UK Government gets tough on cyber-crime and international hacking

The UK Government has come up with a new proposal to slow down the rate of international cyber-crime affecting Britain - all Chinese internet connections will be forced to use the TalkTalk network.

Jo Pavey wins London 10,000 race

Jo Pavey, European 10,000m champion claimed the British 10km road race title by winning today's BUPA London 10,000 in 32min 56 seconds.

Jo Pavey and Haile Gebrselassie at the Great CityGames in Manchester.

 
Jo, 41, who also won the title in 2011, finished 23 seconds ahead of junior English cross-country champion Rebecca Murray, 20.

Dina Asher-Smith sets women's British 100m record

Nineteen year old sprinter Dina Asher-Smith has set a new women's British 100m record as she ran 11.02 seconds at the World Challenge Meeting in Hengelo in the Netherlands to finish second behind home athlete Dafne Schippers, 22, in 10.94 seconds.

Dina Asher-Smith and Dafne Schippers at the Great CityGames in Manchester

But that was enough for Asher-Smith to break Montell Douglas' 2008 record of 11.05 seconds.

Looking good in Yorkshire Life

Yorkshire Life are running a feature on Jessica Mayho, 21, the North of England Female Hammer Champion, the current number one in England and current number three in the UK.  Her best performance is 59.92m set at the Leeds City Open on 9th May 2015.

Jessica Mayho competing at the CommSport Open on May 10th 2015.

The July 2015 issue, due out mid-June, will be adorned with a photo from the CommSport Open.

Jessica Ennis-Hill looking to qualify for Rio

Jessica Ennis-Hill says that she is fit to compete in her first heptathlon since becoming Olympic champion.  She has recently returned to competition again and has had promising run outs at the Great CityGames in Manchester and the Loughborough International.

Jessica Ennis-Hill at the UK Indoor Championships in 2012 where she ramped up her qualification for London 2012

She will now travel to Gotzis on 30th-31st May to target a slot at Rio in 2016 with a heptathlon score above 6,200 points.  She said qualifying early for the Rio Olympics would remove "...a real pressure", adding: "All the indicators are looking positive, so I plan to go to Gotzis and give it my best shot."

She has also confirmed her intention to compete in the Sainsbury's Birmingham Grand Prix at the Alexander Stadium on Sunday 7th June.  Looks like Sheffield's Golden Girl is going for it!

Tessa Jowell to replace Boris Johnson as London Mayor?

Labour's former culture secretary Dame Tessa Jowell, who stood down at this year's general election, has announced she will run for the next Mayor of London.

As a key figure behind the bid for London to host the 2012 Olympics, she is seen here in Sheffield as the Olympic torch journeyed through the city.

Jessica Ennis-Hill continues her comeback at Loughborough

Jessica Ennis-Hill continued her comeback at yesterday's 57th Loughborough International.

The Olympic heptathlon champion jumped 6.16m for third place in the long jump and threw 43.88m for sixth place in the javelin competition.

Jessica Ennis-Hill at the Great CityGames in Manchester

This continues her preparations for the 2015 season with the next major event being the Gotzis Hypo meeting at the end of the month - where Katarina Johnson-Thompson will not be defending her title this year.

Top athletes to compete again at this year's Loughborough International Athletics 2015

The Loughborough International Athletics event is back for it's 57th year and will be taking place on Sunday 17th May 2015 at the Paula Radcliffe Athletics Stadium, Loughborough.

Kristie Edwards competing in the 100m at last weekend's CommSport Open.

Loughborough Students will be taking on teams from England, Wales, Scotland, GB & NI Juniors, and British Universities in the athletics season’s traditional curtain raiser.
Several Sheffield athletes will be in attendance (Kristie Edwards, Adam Hague, Luke Cutts) so I am hoping for a good turnout.

More details at: http://loughboroughsport.com/lia2015/

James Dasaolu ready to face Justin Gatlin in Diamond League in Doha

James Dasaolu is ready to face the best sprinters in the world this weekend as his season has progressed so well so far.  Dasaolu said "The year has been injury free.  Normally I'd open up in June but everything's been going well so I want to get the ball rolling."

James Dasaolu, nearest the camera, 60m, Birmingham NIA, Feb 2014

This year's Diamond League opens in Doha, and Dasaolu will be up against the controversial Justin Gatlin who continues to improve - running six of the seven fastest times in the 100m last year, including a PB of 9.77 seconds.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson will not defend her title in Gotzis this year

Katarina Johnson-Thompson will not defend her Pentathlon title at the Gotzis Hypo-Meeting in Austria later this month.  She narrowly came second to Meghan Beesley in the 200m hurdles at the Great CityGames in Manchester last Saturday, but feels that a knee injury sustained in March has lost much preparation time.

In turn, Jessica Ennis-Hill will only return to heptathlon action when she is ready....coach Toni Minichiello said she "...had a bit of work to do..." before a decision will be made.

This will come as a big disappointment to all those athletics fans who were looking forward to a match between Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Jessica Ennis-Hill.  Gotzis was to be an early chance to achieve the 6,200 heptathlon points needed to qualify for Rio in 2016.

Haile Gebrselassie retires after Great Manchester Run

The 42 year old Ethiopian runner Haile Gebrselassie has announced his retirement from competitive running.
It came after finishing 16th in the Great Manchester Run last Sunday.

It brings to an end a 25 year career which included two Olympics golds (10,000m in Atlanta and Sydney), eight World Championship victories and 27 world records - he remains the world record holder at 20,000m and the one-hour race (13 miles 397 yards).

"For me a day without training is like a day without eating." is one of his most famous quotes.

Nice bloke, very easy to talk to - wish him all he best

CommSport Outdoor Athletics Meeting

CommSport (http://commsportuk.com/) held their outdoor athletics meeting today at Woodbourn Rd stadium in Sheffield.

There were some good performances all round, but the highlight for me was the pole vault competition where Liam Ramsay and John Lane pushed the bar up and up.

World Class athletics at the Great CityGames Manchester

It's a Saturday afternoon in early May in Manchester.....the silver lining to the weather outlook of heavy showers is the world class athletes who lined up to take part in this year's Great CityGames.  (That and a neoprene sleeve for my camera and lens, a microtowel for me, and the thought of a steaming hot cup of tea on the train back to Sheffield!)

Melissa Gergel (USA) clears 4.10m at the third attempt

 Yarisley Silva (Cuba) clears 4.30m at the third attempt

 Dina Asher-Smith (GBR) wins the Women's 150m in 16.82 seconds ahead of Dafne Schippers (NL)

Meghan Beesley (GBR) wins the Women's 200m hurdles in 25.28 just ahead of  Katarina Johnson-Thompson (GBR)

 Michael Rodgers (USA) takes teh Men's 100m in 10.25 seconds ahead of Richard Kilty (GBR), Kim Collins (StKitts) and Chijindu Ujah (GBR)

Jessica Young (USA) takes the Women's 100m in 11.33 seconds just ahead of English Gardner (USA), Ashleigh Nelson (GBR) and Bianca Williams (GBR)

Richard Browne (USA) storms the Men's 100m T44 in 10.99 ahead of Michail Seitis (Greece), Ronald Hertog (NL) and Emanuele di Marino (Italy)

 Curtis Mitchell (USA) pulls up in the Men's 150m

 Churandy Martina (NL) dips in 15.21 seconds just ahead of Danny Talbot (GBR) in the Men's 150m

 David Oliver (USA) clips the last hurdle in the Men's 110m hurdles

 Daniel Ortega (Cuba) wins the Men's 110m hurdles in 13.32seconds

 Jessica Ennis-Hill on the big screen as the runners in the Women's 100m hurdles get set

Tiffany Porter (GBR) attacks the final sprint in the Women's 100m hurdles

Tiffany Porter (GBR) wins the Women's 100m hurdles in 12.86 seconds ahead of Lucy Hatton, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Serita Solomon (all GBR)

 Where the race can be won and lost in the changeover in the 2x100m - Jessica Young and Michael Rodgers (both USa and who both won their races earlier in the day) mis-time the changeover

 Chijindu Ujah (GBR) crosses the line in 20.30 seconds ahead of Richard Kilty (GBR)

 Chijindu Ujah and Dina Asher-Smith (both GBR) look to confirm their time of 20.30 seconds in the 2x100m

 Dina Asher-Smith (GBR) and Dafne Schippers (NL) check the scoreboard in the Women's 150m

Meghan Beesley (GBR) wins the Women's 200m hurdles ahead of Katarina Johnson-Thompson (GBR), Yadisleidy Pedroso (Italy) and Eilidh Child (GBR)

Press Day at the Great CityGames Manchester 2015

The Great CityGames Manchester will once again bring world class athletics to the city's streets on Saturday 9th May2015.

The events will take place on a specially raised track (four lanes wide) on Deansgate and at a purpose built arena in Albert Square just outside the Town Hall.

Today was Press Day - the chance for a photo opportunity on the track with some of the athletes and then interviews at the local hotel base.

Non-one knew in advance who would be there from those athletes who were due to compete, so it was an amazing line-up of Jessica Ennis-Hill, Greg Rutherford, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Haile Gebrselassie, Jo Pavey and Richard Kilty who were there for photos and who were then joined by Gemma Steel for the interviews.

Wow - talk about like being in a sweet shop...the chance to photograph such superstars at something less than the 25mph they usually zip by at...and then chat to them over coffee and biscuits.....unbelievable.

Some photos from the day...the clues for the names are mostly on the front of the vests!

Nicko McBrain - playing to the big crowd

Nicko McBrain, best known as the drummer of heavy metal band Iron Maiden, was a feature in the friend-and-family seats this past week at the Crucible theatre, Sheffield.

The slightly-less-than-1000 crowd was probably a bit less than what he is used to these days, but he had a great smile for everyone...

It's over...the Betfred 2015 World Snooker Championship has it's gripping finish!

On a late night at the Crucible theatre in Sheffield, Stuart Bingham finally overcame Shaun Murphy 18-15  to win his first World Championship.

Beginning the session with a  14-11 lead, Murphy started a comeback that, at 15-15, had him the bookies favourite.  The 31st frame was an epic 63 minute 31 seconds long but Bingham eventually took it to close in on victory.

He made a steady break of 65 to go 17-15 in front and clinched the title with a brilliant 88.   In doing so, he became the oldest champion since 45 year old Ray Reardon in 1978.

Collecting £300,000 as the winner, he should rise from tenth to second in the world rankings.

 Stuart Bingham salutes the crowd who had cheered him on both days of the final.

 It had been a good final, enjoyed by both players who were genuine in their respect of each other.

 Barry Hearn, who has done so much in the last five years to turn around world snooker, and Kell Brook (IBF welterweight world champion).

 Fred Done of Betfred who were so welcome back to the Crucible this year.