. Assumed in most stories Bros: Only in company names. No full point. Tech bros only in features brussels sprouts BSE: bovine spongiform encephalopathy (lc) BTec bubbly: Hackneyed as description of a lively woman; vulgar as drink name Buck's fizz: The drink – apostrophe included. No apostrophe for the pop group Budget: Capped when referring to the Chancellor's statement. Lower case for company/local authority budgets budget airline: Avoid. Use low-cost airline bumf: NOT bumph. (Derived from bum-fodder) bungee jumping bureaus: Not bureaux Burka: Not burqa Burns Night: No apostrophe bussed, bussing: Try to avoid. Prefer taken by bus bus stop Bush, George W / George HW / George Bush Sr Butlins: No apostrophe buyout: Noun buy out: Verb buzzwords by-election: Hyphenated
Times
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Times
Faith Kipyegon fails in bid to become ‘female Roger Bannister'
Even with a pair of super bouncy Nike spikes, a race suit boasting something they call 'aeronodes', a team of male pacemakers and a track far quicker than the old cinder oval at Oxford's Iffley Road, Roger Bannister proved well beyond Faith Kipyegon's reach in Paris on Thursday evening. A first sub-four minute mile for a woman was always an ambitious target, when Kipyegon's own official world record — a time almost five seconds faster than any other female in history — stands at 4:07.64. And, for now at least anyway, Bannister's biological advantages, as well as the assistance he received from three pacemakers and a grindstone to reduce the weight of the metal spikes in his lightweight leather shoes, is not yet something even the finest female middle-distance runner in history can match.
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Keeping the Faith
On the woman within 6 seconds of the 4 minute mile Last month, Faith Kipyegon, the genius Kenyan runner, made a concerted effort to become the first woman to break the 4 minute barrier for the mile. It was Paris in springtime and a glee club of supporters egged her on, with the legendary Carl Lewis leading the band. Took me back to when my dad, then doing a military course in Surrey, said come with me to Oxford to see a race. I refused, saying I wanted to watch Cisco Kid on the telly. But at six years I didn't have much clout and very soon we were into the one hour drive to Iffley Park, a father trying to explain the joys of athletics to a pouting child. I love to say that I was part of history that day when Roger Bannister broke the 4 minute barrier. But instead of being riveted by the magical moment we were about to witness that would be counted right up there with Tenzing and Hillary, Eliud Kipchoge, Tiger Woods, Muhammad Ali, Roger Federer and Usain Bolt, I was thinking about what Cisco Kid was doing in this sorely missed episode. In the telling and retelling of the story over the years I have sanitised it and widened its scope. No fault of the listener if he believes that I was there at the finishing line to welcome Roger Bannister, along with his pacers Chris Chataway and Chris Brasher, and that the hero of the hour caught his breath and then lifted me up in his arms in the moment of triumph. Truth be told there was much screaming and shouting and for the crowd of officials and others surrounding him he could hardly be seen and at six years when you are sulking 4 minute miles come well below an ice lolly in order of precedence. Actually, 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds. Still, I guess I was there when sports history was being made. And last month too, with millions of people all around the world glued to YouTube, the exuberance and joyousness of pure sport, the singular courage and daring do of athletics, and the art and science of going that one bridge further and breaking the record were in focus. Faith lopped a whole second of her personal best and is now six seconds short of the barrier. She will do it one day soon, never mind Cisco Kid. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
The National
28-06-2025
- Sport
- The National
Kipyegon showed we should all chase our dreams with record bid
There was a time when the 4-minute mile was considered impossible. Doctors said it might kill you. Coaches called it a fantasy. For years, it stood as sport's greatest psychological barrier a line etched in fear more than physiology. Then came Roger Bannister. On May 6, 1954, he ran a mile in 3:59.4 and in doing so, he shattered more than a record. He shattered belief systems. The impossible was possible after all. This week in Paris, nearly 70 years on, we saw another barrier bend. Another belief remade. Another dream made real. A fellow Nike athlete Faith Kipyegon ran a mile faster than any other woman in history again. With a time of 4:06.42, she broke her own world record and cemented her place as the most decorated female middle-distance runner the sport has ever known. More than a result, it was a moment. A moment built on years of work. A moment carried on the shoulders of teammates, coaches, scientists, pacemakers and belief. A moment that reminded the world what happens when courage meets opportunity. 'It was tough, but I am so proud of what I've done, and I'm going to keep on trying, dreaming, and pursuing big goals,' Faith said afterward. 'I want to show the world, and especially women, that you have to dare to try.' That spirit the daring, the dreaming, the defiance of limits is what made Faith's run more than a race. It was a moonshot. The kind of act that leaves a lasting impression on anyone watching, no matter their connection to athletics. Because the 4-minute mile literal or symbolic lives in all of us. It's the thing that scares us. The thing that feels out of reach. The thing we don't speak out loud in case we fail. Her performance wasn't hers alone. Running, especially at this level, is a team sport. Scottish middle-distance runner Jemma Reekie was among the key pacemakers supporting Faith. Alongside a crew of elite athletes she helped maintain the brutal pace and provided critical wind shelter in those unforgiving laps. But it's not just about the physical support. Faith's partnership with Nike spans 16 years a relationship built not only on elite gear and science, but belief. Belief in her ability. Belief in the idea that women from Kenya, mothers, leaders, and athletes of every background deserve a platform to push the limits of what's possible. That belief is stitched into every detail of this Breaking4 performance. Nike's holistic approach from coaching, to data, to innovation shows that progress isn't random. It's built, tested, sharpened, and refined. But at the centre of it all, there must be a human heart with drive willing to push both mind and body. As Steve Prefontaine said: 'To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.' Faith has never sacrificed her gift. She's honoured it not just with wins, but with consistency, humility, and hunger. She showed that we should chase the thing that seems out of reach. Her amazing documentary shows the struggle and how to still press forward. We might not have pacemakers or super spikes. But we all have a finish line we're trying to cross. For me, as someone navigating paralysis, injury, and illness, the 4-minute mile looks different. It's found in rehab progress, mental battles, days where the body says no but the spirit insists otherwise. My miles are measured in persistence. Faith's performance is a reminder that personal bests are sacred, even when no one sees them. Maybe especially then. So what's your mile? Is it finishing therapy? Returning to the field? Starting something you've always put off? Or just waking up and choosing not to give up today? Whatever it is let Faith's words echo: You have to dare to try. Her run wasn't just a world record. It was a message. A beacon. A moonshot that says: this is what's possible when you go all in. History doesn't only belong to the fastest. It belongs to the brave. To the ones who keep showing up. The ones who run when no one's watching. The ones who believe fiercely that their dream matters. Faith Kipyegon believed and for those four laos of the Olympic track in Paris I cheered as loud as possible with broken ribs at the Television in the hope that she felt every step of this beautiful miles energy and truly lived in the moment.
The Herald Scotland
28-06-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Kipyegon showed we should all chase our dreams with record bid
Doctors said it might kill you. Coaches called it a fantasy. For years, it stood as sport's greatest psychological barrier a line etched in fear more than physiology. Then came Roger Bannister. On May 6, 1954, he ran a mile in 3:59.4 and in doing so, he shattered more than a record. He shattered belief systems. The impossible was possible after all. This week in Paris, nearly 70 years on, we saw another barrier bend. Another belief remade. Another dream made real. A fellow Nike athlete Faith Kipyegon ran a mile faster than any other woman in history again. With a time of 4:06.42, she broke her own world record and cemented her place as the most decorated female middle-distance runner the sport has ever known. More than a result, it was a moment. A moment built on years of work. A moment carried on the shoulders of teammates, coaches, scientists, pacemakers and belief. A moment that reminded the world what happens when courage meets opportunity. 'It was tough, but I am so proud of what I've done, and I'm going to keep on trying, dreaming, and pursuing big goals,' Faith said afterward. 'I want to show the world, and especially women, that you have to dare to try.' That spirit the daring, the dreaming, the defiance of limits is what made Faith's run more than a race. It was a moonshot. The kind of act that leaves a lasting impression on anyone watching, no matter their connection to athletics. Because the 4-minute mile literal or symbolic lives in all of us. It's the thing that scares us. The thing that feels out of reach. The thing we don't speak out loud in case we fail. Her performance wasn't hers alone. Running, especially at this level, is a team sport. Scottish middle-distance runner Jemma Reekie was among the key pacemakers supporting Faith. Alongside a crew of elite athletes she helped maintain the brutal pace and provided critical wind shelter in those unforgiving laps. But it's not just about the physical support. Faith's partnership with Nike spans 16 years a relationship built not only on elite gear and science, but belief. Belief in her ability. Belief in the idea that women from Kenya, mothers, leaders, and athletes of every background deserve a platform to push the limits of what's possible. That belief is stitched into every detail of this Breaking4 performance. Nike's holistic approach from coaching, to data, to innovation shows that progress isn't random. It's built, tested, sharpened, and refined. But at the centre of it all, there must be a human heart with drive willing to push both mind and body. As Steve Prefontaine said: 'To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.' Faith has never sacrificed her gift. She's honoured it not just with wins, but with consistency, humility, and hunger. She showed that we should chase the thing that seems out of reach. Her amazing documentary shows the struggle and how to still press forward. We might not have pacemakers or super spikes. But we all have a finish line we're trying to cross. For me, as someone navigating paralysis, injury, and illness, the 4-minute mile looks different. It's found in rehab progress, mental battles, days where the body says no but the spirit insists otherwise. My miles are measured in persistence. Faith's performance is a reminder that personal bests are sacred, even when no one sees them. Maybe especially then. So what's your mile? Is it finishing therapy? Returning to the field? Starting something you've always put off? Or just waking up and choosing not to give up today? Whatever it is let Faith's words echo: You have to dare to try. Her run wasn't just a world record. It was a message. A beacon. A moonshot that says: this is what's possible when you go all in. History doesn't only belong to the fastest. It belongs to the brave. To the ones who keep showing up. The ones who run when no one's watching. The ones who believe fiercely that their dream matters. Faith Kipyegon believed and for those four laos of the Olympic track in Paris I cheered as loud as possible with broken ribs at the Television in the hope that she felt every step of this beautiful miles energy and truly lived in the moment.
