Ed Warner: Commonwealth Games must be stripped down and redesigned July 27, 2023 Victoria’s premier Daniel Andrews expertly channelled Kath of Kath & Kim fame with his “look at moi!” presser last week when he pulled the state out of hosting the next Commonwealth Games. Behind his baleful blue eyes sat a brain programmed to local politics – and a truth about the “friendly games” that must be [...]
Team GB set for lowest gold medal haul for 20 years at Paris 2024 Olympics July 26, 2023 Team GB athletes are predicted to win just 10 gold medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics, their lowest tally for 20 years. Schoolgirl skateboarder Sky Brown, 15, 800m runner Keely Hodgkinson and BMX star Bethany Shriever are among those tipped to top the podium by analysts Gracenote Sports. Gymnasts Jessica Gadirova and Bryony Page and [...]
Ed Warner: I found a solution to cricket’s privilege problem in the South Downs July 20, 2023 Cricket can tackle its elitism problem by supporting initiatives take the sport to new audiences such as disadvantaged kids, says Ed Warner. Back in my investment banking days, I was responsible from across the Atlantic for a US research department. Every time I headed for JFK after a visit to my team of analysts I [...]
Is it time for the Commonwealth Games to move on and change tact? July 18, 2023 In the early hours of Tuesday morning a statement dropped announcing that the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games would not take place in the southern state of Australia. It triggered a crisis for the Commonwealth and what it perceives to be its legacy. Once the British Empire Games, the Commonwealth Games encompasses a modern Britain and [...]
‘Absolutely embarrassing’: Victoria blasted for Commonwealth Games hosting U-turn July 18, 2023 A bitter war of words has broken out over the 2026 Commonwealth Games after the Australian state of Victoria abruptly pulled out of hosting the event. Victoria was named host for the multi-sport championships last year but reneged on that commitment on Tuesday, citing spiralling costs – plunging the Games into doubt. Commonwealth Games Australia [...]
London tops British entries in top 100 sports cities index July 15, 2023 London and Manchester have been named in the top five of a list of the top 100 sporting cities, according to recent data. The BWC 2023 Ranking of Sports Cities placed London in third and Manchester in fifth on the 100-city list. The capital was second on the list in 2021 and third in 2022 [...]
World Athletics stands firm on DSD rules despite Caster Semenya legal victory July 11, 2023 World Athletics insists it has no plans to change its rules despite double Olympic champion Caster Semenya winning a landmark legal case at the European Court of Human Rights. Semenya, 32, won a challenge relating to rules introduced by World Athletics in 2018 that force athletes like her with differences of sexual development to take [...]
Enhanced Games president likens doping to ‘being gay 50 years ago’ July 3, 2023 Ever thought about watching a 100m race where you knew everyone was using substances to artificially enhance themselves, rather than finding out a couple of years later when a ban is issued? Well the Enhanced Games may be for you. The idea pits competitive sport alongside the world of performance enhancing drugs in an Olympics-style [...]
Ed Warner: When risk in sport is a smart choice June 29, 2023 This week columnist Ed Warner looks at risk in sport and how sometimes, such as in Bazball in cricket, it can be the smartest choice. A team of sub-10 second sprinters can be beaten to 4x100m relay gold by a quartet who have never broken that magic barrier. The trick is risk management in the [...]
Enhanced Games ‘flies in face of world-agreed system’ – former British Olympic chief June 28, 2023 Plans for a doped-up alternative to the Olympics, the Enhanced Games, “fly in the face of a world-agreed system” requested and supported by athletes, says former British Olympic chief Sir Craig Reedie. The Enhanced Games, the brainchild of London-based lawyer Aron D’Souza, has ambitions to launch as soon as next year with the promise that [...]