Team GB mountain biker Tom Pidcock successfully defended his gold medal, recovering from a mid-race puncture to snatch victory in dramatic fashion.

He slipped down to ninth after the puncture on his fourth lap, trailing the leader by 40 seconds, but made up the ground to beat home favourite Victor Koretzky over the line by nine seconds.

In a tense final lap, the pair exchanged the lead, but in a superb overtake through the trees, Pidcock edged back in front and held his nerve to win his second goal medal.

Pidcock, who had to withdraw from the Tour de France after suffering from Covid-19 earlier this month, said he was determined to do whatever it took to get his hands back on the gold medal.

"It wasn't easy," he told BBC Sport after the race. "I'm keeping my glasses on for a reason.

"The Olympics is so special, you never give up, you give everything, and that is what I had to do.

"I knew that Victor was going to be fast in the last lap even if I couldn't get rid of him. I knew it was going to be a big fight, and he left a gap and I had to take it.

"That's racing. I know people might view it differently, but sport is about not giving up. It is a shame that the French were booing me, but you know."

Pidcock had made a quick start, pushing to the front of the pack before being slowed down by the wheel change, but he was quick to brush off the problem.

"I knew that the first thing was to stay calm, I didn't really let it affect me," he added. "All I could do was stay calm and come back as best I could. I wanted to come back to the front, that's all I cared about.

"There's no point in stressing about [the slow wheel change], that's not going to help me get back to the front. I was lucky it happened early on, so there was time to come back to the front."

Pidcock will have another chance to go for gold in the road race on Saturday.

Carlos Sainz will join Williams for the 2025 season, signing a two-year contract with the option to extend, ending months of speculation on his future.

The 29-year-old will drive alongside Alex Albon next season following his departure from Ferrari, who announced earlier this year that Lewis Hamilton would be taking his seat.

Sainz was initially seen as a candidate to take Hamilton's place at Mercedes, with Alpine and Sauber, who will become Audi in 2026, also in the running to get his signature.

But, he will now replace American Logan Sargeant, who looks set to stop racing at the end of the season.

"I am very happy to announce that I will be joining Williams Racing from 2025 onwards," Sainz said in a press release.

"It is no secret that this year's driver market has been exceptionally complex for various reasons and that it has taken me some time to announce my decision.

"However, I am fully confident that Williams is the right place for me to continue my F1 journey and I am extremely proud of joining such a historic and successful team, where many of my childhood heroes drove in the past and made their mark on our sport.

"The ultimate goal of bringing Williams back to where it belongs, at the front of the grid, is a challenge that I embrace with excitement and positivity."

Sainz has achieved three F1 wins to date, including a victory at the Australian Grand Prix in March, and 23 podium finishes while amassing over 1,100 points over his career.

He currently sits fifth in the drivers’ championship and has five podiums in the first half of the season.

Marta has urged Brazil to bounce back quickly from their stoppage-time defeat to Japan at the Olympics on Sunday.

The Brazil great made her 200th appearance for the national team in their second group-stage game, but it was marred by a late lapse in concentration that saw Japan score twice in stoppage time to win 2-1.

Jhennifer's 56th-minute goal looked set to book Brazil a place in the quarter-finals of the tournament, but instead, they slipped down to third in Group C after Saki Kumagai and Momoko Tanikawa's goals.

And with world champions Spain up next for the two-time silver medallists, Marta, who is retiring at the end of the year, noted why it is so important that they quickly put that result behind them.

"All that mattered to Japan was winning the game," Marta said. "We took our eye off the ball and that has obviously ended up costing us.

"We could have been here celebrating a win, but instead we have to remain focused. But it's not over yet. We have to give it everything as a group. That is football. Anything can happen. Nothing has been decided."

The top two teams in each of the three groups advance into the knockout rounds, along with the two best third-place sides.

While Brazil would go through as things stand, that could all change on the final day, and head coach Arthur Elias echoed Marta's call to learn from the loss.

"I need to make amends, I need to tell the players the truth, no matter if it hurts," he said. "They obviously need to reflect. But I really recognise the effort of each and every one of them."

 At the Jamaica Rifle Association (JRA) Jamaica Cup on Saturday, July 27, Corporal Shayon Francis, the top-ranked female pistol shooter in Jamaica, was announced as the newest brand ambassador for Spectrum Systems Limited, Jamaica's leading roofing supplier.

Francis was previously a member of the historic Super Six all-female shooting squad that proudly represented Jamaica at the PanAmerican Handgun Championships in Florida in 2022. During that competition, the team clinched a Bronze medal and Francis has been on the rise since.

Francis now holds the top ranking as Jamaica's leading female pistol shooter. Typically, she achieves a position in the top ten among all shooters at the Jamaica Rifle Association, where her competitors are predominantly male.

Shayon’s upcoming 2024 schedule includes the Smoking Barrel Regional Standoff in Barbados from August 30 to Sep 1. She is also set to participate in the Fast and Furious Woodleigh Qualifier on Oct 27.

Shayon, a native of St. Thomas in Jamaica, rose to the top of her sport by virtue of commitment to excellence, determination, and hard work, constantly practicing to hone her skills to become one of the region's best shooters, male or female.

Spectrum Managing Director Andrew Stanigar is happy to have Francis on board, "We previously sponsored the Super Six shooters and also the Spectrum Shooting tournament at the JRA, so this is a continuation of our support of the sport. Shayon is the number 1 in shooting for women in Jamaica, and so, it's a no-brainer that she will be backed by the number 1 roofing company, Spectrum Systems Ltd."

As part of the sponsorship, Francis will enhance Spectrum's branding and corporate image as she will be included in advertising campaigns alongside other brand ambassadors, race car driver Sara Misir and Reggae Boyz captain, Andre Blake.

Francis looks forward to representing Spectrum Systems, “I am thrilled and deeply grateful for Spectrum Systems Ltd.'s generous sponsorship as I gear up for my upcoming matches. Although my sights are set on the ultimate goal of World Shoot in South Africa 2025, I understand the significance of each upcoming match. With Spectrum Systems Ltd. by my side, I am equipped with the resources for more training sessions, enabling me to stay primed and deliver my A-game in all the matches” she said.

 

 Four-time Olympic 100m medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is embracing the experience as she prepares for what will be her last Olympic Games, though not necessarily her final season in track and field. Speaking to Jamaican media in Paris on Monday, Fraser-Pryce expressed her enthusiasm to compete, despite the significant challenges posed by injuries that have limited her to just four races this season. Her latest setback forced her to withdraw from her last race prior to arriving in Paris.

 The 37-year-old sprint legend has a storied Olympic career, having won gold in the 100m in Beijing 2008 and London 2012. She captured bronze while battling a toe injury in Rio 2016 and secured silver at the Tokyo 2020 Games, making her the only woman to medal in the 100m at four consecutive Olympics. Fraser-Pryce will aim to extend her record with a fifth 100m medal when competition begins on August 2.

"It's the final Olympic Games; let me repeat that," Fraser-Pryce said hinting that Paris will not be her final season in the sport. "I think this time around I have been having a good experience with the Olympic spirit, just meeting people. Yesterday I went to a rugby match (to watch her new friend and massive fan Michaela Blyde of New Zealand play), the first time going to a rugby match. Considering that my competition is this week, that would probably be the last competition I go to before I get to compete but it has been a good experience."

Fraser-Pryce, who finished third at the Jamaican national championships in late June, shared her positive outlook on her Olympic preparations.

"So far it has been good. Again, always excited to step on the track. That's where you kind of unleash everything that you have been experiencing, how training has been going, how you really want to represent not just yourself but your country and I think ultimately for me being here at the fifth Olympic Games is such a blessing. When I look back, like five, it's crazy to even think about and the fact that it has been five straight Olympic Games, it's even more crazy but it's just the blessings, about how God has been good to me and how He has kept me so I'm really looking forward to the experience, stepping on the track and always, once I get on the line I'm giving 100 per cent at all times and that's what I'm looking forward to."

Acknowledging the competitiveness of the field, Fraser-Pryce emphasized the importance of focus and determination.

"The field is always tough. It's the Olympic Games, it's every four years so whenever anybody lines up I think it's really about doing their best because for some people this is one shot because the Olympics is every four years so for me I am always of the expectation that it is going to be competitive no matter where I am at; whether it's an Olympic Games, a World Championships or a track meet, it's going to be competitive so you have to have that in your head space, get on the line and make sure you're focused on yourself and get the job done."

A new UFC Welterweight champion has been crowned as Belal Muhammad dethroned Leon Edwards in a stunning unanimous decision victory in the main event of UFC 304 at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England on Saturday.

In the highly anticipated rematch, Muhammad, now the first ever Palestinian-American UFC champion, put on a wrestling clinic to neutralize Leon Edwards’ striking and secure a unanimous decision win.

The judges scored the bout 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46, all in favor of Muhammad.

Muhammad’s game plan was clear from the outset as he repeatedly took Edwards down and controlled him on the ground.

Despite Edwards’ attempts to escape and land strikes from the bottom, Muhammad’s grappling prowess and improved striking kept the champion at bay throughout the 25 minutes.

“It sounds like a lot of the people booing have a lot of tears in their eyes right now,” an emotional Muhammad said in his post-fight interview.

“I’ve worked my whole life for this moment, and I’m just getting started,” he added.

Edwards put his lackluster performance down to fatigue in the week leading up to the fight.

“No surprises. My body just felt tired from round one. Congrats to Belal. He got the job done and we’ll get it back again,” Edwards said after the fight.

The Kingston-born southpaw was attempting to successfully defend his title for the third time.

Coco Gauff got another commanding win at the Paris Olympic Games as she booked her place in the round of 16 with a straight-sets victory over Maria Lourdes Carle.

The American took just one hour and 26 minutes to brush Carle aside 6-1 6-1 on Court Suzanne Lenglen on Monday.

Gauff stormed into a 5-0 lead in the first set before the Argentinian found her fight – she held break point three times in the final game, but the 20-year-old finally converted on her fourth set point.

It was much the same in the second, with Gauff cruising through. Though she lost her serve in the penultimate game, she made quick work in the last to set up a meeting with Donna Vekic of Croatia.

Data Debrief: Gauff continues to shine

Gauff remains undefeated in her Olympics debut, staying active in all three disciplines as she is also competing in the women's doubles and mixed doubles.

She followed up a dominant win on Sunday with an equally impressive performance as she converted eight break points on Monday while only dropping serve once.

Novak Djokovic overcame great foe Rafael Nadal at the Paris Olympics in what might be the final instalment of their captivating rivalry.

Nadal looked down and out midway through the second set, but the 14-time French Open champion has plenty of history at Roland-Garros and did not go down without a fight.

Ultimately, though, Djokovic just had too much, and prevailed 6-1 6-4 to take his place in the third round. 

Djokovic dominated the opening set, needing just 39 minutes to nose himself ahead in the 60th contest between these two greats, and the first since the 2022 French Open.

It was just the third time Nadal had won only one game in a completed set at Roland-Garros, and the first time since a 2015 French Open quarter-final against Djokovic.

Djokovic seemed to be cruising towards a routine victory as he stormed into a 4-0 lead in the second set, yet Nadal's magnificent levels of resilience came to the fore as the Spaniard reeled off four straight games to draw level at 4-4.

The Serbian eventually wrestled back control, capitalising on a fourth break point to go 5-4 up and, after a long return from Nadal, Djokovic served out for the match to bring what could be the last match of this incredible rivalry to a close.

Data Debrief: The last dance

Nadal, who is also in doubles action in Paris with Carlos Alcaraz, came into this with a big edge at Roland-Garros over Djokovic, holding an 8-2 head-to-head record at the venue, with that including three French Open final victories.

This duo are the first male players to face each other 60 times in the Open Era, and if it was to be their last dance, at least Nadal made a fist of it.

Djokovic was the stronger player throughout, though, despite that second-set fightback from Nadal, and the world number two is the player with the most match wins against a single opponent in the Open Era (31).

He is also the first player to win 15 men's singles matches at the Olympics since tennis returned to the summer programme in 1988.

Iga Swiatek made light work of home hope Diane Parry to make it into round three at the Paris Olympics.

A four-time grand slam champion at Roland-Garros, Swiatek loves operating on the clay courts in the French capital, and she was in dominant form on Monday.

The world number one triumphed 6-1 6-1 in under 75 minutes to see off Parry, who made 24 unforced errors, and tee up a third-round tie with Xiyu Wang of China.

Not that Swiatek needed much help - the Pole struck 13 winners and did not give up a single break point, and she looks good for a deep run at her second Olympics, having slipped out in the second round in Tokyo three years ago.

Swiatek's Polish compatriot Magda Linette, however, succumbed to Italy's Jasmine Paolini.

The French Open and Wimbledon runner-up prevailed 6-4 6-1.

Data Debrief: Swiatek's home away from home

Swiatek is the fourth player since the turn of the century to win more than 20 consecutive clay court matches (21), after Serena Williams (28), Justine Henin (27) and Maria Sharapova (21).

She has also won her last 23 matches at Roland-Garros, where she is undefeated in 1,145 days.

Dara Alizadeh Wins Men’s Single Sculls Semifinals E/F

Bermuda’s Dara Alizadeh has qualified for the Final E in the men’s single sculls after a remarkable win in the semifinals. Alizadeh finished first with a time of 7:33.38, maintaining his first-place rank throughout the race. He was a force to be reckoned with as he sailed to victory lapping his opponents with Zimbabwean Stephen Cox coming in second with a time of 7:36.59. He will compete in the men’s single sculls Final E on August 2nd.

 USVI Kruz Schembri Outmatched in Fencing

U.S. Virgin Islander Kruz Schembri loses men's foil individual table of 64 bout 2 to Canadian Blake Broszus 15-8. The 17-year-old, ended the first period 13-8 falling behind and in period 2 15-8 unable to redeem himself against the Canadian.

Schembri is the first fencer to represent the US Virgin Islands at the Olympic Games since Los Angeles 1984 making this an historic feat despite his loss. He is the 2024 Junior Pan American champion in foil and bronze medallist in epee.

 Sören Opti Retires in Men’s Single Badminton Match

Surinamese Sören Opti retired in his second match today against Italy's Giovanni Toti at the La Chapelle Arena Court 1. The match finished at 1 nil with Opti retiring in the second game. Toti won game one 21-8 and was leading game two 4-1 when Opti conceded.

While Opti's time in Paris has come to a close, the athlete played passionately and represented his country on the world stage, leaving his mark.

 Bermuda and Trinidad and Tobago Will Not Advance in the Women's 100m Backstroke

Zuri Ferguson of Trinidad and Tobago and Emma Harvey of Bermuda both performed exceptionally in the women's 100m backstroke heats held today at the Paris La Defence Arena.

Ferguson was third in her heat with a time of 1:02.75, 0.45 seconds behind first-place Israeli Aviv Barzelay. Harvey was eighth in her heats with a time of 1:01.78, 3.30 seconds behind first-place Australian Kaylee McKeown. In spite of their valiant performances, neither will make it to the semifinals. Ferguson and Harvey placed 27th and 23rd, respectively, and failed to qualify with the USA, Katharine Berkoff leading the qualifying round with a time of 57.99.

Lauren Jackson made Olympics history on Monday but Australia slumped to a 75-62 loss to Nigeria.

Jackson made her Olympics debut in Australia's home games in Sydney 24 years ago.

And by featuring from the bench against Nigeria, the 43-year-old, who also competed in the Games in 2004, 2008 and 2012, became the basketball player with the longest span of Olympics appearances.

However, Jackson, who contributed six points to Australia's cause, could not help her side avoid a 13-point defeat in their Group B opener.

Ezinne Kalu led Nigeria with 19 points, while Alanna Smith was Australia's top scorer with 15.

Jackson has four Olympic medals to her name, with Australia aiming for a first podium finish at the Games since 2012.

Tom Daley and an emotional Noah Williams celebrated a silver medal as the British pair claimed second place in the men's 10-metre synchronised diving at the Paris Olympics.

Daley, who returned to compete at his fifth Olympics in order to allow his eldest son see him dive at a Games, clinched his fifth medal, albeit his first silver.

Williams, meanwhile, won his first Olympic medal. He competed at Tokyo, but subsequently suffered the loss of his coach Dave Jenkins, who passed away following the delayed 2020 Games.

But the pair did their mentors proud with an excellent performance on Monday, with their score bettered only by the Chinese duo of Yang Hao and Lian Junjie.

In an emotional interview with BBC Sport after the medal ceremony, Daley said: "It's so special, this time last year, deciding to come back, not knowing whether I'd make the synchro team, never mind the Olympics – now to be here in Paris, diving in front of my son, who asked me to come back, it's just so special.

"It completes the set – I now have one of every colour."

Williams fought back the tears when he was asked about his former coach, managing to say, "He'd be pretty proud", before Daley took over.

"I've never seen Noah cry, and I know how much this has meant to him," Daley said.

"Dave was such a key part of Noah's career, and it's so sad he’s not here to see this, but I know both Dave and my dad would be so proud to see us going in and getting that silver medal."

Daley, who made his Olympics debut at 14 in Beijing, was then asked if he planned on competing at the Los Angeles Games in 2028, in order to allow his youngest son, Phoenix, to see him in action.

"I don't know," he said. "For right now, I want to enjoy today and we'll see what the future holds, but right now I just want to go and hug my little ones.

"You have to train smarter, prioritise other things in your life as well as time in the pool. I was getting emotional before the competition because that's where I was at the happiest, but being here, being able to dive in front of my family and being so supported – my husband has been here for me the whole year."

Brendon McCullum is satisfied with England's progression, but the Test coach says his team know they are not "the finished article" just yet.

England wrapped up a 3-0 series win over West Indies on Sunday, as Ben Stokes and Mark Wood starred in a 10-wicket victory at Edgbaston.

It was a memorable series for England, as James Anderson retired following the first Test, while paceman Gus Atkinson showed that there is plenty of hope for the future.

"I thought, overall, it was a progression of where we wanted to get to as a team," coach McCullum told BBC Sport.

"We're not the finished article – we know that. But I think this series has been a step forward for us. It has been a while for us to get a series win and we'll never take that for granted."

Jamie Smith also impressed, and McCullum was quick to hail the wicketkeeper.

"When you’re in that position at seven and wicketkeeper you're like the drummer in the band," he said.

"You need to be prepared to take risks and he's happy to do that, and he backs himself that he's got the power game when the field is out.

"No [criticism of] guys that have been before, they've done great jobs for us, but we identified that it was an area where we wanted to add a little bit more punch."

Of Atkinson, who took 22 wickets across the three matches, McCullum added: "He's such a quiet man. He’s got inner confidence and a real confidence in his ability and skills.

"He's moved the ball off the seam both ways, hits great lengths, bowled high pace and committed to the bouncer plan and done what the captain asked and sustained it.

"He's been outstanding and he's quite cheeky within the group too and the guys love him."

Captain Stokes, meanwhile, also took on a starring role in the final Test, as he plundered England's quickest Test half-century, knocking off 50 in just 28 balls.

Tua Tagovailoa is ready to take extra responsibility after he was rewarded with a franchise-record contract by the Miami Dolphins.

Tagovailoa penned a four-year, $212.4million extension with the Dolphins on Sunday.

It makes the 26-year-old the highest-paid player in Dolphins history and fifth highest in the history of the NFL based on average annual salary.

But with the higher salary, comes extra responsibility to push the Dolphins on, says Tagovailoa.

"I'm the highest-paid employee in this office," Tagovailoa said. 

"I got to get my whatever together. I got to get that right and get our guys moving in the direction that we need to go to be able to do those things.

"We're looking forward to what we can do to help this team win more games and win games when it matters."

Tagovailoa led the league for passing yards in 2023, registering 29 touchdowns – a career-high.

And Miami coach Mike McDaniel is relishing the future with Tagovailoa at the helm.

"I'm fired up for the organisation, really fired up for Tua and the work he's done to receive something like that," McDaniel told reporters.

"I think it's a cool validation for sure.

"Quite frankly, Tua has shown me that throughout the entire offseason that he knows what time it is.

"Fortunately, him and all of his teammates can go out and determine whatever the narrative is built upon, by the way they play."

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