Follow The Guardian - Athletics, filter it, and define how you want to receive the news (via Email, RSS, Telegram, Whatsapp etc.) https://theguardian.com Tue, 19 Jan 2021 07:59:07 GMT FeedCreatorClass 1.0 dev (follow.it) https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBb9vQvpB2VmNFhnxkaWAzDmuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwInavE2l1qBIKMjme2hxUH6iMhtupQVnA98M9iEjHe71JiLdRiXZadH3A8ABGYPZY5Og0JWlWarWMpSUpE_qa_wxyXTIz0yUfeYDo_W7MYe7E1O5yXe1TLwF40Uns0M3fnVKyycNa9C8 <img src="https://api.follow.it/rssubscribers/rss_show_story_count/392673223/1813744" border=0 width="1" height="1" alt="Story 392673223" title="Story 392673223"> <p>Track and field takes doping seriously, banning 66 Olympic and world medallists since the Athletics Integrity Unit’s launch in 2017</p><p>And still the headlines come. On Thursday the Rio Olympic 100m hurdles champion, Brianna McNeal, was provisionally suspended and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jan/14/brianna-mcneal-olympic-100m-hurdles-champion-could-face-eight-year-ban" title="">could face an eight-year doping ban</a> for “tampering”. The week before, the 2017 long jump world champion Luvo Manyonga was suspended and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jan/08/luvo-manyonga-former-long-jump-world-champion-facing-four-year-ban" title="">could face a four-year ban</a> for whereabouts violations. Both cases are yet to be prosecuted, and the usual caveats about being innocent until proven guilty apply, but the message is increasingly clear. Track and field is a sport which takes anti-doping seriously.</p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jan/14/brianna-mcneal-olympic-100m-hurdles-champion-could-face-eight-year-ban">Brianna McNeal, Olympic 100m hurdles champion, could face eight-year ban</a></p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jan/03/sebastian-coe-nike-spikes-athletics">Sebastian Coe shrugs off concerns that Nike track spikes give unfair advantage</a></p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2021/jan/18/athletics-66-doping-bans-showcase-a-winning-way-other-sports-should-follow">Continue reading...</a> Mon, 18 Jan 2021 08:00:24 GMT https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBb9vQvpB2VmNFhnxkaWAzDmuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwInavE2l1qBIKMjme2hxUH6iMhtupQVnA98M9iEjHe71JiLdRiXZadH3A8ABGYPZY5Og0JWlWarWMpSUpE_qa_wxyXTIz0yUfeYDo_W7MYe7E1O5yXe1TLwF40Uns0M3fnVKyycNa9C8 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBbnvLrCJkMhWvC2CveenaHpuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-6T0Saoyx1KSkXkCjoUM3P9ZfI3OFUOPACRdKCss_i-hwk_eEwjQSOudIxL8xo8DDi-T9WTAHLqUB6mq5yqXxNt5GqT23rNqiRjdohRR2cyQg <img src="https://api.follow.it/rssubscribers/rss_show_story_count/391779996/1813744" border=0 width="1" height="1" alt="Story 391779996" title="Story 391779996"> <ul><li>Charge is for ‘tampering with the results management process’<br></li><li>American had previous one-year ban for whereabouts violation</li></ul><p>The Olympic 100m hurdles champion, Brianna McNeal, could face an eight-year ban after becoming the latest big-name athlete to be charged with an anti-doping violation.</p><p>In a statement, the Athletics Integrity Unit said the 29-year-old American had been provisionally suspended after being charged with “tampering within the results management process”, but did not give any more details.</p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jan/11/athletics-mourns-legendary-team-gb-coach-lloyd-cowan-after-death-aged-58">Athletics mourns legendary Team GB coach Lloyd Cowan after death aged 58</a></p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jan/14/brianna-mcneal-olympic-100m-hurdles-champion-could-face-eight-year-ban">Continue reading...</a> Thu, 14 Jan 2021 19:08:04 GMT https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBbnvLrCJkMhWvC2CveenaHpuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-6T0Saoyx1KSkXkCjoUM3P9ZfI3OFUOPACRdKCss_i-hwk_eEwjQSOudIxL8xo8DDi-T9WTAHLqUB6mq5yqXxNt5GqT23rNqiRjdohRR2cyQg https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBaA43mKEsPpkEq9VEmd5rVuuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-6T0Saoyx1KSua3fpaz8-lmtbh2ObRp4Kp8KMIaX-k2U7TlP-FmP9sCTfdqJbB8jK1mhJkMp6MHTG1VKG2VKcJzNJhvyeKB9hjtnT2O4JQHPlRpWVnEcNkS <img src="https://api.follow.it/rssubscribers/rss_show_story_count/390760592/1813744" border=0 width="1" height="1" alt="Story 390760592" title="Story 390760592"> <ul><li>Cowan is believed to have died from Covid complications</li><li>Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu among his successes<br></li></ul><p>Tributes have been paid to the highly regarded athletics coach Lloyd Cowan, who is believed to have died from Covid-19 at the age of 58.</p><p>Cowan, who had suffered from underlying health issues for several years, specialised as a 110m and 400m hurdler before guiding several stars to global success including Christine Ohuruogu, the hurdler Andy Turner, and his son Dwayne Cowan.</p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2021/jan/11/olympic-great-agnes-keletis-journey-to-100th-birthday-is-extraordinary">Agnes Keleti: Olympic great who fled Nazis and Soviets smashes 100 barrier | Sean Ingle</a></p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jan/11/athletics-mourns-legendary-team-gb-coach-lloyd-cowan-after-death-aged-58">Continue reading...</a> Mon, 11 Jan 2021 15:39:48 GMT https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBaA43mKEsPpkEq9VEmd5rVuuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-6T0Saoyx1KSua3fpaz8-lmtbh2ObRp4Kp8KMIaX-k2U7TlP-FmP9sCTfdqJbB8jK1mhJkMp6MHTG1VKG2VKcJzNJhvyeKB9hjtnT2O4JQHPlRpWVnEcNkS https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBZWp0MvnFfqx7X-fvmXL2JSuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-7d1O9HDX_8lSKE_817XK7P_xr5NDKaiPfE9vJUREfd2KrtsVZ6hnw-EncUEqihYsxO5Y0AVLWTGBAPEriorPKvpLtukmBeJVpwaL0zlLdyXg <img src="https://api.follow.it/rssubscribers/rss_show_story_count/390070568/1813744" border=0 width="1" height="1" alt="Story 390070568" title="Story 390070568"> <ul><li>The 30-year-old has been suspended for whereabouts failures</li><li>Normal two-year ban could be doubled for a second offence</li></ul><p>The London 2017 world long jump champion, Luvo Manyonga – who made worldwide headlines when he <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/dec/05/from-crystal-meth-to-olympic-glory-the-recovery-and-rise-of-luvo-manyonga">recovered from a crystal meth addiction</a> to become one of the faces of track and field – faces a four-year ban after being provisionally suspended for anti-doping whereabouts failures.</p><p>The South African, who also won a silver medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016, has been charged by the Athletics Integrity Unit after missing three tests in a 12-month period.</p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jan/07/tennis-dayana-yastremska-astonished-provisional-doping-ban">World No 29 Dayana Yastremska 'astonished' by provisional doping ban</a></p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jan/03/sebastian-coe-nike-spikes-athletics">Sebastian Coe shrugs off concerns that Nike track spikes give unfair advantage</a></p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jan/08/luvo-manyonga-former-long-jump-world-champion-facing-four-year-ban">Continue reading...</a> Fri, 08 Jan 2021 18:25:21 GMT https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBZWp0MvnFfqx7X-fvmXL2JSuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-7d1O9HDX_8lSKE_817XK7P_xr5NDKaiPfE9vJUREfd2KrtsVZ6hnw-EncUEqihYsxO5Y0AVLWTGBAPEriorPKvpLtukmBeJVpwaL0zlLdyXg https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBbFcdMcA-gjXbRgLT8QqoBkuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-7d1O9HDX_8lV6vhdeWJBtH-wdsLXFrZea-dBqUEHGWSna_T1r7JdNifP1FabRbD_M <img src="https://api.follow.it/rssubscribers/rss_show_story_count/388575386/1813744" border=0 width="1" height="1" alt="Story 388575386" title="Story 388575386"> <ul><li>Contentious shoes worn by numerous recent record-breakers</li><li>World Athletics chief does not want to ‘suffocate innovation’</li></ul><p>Sebastian Coe, the president of World Athletics, has dismissed concerns that Nike’s controversial new track spikes, which have produced a spate of recent world records, could provide an unfair advantage at the Olympics.</p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2020/feb/03/nike-world-athletics-eluid-kipchoge">The Great Shoe War has switched lanes to the track but Nike still leads the field</a></p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/feb/10/running-crossroads-nike-vaporfly-footwear-arms-race-mainstream">Running reaches crossroads as Nike-led footwear arms race infects mainstream | Jonathan Liew</a></p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jan/03/sebastian-coe-nike-spikes-athletics">Continue reading...</a> Sun, 03 Jan 2021 22:00:18 GMT https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBbFcdMcA-gjXbRgLT8QqoBkuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-7d1O9HDX_8lV6vhdeWJBtH-wdsLXFrZea-dBqUEHGWSna_T1r7JdNifP1FabRbD_M https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBYZGD6xcyDnzYTE27u0N1CQuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-4AlzRlqZjeW8Zcu4EkkFxpkOCZQ1EvurqvKdeXE58d7_QiNvC1wHNxBPO-FkjevQSlhyHkFrBCOyqTOj1-HX5zRXg9-DZqi7dpxPNBlAuf6hvDg_PA5FMYDnXSeJJ1LtvuL8RZkMDit6pYii88-6EqPfouKdmV7hAWC0hs6rh7Iw <img src="https://api.follow.it/rssubscribers/rss_show_story_count/387903049/1813744" border=0 width="1" height="1" alt="Story 387903049" title="Story 387903049"> <ul><li>Coe urges gold medal hopefuls to reach out to Ennis-Hill</li><li>Jessica Ennis-Hill’s London 2012 preparation was ‘textbook’</li></ul><p>Sebastian Coe has urged Dina Asher-Smith and Katarina Johnson-Thompson to seek out Jessica Ennis-Hill for advice on how to deal with the pressure of going for gold at the Tokyo Olympics.</p><p>Lord Coe, who won 1500m gold medals at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics before taking charge of the 2012 Games, believes that Ennis-Hill gave a “textbook” example of how to cope with great expectations while storming to heptathlon victory at the London Games. He suspects that she can help the world 200m champion Asher-Smith and Johnson-Thompson, who won the heptathlon at Doha 2019, to hit the highest notes again in Japan.</p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/31/team-gb-delayed-tokyo-olympic-games">Back to the future: Team GB gear up for delayed Tokyo Games | Sean Ingle</a></p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/31/jessica-ennis-hill-olympic-example-one-for-dina-asher-smith-katarina-johnson-thompson-to-follow-says-sebastian-coe-">Continue reading...</a> Thu, 31 Dec 2020 22:00:51 GMT https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBYZGD6xcyDnzYTE27u0N1CQuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-4AlzRlqZjeW8Zcu4EkkFxpkOCZQ1EvurqvKdeXE58d7_QiNvC1wHNxBPO-FkjevQSlhyHkFrBCOyqTOj1-HX5zRXg9-DZqi7dpxPNBlAuf6hvDg_PA5FMYDnXSeJJ1LtvuL8RZkMDit6pYii88-6EqPfouKdmV7hAWC0hs6rh7Iw https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBZSmgtpeOuRZPo-eu3x94J4uwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-4AlzRlqZjeW743zGOUoG0VCLU8NnYltx1nhJX0YswD32Gs8PLzWQIlj5QXGWUJAGU <img src="https://api.follow.it/rssubscribers/rss_show_story_count/387807650/1813744" border=0 width="1" height="1" alt="Story 387807650" title="Story 387807650"> <p>Bold predictions have been dampened by the pandemic but hopes for Team GB remain high as this Olympic year dawns, for a second time</p><p>Deep inside the UK Sport offices in central London there is a secret wall, accessible to only the most senior figures, on which the performances of every potential Team GB medal prospect are tracked and scrutinised. Normally, if it was seven months out from an Olympics, that wall – in a room called the performance lab – would be a hive of activity. Instead it looks like the Mary Celeste.</p><p>“I’ve not been in that room since last March, so I don’t know whether the wall has a nice layer of dust or is being brushed down by the one person who still checks the office,” the UK Sport chair, Katherine Grainger, says. “I think it’s fair to say that there’s probably more question marks going into a Games than we’ve ever had.”</p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/dec/30/england-could-suffer-phil-neville-picks-experience-over-youth-team-gb-olympics">England could suffer if Neville picks experience over youth for Team GB | Suzanne Wrack</a></p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/22/athletics-drug-cheats-will-be-fearlessly-weeded-out-sebastian-coe">Sebastian Coe warns it will be harder than ever to cheat at Tokyo Olympics</a></p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/31/team-gb-delayed-tokyo-olympic-games">Continue reading...</a> Thu, 31 Dec 2020 13:45:05 GMT https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBZSmgtpeOuRZPo-eu3x94J4uwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-4AlzRlqZjeW743zGOUoG0VCLU8NnYltx1nhJX0YswD32Gs8PLzWQIlj5QXGWUJAGU https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBZVEuJRilV5aeuSb87fXiA_uwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-5yLTPL_33ogE9ZzCayHNsiW1pmeP2yWGAlb2m5orO_RibAw9i1SW-TIaL53q7hfBk_9wwgoSoaB0p-C6rHZMFHl3TNuoq4_M3glKE04cJ7mw <img src="https://api.follow.it/rssubscribers/rss_show_story_count/385549940/1813744" border=0 width="1" height="1" alt="Story 385549940" title="Story 385549940"> <ul><li>Athletics drug cheats will be ‘fearlessly weeded out’, says Coe</li><li>World Athletics president says system has restored confidence</li></ul><p>Sebastian Coe has warned the biggest names in track and field that being “high profile no longer protects you from the investigative powers of the sport” – and predicted it will be harder than ever to get away with taking banned drugs at the Tokyo Olympics.</p><p>There has long been a suspicion that some countries have not done everything in their powers to catch their stars who cheat. However Coe, the World Athletics president, insisted things had now fundamentally changed and that drugs cheats would now be “fearlessly and ruthlessly weeded out” by the independent Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).</p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2020/dec/21/athletes-need-to-understand-why-russia-is-so-important-to-the-ioc">Athletes need to understand why Russia is so important to the IOC | Sean Ingle</a></p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/22/athletics-drug-cheats-will-be-fearlessly-weeded-out-sebastian-coe">Continue reading...</a> Tue, 22 Dec 2020 17:00:21 GMT https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBZVEuJRilV5aeuSb87fXiA_uwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-5yLTPL_33ogE9ZzCayHNsiW1pmeP2yWGAlb2m5orO_RibAw9i1SW-TIaL53q7hfBk_9wwgoSoaB0p-C6rHZMFHl3TNuoq4_M3glKE04cJ7mw https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBZpXBIjeu2ckSvNKkJuAKpHuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwInavE2l1qBIzA7Q-QbCvOun_n6DNujlfcOHOyFcY_qhvGasp6SbVVk1xjvFd6ziyZ7nlDLvBXPa9MaaGMjAvQIYuzb4nLqMvNcVlF9IZuPZv3Bic9RsfBA <img src="https://api.follow.it/rssubscribers/rss_show_story_count/385086232/1813744" border=0 width="1" height="1" alt="Story 385086232" title="Story 385086232"> <p>Cas leniency is like Great Train Robbers getting community service, but a lesson in realpolitik may concentrate minds</p><p>Here is a question you may not expect to find in a sports column. When a journalist is assassinated, do financial markets care? The answer, according to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00036846.2020.1803490?journalCode=raec20" title="">new research in the journal Applied Economics</a>, is a resounding yes. And there is more in the detail. If the murdered journalist was an editor or worked in television, stock prices of companies with headquarters in that country declined on average by 2.18%. However, if they were tortured beforehand, they fell by 3%. And if they were killed by military officials, prices went down even further by 4.62%.</p><p>This awful set of statistics tells us that the greater the crime, the more international investors became queasy. As the authors noted, the killing of journalists acts as a signal to investors “about government instability and the breakdown of human rights, the rule of law, and the democratic governance”. But, on the other hand, they also found that “when the justice system functions, and there is a prosecution, the investor confidence goes up.”</p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/17/russia-doping-ban-halved-but-name-and-flag-barred-from-next-two-olympics-court-of-arbitration-for-sport-world-anti-doping-agency">Decision to halve Russia's Wada doping ban met with disbelief and anger</a></p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/jun/14/athletes-letter-doping-wada-ioc-russia-decision">Athletes ‘have lost faith’ in doping chiefs over Russia failures</a></p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2020/dec/21/athletes-need-to-understand-why-russia-is-so-important-to-the-ioc">Continue reading...</a> Mon, 21 Dec 2020 08:00:42 GMT https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBZpXBIjeu2ckSvNKkJuAKpHuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwInavE2l1qBIzA7Q-QbCvOun_n6DNujlfcOHOyFcY_qhvGasp6SbVVk1xjvFd6ziyZ7nlDLvBXPa9MaaGMjAvQIYuzb4nLqMvNcVlF9IZuPZv3Bic9RsfBA https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBb6ONzJoHM73cLjGbW7HICxuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-5AA2eWqslMJtWKYQAq5UHcrvqnIwr8ipbd7B1bzryjxImGVXoOn64LB_FGIdYmSif5dtDyvQKZh_NaoYSzgkEOLt1GyNRLbg4jFNX-KK4x8B0RwB7iOOCv4qm6TjYb8DfCPm28Cdg5ILs6BDjk2sbUcwWwu3LCMGBQo8Z-igcXAuauM8V8vFjcaRp0D-SJpxk <img src="https://api.follow.it/rssubscribers/rss_show_story_count/384068359/1813744" border=0 width="1" height="1" alt="Story 384068359" title="Story 384068359"> <ul><li>Court of arbitration for sport cut Wada ban to two years</li><li>Russian athletes cannot compete under country’s flag</li></ul><p>Russia’s ban from international sport for doping offences has been upheld by the court of arbitration for sport – but there was a controversial sting in the tail as its sanction was reduced from four years to two.</p><p>The ruling means that Russia’s teams will be barred from not only next summer’s Olympics in Tokyo but also the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Russia will also be unable to host world championship events for the duration of the ban.</p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jul/30/russian-athletics-opts-to-pay-5m-fine-for-doping-offences-world-athletics">Russia finally opts to pay £5m fine for doping offences as it seeks way back</a></p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/17/russia-doping-ban-halved-but-name-and-flag-barred-from-next-two-olympics-court-of-arbitration-for-sport-world-anti-doping-agency">Continue reading...</a> Thu, 17 Dec 2020 15:29:29 GMT https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBb6ONzJoHM73cLjGbW7HICxuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-5AA2eWqslMJtWKYQAq5UHcrvqnIwr8ipbd7B1bzryjxImGVXoOn64LB_FGIdYmSif5dtDyvQKZh_NaoYSzgkEOLt1GyNRLbg4jFNX-KK4x8B0RwB7iOOCv4qm6TjYb8DfCPm28Cdg5ILs6BDjk2sbUcwWwu3LCMGBQo8Z-igcXAuauM8V8vFjcaRp0D-SJpxk https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBaUKWybOgMXdVkmOJwQZ5CIuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-5AA2eWqslMJhEM_yHBg9yZ8-VbJ8edbFVqZh79okgrNSS9NyfeTccuhuGo9Cw6ciTk-dUrf7Oz1mw3BQFmIoPbFHhF8pR2QQU <img src="https://api.follow.it/rssubscribers/rss_show_story_count/383722538/1813744" border=0 width="1" height="1" alt="Story 383722538" title="Story 383722538"> <ul><li>Fitness app Strava releases global figures for the year</li><li>108% rise in median activities of women aged 18 to 29 in UK</li></ul><p>Women led an unlikely global fitness boom in 2020 with large increases in the numbers running, cycling and walking during the pandemic, according to the world’s biggest online fitness platform.</p><p>Strava, which tracked more than 1.1bn activities uploaded by its 72m users over the past year, found the number of uploaded runs and cycle rides nearly doubled compared with the same period in 2019, while the number of walks recorded tripled year on year.</p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/13/fancy-socks-to-flash-trainers-and-fine-prints-the-best-sporting-christmas-gifts">Fancy socks to flash trainers and fine prints: the best sporting Christmas gifts</a></p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2020/jan/14/kudos-leaderboards-qoms-how-fitness-app-strava-became-a-religion">Kudos, leaderboards, QOMs: how fitness app Strava became a religion</a></p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/16/women-behind-huge-increase-in-running-and-cycling-in-2020">Continue reading...</a> Wed, 16 Dec 2020 08:00:30 GMT https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBaUKWybOgMXdVkmOJwQZ5CIuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-5AA2eWqslMJhEM_yHBg9yZ8-VbJ8edbFVqZh79okgrNSS9NyfeTccuhuGo9Cw6ciTk-dUrf7Oz1mw3BQFmIoPbFHhF8pR2QQU https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBbLPfntQnfNrn1o9bRQSdfZuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-5AA2eWqslMJigcKOXGDZlRdkFmpApZmlywjpSembkRAnIvnqFUKGypSXVjFNBg2_bqJYZF2utxuFd1fQdgqblN <img src="https://api.follow.it/rssubscribers/rss_show_story_count/382475682/1813744" border=0 width="1" height="1" alt="Story 382475682" title="Story 382475682"> <ul><li>Loss of lean body mass around 5% after testosterone blockers</li><li>Study raises questions for sport related to safety and fairness</li></ul><p>Men have a greater performance advantage over women in cricket, golf and tennis compared to sports such as running or swimming according to new research, which also finds that testosterone blockers taken by transgender women only minimally reduce the biological advantage underpinning performance.</p><p>The study, published in Sports Medicine, found that while elite men are around 10-13% faster than elite women at running and swimming, the gap is between 29% and 52% when it comes to bowling cricket balls, hitting long drives, weightlifting and in sports that generally rely more on muscle mass and explosive strength.</p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/07/study-suggests-ioc-adjustment-period-for-trans-women-may-be-too-short">Trans women retain 12% edge in tests two years after transitioning, study finds</a></p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/11/transgender-athletes-sports-medicine-study-research">Continue reading...</a> Fri, 11 Dec 2020 17:07:41 GMT https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBbLPfntQnfNrn1o9bRQSdfZuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-5AA2eWqslMJigcKOXGDZlRdkFmpApZmlywjpSembkRAnIvnqFUKGypSXVjFNBg2_bqJYZF2utxuFd1fQdgqblN https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBbETwV71INcrSpQhm_k4w45uwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-5AA2eWqslMJlqJBpBcObg05Xauft6uJ6EK_f62C2eCUoSVewYr_3AxSrBg7kZIeTfNdLvyfr8uPDnlZKnmhmvVB9pPwApT-Y0LX3YHPjt9rQ <img src="https://api.follow.it/rssubscribers/rss_show_story_count/382144479/1813744" border=0 width="1" height="1" alt="Story 382144479" title="Story 382144479"> <ul><li>World Athletics president confident Games will happen in 2021</li><li>Daily coronavirus cases in Japan reached record level this week</li></ul><p>Sebastian Coe, the World Athletics president, believes the organisers of the Tokyo Olympics have a “cast-iron will” to stage next year’s event and is highly confident they will go ahead.</p><p>Japan had a record daily number of coronavirus cases on Wednesday, with 555 people in hospital with serious symptoms, prompting health experts to urge people not to travel in the run-up to the new year holidays.</p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/07/breakdancing-paris-2024-olympic-games-ioc">'More urban': competitive breakdancing added to Paris 2024 Olympic Games</a></p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/10/tokyo-olympics-organisers-cast-iron-will-for-2021-says-sebastian-coe">Continue reading...</a> Thu, 10 Dec 2020 17:58:36 GMT https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBbETwV71INcrSpQhm_k4w45uwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-5AA2eWqslMJlqJBpBcObg05Xauft6uJ6EK_f62C2eCUoSVewYr_3AxSrBg7kZIeTfNdLvyfr8uPDnlZKnmhmvVB9pPwApT-Y0LX3YHPjt9rQ https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBbm3bbJK0AZP9Qfi83gIBVMuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-74vBNGjRjdMb2PjT0jmLSK-eRecq0ycKklnuvIm0v5Rw <img src="https://api.follow.it/rssubscribers/rss_show_story_count/381453527/1813744" border=0 width="1" height="1" alt="Story 381453527" title="Story 381453527"> <p>My father, Arthur O’Neill, made a great contribution to the administration of athletics and hockey in Northern Ireland, touching many lives in the process.</p><p>Together with my mother, Hilary Hall, he founded two athletics clubs, Newtownabbey AC in 1971 and North Down AC in 1974, the latter of which is still going strong today. He was also a coach and athletics official for more than 30 years, as well as being treasurer of the Northern Ireland Women’s Athletics Association, of which Hilary was president.</p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/08/arthur-oneill-obituary">Continue reading...</a> Tue, 08 Dec 2020 14:47:09 GMT https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBbm3bbJK0AZP9Qfi83gIBVMuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-74vBNGjRjdMb2PjT0jmLSK-eRecq0ycKklnuvIm0v5Rw https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBa3I1J7nZ_bpPxafuPK-rqMuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-74vBNGjRjdMVF5uooeZ9QMnaOC_qVQoUezUWGaFb7eVuq2NJLkBpur3A3sB2R4wh9neTXRYX4P7QyqKedUcNJDxk34o0goquJCi8-36FGyOw <img src="https://api.follow.it/rssubscribers/rss_show_story_count/381235574/1813744" border=0 width="1" height="1" alt="Story 381235574" title="Story 381235574"> <ul><li>IOC adjustment period for trans women may be too short</li><li>Running times better as testosterone levels remain higher</li></ul><p>A groundbreaking new study on transgender athletes has found trans women retain a 12% advantage in running tests even after taking hormones for two years to suppress their testosterone. The results, researchers suggest, indicate the current International Olympic Committee guidelines may give trans women an “unfair competitive advantage” over biological women.</p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jul/19/transwomen-face-potential-womens-rugby-ban-over-safety-concerns">Trans women face potential women’s rugby ban over safety concerns</a></p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/feb/13/transgender-athletes-girls-sports-high-school">Teen runners sue to block trans athletes from girls' sports</a></p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/07/study-suggests-ioc-adjustment-period-for-trans-women-may-be-too-short">Continue reading...</a> Mon, 07 Dec 2020 23:30:52 GMT https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBa3I1J7nZ_bpPxafuPK-rqMuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-74vBNGjRjdMVF5uooeZ9QMnaOC_qVQoUezUWGaFb7eVuq2NJLkBpur3A3sB2R4wh9neTXRYX4P7QyqKedUcNJDxk34o0goquJCi8-36FGyOw https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBZ7eKCCRKaRC1X3eVqxeVkluwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-74vBNGjRjdMSXg4hFkeWYf_XlmKL0cfuoNMEIx8A1rQuQPrnOJ6Griag2WnzokRAAkRFMt2d7QV3HzKHyzqGiGtapS9mVpTcdxXaxX99ODNX1ZXvo2R1Y6-mJ3aFtmtlY <img src="https://api.follow.it/rssubscribers/rss_show_story_count/380833371/1813744" border=0 width="1" height="1" alt="Story 380833371" title="Story 380833371"> <ul><li>Kenyan shaves 30 seconds off existing record in Valencia</li><li>New technology to be permitted outside major championships <br></li></ul><p>Fears about a new arms race in shoe technology have grown after World Athletics amended its rules to allow prototypes to again be used in races.</p><p>The decision came on the day Kibiwott Kandie became the first man to run under 58 minutes for the half marathon – once again emphasising the game-changing impact of the new wave of tech on athletics.</p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/nov/28/it-stretches-the-limits-of-performance-the-race-to-make-the-worlds-fastest-running-shoe">'It stretches the limits of performance': the race to make the world's fastest running shoe</a></p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/06/kibiwott-kandie-breaks-58-minutes-for-half-marathon-wearing-new-shoe-technology">Continue reading...</a> Sun, 06 Dec 2020 14:51:47 GMT https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBZ7eKCCRKaRC1X3eVqxeVkluwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-74vBNGjRjdMSXg4hFkeWYf_XlmKL0cfuoNMEIx8A1rQuQPrnOJ6Griag2WnzokRAAkRFMt2d7QV3HzKHyzqGiGtapS9mVpTcdxXaxX99ODNX1ZXvo2R1Y6-mJ3aFtmtlY https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBZ7eKCCRKaRC5aah3waq0AYuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwElj4s-E-s2daWaqs9lFlar7PFrEdmi1F1f0dxTyN9yMVwZxCnC4z3Ip_SzH-hEGTNrEbgCCs1ugV0W8DjS75njEnAGR_kIM68iK55K36spY-NL1PGw9ZKH8gaRhUqHUoNQFIh4PB0qg <img src="https://api.follow.it/rssubscribers/rss_show_story_count/380833370/1813744" border=0 width="1" height="1" alt="Story 380833370" title="Story 380833370"> <p><br><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/06/kibiwott-kandie-breaks-58-minutes-for-half-marathon-wearing-new-shoe-technology">Kibiwott Kandie became the first man in history to run under 58 minutes</a> for the half marathon on Sunday as the game-changing impact of new shoe technology on athletics was once again emphasised in Valencia. The 24-year-old Kenyan’s time of 57:32 knocked 29 seconds off the previous record of 58:01 set by Geoffrey Kamworor last year. Intriguingly while most of the distance records&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/sep/30/eliud-kipchoge-denies-platform-nike-shoes-offer-london-race-advantage">have been set</a>&nbsp;in Nike shoes in months, Kandie was wearing the new Adidas Adizero Adios Pro shoes, which contain 39mm foam as well as five tuned carbon-infused ‘energy’ rods that mimic the metatarsal bones of the foot</p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/video/2020/dec/06/kibiwott-kandie-breaks-58-minutes-half-marathon-record-in-valencia-video">Continue reading...</a> Sun, 06 Dec 2020 14:21:11 GMT https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBZ7eKCCRKaRC5aah3waq0AYuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwElj4s-E-s2daWaqs9lFlar7PFrEdmi1F1f0dxTyN9yMVwZxCnC4z3Ip_SzH-hEGTNrEbgCCs1ugV0W8DjS75njEnAGR_kIM68iK55K36spY-NL1PGw9ZKH8gaRhUqHUoNQFIh4PB0qg https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBYy9tGuiNR6taG1HqjKh-u1uwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwaQ2PO95uZHWxNLsLuN7afyaTUtTqP2eAhiaM2u6L4Vav1nKdsmIr-SwOiobtVGfUgbEawM6cyaL0oHFkr8BgyZojWg8G7k4Auj3fryDlY1jx2eyH9Zq9rG7PVlNP80YIXGwv2oIAW5alPTpc1x--QA <img src="https://api.follow.it/rssubscribers/rss_show_story_count/380422177/1813744" border=0 width="1" height="1" alt="Story 380422177" title="Story 380422177"> <p>Human Rights Watch says testing regulations are demeaning and target women based on racial stereotypes</p><p>World Athletics, the sport’s global governing body, targets women from countries in the global south for “abusive sex testing” based on arbitrary definitions of femininity and racial stereotypes, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).</p><p>A <a href="https://www.hrw.org/report/2020/12/04/theyre-chasing-us-away-sport/human-rights-violations-sex-testing-elite-women">report by the rights group</a>, published on Friday, claims female runners are being pushed out of competitive events, which some rely on for their livelihoods. Athletes struggle with emotional trauma and feel discriminated against and humiliated by the testing, said HRW.</p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/dec/31/field-of-broken-dreams-footballs-slave-trade-photo-essay">Field of broken dreams: football’s slave trade – photo essay</a></p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/dec/04/world-athletics-accused-over-abusive-sex-testing-of-athletes-from-global-south">Continue reading...</a> Fri, 04 Dec 2020 16:05:28 GMT https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBYy9tGuiNR6taG1HqjKh-u1uwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwaQ2PO95uZHWxNLsLuN7afyaTUtTqP2eAhiaM2u6L4Vav1nKdsmIr-SwOiobtVGfUgbEawM6cyaL0oHFkr8BgyZojWg8G7k4Auj3fryDlY1jx2eyH9Zq9rG7PVlNP80YIXGwv2oIAW5alPTpc1x--QA https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBZwINrQ2F0nRT2DhXtJt6jZuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-74vBNGjRjdMfAPuJ7sRG0R2CTw0x62RfyxQ49QjkUbXDMOhp3NmnRN0dfJx4zXOdxLLl00dQzEpZMqVDDOYc_6MSU-Mm8eOdkEtvaYfWpCIQ-knfwszlb9HLCtY0-GVuWwOTmxxvx9Vr2mEpjJX2LHQEcKV707b3w <img src="https://api.follow.it/rssubscribers/rss_show_story_count/380085184/1813744" border=0 width="1" height="1" alt="Story 380085184" title="Story 380085184"> <ul><li>Mastermind of Russia state-sponsored doping wins prize</li><li>Grigory Rodchenkov book praised for ‘honesty and bravery’ </li></ul><p>The extraordinary autobiography of the doping mastermind who helped <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/dec/09/more-than-1000-russian-athletes-benefitted-from-state-sponsored-doping">Russia cheat their way to Olympic glory</a> before fleeing Moscow in fear of his life has won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award.</p><p>Dr Grigory Rodchenkov, whose tell-all book, The Rodchenkov Affair: How I Brought Down Putin’s Secret Doping Empire, was unable to collect the £30,000 first prize as he is still in a witness protection scheme in the US.</p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/02/the-kremlin-wants-me-dead-russias-sports-doping-whistleblower-speaks-out">‘The Kremlin wants me dead’: Russia's sports doping whistleblower speaks out</a></p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/03/russian-doping-whistleblower-grigory-rodchenkov-wins-william-hill-sportsbook-of-year-russian-doping-scandal">Continue reading...</a> Thu, 03 Dec 2020 14:19:19 GMT https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBZwINrQ2F0nRT2DhXtJt6jZuwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-74vBNGjRjdMfAPuJ7sRG0R2CTw0x62RfyxQ49QjkUbXDMOhp3NmnRN0dfJx4zXOdxLLl00dQzEpZMqVDDOYc_6MSU-Mm8eOdkEtvaYfWpCIQ-knfwszlb9HLCtY0-GVuWwOTmxxvx9Vr2mEpjJX2LHQEcKV707b3w https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBY_8L-2bJYKdT3Pme6Ivu5buwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-74vBNGjRjdMbsgLj2ljzUp9t1XbnhrFWMOKexEyOusR5F0oKyz-L6HaqSTVYj-vXwXSk0ATqqj9w <img src="https://api.follow.it/rssubscribers/rss_show_story_count/379842447/1813744" border=0 width="1" height="1" alt="Story 379842447" title="Story 379842447"> <ul><li>Russia serving five-year suspension from sport</li><li>Tokyo return possible if serious reform fulfilled </li></ul><p>World Athletics has opened the door for Russia’s track and field stars to compete at the Olympic Games in Tokyo next year – providing the country now fulfils its promises of serious reform.</p><p>The Russian Athletics Federation (Rusaf) looked close to being expelled from the sport in September but the election of a new president, Peter Ivanov, on Monday has led to cautious optimism that Russia could finally end its <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/dec/09/russia-banned-from-tokyo-olympics-and-football-world-cup">five-year suspension</a> from the sport.</p><p><span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/nov/25/christian-malcolm-uk-athletics-british-tokyo-2020-olympics">Christian Malcolm: 'It’s about my abilities, not the colour of my skin'</a></p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/02/world-athletics-russia-olympic-games-tokyo">Continue reading...</a> Wed, 02 Dec 2020 19:41:53 GMT https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/9yYfpWqHGBY_8L-2bJYKdT3Pme6Ivu5buwuv_fQ9n4gQjB4M6BdR4q_f9aL8mJdwntOEP9eOx-74vBNGjRjdMbsgLj2ljzUp9t1XbnhrFWMOKexEyOusR5F0oKyz-L6HaqSTVYj-vXwXSk0ATqqj9w