Paris Saint-Germain have reached an agreement with Barcelona to sign Ferran Torres, according to reports in French and Spanish outlets on Thursday evening. The forward, who scored the match-winner for Spain in the World Cup final, is expected to sign with the European champions for around €50 million.
France picked up another two medals at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris, with Maxime Grousset coming second in the 200m butterfly final while Mary-Ambre Moluh was runner-up in the 50m backstroke.
At the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, France‘s Alice Finot was only beaten to another 3000m steeplechase title by Germany‘s Gesa Felicitas Krause. Later in the evening, home favourite Amy Hunt made it a sprint double by following up her 100m title with gold in Thursday’s 200m final.
The start of the Premier League season is just over a week away and Man United have launched their third kit ahead of the new campaign.
Manchester United have launched their third kit for the 2026/27 season.
An ivory-coloured shirt features the club’s devil crest, which sits centrally alongside the adidas and Snapdragon logos, with maroon detailing on the collar and sleeves. The kit is completed with dark shorts featuring matching maroon and green detailing, alongside ivory socks.
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United released a video to launch the new kit, with some first-team stars joined by club legends Gary Pallister and Peter Schmeichel, plus famous United supporters Aitch and Angry Ginge. The promotion video was filmed at the iconic Salford Lads and Girls Club.
Manchester United 2026/27 Third Kit
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Manchester United have launched their new third kit for the 2026/27 season, featuring a hand-drawn rose design inspired by the Salford Lads Club.
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Writing on their website, United said the design “draws on the city’s rich cultural identity, bringing together heritage references and modern construction in a design that celebrates the communities that continue to play an important role in Manchester life.”
On the finer details of the shirt, they added: “A bespoke floral graphic wraps across the shirt, featuring hand-drawn rose illustrations engineered directly into the fabric. Inspired by artwork found across community spaces and cultural institutions throughout Manchester, including Salford Lads and Girls Club, the pattern adds subtle depth to the jersey while creating a distinctive visual identity rooted in the city.”
If a new Ping Scottsdale putter has been languishing on your wish list instead of your golf bag, now is the time to act! For a limited time, you can enjoy a $30 discount on nine Ping Scottsdale putter models.
What does Ping’s Scottsdale family offer? Each of the nine models on sale features a one-piece, lightweight PEBAX face insert to increase MOI at impact while also ensuring a soft feel, nice sound and consistent ball speed.
You can order the Ping Scottsdale in both mallet and Anser-style head shapes. Whether you have a straight stroke, slight arc or strong arc, you’ll find a putter model designed to suit your game.
And as with nearly every club available from Fairway Jockey, you can customize your Ping Scottsdale putter at the time of purchase to make it truly your own. Choose your preferred shaft, length, grip brand and style, loft and more. You can even choose to have one or two extra wraps added to your grips.
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Make the upcoming fall season your best yet with a brand new putter. Shop the Ping Scottsdale putter sale below!
The Scottsdale family combines a one-piece face insert with a big jump in forgiveness across model styles and stroke types to fit every golfer and elevate performance on the greens. The lightweight PEBAX insert creates discretionary weight used to increase MOI while ensuring a soft feel, a pleasing sound, and consistent ball speeds. The Tour-inspired DS72 has a ball-width PEBAX face insert that matches the ball-width cavity to make aiming easier. The back cavity has perpendicular visual cues and a contrasting alignment line to create visual balance in this model that assists a straight stroke.
The Scottsdale family combines a one-piece face insert with a big jump in forgiveness across model styles and stroke types to fit every golfer and elevate performance on the greens. The lightweight PEBAX insert creates discretionary weight used to increase MOI while ensuring a soft feel, a pleasing sound, and consistent ball speeds. The winningest putter of all time is heel-toe weighted for stability, forgiveness and accuracy, and its back cavity with a single alignment line makes aiming easy to inspire a confident stroke. Designed with a hosel that helps slight-arc players start putts rolling on line.
The Scottsdale family combines a one-piece face insert with a big jump in forgiveness across model styles and stroke types to fit every golfer and elevate performance on the greens. The lightweight PEBAX insert creates discretionary weight used to increase MOI while ensuring a soft feel, a pleasing sound, and consistent ball speeds. This slightly deeper, perimeter-weighted blade design has similar weight, size and forgiveness of a mid-mallet putter. A single contrasting alignment line and clean heel-toe ballasts make aiming easier to inspire a confident stroke in this slight-arc model.
The Scottsdale family combines a one-piece face insert with a big jump in forgiveness across model styles and stroke types to fit every golfer and elevate performance on the greens. The lightweight PEBAX insert creates discretionary weight used to increase MOI while ensuring a soft feel, a pleasing sound, and consistent ball speeds. The Tour-inspired, perimeter-weighted B60 model becomes the B63 with a soft-slanting hosel that matches the soft head geometry for visual balance in this high-MOI design. Gently sloping ballasts and a contrasting alignment line make aiming easy.
The Scottsdale family combines a one-piece face insert with a big jump in forgiveness across model styles and stroke types to fit every golfer and elevate performance on the greens. The lightweight PEBAX insert creates discretionary weight used to increase MOI while ensuring a soft feel, a pleasing sound, and consistent ball speeds. This center-shafted model will appeal to players who set up more comfortably with no offset and who have a straight stroke type. Heel-toe weighting creates stability to ensure a high MOI for forgiveness and a more consistent, predictable putting stroke.
The Scottsdale family combines a one-piece face insert with a big jump in forgiveness across model styles and stroke types to fit every golfer and elevate performance on the greens. The lightweight PEBAX insert creates discretionary weight used to increase MOI while ensuring a soft feel, a pleasing sound, and consistent ball speeds. This highly forgiving mallet is distinguished by its twin-fork design that gives it exceptional balance and stability to ensure accuracy. A short, contrasting alignment line in the ball-width back cavity helps make aiming easier in this model that assists a strong-arc stroke.
The Scottsdale family combines a one-piece face insert with a big jump in forgiveness across model styles and stroke types to fit every golfer and elevate performance on the greens. The lightweight PEBAX insert creates discretionary weight used to increase MOI while ensuring a soft feel, a pleasing sound, and consistent ball speeds. Shares similar design characteristics with the classic Anser – heel-toe weighting for forgiveness, clean alignment — but is designed with a hosel that assists a strong-arc stroke. Has the Anser’s visual symmetry and soft ballasts, with slightly less-rounded back corners.
The Scottsdale family combines a one-piece face insert with a big jump in forgiveness across model styles and stroke types to fit every golfer and elevate performance on the greens. The lightweight PEBAX insert creates discretionary weight used to increase MOI while ensuring a soft feel, a pleasing sound, and consistent ball speeds. A Tour-proven PING classic known for extreme MOI that comes from perimeter weighting and a low/back CG that make it consistently reliable and accurate. Multiple alignment cues work together in this distinctive design to inspire a confident stroke.
The Scottsdale family combines a one-piece face insert with a big jump in forgiveness across model styles and stroke types to fit every golfer and elevate performance on the greens. The lightweight PEBAX insert creates discretionary weight used to increase MOI while ensuring a soft feel, a pleasing sound, and consistent ball speeds. This high-MOI mallet is perimeter weighted and has a low center of gravity for accuracy, helped by a ball-width back cavity and long alignment line that simplify aiming. Designed with a hosel to assist slight-arc players with getting putts started on line.
Manchester United have been linked with a transfer interest in PSG winger Ibrahim Mbaye this summer, but face a lot of competition.
07:57, 14 Aug 2026Updated 07:57, 14 Aug 2026
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Manchester United have been handed a double boost in their hopes of signing Paris Saint-Germain winger Ibrahim Mbaye. United have been linked with an interest in the highly-rated 18-year-old this summer, and have reportedly made contact over a possible transfer.
There is, however, a lot of competition for the teenager, with Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Porto, RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Roma and Aston Villa. Latest reports suggest that Liverpool have now pulled out of the race, deeming a deal for him too expensive.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano claims that Andoni Iraola’s side have stepped away from a possible transfer after holding talks with agent Jorge Mendes. They withdrew their interest after reportedly being quoted a price of €200 million (£171m) for both Bradley Barcola and Mbaye.
While a deal for Barcola would represent the majority of that fee, reports claim that PSG are asking for between €40 and €50m (£34.2m-£42.7m) for Mbaye. It’s a price Liverpool feel is too high, leading them to withdraw their interest.
It’s a situation United could look to take advantage of, especially given PSG’s latest transfer activity. The Athletic reports that the European champions have agreed a £42.7 million fee with Barcelona to sign Ferran Torres.
His arrival at les Parc des Princes is only going to reduce the Mbaye’s playing time further, and therefore make PSG more open to a sale. AS reports that the club could even be open to sanctioning a loan move.
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The winger was an unused substitute for PSG’s 2-1 European Super Cup win over Aston Villa on Wednesday night. That’s despite him scoring the team’s goal in the 1-1 pre-season draw against United just four days earlier.
Mbaye made 31 appearances in all competitions last season, scoring three goals and providing two assists. But of those appearances, just 11 were in the starting XI.
He mainly plays on the right, but is also able to play on the left. If United do manage to win the race for him, he will join the likes of Marcus Rashford, Bryan Mbeumo, Amad, Patrick Dorgu and Shea Lacey as wide attacking options for Michael Carrick this season.
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United are back in pre-season action on Saturday when they take on AC Milan (3.45pm kick-off), a game which could see Rashford make his return to action for the club.
NEW DELHI: India spin great Harbhajan Singh believes there is only one way to tackle Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s extraordinary strokeplay — attack the 15-year-old and go for his wicket rather than trying to contain him.Sooryavanshi has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting young batters in the game, with Harbhajan admitting he has never seen a player dominate at such a young age.“Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is extraordinary. He is a unique player. I have not seen a player like him before, one who can dominate the world at 14-15 years of age,” Harbhajan told PTI in an interview.The Rajasthan Royals prodigy became the youngest player in IPL history when he debuted at 14 in 2025 before smashing a 35-ball hundred against Gujarat Titans to become the youngest batter to score a century in men’s T20 cricket.His rise continued this year when he became India’s youngest international debutant at 15 years and 99 days.
‘The only way to survive is to attack him’
Sooryavanshi’s fearlessness was on full display during the IPL when he hit the first deliveries from premier pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Pat Cummins for sixes.For Harbhajan, the fact that elite bowlers are forced to think about where to bowl to a teenager is itself a remarkable statement.“When the world’s top bowlers are bowling to him, they are actually thinking about where to bowl. That itself is a big, big statement,” he said.So how should a bowler approach Sooryavanshi?“The only way to survive is to attack him. You go at him and you take his wicket,” Harbhajan said. “It may not work all the time. Sometimes you might even get smashed. He would’ve hit sixes. But that is part of the game. You have to accept that he’s good.”Harbhajan said he would not allow Sooryavanshi’s batting to dictate his field settings in the powerplay.“I won’t set the field according to what he’s doing. I’ll set the field according to what I’m doing. If I bowl to escape, I won’t be able to get him out,” he said. “You go at him and you take his wicket. You might get success, you might not. That’s just a matter of time. You have to accept that he’s good.”
‘The next ball should be about how to get him out’
Harbhajan believes the challenge is as much mental as tactical, with Sooryavanshi capable of making experienced bowlers question themselves.“But still, the next ball should be about how to get him out,” he said.The former India spinner’s advice reflects the unusual challenge posed by Sooryavanshi, whose attacking approach means opponents cannot simply rely on defensive fields or containment.For Harbhajan, accepting that the teenager may score boundaries is part of the risk that comes with taking the aggressive route.
Iga Swiatek secured her first WTA title of the season with a straight-set victory over Elena Rybakina in the final of the Canadian Open on Thursday.
The six-time Grand Slam winner was cheered on by the crowd in Toronto as she beat world number two Rybakina 6-2 6-3.
Australian Open champion Rybakina struggled in the opening set and made 12 unforced errors, while Swiatek, 25, broke the Kazakhstan player’s serve twice – and saved two break points of her own.
In the second set, Rybakina, 27, was unable to break world number eight Swiatek, and the Polish player clinched her 26th career title in one hour and 15 minutes.
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“It means so, so much to me because the past months were not easy,” said Swiatek, who will return to the top five in the rankings following her first Canadian final victory.
She advanced to the quarter-finals in Melbourne in January but was beaten by eventual champion Rybakina. In the French Open and this year’s Wimbledon, she only reached the fourth and third rounds respectively.
Swiatek says it can be challenging to contend with external criticism while searching for her best form.
“I’m really happy that I kept focusing on growing, changing my game a little bit, improving despite all the opinions that many people have about me every day on the internet,” said Swiatek.
“It’s not easy to deal with all of that.”
Rybakina led 2-1 in the second set before Swiatek won five of the final six games to end the match as champion.
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Runner-up Rybakina had one ace and four double faults, hitting just 13 winners and making 23 unforced errors in total.
“I tried my best but it wasn’t enough,” said Rybakina, whose previous three matches went to three sets.
Meanwhile, Great Britain’s Katie Boulter earned her first career win at the Cincinnati Open by defeating American Katie Volynets 7-5 0-6 6-4 in the first round.
After sealing her first victory since June, 30-year-old Boulter will face Wimbledon champion and sixth seed Linda Noskova in the second round.
Shubman Gill and Dhananjaya De Silva (Agency Image)
India will begin their two-match Test series against Sri Lanka on Saturday, August 15, with the first match set to take place in Galle.The series comes at an important stage for India’s Test side. While Gautam Gambhir’s tenure has brought major success in white-ball cricket, including the Champions Trophy in 2025, the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup, India’s recent Test record has been a concern.India suffered home Test series whitewashes against New Zealand and South Africa, which have dented their World Test Championship campaign. Their red-ball schedule has also been limited this year. The Test against Sri Lanka will be only India’s second Test match of 2026, after their clash against Afghanistan in June ended inside two-and-a-half days.India will be hoping for a stronger showing in Sri Lanka as they look to rebuild their Test momentum.
When will India vs Sri Lanka first Test start?
The first Test between India and Sri Lanka will begin on Saturday, August 15.The match is scheduled to start at 10 AM IST.
Where will India vs Sri Lanka first Test be played?
The opening Test will be played at the Galle International Stadium in Galle, Sri Lanka.
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Where to watch India vs Sri Lanka Tests on TV in India?
The two-match Test series will be broadcast live on the Sony Sports Network in India. Coverage will be available in multiple languages.The series will also be available on DD Sports for viewers who have access to DD Free Dish.
Where to watch India vs Sri Lanka Tests online?
Fans who prefer to stream the matches can watch the India vs Sri Lanka Test series live on SonyLIV.
Dhananjaya De Silva (captain), Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Kamindu Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Sonal Dinusha, Niroshan Dickwella, Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Keshara Nuwantha, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka.With India looking to revive their Test fortunes and Sri Lanka aiming to make the most of home conditions, the two-match series promises an important red-ball challenge for both sides.
The ongoing legal battle between Joe Gibbs Racing, Spire Motorsports, and Chris Gabehart has taken another turn, with a hearing now scheduled to address the counterclaims filed against JGR. Renowned NASCAR journalist Bob Pockrass reported on X that the heading on whether to dismiss those counterclaims is set for August 26.
Earlier this year, JGR filed its $8 million lawsuit against its former competition director Chris Gabehart after he left the team to join Spire as its chief motorsports officer. The team accused Gabehart of taking confidential team information and violating his obligations to the organization after leaving for a leadership position with Spire. The case has since expanded to include claims and counterclaims from all sides.
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Bob Pockrass on Thursday reported that a court date has been set to dismiss counterclaims filed by Spire and Gabehart and coach Joe Gibbs’ team.
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One of the counterclaims at the center of the upcoming hearing comes from Gabehart, who alleges that JGR did not pay him everything he was owed. Spire Motorsports has also filed counterclaims against JGR, with the team alleging that Coach Joe Gibbs’ team failed to reciprocate an arrangement involving car chief Cheddar Smith.
“A hearing on whether to dismiss counterclaims Chris Gabehart and Spire filed against JGR is set for Aug. 26. Gabehart claims include JGR didn’t pay him everything he’s owed, Spire claims JGR never reciprocated what it promised when Spire let car chief Cheddar Smith to go to 54.” Pockrass wrote.
A hearing on whether to dismiss counterclaims Chris Gabehart and Spire filed against JGR is set for Aug. 26. Gabehart claims include JGR didn’t pay him everything he’s owed, Spire claims JGR never reciprocated what it promised when Spire let car chief Cheddar Smith to go to 54.
JGR previously withdrew one of the allegations against Spire and Chris Gabehart
Last month, JGR released a statement noting that JGR withdraws their claim and acknowledged in a court filing that it “does not possess nonprivileged information sufficient to support the allegations.”
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In the filing, the JGR said:
“In discovery Spire Motorsports II, LLC (“Spire”) requested information supporting the allegations contained in paragraph 129 of the Second Amended Complaint. JGR responded to Spire’s request and concedes that it does not possess nonprivileged information sufficient to support the allegations contained in paragraph 129 of the Second Amended Complaint.”
The case is now moving toward a larger trial after legal teams have failed to reach an out-of-court settlement. U.S. District Judge Susan C. Rodriguez has scheduled a 9-day jury trial for the lawsuit to begin on February 1, 2027, right before the Daytona 500.
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Davis Martin was ejected from Thursday’s matinee against the Cincinnati Reds after back-to-back wild pitches led to a benches-clearing altercation.
Reds Rookie of the Year frontrunner Sal Stewart, who homered in his first at-bat off Martin, was facing a 0-1 count when a pitch sailed over everyone’s head and hit the backstop.
Stewart looked at Martin immediately, but the Sox starter tapped his chest, indicating he didn’t mean for the wild pitch.
Davis Martin of the Chicago White Sox delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Rate Field on Aug. 13, 2026, in Chicago, Ill.(Getty Images)
However, Stewart took exception, and understandably so, when a 92-mph fastball came up and in on the very next pitch from Martin. If Stewart hadn’t moved quickly, the ball may have hit him right in the face. Instead, it just clipped the brim of his helmet for a hit-by-pitch.
From there, Stewart pointed the knob end of his bat at Martin, and it was clear he, at the very least, said “that’s twice.” Martin was still claiming he didn’t mean to do it, but Stewart’s Reds teammates didn’t care to hear his side.
MLB veteran Eugenio Suarez was among those shown on the broadcast running out to say his piece to Martin. The White Sox dugout, though, was quick to move as well.
White Sox catcher Edgar Quero was pivotal in the situation not getting out of control, as he popped up from his place behind home plate and stopped Stewart from walking toward his pitcher. Quero even walked down the first base line with Stewart as the situation unfolded.
After the tension dissipated, umpires reviewed the situation to see if Martin should be tossed from the game. Considering that both pitches were near Stewart’s head, umpires eventually made the decision to toss the White Sox starter before he could complete three innings.
Sal Stewart of the Cincinnati Reds hits a home run during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago, Ill., on Aug. 13, 2026.(Getty Images)
Stewart got the party started for the Reds at the beginning of the game, launching a home run on a hanging breaking ball by Martin into the left field seats. Some argued on social media that was the reason Martin may have been throwing those pitches intentionally, but it didn’t seem Stewart did anything extra after hitting the solo blast.
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Martin also allowed a two-run homer to Suarez later in that first frame, as the Reds quickly put up three runs on the White Sox. But at the time of Martin’s ejection, Chicago had scored four runs of their own to take the lead as the top of the third got underway.
Chicago, though, was forced to bring in Erick Fedde on emergency notice and Cincinnati made him pay. The Reds scored four runs in the top of the fourth inning to take an 8-4 lead. They would go on to win the game, 9-8, holding off the White Sox, who scored three runs in the eighth and ninth innings combined.
Davis Martin of the Chicago White Sox delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Rate Field in Chicago on Aug. 13, 2026.(Getty Images)
Stewart is having himself quite the 2026 campaign, as the first-time All-Star is now hitting .259 with an .811 OPS and 26 home runs after his 2-for-3 day at the dish.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Walbert Ureña allowed two hits in six innings, Mike Trout and Denzer Guzman led a 15-hit outburst with three singles and an RBI apiece, and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Texas Rangers 7-0 on Thursday night.
Josh Lowe added two hits and two RBIs, and Adam Frazier had two hits and an RBI for the Angels, who extended their win streak to three and amassed 10 or more hits in a game for the first time since July 8.
Ureña (8-8) struck out five and walked two while lowering his ERA to 2.67. The rookie right-hander has a 2.43 ERA in 18 games since May 1 and has allowed no more than one run in 13 of those starts. José Fermin, Tayler Saucedo and Sammy Peralta each threw a scoreless inning to complete the five-hitter.
With the loss, the Rangers (60-62) dropped out of the third wild card spot in the American League, half a game back of the Detroit Tigers (60-61). The Minnesota Twins (60-63), the Cleveland Guardians (59-63), the Toronto Blue Jays (59-64) and the Baltimore Orioles (58-63) all are within two games.
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Rangers starter Jacob deGrom, who has been battling a left hip and glute injury since the All-Star break, was pulled after two innings because of right triceps fatigue.
The 38-year-old right-hander escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the first but gave up two runs and five hits during a 32-pitch second — the first time deGrom (8-8) allowed five hits in an inning since Sept. 5, 2017, with the New York Mets.
Guzman sparked the Angels’ second-inning rally with a single. He went to third on Lowe’s double and scored on Frazier’s one-out single. Lowe tried to score from second on Frazier’s hit but was thrown out by left fielder Wyatt Langford. Wade Meckler singled and Trout hit an RBI single for a 2-0 lead.
The Angels broke open the game with four runs and six hits off Texas left-hander Jordan Montgomery in the fifth.
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Singles by Trout, Nolan Schanuel and Vaughn Grissom loaded the bases. Guzman drove in a run with an infield single, Lowe hit a two-run single and Jose Siri’s RBI groundout made it 6-0. Siri added an RBI single in the seventh.
Rangers: RHP Kumar Rocker (4-9, 4.46 ERA) opposes Athletics LHP Gage Jump (5-7, 4.46) on Friday night in West Sacramento.
Angels: RHP Grayson Rodriguez (3-5, 7.20 ERA) faces Royals RHP Seth Lugo (5-7, 4.41) on Friday night in Anaheim.
Amy Hunt is now halfway to an historic four European golds at one championships after completing a brilliant sprint double at Birmingham 2026 with 200m gold.
The 24-year-old claimed her second gold in four days by blitzing the field with a European lead time of 22.19.
Dina Asher-Smith was the last sprinter to double up at this competition eight years ago but could only manage bronze on this occasion.
The home hopefuls were in adjacent lanes and Asher-Smith got the better start around the bend as she sought a seventh European gold.
But Hunt reeled her compatriot in on the home straight as the domestic duel lived up to expectations in front of an improved crowd of more than 20,000 at the Alexander Stadium.
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“The 100 is the hardest mentally and the 200 is the hardest physically,” Hunt told the BBC. “I’ve had a lot of health things going on this year, some really low blood pressure, and the 200s have been really scary. I have been fainting after some of my 200s this year.
“I just had to go into that one, get on the bend and be really brave. It was an amazing race.”
Asher-Smith has now won nine European medals, putting her one shy of the all-time record, but this was the latest sign of a changing of the guard.
Hunt won gold in the 200m with GB teammate Dina Asher-Smith claiming bronze (PA)
Hunt retained her national 100m title by beating Asher-Smith on this track in June before dethroning her over the same distance on the opening night of these Championships.
Asher-Smith still leads the 200m head-to-head between the two but Hunt has come of age in the last 12 months and now set her sights on completing a remarkable quadruple as she looks ahead to the women’s and mixed 4x100m relays over the weekend.
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“This is becoming a magical week and one I will remember for the rest of my life,” she said. “There is no celebrating or champagne until Sunday night. I have a debt to the ladies, we have to come out here and show them who the best sprint nation is in Europe. It’s not over yet – I hope you’re not sick of my face.”
Asher-Smith said: “Obviously, I’m disappointed to have a bronze, but I think 10 years after my first one it is such an achievement to be in a place to come back year after year.
Asher-Smith has won nine European Championship medals – one away from the all-time record (Reuters)
“It doesn’t matter what’s going on in my life, I just want to continue to be one of the fastest women in the world. I’m happy to have done that and it is great to be part of a successful British team.”
The hosts’ pair finished either side of Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke, who won silver in a 22.28 national record.
Keely Hodgkinson kept her bid for a European hat-trick on track on a dramatic afternoon which saw her main rival Audrey Werro take a tumble – before being reinstated for the final.
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Hodgkinson won the second semi-final in 1:57.38, holding off Femke Broeders-Bol to safely advance to one of the most eagerly-awaited events of the week.
It was a far more serene race than the opening semi, which was dominated by Werro before she hit the deck on the final bend.
Keely Hodgkinson won her 800m semi-final to book a place in the final against rival Audrey Werro (PA)
Werro picked herself up to stumble over the finish line and a successful appeal means the 22-year-old, who holds this year’s world lead, will also be on the start line.
Hodgkinson was relieved to avoid the chaos and said: “You can’t worry about what happened to other people, but I hope she’s ok.
“The excitement makes me excited. I love a good challenge and I hope for a clean race with no falling over and no wind.”
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Scot Jemma Reekie took advantage of Werro’s slip to cross the line first and advance in 1:58.61.
Elsewhere, Mark English won Ireland’s first individual men’s gold medal at the European Championships as he finished first in the 800m.
Novuna is the Official Finance Partner of British Athletics and proud sponsor of the GB & NI Athletics Team. From everyday goals to world-class dreams, Novuna backs the ambition of millions across the UK — from supporting British businesses and individuals’ plans, to powering British Athletics on the global stage. Find out more at www.novuna.co.uk
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