Fiji seek to outshine Dupont and defend Olympic ‘legacy’

Fiji seek to outshine Dupont and defend Olympic ‘legacy’

Iconic French rugby star Antoine Dupont kicks off Olympic action at the Paris Games on Wednesday in a move that could not have been better scripted. Rugby sevens will be held from July 24-30, with three days apiece for the men and women's tournaments at the Stade de France. Dupont, the captain of Toulouse and France in the 15-a-side format, has become one of the faces of the […]

July 23, 2024 22

Africa

Who were the first Africans at the Olympics? The disturbing story of two 1904 marathon runners

1904 Olympic marathon participants Len Tau (left) and Jan Mashiani of South Africa. Missouri History Museum By Francois Cleophas, Stellenbosch University Who were the first Africans to compete in the modern Olympic Games? The answer to that question reveals the surprising story of a 1904 marathon – and exposes the history of racism and white supremacy that characterised the Olympics in its early days. The first modern […]

July 22, 2024 12

Sport

Australia hockey player amputates part of finger for Olympics

Australian hockey player Matt Dawson has made the ultimate sacrifice to be at the Paris Olympics by having part of his finger amputated in order to play. The 30-year-old, who was a member of the silver medal-winning team three years ago in Tokyo, recently broke the ring finger on his right hand, plunging his bid to compete at a third Olympics into doubt. Doctors advised him to put […]

July 19, 2024 19

Sport

Olympic swim star Titmus warns she is better now than Tokyo

Swim star Ariarne Titmus says she has never prepared as well for a major event and is in better shape now than when she won Olympic 200m and 400m freestyle gold in Tokyo. The Australian heads to Paris on the back of shattering the 200m world record last month and clocking the second quickest 400m of all time, behind only her own world best. It makes her red-hot […]

July 18, 2024 6

Sport

Central Paris locks down for Olympics as athletes arrive

French security forces began locking down large parts of central Paris on Thursday ahead of the hugely complex Olympics opening ceremony next week on the river Seine. The opening parade along six kilometres (four miles) of the river led to the closure of riverside central districts to most vehicles from 5:00 am (0300 GMT) on Thursday. Anyone wanting to enter the highest-security "grey zone" along both banks of […]

July 18, 2024 7

Sport

Japan’s Hashimoto aiming to match gymnastics legend Uchimura

Japan's Daiki Hashimoto is the good-natured farm boy from the Tokyo suburbs who is aiming to emulate gymnastics legend and countryman Kohei Uchimura by retaining his all-around Olympic title in Paris. Hashimoto became the youngest men's all-around champion in Olympic history when he took gold aged 19 at the pandemic-postponed Tokyo Games three years ago. He also triumphed in the horizontal bar event. Hashimoto's success represented a […]

July 17, 2024 11

Sport

Paris mayor to take dip in Seine ahead of Olympics

The mayor of the French capital Anne Hidalgo is set to splash into the murky waters of the Seine on Wednesday to demonstrate that the river is clean enough to host the outdoor swimming events at the Paris Olympics later this month. Despite an investment of 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) to prevent sewage leaks into the waterway, the Seine has been causing suspense in the run-up to […]

July 17, 2024 10

Sport

Seine fit for swimming most of past 12 days, Paris says ahead of Olympics

The Seine has been clean enough to swim for most of the past 12 days, Paris city hall said Friday, just weeks ahead of the Olympic Games. The quality of the water met the required standard for "11 days or 10 days" of the past 12, city hall official Pierre Rabadan told broadcaster RFI. Weather permitting, the river will be the star of the opening ceremony of the […]

July 12, 2024 5

Sport

Warholm and Ingebrigtsen headline Monaco Diamond League meeting

Norwegian world record holders Karsten Warholm and Jakob Ingebrigtsen will headline Friday's Diamond League meet in Monaco in the absence of American sprinter Noah Lyles, a late withdrawal from a stellar line-up. After two world records in Paris last week, Monaco is the penultimate meet before the Paris Olympics, the perfect opportunity for athletes to finetune preparations for the Games. Lyles, however, will not be there. The reigning […]

July 11, 2024 16