The Anaheim Ducks have a new man behind the bench, hiring veteran assistant Greg Cronin as head coach on Monday.
The 60-year-old Cronin will serve as an NHL head coach for the first time and comes to the Ducks with 36 years of prior experience as a coach and in player development.
He will be the 11th coach in franchise history.
"While we did cast a wide net in searching for the next head coach, it became clear to me that Greg would be the ideal fit for the position," Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said.
Cronin has 12 years of experience in the NHL as an assistant, working with the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Islanders, and spent the past five seasons as head coach of the Colorado Eagles of the AHL.
He joins an Anaheim team that is in the midst of one of the worst stretches in franchise history, having finished sixth or worst in the division each of the last five years, and had the NHL's worst record this season at 23-47-12.
The Ducks were abysmal on defense, allowing a franchise-worst 335 goals - the most by any NHL team since the 1995-96 San Jose Sharks permitted 357.
Having missed the playoffs each of the last five seasons - the longest such stretch in franchise history - Verbeek believes Cronin has the coaching qualities necessary for a rebuilding team.
"Being a young team, I felt we needed a teacher of the finer points of the game, and someone who has worked extensively over time with talented young players, helping them develop into successful NHL players," he said. "Greg has done all that and more, and we are excited to name him head coach of the Anaheim Ducks."
Cronin replaces Dallas Eakins, who served as head coach the last four years, and inherits a team that will have the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft.
"I'm excited and honoured to be named head coach of the Anaheim Ducks," Cronin said. "This team has a fantastic future ahead, and I'm very grateful to the Samueli family and Pat Verbeek for entrusting me with this amazing opportunity."
Auguste Rodin could drop back in trip after attempting to complete a Derby double at the Curragh, according to Michael Tabor.
Owned in partnership with John and Susan Magnier, Derrick Smith and Georg von Opel’s Westerberg racing operation, Tabor’s famous royal blue and orange disk silks were carried to victory at Epsom thanks to an imperious Ryan Moore ride.
The half-length margin of success over King Of Steel did not do justice to the superiority he had over his 13 rivals in giving trainer Aidan O’Brien a ninth Derby success, just weeks after the colt was beaten 22 lengths in the 2000 Guineas.
Tabor is now confident the son of Deep Impact will head for the Irish Derby.
He said: “It was really good. It was what we obviously hoped for. We thought he could do it and he did. We are all delighted, naturally. It was one of the great days.
“I would say he’ll go to the Irish Derby. I haven’t discussed it, but it’s common sense to say he definitely goes to the Irish Derby. Then we’ll bring him back in trip – a mile and a quarter – for some of those races.”
Tabor has always hankered for a Triple Crown. The last colt to win the Guineas, Derby and St Leger was Nijinsky in 1970 and connections had hoped Auguste Rodin could replicate the feat.
However, although the middle leg has been won, Tabor feels that stepping up to a mile and three-quarters for the final Classic at Doncaster in September will now be ruled out.
“He won’t go to the St Leger,” he added. “In my mind, that Triple Crown dream is over. A St Leger horse is not what we are looking for, once he can’t do a Triple Crown.”
The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp in October could be a future consideration, along with the Breeders’ Cup meeting at Santa Anita in November.
Tabor added: “It is a long way before the end of the year. We’ll see how he is. It could be the Arc, but the ground could be against him, although he won on soft as a two-year-old.
“We’ve even got the Breeders’ Cup as an option on the turf. We’ll see how he goes and have those discussions, I’m sure.”
Coco Gauff reached the French Open quarter-finals for the third successive year with a straight-sets victory over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
The 19-year-old American failed to serve out the opening set at the first time of asking but was otherwise convincing in a 7-5 6-2 victory on Suzanne Lenglen.
Gauff could face a rematch of last year’s final against world number one Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals.
Seventh seed Ons Jabeur eased into the last eight with a 6-3 6-1 victory over American Bernarda Pera.
The Tunisian, who reached the final at both Wimbledon and the US Open last year, has struggled with injury in 2023 but is through to the quarter-finals here for the first time.
“It was the only grand slam missing,” said Jabeur. “I’m very happy with the performance, with the way I was, playing, especially coming back after an injury.
“I was just taking it one match at a time, trying to make it to the second week. Now I’m going to push more for the next few matches.”
In the last eight she will meet Beatriz Haddad Maia, who needed a mammoth three hours and 51 minutes to get past Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-7 (3) 6-3 7-5.
It was the longest women’s match of the year and the longest at Roland Garros since 1995, with Haddad Maia becoming the first Brazilian to reach the women’s singles quarter-finals since Maria Bueno 55 years ago.
“All the matches that I play I prepare myself for the toughest moments,” said the 14th seed. “So I know that Sara will bring the balls. She defends very well. I knew that the ball was coming again.
“I had to be aggressive. So I was prepared for that. I was trying to be as aggressive as I could to finish the point, to go to the net. I work very hard on my body, as well, so I believe in myself when we have tough moments.”
Tahiyra is reported to be “all set” for a Royal Ascot rematch with her 1000 Guineas conqueror Mawj.
Just half a length separated the pair at Newmarket last month, with the Dermot Weld-trained Tahiyra subsequently landing the Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh at the end of May.
Both Tahiyra and the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Mawj are reported to be on course for the Coronation Stakes at Ascot on June 23, although conditions could be very different from the soft ground they encountered at Newmarket.
With Tahiyra yet to run on ground quicker than good, Weld will be keeping a careful eye on the Ascot going.
He said: “She came out of the Guineas well. It was a little bit quick to run her back after the English Guineas, but she’s taken it well and at the moment we’re all set for the Coronation.
“We’ll play it by ear with the weather. We’d hope that they’d water it well, it’s very dry, quick ground but it was lovely ground at the Curragh.
“She’s got a wonderful turn of pace. She’s in good order and the current plan is that we’re all set for the Coronation.”
Tahiyra is a general 6-4 favourite to reverse the Guineas form at Ascot, with Mawj widely available at odds of 2-1.
Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from June 5.
FootballFootball said goodbye to Zlatan.
Toby Alderweireld celebrated winning the league with his boyhood club.
Man City were still celebrating their FA Cup win.
Though their contract teaser wrong-footed fans hoping for an Ilkay Gundogan extension.
West Ham were seeing the sights.
CricketJordan Thompson was an inspiration.
GolfIs there a new star in golf?
Ian Poulter put the work in.
Viktor Hovland put in some overtime the day after his Memorial Tournament victory.
TennisRussian Daria Kasatkina addressed being booed at the end of her defeat to Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina.
Ons Jabeur progressed.
American FootballPatrick Mahomes said goodbye to an important member of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Motor RacingJenson Button enjoyed a bit of testing.
The Montreal Canadiens are showing plenty of faith in one of their youngest players, signing the 22-year-old Cole Caufield to an eight-year, $62.8million extension.
The deal, which was announced Monday, will pay the left wing an average salary of $7.85million a year through the 2030-31 season.
After leading the Canadiens with 23 goals in 2021-22, Caufield was tied with captain Nick Suzuki for the team lead in goals in 2022-23 with 26 despite missing nearly half the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.
At the time of his injury through 46 games played, Caufield's goal total was tied for 11th in the NHL.
The 15th overall pick of the 2019 draft, Caufield also notched 10 assists before his season-ending surgery and has 53 goals and 84 points in 123 career games.
Among all players selected in the 2019 draft, his goal total trails only the 87 by New Jersey Devils centre Jack Hughes, who was picked first overall.
Prior to joining the Canadiens, Caufield won the Hobey Baker Award in 2020-21 – the trophy given annually to the top NCAA men’s hockey player – while playing for the University of Wisconsin.
Dermot Weld appears to have a smart prospect on his hands after the well-bred Knight To King made an eyecatching winning debut at Gowran.
By Kingman out of Nightime, a Galileo mare who won the Irish 1,000 Guineas for Weld, the newcomer could not have been any more impressive in the Kings Of Ossory (C&G) Maiden.
Sent into an early advantage by Chris Hayes, once into the final two furlongs, he just pulled further and further clear.
The 10-11 favourite ended up coming home seven and a half lengths clear of the Ger Lyons-trained My King, also owned by Newtown Anner Stud Farm Ltd.
“He’s a really nice colt, he had been working exceptionally well. All the family take a little bit of time and we’re in no hurry with him,” said Weld.
“He’s come forward in the last few weeks. He’s a very good actioned horse, so I didn’t bother with him in the spring on heavy ground. Please God, we’ve lots to look forward to.
“It’s a great family for us and he’s always shown us talent. He was very immature, mentally and physically but he’s coming forward nicely.
“I’ll have a chat with Maurice Regan and we’ll decide where we go with him. I won’t make any decision until I see how he comes home and comes out of the race.
“Obviously we’ll go into stakes level with him now, there are many ideas in my mind.
“He’s very straightforward and I said if there was no pace to make the running on him. The one thing we didn’t want was a messy race with no pace.
“He was out there in front, he has a lot to learn. I think he jumped the road and Chris said he looked at everything. He’ll learn a lot today and he’s a really good colt in the making.
“He quickened up the Old Vic (gallop) the other day like a horse that would be very effective, even, over six furlongs.”
Four-time Group One winner Ghaiyyath and Man o’ War Stakes winner Zhukova feature among his half-siblings and Weld feels Knight To King compares favourably.
He said: “I think he’s pretty similar to them. They all progress and get better with age, they are all very good. Hopefully he’ll follow in their footsteps.
“He showed so much pace the other morning that I was surprised, in some ways, but he’s bred to get a mile-and-a-half.
“The reason that I came here today with this colt is because it’s beautiful ground here in Gowran.”
While Knight To King is a son of Kingman, Ghaiyyath is by Dubawi and Weld revealed he has a two-year-old full-brother to the latter horse in training.
He added: “We have a very nice full-brother to Ghaiyyath called Duraji that we like a lot.”
A man has appeared in court charged with causing public nuisance after running on to the track at the Betfred Derby.
Ben Newman, 32, appeared at Guildford Magistrates’ Court, where he pleaded not guilty to causing public nuisance, on Monday.
It comes after he was filmed jumping the fence and sprinting on to the course at Epsom as the race – which was won by the Aidan O’Brien-trained Auguste Rodin – began on Saturday.
He was chased by police as the crowd jeered before officers tackled him and pulled him away.
The protest happened after the Jockey Club, which owns Epsom, was granted an injunction banning the Animal Rising group from intervening in the event.
Newman, from Homerton High Street, Hackney, east London, was one of 31 people arrested on Saturday, including 12 on the racecourse grounds.
Newman was remanded into custody until July 6, when he is due to appear at Guildford Crown Court.
In a separate hearing, 19 protesters accused of trying to stop the Scottish Grand National are to stand trial in September.
It is alleged they entered the track at Ayr when a race meeting was in progress equipped with glue, piping and other implements designed to enable people to secure themselves to jumps, fences or railings on April 22 this year.
They were among 24 people from the group charged by police after disruption on the day of the race.
The 19 who appeared at court on Monday were charged with committing a breach of the peace by conducting themselves in a disorderly manner and forming part of a disorderly crowd to overcome security and enter the race track.
They also face a second charge of trespassing at Ayr racecourse and it is alleged they did “overcome security, enter the race track and attempt to prevent a horse race from taking place”.
Miranda Courtney, 38, from Leeds; Rose Paterson, 33, from London; Katrielle Chan, 21, from Glasgow; Joseph Moss, 20, from Sale; Tatum Paul, 20 from Manchester; Alexander Dunnet, 23, from London; Thomas Foy, 24, from Ripley; Osian Dixon, 25, from Machynlleth in Wales and Sarah Foy, 23, from Alfreton, appeared at Ayr Sheriff Court on Monday and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Nathan McGovern, 24, from London; Benjamin Stevenson, 23, from London; Zuki Paul, 23, from Reading; Imogen Robertson, 22, from Stirling; Alex Hamill, 55, from Bath; Robert Houston, 44, from London; Joshua Parkinson, 27, from Leeds; Joshua Lane, 26, from Alfreton; Calum Marshall, 25, from Edinburgh, and Claire Smith, 25, from Leeds, also appeared and denied all charges against them.
Warrants were issued for four people who did not attend and another court date will be set for one who has Covid and could not appear.
Sheriff Shirley Foran granted bail to the 19 people who appeared at court on condition that they stay away from horse and dog racing venues north of the border.
She told them: “The special bail condition is that you will not enter or attempt to enter any horse or dog racing venue in Scotland.”
There will be further court hearings in August and their trials will start on various dates in early September.
The Scottish Grand National was not delayed on April 22 and started at 3.38pm, with Kitty’s Light taking the prize.
London Irish are expected to be suspended from the Gallagher Premiership on Tuesday when the deadline to prove they have the finances needed to operate next season expires.
Irish have until 4pm to either complete a proposed takeover by an American consortium or for owner Mick Crossan to commit to the club for the entirety of the 2023-24 campaign.
As of Monday, the buyout was no closer to being finalised with key documentation including proof of funds yet to be supplied to the Rugby Football Union, while Crossan is intent on severing ties.
Only 50 per cent of the staff payroll for May was paid and the outstanding wages must also be settled if Irish are to take their place in next season’s Premiership.
It was Crossan’s failure to pay the salaries in full last week that persuaded the RFU to extend the deadline by six days in the hope that staff and players would get the money owed to them.
Irish’s outlook deteriorated further on Friday when they were issued with a winding-up petition by HM Revenue and Customs over an unpaid tax bill.
Petitions have been filed against London Irish Holdings Limited and London Irish Rugby Football Ground Limited.
The demise of the Exiles, who finished the Premiership in fifth place, would conclude the darkest season in the history of the English club game after Wasps and Worcester folded because of their own financial difficulties.
Wasps have been demoted to the foot of the rugby pyramid after their new owners failed to secure the funding needed to relaunch in the Championship, while Worcester have gone quiet on their plan of rebuilding from the fifth tier.
Irish have debts in the region of £30million and do not own their own stadium, instead playing at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium after a 20-year spell at Reading’s Madejski Stadium.
Bill Sweeney and Simon Massie-Taylor, chief executives of the RFU and Premiership Rugby respectively, were accused by MPs of presiding over a “failure on an epic scale” following the collapse of Wasps and Worcester, but Irish have been given every opportunity to secure their future.
The governing bodies have been forced to weigh the desire to see the Exiles survive with the need to put plans in place for next season, with the reduction of clubs from 13 to 10 requiring a different league structure.
If a third club is lost, the bleak financial climate of the Premiership in the post-Covid era will be highlighted once again with teams able to operate through the funding of benefactors.
Andy Murray believes he remains among the elite grass-court players after he began his Wimbledon preparations with a comfortable victory over Chung Hyeon in the first round of the Surbiton Trophy.
Less than seven miles separate the Surbiton Racket and Fitness club and the courts of SW19 and Murray’s journey started with a 6-3 6-2 win as he attempts to be seeded in the men’s single draw next month.
The two-time Wimbledon champion skipped the French Open to focus on his grass season and this was his first match in preparation for the All England Club, where the championships get under way on July 3.
The 36-year-old is ranked 43rd and needs to climb around 10 places to be seeded for Wimbledon where Murray believes he will remain a difficult opponent for anyone.
Asked if he is in the top 10 players in the world on his favourite grass surface, Murray replied: “Yes, I think so.
“It is hard to put numbers on it like that but yes, I would fancy myself against a lot of them.
“Last year I won against (Nick) Kyrgios who made the final of Wimbledon, I won against (Stefanos) Tsitsipas – it is probably not his favourite surface but he is one of the best players in the world.
“I was a set all with (Matteo) Berrettini – who is quite clearly in the top few grass-court players – in the final of Stuttgart before I hurt my abs.
“I’m playing better this year than I was last year but it is kind of irrelevant if you say that you have to perform and win the matches on the court and it is up to me to show that in the next four or five weeks.”
That five-week push to Wimbledon began against Chung, with Murray hitting his stride early on to ease past the South Korean, whose own injury issues have limited his progress in recent years.
There were also signs of the vintage Murray – arguing more than one line call with the umpire and chuntering away to himself when missing shots he felt should have landed.
A brief collective holding of breath from the small crowd followed Murray taking a tumble over an advertising board at the start of the second set but he dusted himself off to finish the job at hand before insisting he cannot start thinking about what is required to be seeded at Wimbledon and instead needs to remain focused on his game.
“I still want to win, I want to compete and see how hard I can push my body,” added Murray, who made the semi-finals in Surbiton last year.
“The operations I had, I was told I might be able to play again so I just want to see how far I can go.
“I’ve got up to 41 in the world and I believe I can go higher than that. Obviously I did well here (Surbiton) and in Stuttgart last year and I think I need about 300 points (to be seeded) so I will have to do well the next few weeks if I want to do that.
“If I have a good tournament at Queen’s, if you make the final or win the tournament there then I would be seeded, but I need to just concentrate on the performances.
“If you starting just thinking about points it is not necessarily the best way to look at things. I will just try and win as many matches as possible and see if I can get in there.”
Dante winner The Foxes will drop back in trip for his next outing, with the Coral-Eclipse potentially on the cards, after connections felt he did not see out the distance in Saturday’s Betfred Derby.
The Andrew Balding-trained colt was a good winner of the Royal Lodge in September and was touched off by Indestructible in the Craven at Newmarket on his first run as a three-year-old.
Owned by King Power Racing, the son of Churchill improved on that display at York, taking the extended 10-furlong Dante in his stride, beating subsequent Derby third White Birch by a neck.
However, things did not go to plan at Epsom, with Oisin Murphy’s mount stumbling at the start before recovering to become a threat in the straight.
Having gone briefly third over a furlong out, he tired and finished fifth, just over eight lengths behind Auguste Rodin.
King Power’s racing manager Alastair Donald said: “It was 100 per cent the case that he didn’t stay the trip. He got a little further back than ideal, but I don’t think it made a massive difference.
“He came with a good run to look like he was going to finish a nice third, and then didn’t get home in the last furlong and a half. Looking at the sectionals, it clearly shows that.
“We hoped he might stay a bit further, but he is the same as his half-brother Bangkok – it looks like he will end up being very much a 10-furlong horse.”
Connections are considering options for The Foxes, who was sent off the 7-1 fourth favourite in the 14-strong field.
“We are just weighing things up at the moment. The Eclipse is in the thinking for his next race, but we will certainly look at international options as well,” added Donald.
“But I definitely think he will be campaigned at 10 furlongs and we wouldn’t be afraid to drop him back to a mile.
“In the Craven, he travelled the strongest of any horse over a mile, so we wouldn’t be afraid to drop him back.
“We think we still have a very good horse and I think it will prove to be a pretty strong Derby.
“Sometimes you have a good first three and the rest don’t tend to do much in future, but I think quite a lot of good horses will come out of that race over various different distances.”
Andy Murray’s bid to be seeded for the men’s singles draw at Wimbledon began with a convincing victory over Chung Hyeon in the first round of the low-key Surbiton Trophy.
Less than seven miles separate the Surbiton Racket and Fitness Club and the courts of SW19 but Murray’s journey has started with a 6-3 6-2 victory in the sunshine.
The two-time Wimbledon champion skipped the French Open to focus on his grass season and this was his first match in preparation for next month.
Murray, 36, is currently ranked 43rd and needs to climb around 10 places to be seeded for Wimbledon, looking to build on his clay-court victory at Aix-en-Provence Challenger earlier this year – his first title since 2019.
The Surbiton Trophy is another Challenger event and gave Murray a chance to get into his stride against his South Korean opponent.
Chung reached the Australian Open semi-finals in 2018, beating Novak Djokovic en route, but has struggled with his own fitness issues in recent years.
A fine ace in the third game was the first glimpse of Murray ratcheting up through the gears and his first break followed a game later.
The gulf between the pair began to show as the opening set progressed, Murray taking it 6-3 with his fifth ace.
There were also signs of the vintage Murray – arguing more than one line call with the umpire and chuntering away to himself when missing shots he felt should have landed.
A brief collective holding of breath from the small crowd followed Murray taking a tumble over an advertising board at the start of the second set but he dusted himself off to take the game on his fourth break point courtesy of a double-fault from Chung.
Largely untroubled on his own serve, Murray – a semi-finalist in Surbiton 12 months ago – broke for a second time in the seventh game and wrapped up a comfortable win.
Three-time Olympian Hannah Miley wants to banish dangerous euphemisms for periods that could leave young athletes feeling “dirty” or ashamed.
A study by period and pregnancy tracker app Clue and the International Women’s Health Coalition uncovered over 5,000 alternative terms for the monthly cycle across 10 different languages – yet conversations around the topic still remain taboo.
Miley finds when those rare discussions do happen, they are filled with unhelpful metaphors that recall adverts featuring blue liquid poured on pads and overjoyed women wearing all-white outfits.
“It all comes back to that simple word of just saying ‘period’,” said the swimmer, who competed at Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016.
“A lot of people struggle to say it. It’s ‘shark week’, ‘leak week’ so many different words. The fact that we couldn’t even say ‘period products’, it was hygiene, sanitary products – that in and of itself creates that invisible barrier of being able to talk about it.
“If you can’t say the word, then how can you actually talk about the topic?
“It’s just a very deep-rooted societal view that they’re dirty, they’re inconvenient, you’re emotional, you’re not in control of your body and you’re weak.
“In sport there’s a great advocacy in the sense that we can prove female athletes can be strong, we can prove that female athletes can be in control of their emotions, but it’s making sure that these athletes remain healthy.”
Some of the euphemisms on the Museum of Menstruation and Women’s Health’s exhaustive list include “the communists have invaded the summer house” and “get the crime scene tape”.
There’s also the classic, “mother nature’s gift”, which as Miley distinctly recalls featured in a 2009 print advert campaign for Tampax starring Serena Williams.
The series sets up Mother Nature – portrayed as a sort of stern schoolmarm-slash-Stepford Wife – against the 23-time Grand Slam winner.
In one, Williams smashes a ball through Mother Nature’s (literal) gift box, while another reads “Mother Nature has met her match”.
It’s the sort of outdated antagonistic attitude Miley is hoping to change through her work with UK Coaching’s Duty to Care campaign, which is providing support and resources for participants who want to better understand the way menstrual cycles affect athletes – and not just negatively.
The double Commonwealth Games champion said: “A regular cycle is an indicator of health. It’s like a report card. Also being on your period, there is a benefit in cognitive function, being able to learn new skills.
“It’s all about that management strategy. Pain tolerance has increased, so whilst your oestrogen and progesterone levels are lower, your testosterone is higher, so the ability for strength and power is actually really good.”
A May 2023 Project RED-S survey of 159 elite, junior and senior athletes in Britain revealed significantly more respondents received menstrual health education and support from social media (57 per cent) than coaches (6.9 per cent).
Miley is adamant that needs to change and hopes more information and research will not just eliminate awkwardness between coaches and athletes, but actually inspire tailored training and open dialogue beyond elite level.
She added: “It all comes back to being able to read and understand your body. It’s not something you’re taught in school.
“It’s the basics of you’re on your period, you’re not pregnant. You’re not on your period, you’re pregnant.”
“But there’s so much more to it, the ability to track, understanding the peak and flow, working with your body to prime important training types, being able to map and plan it.”
“That’s why it’s so important for coaches to be on board with this, so they can help their athletes reach their full potential, so that the person who is menstruating to get the most out of their sport, but not come away from it broken and damaged, so they can have as long a career as they want to.”
Max Verstappen said he would welcome the challenge of an “amazing” championship rematch with Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen raced to a crushing victory at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday following yet another one-sided display in his dominant Red Bull machine.
Hamilton finished runner-up to Verstappen with George Russell third in the other Mercedes.
Verstappen has won five of the opening seven rounds to establish a commanding 53-point title lead over team-mate Sergio Perez.
But Mercedes’ upturn in form at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya has provided Hamilton with renewed hope that his dream of a record eighth world title is not over.
Hamilton, who has not won a race since his contentious championship defeat to Verstappen at the 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi, said in Barcelona that he would continue in Formula One for as long as possible in order to fight Verstappen for the title again.
Verstappen is on course to race to a hat-trick of titles this season, but when asked how excited he would be about the prospect of going toe-to-toe with Hamilton next year, Verstappen replied: “It would be great for the sport.
“If there are more teams fighting upfront, and that is what they want to achieve, then honestly that would be amazing.
“Hopefully throughout the year it will get closer, and maybe next year there will be more teams up there.”
Hamilton has only six months to run on his Mercedes contract and the British driver, 38, met with team principal Toto Wolff on Monday in the hope of rubber-stamping a new deal.
The meeting is understood to be one of a series of discussions between Hamilton and Wolff, and not thought to be a definitive moment in negotiations.
It is anticipated that Hamilton’s extension will be a multi-year deal, extending Hamilton’s stay in F1 beyond his 40th birthday.
“I am focused on making sure we have the car next year to challenge Red Bull from day one,” said Hamilton, who is already 83 points behind Verstappen in the standings.
“I am working as hard as I can with this team and I see so much strength with the team. They are still so hungry.
“These guys will take two seconds to enjoy themselves on Sunday and then they will be back in the books trying to figure out how we can win the next race and that is what I love about them.”
Alfie Hewett is enjoying being the man to be shot at in wheelchair tennis as he prepares to bid for a fourth French Open title.
The retirement at the beginning of the year of Hewett’s big rival Shingo Kunieda after one of the great tennis careers left the Norfolk player as world number one.
Hewett first won the French Open as a teenager and has been used to being the relative new kid on the block but now he finds a host of younger players challenging him.
View this post on InstagramTop of that pile is Kunieda’s Japanese compatriot, 17-year-old Tokito Oda, who was beaten by Hewett in the Australian Open final in January.
Hewett told the PA news agency: “It is strange. I’m 25 so I don’t see myself as being the experienced one when you have the likes of Gordy (doubles partner Gordon Reid) and some of the others who are five to 10 years older than me.
“But I guess this is my eighth year on tour so I do have experience. I’ve been fortunate enough to play in some big moments and I thought the Australian Open final demonstrated that, managing the occasion probably in a better way than Tokito did, but he’s such an unbelievable talent.
“To be playing at his level at (his age), it’s just ridiculous – it just shows the talent and the potential that he has. And he’s bringing a new style to the sport as well. Other players are having to learn, having to get better.
“I see a lot of myself in him in terms of his attitude and his fearlessness. It’s great to have someone fresh on the scene. I’m sure he’s going to be winning a lot in the future but I’ll try and stop him.
“That’s a big reason why my level this year has been so high because he beat me in the Masters last year and I didn’t like it. I went home and I trained hard and I worked hard and it’s made my game a lot better.”
Hewett’s Australian Open triumph was part of a 16-match winning singles run between January and March that brought his four successive titles.
“I didn’t expect it,” he said. “It’s just a sign of good work behind the scenes. It was new territory for me really. I struggled towards the end of it.
“It makes me appreciate the likes of Novak (Djokovic) and (Daniil) Medvedev when they go on ridiculous runs of not losing for however many matches and back-to-back events – it’s not easy to do.
“You feel the pressure that people are expecting you to win. The level I was playing at in Australia and Rotterdam was probably the best I’ve ever played but then I went to the States and it dropped, and I was like, ‘Hang on a minute, I’m not used to this, why’s my level not where it was’.
“But that’s just normal, you go through these periods. I enjoyed it while it lasted. I got beaten in the end but it hasn’t dampened my spirit with where I’m at. To win eight titles out of 11 is not bad.”
Since the end of that run, Hewett has led Great Britain to the World Team Cup title before a narrow loss to Spain’s Martin De la Puente, another younger player, in the semi-finals of the Barcelona Open.
In Paris, he will be favourite to add to the singles titles he won in 2017, 2020 and 2021, while he and Reid will bid for a 17th grand slam doubles title.
After that, Hewett’s focus will turn to Wimbledon, where he made his first singles final last year only to lose a dramatic encounter to Kunieda.
“Of course it’s one I want to win, there’s no secret,” he said. “I can’t sit here and lie. But the goal for now is the French and trying to get as strong and fit and healthy as I can.”
Ascot officials will liaise with authorities in the coming days over security plans for the Royal meeting following the attempted disruption to Saturday’s Betfred Derby at Epsom.
Police arrested 31 people on Saturday, including 12 on the racecourse grounds, after Animal Rising announced their intention to “cancel or severely delay” the Derby in the lead up to the race, which went ahead as planned.
Surrey Police confirmed on Sunday that Ben Newman, 32, from Hackney, east London, had been charged with causing public nuisance after running onto the track during the Derby itself.
The protest occurred after the Jockey Club, which owns Epsom, was granted an injunction prohibiting the group from intervening in the event, claiming the organisation had made “explicitly clear” that it intended to breach security.
Ascot are looking closely at all security options ahead of the five-day meeting which starts on Tuesday, June 20.
The Berkshire track’s director of racing and public affairs, Nick Smith, said: “Epsom did a fantastic job and kept the protesters under control.
“Anyone who saw the efforts of all involved could not fail to be impressed. Swift and decisive action was taken.
“We will be holding internal discussions and will be liaising with the Jockey Club and the police to develop and deliver our plan over the next few days.
“Watch this space is all I can say at the moment.”
Oliver Sherwood will hand in his training licence in the coming weeks to take up a position as assistant to Harry Derham.
A former champion amateur rider, Sherwood began training in 1984 with the 2015 Grand National winner Many Clouds providing one of the highlights of his near 40-year career.
During his 27 races, Many Clouds also won the Hennessy at Newbury in 2014 and two Cotswold Chases at Cheltenham.
Oliver Sherwood and Many Clouds (Andrew Matthews/PA)Sherwood trained plenty of other high-profile competitors too, not least dual Grade One-winning hurdler Large Action and 1990 Hennessy hero Arctic Call.
Other familiar names to have passed through his yard include the likes of Cruising Altitude, Coulton, Young Snugfit, Silver Wedge, Cenkos, Rebel Song and The West Awake, while Listed bumper winner Queens Gamble proved his flagship horse last term.
Sherwood has endured a testing couple of years, having been given the all-clear from cancer last spring following multiple rounds of chemotherapy.
His health troubles, combined with dwindling numbers in his yard and the recent death of close friend Richard Aston, has prompted Sherwood to reassess his priorities, with the trainer and his wife Tarnya content to draw stumps at this point.
Sherwood said: “There’s no way I can get out of the game, it’s in my DNA, I’ve got to be involved with horses.
“It’s something which has been bothering me for the last four or five months, knowing I didn’t have the horses, so you’ve just got to be realistic.
“Obviously with my illness and with Richard Aston passing, that rather frightened me – not my illness because I never thought I was going to go – but Richard’s did and you’ve got to be realistic.
“When you are involved in racing it is 365 days a year, 24 hours a day and there’s more to life than training racehorses. Our son lives out in New Zealand and there are one or two things we want to do before it is too late, if you know what I mean.
“Racing is not a job. We are very lucky to earn a living out of a hobby, working with horses there couldn’t be a better job in the world but it does take its strain. Things go wrong nine times out of 10 but we are very lucky to work with them, that’s a certainty.”
Sherwood will relinquish his licence next month and hopes to take many of his current inmates with him to Derham, who enjoyed a fine start last term in his first season with a licence.
He explained: “I’m planning on carrying on until July. The majority of the horses, I don’t have many in the summer anyway, when they come in off grass will hopefully go to Harry. I’ve spoken to all of the owners and they have all been very positive, Queens Gamble is certainly going to go.”
Sherwood reflected on a career that has seen not only equine stars in his yard, but also plenty of future star trainers.
He said: “I was very lucky to have a great apprenticeship with Arthur Moore in Ireland and then I took over from Nicky (Henderson) as Fred Winter’s assistant before starting on my own.
“I’ve had some incredible success which showed I learned a fair bit from those two and I’ve been lucky enough to have some really nice horses and some great people working with me.
“I had the likes of Donald McCain, Ben Case and even Tony Martin was my assistant for a bit. John Durkan, god bless him, was too and he found Istabraq for JP McManus – I’ve had some fun times. I didn’t have many jockeys either so I must have put up with them. I’ve had a lovely time.
“I’m still going to be around horses but they’ll be running under the name of H Derham.”
While Many Clouds and Large Action were Sherwood’s highest achievers on the track, the handler felt Coulton – a winner at Cheltenham and Aintree in 1995 – was probably the most talented horse he trained.
He added: “Many Clouds would certainly be the gutsiest horse I’ve ever trained but Large Action was placed in two Champion Hurdles, he just didn’t jump fences well. Probably the best I ever trained, with due respect to all the others, was Coulton who won a Cathcart at Cheltenham and a Red Rum up at Aintree but he wasn’t a natural jumper – he had the most natural ability.
“I was very lucky to have some good horses, trainers are only as good as their horses and that is another reason of why I’m having to stop. Barring Queens Gamble and one or two others, we’ve had an average bunch of horses and that happens.”
Karl Burke’s Craven winner Indestructible will aim to leave a disappointing showing in the 2000 Guineas behind him when he heads to Royal Ascot for the St James’s Palace Stakes.
The Kodiac colt was an ultra-consistent performer when trained by Michael O’Callaghan as a juvenile, chasing home Chaldean in both the Acomb and the Champagne Stakes last term, and threw his hat in the ring for the opening Classic of the summer when striking first time out for Burke in the Craven.
However, testing ground at Newmarket on 2000 Guineas day blunted any chance he had of figuring as old rival Chaldean took home the spoils and Indestructible’s connections are now hoping for a sounder surface when they lock horns for a fourth time at the Royal meeting.
“He’s come out of the Guineas very well,” said Tom Pennington, racing and operations manager for owners Amo Racing.
“The ground probably didn’t play to his strengths at Newmarket. We’ve always said he is not a soft ground horse and it was decent ground when he won the Craven.
“He’s in decent form and is working well, Karl is happy with him, and it is all systems go for the St James’s Palace at Royal Ascot.
“Quick ground round a bend should see him at his best, he’s a nice horse and you don’t do what he did in the Craven without being a nice horse. I think getting on better ground will see him replicate what he did at Newmarket in the Craven.
“You can’t knock his form and his only disappointing run before the Guineas was when he was second to Chaldean at Doncaster last season. The ground was hock deep that day as well and he’s just not as effective on that sort of ground. He’s much better on a sound surface.”
Daria Kasatkina has hit out at the French Open crowd after she was booed off court following her defeat by Elina Svitolina.
Knowing Ukrainian players’ stance of not shaking hands with Russian or Belarusian opponents at the end of matches, Kasatkina gave Svitolina a thumbs up, which was reciprocated, before walking to her chair.
Some of the fans on Suzanne Lenglen then responded by booing the Russian as she walked off court.
Kasatkina wrote on Twitter: “Leaving Paris with a very bitter feeling.
“All this days, after every match I’ve played in Paris I always appreciate and thanked the crowd for support and being there for the players. But yesterday I was booed for just being respectful on my opponent’s position not to shake hands.
“Me and Elina showed respect to each other after a tough match but leaving the court like that was the worse part of yesterday.
“Be better, love each other. Don’t spread hate. Try to make this world better. I will love RG no matter what, always and forever. See u next year.”
The world number nine has been the most outspoken Russian or Belarusian player against the invasion of Ukraine, provoking a strong negative reaction in her home country.
Kasatkina is also one of the few Russian athletes to have come out as gay and she earned praise from Svitolina, who said of her anti-war stance: “I’m really thankful for her position that she took.
“She’s a really brave person to say it publicly, that not so many players did.”
Known as one of the most uncompromising crowds in tennis, the spotlight has been on the Roland Garros patrons this year as sport has mixed with politics.
Svitolina and fellow Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk were also booed after not shaking hands, while Novak Djokovic hit out at fans who jeered him while he took a medical time-out.
Svitolina faced another Russian player in the third round, Anna Blinkova, and next she will take on Belarusian second seed Aryna Sabalenka.
Sabalenka has been criticised by Ukrainian players for not speaking out strongly enough against the war and has refused to do press conferences after her last two matches following tense exchanges with a Ukrainian journalist over her previous support for Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko.
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