Hello and welcome to SunSport’s live blog of the Wuhan Open!
Judd Trump will be aiming to claim back-to-back triumphs in the tournament after he beat Ali Carter in the final to claim last year’s crown.
The World No1 will face Antoni Kowalski in his tournament opener in the early hours.
Some huge names will not be competing in Wuhan as Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Allen and Dave Gilbert all withdrew from the event in the week leading up to the huge tournament.
Brave Sir Chris, 48, told the Sunday Times: “As unnatural as it feels, this is nature.
“You know, we were all born and we all die, and this is just part of the process.
“You remind yourself, aren’t I lucky that there is medicine I can take that will fend this off for as long as possible.”
Back in February, Hoy announced he was being “treated for cancer” and claimed it was going well – though knew in reality it was just “management”.
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The star had gone to the doctor in late September last year after feeling a strain in his shoulder.
A tumour was found, before a second scan discovered the primary cancer in his prostate.
It had metastasised to Sir Chris’s bones – including his shoulder, pelvis, ribs, and spine.
Speaking of the appointment in which he found out about the tumour, he told the Sunday Times he thought “I’m just getting a bit old for lifting heavy weights”.
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Referred by his physiotherapist for a scan, he went to hospital alone, expecting to be told to lay off upper-body work in the gym for a few weeks.
Sir Chris Hoy rides tiny kids bike down a hill as son Callum cries in hilarious video
“I’m really sorry,” the doctor told him. The nurse’s eyes filled with tears. “There’s a tumour in your shoulder.”
Heartbreakingly, Sir Chris’ wife Sarra was told she had incurable and degenerative MS just weeks before his cancer news – with the couple opting not to tell the kids about their mother’s illness.
But they decided to be honest about their dad’s diagnosis.
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The Hoy family share a warm and happy existence, as SunSport reveals.
Strong family support network
Hoy is one of our greatest ever sports stars, achieving success on the global stage at the Olympics.
Not only has he won six gold medals and one silver, the Scot is an 11-time world champion.
With that comes sacrifices, gruelling training sessions and competitions that take you away from your loved ones.
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He has continuously praised his wife of 14 years for being with him every step of the way.
At the 2012 Olympics in London, after winning gold, he said: “Sarra has been the one that has really got me through it all.”
In a TV interview watched by millions, just one year before he retired, the Olympian said: “It is fantastic when you step off the track and the final product is a gold medal.
“It looks like it has never been in doubt, which was not the case with the keirin. To see the performances, you think it must always be good but it is anything but.
“There were troughs and dips in the past four years and she has been there the whole way – never complained and never moaned or become frustrated with cycling because that has been put first over everything.
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“When I saw her at the end, and was able to give her a big hug and a kiss, I realised we have done it and gone through it.”
Trauma with the birth of their children
Both of Hoy and Sarra’s children’s births have been complicated.
In 2014, son Callum was born 11 weeks premature and had to kept in hospital.
In an interview with the Yorkshire Post in 2021, Sarra said: “It was 24 hours before I even saw him.
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“It was four days before I could hold him and it was like holding a frail baby bird. It was terrifying.
“You are separated from your baby by this huge plastic box and they are covered in wires and tubes.
“They look so fragile you are worried that you will hurt them.”
In 2017, Sir Chris shared a loving photo of his son, aged two, following in his footsteps on a push bike on Instagram – racing around their garden.
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Daughter Chloe was also born three weeks early.
Sarra said: “No one prepares you for having a preterm baby, it is knowing what you can contribute.
“I was encouraged to touch Callum, but you are scared because they look so fragile.”
‘Hardest thing I’ve ever done’
Hoy, a proud father to children Callum, 9, and Chloe, 6, made sure he put his kids first after his diagnosis, originally shielding them from the news.
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However, he admitted living in worry they might learn about his condition from their peers at school who could say, “I saw your daddy on the news last night and he’s going to die.”
Over dinner, Hoy calmly explained his cancer to them. When asked if he was going to die by son Callum, he revealed his hopes “to be here for many, many years.”
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“I never want to lie to them,’ he told the Sunday Times, “but there are certain things you don’t need to tell them straight away.”
In his upcoming memoir, All that Matters: My Toughest Race Yet the last chapter is dedicated to a message to his children.
Sir Chris revealed he found it traumatic to read out aloud when he was recording the audio version for the book.
He said: “[You’re] reading the words out loud, you have to connect emotionally.
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“You’ve got to actually read in a way that means something. But the risk is getting too close to it – because you’re suddenly thinking, these are the words that my kids will listen to when I’m gone.
“And that is, without doubt, the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
Though UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones is scheduled to take on former titleholder Stipe Miocic in a long-awaited fight at UFC 309 on Nov. 16, Adesanya doesn’t agree that the winner of that bout should automatically be granted GOAT status.
“Hell no [the debate isn’t done],” Adesanya said in a Battle of the Giants reaction video. “Stipe is the last one I can remember people saying. Well, it was Cain [Velasquez] first and then Stipe, and then right now people still hold Stipe as the greatest of all time in the heavyweight division. But I think he’s one of the greatest and he has beaten Francis, but Francis beat him in the worst way. Again, it’s all subjective, it’s all art, it’s all who you like.
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“I think Francis is the greatest heavyweight of all time, but again, now Jon is in there, he’s the heavyweight champion. He’s only fought once at heavyweight, but he’s also one of, if not the greatest fighter of all time. Tom Aspinall’s even in the f*cking mix and he’s only just kind of getting his ball rolling. It’s exciting as a fan, but right now in this moment I am just so happy for [Ngannou] and what he has accomplished and to see him go through it with the adversity he had to go through with the death of Kobe.”
Ngannou entered Saturday’s main event with the heaviest of hearts, having lost his infant son Kobe this past April. He dedicated the fight to Kobe in a tearful post-fight interview, stating that he was only fighting again to honor him.
Following his departure from the UFC in 2023—having never lost the heavyweight title in the octagon—Ngannou signed with PFL and then booked a pair of high-profile boxing bouts. He narrowly lost a thrilling split decision against Tyson Fury and then suffered a knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in his next fight.
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When it came time to compete under MMA rules, however, Ngannou went right back to his winning ways.
“Flawless,” Adesanya said of Ngannou’s win. “That was a beautiful performance. He took one leg and dodged a flurry and eventually timed his right hand, shot for a double, kept him there and knocked him out. Proud, inspired, and just happy to watch him do his thing because he’s gone through so much in his career even still. After the whole boxing thing, people were doubting him and then he lost to A.J., people went, ‘Oh, we knew it.’ It’s like people are prisoners of the moment.
“They forget. They forget who this man is or who people are, they’re just prisoners of the moment right now. So I’m glad he reminded everybody why he’s the best, why he’s the one, why he’s Francis Ngannou.”
On to the Next One. The Best Friends Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee guess what’s next for PFL star Francis Ngannou and the big winners from UFC Vegas 99.
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Love.
Respect, always.
Roasted.
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Didn’t have Nicksick rubbing shoulders with Ronaldo on my 2024 bingo card.
Francis Ngannou back in MMA? Just feels right, man.
No one would have blamed Ngannou for taking 2024 off given the awful tragedy he and his family are going through, so seeing him come back and look like his old self, even if for just one night, it was emotional. As excited as we all are to see what’s next for him, let’s not forget to appreciate the moment for what it is.
Uefa has been urged to make “meaningful change” for disabled football fans by charity Level Playing Field.
The charity offers support, information and advice around disabled spectator access, and is attempting to set up a meeting between disabled fans and “decision makers”.
“The need for urgent action on the standards of access and inclusion for away fans in Europe is clear,” said Tony Taylor, chairman of Level Playing Field.
A total of 232 disabled supporters responded to a survey, which raised concerns over accessibility and inclusion at grounds in Europe.
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Of the 43% who said they had been to away games in Europe, 29% rated Uefa’s communication with disabled fans as “non-existent”, while 20% said that the governing body’s commitment to providing accessible matchdays was “poor”.
“The results of this survey have proven ongoing anecdotal reports of substandard access. It is important the governing body now sees this as an opportunity to work with clubs and venues to ensure they deliver for disabled supporters, allowing fans to travel with confidence,” Taylor added.
“We will assist clubs to make use of this report, to help identify how they can provide relevant support to their disabled fans, but Uefa must display leadership and a commitment to inclusion, in order to bring about meaningful change.”
Another key issue raised in Level Playing Field’s European survey was the placement of accessible seating, with 79% of wheelchair users saying they had been required to sit in sections alongside home supporters.
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“This is a worrying statistic, as it represents a significant safety concern,” read the Level Playing Field report.
“The risks should not be ignored when it comes to positioning disabled supporters, particularly since over a quarter of disabled fans have identified ‘the attitudes of others’ as a barrier to attending.”
Did you miss the debut of UFC 308 “Countdown” or just want to watch it again? Check out the main event preview now.
The segment takes a special look at the featherweight title fight between unbeaten champion Ilia Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) and challenger Max Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC), a former champ who has won five of his past six, including the “BMF” belt.
UFC 308 (pay-per-view, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. “Countdown” goes behind the scenes with the two fighters, and you can watch the full segment above. And don’t miss the entire episode in the video below.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.
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Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has slammed Red Bull Racing‘s front bib adjustment device as “outrageous”, as he suggested the FIA may yet look further into the matter.
Red Bull was at the centre of technical intrigue over the United States Grand Prix weekend after it emerged the FIA was ramping up monitoring of a system the Milton Keynes-based squad has to raise and lower its front bib height.
While the presence of the device, which has to be adjusted by a tool, is allowed, what would be against the regulations would be for it to be changed under parc ferme conditions.
That is why the FIA fitted a seal to it over the Austin weekend to ensure it was not altered between qualifying and the race. Furthermore, the team has promised to make more permanent changes to its car for later this season.
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The FIA’s head of single-seater matters Nikolas Tombazis says there is no indication that Red Bull used the device in the past, and so considers the matter closed. However, that may not necessarily be the end of the matter.
Wolff, whose team has battled Red Bull hard in the past, thinks that the situation is far from acceptable as he hinted that senior figures at the FIA – including its president Mohammed Ben Sulayem – may yet be pressured to take things further.
Speaking about the Red Bull system, Wolff said: “My view is, from the distance of what I’ve seen and what I’ve heard, it’s outrageous.”
Explaining more about why he felt that way, Wolff said that it was highly suspicious for Red Bull to have fitted such a complicated device to its car, simply to help change ride heights in practice sessions.
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“I think we’re all designing parts that are F1 standard, and that are to the highest specifications that are within the regulations.
“Sometimes on things like aero elasticity, you would probably try to go as far as you can — but there’s other things overall and certain parts where you would question why they exist.”
He added: “Why would you design such a thing and put two marks on it for two positions, like you want to (change things)? Is that the precise decision-making [we have] in F1?”
Red Bull Racing RB20 front bib detail
Photo by: Andreas Beil
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A ‘Bugs Bunny’ tool
Wolff also suggested that Red Bull pulled off a charade in showing to the FIA a tool that it said was used to alter the device. He reckons that the settings could easily be altered in a much simpler way.
“I really like that when they put this real broom [device] in the car to demonstrate that that is the only way of that getting changed! I wonder how long it took them to make this up, and to stick it in there.”
One rival team has nicknamed the two-foot long socket that Red Bull showed the FIA a ‘Bugs Bunny’ device – because it seemed such a cartoon-type tool considering the sophistication levels normally expected in F1.
Wolff backed this idea. “I didn’t know that in F1, we were using such Bugs Bunny devices. It’s not good enough to say that this is it, and we promise that we are not going to do it again.”
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