Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, the defending champion of the Women's Tour de France and 2024 Olympic mountain biking gold medalist, withdrew from the race before the eighth stage because she felt unwell. Her team, Visma-Lease a Bike, decided not to let her start the stage after consulting with medical staff.
Key Facts
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is the defending champion of the Women's Tour de France.
She won the race last year on her first attempt.
She also won an Olympic gold medal in mountain biking at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Ferrand-Prévot withdrew before Stage 8 of the 2026 Women's Tour de France due to illness.
Her team announced the withdrawal after medical advice.
Before withdrawing, she was 14th overall in the race.
Stage 8 was a flat, 172-kilometer route, good for sprinters.
Polish rider Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney led the race after winning Stage 7 by climbing Mont Ventoux.
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Saimoni Vunilagi, a 26-year-old Fijian rugby player, died from suspected heatstroke after a training session in Japan. He fell ill on Monday, was hospitalized, and passed away on Friday despite medical efforts.
Key Facts
Saimoni Vunilagi played for Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex, a Japanese second-division rugby team.
He showed severe heatstroke symptoms after a training session on Monday.
He was taken to a hospital but died on Friday.
The team is based in Fukuoka, Japan, where temperatures reached about 35°C (95°F) on training day.
Vunilagi had joined the Kyushu KV team just last month.
Before Kyushu KV, he played in Japan’s top rugby league with Tokyo Sungoliath.
The club expressed condolences and highlighted Vunilagi’s strong playing style and spirit.
No further details were given about the circumstances of his death.
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Michael Johnson, founder of the bankrupt Grand Slam Track (GST) league, has confirmed that all athletes owed money have now been paid. He explained that the league faced severe money problems after investors withdrew, and he personally loaned $2 million to cover athlete expenses and halted his own salary.
Key Facts
Grand Slam Track was founded by Michael Johnson in 2024 and filed for bankruptcy in December 2025.
The final GST event in Los Angeles was cancelled due to financial issues.
Several top athletes, including Josh Kerr and Matthew Hudson-Smith, were owed more than £100,000.
GST had debts exceeding $30 million according to the Association of Athletics Managers.
Johnson was accused of secretly paying himself $500,000 before the collapse, which he denies and says was actually reimbursement for expenses he covered personally.
Johnson loaned $2 million of his own money to help pay athletes and stopped taking his salary.
He has expressed regret and stress over the situation and its impact on his reputation and family.
Johnson has been a BBC commentator since 2001 but paused this role to focus on GST.
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Nat Sciver-Brunt scored an unbeaten 67 runs to help Trent Rockets win their cricket match against MI London by nine wickets. This win secured the Rockets a place in the knockout stage of The Hundred women’s competition.
Key Facts
Sciver-Brunt hit 67 runs without getting out, including nine fours and one six.
The Rockets reached the target of 122 runs with 18 balls left to spare.
Sciver-Brunt and Beth Mooney put together a 118-run partnership for the second wicket.
Samantha Bates took 3 wickets for 13 runs, helping limit MI London to 121 runs for 5 wickets.
MI London’s top scorer was Kira Chathli with 31 runs.
The victory puts Trent Rockets four points ahead of Southern Brave in the group standings.
The Rockets will play Southern Brave in the final group match, which could decide who goes directly to the final.
The Hundred is a cricket tournament with both women's and men's matches played at The Oval and other venues.
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Phil Parkes, a former goalkeeper for Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves), has died at the age of 79. He played for Wolves from 1960 to 1978, appearing in 382 games, and later helped the club as part of its former players association.
Key Facts
Phil Parkes joined Wolves as a schoolboy and played for the first team from 1966 to 1978.
He made 382 appearances for Wolves during his career.
Parkes helped Wolves reach the UEFA Cup final in 1972, where they lost to Tottenham Hotspur.
After leaving Wolves, he played in North America for teams including Vancouver Whitecaps and Chicago Sting.
He served on the committee of Wolves' former players association after retiring in 1983.
Parkes was inducted into the Wolves Hall of Fame in 2023.
The club reported he had a fall at home that led to ongoing medical care until his death.
Former teammates remembered him as a protective and kind person known as "Lofty" or "the big man."
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Skye Blakely and Claire Pease are tied for first place after the first day of the US gymnastics championships in Phoenix. Several other competitors, including Charleigh Bullock and defending champion Hezly Rivera, are close behind as the event continues.
Key Facts
Skye Blakely, 21, and Claire Pease, 17, both scored 55.6 points and share the all-around lead.
The championships are taking place in Phoenix.
Charleigh Bullock, 16, is in third place with 55.4 points.
Hezly Rivera, the defending champion and 2024 Olympic gold medalist, scored 55.0 points despite a fall on the uneven bars.
Blakely missed the 2024 Paris Olympics due to an Achilles injury but has returned to competition.
Rivera recorded the highest score on the balance beam (14.3) and the second-best on the floor exercise (14.0).
Bullock had the highest uneven bars score (14.25), just above Pease and Blakely who each scored 14.2.
The women’s gymnastics event will finish on Sunday.
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Memphis Grizzlies player Brandon Clarke died from the effects of heroin and cocaine, according to Los Angeles medical examiners. The death was ruled accidental, with prescription drugs also contributing, and a full report is expected later.
Key Facts
Brandon Clarke was found unresponsive at a home in San Fernando Valley on May 11, 2026.
He was 29 years old and a professional NBA forward for the Memphis Grizzlies.
The cause of death included heroin, cocaine, and multiple prescription medications.
Clarke played 309 NBA games with an average of 10.2 points per game.
He was drafted in 2019 and played only two games in the 2025-26 season due to injuries.
Clarke had been arrested a month before his death on charges including speeding and possession of a controlled substance.
He was born in Vancouver and held both Canadian and U.S. citizenship.
Clarke played college basketball at San Jose State and Gonzaga before joining the NBA.
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Atletico Madrid will not sell forward Julian Alvarez this transfer window despite interest from Barcelona and other clubs. Coach Diego Simeone and CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin said the club values Alvarez and wants to keep him to continue growing as a player.
Key Facts
Atletico Madrid refuses to sell Julian Alvarez during the current transfer window.
Barcelona showed interest in Alvarez and was accused of illegal contact by Atletico.
Alvarez was linked to Arsenal and Real Madrid, with Real Madrid’s €150 million offer rejected.
Atletico’s CEO said no offers of €100 million, €150 million, or €200 million will be accepted.
Alvarez has scored 49 goals for Atletico since joining from Manchester City two years ago.
Alvarez is returning to Atletico after a break following Argentina’s World Cup loss to Spain.
Simeone compared Alvarez’s situation to Antoine Griezmann, who faced fan criticism but became a club legend.
Atletico starts their La Liga season on August 19 against Malaga.
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Arsenal have signed Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United on a four-year contract with an option for a fifth year. The Brazil midfielder joined in a transfer worth around 75 million pounds ($101 million) to strengthen Arsenal’s team for the upcoming season.
Key Facts
Bruno Guimaraes joined Arsenal from Newcastle United.
The contract is for four years with a one-year option.
The transfer fee is about 75 million pounds ($101 million).
Guimaraes is a Brazil international and played at the 2022 World Cup.
He is known for being a versatile midfielder, able to defend and attack.
Guimaraes was the Newcastle captain and helped them win the League Cup in 2025.
Arsenal’s Sporting Director said Guimaraes adds quality and depth to the team.
Arsenal will start their new season on August 21 against Coventry City.
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The Scottish Football Association (SFA) has found a preferred candidate to replace Steve Clarke as Scotland’s new head coach. They hope to announce the appointment within two weeks, before Scotland’s next matches in the Nations League starting on 26 September.
Key Facts
Steve Clarke resigned as Scotland’s head coach after the team was eliminated in the World Cup group stage.
Clarke had signed a new four-year contract in May before his resignation.
Craig Mulholland, the SFA’s chief football officer, is leading the search for the new coach.
Mulholland has spoken to many candidates from both the UK and other countries.
Interviews have been held, and the SFA is close to making a decision.
It is not yet known if the new coach will be Scottish or from another country.
Steven Naismith, Clarke’s former assistant, expects to stay involved with the national team under the new coach.
The new coach is expected to be in place for the first Nations League game against Slovenia on 26 September.
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Arsenal has signed Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United for £75 million. The 28-year-old Brazilian midfielder has joined Arsenal on a four-year contract, seeking new challenges and aiming to win trophies.
Key Facts
Bruno Guimaraes transferred from Newcastle United to Arsenal for £75 million.
He signed a four-year deal with an option for one more year.
Guimaraes is 28 years old and plays as a midfielder.
He was the captain of Newcastle and helped them win the 2025 EFL Cup.
Guimaraes left Newcastle to face new challenges and aims to achieve success with Arsenal.
Newcastle wished Guimaraes and his family well after the transfer.
Guimaraes received friendly messages from Arsenal teammates, including Declan Rice and Gabriel.
He played a key role in Newcastle's rise from relegation trouble to Champions League qualification before last season.
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Newcastle United’s sporting director Ross Wilson said the club did not plan to sell their captain Bruno Guimaraes, despite reports linking him to Arsenal. Guimaraes has expressed a desire to leave, and Newcastle may have to respond to his wish, even though they valued him highly.
Key Facts
Newcastle’s captain Bruno Guimaraes is reportedly close to a £75 million ($101 million) move to Arsenal.
Newcastle’s sporting director said selling Guimaraes was not part of their plans.
Guimaraes told the club he wants to leave.
The fee reported could be a world record for a player of Guimaraes’s age (28).
Guimaraes joined Newcastle in January 2022 from Olympique Lyonnais.
He has played 195 games and scored 31 goals for Newcastle.
Guimaraes captained Newcastle to win the League Cup in 2025.
Newcastle has recently lost other players and their manager Eddie Howe.
Newcastle’s first Premier League game this season is against Liverpool on August 23.
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Paris hosted its first high-diving competition in the Seine River, with athletes diving from 20 meters near the Eiffel Tower. The event is part of the European Aquatics Championships and highlights Paris’s efforts to clean the river for sports and public use.
Key Facts
The high-diving event took place on the Pont de Bir-Hakeim in front of the Eiffel Tower.
Training was briefly paused due to detection of hydrocarbon pollution, but the area was quickly treated and the event continued.
Paris has invested heavily to clean the Seine ahead of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games to make the river safe for swimming and sports.
Hundreds of spectators gathered to watch the divers, including tourists who came across the event by chance.
The event is part of the 38th European Aquatics Championships, which includes swimming, diving, artistic swimming, open-water swimming, and high diving.
Paris last hosted the European Aquatics Championships in 1931, and swimming in the Seine was officially banned in 1923.
The current competition symbolizes a broader effort to make the Seine a place for sport and public enjoyment, not just transport and tourism.
The championships will run until August 16, with high diving ending on August 12.
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A local amateur football league in Norfolk and Suffolk has postponed the start of its 2026/27 season until the end of August because the pitches are too dry and hard to play on safely. This decision follows a record drought and heatwave that have made the ground unsafe and caused injuries during pre-season matches.
Key Facts
The Anglian Combination League has 85 amateur teams in Norfolk and Suffolk.
The 2026/27 football season was delayed until August 29 due to unsafe "rock hard" pitches.
Pre-season friendly games were canceled or caused many injuries because of dry conditions.
July was the driest and hottest month since records began in 1836.
A drought was declared in half of England, with hosepipe bans in place including in Norfolk and Suffolk.
Some sports clubs and private schools have exemptions from hosepipe bans.
The Met Office predicts another heatwave with temperatures up to 36°C in the region next week.
The FA does not track how many other leagues have postponed seasons because of the drought.
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The president of the Argentine Football Association said Lionel Messi alone will decide when to retire from football. After a strong performance in the 2022 World Cup, Messi has not announced when he will stop playing for Argentina or his club, Inter Miami.
Key Facts
Claudio Tapia, head of Argentina’s Football Association, said Messi chooses when to retire.
Messi turned 39 in June 2023 and scored twice in a World Cup group match against Austria.
Messi played very well in the 2022 World Cup, scoring 8 goals and making 4 assists.
Argentina lost the 2022 World Cup final 1-0 to Spain in extra time.
Messi became the top scorer in World Cup history before being passed by Kylian Mbappe.
The next World Cup Messi could play in is in 2026, but that is not certain.
The 2030 World Cup will be hosted by Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and three South American countries.
Argentina will play friendly matches in September 2023, but opponents are not yet decided.
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French swimmers Marc-Antoine Olivier and Logan Fontaine won silver and bronze medals in the three-kilometer open water swimming event at the European Swimming Championships held in Paris. This marks the first time France has won medals in open water swimming at these championships.
Key Facts
The event was the European Swimming Championships in Paris.
Marc-Antoine Olivier won the silver medal in the three-kilometer open water swimming race.
Logan Fontaine won the bronze medal in the same event.
This is France’s first time winning medals in open water swimming at this competition.
The event was a knock-out style race over three kilometers.
Other sports news included cycling, football transfers, tennis wins, and diving events.
The article’s main focus was on the achievements of French swimmers in open water swimming.
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Rashid Khan took six wickets to help Afghanistan beat Ireland by 92 runs in the second one-day international cricket match. Afghanistan now leads the five-match series 1-0 after the first game was canceled due to rain.
Key Facts
Rashid Khan took six wickets, ending the match with bowling figures of 6 wickets for 34 runs.
Afghanistan scored 299 runs for 8 wickets in their 47 overs.
Ireland was bowled out for 207 runs while chasing 300.
The match was played at Bready Cricket Club in Magheramason, Northern Ireland.
Ireland lost seven wickets for 63 runs during their batting collapse.
The series is a five-match ODI cricket series between Afghanistan and Ireland.
The first ODI was canceled because of rain.
The third match in the series is scheduled to take place in Belfast on Monday.
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South Korea's football association apologized after a report claimed it offered sexual services to foreign referees during matches more than ten years ago. The association said such actions did not happen recently and expressed regret about the issues raised from past events.
Key Facts
The Korea Football Association (KFA) allegedly provided sexual services to foreign referees in 2011 and 2012.
The services reportedly occurred during international football events like 2014 World Cup qualifiers and the 2012 Olympics.
A 2016 investigation by South Korea’s sports ministry found the KFA offered inappropriate entertainment, including visits to massage parlors where fees covered sexual services.
KFA stated that inappropriate conduct or use of corporate cards for such purposes does not happen now.
The association apologized for concerns caused by these past allegations, some of which were revealed through a parliamentary hearing and police search.
Seoul police raided KFA offices investigating the appointment process of former national coach Hong Myung-bo.
Hong was reappointed as South Korea’s national team coach in 2024 after a short and controversial selection process.
The football association faces criticism following South Korea’s poor performance in the recent World Cup.
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Paris is hosting its first high-diving competition in the Seine River, with athletes diving from a 20-meter platform near the Eiffel Tower. The event was briefly paused when pollutants were found in the water but resumed after cleanup, as part of the European Aquatics Championships running until August 16, 2026.
Key Facts
The competition takes place on the Bir-Hakeim Bridge over the Seine River in Paris.
Divers jump from a platform that is 20 meters (about 65 feet) high.
The event is part of the 2026 European Aquatics Championships.
Training was temporarily stopped due to traces of hydrocarbons detected upstream.
The French Swimming Federation treated the contaminated area, allowing the event to continue.
Paris invested in cleaning and making the Seine safer for swimming before the 2024 Olympics.
Hundreds of spectators watch the competition from the riverbanks.
Organizers acknowledge outdoor events carry risks but say these add to their appeal.
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