Kate O’Connor rewrote the history books but is keen to add another chapter to another storied summer before next month is out.

The absence of two-time world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson from the Commonwealth Games heptathlon made O’Connor the one to beat, a new feeling for the Northern Irish athlete.

Her silver medal at last year’s World Championships in Tokyo underlined her potential, but there’s winning on paper and winning in practice.

She’s the first Northern Ireland team member to win gold here, the first track and field athlete to top the podium in 40 years and the first woman to do so since Dame Mary Peters in 1974.

And while the emotion of her first major senior championship title came in a blur, there won’t be long to reset her focus before the European Championships in Birmingham in just 13 days.

A rested Johnson-Thompson, who prioritised that event over Glasgow, awaits, along with Swiss star Annik Kälin and others in a stacked field. Triple Olympic and European champion Nafissatou Thiam is not competing as she continues a cautious comeback from injury.

O’Connor’s winning score of 6,569 points at Scotstoun was well short of Kälin’s world-leading 6,819, but the 25-year-old didn’t just have to battle the new pressures of expectation here – she also had to contend with the elements. At times it didn’t just rain; it was biblical.

“I came here wanting to score somewhere in the 6,700s, or even higher, because I felt I was in that kind of shape,” she said.

“My coaches reminded me that championships aren’t about big scores – they’re about competing. You have to deal with whatever conditions you’re given, and with the rain and cold I think I produced a very good score. Hopefully at the Europeans in Birmingham it’ll be warmer and I’ll have another chance to chase that bigger total.

“I’m not worried about the turnaround before Birmingham. I’ll just treat these last few days as really good training.

“It’s not a difficult journey home and my body feels good. I feel healthy and I don’t think I emptied the tank out there, so I’m looking forward to what’s next.

“Being one of the favourites was a completely new experience for me. Last year I learned what it was like to carry the expectation of being in medal contention, but this was the first time I’d gone into a championships as someone people expected to win gold. That brings a different kind of pressure.”

O’Connor finished eighth in 2018 and claimed silver behind Johnson-Thompson four years later in Birmingham.

But it was only last year that her life changed: pentathlon silver and bronze at the World and European Indoor Championships, gold at the World University Games and that famous silver in Tokyo.

Records and personal bests were rewritten and then rewritten again, with her Irish national record of 6,714 points meaning she ended the season ranked second in the world.

After admitting her frustration with her opening day, she recorded a solid leap of 1.82m in the high jump, a season’s best 52.85m in the javelin and won the concluding 800m at a canter. Her winning margin over England’s silver medallist Jade O’Dowda was a huge 291 points.

“As an athlete you’re always looking ahead to the next competition, so you don’t always stop to appreciate what you’ve achieved,” she added. “Hearing those things makes you realise just how special it is.”

Thanks to National Lottery players, more than £33m is raised every week for good causes. It’s because of you that sport, arts, heritage and community projects, as well as our athletes competing at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, are supported across the UK.

The Detroit Lions were without one of their biggest stars when training camp began Wednesday.

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs was not on the field for the Lions’ opening practice. The 24-year-old is eligible for a contract extension.

“You guys know how we feel about Gibbs and all of our guys,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said Wednesday, via The Athletic.

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Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs warms up before a game against the Dallas Cowboys at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich., on Dec. 4, 2025. (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

“This will kind of continue. It’ll come as it comes. I think that’s the best way to say it. This is both sides working through something, and we’ll take it as it comes, but that’s where it is.”

Gibbs did report to camp and is not listed on the Lions’ Physically Unable to Perform or Non-Football Injury list, suggesting he is holding out for a new contract.

The Lions selected Jahmyr Gibbs with the No. 12 overall pick in 2023 NFL Draft and electrified the team’s offense immediately, and quickly emerged as an integral part of the offense. In his rookie year, he ran for 945 yards and 10 touchdowns while catching 52 passes for 316 yards and one touchdown in 15 games.

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Dallas Cowboys cornerback Reddy Steward (27) tackles Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich., on Dec. 4, 2025. (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Gibbs took his game to another level in 2024, rushing for 1,412 yards and 16 touchdowns while catching 52 passes for 517 yards and four touchdowns.

Last season was the first time Gibbs started every single game, and was up to the task. In 17 games, he ran for 1,223 yards and 13 touchdowns while catching 77 passes for 616 yards and five touchdowns.

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Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) celebrates his touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with teammate guard Tate Ratledge (69) during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

He has made the Pro Bowl in all three seasons of his career.

Atlanta Falcons star running back Bijan Robinson was also missing from the team’s first day of training camp. His absence is contract-related, according to The Athletic’s report.

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Remo Stars have announced the appointment of Olumide Ajibolade as the club’s new Head Coach, SportsRation reports.

Ajibolade takes over after several years of success within the Remo Stars Sports Club structure, where he built a strong reputation in youth development and team management.

He joined the Remo Stars Academy in 2019 as the U-17 Head Coach. Following the launch of Beyond Limits Football Academy in 2021, he was appointed head coach and guided the team to sustained success.

During his time at Beyond Limits, Ajibolade led the club to five TCC League titles in six seasons (2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2025/26). He also won back-to-back TCC Cup titles in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons, the TCC Super Cup in 2025, and the Ogun State FA Cup in 2024 and 2026.

He also achieved back-to-back promotions with the club, leading Beyond Limits from the Nationwide League One (NLO) to the Nigeria National League (NNL) in the 2022/23 season before securing promotion to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) in 2023/24. The team capped that campaign by winning the Nigeria National League title in Enugu.

On the international stage, Ajibolade guided Beyond Limits to victory at the Viareggio Cup in Italy in 2024 and followed it up with consecutive Gothia Cup triumphs in Sweden in 2025 and 2026.

Widely recognised for his focus on player development, he has helped nurture several young footballers who have gone on to play professionally in Europe and other parts of the world.

His appointment marks a new chapter for Remo Stars as the club prepares for the upcoming season under his leadership. His immediate focus will be on taking Remo Stars back to the NPFL.

Oscar De La Hoya claims to have unearthed boxing’s next Mexican-American superstar, who he believes has one key advantage over Ryan Garcia.

During his own fighting career, De La Hoya was undoubtedly the most popular boxer of Hispanic descent, consistently generating monstrous pay-per-view and ticket sales.

And now, as a promoter, the Golden Boy boss is confident that his rising star will snatch the mantle from Canelo Alvarez and endear himself to a mammoth Mexican-American audience.

As things stand, the two flagship names of such heritage appear to be Garcia and David Benavidez, while Canelo remains the ultimate face of Mexican boxing.

Crucially, though, Alvarez did not fight on this year’s Cinco de Mayo weekend, which was instead occupied by Benavidez’s sixth-round stoppage of Gilberto Ramirez.

Garcia, meanwhile, will face Conor Benn on September 12, with Canelo’s clash against WBC super-middleweight champion Christian Mbilli having been pushed back from Mexican Independence Day weekend to October 31.

But while Garcia could, in theory, become boxing’s leading Mexican-American star, De La Hoya has suggested that the WBC welterweight champion’s lack of Spanish represents a slight disadvantage.

Instead, the Hall of Famer has told Ariel Helwani that 17-year-old prospect Dylan Capetillo has all the ingredients to be ‘the one’.

“[Garcia can be the next Mexican-American star] if he wants to. It’s all about performances inside the ring; it’s all about winning world titles; it’s all about who you fight.

“And you obviously have to make the effort and speak [Spanish] – you have to care. Can he be ‘the one’? Absolutely. But I truly feel ‘the one’ is [Capetillo].”

Capetillo has won both of his fights to date, one of them coming by knockout, and he will have his third outing when he features on the undercard of William Zepeda vs Lamont Roach this weekend.

Training camp is underway and Stefon Diggs remains a free agent. The former All-Pro wide receiver is searching for a new home ahead of Year 12.

Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Dion Dawkins took to Instagram to recruit Diggs. Here’s a look at the duo’s interaction:

Dawkins has been trying to recruit his former teammate for some time. In June, the veteran tackle revealed that he wouldn’t mind a reunion with the wideout.

According to Yahoo Sports, Dawkins uploaded a post himself. Diggs replied. Dawkins answered back with a message that said: “It’s time.”

Dion Dawkins has spent his entire professional football career with the Buffalo Bills. The five-time Pro Bowler signed a three-year, $60.5 million contract extension ahead of the 2024 season.

Dawkins featured in 15 regular season games and two postseason showdowns in 2025. He earned his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl nod for his efforts.

Stefon Diggs endured mixed fortunes since leaving the Buffalo Bills

Stefon Diggs spent four impressive seasons with the Buffalo Bills. The shifty wide receiver was Josh Allen’s primary target during that spell, earning numerous Pro Bowl nods and leading the Bills to perennial deep postseason runs.

The Bills traded Diggs and draft consideration to the Houston Texans after the 2023 season. Diggs was poised to help C.J. Stroud and the Texans in their quest for a Super Bowl ring.

Diggs started the 2024 season in decent form, amassing a stat line of 47 receptions, 496 receiving yards, and three touchdowns in eight games. However, his season ended in disaster as he suffered an ACL injury in Week 8 against the Indianapolis Colts. He missed the rest of the campaign and wasn’t re-signed by DeMeco Ryan’s team.

The New England Patriots signed Diggs to a three-year, $63.5 million contract in the lead-up to the 2025 season. Diggs amassed a stat line of 85 receptions, 1,013 yards, and four touchdowns in 17 regular-season games as the Patriots reached Super Bowl LX, where they lost to the Seattle Seahawks. The perennial Pro Bowler was released in March.

Stefon Diggs is now searching for a landing spot ahead of Year 12. The Buffalo Bills, Washington Commanders, Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts are among rumored suitors for his route-running skills.