Dragons’ Den athlete sentenced for using Covid loans to buy £1m house July 23, 2025 A British world champion sprinter who appeared on Dragons’ Den has been given a suspended prison sentenced after using Covid loans to help fund a £1.3m house purchase. Rick Beardsell, who competed on the senior Masters circuit, obtained two maximum-value £50,000 Bounce Back Loans for his sportswear manufacturing business Sports Creative Limited in 2020 and [...]
Zharnel Hughes: It sucked that Grand Slam Track didn’t come to Europe July 22, 2025 Britain’s fastest man Zharnel Hughes wants Grand Slam Track to return next year with dates in Europe despite the financial difficulties that forced Michael Johnson to cut short its first season. Hughes said it “sucked” that all four Grand Slam Track meets were awarded to venues in the US and Caribbean, given the appetite for [...]
UK Athletics boosted by new five-year contract with BBC July 11, 2025 UK Athletics has achieved a significant boost by agreeing a new five-year deal for the BBC to show its flagship events on free-to-air TV. The agreement between the BBC and Athletic Ventures covers the annual London Athletics Meet, which takes place next weekend and features the likes of Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson, and the national [...]
Caster Semenya’s right to a fair hearing was violated, ECHR Grand Chamber rules July 10, 2025 Caster Semenya’s right to a fair hearing was violated, according to an ECHR ruling today. But World Athletics is unlikely to change its rules in relation to Semenya despite the athlete winning a “partial victory” at the ECHR, a top legal expert has warned. Two-time Olympic gold medallist Semenya has been unable to compete in [...]
London Marathon Events sprints to record surplus as profits surge July 8, 2025 The organiser of the London Marathon achieved a record surplus last year as pre-tax profit almost doubled to £12m. London Marathon Events, which also runs several other mass participation races, grew revenue from £48.9m to £59.8m and profit from £6.8m to £12.0m. That resulted in a record surplus passed to the London Marathon Foundation, its [...]
Surj Sports chief: Saudi parent PIF, investing and league focus July 1, 2025 Chief executive of Dazn investors Surj Sports Investments Danny Townsend discusses the state of the changing landscape. When Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund purchased Premier League club Newcastle United in 2021, Middle Eastern sports spending was thrust into the voyeuristic forefront of executive and fan consciousness. Since then Saudi Arabia has invested in a multitude [...]
Brits back Team GB funding hike, but split over taxpayer involvement June 24, 2025 More than half of Britons think Team GB athletes should be given more funding but are split over whether that injection should come from the taxpayer, new research out today shows. Exclusive polling by Ipsos for City AM reveals backing for athletes such as Keely Hodgkinson to receive more than the average £22,500 payment, but [...]
Johnson-backed Grand Slam Track cancels remainder of season June 13, 2025 Grand Slam Track, the privately backed track and field circuit fronted by former Olympian Michael Johnson, has cancelled its final event. Having hosted events in Kingston, Miami and Philadelphia, the final leg in Los Angeles was cancelled on Thursday. The competition offered $100,000 to winners at each event in a bid to raise the profile [...]
Reddit co-founder Ohanian’s Athlos gets Sha’Carri and Thomas investment May 30, 2025 Reddit co-founder Alixis Ohanian’s Athlos athletics events has gained investment from US Olympians Sha’Carri Richardson and Gabby Thomas. The pair are joined by Tara Davis-Woodhall, with the trio set to be advisors and owners in the track and field competition. Athlos was launched to keep US track and field stars in the news after the [...]
London Athletics Meet organisers lobby government to back world champs bid May 30, 2025 The organisation behind the London Athletics Meet has called on the government to back the UK bid for the 2029 World Athletics Championships. Athletic Ventures claims hosting the global track and field tournament for the first time since 2017 could give London a £400m economic boost. It comes as this year’s London Athletics Meet was [...]