By all indications, Guyana’s top table tennis player, Chelsea Edghill is relaxed and ready to go at the Olympic Games as she continues to get acclimatised to conditions in Paris.
Edghill, who is relishing her second Olympic Games appearance, is the only English-speaking Caribbean representative set to compete in table tennis at the global multi-sport showpiece, which got underway with football action on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old, who was eliminated in the first round at the 2020 Tokyo Games, pointed out that she has so far engaged in some solid practice sessions since her arrival in Mulhouse, France, as she hopes to go at least one better on this occasion.
“It was just Guyana in the camp, so we took the time to train with some of the local players and practice with the world master’s bronze medalist and the practice session was good,” Edghill told Chronicle Sport.
“We go back to Paris to settle in for the games but so far we have to train and getting used to the environment. It (table tennis) takes so much skill and practice, I have been doing it for 18 years and it is still very difficult…misconception is that it is easy,” she added.
While her preparation aimed at fine-tuning her skills and focus leading up to the multi-sport event, Edghill has always been self-motivated.
“I am really working on grounding myself and looking inward. If the plan doesn’t work, we just scrap the plan and then start over,” Edghill said in an Instagram post, as she hopes to break barriers and possibly create opportunities for other Guyanese players.
She is joined in Paris by National Coach Idi Lewis, the country’s top swimmer, Aleka Persaud and coach Sean Baksh, as well as track and field star Emanuel Archibald.
Andy Murray is in no doubt this is "the right time" to retire as he bows out after the Paris Olympics.
There had long been speculation around how long Murray would continue to compete, with his career beset by injury issues that limited him to three major titles.
But heading to France this week, the two-time Olympic champion confirmed the Games would be his final tournament.
In an interview with BBC Sport, Murray revealed only now is he entirely content with a decision that had long seemed likely.
"I didn't feel that way a few months ago when I thought that this is when I was going to stop," Murray said.
"I didn't want to. Now I want to. I know it is the right time for me."
Murray is still managing a back injury, but he is in line to compete in both the singles and doubles events, teaming up with Dan Evans in pursuit of another medal.
"Me and Dan made the commitment to each other, that is what we will prioritise," he added.
"That gives the team and us the best opportunity to get a medal.
"My back is still not perfect. I didn't feel great in the build-up to Wimbledon and during it. I feel better here."
Alex Cora will be staying with the Boston Red Sox for next season and beyond, as MLB Network reported Wednesday that the veteran manager has agreed to a three-year contract extension that will make him among the highest-paid skippers in baseball.
Cora's new deal will run through the 2027 season and will be worth more than $7 million annually, according to MLB Network. ESPN reported earlier Wednesday that the 48-year-old was nearing an agreement on a three-year, $21.75 million extension.
The agreement also ends speculation on Cora's future in Boston with his current contract due to expire at the end of this season. The 2018 World Series champion will become the second-highest paid manager in the majors behind Craig Counsell, who left the Milwaukee Brewers for the Chicago Cubs in the offseason on a deal that pays him $8 million annually.
Cora is in his fourth consecutive season as the Red Sox's manager and sixth overall with the club. He was dismissed following the 2019 season as he served a one-year suspension in 2020 as part of the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal of 2017, then rehired by Boston after being reinstated by Major League Baseball.
The Red Sox won a franchise-record 108 regular-season games and captured their most recent World Series title in Cora's first season in 2018. Boston also reached the post-season during Cora's return to the team in 2021, though the Red Sox have missed the playoffs in each of the past two years.
Cora has the Red Sox back in the mix for a playoff spot this season, however. Boston enters Wednesday's play one game behind the Kansas City Royals for the American League's final wild card berth with a 54-46 record.
The Puerto Rico native has compiled a 494-416 regular-season record during his time in Boston.
Prior to his initial stint with the Red Sox, Cora spent the 2017 season as the Astros' bench coach and was part of Houston's controversial run to that year's World Series title. Major League Baseball later conducted a thorough investigation of an alleged sign-stealing scheme the Astros had put in place that season, which led to Commissioner Rob Manfred suspending Cora for the entire 2020 campaign for his role.
Javier Mascherano labelled Argentina's controversial defeat to Morocco as "a scandal" in their opening game at the Paris Olympics.
Argentina looked to have rescued a point having come from two goals down when Cristian Medina headed home in the 16th minute of second half injury-time.
However, crowd trouble in the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard halted proceedings, with referee Glenn Nyberg taking both sets of players off the pitch.
The game was subsequently suspended for nearly two hours and once it resumed, the controversy and confusion continued.
Following a VAR review, Bruno Amione was adjudged to have been in an offside position in the build-up to the potential equaliser as Morocco's advantage was reinstated.
The remaining three minutes of the contest played out in front of an empty stadium, with Tarik Sektioui's side able to hold on for an unlikely triumph.
The game finished more than four hours after it started, leaving Mascherano furious at full-time, describing the outcome as not befitting an event as prestigious as the Olympics.
“The match was suspended for security and safety,” Mascherano began. “At no moment did we talk about the review. The official Olympic page put the match at 2-2.
“The match was suspended for security. At no moment did we talk about the review. Then after we were not told anything new, we started to hear things.
“The referee never came, he never gave us an explanation.”
He added: “We turn the page and stay with the positive things from the team in the second half and look for the two wins we’re going to need.
“What happened on the pitch was a scandal. This isn’t a neighbourhood tournament, this is the Olympic Games.
“How are they going to stop the match seven times in the second half because someone comes onto the pitch?
“The second and third time you have to take a decision. Seven times people came onto the pitch.”
Lionel Messi, who won gold for La Albiceleste in Beijing in 2008, also shared his frustrations with his former Barcelona team-mate.
The 37-year-old kept it to the point, posting “Insolito” on his Instagram story, which translates to “unbelievable".
Argentina face Iraq in their next game in Lyon on Saturday, concluding their group campaign against Ukraine on July 30.
Hosts France recovered from a slow start to ease to a 3-0 opening win over the United States at Paris 2024 on Wednesday.
There has been plenty of excitement around the home nation heading into the men's Olympic tournament, with coach Thierry Henry selecting a strong squad even with superstars like Kylian Mbappe absent.
Yet it took more than an hour for the match in Marseille to spark into life, and even then France were reliant on a moment of magic from captain Alexandre Lacazette.
The United States were the better side up until Lacazette's breakthrough goal, with Djordje Mihailovic thundering against the crossbar shortly before the veteran striker went up the other end and picked out the bottom-left corner.
A frantic spell followed in which France twice could have been pegged back, grateful first to Guillaume Restes for a superb save from Paxten Aaronson and then to the goal frame as John Tolkin headed against the post.
Instead, a second goal against the run of play settled the nerves in the stands as Bayern Munich new boy Michael Olise curled a fine finish around Patrick Schulte from outside the box.
And Loic Bade added further gloss with a header from a Joris Chotard corner five minutes from time, while Griffin Yow saw a late consolation goal struck off for offside.
Data Debrief: Belated home comfort for Les Bleus
On paper, the gulf between the two teams was evident in the scoreline, but for those home fans in Marseille who grew audibly agitated early in the second half, this was far from easy viewing.
Although France finished with three goals, they only created chances worth 0.43 expected goals (xG). The strikes by Lacazette and Olise were inspired individual efforts rather than the result of fine team play.
Winning gold as the hosts is not easy in this event – only four nations (Great Britain in 1908, Belgium in 1920, Spain in 1992 and Brazil in 2016) have done so previously in 27 attempts – but more will be expected of Henry's outfit going forward.
Harry Brook has stated that while Test cricket is his main priority, gaining leadership experience in the Hundred could see him throw his hat in the ring for England’s white-ball captaincy one day.
The futures of skipper Jos Buttler and head coach Matthew Mott are up in the air after England's failure to successfully defend their 50-over and T20 World Cup titles.
Brook, who has risen to third in the ICC Test batting rankings, a place behind his team-mate Joe Root, is a possible candidate to take on the captaincy.
The 25-year-old starred in England's win over the West Indies last week, scoring a fifth Test century at Trent Bridge from 139 balls in their 241-run triumph.
Brook is due to lead Northern Superchargers in the 100-ball tournament under coach Andrew Flintoff, who was England’s assistant coach at the T20 World Cup in June.
"This is my first captaincy role with the Superchargers," Brook said. "We'll see how that goes and then maybe I'll have a different answer in a couple of months.
"I don't see anything happening any time soon, so I'll just stay in the moment and focus on Test cricket."
Brook will join up with the Superchargers following England's third and final Test against West Indies at Edgbaston, which begins on Friday.
England’s schedule makes it difficult for Brook or any other Test regular to captain the white-ball team. The first T20 against Australia is the day after the Test series against Sri Lanka finishes.
The ODI series later that month ends a couple of days before England fly to Pakistan to play Tests. That series finishes on October 28, with an ODI series in the Caribbean beginning three days later.
"I want to play every Test match I can for England," said Brook.
"Test cricket is my priority. I don't want to think too far ahead. The Ashes is a long way away and we have a lot of Test cricket before then. My main focus is to stay in the moment and not get ahead of myself."
Olympic silver medallist Laura Muir described fellow Team GB member Andy Murray as "inspirational" ahead of the Paris Games.
Muir, who came second in the 1,500m in Tokyo three years ago, will again compete this year in the hopes of sealing a first gold medal in Paris.
Three-time grand slam winner Murray has confirmed he will retire from tennis after the Games, having previously won gold on two occasions.
The Scot's first Games appearance was in Beijing in 2008, losing in straight sets to Lu Yen-hsun in the first round.
Four years later, Murray triumphed on home soil by beating Roger Federer at London 2012, beating the Swiss in straight sets in the final.
The Briton became the first male tennis player to win two Olympic singles titles when he beat Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro at Rio 2016.
Murray withdrew from the singles event at the most recent grand slam at Wimbledon, competing in the doubles alongside brother Jamie but going out in the first round.
Dan Evans will partner Murray in the doubles in Paris, with Muir praising the Scot's influence both on and off the court across his 19-year professional career.
"I think it's just he's been at the top for so long, and it's just been so nice to see him progress through everything," Muir told Stats Perform.
"He's had so many hard times and he's come back and he's fought so hard and he's been so patient and such a big sportsmanship person at the same time.
"I think he's just hugely inspirational, not just in the sport of tennis but through Scottish sports and also lots of other sports on the team as well.
"Just to see someone fight for so long and do so well, it's been so nice to see.
"So it'll be such a shame that we won't see more of him to come, but it's just so nice to be able to finish it with the Olympics - he's hugely inspirational person both on and off the court."
Fellow 1,500m hopeful Jake Wightman, who finished 10th at the Tokyo games, echoed Muir's words on Murray's glittering career.
"I think probably him winning Wimbledon for the first time is like a iconic moment within my sporting history, just because I'd watched Wimbledon most years and never seen a Brit perform anywhere near that level," Wightman told Stats Perform.
"You'd obviously had Tim Henman going to a certain point, but it had been an era of just watching [Rafael] Nadal and Federer for a long time battling it out.
"So to see somebody in Britain, a British athlete, being able to go and do that was, I think, something that we may not see for a long time."
Tadej Pogacar has acknowledged girlfriend Urska Zigart's Olympics snub contributed to his decision to withdraw from Paris 2024.
The three-time Tour de France champion had been scheduled to take part in the men's road race at the Games on August 3, but it was announced on Monday he would not take part.
While Slovenia's Olympic cycling coach Uros Murn attributed Pogacar's absence to "extreme fatigue" after claiming his latest Tour title last week, the UAE Team Emirates superstar was back in action the following day at a criterium race in Surhuisterveen.
Questioned about his Paris decision by Dutch broadcaster NOS, Pogacar revealed his frustration at Zigart missing out on a place in the Slovenian squad.
"It's not the main reason, but it certainly didn't help," he said. "I think she deserves her place. She's a two-time national champion in the road race and time trial."
Urska Pintar and Eugenia Bujak were preferred to Zigart for the women's road race. Zigart won the national title in that event ahead of Pintar last month.
Antigua and Barbuda's Olympic history began in 1965 with the formation of their National Olympic Committee (NOC), which gained full recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on July 19, 1976. The twin-island nation made its Olympic debut at the 1976 Montreal Games and has participated in every Summer Olympic Games since then.
In their inaugural appearance, Antigua and Barbuda sent 10 athletes who competed in 11 events across two main disciplines. Calvin Greenaway, Conrad Mainwaring, Cuthbert Jacobs, Elroy Turner, Everton Cornelius, Fred Sowerby, Maxwell Peters, and Paul Richards represented the country in athletics, while Donald Christian and Patrick Spencer competed in cycling.
One of the most renowned Olympic athletes from Antigua and Barbuda is Brendan Christian, who reached the semi-finals of the 200mm at both the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics. Another notable athlete, Daniel Bailey, made it to the 100m semi-finals in London 2012 and repeated this feat at the 2016 Rio Olympics, alongside teammate Cejhae Greene.
As the 2024 Paris Olympics approaches, Antigua and Barbuda have announced a team of five athletes to represent them. This team, consisting of seasoned athletes and promising newcomers, will compete across various disciplines. Joella Lloyd has made history by setting a national record and qualifying for the women's 100m event, becoming only the second female athlete from Antigua and Barbuda to reach Olympic qualifying standards. Cejhae Greene will compete in the men's 100m. Sailor Tiger Tyson will participate in the kiteboarding event. In the pool, newcomers Jadon Wuilliez and 14-year-old Ellie Shaw will compete in the men's and women's 100m breaststroke events, respectively.
The athletes will be supported by a group of officials and coaches, including Chef de Mission Joel Rayne and team manager Thomas Greenaway. While Antigua and Barbuda have not yet won an Olympic medal, this year’s games present an opportunity for the twin island nation to make history and showcase their talents on the global stage.
The 2024 Paris Olympics could mark a turning point for Antigua and Barbuda, as their athletes aim to make their mark and bring home the nation’s first Olympic medal. With a mix of experienced competitors and fresh talent, the team is poised to make a strong showing and inspire future generations of Antiguan and Barbudan athletes.
The Canadian Olympic Committee have confirmed that two members of the women's coaching staff have been sent home from the Paris Olympics following a drone incident ahead of their opening game against New Zealand.
Head coach Bev Priestman, who led Canada to their maiden gold medal success in Tokyo, has also voluntarily withdrawn from coaching her team’s Group A opener in Saint-Etienne on Thursday.
Fifa said it has opened disciplinary proceedings against Canada Soccer after New Zealand's women's team said their training session on Monday had been disrupted by a drone ahead of their encounter.
Jasmine Mander, Priestman's assistant, was sent home along with "unaccredited analyst" Joseph Lombardi following the incident.
Lombardi is the director of the National Development Centre Ontario and Women’s U-20 program. Mander was Priestman's assistant at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and the World Cup last summer.
Priestman apologised for what had happened and said the ultimate responsibility lay with her.
"I first and foremost want to apologise to the players and staff at New Zealand Football and to the players on Team Canada," Priestman said.
"This does not represent the values that our team stands for. I am ultimately responsible for conduct in our program."
The COC confirmed on Wednesday that a "non-accredited member of the Canada Soccer support team" was detained by authorities.
"The Canadian Olympic Committee stands for fair play and we are shocked and disappointed," it added in a statement.
"We offer our heartfelt apologies to New Zealand Football, to all the players affected, and to the New Zealand Olympic Committee."
Laura Muir hopes breaking the British 1,500m record in Paris earlier this month is a sign of things to come as she guns for gold at the Olympic Games.
Having finished seventh in the final at Rio 2016, Muir took silver at the last edition of the games in Tokyo, finishing behind Kenya's Faith Kipyegon with a time of 3:54.50.
The 31-year-old Scot has been tipped to go one better this year after running a British record of 3:53:79 at the Diamond League meeting in the French capital on July 7.
Speaking exclusively to Stat Perform, Muir outlined her hope that the 2024 Games will mark the culmination of her progress over the last few years.
"The record I broke was the record that I ran in the Tokyo Olympics, winning silver," she said, reflecting on her record time.
"So to break my British record that I ran winning silver, and to do it in the city that the next Olympics is going to be held in… it was just a 'this is meant to be' moment.
"It was really special, and to run the fastest I've ever ran just ahead of the Olympics was perfect and such a big confidence boost.
"I'm just going to go into the Games in the best shape I've ever been in."
Muir's silver medal in Tokyo came in front of no public spectators, with crowds in the Japanese capital limited to fellow athletes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She is excited about the chance to share her experience with others this time around, saying: "It was such a shame that nobody could watch the biggest events in Tokyo.
"It's just so nice that people can come and spectate now, not just athletics but lots of different sports.
"With it being so close to home it'll be really easy for people to travel out there, it's not a big time difference, so it'll be so much easier for people to watch. I'm just really excited that they can soak up that atmosphere."
Team GB managed five athletics medals in Tokyo (two silver, three bronze), having taken seven in 2016 and six on home soil at London 2016.
With the likes of Matt Hudson-Smith and Keeley Hodgkinson also tipped to be in medal contention, Muir has high hopes regarding Team GB's overall prospects.
"I think it's a fantastic team we've got out in Paris, so I'm just really excited to see how everybody gets on," she added.
"To see Matt get his European record, Keeley get her British record, I got my British record a couple of weeks before that… it's a really, really exciting place to be.
"I think we're so strong across so many different events as well, which is so exciting, and the depth of that within some events, especially in endurance running, it's really exciting to see."
The New York Knicks and head coach Tom Thibodeau have agreed to a three-year contract extension through the 2027-28 season.
New York went 50-32 last season to earn the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference before losing to the Indiana Pacers in the semi-finals of the play-offs.
The Knicks were also ousted in the East semis in 2022-23 and reached the play-offs during Thibodeau’s first season in 2021-22, when he won his second NBA Coach of the Year award.
Prior to 2021-22, New York’s previous post-season appearance came in 2013.
The Knicks have gone 175-143 over the last four seasons under Thibodeau, who earned his first NBA Coach of the Year award in 2011 as a rookie head coach with the Chicago Bulls.
The 66-year-old Thibodeau owns a 527-389 record in 12 seasons as a head coach with Chicago, the Minnesota Timberwolves and New York.
His teams have gone 38-47 in the post-season, and Thibodeau’s only appearance in the conference finals came in his rookie head coach season.
Morocco were 2-1 winners over Argentina in their opening match at the Olympics, with Cristian Medina's potential equaliser disallowed as crowd trouble caused a two-hour delay.
Argentina looked to have salvaged a 2-2 draw from 2-0 down in Saint-Etienne, with Soufiane Rahimi netting twice before Giuliano Simeone pulled one back for La Albiceleste.
Medina appeared to have equalised when he nodded home following a goalmouth scramble 16 minutes into second-half stoppage time, but crowd trouble then broke out with cups, bottles and pyrotechnics being thrown at Argentina's players by spectators.
The referee took the teams off the pitch, and amid confusion over whether the final whistle had sounded, it was reported another three minutes would be played in an empty stadium.
It was subsequently announced Argentina's potential leveller had been ruled out after a VAR review showed Bruno Amione was offside in the build-up.
Another three minutes of stoppage time were then played out around two hours after the players had been taken off, with Morocco holding on to win 2-1.
While Morocco now sit top of Group B with three points, Javier Mascherano's side – who were among the pre-tournament favourites – remain on zero.
Erik ten Hag has included Jadon Sancho in his 29-man squad for Manchester United's pre-season tour of the United States.
Sancho, who spent the second half of the 2023-24 season on loan with Borussia Dortmund, played 45 minutes in United's 2-0 win over Rangers last Saturday.
The 24-year-old made three appearances for Ten Hag last season after an argument over his performances in training saw him banished from the first-team squad.
Sancho has since been back in training at Carrington, with the pair drawing a line under their drawn-out disagreement after holding a positive meeting earlier this month.
United travel to America as they continue their preparations ahead of the new season where they will play three matches stateside.
Ten Hag's side face fellow Premier League opposition Arsenal in Los Angeles on July 28, followed by fixtures against Real Betis and Liverpool.
Andre Onana, Harry Maguire, Mason Mount, Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund are among the other senior players included in the travelling squad.
Hojlund, who scored 10 Premier League goals in his debut campaign at Old Trafford, will sport a different shirt number for the 2024-25 season.
The Denmark international wore the number 11 last term, but will replace Anthony Martial, who left the club following the end of his contract, as United's new number nine.
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