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• Laura Kenny sets her sights on a fourth Olympics

  Five-time gold medal winner Laura Kenny is targeting her fourth Olympics next year after the birth of her second child this summer.

  Kenny, who has topped the podium in London, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, has her eyes set on Paris as she is keen to prove motherhood is no reason to end her career after the arrival of their second son Monty in July.

  “I obviously want to compete at the next Olympics. I know everyone thinks I’m absolutely mad in saying that, but if I don’t try, I’ll never know,” she told The Journey, the Team GB and Toyota docuseries.

  “I would hate to be sat here thinking, ‘Well, I never even gave it a go to see if I could make it.’

  “I hope both children see their mum as someone who was determined to make both things work.

  “They will never have the burden of thinking, ‘Oh, mum had me and then ended her career.’ Because I didn’t. I carried on; I made it work.

  “I hope they look back and they can see that, and see that from the day they were born, they were part of the journey.

  “The two different comebacks between Albie and Monty have been so different.

  “With Albie I came back feeling like I had a point to prove, that you could be a mum and be an Olympic champion all at the same time.

  “I think this time, I’ve come back for me. I’ve come back because I love riding my bike and I cannot imagine it not being part of my life.”

  Kenny gave birth to Albie in 2017 and after a miscarriage in 2021 and ectopic pregnancy early in 2022 she and husband Jason – a fellow Olympic champion cyclist – had a second son, Monty, in July this year.

  “Having the ectopic was way worse than the miscarriage,” she added.

  “It all happened so fast. I went to hospital thinking I had severe Covid and left just like ‘What the hell?’ having had a major operation when I didn’t know I was pregnant.

  “It was all terrifying really. I struggled massively mentally after everything that we went through, and I’d say I probably wasn’t truly happy until I fell pregnant with Monty.”

• NHL: Lightning rally past Bruins in OT

  Steven Stamkos recorded the tying goal with 4.8 seconds left in regulation, and Brandon Hagel scored on a breakaway 1:19 into overtime to give the Tampa Bay Lightning a stunning 5-4 win over the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Bruins on Monday.

  Both Stamkos and Hagel added assists as the Lightning won a season-high third consecutive game. Tampa Bay also received goals from Tanner Jeannot, Nicholas Paul and Austin Watson to back 23 saves from Jonas Johansson.

  Stamkos' dramatic goal capped a wild third period in which the Bruins scored three times to erase a 2-1 deficit. David Pastrnak and John Beecher scored 1:21 apart to put Boston ahead, though Watson's first of the season forged a 3-3 tie with just over 11 minutes left.

  Charlie Coyle briefly sent the Bruins back in front by putting home a feed from James van Riemsdyk with 3:51 left in regulation.

  Boston, which got 41 saves from Jeremy Swayman, still managed to extend its point streak to six games (4-0-2). Pastrnak added an assist on Pavel Zacha's goal midway through the first period that tied the game at 1-1.

   

  Stars score five third-period goals to end Rangers' point streak

  The Dallas Stars erupted for five third-period goals to end the New York Rangers' 11-game point streak with a 6-3 come-from-behind victory.

  Mason Marchment scored the go-ahead goal 7:06 into the third period, and Sam Steel and Roope Hintz each scored short-handed to help the Stars pull away and win for the fifth time in six games.

  Hintz added two assists and both Marchment and Joe Pavelski had a goal and an assist to support 30 saves from Scott Wedgewood. 

  Pavelski started the third-period barrage by registering his eighth of the season just 1:01 into the period, tying the game at 2-2. Six minutes later, Marchment poked the puck past Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin on a play that was originally ruled a no-goal before being overturned by a coaches' challenge.

  Tyler Seguin later extended Dallas' lead to 4-2 before Steel and Hintz both scored just 1:30 apart with the Rangers having pulled Shesterkin for an extra skater while on a power play.

  New York, which came in having won four straight and on a 10-0-1 run, opened the scoring on Vincent Trocheck's power-play goal in the first period. Kaapo Kakko increased the margin in the second before Jamie Benn's goal brought Dallas within 2-1 with 5:37 left in the period.

  Shesterkin stopped 30 of 34 shots in the loss. 

   

  Predators shock Avalanche with two goals in final minute

  Filip Forsberg and Yakov Trenin each scored in the final minute of regulation to give the Nashville Predators an improbable 4-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche.

  The Avalanche were well on the way towards a fourth straight victory when carrying a 3-2 lead into the late stages of the third period. However, Forsberg scored his second goal of the night with 37.7 seconds remaining, and Trenin knocked a rebound past Colorado goaltender Alexandar Georgiev with 21.6 seconds left to complete the comeback.

  Jeremy Lauzon added a goal and Gustav Nyquist recorded two assists to help Nashville to a second straight win following a four-game losing streak. Juuse Saros finished with 25 saves.

  Lauzon scored less than four minutes into the second period to give the Predators a 2-1 lead, but Colorado's Devon Toews tied it later in the frame before the Avalanche went ahead on Valeri Nichushkin's power-play goal with 6:27 left in the second.

  Colorado's Andrew Cogliano opened the scoring with a short-handed goal in the first period.

  Cale Makar ended with three assists for the Avalanche, who also got two assists from Nathan MacKinnon and 26 saves from Georgiev.

   

• JCF clears air about falling-out with national representative Palmer and coach Farrier

  Jamaica Cycling Federation (JCF) has moved to clear the air regarding matters involving national cyclist Dahlia Palmer and the absence of her coach Robert Farrier from the Pan American Games, where she won bronze in the women's keirin final in Chile recently.

  The JCF in a widely circulated release started by addressing the issue of Palmer finding US$4,742.50 ($738,000) to fund her way to the Pan American Track Cycling Championships (PATCC). The federation pointed out that it is not unusual for any national cyclist to partly or completely self-fund their trips to various competitions as the federation is not able to fully fund all cyclists to all the needed competitions overseas.

  It added that Palmer is one of twenty National Cyclists selected for national duties in 2023 across both cycling disciplines (track and road) and based on the recommendation of the JCF, she has been the recipient of the Solidarity Scholarship funded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and managed through the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA).

  "Dahlia has been a beneficiary of this scholarship for two consecutive Olympic cycles and the sole cyclist to benefit from this funding valued at USD15,000 annually. The federation has funded Dahlia Palmer to UCI Nations Cup appearances since late 2018 through to March 2022, totaling to amounts more than USD $37,345, not including the Solidarity funds," the JCF release said.

  "It is important to note that in August 2023 the federation obtained sponsorship from the cycling community and was able send a Junior cyclist to the World Junior Track Cycling Championships. This was done to fulfill the mandatory requirement of the world cycling governing body UCI, in which Jamaica’s participation in this event will enable our elite track cyclist to participate in the World Track Cycling Championships in 2024 in the event they qualify, this includes Ms. Palmer," it stated.

  Where Palmer’s personal coach, Farrier is concerned, the JCF explained that he is not a member of the federation and its appointed coaches. Farrier has also been said to have openly discredited, belittled, and denigrated the JCF board, local coaches and track athletes, which the JCF said resulted in his suspension and, by extension, his absence from the PanAm Games.

  "Ahead of the team’s departure for the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, a team meeting was convened. The national coach, members of the JCF board, athletes and their personal managers/coaches were in attendance. Mr. Farrier stated that if he was not selected to attend the games as coach, then Ms. Dahlia Palmer would not attend the games. He further
  threatened to embarrass the JCF and the JOA before abruptly leaving the meeting, when told that the national coach selected to manage the team is the sole official from the federation based on the games accreditation calculator as stated by the JOA.

  "Mr. Farrier was then advised that based on his behavior the JCF would not consider him for national accreditation to accompany selected cyclist to represent Jamaica internationally for a minimum of 12-months and asked that he provide a written apology to both the JOA and the JCF. A suspension of this nature is in keeping with code of conduct guidelines set out by the global cycling body UCI. Subsequently the JOA requested a meeting with the JCF and Dahlia Palmer to discuss her withdrawal from the CAC games. Ms. Palmer refused to attend the meeting without her coach, Mr. Farrier," the JCF explained.

  According to the JCF, on September 20, 2023, an attorney representing Palmer and Farrier contested the issue of his suspension and refusal of accreditation to the PanAm Games.

  Following her medal winning exploit, Palmer expressed some semblance of fulfilment due to the fact that Farrier had to give her instructions while watching the Games on television in Trinidad and Tobago, where they are based.

  However, the JCF explained that his absence could have been avoided.

  "Information regarding the threat of a lawsuit Palmer/Farrier vs JCF was posted by SportsMax.TV on September 22, and a TVJ feature on September 27, which included an interview with Palmer/Farrier’s attorney. There were exchanges between both attorneys on the matter. The JCF agreed to accredit Mr. Farrier on condition that he provides a written apology to the JCF and the JOA for his behavior, and that this should be shared in the same medium in which the matter was made public by Palmer/Farrier themselves or their respective agents.

  "Mr. Farrier refused to issue a public apology and, as such was not accredited to accompany Ms. Palmer for the PanAm Games. The national coach, Carlton Simmonds, was accredited to attend the PanAm Games to support Ms. Palmer. Ms. Palmer, however, refused any assistance or contact with the assigned coach and opted to be coached remotely by her personal coach, Robert Farrier," the JCF shared, adding that it remains committed to supporting all national cyclists, and also congratulated Palmer on her achievement.