Simone Biles’ record-breaking exploits have been hailed by US president Joe Biden, who said the gymnast represents “the best” of America.

Biles, a 19-time world champion, claimed a record eighth all-around US Championship title at the weekend with a total of 118.40, four clear of runner-up Shilese Jones in San Jose.

The 26-year-old only returned to competition in Chicago earlier this month after a two-year break from gymnastics.

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At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Biles suffered from “the twisties” – a phenomenon which affects an athlete’s spatial awareness – and had to withdraw from five of her six finals.

She subsequently took a break from the sport before she returned to action earlier in August.

Biles’ record-breaking exploits on Sunday, 10 years on from winning her first all-around US Championship, resulted in high praise from Biden, who hailed the American athlete as a “trailblazer.”

“When we see Simone compete, we’re witnessing unmatched power and grace,” Biden wrote on Twitter.

“Not only is she the first in history to hold all eight U.S. gymnastics titles, but she’s a trailblazer who spoke up for those who couldn’t speak for themselves.

“You represent the best of America.”

The seven-time Olympic medallist became the oldest female US champion since the event was first organised by USA Gymnastics in 1963.

She is expected to bid to add to her haul of 25 World Championship medals in Antwerp in September.

Biles has not confirmed whether she plans to compete at next year’s Olympic Games in Paris.

Matheus Nunes will not be involved in Wolves’ Carabao Cup tie at home to Blackpool on Tuesday after he stopped training with the club in an effort to force through a move to Manchester City.

Premier League champions City stepped up their pursuit of Nunes after cooling their interest in West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta, and had a bid of 55million euros (£47m) rejected last week for the Portuguese attacker.

While Wolves have not received any fresh bids from City, Nunes has now stopped training with Gary O’Neil’s side, the PA news agency understands.

The 25-year-old, who joined from Sporting Lisbon last summer in a deal worth £42m, was absent for Saturday’s 1-0 win away to Everton and will again be missing from the squad for the upcoming second-round cup tie at Molineux.

Nunes will face disciplinary action for his decision to stop training, but could be integrated back into the squad if no move occurs before the summer transfer window shuts at 11pm on Friday.

Head coach O’Neil will also be without Hwang Hee-chan for the clash with Blackpool, who are 15th in Sky Bet League One, due to a hamstring issue.

Austria forward Sasa Kalajdzic scored a late winner at Everton in what was only his third Wolves appearance in a year after suffering a rupture to his anterior cruciate ligament on his debut last September.

But O’Neil, who took charge earlier this month, remains cautious over Kalajdzic’s involvement and says his role will remain limited as he builds his way back to full fitness.

He said: “He is obviously still on a journey, getting back to full fitness. He is not one you can play for 90 minutes week in, week out at this moment.

“It is hard to assess when you come in new. You just see him training and everyone tells you he has been out for a while.

“You just try to judge him at that moment against the rest of that group and the ones he is competing with for a starting place.

“He looked a little bit behind the others, sharpness and fitness-wise, but I obviously don’t have a clear picture in my mind of what he is like when he is full throttle either.

“He understands where he needs to improve and that he needs extra time on the grass and we need to keep working.

“But he also understands he can have a big impact on football matches still.”

Matheus Nunes will not be involved in Wolves’ Carabao Cup tie at home to Blackpool on Tuesday after he stopped training with the club in an effort to force through a move to Manchester City.

Premier League champions City stepped up their pursuit of Nunes after cooling their interest in West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta, and had a bid of 55million euros (£47m) rejected last week for the Portuguese attacker.

While Wolves have not received any fresh bids from City, Nunes has now stopped training with Gary O’Neil’s side, the PA news agency understands.

The 25-year-old, who joined from Sporting Lisbon last summer in a deal worth £42m, was absent for Saturday’s 1-0 win away to Everton and will again be missing from the squad for the upcoming second-round cup tie at Molineux.

Nunes will face disciplinary action for his decision to stop training, but could be integrated back into the squad if no move occurs before the summer transfer window shuts at 11pm on Friday.

Head coach O’Neil will also be without Hwang Hee-chan for the clash with Blackpool, who are 15th in Sky Bet League One, due to a hamstring issue.

Austria forward Sasa Kalajdzic scored a late winner at Everton in what was only his third Wolves appearance in a year after suffering a rupture to his anterior cruciate ligament on his debut last September.

But O’Neil, who took charge earlier this month, remains cautious over Kalajdzic’s involvement and says his role will remain limited as he builds his way back to full fitness.

He said: “He is obviously still on a journey, getting back to full fitness. He is not one you can play for 90 minutes week in, week out at this moment.

“It is hard to assess when you come in new. You just see him training and everyone tells you he has been out for a while.

“You just try to judge him at that moment against the rest of that group and the ones he is competing with for a starting place.

“He looked a little bit behind the others, sharpness and fitness-wise, but I obviously don’t have a clear picture in my mind of what he is like when he is full throttle either.

“He understands where he needs to improve and that he needs extra time on the grass and we need to keep working.

“But he also understands he can have a big impact on football matches still.”

Elliot Anderson is a surprise call-up for Scotland after electing to ignore advances from England.

The 20-year-old Newcastle midfielder has played for Scotland at youth level and is in the squad to face Cyprus and England next month after playing three Premier League games this season.

Here we look at Anderson’s development so far.

Background

Anderson was born in Whitley Bay and brought up as a Newcastle fan. His grandfather, Geoff Allen, was part of the squad that won United’s last major trophy, the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. On the other side of his family, Anderson’s paternal grandmother is Scottish, allowing him to represent Scotland. Anderson joined Newcastle at under-nine level after playing for the renowned Wallsend Boys’ Club, whose previous players include Alan Shearer, Peter Beardsley, Michael Carrick, Steve Bruce, Lee Clark, Steve Watson and Alan Thompson.

Early Newcastle chances

The attacking midfielder played in the EFL Trophy as a 16-year-old for Newcastle Under-21s and scored against Port Vale just after turning 17 before netting twice against Bolton 12 months later. He made his first-team debut off the bench in the FA Cup against Arsenal in January 2021 and his Premier League debut against the same opposition later that month, but did not play again that season.

Loan success

After going 12 months without another first-team appearance, Anderson joined Bristol Rovers on loan for the second half of the 2021-22 season. The move was a major success. Anderson scored seven goals in 21 appearances and helped Rovers win promotion to League One as he netted in a 7-0 win over Scunthorpe on the final day of the season to go up on goal difference.

International career

Anderson’s first Scotland game was a 3-3 draw for the under-16s against Denmark in February 2018. He played three times for the under-17s and won two games with the under-18s in September 2019. His next international involvement came for England Under-19s in a training-ground friendly against Arsenal Under-23s in March 2021. With both Scotland and England eyeing Anderson for their under-21 squads, the player turned down a chance to team up with Scot Gemmill’s squad in March 2022 so he did not miss games with Bristol Rovers. He then played in a goalless draw for Scotland Under-21s in Belgium in June 2022 but turned down further call-ups as he considered his future. In seven Scotland appearances in total at several levels, Anderson is yet to be on the losing side.

Newcastle breakthrough

After returning from Rovers, Anderson made his first start for Newcastle in a League Cup win at Tranmere in August last year. His first Premier League start came against Liverpool in February this year, although he was forced off injured early on. He made 27 appearances in all last season and has come off the bench three times this season.

High praise

While on loan with Joey Barton’s Bristol Rovers, Anderson received high praise from former Northampton manager and Newcastle chief scout Graham Carr, who oversaw a successful recruitment drive with the Magpies that brought in the likes of Hatem Ben Arfa and Papiss Cisse. Carr told the Daily Mail in March 2022: “You can go out and sign as many young players as you want, you will be doing well to get any better than Elliot Anderson. He receives the ball like Peter Beardsley. He kills it and moves it all in one motion. That is a gift. He’s the best young player I have seen in a long time. Newcastle haven’t produced anyone like him, in terms of his technical gifts, probably all the way back to Gazza. He plays with a swagger. Every time he got the ball you knew something was going to happen. He always wants to dribble and moves off quickly. He knows he’s good, but there’s no harm in that.”

Andy Murray admitted he had to go away and lick his wounds after his Wimbledon disappointment.

The Scot was leading world number five Stefanos Tsitsipas 2-1 in their second-round match when the 11pm curfew kicked in.

It seemed the momentum was with Murray but when the match resumed the following day, the two-time champion was beaten in five sets.

Murray revealed it took a few days to get over the narrow defeat, but he quickly set about working on areas of his game which he could improve.

“I went away on holiday straight afterwards,” he said. “Always immediately after matches, especially Wimbledon, at majors there’s greater disappointment and greater emotions than at any other time in the year.

“Probably after three or four days of being away from it, I chatted to my team about things that I feel I need to change, certain shots in my game if I wanted to win more of those matches and dictate more of those matches.

“So I did that, went away and worked on things for a period of time.”

Murray is likely to face another seed, Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria, in the second round of the US Open.

But first the 2012 Flushing Meadows champion must overcome France’s world number 72 Corentin Moutet.

“I’ve not played against him, but I practised with him once, he’s an unbelievably talented guy,” added Murray.

“He’s not the biggest, he tends to play quite long points but he’s got tons of variety and good hands at the net.

“He can be a bit volatile at times but yeah, a good challenge for me, very different to how most players play in the draw.

“A lot of the game nowadays is based on power and serves and he’s the opposite really. A good test for me.”

Murray is one of six Brits in the first round on Tuesday, with Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans, Jack Draper, Katie Boulter and Jodie Burrage also in action.

United States captain Stacy Lewis admitted experiencing some of the “hardest” days of her career after naming Ally Ewing, Cheyenne Knight and Angel Yin as her wild card picks for the Solheim Cup next month.

The three picks completed the 12-strong American team who will be attempting to avoid an unprecedented third straight defeat in the biennial showpiece against Europe at Spain’s Finca Cortesin resort from September 22-24.

Lewis said: “These final days were definitely some of the hardest ones of my career, but I’m so proud to have Ally, Cheyenne and Angel on the 2023 US Solheim Cup team.

“These three women earned their spots on this team, putting themselves into contention both with their play on the course and their teamwork off the course.

“Over the last year-and-a-half, I’ve gotten to know all the US players incredibly well and I’m honoured to be their captain. We are going to have an incredible week at Finca Cortesin.”

The first nine members of the US team were confirmed earlier on Monday after the weekend’s CPKC Women’s Open in Canada.

Seven players – world number one Lilia Vu, Nelly Korda, Allisen Corpuz, Megan Khang, Jennifer Kupcho, Danielle Kang and Andrea Lee – qualified through the US Solheim Cup points standings.

Lexi Thompson, who will be making her sixth appearance in the competition, and Rose Zhang qualified as the highest Americans in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings outside the top seven in the Solheim Cup points standings.

Lee tied for 13th at the CPKC Women’s Open, the exact finish she needed to move from eighth to seventh in the points standings and secure the final automatic qualifying berth.

She said: “I was pretty stressed coming down the stretch because I knew I had to finish top 13 to not have to rely on a captain’s pick.

“I’m just super grateful and honoured to represent the USA. It’s been a dream of mine ever since I was a little girl.

“I played on two Junior Solheim Cup teams and have always wanted to play on the real Solheim Cup team. I’m just so excited and I can’t wait to play for Stacy and for Team USA.”

Lewis added: “The last year has been exciting – and challenging – and to have these players locked in has me pumped for the week in Spain.

“Even the rookies aren’t true rookies in my eyes. Over the last two years, they have proven to be great competitors and I have no doubt that they won’t be overwhelmed by the experience.”

Europe finalised their line-up last week with Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh selected as a wild card pick to join English pair Charley Hull and Georgia Hall in captain Suzann Pettersen’s 12-strong team.

Prix du Jockey Club hero Ace Impact is set to head straight to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe following his recent victory at Deauville.

The Jean-Claude Rouget-trained son of Cracksman emphatically scooped Classic honours at Chantilly and took his record to a perfect five out of five when returning from a short break to down Joseph O’Brien’s Al Riffa on the Normandy coast.

That cosy victory gave Rouget back-to-back triumphs in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano and he looks to have found the perfect candidate to bid for his second victory in Europe’s richest middle-distance contest, a race for which Ace Impact is the general 7-2 favourite.

Rouget sent Sottsass to the Prix Niel before finishing third in the Arc in 2019, while the Irish Champion Stakes was used to set him up for his big-race triumph in the French capital 12 months later.

Rouget also used the Leopardstown Group One to prepare French Derby champion Vadeni for Arc duty last season, with the Aga Khan’s colt finishing third in Dublin before taking the runner-up spot behind Alpinista in the Bois de Boulogne.

However, October 1 has long been circled on the calendar of connections and they are happy that Ace Impact will be seen next in ParisLongchamp in perfect order as they continue to dream of Arc glory.

“We are very pleased with him since his run in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano,” said Pauline Chehboub, racing manager for her family’s Gousserie Racing operation, who purchased 50 per cent of the colt from Serge Stempniak after the Prix du Jockey Club.

“He is a very unique horse and every time he comes to the races it feels like he loves it. We are very fortunate to be a part of this champion.

“His target since the French Derby, like Jean-Claude Rouget announced, is the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, so we follow the plan.

“He is the Arc favourite, unbeaten and his limits are unknown. The dream continues.”

Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer has returned to training for the first time since breaking his leg last December.

The 37-year-old goalkeeper was on holiday after Germany’s exit from the World Cup at the group stage and suffered the injury skiing, forcing him to have surgery.

He was immediately ruled out for the season, with Bayern bringing in Switzerland keeper Yann Sommer during the January window – who has since left to join Inter Milan.

A Bayern statement read: “Manuel Neuer is back with the FC Bayern goalkeeper team on the pitch.

“In Monday morning’s training session for the players who didn’t start against FC Augsburg on Sunday, the 37-year-old captain completed a session with his goalkeeping colleagues for the first time since breaking his lower right leg.

“Neuer has been sidelined since sustaining the injury in December 2022 but has now taken the next step on the comeback trail.”

Tony Martin’s runners are always feared when making trips to England and his Belgoprince produced a devastating display in Epsom’s Betfred Nifty Fifty Amateurs’ Derby Handicap to enhance that reputation as jockey Billy Coonan enjoyed his biggest day in the saddle.

It was not a shock that one of the visitors from Ireland took home the prestigious first prize, but many expected the winner to be the John and Thomas Kiely-trained Liberated Light who was sent off the 11-4 favourite in the hands Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey John Gleeson.

However, despite travelling with supreme confidence into the home straight, Gleeson and his mount had no answer to Belgoprince who forced his way to the front in the hands of 19-year-old Coonan at the two-furlong pole and then surged clear to register an emphatic 11-length success over his fellow Irish raider at odds of 12-1.

Coonan said: “It is surreal. I came over from Ireland this morning. Tony rang me on Saturday morning saying ‘I’ve got a ride for you’. It is just great. We thought we had a bit of a chance, but I didn’t think it would be that easy.

“I wanted to get the rail, but I was one off the rail. Hitting the two (furlong pole) he was travelling so well I went to the lead. He just hit the front running so I let him go and he got the job done.

“It is massive. I’ve only ever had one winner before, so it is extra special to get one here. It means a lot.”

While Coonan’s impending university studies will take over from his duties in the saddle, he will try to keep his hand in with his riding.

Coonan added: “I had my first ride last year at the Galway Festival and I’ve been in with Tony Martin most days of the week. I’m just delighted just to get a winner for him.

“I live over in Maynooth in County Kildare and I’m going to university in September. I’m going to study commerce at the University of Galway so it will be back to the books, but I will try to ride at the same time.”

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr faces a spell on the sidelines after damaging a hamstring.

Vinicius came off injured after 18 minutes of Real’s 1-0 LaLiga win at Celta Vigo on Friday.

“After the tests carried out on our player Vini. Jr, by the Real Madrid medical services, (he) has been diagnosed with an injury to the right biceps femoris muscle,” read a club statement.

“His progress will be monitored.”

The 23-year-old Brazilian is set to miss Real’s final game before the international break at home to Getafe.

There also fears Vinicius could now be absent for Real’s league games against Real Sociedad and city rivals Atletico after the international break, as well as the start of their Champions League campaign next month.

Adam West is mulling over his options for shock Nunthorpe winner Live In The Dream, with both ParisLongchamp and Keeneland possible stopping points en route to the Breeders’ Cup.

The flying four-year-old booked his ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint when scorching up the Knavesmire to scoop Group One glory on his first appearance in that grade.

And with connections also getting their first top-level success, they are now dreaming of reliving that fantastic afternoon in York at Santa Anita on November 4.

Epsom-based West is looking at the best path to America later in the season with Steve and Jolene De’Lemos’ pride and joy, who has reportedly bounced out of his trip to York.

“He’s come out of the race really well and if there was another race for him next week I would be considering it,” said West.

“He really enjoyed it and thrived off all the attention. They 100 per cent know when they have done well and he probably had his head down a little after Deauville. But he thrived off it and all the attention he got and even with the long journey home the next day he had his ears pricked and was soaking it all in more than me probably.”

With options limited close to home, West may have to head overseas for Live In The Dream’s Breeders’ Cup tune-up.

The gelding holds an entry for the Prix de l’Abbaye on October 1 while an early venture to America for the $350,000 Woodford Stakes – which has been won by Golden Pal in the past two seasons – are both on the radar despite presenting their respective pros and cons.

“We would only consider the Abbaye if we had an unusually dry September,” explained West.

“I would consider good to soft with him. The problem isn’t so much ground, he’s versatile in terms of ground – it’s more keeping his confidence high along with his physical fitness.

“The Abbaye is OK time-wise to see him into the Breeders’ Cup well so it would be a case of going there to bring him on back to his fighting weight. But you have to balance that with not knocking his confidence and not running him on anything that is likely to cause a strain or stress a muscle or anything.”

He added: “There is a very loose option to go to Keeneland for a five-and-a-half-furlong race which is a big race there. But again it is a case of trying to balance the finances of what’s appropriate and what the Breeders’ Cup are willing to put forward to get him over there.

“That would be almost better for him as it is October and it would bring him in bang on three weeks before the Turf Sprint, but you then have to get him out there yourself and everything.

“Over here there is nothing really and other than those two races it would be looking at some of the tracks over here to help him out and get him there for a gallop before he goes over (to America).”

West is still on a high after York and has already been studying previous Breeders’ Cup footage as he dreams of adding Live In The Dream’s name to the meeting’s illustrious roll of honour.

“It still hasn’t sunk in really,” he added.

“Epsom asked if the horse could parade (at the Bank Holiday Monday meeting), but I think it would have blown his head a little bit so they had to make do with me.

“It’s left me thinking kind of ‘what do we do now’, and wondering how do we ever get that feeling ever again.

“I’ve rewatched some of the previous Breeders’ Cup races over the last few days including the 2019 one that holds the record and I just thought if we could emulate anything near that it would be amazing. It’s so exciting to watch, even now knowing the results. It’s the best of the best isn’t it and we’re going to be a part of it.

“Everyone has been so welcoming and it has really captured the hearts of people over here. I think the Americans have got behind it a little bit and he looks the type to do well over there so there is a lot of excitement from their side as well as ours.”

Sure to be front and centre when Live In The Dream does showcase his speed oversees is the horse’s adoring and enthusiastic owners, and West cannot speak highly enough of the the De’Lemos family, who have been huge supporters of his fledgling Epsom set-up.

“They love it and they are on cloud nine,” West said.

“They are such a great family and great warm characters. It would be hard to find somewhere that wouldn’t be welcoming of them as you only need to spend a minute with them to pick up on the love they have for each other and for the sport.”

Task Force maintained his unbeaten record with a clear-cut victory in the British Stallion Studs EBF Ripon Champion Two Yrs Old Trophy.

A son of two Guineas winners in Frankel and Special Duty, the Ralph Beckett-trained colt made a big impression on his racecourse debut at Salisbury last month, earning him a step up to Listed class.

He was the 11-8 favourite to dispatch of five rivals in North Yorkshire and did so in fine style in the hands of Rossa Ryan.

In the famous Juddmonte silks, Task Force raced enthusiastically at the rear of the field for much of the six-furlong contest before being produced with his challenge widest of all.

He mastered Shagraan and course and distance winner Seven Questions, who was briefly stopped in his run when challenging between the pair, and was good value for the winning margin of a length and a quarter.

The winner’s stablemate Matters Most finished strongly to fill the runner-up spot and provide the in-form Beckett team with a one-two.

Juddmonte’s racing manager, Barry Mahon, said of the winner: “The idea of going to Ripon was to teach him a bit as he didn’t learn much the first day, he hit the gates well and sat handy and was left in front a furlong and a half down, so he probably didn’t learn a lot about racing.

“He’ll have learned plenty there today. You saw how green he was in the early part of there and when Rossa asked him to go he was green, but when the penny dropped away he went.

“It was a nice performance and he could a nice horse.”

Task Force has the option of stepping up to seven furlongs for the Group Two Champagne Stakes at Doncaster next month, but plans are fluid at this stage.

“I haven’t spoken to Ralph yet and we need to let the dust settle, but I’ve no doubt seven is going to be right up his street,” Mahon added.

“He’s bred to be a miler in time, so seven furlongs won’t be a problem, but whether Ralph decides to go that way now or later on we’ll wait and see.

“Part of the reason we went back over six furlongs today was because when you look up his mother’s record she never raced beyond six at two and ended up being a dual Guineas winner at three, so there’s no shortage of speed in the pedigree and he showed that today against some hardened two-year-olds.”