Connect with us

Sports

‘Not on my cards this year’ – Arnold wins bronze

Published

on

Read the full article on post.

  • 44 minutes ago

Former champion Hollie Arnold said winning a medal was way beyond her expectations after securing a bronze in the women’s F46 javelin at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi.

The 31-year-old took nine months off after finishing third at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, but returned to secure an eighth world podium place with a season-best throw of 41.94m.

“It’s a real weird mix of emotions. I’m proud, there’s upset, there’s a million and one things,” said Arnold, who won this event at the previous six World Championships.

“After Paris mental health came first for me and I just needed to take that time for myself and really understand myself.

“I didn’t know if I was going to be here, this was not on my cards this year whatsoever, so to be able have very little training out here, throw pretty consistently well – I’m really proud of myself.”

Arnold led the field in India’s capital after the first round of throws, but did not improve on her mark with five subsequent attempts.

Noelle Roerda of the Netherlands won the event, with a personal best of 43.74m putting her clear of Uzbekistan’s Shahinakhon Yigitalieva.

“It’s just been a really messy year, but I’ve found magic in chaos and I think that’s something to very proud of,” Arnold added.

“I’m not the same person I was in Paris, I’m a very different Hollie and I’m a happy Hollie. To come out here and compete, yeah, I loved it.”

Related topics

Sports

All Blacks hold off Wallabies rally to retain Bledisloe

Published

on

Read the full article on post.

Cam Roigard scored two tries on his return from injury as the All Blacks held off a Wallabies fightback to prevail 33-24 in a hard-fought Rugby Championship test and maintain their grip on the Bledisloe Cup for another year.

Tries from Caleb Clarke, Leroy Carter and scrumhalf Roigard gave New Zealand an early 17-point lead, but Australia, who last held the Bledisloe Cup in 2003, were within two points of the lead when flanker Carlo Tizzano crossed 11 minutes from time.

Wallabies winger Harry Potter was shown a yellow card in the 73rd minute, however, and the All Blacks made the most of the extra man to send Roigard in for his second try and extend their unbeaten run at Auckland’s Eden Park to 52 tests over 31 years.

All Blacks retain the Bledisloe Cup
New Zealand players celebrate after retaining the Bledisloe Cup

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt said afterwards lamented what he described as inconsistent refereeing.

Referee Andrea Piardi penalised Australia 15 times – compared to New Zealand’s 10 – with many of the offences the Wallabies committed coming at the breakdown.

That crucially included a yellow card shown to winger Harry Potter in the final 10 minutes as the Wallabies, who had cut New Zealand’s lead to two points, chased a first win in 39 years at Eden Park.

“It’s really hard, because what we’ve perceived is inconsistencies,” Schmidt said.

“That makes it difficult, and then players are asking us questions and we get clarification afterwards.”

Piardi also had the whistle when Australia narrowly lost the second test to the British & Irish Lions in July, the result coming down to the Italian’s decision not to award a penalty in the lead up to the tourists’ winning score.

Schmidt said, however, that it was vital that his players learned to understand what the referee was looking for.

“I do think that we’ve just got to be better at adapting to how the referee is refereeing,” he added.

“If you don’t do that, then you pay the price, as we did today.

“We’ve just got to look back at some of those penalties, really, because they’re what really hurt us.”

Continue Reading

Sports

West Ham sack Graham Potter after just nine months in charge

Published

on

This post was originally published on this site.

image

GRAHAM POTTER HAS been dismissed by West Ham after only nine months.

Former Chelsea boss Potter was relieved of his duties just two days out from West Ham’s match against Everton.

The Hammers faithful turned on Potter during last weekend’s defeat to Crystal Palace and the club’s owners have acted with West Ham on the hunt for a fourth manager during the last 18 months.

A statement from the club read: “West Ham United can confirm that Head Coach Graham Potter has left the Club.

“Results and performances over the course of the second half of last season and the start of the 2025/26 season have not matched expectations, and the Board of Directors believe that a change is necessary in order to help improve the team’s position in the Premier League as soon as possible.

Advertisement

“The Club can confirm that Assistant Coach Bruno Saltor, First Team Coaches Billy Reid and Narcis Pelach, Lead Goalkeeper Coach Casper Ankergren, and Goalkeeper Coach Linus Kandolin have also left with immediate effect.

“The Board would like to thank Graham and his coaching staff for their hard work during their time with the Hammers and wish them every success for the future.

“The process of appointing a replacement is underway. The Club will be making no further comment at this time.”

West Ham turned to Potter at the start of 2025 after Julen Lopetegui – the successor of long-serving boss David Moyes – lasted only 22 matches.

Lopetegui was sacked after heavy defeats to Liverpool and Manchester City, but won seven of his fixtures in charge – a slight improvement on Potter’s final record.

Potter accepted West Ham’s advances in January after he turned down multiple job proposals during a near two-year spell out of management following his dismissal by Chelsea.

After a chastening 31-game spell in west London, Potter travelled across the capital and whilst his West Ham debut ended in an FA Cup defeat at Aston Villa, a 3-2 home win over Fulham in his first league fixture provided the type of thrill which had been missing at London Stadium.

Three losses in four followed before a statement victory away to Arsenal proved a false dawn as the Hammers finished the campaign with only two wins from their last 11 league matches.

Potter would have banked on a strong summer to kickstart his reign, but the departure of Mohammed Kudus to rivals Tottenham for £55million heightened fans’ frustration.

The unrest of the West Ham supporters’ failed to ease after a flurry of signings during the final weeks of the transfer window coincided with heavy defeats to Sunderland and Chelsea in August.

A 3-0 win at Nottingham Forest last month provided some respite, but West Ham went down by the same score to Tottenham after the September international break and another London loss to Crystal Palace last weekend proved the final straw for Potter.

Continue Reading

Sports

Ní Riain cruises into fifth final on last day of World Para Swimming Championships

Published

on

This post was originally published on this site.

image

RÓISÍN NÍ RIAIN HAS comfortably booked a spot in her fifth final at the World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore.

The Limerick swimmer clocked 2:34.90 to take second place in her heat in the SM13 200m Individual Medley and will compete for a fifth medal in the final later at 12:36pm Irish Time.

Ní Riain has won a medal in all of the events she has competed in so far this week, picking up one bronze and three silver.

Elsewhere at the World Para Swimming Championships, Dearhbhaile Brady will swim in her fourth final of the Championships in the S6 50m Butterfly, where she will try to add to the bronze medal she won in the 50m Freestyle (S6) earlier this week.

Advertisement

Her final takes place at 11.29am Irish Time.

Continue Reading

Trending