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The World Athletics Championship is held every two years to provide a strong preview of the Olympics. The prestigious event is organised by World Athletics (formerly IAAF), which is responsible for more than 200 national track-and-field federations and is the ratifying body for official world records in all disciplines of athletics.

Sprints: From the blink-and-you’ll-miss it 100m to the lung-busting 400m, the sprint events highlight athletes’ raw speed and explosive power. Throws: From the hammer to the javelin, these disciplines require immense strength and precision. Relays: Teamwork takes center stage in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays, with smooth, synchronised transfers of the baton often proving decisive. Combined events: True tests of all-round athletic prowess, the women’s heptathlon and men’s decathlon see competitors take on seven track and field disciplines.

From a thrilling, dramatic climax in the men’s 200m final to an incredible hat-trick of gold medals for Great Britain in the 4x100m and 4x400m, the 2023 World Athletics Championships were an unforgettable affair – full of triumphs, tears, and a few spectacular downfalls. And the excitement is only just getting started.

International qualifiers take place during international windows when club football is paused, and the results of these matches will have a major impact on which teams qualify for the next World Cup. The qualifiers are split into several rounds, and the winning team will be awarded one of 32 berths for the 2026 tournament in Qatar.

The first round, known as the open qualifiers, are held in the spring of 2023 and 2024, with sides playing each other twice. The top two sides in each group progress to the second stage. Here, they are placed in groups of six nations who play each other home and away. The top three in each group qualify for the World Cup. The two runners-up will then compete in an inter-confederation playoff to determine the final two places.

In the Americas, the co-hosts have already qualified and a tight battle has opened up for the remaining three places. Mexico and Costa Rica are unbeaten after two rounds, and Brazil, Peru and Ecuador will also likely qualify from their groups. Honduras, Bermuda, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Curacao and Guyana are all in good positions to secure a spot through their remaining games.

The remaining five places from Asia are at an earlier stage, with Iran and South Korea currently positioned well to progress. Japan are also still undefeated, while Australia are a point clear of Saudi Arabia with four to play.

Any sincere fan will, at times, display what may seem like an inordinate amount of emotional attachment or angst to sports and celebrity news. Whether they’re yelling at a referee, still in mourning over Brangelina or just defending themselves from autograph hounds, every fan carries a bit of sports celebrity gossip inside them. This week we’ve got the latest on a former WWE star who lost her job over Coldplay cheating drama, a surfing star who shares a video of his gruesome injury and Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn discusses her career and her groin injury.

Charlotte and Madeline start the show with a few admin orders of business and a couple of quick informercials, then get down to the latest sports celebrity gossip. WNBA star Suni Lee and her NBA player boyfriend OG Anunoby have finally made their relationship official, which is sure to spark some Knicks controversy. Also, Jalen Brunson is clearly annoyed at Karl-Anthony Towns and Tyrese Haliburton’s dad can’t go to Bucks games anymore (probably because his son is Giannis Antetokounmpo’s godfather). Plus, MJF loves hearing Adam Sandler praise his work in “Happy Gilmore 2.” And if that wasn’t enough, F1’s Lando Norris hard-launched his girlfriend on TikTok.

The Masters leaderboard is a real-time snapshot of player rankings throughout the tournament. It helps golf fans stay up to date on who has taken an early lead, who is making a move up or down and which players are outside the cut line.

Rory McIlroy shot a three-under 66 in the second round of The Masters at Augusta National to take the lead by one stroke from defending champion Scottie Scheffler. The Northern Irishman made a double bogey at the first hole, but bounced back with birdies at holes 2, 3, 4 and 5 before dropping another shot at the 18th.

The field is trimmed to the top 50 and ties after Friday’s second round. USA TODAY’s sports data hub will be updated with the latest Masters scoreboard and player rankings throughout the week.

Bryson DeChambeau is tied with McIlroy at 10 under after shooting a four-under 66. The left-hander, who is trying to complete a career grand slam, has yet to win at Augusta but did tie for sixth a year ago. He is joined by a trio of former Masters winners in Ludvig Aberg, Patrick Reed and Corey Conners.

Hideki Matsuyama and Brian Campbell are two more names to keep an eye on. Both have won majors in the past and are within a shot of the leaders with nine holes remaining. Matsuyama, who began the day at 4-over par, has six birdies in his round so far.

Athletes who retire often find it hard to move on. Those who have prepared for the transition have a more positive experience. They have surrounded themselves with support systems and mentors. These people are able to help them overcome psychological and physical strains that can occur in retirement.

Many retired athletes struggle financially. It can be difficult to make the transition from a high-income, highly-managed lifestyle to surviving on minimum wages with little or no support system. This can lead to depression and substance abuse problems. Many athletes spiral into bankruptcy or end up on food stamps. The problem is most prevalent in the NFL, where four out of five former players become bankrupt within two years of retirement.

Having support systems outside of sports can be helpful, too. Many retired athletes have second careers in business, coaching or politics. Others focus on philanthropy, public speaking and mentoring young athletes. Some have even joined the military. It’s also common for retired athletes to endorse products. Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan and Tom Brady are just a few of the big-name athletes who have endorsement deals.

Having health insurance in retirement is also important. WNBA players are fighting for this benefit as part of their CBA negotiations. Some athletes have to rely on COBRA, which is available for a limited amount of time after leaving their professional sport. It’s expensive, but it can be the difference between having health insurance or going without.

Amid all the naysaying about climate change or the fate of rhinos, there’s another issue affecting cricket that’s been less widely publicized – and it’s a real stinker. The ICC’s sticking-plaster approach to the World Test Championship is a flawed mess that should be abandoned. That’s the conclusion of this year’s edition of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, which branded this week’s WTC final between Australia and South Africa “a shambles masquerading as a showpiece.”

The WTC is a nine-nation tournament contested by full members (Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe) of the International Cricket Council, which governs the game’s longest format. It is played in two-year cycles.

During that time, teams are ranked according to their performance in a series of games against other nations that are held over varying lengths of time. The results of those matches are then added together to form a team’s overall ranking, which is based on a percentage of total points won. Teams earn 12 points for a win, four for a draw, and zero for a loss. They can also lose points for bowling too slowly – which happened to England in the WTC’s first cycle, when they were deducted 19 points for three slow over-rates.

The system is skewed in that the top five countries, which are deemed to be the best at playing Test cricket, will play each other home and away in series of three or more tests, with each match counting toward the rankings. This is not how leagues for other sports are structured. Booth wants the duration of the qualification cycle to be doubled, and for the nine ranked teams to play each other in home and away series of at least four tests.

The Asian Games are a major sports event held every four years, with athletes from around 45 nations competing in various sports disciplines. It is an opportunity for nations to reestablish bonds that were broken in the wake of World War II and contribute to world peace. Canon is proud to be a Basic Partner of the 2026 Asian Games organized by Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya City, with support from the Olympic Council of Asia.

AINAGOC has released its latest Asian Games News Volume 3 with updates on the compilation of the sport program and venue selection. The 2026 Asian Games will take place in Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya from September 19 to October 4, 2026.

This edition of the Asian Games will feature a new type of Athletes’ Village: a luxury cruise ship docked at the Nagoya Port will serve as the main accommodation. The ship will accommodate 4,600 athletes and officials—roughly one-third of the total 15,000 participants—while a pier will house another 2,400. This decision was made to save costs by not constructing a dedicated Athletes’ Village, while also taking into consideration Japan’s high seismic activity due to its location on the Pacific ’Ring of Fire’.

In addition, esports will make its debut at the Asian Games in 2026. Eleven esports titles have been selected by the OCA for competition at the Asian Games, including variations of PUBG and League of Legends. The OCA carefully selected these titles in order to balance competitive integrity with broadcasting optimization and a desire for viewership engagement.

F1 standings are more than just statistics – they provide fans with a window into the season’s drama and allow them to follow their favourite drivers. Updated after every Grand Prix, the ranking is a live snapshot of each team and driver’s progress. In a sport where the difference between victory and defeat is a fraction of a second, consistency matters more than ever.

With an intricate system of points awarded, the championship standings provide a snapshot into a season’s success and failure. The most significant changes – from rule changes that boost overtaking opportunities to technological innovations that alter the speed landscape – continuously impact rankings and determine how teams perform throughout the season.

As the season concludes, the driver accumulating the most points is crowned FIA Formula 1 World Champion. They join their team and fellow drivers on the winners’ podium, where they are celebrated for their achievements by being splashed with champagne from magnum bottles.

While a driver’s standings may be the most telling statistic of all, the team’s standings are equally important. The constructors’ title has been decided in 19 seasons since the Championship was first created, including 2024 when McLaren pipped Ferrari to win their first title in 74 years.

A team’s ranking is determined by their total number of points scored across a season, with the winner awarded 25 points for winning a race and second place earning 18 points. Then comes third place with 15 points, fourth with 12 and so on down to 10th, where only one point is awarded.

From 1920 to 1988, Olympic ice hockey was a round-robin tournament and medals were awarded based on total points earned. In 1992, the NHL players were allowed to participate in the Olympics for the first time and the medal game format was modified. A shootout was added to determine a winner when a game was tied after a five-minute overtime period. The shootout is a much-debated mechanism and critics call it a skills competition devoid of the strategies used in a regular 5-on-5 hockey game.

In 1998, a gold medal game was held for the first time and that was the first time a team made it into the Olympic final using only NHL players. In 2006, the tournament was changed again so that every team played five preliminary games with full use of NHL players.

Unlike the NHL, where teams are permitted to have as many as 20 skaters and two goalies on their roster, the Olympics limit players to only 15. The rink is also wider for a faster and less physical game. Fighting is not allowed in Olympic ice hockey.

The American team dominated the early decades of Olympic ice hockey, winning six of the seven gold medals during this time. However, the Soviet Union started playing in 1956 and eventually overtook Canada as the dominant international team. During the tumultuous Cold War years that followed, the U.S. won three of the next four Olympic tournaments. Then, the Soviet Union collapsed and several former Soviet states entered the Olympics as a unified team, winning four of the next five medals.

The esports tournament circuit is the gamer’s version of sports championships. In a stadium or arena packed with roaring fans, teams compete head-to-head in their video games of choice for hefty cash prizes. Commentators analyze and discuss the action in real time just like announcers at a football or basketball match. And the winner is crowned an elite champion, enjoying all the prestige and riches of a sports hero.

The world of esports is booming and its influence has already reshaped our entertainment and gaming landscape. From small gaming meetups to global competitions with massive audiences, esports is now a powerful force in our lives.

Esports is a huge industry with billions of dollars in prize money. It’s also a growing part of the entertainment industry with TV shows and events.

There’s a lot to know about esports, and the best place to get all the latest esports tournament news is on one of the dedicated esports websites. Whether you’re a fan of League of Legends, Overwatch or Counter Strike, these sites offer the latest information on the game, including current tournament results, rankings and more.

The first big CS2 tournament of the year is this week with IEM Katowice. We’ll know more about the contenders after the event and the results of other qualifiers. Reigning Major winners G2 Esports and OG both figure to make a run, but we’ll need to see the performance of European teams and any new comers from China and Korea.