Australian Hyrox athlete Joanna Wietrzyk said she continued racing in Beijing after a foodborne bacterial infection caused her to lose control of her bowels because she was focused on finishing and winning. She later forfeited her victory and prize points, and said she has reflected on the decision as she prepares to race again in Hamburg.
Key Facts
Wietrzyk, 24, became ill during a Hyrox event in Beijing last month after a bacterial infection linked to food poisoning.
She said she felt well before the race and first noticed symptoms about halfway through it.
Wietrzyk won the event but later forfeited her victory and prize points.
She said she regretted not considering the effects of continuing to race on other competitors.
Hyrox changed its rules to let organizers disqualify athletes when bodily fluids or waste affect an event’s integrity.
Hyrox co-founder Moritz Fürste said the organization had made a mistake by not intervening during the Beijing race.
Wietrzyk said she and her family received abuse and threats after images of the incident spread online.
Wietrzyk was due to compete in Hamburg as she returned to racing.
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Packers running back Josh Jacobs said his hands-behind-back touchdown celebration against the Carolina Panthers referenced the gospel song “Break Every Chain,” not his recent arrest. Jacobs returned to play last week after leaving the commissioner’s exempt list; the NFL investigation remains ongoing.
Key Facts
Jacobs scored on a one-yard run during Green Bay’s 27-19 win over Carolina.
After the touchdown, Jacobs briefly placed his hands behind his back while celebrating with teammates.
Some viewers thought the gesture resembled being handcuffed.
Jacobs said the celebration was inspired by the gospel song “Break Every Chain.”
Jacobs said he and teammates had planned the celebration before his season debut.
Jacobs pleaded no contest last month to misdemeanor battery and criminal damage to property charges.
The charges stemmed from an alleged May altercation with his then-girlfriend.
The NFL removed Jacobs from the commissioner’s exempt list last week, but its investigation remains ongoing.
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England beat Papua New Guinea 34-12 but are likely to miss the Rugby League World Cup semi-finals after failing to make up enough of their points deficit to Samoa. England can advance only if Tonga beat Samoa by more than 46 points.
Key Facts
England led Papua New Guinea 22-0 after 22 minutes.
Matty Ashton, AJ Brimson, Dominic Young, Harry Smith, Morgan Knowles and Mikey Lewis scored England’s tries.
Dudley Dotoi and Gairo Voro scored Papua New Guinea’s tries.
England made 21 errors and completed 57% of their sets.
England had beaten France 82-0 in their previous group game.
England’s bid to reach the semi-finals depended on winning their remaining group games by large margins after losing their opener to Tonga.
Tonga must beat Samoa by more than 46 points for England to reach the last four.
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The article previews the 2026–27 college basketball season, highlighting JuJu Watkins’s expected return to USC after a 19-month injury layoff and Tyran Stokes’s debut at Kansas. It also discusses conference changes, possible breakout teams and players, and the planned expansion of the men’s and women’s March Madness tournaments to 76 teams.
Key Facts
JuJu Watkins is expected to return to USC after a 19-month injury layoff.
Tyran Stokes is set to make his debut at Kansas.
The article says the new Pac-12 will have nine teams, including Gonzaga and Texas State.
The NCAA plans to expand the men’s and women’s March Madness tournaments to 76 teams.
Writers identify Miami’s men’s team and Michigan’s women’s team as possible surprise contenders.
The article notes that Florida retained most of its core from its 2025 men’s championship team.
Randy Bennett moved to Arizona State after 25 seasons as Saint Mary’s head coach.
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Senegal is preparing to host the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, with competition due to begin within 24 hours of the report on October 30. The International Olympic Committee said it was upbeat, and venues were ready for the first Olympic event held on the African continent.
Key Facts
The 2026 Youth Olympic Games will take place in Dakar, Senegal.
Competition was scheduled to begin within 24 hours of the report issued October 30, 2026.
The International Olympic Committee was upbeat about preparations.
Venues were ready to host the Games.
The event is the first Olympic event to be held on the African continent.
France 24 correspondent Aminatou Diallo reported from Senegal.
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James Anderson says he was shocked and saddened after Lancashire decided not to renew his contract. The 44-year-old has not decided whether to play for another county or end his career, but says he is beginning to feel excited about the future.
Key Facts
Lancashire told Anderson it wanted to build a bowling attack for the future.
Anderson took 50 wickets in the County Championship last season and captained Lancashire.
Lancashire finished second bottom in Division Two of the County Championship.
Anderson said he had hoped to finish his career with Lancashire, the county he supported as a child.
He has taken 911 international wickets, an England record and a record for pace bowlers.
Anderson took 443 first-class wickets for Lancashire, along with 83 in List A cricket and 50 in T20s.
Other counties are understood to be interested in signing Anderson.
Anderson said he would not expect to join Lancashire rival Yorkshire.
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Alexander Zverev will become world No. 1 on November 2 after beating Tallon Griekspoor in Vienna. He will be the first German man to hold the top ranking since Boris Becker in 1991 and the 30th player to reach No. 1.
Key Facts
Zverev defeated Griekspoor 6-4, 7-5 at the ATP 500 tournament in Vienna.
The 29-year-old German will replace Jannik Sinner at the top of the ATP rankings on Monday, November 2.
Carlos Alcaraz beat Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-1, 7-6 to reach the Vienna quarter-finals, where he will play Tommy Paul.
In Basel, Arthur Fils beat Alex Michelsen 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 and will next face Taylor Fritz.
Jan-Lennard Struff defeated Novak Djokovic 6-7, 7-5, 6-7 in Basel.
Paris Basketball beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 99-94 in the EuroLeague, with Nadir Hifi scoring 26 points.
Atlanta beat Golden State 80-69 to tie the WNBA Finals at 3-3; Gabby Williams scored 26 points, and Game 7 is scheduled for Saturday in San Francisco.
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The 2027 Dakar Rally will start in Portugal and continue in Morocco after organizers moved it out of Saudi Arabia over security concerns. The race is scheduled for January 9–23, pending approval from the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council.
Key Facts
Portugal’s Algarve region will host the prologue and first stage.
Morocco will host 11 stages and a rest day in Agadir.
The route is planned to cover 7,824 kilometers, including 4,341 kilometers of special stages, from Loule-Faro to Marrakesh.
The race was originally scheduled for January 1–15.
Organizers called the move from Saudi Arabia exceptional and one-off.
The Dakar Rally is scheduled to return to Saudi Arabia for its 2028 edition.
The 2027 event will be the rally’s first in Africa since 2008.
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Joanne Navarra is marking 50 years as a lead volunteer at the start village of the New York City Marathon. She and her late husband, Victor, helped organize the race’s start, and she continues the work in his memory.
Key Facts
The 2026 New York City Marathon is scheduled for Nov. 1, with nearly 60,000 runners expected.
The five-borough course began in 1976, when the marathon’s start moved from Central Park to Staten Island.
The 1976 race had 2,090 participants, who paid a $5 entry fee.
Navarra began volunteering after her husband wanted to run the race.
Race organizer Fred Lebow later asked the Navarras to run the start.
The couple helped recruit volunteers, organize runner corrals and direct runners to the starting line.
Victor Navarra, a New York City Fire Department lieutenant, died in 2007 from paranasal sinus cancer, which the article says was attributed to his Ground Zero volunteer work after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Joanne Navarra has continued leading start operations as a way to honor her husband.
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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) reversed its plan to move the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to a four-year schedule. CAF’s executive committee unanimously decided the tournament will return to a two-year cycle, saying the change serves African football and its member associations.
Key Facts
AFCON has traditionally been held every two years.
CAF announced its four-year-cycle plan last December.
CAF had proposed a Nations League as a biennial competition under the earlier plan.
CAF said the Nations League would take years to generate enough revenue to support African football.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe said earlier this month that the organization was considering restoring the two-year AFCON cycle.
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will cohost the 2027 AFCON.
CAF said later tournaments will take place in 2028, 2031 and 2033.
CAF said there will be no AFCON in 2030, maintaining its practice of avoiding tournaments in a World Cup year.
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The Atlanta Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 80-69 in Game 6 of the WNBA Finals, tying the series at three games apiece. The teams will play the league’s first Finals Game 7 on Saturday in San Francisco, with each seeking its first championship.
Key Facts
Atlanta led for nearly the entire game and held Golden State to 26 points in the first half.
Allisha Gray scored 23 points and made five 3-pointers for Atlanta.
Rhyne Howard scored 21 points for the Dream.
Angel Reese recorded 15 points, 14 rebounds and six assists.
Gabby Williams led Golden State with 26 points; Tiffany Hayes added 15.
The Valkyries made seven of 27 3-point attempts.
Game 7 is scheduled for Saturday night in San Francisco.
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Memphis beat Portland 124-103 to improve to 5-0, led by Cameron Boozer’s first career triple-double. New Orleans earned its first win of the season by defeating Sacramento, and Atlanta edged Cleveland 114-111 to end a three-game losing streak.
Key Facts
Boozer recorded 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists for Memphis.
Memphis outscored Portland 66-45 in the second half.
Deni Avdija led Portland with 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Ja Morant scored 14 points in 23 minutes before leaving with a left hamstring injury.
New Orleans beat Sacramento 132-120 for its first win of the season.
Jeremiah Fears had 22 points and a career-best 13 assists for New Orleans; Zion Williamson also scored 22.
Sacramento rookie Darius Acuff Jr. scored a season-high 34 points.
Onyeka Okongwu scored a season-high 29 points as Atlanta beat Cleveland 114-111.
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Everton beat Newcastle United 3-1 to reach the League Cup quarterfinals, where they will travel to face fourth-tier Fleetwood Town. Fleetwood advanced after knocking Arsenal out on penalties, while the other quarterfinals include Crystal Palace versus Sunderland, Liverpool versus Bournemouth and Manchester City versus Bradford City.
Key Facts
James Garner and Hayden Hackney scored for Everton in the first half.
Thierno Barry added Everton’s third after the break, and Dan Burn scored Newcastle’s late goal.
Everton left midfielder Jack Grealish out of the squad after an internal breach of club discipline.
Fleetwood Town beat Arsenal on penalties after their fourth-round match ended 1-1.
Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties to advance.
Manchester City beat Brighton on penalties after a 2-2 draw.
The quarterfinals are scheduled for the week beginning December 14.
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Nairobi will host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, becoming the first African city to stage the competition. Kenya’s successful bid drew on its athletics record and experience hosting youth championships, while the selection renewed scrutiny of doping violations among Kenyan athletes.
Key Facts
The World Athletics Championships began in 1983 in Helsinki, Finland.
Nairobi is set to become the first African city to host the championships.
Kenya won the 2029 hosting bid at a World Athletics Council meeting in Budapest on September 15.
London, Rome and Munich also submitted bids.
Nairobi’s bid cited renovations to Kasarani Stadium and Kenya’s experience hosting the 2017 World U18 and 2021 World U20 championships.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe described Nairobi’s proposal as compelling and emotional.
The article reports that 318 Kenyan athletes had been sanctioned for anti-doping rule violations since the Athletics Integrity Unit was established in 2017, with 136 still serving bans.
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Matchroom Sport promoter Eddie Hearn is expected to expand his role in English rugby after meeting Premiership Rugby officials. The league says its clubs’ finances are improving and plans to grow from 10 to 12 teams by the 2030/31 season, with priority given to developing English clubs.
Key Facts
Hearn has signed rugby players Finn Russell and Henry Pollock to his athlete stable.
Premiership Rugby chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor said Hearn could represent more top players and explore events or commercial partnerships.
All 10 Premiership clubs passed financial standards for the 2026/27 season.
The league’s report forecasts club losses will fall by £26.7 million, though no club is currently profitable.
Newcastle Red Bulls, Exeter Chiefs and Bath Rugby secured major outside investment in the past year.
Massie-Taylor said he expects most clubs to become profitable within five years.
The league plans to expand from 10 to 12 teams by the 2030/31 season.
Future entrants must play at least one season in the second-tier Championship and buy a P-Share, thought to be worth about £20 million.
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Tony Pulis says football management can place sustained physical and mental strain on managers, and argues they need to make their health a priority. He describes learning to improve his own diet and fitness after taking charge of Bournemouth in 1992, when he carried broad responsibilities and felt pressure over results.
Key Facts
Pulis began his first managerial job at Bournemouth in 1992, aged 34.
He says he handled tasks including scouting, player signings, staff organisation and first-team coaching.
Pulis recalls often eating poorly while travelling to watch players, sometimes relying on a pie or a sandwich.
He says criticism intensified when his teams lost, adding to the pressure of being responsible for results.
The article cites a 25-year-old experiment in which managers Dave Bassett and Sam Allardyce wore heart monitors during a match; their heart rates reached critical levels.
The article reports that Vincent Kompany collapsed at Bayern Munich's training ground and that the cause was identified as meningeal irritation, an inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord.
Pulis refers to the death of Scotland manager Jock Stein after a World Cup qualifier in 1985 and heart problems experienced by several other managers.
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Australian Hyrox athlete Joanna Wietrzyk told the BBC she regretted continuing a race in Beijing after suffering diarrhoea during the event. She said her focus on winning affected her judgment and apologized to people she may have affected; she also discussed the social media backlash that followed.
Key Facts
Wietrzyk is an Australian Hyrox athlete.
The incident happened during a competition in Beijing in September.
She said she suffered diarrhoea roughly halfway through the race.
Wietrzyk continued racing after the incident.
She said she made the wrong decision and apologized to people she affected.
She said she believed she should not have faced such a strong social media backlash.
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Lewis Hamilton said he plans to keep racing for the foreseeable future and believes he can compete at a high level into his mid-forties. He also said he hopes to race in Africa, where Rwanda is set to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix in the early 2030s.
Key Facts
Hamilton is 41 and joined Ferrari in 2025.
He said he may continue racing into his mid-forties, while noting he cannot predict whether he will still want to race in four years.
Hamilton said Formula 1 has never had anyone like him and argued that age has not weakened his reaction time.
Formula 1 has signed a 10-year deal with Rwanda starting in the early 2030s.
The planned Rwanda race would be the first Formula 1 race in Africa since 1993.
Hamilton is competing to finish second in the drivers’ championship, behind Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.
Hamilton won the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in June after a difficult first season with Ferrari.
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A report by YouGov and Populous found that growth in Women’s Super League crowds has slowed, with median attendance rising only modestly since 2023–24 and some major fixtures drawing smaller crowds. The report points to the matchday experience and changing kick-off times as possible factors, while fans differ over whether clubs should focus more on family activities or on football and dedicated supporters.
Key Facts
Average WSL attendances rose by 192% in the season after England won Euro 2022, but the growth rate has since slowed.
Median crowds increased from 3,070 in 2023–24 to 3,236 in 2025–26, according to a 2026 YouGov and Populous report.
Arsenal’s match against Manchester United at the Emirates drew 29,853 this season, down from 46,603 in 2024–25.
Chelsea’s match against Arsenal drew 19,349, compared with 34,302 the previous season.
The Manchester United–Manchester City fixture drew 5,361 at Leigh Village in October; it drew 24,983 at Old Trafford in March 2026.
In the report, fans ranked a welcoming, family-friendly environment above team success and on-pitch performance as a factor in match enjoyment.
The report found that 15% of people who attended a women’s match in the past five years go at least monthly; 43% described themselves as casual followers and 10% as devoted supporters.
Fans cited changing kick-off times and travel problems as attendance concerns, while some objected to clubs’ family-focused marketing.
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The article examines how former Manchester United players and online creators have turned the club’s struggles into a steady stream of commentary across television, podcasts and YouTube. It describes the reach of figures including Gary Neville, Wayne Rooney, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt, and raises questions about the effect of constant scrutiny on the club and its players.
Key Facts
Michael Carrick is set to manage Manchester United for its Saturday match against Chelsea.
Amazon’s All or Nothing crew has been given access to document events behind the scenes at Old Trafford this season.
Gary Neville criticized United after its 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth and later discussed the team on a podcast.
Neville launched The Overlap in 2021, and the article describes it as an influential sports-media outlet.
Neville acquired a network of YouTube channels from United influencer Mark Goldbridge last summer.
Wayne Rooney appeared on Neville’s Stick to United channel and said Carrick’s players needed “a firework up their a***.”
Roy Keane said Carrick and his backroom staff were “lucky boys” to remain in their jobs.
Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt co-host The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast.
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