The Eastern Conference's top team made quick work of the best team from the West.
Brad Marchand and Danton Heinen each scored short-handed goals in the first period, and the Boston Bruins beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 on Thursday in a showdown between the NHL's top two teams.
Charlie Coyle set up both short-handed goals and Boston extended the lead to 4-0 in the opening minute of the second period when Morgan Geekie and Pavel Zacha scored 15 seconds apart.
Linus Ullmark only needed to make 17 saves to register his first shutout of the season.
Boston (32-10-9) won for the eighth time in 10 games to move into a tie with Vancouver (34-12-5) for the most points in the NHL with 73.
The Canucks lost for the first time in regulation since January 4, after going 10-0-2 over their previous 12 games.
Thatcher Demko's nine-game winning streak ended with the Vancouver goaltender stopping just 21 of 25 shots.
The Canucks managed just four shots on goal in both the first and third period and were held without a score for the first time since October 17 - just their third game of the season.
Necas' first career hat trick helps Hurricanes beat Avalanche
Martin Necas recorded his first career hat trick in style.
Playing in his 330th career game, Necas registered a natural hat trick in the first 17 minutes of the Carolina Hurricanes' 5-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche.
His hat trick marked the second-fastest to begin a game in Carolina franchise history.
The Hurricanes won despite an odd goaltending situation.
Pyotr Kochetkov allowed two goals in the final 30 seconds of the first period and was pulled in favor of Antii Raanta.
Raanta stopped all nine shots he faced but suffered a lower-body injury and lasted just one period.
Kochetkov then re-entered for the final period and turned aside all 10 shots he faced in the third. He finished with 16 saves for the Hurricanes (29-16-5), who improved to 12-3-1 in their last 16 games.
Colorado netminder Alexandar Georgiev permitted the hat trick on just four shots before rebounding. He ended up with 23 saves.
Zach Parise and Samuel Girard scored seven seconds apart for the Avalanche (32-16-4), who lost their third in a row after entering the All-Star break on a 13-3-1 stretch.
Panthers pull away to beat Capitals
Ryan Lomberg scored the go-ahead goal with 6:52 remaining in the third period to lift the Florida Panthers to a 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals.
Lomberg's goal was just his third of the season, and ended a 35-game stretch without one dating to November 14.
Sam Reinhart scored his team-leading 38th goal on a power play, while Matthew Tkachuk added a goal and two assists to give him 12 goals and 18 assists in his last 17 games.
Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 21 shots for Florida (32-15-4), which won for the fifth time in six games.
Washington (22-20-7), meanwhile, has lost six straight games.
Alex Ovechkin opened the scoring with a power-play goal - the 833rd goal of his career.
He has now scored in three straight games after failing to score in his previous eight contests.
Jenny Jones secured Great Britain’s first Winter Olympic medal on snow on this day in 2014 with bronze in the snowboard slopestyle event in Sochi.
Jones, aged 33, was the oldest entrant in the final by more than six years but her experience showed with her best run of the week on her last attempt.
Her score of 87.25 briefly put her top of the standings, but she was overtaken by American Jamie Anderson and Finland’s Enni Rukajarvi and had to settle for third.
Jones said: “I feel absolutely ecstatic, I’m so chuffed to have made it onto that podium.
“It feels ridiculous, I still can’t actually believe it. I just thought, ‘oh my goodness, it’s gone my way today’, and I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Her success was made all the more remarkable by the fact she was out of action for nearly a month after suffering a concussion in mid-December 2013 following a crash in training in Austria.
“(It) was a bit of a tough time for me,” she said.
“I had to stay at home and not be on the snow, if you ask any athlete it’s just tough sitting and waiting. But I got through it and am genuinely very proud.”
Team GB chef de mission Mike Hay said: “This is a fantastic accomplishment for Jenny and a great moment for our entire delegation.
“Jenny will go down in the record books as the first-ever member of Team GB to win an Olympic medal in a snow sport.
“There is a strong spirit of camaraderie and support across our entire delegation and I know every member of Team GB is proud of Jenny and delighted to see her have this special moment.”
Prior to January, the Cleveland Cavaliers only had one winning streak of eight games in the last five seasons.
They now have two winning streaks of eight games in the last five weeks.
Donovon Mitchell scored 27 points and the Cavaliers beat the Brooklyn Nets 118-95 on Thursday for their eighth straight victory and 16th win in 17 games.
Cleveland led 59-51 when Ben Simmons shoved Jarrett Allen to the floor just 14 seconds into the second half. Allen retaliated by pushing Simmons back, and both players received technical fouls.
The altercation seemed to inspire the Cavs (34-16), as they responded with a 21-0 run to grab an 80-51 lead.
Allen finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Evan Mobley added 14 points and 12 boards.
The Cavs, who also won eight consecutive games last season, haven't had a longer winning streak since winning a franchise record-tying 13 in a row in 2017-18 - LeBron James' last season in Cleveland.
Brooklyn kept it close through two quarters despite being a bit undermanned after sending Spencer Dinwiddie to Toronto and Royce O'Neale to Phoenix before the trade deadline.
Mikal Bridges had a team-high 26 points for the Nets (20-31), who lost their third straight game.
Curry hits 11 3s as Warriors win again
Just 24 hours after one of his lowest-scoring outputs of the season, Stephen Curry dazzled in the Golden State Warriors' 131-109 rout of the Indiana Pacers.
Curry made his first seven 3-point tries and drained a season-high 11 3s on 16 attempts, scoring 42 points to help the Warriors win their third straight game.
His fifth 40-point game of the season came one night after he scored just nine points in a 127-104 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Golden State (24-25) has now won five of six to move within one game of .500 following a 4-10 stretch.
Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton struggled to get going offensively, finishing with just five points in 26 minutes, though he did dish out 11 assists.
Pascal Siakam had team highs of 16 points and eight rebounds for Indiana (29-24), while Myles Turner added 15 points and seven boards.
Timberwolves trounce slumping Bucks
The hot-shooting Minnesota Timberwolves rolled to a 129-105 win at Milwaukee to spoil the home debut of Bucks coach Doc Rivers.
Anthony Edwards had 26 points, and the Timberwolves made 21-of-41 3-pointers, with Mike Conley leading the 3-point barrage by making 6-of-7 shots from beyond the arc.
Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns each made four 3-pointers for Western Conference-leading Minnesota (36-16), which pulled away in the third quarter with a 17-3 run.
The Bucks (33-19) were without both Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton due to sprained ankles and reserve AJ Green paced the team with 27 points while making 7-of-8 3-pointers.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 17 - his fewest since December 19 - after averaging 38.3 points in his previous three games as the Bucks lost for the fifth time in six games.
It was the first home game for Rivers after his Milwaukee coaching tenure began with a 1-4 road trip.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner will face a hearing on Friday as he prepares to defend himself against an accusation of “inappropriate behaviour”.
The 50-year-old team principal “completely denies” the claims which the PA news agency understands were made by another member of staff at the British-based team.
Red Bull, the Austrian energy drinks company which owns the team, confirmed on Monday an independent investigation had been launched after it was made aware of the allegations.
It is not clear where the hearing will be held, but PA understands it will not take place at Red Bull’s headquarters in Milton Keynes, while a conclusion is not expected on the day.
A spokesperson for Red Bull said on Monday: “After being made aware of certain recent allegations, the company launched an independent investigation.
“This process, which is already under way, is being carried out by an external specialist barrister.
“The company takes these matters extremely seriously and the investigation will be completed as soon as practically possible. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”
Horner, who is married to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, has been in charge at Red Bull since they entered Formula One 19 years ago.
During that time he has overseen seven drivers’ world championships and six constructors’ titles.
The team dominated last season, winning 21 of the 22 races in 2023 as Max Verstappen defended his drivers’ crown.
Regardless of the outcome of Friday’s planned investigation, it has overshadowed the start of the 2024 campaign, with Red Bull set to unveil their new car on February 15 ahead of pre-season testing and the opening race in Bahrain next month.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been named the NFL’s most valuable player for the second time.
Jackson, 27, who missed out on a place in Sunday’s Super Bowl when the Ravens lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game, was the pick of 49 of the 50-strong panel.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was the only other player to receive a first-place vote from the panel of media, ex-players and coaches.
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey was a clear winner of the offensive player of the year award, having finished third in the MVP vote behind Jackson and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
Myles Garrett was voted defensive player of the year, one of four awards for the Cleveland Browns – Joe Flacco winning comeback player of the year with Kevin Stefanski named coach of the year and defensive co-ordinator Jim Schwartz assistant coach of the year.
Houston Texans players collected both rookie of the year titles, quarterback CJ Stroud clearly winning the offensive crown with Will Anderson Jr picking up the defensive award.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson won his second Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player Award on Thursday.
Jackson, who won his first league MVP in 2019, was a near-unanimous winner, receiving 49 of 50 first-place votes. Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen got the only other first-place vote.
An overwhelming favourite to win the NFL's top award, Jackson led the Ravens to the AFC North title with a 13-4 record and the conference's top seed.
He accounted for 29 offensive touchdowns and led Baltimore in passing yards and rushing yards for the fifth straight season, throwing for 3,678 and running for 821 to become just the second player to pass for 3,500+ yards and rush for 800+ yards in a season, joining Kyler Murray in 2020.
The 27-year-old is now part of an exclusive group, becoming just the fourth player to win two MVPs before turning 28 years old, joining Patrick Mahomes (27) and Hall of Famers Brett Favre (27) and Jim Brown (22).
The MVP was one of eight AP awards handed out at the "NFL Honors" awards show on Thursday in Las Vegas - the site of Sunday's Super Bowl.
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey won the AP Offensive Player of the Year.
McCaffrey, whose 49ers are facing the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, led the league with 1,459 rushing yards, 2,023 scrimmage yards and 21 total touchdowns.
The Cleveland Browns' Myles Garrett took home the AP Defensive Player of the Year award.
The All-Pro edge rusher had 14 sacks, 30 quarterback hits and 17 tackles for loss, and was the focal point of a Cleveland defence that allowed a league-low 270.2 yards per game.
Garrett was one of four Browns to win an award, as quarterback Joe Flacco won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year, narrowly beating out the Bills' Damar Hamlin.
Signed in November after being out of football, Flacco led the Browns to a 4-1 record down the stretch to help the franchise reach the playoffs.
Kevin Stefanski of the Browns won AP Coach of the Year, edging out the Houston Texans' DeMeco Ryans by one first-place vote.
Stefanski's defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz, won the AP Assistant Coach of the Year award after directing the NFL's top-ranked defence.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in a runaway, receiving 48 of 50 first-place votes. Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua got the other two.
Stroud, the No. 2 pick in the draft, led the Texans to the AFC South crown one year after the team won just three games. He finished eighth in passing yards with 4,108 - the third-most yards passing by a rookie in NFL history behind Andrew Luck (4,374 in 2012) and Justin Herbert (4,336 in 2020).
His teammate, Will Anderson, won Defensive Rookie of the Year after registering seven sacks, 22 QB hits and 10 tackles for loss.
Ireland’s Shane Lowry is two shots off the lead held by American Sahith Theegala after a weather-hit opening day at the Phoenix Open.
Theegala hit seven birdies and a bogey in a six-under-par 65 and leads by one from compatriot Andrew Novak after the first day at Scottsdale.
Novak had only completed nine holes with around half of the field needing to complete their first rounds on Friday after a rain delay of more than three hours around lunchtime.
Theegala, who had played 14 holes before the break, said: “The weather was, it was not good, those last four holes felt great.
“I played great and that’s all I can do, really.”
Lowry, 36, who is tied third with S H Kim, started with six birdies and a bogey in his first nine holes, adding one bogey on the way home to finish with a 67. He said the weather made conditions “really bad towards the end”.
“We came back out, the wind was not blowing as strong but the ball was going nowhere, and it was cold and kind of tough,” he said.
England’s Matt Fitzpatrick dropped two late shots after the resumption to fall back to two-under- par, alongside Scotland’s Martin Laird and one ahead of European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald.
Luke Littler lost in a dramatic showdown to Michael Van Gerwen in the BetMGM Premier League.
The 17-year-old suffered a 6-5 defeat in the final of the second night in Berlin on Thursday.
“It’s good. I hope we can keep it that way as well,” Littler told Sky Sports.
“In this format, in the Premier League, you have to be good week after week. It’s non-stop and I think that was good for me.
“I was always putting energy into my game and that helps me in the long run.
“It is only week two. Everyone was saying ‘last week you lost in the first round’. Don’t worry, it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.”
Littler moved 2-0 ahead before Van Gerwen hit back to move 3-2 legs in front but the pair could not be separated with the current PDC World Youth Champion close to a 145 checkout before levelling at 4-4.
They went into the final leg locked at 5-5 and both hit 180s but Van Gerwen missed the bull for victory before Littler failed to convert two darts at double 10 to allow his rival to hit double four to win.
Littler had beaten Luke Humphries and Rob Cross on the way to the final with Van Gerwen dispatching Michael Smith and Nathan Aspinall.
Jamie George has urged his England team to put their passion on full display when one of rugby’s great rivalries is renewed at Twickenham on Saturday.
Wales are the opponents in round two of the Guinness Six Nations and new captain George is determined to match their zeal for the jersey when he leads the team out on home soil for the first time.
England are hoping to improve engagement with their supporters through changes to the matchday experience at Twickenham, such as increasing the length of the players’ walk through the crowds from their bus to the changing room.
On their last appearance at the ground in August they were booed off by their own fans having lost to Fiji for the first time in their history in a deflating Rugby World Cup send-off.
George is keen for England to find their own inspiration rather than looking to emulate Celtic fury, but he knows that results will ultimately shape the relationship between team and supporters.
“We don’t want to replicate anything, we want to do things our way. We can build emotion and motivation through different ways,” the Saracens hooker said.
“Something we have talked about a lot as a group is passion and not being afraid to show passion. I’ve certainly been encouraging of that this week.
“If people want to use that passion and emotion, as long as we are controlled and clear about what we are doing rugby-wise, I don’t see why we shouldn’t do that.
“We don’t want to replicate anyone else’s emotion – we are never going to try to do things another team’s way. We want to be authentic.”
England have lost 50 per cent of their Six Nations matches at Twickenham over the last three years as part of a significant period of underachievement in the tournament pre-dating Steve Borthwick’s arrival as head coach.
“First and foremost, we’ve identified that our win rate there hasn’t been good enough. The most intimidating atmospheres come off the back of the most intimidating teams,” George said.
“If we want to be the the type of team we want to be and create an intimidating environment to play in at Twickenham then we have to be the sort of team that we want to be.
“I think there’s going to be a great buy-in and a great atmosphere at Twickenham. Now the responsibility is on us as players to go and back that up.”
Borthwick has named an unchanged matchday 23 to the one announced for the 27-24 victory over Italy after prop Ellis Genge recovered from a foot injury to take his place on the bench.
Wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso made his Test debut in Rome on Saturday and he continues as a replacement against the nation of his birth.
The 21-year-old wing sensation has pledged allegiance to England despite being born and raised in Cardiff, prompting Wales boss Warren Gatland to remark that his decision had not gone down well across the border.
“Manny came on and did really well against Italy. He has been an incredibly calm, composed and mature character,” Borthwick said.
“He’s trained very well and in the little time I’ve known him he doesn’t seem to get fazed. I only have good things to say about him.”
The New York Knicks have made another big move in an attempt to ascend in the Eastern Conference, acquiring scorers Bogdan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks from the Detroit Pistons in one of the headline deals commenced prior to Thursday's NBA trade deadline.
New York will send guards Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier, Malachi Flynn and Ryan Arcidiacono along with two second-round draft picks to Detroit in exchange for two players who are both shooting over 40 per cent from 3-point range this season.
Bogdanovic is averaging 20.2 points per game after establishing a career best in that category last season, when the Croatian averaged a team-leading 21.6 points in 59 games.
Burks, who previously spent two seasons with the Knicks from 2020-22, has shot better than 40 per cent on 3-point attempts in four straight seasons and is averaging 12.6 points in 43 games in 2023-24.
New York is presently tied with the Milwaukee Bucks for third in the East and is 16-3 since Jan. 1, two days after it secured defensive standout OG Anunoby in a blockbuster five-player trade with the Toronto Raptors.
The team right behind the Knicks and Bucks in the East race added a sharpshooter of its own on Thursday, as the Philadelphia 76ers landed guard Buddy Hield from the Indiana Pacers for forward Marcus Morris, guard Furkan Korkmaz and three second-round picks.
Hield, a career 40.1 per cent 3-pointer shooter who is averaging 12 points in 52 games this season, will be asked to help stabilise a reeling 76ers team that has lost seven of its last eight games and will be without Joel Embiid for at least four more weeks after the reigning NBA MVP recently underwent surgery on his left knee.
Indiana, which sits two games back of Philadelphia in sixth place, later traded Morris to the San Antonio Spurs for outside shooting specialist Doug McDermott.
Milwaukee's lone deadline move came via a trade with the 76ers for veteran defensive stopper Patrick Beverley, in which the Bucks sent fellow point guard Cameron Payne to Philadelphia.
The most active team in the Western Conference was the Dallas Mavericks, who swung two deals to bolster their frontcourt by obtaining center Daniel Gafford from the Washington Wizards and forward P.J. Washington from the Charlotte Hornets.
Gafford, whose 2.16 blocks per game ranks seventh among qualified NBA players, heads to Dallas for forward RIchaun Holmes and a 2024 first-round pick the Mavs acquired from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Mavericks also sent a 2027 first-round selection, along with forward Grant Williams and guard Seth Curry, to rebuilding Charlotte for Washington, who's averaged 14.9 points and five rebounds per game over the past two seasons and is under contract for two more years.
Dallas currently sits in eighth in the West but is just two games behind the fifth-place Phoenix Suns, who traded four role players in a three-team deal with Brooklyn and Memphis to add perimeter-shooting forward Royce O'Neale from the Nets and second-year forward David Roddy from the Grizzlies.
Three teams - the Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves and defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets - entered deadline day tied atop the West. The Thunder were the only one of that group to make a significant move on Thursday, as they acquired former All-Star Gordon Hayward from the Hornets for guards Tre Mann and Vasilije Micic, forward Davis Bertans and a pair of second-round picks.
The 33-year-old Hayward is averaging 14.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 25 games this season but has been sidelined since late December by a calf strain.
One player who did stay put with the Hornets is Miles Bridges, the team's second-leading scorer at 21.9 points per game and an unrestricted free agent next season. Bridges had the right to veto any trade as part of the one-year contract he signed during the offseason to stay in Charlotte.
British duo Tom Daley and Noah Williams secured spots at the Paris Olympics with silver in the men’s 10-metre synchro at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha.
They earned 84.48 points in their first international competition as a pair and sealed a quota spot for this year’s Olympic Games in the process.
China’s Lian Junjie and Yang Hao took gold in the event, while Oleksii Sereda and Kirill Boliukh of Ukraine finished third.
Daley and Williams’ silver medal also set a new British diving record, becoming Britain’s seventh of the championships, beating a previous best of six earned in Budapest in 2022 and Daley insisted that the “real work” starts now in the build-up to Paris.
“I was terrified when I woke up this morning, terrified eating breakfast, and at lunch!” Daley said.
“But once I got into the competition, and being with Noah, I kind of relaxed and was like, ‘ah, this is what it feels like’.
“We knew that we had to try to qualify for a spot at the Olympics, which we succeeded in – but I think we went into it more fighting for the medals rather than thinking about the spots.
“Today was what it all came down to, whether I was going to be able to be fit enough to dive with Noah in the first place, and then be able to actually come in the top qualifying spots.
“That’s mission accomplished so far, and now it’s about staying fit and healthy to get to the start line (in Paris), so now the real work starts.”
For Williams, it was a second silver World Championship men’s 10m synchro medal having earned his first in 2022 at Budapest and he hopes to push for gold alongside Daley.
He said: “We came into today’s competition just trying to get an Olympic spot, and we did that and got a medal as well, so we’re very happy with the performance.
“We obviously haven’t trained too much together, but I think it has come pretty naturally to both of us.
“Tom said about seeing if he’s fit enough to dive with me, it’s definitely the other way around! I just try to do my best next to him, he’s obviously a great diver, so the better I dive, we’ll hopefully be able to be pushing for gold.”
Head coach Andy Reid says he can understand the Kansas City Chiefs being viewed as the underdog for this weekend’s Super Bowl but stressed he never approaches a game feeling like one.
Sunday’s NFL championship match in Las Vegas sees defending champions the Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers.
Reid’s side – who he has guided to three of the last four Super Bowls, triumphing against the 49ers in 2020 and the Philadelphia Eagles last year – suffered four defeats in six towards the end of the regular season before finding form in the play-offs.
And the 65-year-old told a press conference: “I understand why we’re the underdog, I get that – we had some ups and downs during the season.
“I never feel like an underdog going into a game. I understand why it’s been situated that way. It is what it is.”
Reid, whose experienced stars include quarter back Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, said his message to players tasting the showpiece for the first time to help calm nerves they might have was: “When you get through all of this, this stuff here, it’s a game.”
He added: “It’s faster than most games. It’s crazy how in the play-offs every game is a little faster the higher you go up. So it’s fast. But it’s still a game. You’re professionals, so you go play and do your job.”
Reid was asked about the likelihood of him considering retirement if the Chiefs complete back-to-back successes this weekend.
And he said: “I haven’t gone there, I don’t think about that. I’m tied up in the game and trying to take care of that. I’m sure somewhere I’ll know when that time is. It’s not today or Sunday.”
Kelce described Super Bowl week as having been “chaos and a lot of fun” with “a lot of energy at practices”.
He said: “I’m not even going to lie, things got a little chippy – I’m not going to say between who, but the offensive and defensive lines are trying to get their work in, trying to make sure everybody’s ready for the game.
“It just got me fired up yesterday, seeing everybody locked in and wanting to get their work in, making sure that everybody’s ready for the task in hand on Sunday. I just love the focus and the energy of the team right now.”
There has been considerable attention in the build-up to the contest on the fact Kelce is in a relationship with pop star Taylor Swift.
Asked if the buzz over his personal life was a distraction for him, Kelce said: “I love this game and I love coming into work.
“I think everybody has things in their lives that can take away from their focus in their work life, and you’ve just got to be able to compartmentalise that.
“It might be on a national media scale so it seems like it’s a lot harder, but in the reality of things, when I step on that field I’m focused on championship football and being a Kansas City Chief.”
Kelce was also asked why he thought there was such fascination with him and Swift, and said: “I think the values we stand for, and just who we are as people.
“We love to shine light on others, shine light around the people who help and support us, and on top of that I feel like we both have just a love for life.”
Jamaica has been named as the hosts of the 2024 Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) U19 Boys and Girls Championships. The highly anticipated tournament is scheduled to take place from July 24 to August 5, 2024, and will unfold at the prestigious G.C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sport in Spanish Town, St Catherine.
The confirmation of Jamaica as the host country and the specified dates came through a letter from CAZOVA President Mushtaque Mohammed, as revealed by the Jamaica Volleyball Association (JaVA) in a press release on Thursday.
This marks a significant milestone for Jamaica as it marks the first international volleyball event to be hosted since the onset of the global pandemic.
Jamaica has a rich history of hosting successful volleyball events, having previously organized the CAZOVA U18 Girls and U19 Boys Championships in 2019 at the G.C. Foster College. The Senior Women’s CAZOVA Championship took place in 2017 at the National Indoor Sports Centre, while the CAZOVA U19 Boys Championship in 2015, held at G.C. Foster, saw Jamaica emerging as champions, securing the nation's first-ever international volleyball title at any level.
The Caribbean island has also been a host for high-profile beach volleyball events, including the Beach Volleyball Olympic Qualification in 2015 and 2016, as well as the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tournaments in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
With the hosting rights secured, Jamaica has wasted no time in preparing its teams for the upcoming championships. Over the weekend, more than 100 student-athletes participated in tryouts at the G.C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sport. The participants included athletes currently engaged in the ISSA National U19 Volleyball Championships, showcasing the depth of talent and dedication within the Jamaican volleyball community.
Dunskay booked his ticket to Aintree in the spring when capping off a fine afternoon for Ben Pauling at Huntingdon in the manner of a smart operator.
Pauling had earlier won the feature M1 Agency Sidney Banks Memorial Novices’ Hurdle with Handstands and was doing somersaults after seeing Dunskay bounce back to his very best in the concluding PHP Architects Open National Hunt Flat Race.
A taking winner at Exeter on debut, he was disappointing in Listed action at Ascot prior to Christmas, but carried a penalty to a comfortable success at odds of 4-1 in the hands of Harry Cobden to tee-up another step up in class at the Grand National meeting in April.
“It’s been a good day and this is a lovely horse,” said Pauling.
“He trach washed dirty after Ascot and I was fairly easy on him between there and now, so I thought he might need today. He’s done it nicely, so I’m really pleased.
“He’s a very nice, straightforward, big, gorgeous horse – a big, powerful horse. He’s going to be one for the future again, but he’s a lovely horse and I was delighted with that. Winning under a penalty is never easy, so I’m pleased.
“He will go to Aintree for the Grade Two next. We have some nice novices and bumper horses and it’s going the right way – we’re building a nice team of young horses, which is what it is about.”
Gavin Sheehan’s fine season continued with a double at the Cambridgeshire track.
He got the day off to a brilliant start aboard Christian Williams’ Fortunefavorsdbold (16-1) in the Newlands Developments Mares’ Novices’ Handicap Chase, before following up on Katy Price’s 6-4 favourite King Of Brazil in the Winvic Construction Handicap Chase.
Another jockey hitting the headlines was 10lb conditional Lewis Saunders, who made the early mornings on the gallops at Olly Murphy’s Warren Chase base worthwhile when earning the praise of his boss after putting his claim to good use aboard Barricane.
It was just the second winner of the 20-year-old’s career and, having won aboard the nine-year-old at Uttoxeter in December, he showed his talent in the saddle to drive the 4-1 shot home to a three-length victory in the Urban Logistics Reit Handicap Hurdle.
“He’s a good little rider who came to me from Oliver Sherwood,” said Murphy.
“A lot of things went through my mind there. I was giving him a telling off for being left at the start, he was then getting a telling off for not pulling him up and then I thought, you know what, you have done the right thing and this is going to be the ride of the season.
“Well done to the young lad. He’s ridden his first two winners on Barricane and is good value for his claim and works hard.
“I’ll give young lads chances if they work hard and muck in. I make them work hard and they ride early lots – all my conditionals are in at 6.30am riding an early one – but I do it for the right reasons.
“You have to work hard for what you get in life – and if they work hard and have ability to go with it, I will look after them.”
Harry Derham’s gamble to run Nordic Tiger (11-10 favourite) quickly after his wide-margin win at Wincanton last week paid dividends when the game five-year-old held on by a neck in the Mulberry Developments Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.
“I was so nervous about running him because it was only seven days after his last race and it is not normally my style at all,” explained Derham.
“But he’s about to go up 10lb, which is a fair old hike, so we said we would try our luck and Alice (Stevens, jockey) takes off 5lb, which is very helpful – and he’s just a lovely, genuine horse.
“When it was raining all morning driving up here, I thought it was his chance gone, but he really knuckled down well.
“He’s going to be 10lb higher now and life will get tough, but when you have an attitude like him and you jump and try like him, then he will always have a decent chance and he is a horse who will probably win a few more races next season.”
Meanwhile, you may have seen Hermes Le Gris (2-1 favourite) on your television in adverts in the past, but he put his name in lights when gaining compensation for a fall when leading at Southwell last week by claiming the Oxenwood Real Estate Handicap Hurdle for Robbie Llewellyn.
“He’s been in a Coral advert, so he’s had a few spins round Newbury,” said the trainer.
“After last week, where we thought he would have won and it was disappointing for him to fall, to come back six days later and produce a performance like that shows he obviously has a bit more left in the tank.
“You never quite know when you run them that quick if they will bounce, but I’m delighted.”
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend assured Jamie Ritchie he still had a part to play in the Six Nations after the recently-deposed captain was omitted from the 23-man squad for Saturday’s Murrayfield showdown with France.
The 27-year-old Edinburgh flanker was informed last month that he would not be continuing as skipper due to no longer being guaranteed a place in the back-row amid intense competition for places, with Rory Darge and Finn Russell taking over as co-captains.
Ritchie started last weekend’s 27-26 victory away to Wales but he is the only player to have dropped out of the team for this weekend’s match, apart from Luke Crosbie and Richie Gray, who both sustained tournament-ending injuries in Cardiff.
Glasgow back-row duo Jack Dempsey and Darge – fit again after six weeks out with a knee injury – replace Edinburgh pair Crosbie and Ritchie, with Grant Gilchrist stepping in for fellow lock Gray. Saracens back-row Andy Christie has got the nod to be the substitute back-row option.
Asked to clarify that Ritchie was not absent due to injury, Townsend said on Thursday: “No, just selection.
“Once we knew Luke was going to be ruled out and Rory was available we had a good look at the back-row and what the best blend would be and we’ve gone with a Glasgow back-row (of Matt Fagerson, Darge and Dempsey).
“The cohesion they have, knowing each other’s games and most importantly the blend they have. Rory’s an out-and-out seven who can carry the ball well – he’s got an all-round game – but we feel the carrying strengths of Matt and Jack give us a better mix this week.
“Andy was close to starting and also close to starting last week. He’s been in really good form but we feel, off the bench, he can cover all three positions and add to our carrying.”
When it was put to him that Ritchie had endured a pretty spectacular fall from grace after going from World Cup captain just six months ago to not making the 23, Townsend pointed out: “He was vice-captain last week and part of a very good performance in those first 45 minutes.
“He helped Finn with his leadership, really helped the team in the week and then played well.
“I felt he wasn’t able to get his strengths out because of the way the game was being refereed. Wales managed to get a number of penalties in the tackle area, we weren’t getting any.
“I’m sure Jamie would have had a bigger influence if the game had been refereed differently.
“It’s really just about the blend this week. Jamie responded outstandingly well as a person and team-mate but also in the way he’s trained and played in the last couple of games. He’ll be in the mix again for the game against England.”
Scotland and France met in three dramatic encounters last year. The Scots have won five of their last seven Murrayfield meetings with Les Bleus.
Townsend is expecting a response from the French following their 38-17 defeat at home to Ireland last weekend.
“We know them as well as any team we’ll come up against,” he said. “This will be the fourth game in a year.
“We’ve had some cracking games with them in the last 12 months and we’ll have to be at our best level physically, in defence and in the contact area, because they have a lot of jackalers in their team.
“They were up against a really good Irish team and they were down a man for the majority of the game.
“From the French perspective, they know they didn’t play their best rugby so I would imagine we’ll get a reaction from that.
“They came back at one stage – even with 14 on the field – but we know that with 15 on the field they are a quality team, still a top-three, top-four team in the world.”
Wales boss Warren Gatland says that Twickenham is a stadium he has “loved going to” and does not find the home of English rugby an intimidating venue.
Wales have lost on their last seven Twickenham visits, while it is 12 years since they won a Six Nations game there.
Gatland’s record, though, is impressive, masterminding a European Cup and three Premiership final victories there with Wasps, in addition to memorable Wales triumphs in the 2008 and 2012 Six Nations tournaments, plus a 2015 World Cup win.
Saturday’s Six Nations encounter is also England’s first appearance at Twickenham since Fiji beat them in a World Cup warm-up game last summer and Steve Borthwick’s team were booed off.
“The first four times I went there, we won – three Premiership finals and a Heineken Cup final. I don’t find it intimidating at all!” Gatland said.
“It is great when you come in through the gates and everyone is outside and you’ve got the fans there. It is a great stadium to enter.
“I love the atmosphere, and it is even more special if you can walk away with a win. That is not easy to do.
“It is a stadium that I have loved going to. For me, it doesn’t hold any trepidation.
“For us, it is about starting well and stopping the crowd singing ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’ too early. Silence them a bit – that becomes an important factor.”
Wales launched their Six Nations campaign with a 27-26 home defeat against Scotland, although they scored 26 unanswered points and threatened a record tournament fightback.
Gatland has made seven changes from that match, including selecting a new front-row, while centre George North returns from injury for his 50th Six Nations appearance and Ioan Lloyd makes a first Wales start as fly-half.
England were tested by Italy in Rome before securing a 27-24 win in their opener, and Borthwick has named an unchanged team, with Cardiff-born Exeter wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso again among the Red Rose substitutes.
Pre-Six Nations speculation proved intense about where Feyi-Waboso’s international future could lie – England or Wales.
Asked if Feyi-Waboso’s selection provided any added spice this weekend, Gatland gave an emphatic response, adding: “We haven’t even spoken about him.
“No, it doesn’t add any extra spice. None of our tactics have mentioned his name or anything.
“There are a lot of players from both countries who are dual-qualified. Good luck to him. I hope things go well for him.
“I think it is two teams going through similar transitions in terms of the squad. It is a great game, it is the tradition and the history of it.
“From my experience, seeing the players interact afterwards and seeing players on Lions tours, everyone talks about hating the English, but I have always seen just how close the Welsh and English players get on.
“That is something I am looking forward to, the respect I have, too. I had a great four years in London – I loved my time there and coached some great players. I go there really looking forward to the challenge.”
North is the only player in Gatland’s matchday 23 to have featured in a successful Wales team at Twickenham, and with 119 caps, he has more than twice as many as any of his team-mates on Saturday.
“I think his 50th game in the Six Nations is a fantastic achievement,” Gatland said.
“What he brings to the squad is that experience, calmness and a voice. He communicates really well with the group and is really well respected.
“I think he’s still got a few more years left in him as well. He has had his ups and downs with injury as well, but he looks in pretty good nick.
“I just hope that (midfield) combination with him and Nick (Tompkins) can flourish like it did in the World Cup.”
Oliver Greenall expects another bold showing from Windtothelightning in the TrustATrader Warwick Mares’ Hurdle on Saturday.
While the six-year-old is taking a big jump in class and is facing Jamie Snowden’s Cheltenham Festival winner You Wear It Well, Greenall is buoyed by the fact that only four will go to post for the Listed race.
The winner of four of her seven races under rules, Greenall, who trains in partnership with Josh Guerriero, hopes she can pick up some black type before potentially going chasing next season.
“She’s a mare on the up and I couldn’t believe that there was only four runners,” he said.
“She seems well, she’s had plenty of time since her last run, she should like the ground and she’s a tough, honest little mare.
“I can’t quite believe we are where we are with her to be honest, because she’s not flashy at home at all. She wasn’t over-expensive and when we first got her, she was a bit workmanlike and we didn’t have great expectations.
“We’re just delighted really that she keeps progressing and hopefully she’ll run well again.
“I think she’ll get three miles in time and, while she is a little bit small, I think she’ll go chasing.”
Dan Skelton’s Get A Tonic also runs, along with Mel Rowley’s Blue Beach.
England insist Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is ready to face Wales after Steve Borthwick selected an unchanged team for Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations clash at Twickenham.
Feyi-Waboso made his Test debut as a late replacement in the round one victory over Italy and he continues on the bench for the visit of Warren Gatland’s men.
The 21-year-old wing sensation has pledged allegiance to England despite being born and raised in Cardiff, prompting Wales boss Warren Gatland to remark that his decision had not gone down well across the border.
Borthwick had no hesitation giving Feyi-Waboso, who has been in electric form for Exeter this season, the opportunity to win his second cap.
“Not from my point of view. He came on and did really well against Italy. He has been an incredibly calm, composed and mature character,” Borthwick said.
“He’s trained very well and in the little time I’ve known him he doesn’t seem to get fazed. I only have good things to say about him.”
Jamie George, who leads England out at Twickenham for the first time, also believes the rookie will rise to the occasion if he steps off the bench.
“Manny is a very confident guy. He understands our defensive system because it’s pretty similar to the one at Exeter, which is beneficial. He isn’t fazed by anything,” George said.
Borthwick has retained the same starting XV and bench originally announced for the 27-24 victory in Italy following prop Ellis Genge’s recovery from a foot injury.
Genge was named on the bench for the Stadio Olimpico opener only to be ruled out on the morning of the game, but he has been passed fit for the visit of Warren Gatland’s men.
Ben Obano deputised at loosehead in Genge’s absence and now drops out of the matchday 23 altogether.
The most recent occasion England named an unchanged side was under Eddie Jones for the 2019 World Cup final against South Africa in Japan, which they lost 32-12.
“While last weekend’s performance was far from perfect, it was a promising start,” Borthwick said.
“It was a really promising start for the less experienced guys and the younger guys.
“There’s a blend of leadership and experience. It’s important to keep that blend and build cohesion and continuity.
“The players will get better and better the more they are playing together.”
Five players made their Test debuts against Italy – Ethan Roots, Fraser Dingwall, Chandler Cunningham-South, Fin Smith and Feyi-Waboso – and have the opportunity to press their claim for ongoing selection.
Roots was named man of the match in Rome after a blockbusting display at blindside flanker.
Handstands appears to have earned himself a place on Ben Pauling’s Cheltenham Festival squad after maintaining his unbeaten record in the M1 Agency Sidney Banks Memorial Novices’ Hurdle at Huntingdon.
Bought for £135,000 after winning his only start in the point-to-point field in October, the five-year-old made an immediate impact under rules at Hereford two months later before following up under a penalty at Newcastle early in the new year.
Pauling’s charge faced a step up in class for his hat-trick bid, with Nicky Henderson’s Grade One winner Jango Baie among his rivals, but he proved more than up to the task under Harry Cobden.
Bugise Seagull took the four-strong field along for much of the two-and-a-half-mile journey before 9-4 shot Handstands took over before the home turn, at which stage Jango Baie was being niggled along by James Bowen and was briefly caught in behind the other two runners.
The 5-4 favourite, winner of the inaugural Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree on Boxing Day, stuck to his guns in the straight and was not far behind Handstands at the final flight, but the latter never looked in any serious danger of being caught and had a length and a half in hand at the line.
“He’s so raw and looking at him walking around the paddock there against a couple of those he looked a shell,” said Pauling.
“He looks a horse for next year, but there is just no bottom to him and he has just lobbed round there as easy as you like and when Harry wanted him he’s come alive really – he didn’t pick up the bridle for the first two miles and it’s really pleasing.
“I don’t think he is short of speed either and I’m very pleased. I don’t think he has had to try too hard again there and I couldn’t be happier. He was a bit careful at the second but other than that he has jumped brilliantly and it was a brilliant ride from Harry.”
Coral cut Handstands to 16-1 from 33-1 for the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle at next month’s Cheltenham Festival, while Paddy Power offer 10-1 from 20-1 in their non-runner money back market.
Pauling added: “It’s job done today and then we will see what we do next. He’s an exciting horse for the future and we might look at the Baring Bingham.
“I think we will probably go (to Cheltenham), why not? He doesn’t have to do an awful lot does he and that won’t have taken too much out of him. He’s won on good ground and he’s won on heavy ground – it doesn’t really matter to him.
“There’s not much to separate him and Tellherthename (runs in Saturday’s Betfair Hurdle at Newbury). I still think Tellherthename is probably a bit better, but that isn’t to say this lad is not class in his own right.
“They are different horses – Tellherthename travels that bit sweeter, whereas this lad goes to sleep then comes alive afterwards.”
Henderson was far from disappointed with the performance of the runner-up Jango Baie, who was conceding 5lb to Handstands.
“James said it was a bit of a stop-start sprint,” said the Seven Barrows handler.
“I’m sure he got the trip all right and he stayed on well. He got messed around a bit (in running) but I’m not making excuses. We were giving them 5lb and well done to the winner. I think they are two smart horses, it is always a decent race and I think it was.
“He probably wants all of this trip. He’s finished both of his races very strongly – he certainly did at Aintree when he stayed it out very well and finished very strong.”
On whether Jango Baie could run at Cheltenham, he added: “These are young horses and we’ve got to see who is coping with what.
“Aintree (over two and a half) would look the obvious place for him, but we will see. I will talk to the owner.”
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