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Post by Shireblogger on Aug 27, 2018 9:04:12 GMT 1
GB WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL TEAMSI had the good fortune to obtain tickets for Wheelchair Basketball at the 2012 London Paralympics. It is an intense, exciting sport. Making comparisons is a dangerous tactic, but it must be one of the most fiercely contested para-sports. World Championships are held every 4 years. The first men's event was in 1973, and women joined in 1990. This year's tournament was in Hamburg, and saw 16 teams compete in both the men's and women's. In the men's Championships, Team GB won, for the first time since the original event in 1973. Our boys beat the USA 79-62 in the Final, after disposing of Germany, Spain and Iran in the knock-out stages. Philip Pratt was our outstanding player, scoring a triple-double (that is 10 or more points, 10 or more rebounds, and 10 or more assists) in the Spain game, and a double-double (i.e. two of the above) against both Germany and the USA in the Final. In the women's Championship, Team GB were runners-up, making it our best ever finish, having never previously even reached the semi-finals. We lost 40-56 to the Netherlands in the final - the first time a nation other than Canada or the USA has won the women's event. GB beat the USA in the quarter-final and Germany in the semi-final, with Helen Freeman scoring two triple-doubles (against Canada and Australia in the preliminary rounds) and a double-double against Germany.
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Post by Shireblogger on Aug 27, 2018 9:13:14 GMT 1
LIZZIE BROUGHTONOne gold and one silver in the 2018 ICFG Canoe Sprint World Championships staged in Portugal last week. Gold came in the K-1 5km event, which lasts over 24 minutes, and doesn't sound much like a sprint to me. Silver in the K-1 1km. Lizzie was Britain's only medallist, meaning we finished 11th in the medal table. She also has a silver medal from the 2014 Marathon World Championships, suggesting she is a highly versatile athlete. Lizzie is 30, and comes from Richmond. Her twitter feed seems to spend as much time discussing ducklings and baby seals as it does canoeing, which gets a big thumbs up from me.
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Post by Shireblogger on Aug 27, 2018 9:45:41 GMT 1
SAILING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
early August in Denmark
SILVER: Men's Formula Kite : Guy Bridge
BRONZE: Women's 470 : Hannah Mills & Eilidh McIntyre
BRONZE: 49er FX : Sophie Ainsworth & Sophie Weguelin
GB finished 10th in the medals table, with Netherlands top
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Post by Shireblogger on Sept 10, 2018 8:56:18 GMT 1
RACHEL ARTHERTONMountain Bike World Champion, for the 5th time. At the Elite level, there are two disciplines - cross country and downhill. Artherton has won the downhill world championship in 2008, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2018; she was second in 2007, 2011 and 2014 , third in 2006, and Junior Champion in 2005. She has also won the World Cup, which is an annual challenge where competitors accumulate points from races across the whole season, in 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2018, was second in 2014 and third in 2011. Her 2016 victory saw her win every round - the first time that feat has been achieved since the World Cup was launched in 1991. Artherton is now 30, and hails from Salisbury. Her 2008 World Championship was the first Mountain Bike world victory by a Brit of either sex. Her brother, George, has 5 World Cup podiums to his name. Britain finished second in the medal table, behind the hosts, at the 2018 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, held in Switzerland last week. In addition to Artherton, Kade Edwards won the men's junior downhill event, Tahnee Seagrave came second to Artherton in the women's elite downhill, Danny Hart was third in the men's elite downhill and Harriet Harnden was third in the women's junior cross-country.
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Post by Shireblogger on Sept 10, 2018 9:08:47 GMT 1
If you've not seen downhill mountain biking before, have a look at this 2 minute clip of Artherton winning a World Cup race last year. Simultaneously terrifying, exhausting and awe-inspiring.
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Post by Shireblogger on Sept 11, 2018 14:52:50 GMT 1
JUSTIN ROSEHaving finished 2nd at last week's BMW Championship, Rose becomes the 6th Briton to hit #1 in golf's official world rankings since they were introduced in 1986. Male British World #1 Golfers1. Nick Faldo 1990-94 - 97 weeks at #1 - 33 years old when he first reached #1 2. Ian Woosnam 1991-92 - 50 weeks at #1 - 33 years 3. Lee Westwood 2010-11 - 22 weeks at #1 - 37 years 4. Luke Donald 2011-12 - 56 weeks at #1 - 33 years 5. Rory McIlroy 2012-15 - 95 weeks at #1 - 23 years 6. Justin Rose 2018 - 1+ weeks at #1 - 38 years Female British World #1 Golfersnone
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Post by Shireblogger on Sept 12, 2018 7:50:03 GMT 1
JAMES ANDERSONYesterday became the greatest fast bowler in history. (At least, as far as the stats go). In bowling out Mohammed Shami for 0, and thus wrapping up a 4-1 win against world #1 ranked team India, James Anderson took his 564th test match wicket. No fast bowler, of any nationality, has ever taken more. Anderson's two wickets on Monday had taken him level with Australian Glenn McGrath on the list. Anderson now sits 4th of all bowlers. The three players ahead of him are all spinners, whose careers typically last longer as the style of bowling places less physical strain on the body.
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Post by Shireblogger on Sept 12, 2018 8:29:44 GMT 1
ALISTAIR COOKYesterday the greatest opening batsman in history retired. Here are some Cook stats:- Runs#1 all-time opening batsman in Test matches, with 12,472 runs [Sunil Gavaskar, India, is 2nd with 10,122 runs] #1 all-time left-handed batsman [Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lanka, is 2nd with 12,400 runs - a total Cook overtook in his final innings] #1 all-time English batsman [Cook's mentor, Graham Gooch, is 2nd with 8,900 runs] #5 all-time batsman of any nationality and any type [behind Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis & Rahul Dravid] #1 all-time non-Asian batsman scoring runs in Asia youngest player of any nationality to get to 6,000, 7,000, 8,000, 9,000, 10,000, 11,000 and 12,000 Test match runs youngest English player to get to 2,000, 3,000, 4,000 and 5,000 Test match runs 1st Englishman to score 1,000 Test match runs in their debut year 2nd highest score by an Englishman in a Test match series with 766 against Australia in 2010/11 [Wally Hammond is 1st with 905 against Australia in 1928/29] Centuries#1 all-time Test match centuries by an English player with 33 [Kevin Pietersen is 2nd with 23] 1 of only 5 players to score a century in their 1st and last Test match innings 1 of only 2 players to score 50 or more in their first, second, penultimate and final Test match innings #7 & #11 highest Test match score by an Englishman with 294 against India in 2011 and 263 versus Pakistan in 2016 Fielding#1 all-time Englishman for catches with 175 [2nd is Andrew Strauss with 121], excluding wicket-keepers #5 if you include wicket-keepers Bowling#1 Test match bowling average for a player of any nationality with 150 or more matches - he bowled 3 overs for England, taking 1 wicket for 7 runs Appearances#1 consecutive Test match appearances for any player of any nationality - 157 matches #1 Test match appearances by an Englishman - 161 matches [James Anderson is 2nd with 143] 1st English player to be on the winning side in 50 matches Captain#1 matches as captain for England at 59 [2nd is Michael Atherton on 54] 1st player of any nationality to score a Test century in their first 5 matches as captain #1 centuries scored whilst England captain with 12 [Gooch scored 11] #2 winning matches as England captain with 24 [1st is Michael Vaughan with 26] #1 losing matches as England captain with 22, just to prove his is mortal [Atherton 2nd on 21]
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Post by Shireblogger on Sept 15, 2018 11:50:23 GMT 1
5 US OPEN TENNIS WINNERSThanks to Tom for reminding me of this. Britons did very well in many of the lower profile competitions at this year's US Open. MIXED DOUBLES Jamie Murray (with American Bethanie Mattek-Sands) won his second US Open Mixed Doubles title, meaning he has now won at Flushing Meadows three years in a row. He now has 6 Grand Slam titles to his name. WHEELCHAIR MEN'S SINGLES Alfie Hewitt - his 2nd Grand Slam singles title WHEELCHAIR MEN'S DOUBLES Alfie Hewitt & Gordon Reid - Hewitt's 5th Grand Slam doubles title, and Reid's 9th WHEELCHAIR QUAD DOUBLES Andrew Lapthorne (with American David Wagner) - Lapthorne's 8th Grand Slam victory BOY'S DOUBLES Anton Matusevich (with Bulgarian Adrian Andreev)
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Post by Shireblogger on Sept 15, 2018 12:02:45 GMT 1
VICKY HOLLAND2018 ITU World Triathlon Champion. Contested over 7 months, 8 events and 4 continents. Holland won the rounds held in Leeds, Edmonton and Montreal, and came second in Bermuda and the Gold Coast, to claim the overall title. From Gloucester, and now 32 years old, she was Britain's first ever female Olympic triathlon medallist, having won bronze in Rio. Demonstrating Britain's strength in depth in Triathlon, Georgia Taylor-Brown finished 3rd, Jessica Learmonth was 5th, Jodie Stimpson 7th and Non Stafford 15th in the 2018 series.
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Post by Shireblogger on Sept 17, 2018 10:05:09 GMT 1
WORLD ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Often a fruitful source of GB medals, the 2018 World Rowing Championships saw just 1 British gold, from 29 available, plus 3 bronzes. Held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, last week, Britain finished 12th on the medal table, which Italy topped.
GOLD: Para Mixed Coxed Four
BRONZE: Women's Lightweight Single Sculls - Imogen Grant
BRONZE: Men's Eight
BRONZE: Men's Coxless Fours
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Post by Shireblogger on Sept 17, 2018 10:17:20 GMT 1
SEONAID McINTOSHThe 52nd ISSF World Shooting Championships were held over the past fortnight in Changwon, South Korea. There were 61 events. Britain finished 18th in the medal table with 1 gold and 2 bronzes. Our gold medallist was 22 year-old Seonaid McIntosh, from Edinburgh, in the 50m rifle prone. She was also one of the trio (alongside her sister Jennifer McIntosh, and Zoe Bruce) to win bronze in the 50m rifle prone team competition. GB's other bronze was in the mixed trap team event - Kirsty Barr and Aaron Heading. Despite her youth, Seonaid already has two European Championship golds, and two Commonwealth Games bronze medals. Sister Jennifer has 5 Commonwealth Games medals representing Scotland, and their mother, Shirley, has 4 Commonwealth Games medals, plus an MBE for services to shooting.
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Post by Shireblogger on Sept 17, 2018 10:31:17 GMT 1
JAMES COOKEFor the past 2 weeks, Mexico City has been hosting the World Modern Pentathlon Championships. Britain was 4th in the medals table with 1 gold and 1 silver, behind France, Belarus and Germany. James Cooke won gold in the Men's Individual event, and silver in the Men's Team event, alongside Myles Pillage and Joe Choong. The Men's Individual event was one of the tightest ever, and the following extract comes from the International Modern Pentathlon Federations' own website:- "Jamie Cooke of Great Britain prevailed in one of the most dramatic Modern Pentathlon races of all time to claim Men’s Individual gold at the UIPM Pentathlon World Championships. After 200 metres in the pool, more than 35 fencing bouts, a round of show jumping, four laser shooting series and four 800m runs, in a Pentathlon Stadium at 2,200m altitude, the most coveted prize of the year was decided by a photo finish. Valentin Prades of France had done all the hard work. The European champion had moved with stealth through the pack from 14th place, and on the last lap he muscled his way past Cooke. But as he rounded the bend to enter the final straight, he made the mistake of raising his arm in celebration. It wasn’t over. From somewhere, 27-year-old Cooke summoned the strength to take one last shot at glory, and he launched into a sprint, catching Prades just as they reached the finish line. As they took the tape, Cooke clearly touched it first, albeit his victory had to be confirmed by photo."
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Post by Shireblogger on Sept 17, 2018 10:40:21 GMT 1
SIMON YATESAfter 3 weeks of supreme effort, last night 26 year-old Bury-born Simon Yates won the Vuelta a Espana, one of cycling's three most prestigious road races. His twin brother Adam was one of his key team mates, as they raced up and down Spain's mountains. Simon Yates also won the white jersey for the rider placed best across the overall, mountains and sprints competition, as well as finishing first on stage 14. With Chris Froome winning the Giro d'Italia and Geraint Thomas prevailing in the Tour de France, Britain has become the first nation to take all three grand tours in the same year with 3 different riders.
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Post by Panda on Sept 17, 2018 21:16:11 GMT 1
After a bit of thin first half of the year, the SPOTY shortlist is shaping up nicely (although I can see half of them being left off by the BBC).
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Post by Shireblogger on Sept 18, 2018 8:04:22 GMT 1
ROS CANTER & GB EVENTING TEAMThe World Equestrian Games are held ever 4 years, out of sequence with the Olympics. So it was pretty unlucky that the schedule for this year's event, in North Carolina, coincided with a hurricane passing through. Several events were disrupted, and needed to be re-scheduled. Nonetheless, the well-named Rosalind Canter (Ros to her friends) claimed the gold medal in Eventing. And, alongside Piggy French, Tom McEwen and Gemma Tattersall, GB also won gold in the Team Eventing. GB's record is very strong in eventing, winning medals at every edition since the event started in 1990, but this is the first time we have won double gold:- 2014: team silver (with a completely different line-up to 2018) + individual bronze for William Fox-Pitt; 2010: team gold + individual silver for Fox-Pitt; 2006: team silver + individual gold for Zara Phillips (who went on to win BBC Sports Personality of the Year); 2002: team bronze + individual silver for Jeannette Brakewell; 1998: team bronze; 1994: team gold + individual bronze for Karen Dixon; 1990: team silver + individual silver for Ian Stark. Ros Canter is based in Lincolnshire, and has a sports science degree from Sheffield Hallam University. Over the past few years she has risen through the ranks, doing progressively better at bigger competitions. She won her world gold riding Allstar B, a 13 year-old horse she has been competing with for 6 years.
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Post by Shireblogger on Oct 16, 2018 12:32:33 GMT 1
RYDER CUPEurope completed an emphatic 17.5 - 10.5 win against the USA at Le Golf National in Paris between 28th and 30th September. Half of the 12-man European team were British. Their win-loss-tie records in the 2018 tournament were:- Tommy Fleetwood 4-1-0 Ian Poulter 2-2-0 Justin Rose 2-2-0 Rory McIlroy 2-3-0 Paul Casey 1-1-1 Tyrrell Hatton 1-2-0
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Post by Shireblogger on Oct 17, 2018 10:37:50 GMT 1
CHARLOTTE DUJARDINTwo bronzes in the World Equestrian Games held in North Carolina in September. Riding Mount St John Freestyle, Charlotte came third in the Individual Dressage and third in the Team Dressage, alongside Carl Hester, Spencer Wilton and Emile Faurie. Charlotte won two golds and a silver at the previous edition of the World Equestrian Games in 2014, to go with her 3 Olympic golds and 1 silver from London and Rio, and 5 golds, 1 silver and 1 bronze in the bi-annual European Championships. All of her previous medals were won riding Valegro, who has now been retired. Born in Enfield, Charlotte is now based in Gloucestershire. Aged 33, she is one of Britain's leading hopes for a medal at the 2020 Olympics. She was awarded an OBE in 2013, upgraded to a CBE in 2017.
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Post by rubcale on Oct 17, 2018 19:33:02 GMT 1
Heard on the news that Charlotte had won a bronze medal at the World Championships and thought "that's a bit of a comedown" not realising that Valegro had been retired.
Their 2012 performance at The London Olympics is one of my all time favourite sporting momentsb - when Valegro gallops up the emclosure to Land Of Hope And Glory I get all choked up!
I voted for CD in the BBC SPOTY of 2012.
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Post by Shireblogger on Oct 18, 2018 8:56:32 GMT 1
NEKODA SMYTHE-DAVISHaving won bronze at the 2017 Judo World Championships in Budapest, Nekoda progressed to silver in the 57kg (Lightweight) category at this year's tournament in Baku. The 2014 Commonwealth gold medallist, from London, is now 25 years old, which suggests she has many more opportunities to add to her trophy cabinet.
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