Tag Archives: breakers

Manchester City aren"t the "unit" they were last season, says Gael Clichy

Posted on by

We're not playing like champions, admits Clichy as Man City struggle to gel in title defence

|

UPDATED:

07:55 GMT, 14 December 2012

Gael Clichy believes Manchester City's shortcomings this season can be put down to failing to gel as a team.

Last weekend the defending champions lost the Manchester derby to title rivals United, suffering their first Barclays Premier League defeat of the season and first at home for almost two years.

It handed the Red Devils a six-point advantage at the top of the table but Clichy knows that is not insurmountable.

Who wants me Gael Clichy says he and his team aren't working as a unit

Who wants me Gael Clichy says he and his team aren't working as a unit

'For me the problem this year is that we are not playing as well as a unit as we did last year and that's what we have to work on,' he said.

'I am very confident though because we have the quality and I am sure we are going to be there at the end of the season. I personally believe and feel that we have a mission and its aim is to become champions again.

'The feeling within the team is great at the moment and I hope that the fans are behind us because we will need them to go all the way.'

Clichy, whose mistake led to the free-kick from which United scored the 90th-minute winner, insists they can take positives from the United defeat.

And he hopes the trip to Newcastle will spark them back into life tomorrow although they will have to do it without key defensive midfielder Gareth Barry as he serves a one-match ban after accepting an FA charge of using abusive and/or insulting words to an official in an incident after the United defeat.

'We hadn't lost a game for a long time at the Etihad but it's done now and the only thing we can do is focus on the positive things that happened during that game,' said the Frenchman.

Record breakers: Man City lost their proud unbeaten record to rivals unit

Record breakers: Man City lost their proud unbeaten record to rivals unit

'We went 2-0 down and again we showed great team spirit in getting it back to 2-2 – apart from the last 20 minutes of the first half, I don't think they were on top of us.

'When you lose a game in the last minute it's always difficult – but we can't feel sorry for ourselves.

'We know what we did well and what we didn't do so well and we have to try to avoid those bad points.'

Australia"s ruby side in turmoil ahead of England clash

Posted on by

Australia have been hit by crucial injuries, bad results and dissent… meet the WOBBLIES

|

UPDATED:

22:30 GMT, 13 November 2012

As yet another Australian talisman bit the dust, England tiptoed around the fact that their opponents at Twickenham on Saturday are in turmoil.

The withdrawal of world-class openside flanker David Pocock with a calf injury was another savage blow for the Wallabies ahead of the second QBE International, which could revive their tour or plunge them into new depths of disarray.

No amount of soothing words emerging from England’s Surrey HQ could disguise the fact that Robbie Deans’ side are in a state consistent with their amended nickname, the ‘Wobblies’.

Lost: David Pocock's calf-injury is a huge blow for Australia

Lost: David Pocock's calf-injury is a huge blow for Australia

Where to start This has been a year of crisis upon crisis. First and foremost, Australia are licking their wounds on the back of a 33-6 mauling at the hands of France in Paris.

Following on from an early- season home defeat by Scotland and a turbulent campaign in the inaugural Rugby Championship, that was not the result their brittle morale needed.

The loss of Pocock is the latest in a catastrophic sequence of injury setbacks. He is a marquee man for Deans, who must already cope without many game-breakers in his back line, such as Will Genia, Quade Cooper and James O’Connor, as well as a recent captain up front, James Horwill.

These medical problems have contributed significantly to the poor results which left Deans clinging to his job by a thread towards the end of the Rugby Championship.

A triumph of character in Argentina kept the wolves from the door, as did a subsequent draw against an All Blacks side looking for a world-record run of wins. But there were dramas off the field, too, chiefly Cooper’s public criticism of a regime he condemned as ‘toxic’.

Disarray: Robbie Deans' (left) squad is in a jumble

Disarray: Robbie Deans' (left) squad is in a jumble

The stand-off also poured scorn on selection and strategy under Deans and hinted at a desire to move to rugby league. He was heavily fined by the Australian Rugby Union.

So, against this backdrop of mixed results, controversy and dissent, the Wallabies were unable to paper over the cracks in Paris and now must confront England, who have beaten them in the last two Cook Cup encounters and have exerted a forward dominance for much of the last decade.

England are at pains to cast their opponents as dangerously wounded beasts, still awash with abundant class, but they are aware that a full house will expect an England win.

Asked if Australia are vulnerable, Toby Flood said: ‘I can understand why people would have that perception, but to me they are still a formidable side. Of course the injuries have an impact, but it doesn’t mean that the next guy coming through cannot manage.’

Still tough: Toby Flood said Australia won't be easy to beat

Still tough: Toby Flood said Australia won't be easy to beat

England coach Mike Catt acknowledged that a fast start by the home side could create doubts in Australian minds.

Referring to the issue of forward dominance, he said: ‘We’ve had that in the past and maybe (that will be in their minds), that’s why the first 20 or 30 minutes is crucial. We need to take the game to Australia and make sure they know they’re in another Test match.’

While accepting that the Wallabies have lost a lot of Test quality, he was wary of too much English optimism, adding: ‘They’ve still got world-class game-breakers. But Genia has been a massive loss in terms of game control.

‘David Pocock is world class, if not the best No 7 in the world — he and Richie McCaw are up there together. But don’t underestimate Michael Hooper, he might not have the same physical presence but he’s on the ball all the time, he’s got an incredible work-rate and he’s an incredible ball-carrier.’

Leading the way: Stuart Lancaster (left), Andy Farrell (centre) and Mike Catt

Leading the way: Stuart Lancaster (left), Andy Farrell (centre) and Mike Catt

Having emerged as Pocock’s able deputy, Hooper’s progress has served as an isolated source of encouragement for Australia this year. The irony is that the rookie flanker is half-English. His father played for Blackheath before emigrating from Maidstone to Manly in his early twenties.

Meanwhile, Flood was asked to respond to Wallaby wing Digby Ioane’s assertion that his opposite numbers in the England squad are ‘pretty’.

He handled it with aplomb, saying: ‘Is he talking about Charlie Sharples, with his “bean” head, or Chris Ashton with his see-through skin I can see what he means about Ugo (Monye), to be fair, he’s quite attractive!’

Our golden moment: Record-breakers Glover and Stanning can kick-start medal charge

Posted on by

Our golden moment: Record-breakers Glover and Stanning can kick-start medal charge

|

UPDATED:

22:58 GMT, 31 July 2012

.olympicStats1038148 background:url(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/07_04/bckg308x110.jpg) no-repeat top left; display:block; width:308px; height:110px; padding:0; font-weight:bold
.olympicStats1038148 ul width:98%; padding:2px; list-style:none; position:relative; top:86px; left:6px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif
.olympicStats1038148 ul li a padding:0 2px; font-size:11px; color:#0cac0c; text-decoration:none
.olympicStats1038148 a:hover text-decoration:underline
.olympicStats1038148 ul li float:left; list-style-type: none; padding: 0;

LIVE RESULTS |
EVENT SCHEDULE |
MEDALS TABLE

One of them is from the far north of Scotland, the other from Penzance, and this morning they might just combine to finally set in motion Great Britain’s gold medal tally.

What better way for it to happen than for opposite ends of this kingdom to produce the required pair in the form of Heather Stanning and Helen Glover, the women’s rowing duo who will carry a huge responsibility when they power their way down the Eton Dorney lake shortly before midday.

The hope is that they can galvanise, specifically, a rowing squad of whom so much is expected in the next four days.

Pair of aces: Helen Glover (left) and Heather Stanning are favourites

Pair of aces: Helen Glover (left) and Heather Stanning are favourites

/07/31/article-0-14427861000005DC-311_634x381.jpg” width=”634″ height=”381″ alt=”Focused: Glover and Stanning will go for GB's first gold” class=”blkBorder” />

Focused: Glover and Stanning will go for GB's first gold

New Zealand won at last year’s World Championships and are in the final, while there are also predictably threats from accomplished American and Australian crews, who will go in lanes either side of the British boat.

Yet all those rivals will have to turn the form book on its head to deny Stanning and Glover.

‘This is our lake,’ said Glover, simply, after breaking the Olympic mark at the weekend, and it is an attitude that must permeate through the GB team as four years of work is distilled down into four days.

Estimations of how many medals GB can win, and of what colour, will have been revised slightly upwards after a successful start to this regatta and such impressive qualifying, which has banished some of the doubts that crept in after an uneven performance at the last World Cup in Munich.

Pulling power: Stanning and Glover are favourites in the women's pair

Pulling power: Stanning and Glover are favourites in the women's pair

Three golds is a reasonable median figure, but it could be more, and a total of around eight of all colours must be within the grasp of the host nation’s best ever squad.

Certainly, if the tally of six from Beijing four years ago is not exceeded, that will be seen as a grave disappointment.

GB will really know it is in business if the men’s eight were to follow up any success of Stanning and Glover this morning with the ultimate golden triumph.

This eclectic crew has been shuffled around due to various injuries, but have looked more settled here and impressively won their repechage on Monday.

Great Britain's five-star crews

Women’s Pair: Heather Stanning and Helen Glover. Final 11.50am Wednesday.

Competition from Australia, New Zealand and USA but a first Olympic rowing gold for GB women is so close.

Women’s Double: Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins. Final 12.10pm Friday.

Unbeaten for more than two years,
popular veteran Grainger and Watkins have maintained their superb form
in qualifying. Australia pose a threat but it would be a shock if
Grainger does not add gold to her three previous Olympic silvers.

Men’s Four: Andy Triggs Hodge, Alex Gregory, Pete Reed and Tom James. Final 11.30am Saturday.

Britain’s defending champions are set
for a huge Ashes showdown with Australia. The Aussies beat them twice
in Munich and qualified quickest this week, but GB have superior
firepower.

Men’s Lightweight Four: Peter Chambers, Richard Chambers, Rob Williams and Chris Bartley. Final 12.10pm Thursday.

Northern Irish brothers seeking to be
first GB siblings since the Searles in 1992 to win gold, but plenty of
rivals such as Denmark and South Africa.

Men’s Lightweight Double: Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter. Final 12.10pm Saturday.

The Olympic champions went off the boil earlier this summer but have rediscovered their zest in time.

The mighty German crew are favourites,
having not lost since Beijing, and chasing them down will also be the
Americans, who came in with little form but won their heat.

But it is still not beyond the realms of possibility that 40-year-old Greg Searle could have a dream ending to his comeback — 20 years after he won gold at the Barcelona Games with brother Jonny in the coxed pairs.

The eight, however, would not be among Britain’s top five hopes, which says much about the prospects of the others.

Among those who have established themselves among the serious contenders for glory are the men’s lightweight four, in which Northern Ireland brothers Richard and Peter Chambers are attempting to become the first British siblings since the Searles to win gold.

They rowed beautifully and smoothly to hold off the challenge of Switzerland in the second half of their semi-final and cross the line with something to spare, much to the roaring delight of the packed grandstands lining the finish.

Another Northern Irishman, sculler Alan Campbell, a bronze medallist at the 2011 World Championships, comfortably won his quarter-final and will believe he can make the podium later this week.

The men’s double scull and women’s eight made it through to their finals in less convincing fashion, however, and any medals from them would very much be a bonus.

Yet success can be catching and contagion could break out through the squad today, with everyone looking towards Stanning and Glover to take the lead and start the gold rush.

No pressure, then, but as GB often shows at the Olympics — we are rather good at sports that involve a lot of sitting down.

The most painful event at the Games

It may last only six or so minutes but the 2km rowing race is one of the most painfully excruciating events in sport. Tunnel vision, memory loss and sensory meltdown are par for the course in the closing stages.

Here’s how it feels in the words of a man who knows…

Matthew Pinsent (four-time Olympic gold medallist)

It won’t happen in the first few seconds; even sprinting away from the blocks, our body doesn’t register the pain problem for 20 seconds, and then it only starts to really burn after 40. The lactate kicks in after about a minute and stays there tearing at your muscles and mind for the rest of
the race. The only way to relieve the pain is to stop, and that’s not going to happen. You start to lose your senses, including your hearing. It’s the body closing down anything it doesn’t need to prioritise.

London 2012 Olympics: Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark crowned sailing world champions in Barcelona

Posted on by

Clark and Mills follow Ainslie's lead as they are crowned world champions in Barcelona

|

UPDATED:

17:07 GMT, 19 May 2012

Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark made history on Saturday by becoming the first British sailors to win the women's 470 World Championships in Barcelona.

The duo claimed silver at the 2011 event, but went one better as Skandia Team GBR's sailors made it two world championships in as many days.

Record breakers: Hannah Mills (left) and Saskia Clark (right) became the first Britons to win the women's 470 World Championships in Barcelona

Record breakers: Hannah Mills (left) and Saskia Clark (right) became the first Britons to win the women's 470 World Championships in Barcelona

Ben Ainslie won the Finn Gold Cup in Cornwall on Friday, while Mills and Clark fought back from a difficult start to the week to secure victory.

The pair were disqualified in the first race but fought their way to the top of the leader board heading into the medal race, where they stayed with a third-place finish.

In action: Mills (left) and Clark battled hard to win the 470 race off the coast of Spain

In action: Mills (left) and Clark battled hard to win the 470 race off the coast of Spain

'Thank God!' said Mills after the final race. 'It's been a long week – a day longer than our events usually are, and made to feel even longer when we got our black flag right at the start, so there was no real room for error after that.

'It was really cool to cross the finish line and know we had done enough.

'I don't it has really sunk in yet for me but Sas is super happy, she's so excited.

Legend: Ben Ainslie confirmed his status as the world's best with his victory in Cornwall on Friday

Legend: Ben Ainslie confirmed his status as the world's best with his victory in Cornwall on Friday

'We knew we had the potential to win here, and it's a huge thing to be World Champion but at the same time I can't stop thinking about this summer and the Olympics which is what this year is really about for us.

'We've learnt a whole lot this week, on how we need to sail to win, our strengths and weaknesses and about staying consistent and we've sailed a really, really solid week.'

FA Cup final: Chelsea v Liverpool can make competition great again

Posted on by

A Final to make Cup shine again: Chelsea fired up for bid to make history

|

UPDATED:

21:30 GMT, 4 May 2012

Chelsea will switch their sights from one London landmark to another, trading the towering chimneys of Battersea Power Station for the arch that so magnificently spans Wembley. Clearly they are aiming high.

Liverpool’s supporters might mock them for having ‘no history’ when they occupy their half of the stadium but the record books and some of their record-breaking players would suggest that is rather unfair.

For a start, they would point to the fact that today they have the chance to win the FA Cup for the fourth time in six seasons, and the sixth time since a certain Roberto Di Matteo — their interim manager — scored that stunning first-minute goal in 1997.

Record breakers: If Chelsea win it will be an amazing four FA Cup victories in the last six tournaments

Record breakers: If Chelsea win it will be an amazing four FA Cup victories in the last six tournaments

The predicted teams

‘I have moved on since then,’ said Di Matteo, even if nobody was being fooled by his laissez-faire attitude. He is desperate to win the Cup as a manager as well as a player.

Between the late kick-off time and some critical Barclays Premier League matches, the FA Cup might seem like the poor relation of English football this weekend. But try telling that to the players involved. Try telling that to Kenny Dalglish when the outcome of this final could determine if he keeps his job — and to Di Matteo and the Chelsea players, who believe the next fortnight could amount to the club’s finest hour.

At Chelsea’s Cobham training ground on Friday Frank Lampard could not contain his excitement, admitting that victory today and again in the Champions League final in a fortnight would supersede the three Premier League titles and five domestic cups he has already won. It would, in Lampard’s opinion, be the finest moment in the club’s history as well as the finest in his distinguished career.

Lampard said he has dared to dream, dared to envisage himself succeeding in what has proved a painful pursuit of the European Cup but also celebrating what would be a glorious, unexpected conclusion to a difficult season at Stamford Bridge.

‘I think about it in bed at night,’ he said. ‘We all have those moments when you dream about being a big part of a successful game, both tomorrow and two weeks from now. I visualise certain situations. I’ve always done that. When I was here with Claudio Ranieri I had a problem with scoring and he told me to visualise scoring.

‘But I think about what might be coming for us every night, I really do. I’ve never been more aware about what a situation like this means, tomorrow, in two weeks.

‘The FA Cup Final is a game you are always going to want to win, and it’s a massive game against a big team. And then that Champions League is something we’ve always wanted and I’m desperate to win it, I make no bones about that.

Tricky: Luis Suarez will be tough for Chelsea's defence to handle

Tricky: Luis Suarez will be tough for Chelsea's defence to handle

‘What Liverpool’s fans say about us doesn’t annoy me. They should be proud of their history but Chelsea should be as well and we are trying to create history this season.

‘It could possibly be the best yet. The first league we won was amazing and if anything manages to beat that then it would be truly special because that was fantastic. But we are on the brink of something that could rival it, if not beat it.’

History is not lost on Chelsea’s power house of a striker, either. Like a number of Liverpool players, Didier Drogba has already left his mark on the FA Cup. In the three FA Cup finals he has won, he has scored the decisive goal on two occasions and the opening goal in the other. Some record.

Wembley inspires Drogba, having seduced him long before he arrived in England to play for Chelsea.

He said: ‘Wembley is the most famous stadium in the world. The new one is amazing but I always dreamed of playing at the old stadium. I remember all those great games I watched on television. I remember Eric Cantona, one of my favourite players, scoring that goal against Liverpool in 1996.

‘It became my dream to do the same one day. I think we’ve won all our FA Cup finals there, so it’s a good stadium for us.’

At 34, Drogba is enjoying something of a renaissance, impressing as much with his industry as his killer instinct. He says it owes much to the fact that he came late into the game at this level. ‘I was 25 or 26, so I feel fresh,’ he said.

Preparation: Chelsea ready themselves for the big day

Preparation: Chelsea ready themselves for the big day

But he also said he has finally recovered from some troublesome injuries, among them a badly broken arm that demanded further surgery. ‘The screws needed to be adjusted,’ he said.

Drogba was among a number of players who praised Di Matteo yesterday. ‘I think he’s shown that he’s a good manager,’ he said, while John Mikel Obi urged the club to ‘make the right decision’ and appoint the Italian on a permanent basis. He likened him to Guus Hiddink and Jose Mourinho.

‘He is very similar,’ said Mikel. ‘Very good tactically.’

John Terry knows as well as anyone that the views of the players can count for nothing when it comes to Roman Abramovich and his attitude towards his managers. But he too would like to think that victory in the FA Cup would enhance Di Matteo’s chances of remaining in charge.

‘A win will put him in a very good position,’ said Chelsea’s captain.

Wembley king: Didier Drogba loves to score goals at the stadium

Wembley king: Didier Drogba loves to score goals at the stadium

This is a final that could impact on the future of both managers. Dalglish has won one trophy already this season but Liverpool’s desperate form in the Premier League leaves hims needing a second to appease the club’s American owners.

For Di Matteo the pressure is not so intense. Not being the permanent manager, he has nothing to lose.

His focus, he explained, will be on players like Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard, and the full backs through which Liverpool mount so many attacks. He said he would look to ‘identify their weaknesses’ and lay the foundations of what could be a landmark two weeks for Chelsea.

Wimbledon 2012 prize money increased

Posted on by

Net profit: Wimbledon losers given bigger slice of SW19 pot

|

UPDATED:

21:30 GMT, 24 April 2012

In a rare example of noblesse oblige in the harsh and often greedy world of professional sport, Wimbledon and the world's top four players have combined to better the lot of the tennis equivalent of the shop floor workers.

It appears that largely due to the intervention of Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Co, those who make up the chorus line at SW19 will get a bumper increase in prize money this year – in the case of first-round losers, 26 per cent.

Record-breakers: Wimbledon are set to pay out their largest ever prize fund

Record-breakers: Wimbledon are set to pay out their largest ever prize fund

Reversing the trend of recent years,
the singles winner will get 'only' an extra 50,000, a mere 4.5 per cent
increase on last year's 1.1million.

At recent meetings in America,
Wimbledon chairman Philip Brook, who was accompanied by committee member
Tim Henman, met with the Big Four and were given the message that the
rank-and-file deserved a bigger slice of the pie.

It was a bit like Wayne Rooney
foregoing his win bonus this year so that the players of Macclesfield
Town could more easily make ends meet.

Brook said: 'I don't think it would
happen in many sports and I think it shows that you've got four people
of high quality wanting to do their best for the sport as a whole. This
is a group of young men who are very responsible. What we heard was not
just them requesting more money but recognition that they were
representing all the players in the sport.

Wage request: Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer met with championship officials in Indian Wells, California

Wage request: Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer met with championship officials in Indian Wells, California

'Being an international player is an
expensive business and the growth in prize money hasn't been as great
for everyone as it has been for the top players.'

In increasing their overall pot by 10
per cent to a total of 16.1m, Wimbledon outstripped the big rises for
the rank-and-file recently announced by the French Open.

Those who lose in the final round of
the singles qualifying event will get 8,500 for their trouble, while
those who go out in the first round proper will receive 14,500.

Clearly Wimbledon and the other Grand
Slams are trying to head off the recent unrest which has seen players
unhappy at the percentage of revenue from the majors, less than 20 per
cent, being passed on through prize money.

Changes: Wimbledon chairman Philip Brook talks to the media on Tuesday

Changes: Wimbledon chairman Philip Brook talks to the media on Tuesday

However, the players union, the ATP, yesterday made it clear they would not be giving up pressing the issue.

'It's encouraging to see an increase
for this year, however the ATP and players remain focused on
discussions with each of the Slams about 2013 and beyond as a top
priority,' said a spokesman.

As ever with these things, the small
print reveals winners and losers. The winners, again, are the women
players who, on the coat-tails of their male counterparts, have achieved
an equal rise despite not having the equivalent commercial clout, while
among the few losers are anyone who plays mixed doubles, for which
there has been no increase at all.

Pre-Wimbledon Press Conference 2012 at Wimbledon

Wimbledon also yesterday confirmed Sportsmail's
revelation of last week that the massive new player facilities 'Bubble'
has been scrapped and that there will be a fresh review of the All
England Club's development under the heading 'Wimbledon 2020'. This could yet feature a roof being built on Court No 1.

The other big change for this year's
Championships is that play will start at 11.30am on the outside courts,
rather than noon, to allow more time for the programme to be finished.

Several new sponsor deals were
announced yesterday, with confirmation that the tournament remains
unaffected by any wider economic recession.

There will be fewer decorative hanging baskets around the site this year but that is due to the drought rather than austerity.

Blackpool players dropped for breaking curfew, reveals Ian Holloway

Posted on by

Holloway drops curfew breakers for Watford clash as Blackpool boss cracks down

|

UPDATED:

14:45 GMT, 5 April 2012

Four Blackpool players have been dropped from the clash with Watford after breaking a club curfew, Ian Holloway has confirmed.

Laying down the law: Holloway has dropped four players for breaking curfew

Laying down the law: Holloway has dropped four players for breaking curfew

The quartet – who haven't been named –
have been punished after staying out late into Sunday morning when they
were scheduled to play in a reserve match on Monday.

Club rules state players should not be out 48 hours before a game and those identified will now miss the trip to Vicarage Road.

Holloway told the Blackpool Gazette: 'I am very proud of my lads. They have been brilliant this season and it is important they understand that.

'But I am only proud when they behave the right way. When they don't, it lets myself, the team and the fans down.

'Last
weekend, some of them were playing on Monday but they were out on the
Saturday until God knows what hour in the morning. That is unacceptable,
so I have spoken about that to the whole squad.

'For me, Monday's game was absolutely vital. Maybe they thought differently because it wasn’t a first-team match.

'But it is about a game, and how dare you disrespect the game and not prepare properly for it.'

London 2012 Olympics: Kelly Smith doubtful

Posted on by

Arsenal's Smith a doubt for Olympics after striker aggravates ankle injury

|

UPDATED:

21:43 GMT, 3 April 2012

Kelly Smith could struggle to be fit to represent Great Britain's women's football team at the Olympics after aggravating an ankle injury.

The Arsenal Ladies striker sustained the initial problem in England's defeat at France's hands in the Cyprus Cup on March 4.

At the time, Arsenal forecast she would be absent for less than a month after the injury setback.

Doubt: Kelly Smith (centre) faces a race to be fit for the Olympics

Doubt: Kelly Smith (centre) faces a race to be fit for the Olympics

However Smith incurred further damage when kicking a ball at a video shoot, according to BBC Sport.

Smith said: 'It's touch and go [for the Games]. It's not ideal.'

She added: 'I'll be out for a couple of months.

'Fingers crossed. I'm positive about it. It's a month or so before the squad is announced so we will see.'

In charge: Hope Powell will hope to have Smith available in July

In charge: Hope Powell will hope to have Smith available in July

Smith would appear certain to earn selection for Hope Powell's Olympics squad if she can demonstrate she can recover fitness in time for the tournament, which begins in late July.

The 33-year-old, who is England's all-time record scorer with 45 goals, began her third stint with Arsenal Ladies in March, after a stint in the United States with the Boston Breakers.

CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL 2010: Kauto Star is the Muhammad Ali of racing

Posted on by

Special K! Kauto can show he is the Ali of racing with Star comeback

|

UPDATED:

22:33 GMT, 12 March 2012

Kauto Star will try to win a third Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday after confirming his complete return to fitness in a jumping session at Paul Nicholls’ Somerset stable under jockey Ruby Walsh.

Nicholls described the session as ‘awesome’. The dual Gold Cup winner was only ‘50-50’ to make it to his sixth Gold Cup and seventh Festival just over a fortnight ago after a fall left him bruised and stiff. However, the horse was given the green light on Monday lunchtime.

Cheltenham 2012 is all about record-breakers. Quevega in Tuesday’s David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle and Big Buck’s in Thursday’s Ladbrokes World Hurdle attempt to win their races for a fourth successive year, while trainer Nicky Henderson needs two wins to surpass the record set by the great Fulke Walwyn of 40 at the Festival.

The Kauto Star Team: Left to right, Sarah West, Sonja Cook, Lina Chadburn, Dan Skelton, Clive Smith, Paul Nicholls, Kauto Star, Ruby Walsh, Clifford Baker, Tom Jonason, Rose Loxton, Dan Hubbard and Donna Blake.

The Kauto Star Team: Left to right, Sarah West, Sonja Cook, Lina Chadburn, Dan Skelton, Clive Smith, Paul Nicholls, Kauto Star, Ruby Walsh, Clifford Baker, Tom Jonason, Rose Loxton, Dan Hubbard and Donna Blake.

THE TEAM BEHIND THE NATION'S FAVOURITE JUMPER

SARAH WEST (PA to trainer) Role: Administrator responsible for race entries and answering fan mail.
SONJA COOK (Groom) Role: Kauto Star’s original groom when he arrived from France in 2004 and led him in the parade ring when he won his first Gold Cup in 2007.
LINA CHADBURN (Financial controller) Role: Purchaser of all products required by Kauto Star, including his favourite mints.
DAN SKELTON (Assistant trainer) Role: Planning and overseeing Kauto Star’s work routine.
CLIVE SMITH (Owner) Paid 400,000 for Kauto Star, who races in his blue, green and yellow silks, in 2004.
PAUL NICHOLLS (Trainer) Six-time champion trainer who has steered Kauto Star’s career over the past nine years.
KAUTO STAR: The most famous horse currently racing.
RUBY WALSH (Jockey) The most successful jockey in Cheltenham Festival history with 32 wins. Has been on board for 17 of Kauto’s 23 wins.
CLIFFORD BAKER (Head lad) Role: Rides Kauto Star almost every day he is in training and has special responsibility for his feeding.
TOM JONASON (Pupil assistant trainer) Role: Supervises Kauto Star’s training routine.
ROSE LOXTON (Head Girl) Role: Acts as his current groom and looks after Kauto’s daily routine. Will lead him in the paddock before Friday’s race.
DAN HUBBARD (Farrier) Role: Responsible for shoeing Kauto Star and looking after his hooves.
DONNA BLAKE (Travelling head girl) Role: Steps in to ride Kauto Star on gallops when Clifford Baker is absent. Drives the horsebox to all his races.

But confirmation that Kauto Star will
take his place means the steeplechaser who has done most to re-write
jump racing history will top the bill.

The record five-time King George VI
Chase winner, probably running at his last Festival, is bidding to
become the first 12-year-old to win the Gold Cup since What A Myth in
1969.

With wins in 2007 and 2009, he is
already the only horse to win back the crown. He could become the first
horse to win it back twice, after falling and finishing third
respectively in the last two years.

That would be a Muhammad Ali-style
achievement from a gelding who has earned the right to be called one of
the greats. The greatest ever Who knows That’s a call as impossible as
comparing Lionel Messi with Pele. But Kauto Star has become part of the
Festival furniture with a profile reaching far beyond normal boundaries
of the sport.

Special K: Nicholls and Walsh celebrate Gold Cup glory in 2009

Special K: Nicholls and Walsh celebrate Gold Cup glory in 2009

The key Kauto facts:

Age: 12. Height: 16.3 hands. Races: 40. Wins: 23. Grade One wins: 16. Prizemoney: 2,375,883. Owner: Clive Smith. Cost: 400,000 (335,000). Festival record: 6 runs (2 wins; 1 second, 1 third, 2 falls). Festival prizemoney: 667,322.

The clamour for injury updates since
his accident has mirrored the attention Wayne Rooney would attract if a
strained hamstring threatened to rule him out of the European
Championship.

That’s because Kauto Star now ranks
alongside the legendary Irish three-time Gold Cup hero Arkle, flamboyant
grey Desert Orchid and triple Grand National hero Red Rum in the
public’s affections.

This season’s two defeats of the
younger rival Long Run, the defending champion trained by Henderson and
ridden by Sam Waley-Cohen, have suggested that Kauto Star’s heart beats
as vibrantly as ever.

But Cheltenham has taught us to expect
the unexpected. Remember 2010. That was supposed to be ‘The Decider’
with the Gold Cup score standing at one-all with his now retired
stablemate Denman.

But it was Imperial Commander that
claimed the crown as Kauto Star suffered a bone-crunching fall four
fences from home that Nicholls feels adversely affected last season’s
performances.

Rivals on Friday include Burton Port,
Midnight Chase, Synchronised and Sir Alex Ferguson’s 2011 fourth-place
What A Friend, but not David Pipe-trained up-and-coming novice Grands
Crus, who will now run in Wednesday’s RSA Chase.

They will all have their supporters
but Nicholls believes his horse is in the right shape to take them on.
He said: ‘None of us can truly tell how he will run but we were right
twice this season and I am hopeful we are again.’

The Olympics come to London in July
but first it is jump racing’s Olympics in the Cotswolds. It could reach a
climax with another gold-medal winning performance from the great Kauto
Star.

LONDON 2012: Alopecia spurred me on to gold – Joanna Rowsell

Posted on by

Courage of a golden girl: How cycling star became an inspiration to alopecia sufferers

After winning gold at the cycling world cup, millions of TV viewers watched as Joanna Rowsell threw off her helmet and stood proudly on the podium to collect her medal.

With her bald head uncovered, the 23-year-old Olympic hopeful had no idea she would become an overnight ‘poster girl’ for alopecia sufferers.

Indeed, after losing her long auburn locks aged just ten, she spent years covering her hair loss under hats and wigs.

Joanna Rowsell

Joanna Rowsell

Acceptance: Joanna Rowsell has had alopecia areata since she was 10. She currently only has a few patches of hair on her scalp and decided to opt for the occasional wig when she turned 20

Deterioration: At age 9 with her treasured long hair but one eyebrow missing, by age 11 the alopecia has fully set in and now, as an Olympic hopeful

Deterioration: At age 9 with her treasured long hair but one eyebrow missing, by age 11 the alopecia has fully set in and now, as an Olympic hopeful

But after finding her confidence through top-level cycling, she now feels at ease with her condition. In fact, she credits the alopecia for creating the determined and tough young woman she is today.

Speaking from her family home in Cheam, Surrey, and wearing her ‘every day’ wig, she said: ‘Now, I cannot imagine my life if I had not had alopecia. I don’t know what route I would have taken.

‘It scares me to think I would not have found cycling.

‘The alopecia made me very shy so I stayed in and intensely focused on my homework or that A* in an exam.

Triumph: Silver medalist Alison Shanks of New Zealand, gold medalist Joanna Rowsell of Great Britain and bronze medalist Amy Cure of Australia celebrates on the podium following the Women's Individual Pursuit Final during the UCI Track Cycling World Cup

Triumph: Silver medalist Alison Shanks of New Zealand, gold medalist Joanna Rowsell of Great Britain and bronze medalist Amy Cure of Australia celebrates on the podium following the Women's Individual Pursuit Final during the UCI Track Cycling World Cup

Record-breakers: Joanna with Danielle King (left) and Laura Trott (centre) following their win on Friday

Record-breakers: Joanna on the podium without a wig with Danielle King (left) and Laura Trott (centre) following their impressive win on Friday

‘Working hard was the only thing that
stopped me from worrying about the future, about whether I would get a
boyfriend or how I would face getting a job with strangers.

‘Then
cycling came along and I applied the same work ethic. I worked through
any worries I had about my hair and I focused solely on that. It made me
who I am.’

The first signs of the condition came
at the age of nine when the hair in one of Miss Rowsell’s eyebrows fell
out. Within months, she had developed bald patches on her scalp and she
began to lose eyelashes.

She said: ‘I was gutted. I had been a girl who loved having my long hair in plaits.

‘I remember crying one night to my parents and asking why it was happening. They said they would find someone to fix it.’

Determination: Joanna Rowsell of Great Britain cycles her way to victory in the Women's Individual Pursuit at the Olympic Velodrome on Saturday

Determination: Joanna cycles her way to victory in the Women's Individual Pursuit at the Olympic Velodrome on Saturday

Happy and healthy: Joanna, cycling world record holder and Olympic hopeful

Happy and healthy: Joanna, cycling world record holder and Olympic hopeful

Despite seeing numerous doctors, her
parents, bank worker Roger, 52, and school accounts manager Amanda, 52,
were told that the alopecia was incurable.

Alopecia occurs when the immune system
becomes confused and attacks the body’s hair follicles. This causes the
hair to fall out leaving bald patches that can eventually spread across
the entire head.

Miss Rowsell said: ‘It was hard being a
teenager and having alopecia. I didn’t bother with make-up or clothes
because I didn’t want to think about my appearance.’

She credits cycling with boosting her
confidence. At 15, she was scouted by the British cycling talent team
when they visited her school in Sutton, Surrey.

At the time she had no interest in
cycling and only owned an old push bike which was rusting in the back of
her parents’ garage. But they spotted raw talent and she began
training.

She went on to win golds in the team
pursuit at the World Championships in 2008 and 2009 and gold in the
European Track Championships in 2011.

Last weekend, she was part of the team
pursuit trio which won gold at the UCI World Cup with a record-breaking
time of three minutes, 18.148 seconds.

She then had her own win in the
individual pursuit against former world champion Alison Shanks from New
Zealand. And she was happy to go without her wig on the podium.

She said: ‘I literally only had time
to wipe the sweat off my face and jump on the podium. If I have time, I
will put on one of my wigs because everyone likes to look their best,
but I will also go without.’

She bought her first wig from Selfridges at the age of 20.

‘I suppose I
wanted to feel “normal” and attractive on nights out,’ she said.

‘I didn’t want to look silly, but it was
like being in disguise, I loved it. I chose a long black curly wig. Now
I have three, including a long blonde one. It is fun to experiment.’

Relaxed: Joanna (pictured with a wig left) has been pictured with her head both covered and uncovered

Relaxed: Joanna, left, pictured with a wig, but she doesn't always get time to put one up before the winners' photographs are taken

Alopecia

At the age of 16, her hair grew back – something she credited with her happiness from cycling. She was, she says, ‘over the moon’, but six months later she was devastated when it fell out and she had to go through the trauma of losing hair again. At 20, it grew back for a third time, but lasted one month.

It could not have come at a worse time, having just met her first and current boyfriend. She said: ‘I was so worried when it fell out again that he wasn’t going to like me, but he wasn’t bothered at all.’

Now, she is philosophical about her condition. She said: ‘Much worse things happen in life than losing your hair. I am happy and healthy. Now I want to focus on the things that matter – like getting that gold medal at the Olympics.’

For further information on alopecia visit Alopecia UK's website