• Rugby sevens, shooting, judo and water polo also to come
• Day-by-day guide | Live schedule, medal table, results
• Share your thoughts with Jonathan on X or via email

While the Boomers will naturally commandeer the attention of Australian basketball followers, there is a second nation at the Paris Games that owes a lot to the NBL: South Sudan. Kieran Pender explains why.

South Sudan are very much a second team for Australian fans to cheer on. Four members of the 12-man squad play in Australia’s National Basketball League – Bul Kuol, Jackson Makoi, Majok Deng and Sunday Dech – while a fifth, Kuany Kuany, lived in Australia before relocating to the United States for college. Another Australian, Thon Maker, had a last-minute eligibility appeal rejected after the former Boomers player switched basketball allegiances. Other members of the team play in the NBA, Serbia, China, Israel and Rwanda.

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South Sudan’s story of resilience, unity and hope has a strong Australian flavour thanks to the five players with connections to the country

There are no indoor basketball courts in South Sudan. Not one. But on Sunday, the young nation will make its Olympic basketball debut against Puerto Rico in Lille. It is a remarkable story of resilience, unity and hope – with a strong Australian flavour.

South Sudan, in central Africa, declared independence from Sudan in 2011 following a protracted, bloody civil war. The world’s youngest country remains wracked by internal turmoil. But when retired British-South Sudanese basketball star Luol Deng received a phone call from his brother in 2019, it came with an intriguing offer. The government of South Sudan wanted someone to run its nascent basketball program; would Deng help?

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• Guardiola has not ruled out staying beyond next summer
• Manager had said he was ‘closer to leaving than staying’

Pep Guardiola has insisted he has not ruled out signing a new contract with Manchester City, with his current deal due to expire next summer.

The City manager appeared to hint in May that next season could be his last at the club, saying he was “closer to leaving than staying”. But speaking to reporters during the current pre-season tour of the United States, Guardiola opened the door to extending his tenure.

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Australia’s Matthew Dawson thought his Games were over after a freak accident but a bold decision ensured he will still be part of a team chasing a medal

It has been 20 years since the Kookaburras, the Australian men’s hockey team, have won an Olympic gold medal. But so badly do the current cohort want to improve on their agonising silver medal in Tokyo, downed by Belgium in an extraordinary, protracted shoot-out, that some squad members have taken to drastic measures. Like cutting off a finger.

Two weeks ago, Kookaburras defender Matthew Dawson was participating in a warm-up match in Perth when another player’s stick collided with his hand, leaving a finger bloodied and partly detached. Dawson was devastated; he immediately thought his third Olympic campaign was over before it had begun.

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• Paris Games launched with audacious opening ceremony
• Nadal carries Olympic torch on speedboat in grand finale

Towards the end of a night where the Parisian skies opened like sluice gates and did their damnedest to drown the ambitions of the most audacious opening ceremony in history, the head of the Paris Olympics had the confidence to crack a joke.

“When you love the Games, first of all you don’t let a few drops of rain bother you,” said Tony Estanguet. “Thank you to all those lovers of the Games who are with us – a little soggy – tonight!”

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The Parisian rain showed there is a good reason why Olympic opening ceremonies are held in stadiums

Avant: le deluge. There was a moment, about an hour into Paris 2024’s Grand Opening Spectacular, as the rain soaked through shoes, trousers, socks and eventually skin, hair and bone; as yet more boats of waving people chugged down the Seine, like watching an endless series of weirdly nationalistic office parties; as some men did some dancing in a place, for reasons that frankly seemed quite remote at that point, where a thought occurred.

Maybe this wasn’t just the worst Olympic opening ceremony ever. Maybe this wasn’t the worst outdoor event ever. Maybe this was the worst thing ever.

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• Dutchman fears repeat of last season’s injury woes
• Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee have joined this summer

Erik ten Hag is concerned that Manchester United need to “catch up on squad depth” with the manager worried that the 60-plus injuries his side suffered last season could happen again due to the load on players.

United have already signed the defender Leny Yoro and forward Joshua Zirkzee this summer. The manager is also pursuing a full-back – Bayern Munich’s Noussair Mazraoui is a target – plus a defensive midfielder, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Manuel Ugarte of interest.

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• Wigan Warriors 4-40 Warrington Wolves
• Teenager Lindop and Ashton run in doubles for Wolves

When the dust settles on this most extraordinary of Super League seasons, it is highly likely that all six teams who make the playoffs look back on this night as one of the most pivotal of them all.

Let us begin at the top, and this outstanding victory for Warrington Wolves. As recently as a fortnight ago, the battle for the League Leaders’ Shield was considered done and dusted when Wigan Warriors beat St Helens, who at the time were second but could finish this weekend sixth, such is the congested nature of the competition in 2024.

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• Dane joins from Napoli, Sessegnon returns to Fulham
• GBP35m striker set to swap Villa Park for London Stadium

Everton have signed the Denmark international Jesper Lindstrom on a season’s loan from Napoli. The deal for the attacking midfielder includes the option of a permanent transfer for €22.5m (GBP19m) next summer.

Lindstrom, 24, had been tracked by Everton before he joined Napoli for €30m from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer. He had two productive campaigns in the Bundesliga, helping Eintracht win the Europa League in 2022 and playing in the Champions League the following season, but struggled to make an impact in Italy as Napoli endured a turbulent season. The former Serie A champions will receive a €2.5m loan fee from Everton, who will cover all of Lindstrom’s wages.

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From meticulous preparation to sandbagging, breaking down the psychic toolbox competitors in Paris will be working with

Olympic athletes employ a number of strategies in their attempts to gain a psychological advantage over the other competitors. Some of these may be ­deliberate, but in many cases they will be employing tactics they don’t fully understand. Here are 10 mind games to look out for.

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• Cavalier approach leads to loss of three wickets
• Woakes: ‘We always try to take the positive option’

Chris Woakes defended England’s approach after they lost three wickets in the final half-hour of the opening day at Edgbaston to reach stumps at 38 for three, still 244 runs behind, having chosen to be cavalier rather than cautious in a potentially tricky late-afternoon mini-session.

“We always try to take the ­positive option, particularly the two openers in Zak [Crawley] and Ben [Duckett]. Unfortunately on this occasion it didn’t quite come off,” Woakes said.

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• Quarterback led NFL in passing yards last season
• Deal is a record for a Dolphins player

The Miami Dolphins signed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to a four-year contract extension valued at a franchise-record $212.4m, according to media reports on Monday.

At an average of $53.1m per year, Tagovailoa will rank third in the NFL in quarterback pay behind Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow. The deal includes $167m guaranteed, eighth most among quarterbacks.

ESPN first reported the extension, attributing the terms to the agency that represents Tagovailoa, Athletes First. The Dolphins did not announce the extension, though the team did post a video of Tagovailoa on social media Friday afternoon.

Tagovailoa was still playing under the contract he signed when the Dolphins made him the fifth overall selection of the 2020 draft. Tagovailoa was looking for a contract similar to those signed by Burrow and Justin Herbert, who were drafted the same year. After their rookie deals, Burrow and Herbert signed multiyear contracts in excess of $200m.

Throughout negotiations, Tagovailoa participated in the team’s offseason workouts and parts of the first few days of training camp. He was a full participant on Friday.

Tagovailoa, who sustained multiple concussions his first three NFL seasons, positioned himself for a big pay bump with an injury-free and productive 2023. He threw for 29 touchdowns and a league-best 4,624 yards.

The Dolphins reached the postseason but were eliminated in the first round by eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City, extending to 24 years Miami’s stretch without a playoff win.

The contract extension will keep Tagovailoa with Miami through 2028.

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• WBD says league breached contract by declining offer
• NBA signed $76bn deal for broadcast rights

Warner Bros Discovery filed a lawsuit against the NBA on Friday after losing media rights to Amazon.

WBD, TNT’s parent company, alleges that the league breached its contract by declining WBD’s offer for a new media rights deal and instead signing with Amazon, according to documents obtained by ESPN.

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A resounding medal tally may be a secondary thought but podiums will offer powerful means of representation

Inside Ukraine’s ministry of youth and sports stands a solemn memorial, displayed along a section of wall, displaying the names of athletes and coaches at various levels who have died during Russia’s full-scale invasion. It was unveiled in May; around 500 are listed and the awful truth is that, as the country’s army continues to defend against relentless attack, the list is likely to grow before any resolution is reached.

So the sportspeople who represent Ukraine at Paris 2024 are the lucky ones, if anyone from a country experiencing such horrors can in any way be described thus. The reality is that each of them carries more on his or her shoulders than the vast majority of their competitors could ever imagine. There is no opportunity like an Olympics to test yourself and chase your dreams; this summer they must attempt that while embodying a nation’s fight for survival in front of the world and offering a hint of escapism for those putting lives on the line back home.

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Another record haul is possible for Team GB in Paris, and those behind it hope they can use success to make a lasting impact on society

There used to be a hidden wall at UK Sport’s old London headquarters where senior figures would meticulously plot Team GB’s medal charge before each Olympics. But with every passing Games there was increasingly less space on it, as the 30 medals Britain won in Athens jumped to 51 in Beijing, and the 65 in London was eclipsed by the 67 in Rio. And while the Goodge Street office permanently shut during the pandemic, the ambition inked on that wall remains: for Britain to stay an Olympic sporting superpower.

For Paris, UK Sport has forecast a medal range of 50 to 70. But the absence of most Russians, and an uptick in medal events, should mean that target is achieved with gusto. As its director of performance, Kate Baker, puts it: “On a good day that 70 is really within our grasp.”

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Simone Biles has reframed her relationship with the sport but will face fierce competition from Rebeca Andrade

In the aftermath of her nightmare second Olympic experience, all Simone Biles wanted to do was go home. But even after she departed Tokyo, Biles had to follow her teammates to New York and wade through numerous excruciating talk show appearances and photo ops. Then came a parade in her home town of Houston. Each time the cameras trained on her, she plastered a fake smile over her face. When she finally returned home, she wept.

It has taken so much work for Biles to return to the top of her sport after the events of Tokyo 2020. She stepped away from gymnastics for a year, she has spent many hours of therapy trying to fully understand the root causes of her mental suffering and she has had to reframe her relationship with her sport. Now, she says, she is performing for herself.

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Too often this series the captain’s wicket has led to flurry of dismissals but his predecessor dug in to avert a collapse

First ball of the Test, Chris Woakes bowling to Kraigg Brathwaite. It pitched a little short, and the West Indies captain dabbed it into the ground and ran. It felt a little ambitious, if only for a moment – by the time Woakes had extended and diverted his follow-through to reach the ball both he and the batters knew the risk had paid off. Was this, perhaps, a sign that West Indies had come out on the front foot, having won the toss, determined to impose themselves on the game?

Mikyle Louis, Brathwaite’s opening partner, pushed his bat unconvincingly at the first ball he faced, left the last four balls of that Woakes over well alone, and took 22 balls to get off the mark. Perhaps not.

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Red Bull driver, who launched tirade at team after car underperformed and handled badly in Budapest, struggling to handle threat of resurgent McLaren team

Formula One wants gladiatorial drivers, sportspeople set apart, racing on the edge in the heat of battle, so it might be considered a little rich when the sport clutches at its pearls in distaste over Max Verstappen’s vehement swearing at last week’s Hungarian Grand Prix. It is impossible not to sense that the affront at his bad language is rather missing the point.

When Verstappen launched a tirade at his Red Bull team’s poor performance in Budapest, at one point including one “bullshit” and two “fucks” in the same breathless exposition of distaste, the team radio bleeper operative would have struggled to mash his button fast enough.

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• Lineman was also arrested on domestic violence charge
• Kansas City released player after second arrest

Former Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs has been convicted on two counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty charges.

Judge Joanne Jannik sentenced Buggs last week to a year of hard labor, ordering him to serve 60 days. The rest would be suspended for two years “pending the behavior of the defendant.” Buggs has said he will appeal his conviction.

The 27-year-old is also not allowed to have or be around firearms or own dogs or cats.

The Chiefs released Buggs on 24 June, eight days after his second recent arrest in Alabama. He was detained on a charge of domestic violence/burglary and released on a $5,000 bond, according to records from the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

The animal cruelty charges came after officers from the Tuscaloosa Police Department found two dogs that were “seriously malnourished” and “emaciated” at a house rented by Buggs, according to court documents. The court filings reported that a neighbor said the dogs had been left there for at least 10 days and had no access to food or water. One of the dogs was eventually euthanized. Witnesses said Buggs had moved out of the house a week before the officers found the dogs.

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The Americans are reigning Olympic champions but still needed funds in the run-up to Paris. Then a hip-hop veteran came in to save the day

The United States women’s water polo team will launch their bid for an unprecedented fourth straight Olympic gold medal on Saturday with an unlikely benefactor in their corner. Flavor Flav, the 65-year-old founding member of Public Enemy, has stolen the show around town in his role as the team’s official hype man.

“This is quite an experience for me right now, you know, because the only time I’ve ever seen the Olympics was on TV,” said Flav, who spent Thursday hugging and high-fiving everyone in sight at the Team USA house in the historic Palais Brongniart. “You know what I’m saying? But I always wanted to see what it felt like being there.”

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• Hodgkinson confident after 800m Diamond League win
• ‘We have some of most talented and driven athletes’

Keely Hodgkinson is ready to embrace the pressure of being Team GB’s poster girl by winning Olympic gold. She also arrives in Paris with a prediction: that Britain has some of its “most talented and mentally driven” competitors.

The brilliant 22-year-old is a free spirit off the track and an extraordinary force on it. This week she has been walking around the British prep camp with Chanel sunglasses and a Louis Vuitton handbag – and while some staff have pointed out that it’s not official GB kit, she has shrugged it off. But when it comes to her performances, no one would question her ability.

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Emile Smith Rowe is set to complete Fulham move while Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson are also close to exit

As Arsenal sat 15th and stared at an embarrassing relegation fight at Christmas in 2020 two youngsters stepped up to drag them out of the mire. Mikel Arteta turned to Emile Smith Rowe to inject creativity alongside the more established but still 19-year-old Bukayo Saka and a team that had taken two points from their previous seven games claimed an unlikely victory against Chelsea on Boxing Day.

Smith Rowe, on his third Premier League appearance and first of the season, provided the pass for Saka to send a perfect clipped finish over the goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. These were players the fans could project their faith on to as senior squad members struggled and other academy products have provided moments of unbridled joy under Arteta. Think Eddie Nketiah’s two goals against Manchester United in January 2023 and Reiss Nelson’s left-foot, half-volley rocket to complete a remarkable turnaround against Bournemouth later that season.

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• Olympic champion: organisers ‘could have done better’
• Women’s race takes place on Sunday – day before men’s

Tom Pidcock has branded the Paris 2024 Olympic mountain biking course “bland” and said that the organisers “could have done a better job of making a more ‘mountain bike’ course”.

Pidcock, a Team GB gold medallist three years ago in Tokyo and winner of the UCI world cross-country title in Glasgow last year, described the cross-country course in suburban Elancourt, west of Paris, as “not the best course in the world, but it’s the same for everyone”.

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Keir Starmer’s Britain is looking to improve relations with its continental partners, so surely the more sporting ambassadors the country has within the European Union the better. The bureaucratic appointments are being made already, despite him only being weeks in the job. Sir Oli McBurnie has been sent to the Canary Islands, Che Adams is building relations with car manufacturer Fiat in Turin and Andy Carroll is bringing good vibes and hair to France.

Additional information has come to our attention regarding previous drone use against opponents” – the spygate story keeps rumbling on at Big Sports Day, with the Canadian Olympic Committee removing head coach Bev Priestman from her role for the remainder of the competition as it investigates other alleged tactical espionage. Priestman said: “My reaction was you feel like this programme has let the country down. That’s why I took the proactive step to do what I felt was the right thing. Irrespective of the details, I’m ultimately accountable.” Canada won their opener, against New Zealand, 2-1.

Re: yesterday’s Football Daily. How extremely cultured of you to find a way to mention ‘The Prince of Denmark’ in a footballing context!” – Nigel Sanders.

Mention of Charlie George (yesterday’s Memory Lane, full email edition) reminded me of his unlikely – and often overlooked – role in one of Nottingham Forest’s European triumphs. He scored the only goal in the home leg of the 1979 European Super Cup, against Barcelona, and he also played in the away leg, a 1-1 draw. As a result, he picked up a winner’s medal, despite those matches being half of just four he played in a brief loan spell from Southampton. According to Stan Bowles, during one dressing room face-off, Charlie called Brian Clough a ‘northern [snip – Football Daily Bad Word Ed]’, hence the brevity of the stay” – Mike Slattery.

Regarding Canada’s outrageously disgraceful yet imaginatively amusing attempts at alleged cheating, could Football Daily please stop droning on about it?” – R Dolan.

Send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day winner is … Mike Slattery. Terms and conditions for our competitions can be viewed here.

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Ultra-consistent choice has an impressively game attitude and no-nonsense front-running style to go with his talent

Rebel’s Romance is a more familiar name to racegoers in Dubai, Hong Kong and the US than he is to fans in the UK, as nine of his last 10 starts – including five Group One or Grade One wins – have been abroad.

Charlie Appleby’s six-year-old gelding could raise his profile with the British betting public significantly on Saturday, however, when he will be a live 7-2 shot against Auguste Rodin, last year’s Derby winner, in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

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The return to Australia in 2026 is a blow to expansionists, but a slimmed-down tournament makes sense for the sport

By Gavin Willacy for No Helmets Required

Expansionists have twice been denied the excitement of new hosts. Initially, the next World Cup was going to be held in the United States and Canada in 2025, before France took over as potential hosts. When that plan fell through, the tournament was pushed back to 2026, with New Zealand and Fiji suggested as hosts, only for it to be confirmed this week that the World Cup is going back to Australia (and Papua New Guinea) again.

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Marchand, Peaty, Ledecky and co mean the pool is stacked with big names despite shadow of Chinese doping scandal

You can’t miss Leon Marchand in Paris, his picture runs right up along all 200m of the only skyscraper in the city limits, the Tour Montparnasse. Marchand is 22 and has never won an Olympic medal, but he is one of the three French faces of the Games, along with Antoine Dupont and Victor Wembanyana. It means that for the first time since Michael Phelps set himself the impossible job of winning eight gold medals at Beijing in 2008, a swimmer is the star turn at the Olympics. It’s no coincidence that last year Marchand finally beat Phelps’ last surviving solo world record, in the 400m individual medley.

Marchand goes in four separate solo events in seven days, the 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke, with the finals just an hour and a half apart on Wednesday evening, the 200m later in the week and the 400m medley, which is the first event up, on Sunday evening. That night he will share the top of the bill with Adam Peaty, who is trying to become the second man, after Phelps, to win the same event at three consecutive Games. There was a time Peaty was the nearest thing to a sure thing in sport, but he has had a rough three years since Tokyo, and, while he has set the fastest time in the world this year, he is still searching for his very best form.

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Andy Murray waves farewell at the launching pad of his career while old foes could meet again in the second round

As Andy Murray spoke in the immediate aftermath of the most painful moment of his career, his defeat to Roger Federer in the 2012 Wimbledon final, the tears came quickly. He had been so close to winning his first grand slam, yet it also felt as far away as ever. While his legendary contemporaries were racking up major titles, he just could not figure out how to let go of his inhibitions and get over the line. He had lost all four grand slam finals he had contested, while winning only one set.

But the summer of 2012 was like no other. Three weeks after the players had departed the All England Club, they had returned. The plain green backboards had been replaced by a loud, bright purple, and instead of the traditional all-white attire, matches across the grounds were a technicolour vision. The London 2012 Olympic tennis event at Wimbledon had begun.

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Have you been following the news in cycling, athletics, basketball, F1, football, golf, tennis, surfing and cricket?

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• London mayor gives backing to long-standing idea
• Football Supporters’ Association restates its opposition

Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, likes to portray himself as a football fan but has risked upsetting many with his claim that Premier League fixtures being played abroad is an inevitability.

The idea of competitive English top-flight games taking place outside the country was first mooted by the Premier League in 2008 and was met with an immediate backlash from domestic supporters, with various organisations, including the Football Association, also making clear their objections. The proposal, which would have seen clubs receive around GBP5m from their involvement in an additional “international round”, was quickly ditched only to rear its head this year when Jon Miller, an executive at NBC Sports, which hold the rights to screen the Premier League in the United States, outlined the network’s desire to hold matches there, with the Premier League’s chief executive, Richard Masters, stating soon after that the “door looks ajar” for such a move.

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• James says he ‘hope things can be resolved smoothly’
• Argentinian has apologised for song about France players

Reece James admits the racism storm surrounding his Chelsea teammate Enzo Fernandez could be a “problem” within the dressing room.

Fernandez and some of his Argentina teammates caused ­controversy during their Copa America celebrations, when they were filmed singing a derogatory song aimed at a number of France players.

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The West Indies cricket legend spent three seasons in the Potteries. ‘He enjoyed the nightclubs,’ recalls a teammate

By Scott Oliver from his book Sticky Dogs and Stardust

Learie Constantine was the first West Indian superstar to light up the English cricket leagues. He drew five-figure crowds to Nelson in the 1930s, steered them to seven Lancashire League titles in nine years and later became the UK’s first black peer.

The way was paved for successive generations of great cricketers from the Caribbean, starting in the 1950s with “The Three Ws”: Everton Weekes averaged a staggering 91.6 across seven years at Bacup; Clyde Walcott had similar success at rivals Enfield; and Frank Worrell, the West Indies’ first black captain, bossed things for Radcliffe in the neighbouring Central Lancashire League, where Sonny Ramadhin was busy bamboozling all-comers.

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The world’s biggest basketball league had steady but unspectacular ratings last season but its blockbuster deal could predict the future of sports broadcasting

If there were ever any doubts that the future of television is streaming, the NBA just put them to rest. After months of protracted negotiations over the 11-year media rights deal set to begin in 2025, the NBA announced last night it has signed deals with incumbent Disney’s ESPN, which was already a rights holders, and new partners, NBCUniversal and Amazon. What’s even more remarkable than the eye-watering $76bn price tag, is just what the deal tacitly predicts for the future of sports coverage.

Several things stand out. Firstly, the NBA’s new partners have notably strong streaming platforms, while still maintaining ties to network television (ABC/ESPN and NBC) and an over-the-air presence.

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• Changes may be made by new company after this season
• NewCo on track to take over leagues by September

The names of the Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship could be changed once the top two divisions in the English women’s game are run separately from the ­auspices of the Football Association.

It is understood there are no immediate plans to alter the names but the company that will run both divisions from the 2024-25 season will be keeping an open mind and is not ruling out such tweaks beyond next summer.

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The 33-year-old won the online CrunchLabs Masters, defeating Firouzja in the final, after previously eliminating the world No 1, Magnus Carlsen

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave won the $300,000 CrunchLabs Masters, part of the GBP1.7m online Champions Tour, when the Lyon 33-year-old defeated his French compatriot Alireza Firouzja in the final after previously eliminating the world No 1, Magnus Carlsen. He actually beat Firouzja twice, the first time by 2.5-0.5 and then by 3-2 after the former Iranian qualified for a rematch.

Carlsen, whose mother, Sigrun Oen, died at 61 earlier this month, lost 2.5-1.5 in the semi-final to Vachier-Lagrave, who has now eliminated the Norwegian three times in two Champions Tour seasons. Vachier-Lagrave said his style may be a problem for the former world champion: “I can see all those ingenious small tactics, while Magnus misses one or two in a game, and that can prove costly … in that sense, I may be a worse matchup for him than other players.”

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On Friday the Olympics swing into full action, but can the spectacle still drown the detail, cost, greed and waste?

“We need to re-enthuse.” This was probably the closest Emmanuel Macron came to a tearful cri de coeur during his latest address on the eve of France’s Olympic Games. It is a reasonable enough statement in itself, although one that may be more accurate with the removal of the “re” part. Welcome to Paris 2024, the 33rd modern Olympic Games, and the first to have basically crept up over your shoulder with a shrug and a pffft and an arch of the brow.

Worrying about the Olympics is of course an Olympic tradition in its own right. The temptation is always there to fret over the scale, the purity, the basic vitality of this four-yearly global anachronism.

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Whether in Oslo, Reykjavik or an Anglesey caravan park, happening upon a game is always a happy accident

By Mike Whalley for When Saturday Comes

The guidebook I had during a holiday in Oslo late last summer recommended the museum dedicated to sculptor Gustav Vigeland (portrayer of human struggle, recluse, twice divorced, hater of dogs, and alleged Nazi sympathiser, whose most well-known work took 14 years to complete and resembles a giant phallus). So off I went. But as I strolled through the neighbouring park, I caught sight of some floodlights.

Drawn to them, I found a small sports stadium, and a football match in progress, one significant enough to be charging an entrance fee of 100 kroner – just under GBP10. Vigeland was forgotten as I joined a smattering of spectators on a shallow terrace. This hadn’t been in the guidebook. It took effort to establish that I was watching a match from the Norwegian fourth division, Lokomotiv Oslo losing 2-1 at home to Skjetten in a contest so obscure that no detailed report – not even a record of the goalscorers – seems to exist online. Yet it was a highlight of my break.

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• Briton let Piastri through only after 17 laps in Hungary
• ‘Could it have been handled differently? Yeah, absolutely’

McLaren’s Lando Norris has admitted he did not handle the team orders controversy which marred the Hungarian Grand Prix last week well, admitting that he was not proud of himself and that he would behave differently if the situation arose again.

In Budapest Norris ignored orders to allow teammate Oscar Piastri back into the lead after the British driver had gained the place through a team decision to send him into the pits first. He was repeatedly told to concede the place but chose not to for 17 laps, only moving over three laps from the end to allow Piastri through for his debut F1 win.

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• Several Ligue 1 clubs say broadcaster requested badge for every player
• Claim is denied by source at PSG and beIn Sports

The broadcaster beIN Sports requested that every player in Ligue 1 next season wear a Visit Qatar badge on their shirt for games shown live, as part of negotiations for its new TV deal, according to senior figures at French clubs.

Multiple sources claim the request was made on behalf of the Qatari-owned company by its chairman, Nasser al-Khelaifi, who is also the president of Paris Saint-Germain, during a meeting between the presidents of several Ligue 1 clubs this week. A source close to the discussions at beIN Sports and PSG strenuously denied any such request was made. One owner, who did not want to be named, described it as “an attempt to build a captive league”. This month, the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) announced it had reached an agreement for Dazn to show the vast majority of live Ligue 1 matches until 2029, with beIN Sports paying €100m a season for one primetime match a week.

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• Data shows 75% reduction in Super League head contact
• RFL argues coach-led interventions are having an effect

The Rugby Football League is ready to pause the controversial changes to tackle height in the professional game planned for 2025 which would have reduced the legal height to below the armpit, after data showed a reduction in head contact of 75% in Super League this year.

Rugby league has already approved the changes at amateur and academy level, with the intention to replicate the ruling at professional level next year after recommendations from the sport’s brain health committee, which is aimed at reducing the number of concussions suffered by players. However, that change could now be halted, the Guardian has been told.

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• Jump horse ranked one of the all-time racing greats
• Owner JP McManus announces passing in statement

Istabraq, one of the all-time great hurdlers in jump racing history, has died at the age of 32, his owner JP McManus has announced.

In a statement issued on Thursday, McManus said: “Sadly, Istabraq passed away at 1.15am this morning at the ripe old age of 32. He was a very special horse who gave us many great days of fun and enjoyment.

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Video has emerged of one of Team GB’s biggest stars, Charlotte Dujardin, whipping a horse more than 20 times in one minute when she was conducting a coaching session to a young rider in a private stable four years ago. The 39-year-old, who won six dressage Olympic medals in London, Rio and Tokyo, has been banned from the Paris Olympics over allegations that she whipped a horse.

• Dujardin banned from Olympics over allegedly ‘whipping horse 24 times’

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Leicestershire seamer feared career was over after ban that has prompted criticism of anti-doping regulations

After six months of sweat, toil and motorway service stations, October is a time of calm in the life of a county cricketer. “Normally that one month a year where you can pretty much do nothing,” says Chris Wright, the 39-year-old seamer.

Wright is one of those canny bowlers who puts it on a spot game after game, season after season, turning consistency into a fine domestic career. It began at Middlesex, took in a County Championship title at Warwickshire in 2012, and recent years have been well spent at Leicestershire. Indeed, Wright helmed the attack that won the One-Day Cup in 2023.

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Any relief at moving back to normality has disappeared but at least there will be fans (and no bears) this time

Think, and you may find bits and pieces of the Tokyo Olympics scattered somewhere among everything else you forgot happened during the pandemic. Lamont Marcell Jacobs’s victory in the men’s 100m could be near Joe Wicks’s home workouts, Mutaz Barshim’s decision to split a high jump gold medal with Gianmarco Tamberi right beside Gal Gadot’s celebrity singalong Imagine.

Piece the Games back together and they still seem like a fever dream, 17 days of sport in deserted stadiums built especially for the event, in the middle of a city that was in a state of emergency.

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Supporters are tired of being patronised by adverts for companies which often work against their interests

How was Euro 2024 for you? Exciting, disappointing, fun, all right, intriguing tactically, a waste of environmental resources? There is a whole world of valid responses to that rather banal question. Though for those football fans you see in adverts, for whom the Euros was a busy time, what with ads for TVs, betting, specs, hybrid vehicles, Scottish fizzy drinks, sportswear, holidays, razors and – with Sir Geoff Hurst leading the charge in the no-nonsense style that made his name – beer, any answers would be less expansive.

Television, radio, internet, YouTube and even dear old magazine and newspaper adverts have been dotted with depictions of the football fan. You will recognise the type. Usually male, though advertising researchers have now recognised football attracts a significant female audience. Usually white, too, though again, some semblance of diversity has been addressed. Beyond embracing such modernity, they will almost certainly be wearing a replica shirt and their emotions remain a binary equation.

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Lack of young runners and a more global calendar have hit Britain’s most prestigious open-age Flat race

A peak audience of 1.4 million viewers watched the opening episode of ITV’s docuseries “Champions: Full Gallop” on Friday evening. While it may be a stretch to suggest that it had much to do with an 18% boost to the crowd for Market Rasen’s Summer Plate meeting the following afternoon, the “Full Gallop glow” seems sure to keep the winter code on good terms with itself for some time yet.

But this is (in theory at least) the great British summertime, and there is rather less of a buzz in the air before one of the Flat’s showpiece events, the King George & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. Any lingering hopes that Aidan O’Brien’s City Of Troy, an exceptional winner of the Derby and Eclipse, might line up for this year’s race were finally dashed when he failed to appear among the 11 five-day declarations on Monday.

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The 17-year-old is aiming to light up the Hundred and be a role model to attract more ethnic minorities into the game

Lord’s, 25 July 2021: a little-known 16-year-old walks to the crease and over the course of an hour, in front of a crowd of more than 10,000, hits the half-century which announces her as a future superstar. Her name? Alice Capsey.

That was the women’s Hundred, year one. The fourth edition gets under way on Tuesday at the Oval, and this time a new kid on the block is hoping to replicate Capsey’s feat: the 17-year-old power hitter Davina Perrin.

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Six GB athletes, six Australians, six Americans and six from around the world who have stories well worth following

27 | Artistic gymnastics | All-around, uneven bars, beam, floor, team

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The 32-year-old has shown courage and resilience to reach Paris after suffering tragedy and a cruel backlash for exposing abuse in her sport

The 2019 world championships seemed to mark a transformative moment in Becky Downie’s lengthy gymnastics career. After years of tireless work, heartbreak, and multiple demonstrations of her immense resilience, Downie’s grit yielded a first individual world medal – silver on the uneven bars. Less than a year before the Tokyo Games, she was ready for her ultimate goal of chasing Olympic glory.

Instead, she was to endure further pain. “The last couple of years have been the hardest cycle I’ve ever done, for so many different reasons,” she says.

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A 16-year-old British athlete was leading the race for most of the men's 200m at the European Athletics U18 Championships before he slowed down far too early, enabling half of his competitors to beat him to the finish line.

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Our cartoonist reflects on the England manager calling time on the job and clearing out his office at St George’s Park

• Buy a copy of this cartoon in the Guardian Print Shop
• Like what David does? Support our journalism

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Classically English game has featured at the Olympics once, and British team will defend their title at Los Angeles 2028

These are lean times for England’s male white-ball cricketers. Bundled out of last year’s ODI World Cup in humiliating style, thrashed by India in the T20 World Cup after scraping into the semi-finals: the team now led by Jos Buttler has suffered a dramatic decline since the glories of 2019 and 2022.

There remains more than a glimmer of hope to cling to, however. Another prestigious international title remains in English – more accurately British – hands and will remain so until at least 2028.

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Women’s Afcon qualifying concluded last year but fed up teams now have to wait until July 2025 for the tournament

When the final round of qualifiers for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) concluded in December, the 12 qualified teams presumed the tournament would take place in Morocco at some point this year. But they will now have to wait an unprecedented 19 months – until 5-26 July 2025 – before it is staged in order to avoid a clash with this summer’s Olympics.

“It is a ridiculous situation,” said an official of the Nigeria Football Federation, one of the participating teams, when speaking to the Guardian. “Where has it happened, in any confederation, anywhere in the world, for there to be a one-and-a-half-year gap between the end of a qualifying series and the main tournament? How does a coach maintain team momentum and keep the same players for the tournament?

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Guardian journalist Barney Ronay explains what Gareth Southgate's legacy will be as he steps down as England manager after eight years in the role. Southgate led England to two finals, a quarter-final and a semi-final and is arguably one of the most successful managers the team has had. Support by fans took a 'dark turn' however when success became 'expected as a default' and some took umbrage at his politics once England began taking the knee. Due to this Southgate faced serious scrutiny and his legacy of success will be entwined with the criticism he received.

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New Zealand sit third after Scott Robertson’s strong start and England have work to do after a 2-0 defeat

Ciaran Frawley’s last-gasp drop goal sealed a stunning win in Durban, ensuring South Africa had failed to win a series against Ireland for the first time. It was the latest thrilling instalment of the global game’s leading rivalry at present and Ireland have now won two of their last three against the Springboks. Add in the 2022 series win in New Zealand and Ireland’s ability to pick up away victories in the southern hemisphere sets them apart from their European rivals. That they went to South Africa and drew the series without Jamison Gibson-Park speaks volumes about the depth Farrell has unearthed, with full-back Jamie Osborne the latest to flourish. Farrell does not pick his British and Irish Lions squad for around 10 months but at this rate it will be dominated by his Irish charges.

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Sam Hain was the star for Birmingham as they secured a quarter-final at the Blast’s spiritual home

By Gary Naylor for the 99.94 Cricket Blog

When the T20 Blast fizzled back into life for the second half of the group stage, it felt a bit like resuming an innings after a rain break. Batters would want to get on top of the bowling early, while the fielding captain knew it was a good opportunity to take a wicket or two.

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Spain's players received a warm welcome back home in Madrid after beating England 2-1 in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin. Thousands of fans lined the streets of the capital to get a glimpse of the players as they made their way to the centre of the city on a bus, championship trophy in tow. England faced heartbreak for the second time in a row on Sunday, four years after their devastating Euro loss to Italy at Wembley

• Oyarzabal shows value of De la Fuente's 'true team' on road to winning Euro 2024

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The goalkeeper of the Scottish League Two club Stirling Albion halted their game against Raith Rovers to point out a hole on the pitch. He then ran over to a pile of dirt at the side and used a shovel to carry it back and fill in the hole before play continued

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Fans in Buenos Aires and Miami celebrated wildly after Argentina secured a record 16th Copa America title by beating Colombia 1-0. Fans partied in the streets with songs, drums and fireworks. Some even hung from lampposts. Meanwhile, fans in Bogota were left proud of their team despite the loss. One fan insisted that 'Colombia keep their spirits and heads high'.

• Martinez inspires Argentina to historic Copa America title in chaotic final

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The next few months are shaping up to be a treat for cycling fans. So dust off your helmet and cycling shorts and start embracing life on two wheels

With the Tour de France continuing in full force, summer 2024 is shaping up to be a treat for cycling fans. And while the elite are off chasing gold (and the maillot jaune) in Europe, here, at home, there are tons of ways for the rest of us to enjoy life on two wheels. Kettle Chips is the official supporter of British Cycling – the national governing body for cycling in Great Britain – this summer, and there’s a packed roster of events, clubs and community initiatives offering cyclists of all ages and abilities a chance to get involved. Intrigued? Here are 12 ways to get you rolling.

1 Start ’em young
Teaching small kids to ride a bike is a pretty daunting job. What if you give bad advice? Lose your temper? Put them off exercise for ever? Thankfully, British Cycling’s Summer of Cycling gives children the chance to take part in a calendar of free pedal-powered events all across England. Look out for club taster sessions in your area, traffic-free group rides, coaching, and entry-level racing with all bikes and abilities welcome.

#PedalWithKettle this Summer of Cycling

• Kettle Chips is the official supporter of British Cycling and will be encouraging chip lovers across the country to #PedalWithKettle on guided rides throughout summer – offering free and friendly local bike rides, led by a trained ride leader, where riders can enjoy community socialising and build their confidence in riding.

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Bikers of all ages – from seven to 79 – explain what riding means to them

Cycling must be the only sport with so many enthusiasts that discovered it by accident. Even going for a jog or a kickabout requires a certain amount of planning, but hopping on a bike to pop to the shops or get to work and back can be the kind of things we don’t really think about – we just do it. And, as these testimonies from cyclists up and down the country show, a few short rides can be all it takes to unlock an obsession. From people who found their first bikes in skips or rusting in a friend’s garden to elite athletes and lifelong adherents, their stories will inspire you to get in the saddle this summer.

Lucia, 12, London
I’ve always loved cycling. It’s a really good way to travel and explore new places. You can go really long distances, and stop pretty much wherever you want, and it’s so much faster than walking. It can be tiring, of course, but getting to your destination is such a great feeling. Plus, when you go fast, it feels like you’re flying! My dad and I recently went with some friends to Brighton by bike. We went through forests and fields, met some friendly cows and horses, and ended up at the beach. It was such a fun weekend.

#PedalWithKettle this Summer of Cycling

• Kettle Chips is the official supporter of British Cycling and will be encouraging chip lovers across the country to #PedalWithKettle on guided rides throughout summer – offering free and friendly local bike rides, led by a trained ride leader, where riders can enjoy community socialising and build their confidence in riding.

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Is your cycling knowledge champion level, or do you need some help pushing off? Saddle up and answer these questions to find out

KETTLE® Chips is supporting the Summer of Cycling, and there are hundreds of free ways to enjoy cycling this summer. From local guided rides to cheering on British medal hopefuls, there’s something for everyone, no matter your age, ability or location. Get involved at britishcycling.org.uk

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A mainstay of childhood for so many, cycling often gets dropped by girls as they become adults. Now, an initiative is encouraging women to hit the road on their bikes

The wind whipping through tangled hair while freewheeling down country lanes, penny sweets and a menagerie of soft toys nestled in the basket – bicycles were, for so many of us, a mainstay of childhood. Learning to ride was one of our earliest physical tests and offered a delicious first taste of freedom.

However, while bicycles are not gendered toys, girls often put the brakes on for good when they become adults – in fact, three times more men than women cycle for fun. But British Cycling – the national governing body for cycling sports in Great Britain – is redressing the balance with Breeze, an initiative that launched in 2011 to encourage more women to get back on the saddle and hit the road on two wheels.

#PedalWithKettle this Summer of Cycling

• Kettle Chips is the official supporter of British Cycling and will be encouraging chip lovers across the country to #PedalWithKettle on guided rides throughout summer – offering free and friendly local bike rides, led by a trained ride leader, where riders can enjoy community socialising and build their confidence in riding.

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