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  • SA Stars Head into Fiery International Action at Rabat Diamond Leaguel

    SA Stars Head into Fiery International Action at Rabat Diamond Leaguel

     

    South Africa’s top athletics stars are ready to set the track ablaze as they head into fierce international competition at the Rabat Diamond League in Morocco. With global attention shifting to North Africa for one of the early-season highlights on the athletics calendar, all eyes will be on the South African contingent as they test themselves against the world’s best.

    Leading the charge is Akani Simbine, the seasoned sprinter known for his consistency and explosive starts. Having opened his season with a sub-10-second clocking, Simbine is in sharp form and will be looking to lay down a marker ahead of the Olympic Games later this year. The 100m event in Rabat is stacked with top-tier talent, including American and Jamaican speedsters, providing the ideal platform for Simbine to reaffirm his place among the elite.

    Joining Simbine on the sprint circuit is rising star Luxolo Adams, who made headlines last season with a personal best in the 200m and has continued to build momentum. Adams will be hoping to capitalize on this opportunity to secure vital Diamond League points and build confidence as the season intensifies.

    South Africa’s hopes in the middle-distance events rest with the ever-determined Prudence Sekgodiso, who continues to make waves in the 800m. After a breakthrough 2023 that saw her break into the global top 10 rankings, Sekgodiso enters Rabat as one of the most promising names on the circuit. Her strength in the final 200m and tactical maturity will be tested against a loaded field featuring continental and global champions.

    In the field events, focus will be on veteran long jumper Ruswahl Samaai and the increasingly consistent triple jumper Zinzi Chabangu. Samaai, a former Diamond League champion, is eager to prove he’s still a force to be reckoned with after recent injury setbacks. Meanwhile, Chabangu, steadily improving with each outing, is hungry to establish her credentials on the international stage. Her performances so far this year have shown technical growth and a fearless competitive spirit—traits that will serve her well in Morocco.

    The Rabat Diamond League serves not only as a key milestone on the road to the Paris Olympics, but also as a crucial test of depth and readiness for South Africa’s track and field program. While medals and titles are always desirable, the real win for Team SA would be strong, competitive performances that signal intent and build momentum for the season ahead.

    The high-altitude conditions in Rabat often lead to fast times and thrilling competition. For the South African stars, this is both a challenge and an opportunity—to test their limits and rise under pressure. Coach-led preparations, combined with international experience, mean this group is better equipped than ever to hold its own among the world’s elite.

    With Olympic qualification on the line and global rankings at stake, the 2025 Rabat Diamond League promises fireworks—and the South African athletes are determined to be at the heart of the action.

    Let me know if you’d like a different tone (e.g., more journalistic, analytical, or promotional) or if you’d like this shortened or expanded.

  • Two new videoboards among more big changes OK’d at Williams-Brice Stadium

    Two new videoboards among more big changes OK’d at Williams-Brice Stadium

     

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    Future Williams-Brice Stadium upgrades include videoboards in the south end zone corners.

    Major renovations to South Carolina’s Williams-Brice Stadium are in sight.

     

    Things right now are in the boring stage before massive change. Before the shovels go in the ground, there is an absurd amount of logistics to get in order. Approvals from the USC Board of Trustees. Approval from the state. Red tape to navigate.

     

    The University of South Carolina took another step on Thursday as the school’s board of trustees approved phase two of the renovations — just about seven months after it approved phase one.

     

    Here are 10 things you need to know.

     

    1. When phase one of the Williams-Brice renovations — which mostly focused on adding suites to the west side of the stadium that runs along Bluff Road — were approved by the South Carolina Board of Trustees in October, it wanted the school to explore more. It basically said: Hey, while you guys are doing the studies and designs of the west side, why don’t you also look at the east and north sides while you’re at it? Which led us to Thursday and the phase two approval.

     

    2. It looks like the South Carolina students are closer to getting their own air-conditioned space behind the student section. We reported in February the Gamecocks were looking at adding 10,000 square feet of indoor space in the north end zone — which might include using the Floyd Building — for students, but Thursday’s approvals brought that idea closer to reality.

     

    In addition to South Carolina adding a club-like, air-conditioned area behind the studentsection and the north end zone, the plans shown in Thursday’s meeting included more restrooms for students as well as two new videoboards in the south end zone. (Right now, the only videoboard is the main one behind the students.)

     

    3. To help create a space for those video boards, South Carolina will get rid of the two walking ramps in the corners of the south end zone, replacing them with escalators. The ramps will be turned into four-story towers, with clubs on the first three levels and an open area on the fourth floor for folks to stand and watch the game. Because USC is adding standing-room areas on the towers and above the student section, the final capacity is still in question. South Carolina will lose seats, but it will still welcome well above 70,000.

     

    4. Another aspect of the renovation that will impact every fan: More restrooms, enhancing the concession stands and “providing just some general cleanup of the concourse area so we can provide more space for our fans coming and going,” athletic director Jeremiah Donati said during the meeting.

     

    5. As we’ve written before, South Carolina is losing millions with every season Williams-Brice stays at the status quo with its premium space. That’s because the stadium holds only 18 suites — dead last in the SEC. In the phase one approval, USC noted its target suite number is 83, which, using USC’s current pricing, would generate the school over $6 million more annually.

     

    Future Williams-Brice Stadium upgrades include videoboards in the south end zone corners.

    Future Williams-Brice Stadium upgrades include videoboards in the south end zone corners.

    6. In the phase one rollout, South Carolina said its goal was to construct 36 suites on the west side — 30 traditional suites and six founders suites ( 1,000-square-foot suites bunched near the 50-yard line). That has now changed. Per the phase two release, the plan is now for 33 traditional suites and 10 founders suites on the west side of Williams-Brice Stadium with the traditional suites all a level above the founders suites.

     

    7. The project will also also affect the actual football team, with plans to improve the South Carolina locker room and training room while also relocating the visiting team locker room. By moving the opposing locker room, USC could build a loading dock that would allow much easier access to the field when it brings in concerts and other outside events.

     

    8. The Board of Trustees also approved a $350 million budget for the project, which is notable because for a long time, the state of South Carolina had a law stating that no university athletic department in the state could have outstanding debt of more than $200 million.

    There was no way for USC to renovate Williams-Brice and stay under the $200 million. That was changed last July, when Gov. Henry McMaster signed an amendment to State Bill 314, upping the possible debt to $500 million. Donati said, even with a $350 million bond, South Carolina would remain under the $500 million debt ceiling.

     

    9. In February, South Carolina hired the design firm Populous to head up the renovation for Williams-Brice Stadium. If you’ve skipped out on your Architectural Digest subscription, a note: Populous is a big deal in the stadium design world, the firm behind Sphere in Las Vegas, a dozen Olympic venues, nine NFL stadiums and plenty more.

    A group from Populous meets with South Carolina officials on a bi-weekly basis and, “I’m not talking about little catch-up meetings,“ Gamecock Club CEO Wayne Hiott told The State. “This is the most-sophisticated architectural firm in the world and they are proving it.”

     

    10. While fans are looking toward December — the tentative time frame South Carolina has set for construction to begin — the date USC’s administration is eyeing is August.

    It’s then that South Carolina will try to get state approval from, first, South Carolina’s Joint Bond Review Committee and then the State Fiscal Accountability Authority, which meets on Aug. 26. Both of those entities meet bi-monthly, so if South Carolina isn’t able to present by then, it’ll have to wait until October and possibly delay the project.

     

     

     

     

  • Warriors starlet has ‘huge career in front of him’ as Hull boss talks loanee’s future

    Warriors starlet has ‘huge career in front of him’ as Hull boss talks loanee’s future

     

    Sam Eseh (left) and Ed Chamberlain (right) applaud the Hull FC fans after a gameSam Eseh (left) and Ed Chamberlain (right) applaud the Hull FC fans after a game

    Sam Eseh (left) and Ed Chamberlain (right) applaud the Hull FC fans after a game | Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com

    The 6ft 4in front-rower is certainly making his presence felt when entering the action from the bench for Hull, with Cartwright saying the youngster is ‘getting better and better as each week goes by’.

     

    Eseh is yet to make his debut for Wigan, having joined Matt Peet’s side on a two-year deal from Wakefield Trinity ahead of the 2024 campaign. The Warriors hold the option of a one-year extension to his contract for 2026, should they wish to do so.

     

    Eseh is a loanee who Hull would like to keep long-term, although Cartwright doesn’t envisage Wigan letting him go, given his performances and potential.

     

    Asked if the Hull club wants to make Eseh a permanent signing, Cartwright replied: “We’d like to. Obviously, he’s on Wigan’s books, so it’s a bit out of our hands. There’ll be a conversation there with him at some point, but I couldn’t see them letting Sam go anytime soon.

     

     

     

    “It’s certainly helping us (having him now), and it’s certainly helping them (his playing time at Hull) with the depth they have. The alternative would be playing a division down or playing reserve grade at Wigan. He’s playing for us with some good players around him. It’s good for his education, and hopefully, they will leave him here as long as they can.

     

    “He’s a lovely young kid, and he works really hard on his game. He’s only 21, so he’s got a huge career in front of him if he chooses to. He trains very hard and is a good team man. I find him very honest and a good man to have around.”

     

    Eseh, who was born in Leeds and is of Cameroonian heritage, came through the youth ranks at Wakefield before making his first-team debut for Trinity in 2023, playing 15 games for Mark Applegarth’s side that season before making his move across the Pennines to Wigan.

     

    The towering prop spent time on loan in the Championship with Barrow Raiders and Featherstone Rovers whilst he was at Wakefield. Last season, Eseh featured in Super League on loan for Hull, Leeds Rhinos and Castleford Tigers whilst at parent club Wigan, extending his loan spell with Hull into this year, where he is now producing consistent performances in the middle.

     

    As aforementioned, Wigan have the option to exercise a one-year option in Eseh’s contract for the 2026 next season.

     

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  • Sha’Carri Richardson Warned of Tough Challenge as Julien Alfred, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Show Major Improvements

    Sha’Carri Richardson Warned of Tough Challenge as Julien Alfred, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Show Major Improvements

     

     

    Sha’Carri Richardson‘s 2025 season debut wasn’t just a stumble. It was a thunderclap of uncertainty. The reigning world 100m champion, known for her explosive presence on the track, found herself off the podium in Tokyo’s Golden Grand Prix. Clocking 11.47 seconds and finishing fourth, she looked a shadow of the sprinter who once electrified the sport. With heavy strapping on her right leg and an unusually sluggish start, her run left fans wondering: Is this a minor hiccup or the start of something more serious?

     

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    The timing couldn’t be more precarious. The same Tokyo track will host the World Championships in just four months, where Richardson is expected to defend her crown. But while she battles to rediscover her top gear, a new wave of talent and some familiar foes are already sprinting full throttle. The women’s 100m field in 2025 isn’t just deep, it’s scorching with form. Athletes Richardson once outran are now clocking times she hasn’t touched this year, and the race to Tokyo gold may already be tilting away from her.

     

    Reflecting on the same, a US track expert, Anderson Emerole, captured this growing tension best on his Final Leg podcast. He said, “Whether that’s a Shelly-Ann-Fraser-Pryce coming back from injury running a windy you know 10.9… Whether that’s a Tia Clayton running 10.9 to take down a very competitive field… Someone like a Julian Alfred… runs 21.8 seconds, showing that she’s in impeccable form and probably right now still the favorite as we go into the World Championships in Tokyo.” Surely, Emerole does have a point here.

     

     

     

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    Among the most eye-catching performers this season is Tia Clayton, who clocked a 10.9 to win a fiercely competitive race. One that featured seasoned names like Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Muja Kamunji. The victory not only established Clayton as a real contender but also hinted at a possible power shift within the Jamaican camp. Fraser-Pryce herself has made a strong return from injury, running a windy 10.9. While conditions favored that time, the message was clear: she’s not to be counted out.

     

     

     

     

     

    Then there’s Julian Alfred, who has taken a different route. Building her base with longer sprints, 300m and 400m, she recently exploded back into the shorter distances with a stunning 21.8 in the 200m. That performance has many experts pegging her as the current favorite heading into Worlds. Her smooth progression and dominance across distances signal more than just fitness.

     

    They suggest peak form at exactly the right time. Even Shericka Jackson, despite not yet running the 100m this season, has been active across other events and keeps her name firmly in the mix. The surge isn’t just limited to the Jamaican and Caribbean ranks. Americans like Melissa Jefferson have looked sharp, claiming big wins at home against strong fields. Rising stars such as Tamari Davis and even collegiate forces like Alana Reid are laying down markers with consistent sub-11 runs.

     

    Across the board, Richardson’s rivals are not waiting. They’re sprinting ahead, sending a loud and clear warning to the reigning queen. With the clock ticking toward September, Sha’Carri Richardson’s biggest challenge may no longer be just finding her rhythm. It’s holding off a storm of contenders who aren’t just catching up, they’re threatening to overtake. But having been outclassed in Paris, Sha’Carri Richardson, too, will surely be looking forward to avenging her loss.

     

    Can Sha’Carri Richardson catch up before it’s too late?

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    When the Olympic gun cracked through the Paris drizzle, Sha’Carri Richardson found herself already trailing. A rare sight indeed, and an even rarer outcome. The reigning world champion, expected to dominate the women’s 100m final, stumbled, figuratively and nearly literally, out of the blocks. In 0.144 seconds, Julien Alfred had launched herself into Olympic history. Richardson, with a sluggish 0.221 reaction time (the slowest of the field) was left playing catch-up.

     

     

     

     

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    Her coach, Dennis Mitchell, didn’t sugarcoat it. “High air time” off the blocks broke her momentum before it began. That misfire, compounded by slippery conditions, erased any advantage Richardson’s trademark top-end speed could offer. By the time she found her stride, Alfred was surging to Saint Lucia’s first-ever Olympic gold. It wasn’t just a win. Rather, it was a statement.

     

     

     

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    Now, as the 2025 season unfolds, Sha’Carri isn’t just chasing finish lines, but is chasing shadows. Julien Alfred has doubled down on her Paris triumph, taking a national record 300m win over Shericka Jackson in Miramar. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, at 38, is clocking sub-11s and adding relay medals. Even Jackson, battling back from injury, is clocking podiums in major meets.

     

    Meanwhile, Richardson’s season remains underwhelming. No headline wins. No new personal bests. Just mounting pressure. With Tokyo’s World Championships looming, Richardson is no longer the lone queen of sprinting. She’s in a race not just for redemption, but relevance. The question isn’t whether she can catch up. It’s whether her rivals will even let her.

     

     

  • How did the NBA Combine affect Tahaad Pettiford’s chances at returning to Auburn basketball?

    How did the NBA Combine affect Tahaad Pettiford’s chances at returning to Auburn basketball?

     

    Bruce Pearl told reporters last Thursday that Auburn has a plan if star point guard Tahaad Pettiford remains in the NBA Draft. While some sort of backup plan is to be expected, Pearl and just about everyone else in the program would love to have the SEC All-Freshman guard back for a second season.

     

    “If he decides to come back to Auburn, we’ll be a much better team,” Pearl said at the Jimmy Rane charity golf event last Thursday.

     

    With the combine now over, Pettiford has had the chance to play, work out and meet with a number of NBA teams, meaning a decision could be close. The decision will have to be made by May 28 at the latest, as that is the final day for players to withdraw from the draft and maintain their college eligibility.

     

    At the combine, Pettiford spent some time in the headlines at the beginning of the week, both for his testing numbers and performance in the first scrimmage.

     

    He logged a 42-inch max vertical leap, the second highest at the combine, only trailing North Carolina wing Drake Powell. Pettiford’s official measurements helped his stock too, most notably standing over 6-feet barefoot and having an eight-foot standing reach.

     

    The explosion came in the first scrimmage, though, where Pettiford scored 23 points and dished out eight assists, doing so on 8-for-16 shooting and 4-for-8 shooting from 3-point range. He led all scorers, helping guide his team to a 104-80 win.

     

    Pettiford didn’t help himself as much in the second scrimmage, scoring 10 points on 4-for-15 shooting and 1-for-8 shooting from 3. He also finished the game with twice as many turnovers (six) as assists (three).

     

    ESPN released a new mock draft Monday morning following the combine, projecting Pettiford to be picked 37th overall by the Detroit Pistons, keeping him in the second round.

     

    Pearl spoke to reporters Monday afternoon following the combine and ESPN’s latest mock draft and reiterated that Pettiford should stay in the draft if he gets a first round guarantee, but he expects him back at Auburn next season if that doesn’t happen.

     

    “He’s still in the same position he’s been in the whole time,” Pearl said at Bruce Pearl Fore the Children golf classic. “If he can get in the first round, he’s gonna go. And if he can get in the first round, he should go. If he doesn’t feel and his folks don’t feel like he is gonna be in there in the 20s somewhere, then he’ll come back.”

     

    Given the latest mock draft, a guarantee seemingly remains unlikely, putting Auburn in a good position to retain the star point guard.

     

    If Pettiford doesn’t return, Pearl said there are players “waiting to see what he decides” that Auburn could pursue to replace him, but didn’t give any names.

     

     

  • Tebogo, Chebet and Wanyonyi among Olympic champions racing in Rabat

    Tebogo, Chebet and Wanyonyi among Olympic champions racing in Rabat

     

     

    Six Olympic champions will be in action at the Meeting International Mohammed VI d’Athletisme de Rabat for the fourth fixture in the 2025 Wanda Diamond League series, set for the Moroccan capital on Sunday (25).

     

    Nine months on from claiming the sport’s biggest prize in Paris, Letsile Tebogo, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Beatrice Chebet, Quincy Hall, Soufiane El Bakkali and Hamish Kerr will be aiming to notch up another victory in Rabat as part of their preparations for the World Championships later this year.

     

    Tebogo, the world athlete of the year, will in fact be doubling up in Rabat. He’ll first compete in the 100m, where he’ll face world indoor bronze medallist Akani Simbine, 2022 world champion Fred Kerley and African record-holder Ferdinand Omanyala.

     

    Then 70 minutes later, Tebogo will be out on the track again, this time for his preferred event, the 200m, where he’ll face two-time world medallist Erriyon Knighton and world 400m record-holder Wayde van Niekerk.

     

    Tebogo won the 200m at the Diamond League meeting in Doha earlier this month, but by just 0.01. In Rabat, all nine men in the field have sub-20-second PBs, so he may have to improve on his season’s best of 20.10 to pull off another victory.

     

    The men’s 800m field is similarly loaded. Wanyonyi, the Olympic champion, takes on Botswana’s Tshepiso Masalela, the winner in Doha last week, his compatriot Kethobogile Haingura, two-time Commonwealth champion Wyclife Kinyamal and Olympic finalist Max Burgin.

     

    Following on from her 5000m win in Xiamen last month, double Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet steps down to the 3000m in Rabat. Ejgayehu Taye, who won over 3000m and 5000m at the Grand Slam meeting in Kingston last month, will be among the leading challengers, alongside fellow Ethiopian Lemlem Hailu, Olympic silver medallist Nadia Battocletti and Oceanian record-holder Georgia Griffith.

     

    The majority of the home crowd will be at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium to see their star athlete, Soufiane El Bakkali, in action in the men’s steeplechase at the end of the programme. The world and Olympic champion has won at this meeting for the past three years, and it’s where he set his lifetime best of 7:56.68.

     

    Having been beaten in his last two steeplechase races, El Bakkali won’t want to lose again, but he’ll be up against Samuel Firewu, who beat El Bakkali in Xiamen, and Abrham Sime, winner at the following Diamond League meeting in Keqiao. Olympic bronze medallist Abraham Kibiwot and rising Kenyan star Edmund Serem add further quality to the field.

     

    In the men’s 400m, Olympic champion Quincy Hall takes on US compatriot Jacory Patterson, who is competing for the first time since setting a world-leading 43.98 in Miramar earlier this month. Not including his appearances at the World Relays and World Indoors, it will be Patterson’s first race outside of the USA.

     

    USA’s Bryce Deadmon and Botswana’s Bayapo Ndori and Leungo Scotch are also in the line-up.

     

    In the men’s high jump, Olympic champion Hamish Kerr takes on Olympic silver medallist Shelby McEwen and world silver medallist JuVaughn Harrison.

     

    World champions to the fore

    Alongside the six Olympic gold medallists in action, five other reigning world champions, indoors or out, will be competing in Rabat.

     

    World 400m hurdles champion Femke Bol will be getting her outdoor campaign under way on Sunday, taking on a field that includes leading Jamaican duo Rushell Clayton and Andrenette Knight.

     

    Two-time world 200m champion Shericka Jackson will make her seasonal 100m debut. The Jamaican will face US pair Cambrea Sturgis and Jacious Sears, Liberia’s Maia McCoy, and Australia’s Bree Rizzo, the surprise winner in Tokyo last weekend.

     

    In the women’s pole vault, world champion Katie Moon lines up alongside 2024 world indoor champion Molly Caudery and European champion Angelica Moser.

     

    New Zealand’s Tom Walsh will be competing for the first time since winning his third world indoor shot put title two months ago. He faces two-time world champion Joe Kovacs, who’s making his 2025 debut, world silver medallist Leonardo Fabbri, Olympic bronze medallist Rajindra Campbell and world indoor silver medallist Roger Steen.

     

    The women’s 800m, meanwhile, will be a clash between the winners of the last two world indoor titles: current champion Prudence Sekgodiso and 2024 winner Tsige Duguma. The latter got her outdoor campaign off to a strong start in Keqiao earlier this month, clocking a world-leading 1:56.64 to break the Ethiopian record.

     

    The top two throwers in the world this year, Adriana Vilagos and Elina Tzengko, will clash in the women’s javelin. Olympic silver medallist Jo-An van Dyk, world silver medallist Flor Ruiz and Polish record-holder Maria Andrejczyk are also in the line-up.

     

     

  • How does Kentucky men’s basketball fix its roster issue?

    How does Kentucky men’s basketball fix its roster issue?

     

    Depth will be key for the Wildcats this year. With the signing of Braydon Hawthorne last night, Kentucky basketball now boasts arguably the deepest roster in the nation. Hawthorne would start on half the teams in the SEC, but opted to learn under Mark Pope at Kentucky and complete a dream team in Lexington.

     

    Obviously this problem is resolved if either superstar guard Otega Oweh or Pitt transfer Jaland Lowe declare for the NBA Draft. While at this point both seem unlikely, it would bring Kentucky’s roster total down to 13, meeting NCAA requirements.

     

    What’s more likely is that one of the fourteen players on Kentucky’s roster takes a redshirt. But which player would opt for that?

     

    Oweh and Lowe absolutely won’t if they return. Both will be key starters for the Wildcats if they do stay in Lexington this fall.

     

    The same goes for new transfers Kam Williams (Tulane), Mo Dioubate (Alabama), and Denzel Aberdeen (Florida). They didn’t come to Lexington to not play, nor did Andrija Jelavic, who left professional basketball in Europe to play for the Wildcats.

     

    Center Brandon Garrison and guard Collin Chandler are both back for the Wildcats. They’ll be key bench depth for Pope behind those starters.

     

    The same likely goes for four-star combo guard Jasper Johnson, who is Kentucky’s most high-profile recruit in the 2025 class. He figures in as key depth alongside Garrison and Chandler.

     

    Jayden Quaintance, a high-profile recruit from Arizona who could end up as a superstar with Kentucky, could opt for a medical redshirt as he comes off of a torn ACL. He just had surgery in March to repair the tear, so it is a possibility.

     

    However, Pope has made it sound like Quaintance will be playing again at some point this year, saying:

     

    “We’ll see. The one thing I know about him, he’s an incredible talent and we’re going to go as fast as we can with the absolute most caution that we can.”

     

    Even if he misses time, Quaintance could figure in the same way that Micah Handlogten did for the Gators during their championship run after suffering a major leg injury the prior season.

     

    That leaves returning guard Trent Noah, Miami (OH) transfer center Reece Potter, and recruits Hawthorne and Malachi Moreno. Out of that crop, each is unlikely to play major minutes this year, and if they do it will be in blowout situations.

     

    Out of those four, each can also be considered developmental. They’re more likely to feature significant minutes when they’re upperclassmen and increase their workload year by year.

     

    Any (and possibly all) of the four could be the one to take that redshirt this year, which would alleviate Kentucky’s roster problem.

  • Hamilton ‘buzzing’ for first Monaco weekend with Ferrari after taking positives from Imola charge

    Hamilton ‘buzzing’ for first Monaco weekend with Ferrari after taking positives from Imola charge

     

     

    Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Scuderia Ferrari talks to the

    Lewis Hamilton cut an upbeat figure during Thursday’s media duties in Monaco as the seven-time World Champion looks to build on an encouraging recovery at last weekend’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

     

    Ferrari endured a nightmare double Q2 exit at their first home Grand Prix of the season in Imola but Hamilton and team mate Charles Leclerc fought back admirably to P4 and P6 respectively on race day – the Briton’s best non-Sprint result of the season so far.

     

    While this weekend’s race in the Principality represents a “much different” challenge, Hamilton hopes the lessons learned last time out will stand him and the Scuderia in good stead as the latest F1 triple header progresses.

     

    “We’ve definitely taken on the positives from it,” he commented. “There’s still a lot to digest – it’s only been a few days, obviously.

     

     

    Two-stopper ‘throws a spanner’ – Hamilton hopeful Monaco rule change will create opportunities

     

    “I was on the simulator on Monday [working] on correlation and working with the engineers through the week. I hope we can have a good weekend.

     

    “It’s a much different track… Ferrari have generally gone well here [in the past] but as you know, Qualifying is everything and we’ve struggled so far this year, so we’ll see.

     

    “I’ve never driven this car at this track, so that will be new for me, it’s a new characteristic to what I’ve experienced in the past, but it’s exciting to drive for the first time a Ferrari around these streets of Monte Carlo.”

     

    Indeed, in a season of ‘firsts’ since making the move from Mercedes over the winter, Hamilton went on to explain just how special it will feel to represent Ferrari at one of F1’s most famous races.

     

    Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Scuderia Ferrari is interviewed

    Hamilton has claimed two pole positions and three races wins in Monaco over the years

    “I remember being here driving for McLaren in an era where the car looked the best, the best livery, it was very cool, and something I really, genuinely loved,” he continued, referring to his debut 2007 season.

     

    “But to arrive here in a Ferrari is mad. Every weekend still is my first time with this team in all these locations that we go to, but to drive a Ferrari around this track…

     

    “I’ve always wondered what it’s like to be in the garage surrounded by red here, and I’m going to get to experience that tomorrow. I don’t know if I’ll sleep tonight, I’m really, really buzzing and really excited.”

     

    Hamilton heads into the event holding sixth position in the Drivers’ Championship, one spot and eight points behind Leclerc, while Ferrari sit fourth in the Teams’ battle, 165 points adrift of leaders McLaren.

     

     

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  • Breaking down contract details of Lions’ 1st-round pick Tyleik Williams

    Breaking down contract details of Lions’ 1st-round pick Tyleik Williams

    Breaking down contract details of Lions’ 1st-round pick Tyleik Williams

    On Wednesday, the Detroit Lions announced that they had signed 2025 first-round pick Tyleik Williams to his rookie contract. That puts six of the Lions’ seven draft picks now under contract. The lone exception is second-round pick Tate Ratledge.

    As a reminder, second-round picks typically take the longest to sign their first NFL contract because there is more wiggle room when it comes to negotiating. As an example, Texans receiver Jayden Higgins became the first ever second-round pick to earn a fully guaranteed contract earlier this year—something typically reserved for first-round picks.

     

    According to NFL insider Aaron Wilson, Williams received a four-year, $16.46 million contract that has an $8.61 million signing bonus. Williams’ contract is fully guaranteed.

     

    If you’re wondering how Williams’ contract sizes up with other defensive tackles, here’s a look at the top-paid players at his position:

     

    Chris Jones: $31.75 million/year

    Christian Wilkins: $27.5 million/year

    Milton Williams: $26 million/year

    Nnamdi Madubuike: $24.5 million/year

    Alim McNeill: $24.5 million/year

    Tyleik Williams’ average of $4.11 million per year ranks him 63rd among all defensive tackles. He’s just above teammates Levi Onwuzurike ($4 million) and Roy Lopez ($3.5 million).

     

    While defensive tackle may not seem like a premier position, it’s clear that teams are willing to shell out a hefty price for the best ones. Detroit, by grabbing a rookie at the end of the first round, is not only getting a player at what is essentially now deemed a premier position but at a very discounted cost.

  • Another 200m record in sight? Olympic champion Julien Alfred set for track return in Zagreb

    Another 200m record in sight? Olympic champion Julien Alfred set for track return in Zagreb

    Julien Alfred will aim at the 200m meeting record when she lines at the Hanzekovic Memorial in Zagreb.

    Saint Lucia’s golden girl Julien Alfred will eye the 200m Meeting Record when she makes her 2025 World Athletics Continental Tour Gold debut at the Hanzekovic Memorial in Zagreb on Saturday (24).

    The Olympic 100m champion who has had a fantastic start to the 2025 season, will be gunning to extend her winning streak and aim at the meeting record of 22.04s when she lines up against Spain’s Jael Bestue and USA’s Deajah Stevens.

    Last month at the Tom Jones Invitational in Gainesville, Alfred clocked a blistering world-leading time of 21.88s to win her 200m season opener, taking down a strong field of Nigeria’s sprint sensation Favour Ofili in second in 22.34s, and USA’s Tamari Davis third in 22.37s.

    The Next Julien Alfred: Saint Lucia's Jady Emmanuel rises to Olympic champion's history-making status at CARIFTA Games

    The Next Julien Alfred: Saint Lucia’s Jady Emmanuel rises to Olympic champion’s history-making status at CARIFTA Games

    More impressively, her time was just 0.02 of her PB ran to win 200m silver medal at the Paris Olympic Games.

    After her world-leading race, Alfred said it was an expected result and was looking ahead to the rest of the season.

    Is Sha'Carri Richardson injured? Questions surround her loss in Tokyo as doctor's appointment post surfaces online

    Is Sha’Carri Richardson injured? Questions surround her loss in Tokyo as doctor’s appointment post surfaces online

    “Based off my coach and what I’ve been working on, he did say I’ll be around there. However, I’m just grateful to be healthy and looking forward to what the season holds,” she said.

    With a long season ahead and her fierce rivals, Sha’Carri Richardson and Shericka Jackson, still struggling to find their form, Alfred will be focused on achieving another outstanding performance in Zagreb as she continues preparations ahead of the World Championships in Tokyo.