Sport magazine issue 276 by Sport Magazine

Issue 276 | October 5 2012

David Weir Exclusive interview

The Paralympics revisited: what will be the real legacy?

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issue 276, OctOber 5 2012 radar 07 Can’t buy me glove A new exhibition features some knockout pictures of Muhammad Ali with The Fab Four

08 Jumping through hoops Well, shooting them, anyway, with NBA 2K13 – executively produced by Jay-Z, no less

10 In Holborn without a paddle? Get yourself along to Bounce, London’s new ping pong club oFeatures this coming week

16 A Weirwolf in London David Weir reflects on his very golden summer, and kicks off our look back at the Paralympics

33 Richard Whitehead The marathon man turned 200m champion on how having a plan B brought him a gold medal

34 El Clasico The alternative to Southampton versus Fulham this Sunday

38 Super League Grand Final Leeds Rhinos’ flying winger Ryan Hall looks ahead to the big game

42 The Not-So-Secret Race Former Tour contender Tyler Hamilton’s book has blown open the clandestine world of doping in cycling. We bring you up to date

extra time 56 Claudia Jordan

Cover image by I Love Dust @ début art

Steps out with wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald – should have stepped in to end the NFL ref row

58 Gadgets

We bring you headphones so good you’ll never have to hear other commuters’ music ever again

62 Entertainment We have great expectations of the London Film Festival – it’s showing an adaptation of Dickens’ classic | October 5 2012 | 05

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Radar R

p08 – Bike the Himalayas at the Adventure Film Festival

p08 – Jay-Z puts his problems aside to shoot some virtual hoops p10 – Win a copy of FIFA 2013 signed by the Ox!

enowned sports snapper Chris Smith captured Muhammad Ali at the height of his fame. He gave us the story behind these shots, which form part of a new exhibition. Most Wanted Man: “Ali had three momentous fights with Smokin’ Joe. Although Ali often ridiculed Frazier, in truth he owed Joe a lot because he had been a great supporter of Ali in his argument with the US Government. However, when it came to their own affairs in the ring, that was set aside, and Ali went about

promoting the fights in his own way. This shot was a highlight in the 5th St Gym in Miami, 1971, as he sought to promote the first fight.” Ali versus the Beatles (inset): “It was claimed this photograph contained the three most recognisable faces on the planet. Ali was training in Miami for his forthcoming fight with Sonny Liston, the Beatles were on their first US tour. It was a case of the Louisville Lip meets the Fab Four. When the talkative Clay and the quick-witted Scousers got together, the place was lively.” Muhammad Ali: Speedball, October 11November 23 at Alon Zakaim Fine Art, alonzakaim.com

All you need is glove: some of the world’s most famous faces, plus Ringo Starr

Shooting Ali | October 5 2012 | 07

Radar

Thrill seekers T

his week, on World’s Toughest Commutes... a London office worker finds himself stranded in the Himalayan mountains. Can he make it back to Canary Wharf in time for his 10am meeting with just his wits, his bike and a Zone 1-3 Travelcard? Sadly, that’s not actually what this guy is doing up there, our repeated unsolicited pitches to Dave having garnered absolutely

no interest. This is in fact mountain-biker Mandil Pradhan, one of the nutters profiled in the Adventure Film Festival – a nationwide celebration of the insane things people do for a kick. It’s split into three categories – Adrenaline, Endurance and High Altitude – and is about as far from the Barclays Cycle Superhighway as it’s possible to get. Adventure Film Festival, from October 8, nationwide. Visit adventurefest.co.uk

Picture taken from Himalayan High, produced by Himalayan Rides

Supreme courts 08 | October 5 2012 |

n between releasing hit albums and compiling an exhaustive list of all his problems, rapper Jay-Z has somehow found the time to try his hand at developing video games as well. As executive producer on new basketball simulation NBA 2K13, he presumably worked long into the night rendering graphics and coding out any troubling software issues. Yes, Jay-Z may have 99 problems, but a glitch ain’t one. In truth – and probably for the best, given the complexity of the new release – the rapper’s influence was limited to choosing the soundtrack and artistic tone of the game, which also features an improved control system and the option to play as some of the great teams of the past. NBA 2K13, out today on 360 and PS3

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“A slam dunk success” THE SUN

“We love this game!” XBOX360 ACHIEVEMENTS

OUT NOW © 2005-2012 Take-Two Interactive Software and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. 2K Sports, the 2K Sports logo, and Take-Two Interactive Software are all trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. The NBA and individual NBA member team identiﬁcations used on or in this product are trademarks, copyrights designs and other forms of intellectual property of NBA Properties, Inc. and the respective NBA member teams and may not be used, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of NBA Properties, Inc. © 2011 NBA Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. KINECT, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. “2”, “PlayStation”, “PS3” , “Ã” and “À” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Radar

Table service

ake a sport that requires a good eye, quick reflexes and brilliant hand-eye co-ordination, and add loads of alcohol. What could possibly go wrong? This is Bounce, a ‘social ping pong club’ that has opened in Holborn this month. There are 17 table tennis tables, including the one pictured, which was used in the Olympics – where Team GB failed to win a table tennis medal. Perhaps the thinking is that by combining the sport with a pastime we’ve traditionally been very good at, our table tennis team will be in better shape come the 2016 Games. To help them in this goal, the bar serves up a range of boutique beers, classic cocktails and fine wines. We have a feeling beer pong will probably be frowned upon. Bounce, 121 Holborn, EC1N 2TD. See bouncelondon.com

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10 | October 5 2012 |

Tiki-taka time S

unday night’s El Clasico could be the latest in a line of ill-tempered battles between two of the best teams in Europe. If you’re looking for a timepiece on which to keep track of the amount of time both sets of players spend writhing around in mock agony, you could do no better than this Barca-inspired model, which sports the club’s famous badge and is surely més que un watch. Sportura FC Barcelona, £175, seiko.co.uk

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Radar Editor’s letter

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A man possessed: ‘Ryder Cups might be my majors, and that’s ﬁne.’ Fine by us, too, Poults

The very soul of sport The Ryder Cup exceeded every expectation and delivered a classic duel for the ages

T Editor-in-chief Simon Caney @simoncaney

here is something odd about the Ryder Cup that a) gets non-golf fans screaming at the telly and b) makes us support ‘Europe’, desperately willing Spanish, Swedish, Italian, German and Belgian players to hole crucial putts. And so it was last weekend, as Jose Maria Olazabal’s team engineered a victory that was as inspiring as it was improbable. And it demonstrated why the Ryder Cup, for pure sporting theatre, is as good as it gets. Put it this way: I absolutely loved the Olympics, and ’Super Saturday’ was unforgettable... but even that didn’t stir the emotions quite like the Ryder Cup. When will I next punch the air at German sporting success? Not for another two years, when we do it all again at Gleneagles in Scotland. That week we’ll suddenly become European again.

The thing is, it doesn’t matter. It’s us versus them, and that’s all that sport needs. Ask Ian James Poulter. You’ll go a long way to find a more patriotic sportsman than Poulter, a fiercely proud Englishman. Yet in the Ryder Cup, he leads his continental pals like an on-course general, roaring into battle to defeat a common foe. Poulter in the Ryder Cup is a force of nature – his record of 12 wins from 15 matches is extraordinary. In terms of natural golfing ability, I reckon he’s about 24th of the 24 players on show last weekend – but for sheer will and desire, he is out on his own. For the first two days, Europe were almost a one-man team, as Poulter first stood firm and then took the battle back to the Americans. He may be cocky – a preening peacock on the course. But he’s one of the best Ryder Cup players that ever there was.

The return of Jack Wilshere for Arsenal reserves this week could be a seminal moment for English football. If he comes back to his best, then Roy Hodgson will be rubbing his hands: Wilshere has the potential to be the focal point of the England team for many years to come. Indeed, not long before he was injured, I called for him to be named England captain and lead a team of bright young things over the horizon of the future. He needs to re-establish himself in the Arsenal team now, but potentially he is the best we’ve got. Fingers crossed he’s back for good. This week in Sport we’ve interviewed some of the GB Paralympic heroes – now that the dust has settled, what does 2012 actually mean for disabled sport in this country? Hopefully it served as an inspiration (that word ’legacy’ again), but what’s vital is that it is not forgotten. There’s a lot of work still to do.

Editorial Editor-in-chief: Simon Caney (7951) Deputy editor: Tony Hodson (7954) Associate editor: Nick Harper (7897) Art editor: John Mahood (7860) Deputy art editor: William Jack (7861) Digital designer: Chris Firth (7624) Subeditor: Graham Willgoss (7431) Senior writers: Sarah Shephard (7958), Alex Reid (7915) Staff writers: Mark Coughlan (7901), Amit Katwala (7914) Picture editor: Julian Wait (7961) Production manager: Tara Dixon (7963) Contributors: Martin Barry, David Lawrenson, Richard Fitzpatrick Commercial Agency Sales Director: Iain Duffy (7991) Business Director: Kevin O’Byrne (7832) Advertising Manager: Steve Hare (7930) New Business Sales Executive: Hayley Robertson (7904) Distribution Manager: Sian George (7852) Distribution Assistant: Makrum Dudgeon Head of Online: Matt Davis (7825) Head of Communications: Laura Wootton (7913) Managing Director: Adam Bullock PA to Managing Director: Sophia Koulle (7826) Colour reproduction: Rival Colour Ltd Printed by: Wyndeham Group Ltd © UTV Media plc 2012 UTV Media plc takes no responsibility for the content of advertisements placed in Sport magazine £1 where sold Hearty thanks this week to: Louise Page, Karin Donnelly, Ellen Williams, Carl Grindrod, Nick Palmer-Brown

Cover of the Year

Reader comments of the week @simoncaney @Sportmaguk its not that football is THAT BAD it’s just not THAT GOOD to totally dominate sports media. Thats what annoys people.

@simoncaney Growing up near Burnley illustrated to me the positive force that football (and cricket) could be in struggling communities.

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12 | October 5 2012 |

What I saw and heard at the recent QPR v Chelsea game was a disgrace to humanity – Chelsea and QPR fans alike. And what about the behaviour of the Lazio fans at Spurs last week – scandalous! Jonathan, via email

Great edition of @Sportmaguk today (especially for Golf fans) thanks @simoncaney @sarahsportmag & team.. Oh and Happy Birthday ;)

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A little help from above When the history books come to record the Miracle of Medinah, they will do so with a footnote that mentions Europe’s celestial vice-captain, Seve Ballesteros. José María Olazábal unashamedly called on his old pal to help inspire the European troops, placing the great man’s silhouette on his team’s bags and clothing. And when an incredible victory – of which Ballesteros himself would have been proud – was secured, Olazábal gave quiet thanks. Olé, Seve, olé.

14 | October 5 2012 |

Frozen in time

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Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

David Weir

16 | October 5 2012 |

n August 29, the world watched the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, wondering whether anything could possibly match the drama, excitement and passion of the previous fortnight. Over the following 11 days, their answer was confirmed, over and over again: yes, it could. Over the next 10 pages, we hear from Tim Hollingsworth, chief executive of the British Paralympic Association, on how London 2012 has changed the face of Paralympic sport forever, and chat with a number of our heroic gold-medallists: Ellie Simmonds, Sarah Storey, Sophie Christiansen, Hannah Cockroft and Richard Whitehead. First up, though, is the man who offers irresistible proof that the Paralympics are in the shadow of their older sibling no longer – wheelchair athlete David Weir.

“I had to turn the negative thoughts oﬀ and just race” David Weir T54 800m, 15,000m, 5,000m, wheelchair marathon

The Weirwolf became as famous for his roar as he did for his fourgold haul in London. He talks to Sport about tearing up the track – and why he nearly turned his back on wheelchair racing altogether David Weir has been answering Sport’s questions for almost 20 minutes when our interview is brought to an abrupt halt by someone making a ’cut’ motion from across the room. We’re about to kick up a stink about our time slot being halved when a suited, suntanned figure under a mane of silver hair strolls purposefully towards the quadruple gold-medallist. “Congratulations David,“ beams the billionaire businessman Sir Philip Green, extending a bronzed hand (including heavyweight wristwatch) towards Weir. The meeting between the two men might seem rather unexpected, but then again we are talking in the London headquarters of Green’s fashion empire – and he has been sponsoring the wheelchair racer for the past three years. It was a chance meeting with one of Green’s close friends in Richmond Park, where Weir undertakes some of his training, that led to this surprising partnership between Topman and, ahem, top man. When the four-time Paralympian revealed he was still looking for a sponsor, Green, who combines his

immense wealth with the nous to recognise a fine opportunity when he sees one, reached deep into his sizeable pockets. But while Weir is now a household name, right up there with Oscar Pistorius as one of the Paralympics’ best-known characters, life has not always been quite so golden for the man with six London Marathon titles and 10 Paralympic medals to his name. Indeed, there was a time when he turned his back on sport completely – a time when a life on the dole appealed to him more than one dedicated to giving his all for a sport that was giving him so little in return. Watching him now cross palms with a man who also measures success in terms of his weight in gold, those dark days seem like they must belong to another person, and another lifetime, altogether. But they are just one factor among many that have combined to turn this quietly spoken 33-year-old into an athlete many believe to be the greatest wheelchair racer of all time. Not that he’s entirely comfortable with that term just yet… >

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David Weir Big wheels: Weir on his way to marathon gold and (left) roaring to the T54 1,500m title

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To find out where the Weirwolf hangs out in London, and the secret to his really ridiculously big biceps, download the iPad app version of Sport

Scott Heavey/Getty Images, Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

You’re being called ’the greatest’. Is that how you feel, with four gold medals around your neck? “I loved every minute of it when they said that – for Jeff Adams to say it is something, because he was a great wheelchair racer himself. Then I had Heinz Frei saying it to me as well, and he was my idol growing up. It’s a special phrase, but it’s a little bit hard to accept. I still think I’m dreaming, sometimes. I feel like someone’s gonna click their fingers and I’ll wake up.” What were your realistic aims going into the Games? “Well in Beijing I got four medals: two golds, a silver and a bronze. But this year, because of the pressure of it being a home Games and because I knew wheelchair racing has jumped to a higher level over the past four years, my aim was just to get one gold medal. I’ve always had something go wrong leading up to major Games in the past – injuries or illnesses. But my preparation for London was the best. I had no illnesses, so I felt my body was in the best shape ever. I still didn’t think I was gonna come away with four gold medals – the aim was just to get off to a winning start in the 5,000m. Whatever followed, I’d have been happy.” That race (T54 5,000m) was tight and tactical – did that contribute to your roar as you crossed the line? “I was just so relieved to do it on the first day, and not the last. Every lap of the race I could feel almost like a surge from the crowd that followed you round. There were no quiet bits at all. The last lap was really loud – but even halfway, when I opened up and took the lead, it erupted. I was like: ’Jesus, this is cool.’ It’s just nice to be on a level par with the Olympics – the whole thing felt like it was a great sporting spectacular.”

16 18 | August October245 2012 |

“When I took the lead, it erupted. I was like: Jesus, this is cool” Quite a different experience to your first Paralympics, in Atlanta in 1996, then? “Massively. In Atlanta there was no crowd support, and the athletes’ village wasn’t very good. The food hall was tiny, so you had to queue up for hours for food. It was just like: ’Well, I’ve missed most of my teenage life for this, is it going to get any better for Paralympic sport? Probably not.’ I was on a downer after that and just went missing for four years.”

training on my own about 10 months, but I wasn’t training properly – I knew what to do, but I needed someone to push me every day. I knew Jenny had this training group going in Richmond Park, so I just rang her and asked if I could join up. I started working with her in February 2002, then went on a training camp to Spain with the GB lot, following the programme she gave me. I came back from there and won my first London Marathon – and that’s when I knew.”

What were you doing in that time? “I’d not been doing anything at all, I was just living off benefits in my flat. I tried to get a few jobs, but it just didn’t happen for me. Then I saw the Sydney Games in 2000, and how great it was for Paralympic sport. It had jumped massively in terms of crowds and ticket sales, and there was Tanni [Grey-Thompson] winning all her medals. I was watching it in tears, thinking I’d missed out. If I can get back, I thought, I never want to let anyone else or myself down again.”

You’ve won Paralympic medals over distances from 100m up to the marathon, but in London you gave the shorter sprints a miss. Are those days behind you? “I only started on the sprints really because the lottery funders saw I was good at them, so wanted to fund me for those. In Athens I got silver in the 100m and bronze in the 200m. I held the world record for the 400m for a long time, too, but then it got broken in Beijing – so I had to decide what I was going to concentrate on then. I have a better chance in the longer races, so I decided not to do the 400m in London. It was last-minute – I was thinking of doing it because my times were so good this year. I did a couple of races and I was under 46 seconds. The winning time in London was high 46 [Lixin Zhang won in 46.88s], but it was too many events, too many rounds. I’m glad I decided to concentrate on just four events.” >

It was a couple of years after Sydney that you began working with your current coach, Jenny Archer. Was it her influence that really turned things around? “I’ve known Jenny all my life. She got me into the sport when I was younger, but then she went to do her own thing with Wimbledon FC. After Sydney, I’d been

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David Weir How hard was it to keep refocusing after winning gold medal after gold medal? “After the 5,000m was probably the hardest, because the adrenaline was just pumping for ages. Going through anti-doping and stuff meant I didn’t get back to my room until 3am, then I was up at 6am the next morning because my first round of the 1,500m was at 10am. I was just running on adrenaline. But once I won a couple of golds I started to relax, so my recovery was a lot better. I had two days’ rest between the 800m final and the marathon, which done me good. I’d not seen my family for about 10 days, so I met [girlfriend] Emily and [son] Mason at GB House. That geed me up. Then I could focus on the marathon.” Did you feel good on the start line for the marathon, or did your arms feel like they’d done several races? “I felt okay in the warm-up. It was only after the first loop, about five miles in, when I thought: ’I ain’t gonna be able to do this.’ I was hot, I was tired and I felt like I didn’t have no energy. I was completely flat. I had to completely shut down that voice in my head telling me I couldn’t do it, and just concentrate on what we’d been doing in training. I just had to turn off the negative thoughts, think of what Jenny would be telling me and race. I heard the crowd shouting my name too, which gave me tingles all the way round. It was very special.” You’ll be 37 by the time Rio comes around. Are you planning to defend your Paralympic titles? “If you’d asked me that six months ago I would have said no, London is definitely my last Games. But I had a great year and have a great team around me. I couldn’t have asked for better preparation going into London. Can I do it again? I don’t know yet. We’ll see.” Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag

Julian Finney/Getty Images, Glyn KirkAFP/Getty Images

One to go: Weir wins the 800m T54 (right) and shows off his third gold medal on the podium

AWESOME FOURSOME How ‘Dave’ Weir found it. And delivered

16 2452012 20| |August October 2012| |

GOLD NO. 1 Sunday September 2: 5,000m “Is this your moment Dave Weir? If it is, you need to deliver,” screamed the commentator with one lap of the 5,000m remaining and Weir in silvermedal position. “Dave Weir, if you’re going to find it, find it now. Please!” Finally, on the home straight, Weir sprinted clear to win his first gold of London 2012.

GOLD NO. 2 Tuesday September 4: 1,500m Just 48 hours after prevailing in an epic 5,000m final, Weir hit top gear when the bell rang for the final lap of the 1,500m. Full of confidence and with the adrenaline coursing through his body, no one was going to stop the man they call the Weirwolf from doubling his golden haul.

GOLD NO. 3 Thursday September 6: 800m Weir’s final track race of the Games also happened to be his shortest, which was a bit of luck because his racing top ripped open on the first lap. There was no time for modesty though, as Weir tore (see what we did there?) round the outside on the final bend to defend the title he won in Beijing four years ago.

GOLD NO. 4 Sunday September 9: marathon On a steaming hot day in central London, thousands of spectators turned out to roar Weir on to his fourth gold of the Games. Ignoring the exhaustion, Weir outsprinted his rivals on The Mall to cross the finish line in one hour, 30 minutes and 20 seconds – for Britain’s final gold of 2012.

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Paralympics 2012 The Legacy

“The Paralympics has the power to change the way you think”

All pictures Getty Images

That was the promise of presenter Clare Balding on the eve of the biggest disability sporting event in history. The Paralympic Games served up many iconic moments, and many new icons: David Weir powering to four golds; Ellie Simmonds’ nail-biting comeback in the S6 400m freestyle; the wall of noise as Jonnie Peacock crossed the line. But, a month on, with the stadiums closed and the noise subsided, what effect have the Paralympics had on the attitudes of the nation? Are there any signs of the promised legacy? Have the Paralympics really changed the way we think? According to Tim Hollingsworth, chief executive of the British Paralympic Association, the answer is yes. He told Sport that the Games have “provided a spotlight for people to understand much more about disability, and have their perceptions of it challenged and changed in a way that can only be positive”. A ComRes poll suggests Hollingsworth is right – 76 per cent of people now feel positive about the role of disabled people in UK society, an 8 per cent rise on pre-Games attitudes.

But what does it mean? Legacy is about more than attitudes and perception, however. There needs to be a knock-on effect, something tangible to satisfy those who questioned the expense and the effort. In an age of enforced austerity, deep cuts to disability living allowances are

16 2452012 22||August October 2012| |

planned for 2013, and perhaps a government that’s more sympathetic to the challenges faced by disabled people could be a concrete benefit of the Paralympics. “The political engagement with the Paralympic Games was substantial,” says Hollingsworth. “And I’m conscious of the way that senior politicians from all parties have responded very positively to the experience the nation had. No one is suggesting that there aren’t still huge issues to overcome in terms of disability and the opportunities that are available to people within society, but it is a reference point that can’t – and shouldn’t – go away. It doesn’t change policy overnight, but it creates a different environment for the debate – and that’s the power.”

The taking part There’s power too, in increased participation triggered by the Games. Many of Team GB’s most highprofile athletes had their first taste of disability sport on the back of previous Paralympics. “It’s difficult to tell you the precise figures around that,” explains Hollingsworth. “But there are some quite high-profile names. Jonnie Peacock, for example, as a 15-year-old boy, was inspired by the Beijing Games to come along to a talent day that we held at the end of 2008.” But it’s not, Hollingsworth asserts, just about finding the next Peacock – increasing participation in disabled sports as a whole is valuable in itself.

“There shouldn’t be this assumption that the only reason for getting disabled people to do sport is so we find our next generation of Paralympians,” he says. “It’s important we find an opportunity for the next generation, and for this generation of disabled people to feel that sport is available to them in terms of their health, wellbeing and daily activity.” At this early stage, it’s hard to tell how many disabled people have been inspired to take up sport as a direct result of the Paralympics; but the ParaSport website (parasport.org.uk), which helps people find disability sports clubs, reported a 2,000 per cent year-on-year increase in visitors during the Games. School sport programs, also inspired by the Games, will boost that figure too. Some have focused on training PE teachers on how they can get disabled children involved in sport lessons, when previously they would have been forced to sit on the sidelines, separate from their peers. That, more than attitudes or ticket sales, is how we should be measuring the Paralympic legacy: has it had a real effect on the lives of disabled people? Not if it has changed the way we think, but if it has the power to change the way disabled people view themselves and their own capabilities. The Paralympians are back in training and the media have moved on, but millions still have memories of the Games, comforting and inspiring them. And that is some legacy. Amit Katwala @amitkatwala

Clive Rose/Getty Images

London Paralympics The Gold-Medallists

“Pressure drives me forward, knowing that people want me to achieve” Ellie Simmonds S6 400m freestyle, S6 200m individual medley It’s been a busy year for 17-year-old Ellie Simmonds, who passed her driving test in a specially adapted Mini, continued studying for her A-levels and trained for her Paralympic double-gold. Is that all? “These Paralympics felt a lot diﬀerent. My ﬁrst games in Beijing were an amazing experience; I was 13, and didn’t know what I was going into or how big it was. I felt a bit of pressure going into London, but not much because I have a great support group: my family, my psychologist, my coach, my teammates. Also, pressure drives me forward; knowing that people want me to achieve and I have people watching. My 400m swim felt really tough. Racing Victoria Arlen [S6 100m freestyle champion from the USA], I knew it was going to be a fast time, that she was going to push me to the best of my abilities. Me and Billy [Pye, Simmonds’ coach] had a bit of a race plan

16 2452012 24| |August October 2012| |

to stick with the leaders at the first 200m, then kick in the last 200m. I was still with her at 60 metres, so I decided to give it everything I had. I thought: ’I might die, but I’ll go for it.’ When you touch [to finish the race], all the elation comes out. You’ve been training and focused for four years leading up to it, and then it’s just relief, happiness – everything all comes out. Going into the Games, all I wanted to do was personal bests, and I managed to achieve that in all of my events – and then the medals came with it. I did four events, so to get PBs in all of them and to walk away with medals – two golds, a silver and a bronze – worked out really well. Especially because

I have a tough rival now in Victoria. Being the same age as I am – we’re both 17 – it’s going to be good for the sport in the future. I can’t just be a swimmer, I’ve got to do everything else as well. I like to fit it all in. I love driving now – it gives me a lot of freedom. And then focusing on my A levels is good for balance – as is making time to be with my friends, which is a really important thing. The list of what I want to do keeps changing! I like baking at the moment, but if you ask me next week it will probably change again... but I do want to go to university, too. What’s the most important legacy of London 2012? I hope it inspired the next generation, that people watched the Paralympics and have gone out there to get into sport. We can’t just stop now – we want people to support us to Rio and beyond.” Ellie Simmonds is a member of the BMW London 2012 Performance Team. Visit bmw.co.uk/london2012

London Paralympics The Gold-Medallists

“I was so far ahead, all I had to do was keep my concentration and I knew I had the win” Sarah Storey C5 Individual Pursuit, C4-5 500m Time Trial, C5 Individual Road Time Trial, C4-5 Individual Road Race

Glyn Kirk /AFP/GettyImages

After 16 swimming medals across four Paralympic Games, Sarah Storey turned to cycling and brought home two Paralympic golds in 2008. How to better that in London? We reckon four golds does it “I’ve been to a few Games, but the crowd in the Velodrome was like nothing I’ve experienced before. It’s hard to remember much of the races, but I remember looking at the scoreboard and listening to the crowd at various points during both my events in there. It was like an out-of-body experience because I was aware of the noise, but I wasn’t allowing it to come into my helmet. After breaking the record in my qualifying run for the individual pursuit, I started well in the final and found myself closing in on Anna [Harkowska] after just one kilometre. After that, I was in her slipstream and I just got dragged in by the 1,500m mark, which was a great way to start my Games. Winning the first gold for Team GB was just incredible. I ended up singing on the podium because everyone

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else [in the crowd] was, and I felt like that’s what I should do. It was such an honour to win that first gold, and everyone will always remember it because it was the first one of the Games. The 500m time trial was a bit of a lottery. But I was last off, so I knew I just had to go below 37.9s. As soon as I crossed the line, I looked up and saw 36-pointsomething and knew I’d won. I found out later that I had beaten my personal best by 0.4 seconds [with a time of 36.997s], which was incredible. The road racing in the second week was mad. I don’t know if it was because of the team’s success, or maybe that I was closing on Tanni Grey-Thompson’s gold medal record, but the crowds were huge. After winning the road time trial in virtual silence – our radios broke, so I was left with my own thoughts

for a lot of it – the road race was my final event, and the one I was most unsure about in terms of how it would go. After a few kilometres, I decided to make a move to see who went with me. I took a corner quickly and climbed a hill, then realised no one was going with me, and by the time I hit the start/finish straight, I was 30 seconds clear and on my way to passing the guys. I had to go straight through the middle of the guys’ peloton because they were all over the place – I don’t know how they race like that – and I knew that I was quite far ahead by that point. I had to be sure not to get carried away, but I was so far ahead that I knew I had the win if I could just keep my concentration. I definitely enjoyed the race from there on in. I’m planning to have a holiday, then we’ll discuss the future. If I don’t get selected for the Olympic team in 2016, I won’t be heartbroken because the Paralympics were always my aim. After all, I could have broken world records in more events, so there’s still work to do!” Sarah Storey is an ambassador for CNP Professional, the official sports nutrition partner for British Cycling. Visit cnpprofessional.co.uk

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London Paralympics The Gold-Medallists

“It was a big risk performing to Pink Floyd – but it paid oﬀ” Sophie Christiansen Freestyle Test Grade 1a, Championship Test Grade 1a, Team Championship

Scott Heavey/Getty Images

After the heroics of the Olympic Team GB riders at London 2012, the pressure was on the Paralympians to follow suit. With Sophie Christiansen leading the way, however, they did exactly that “At the start of the Games, people were labelling me as a veteran because I’d already been to two Paralympics. I was like: ’Hold on, you’re making me sound old when I’m still only 24!’ Everyone knew about me, though, being that I had won two golds and a silver in Beijing – so the pressure on me felt enormous. In all honesty, this year has been the toughest of my career. My old horse had to be put down because of an injury last year; I had bought Rio [her current horse, known in competition as Janeiro] a couple of months before, but I wanted to take it slow with him because I knew how talented he was. Suddenly he was my only

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horse, so we had to form a partnership quickly if we were going to make London. I was desperate to go to my home Games, but my desperation was transferring through to Rio and affecting our performances. Then I met Leon Taylor [former Olympic diver who won silver in Athens in 2004] at a conference, and he took me back to basics. I had lost the key ingredient of having fun with my sport – once I had the smile back on my face, everything changed and my results rocketed. Leon is the most inspirational person I have ever met – and I’ve met a lot of people. He has such energy and positivity, which is exactly what I needed.

We had seen the able-bodied riders do so well at the Olympics, so we felt that we had to go and win gold – but I wasn’t too worried because I knew how good both my teammates and Rio were. Going out and performing to Pink Floyd in the individual was a big risk, because dressage music is normally quite... well, boring! Equestrian can be a bit insular and doesn’t always see the bigger picture, but this was my time – I’m really into music and wanted to make it my own, and the risk obviously paid off. It’s great that I’ve helped get the sport more publicity, and it’s cool that people now refer to dressage as ’dancing with horses’. What now? I graduated from uni last year, with a first-class degree in maths, so I’ve been working as a statistician. But with the success I’ve had, I’d love to do more public speaking. I love going in to talk at schools; chatting to young people gives me the same kind of buzz I get from competing. I’ll need to do it quickly, though, before everyone forgets who I am...”

London Paralympics The Gold-Medallists

“There’s something magical about winning in that stadium at night” Hannah Cockroft T34 100m and 200m

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Twenty- year-old Hannah Cockroft destroyed the ﬁeld in the T34 100m to take gold with a gap of more than a second over her nearest rival – and then did it all again a week later in the 200m “It was absolutely incredible, I loved every single second of it. I want to do it all again. Everything was planned out on race day. I always have my superstitions – I have my lucky underwear with Wonder Woman on it. My nail polish has to match my kit and my chair, Sally. And she has to be cleaned. Going in, I knew I could win. I’d beaten all the girls who were on the start line before, but they’d come back with new chairs and new equipment and obviously they’d trained a bit more. So there was always a threat there, but I knew deep down that I had the ability to win it. It was just believing in myself and

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I was so nervous – I didn’t want to lose in front of 80,000 people. I broke the first world record in the stadium back in May, and so everyone was expecting something special in the heat. But I had to race again that night, so it was about preserving my energy for the final. I won it by 20 metres, I think. There’s something more magical about winning at night in that stadium. I had no idea how to react or what to do – it was fantastic, but it was just surreal. I really just wanted to get back out in the stadium and do it again, every day for the next 10 days, but obviously you need to

get your head in the game. I still had to do my training and I still had to eat right, which is really hard with the biggest McDonald’s in the world on your doorstep. But I managed to steer clear of that and the media between the two races. In the 200m, I wasn’t nervous at all for the heats because I was in the slowest of the two, so I knew I could make the final. Then my coach rang me and said: ’You’re really gonna have to push out hard.’ After that I was so nervous that I wasn’t going to win, so I made the most of that victory lap. That was definitely the best moment, because I got to take [fellow wheelchair racer and Team GB teammate] Melissa Nicholls [who finished seventh] round with me. She’s one of my best friends and it meant so much that she was on the start line. It was absolutely incredible, and I think because there were two of us the crowd was that little bit more mental. It’s the best moment of your life, and for me to share it with someone who means so much was so exciting.“

London Paralympics The Gold-Medallists

“When that gun goes oﬀ, you can get caught in the moment” Richard Whitehead T42 200m

Adrian Dennis/AFP/GettyImages

Marathon man Richard Whitehead was devastated when told his event wouldn’t be included in the Games. Luckily, he’d been working on a back-up, and the T42 200m went pretty well for him “It was about putting all my eggs in one basket and really going for that 200m. I’d had a great winter’s training with the Olympic and Paralympic guys in Stellenbosch in South Africa. My goal was to run 24.5s this year – last year I’d run 25.69s, so it was to take a second off my personal best. I’d only done half a season [of track running] and the 200m was a back-up for my marathon, but it became a major part of the Games because my marathon was taken away. I’m world number one and world record holder, but a lot of the guys had worked really hard on their 200m training. There was a lot of kidology in the call rooms:

’You’ve obviously won the medal, how are you going to enjoy the moment, blah blah blah.’ Clearly they weren’t going to just give me the medal. I knew I still had to deliver a performance. We talked about the logistics of winning the gold, and a safe target was 24.5s.I broke that with 24.38s, and I was comfortable at that kind of speed, though my celebration at the end definitely slowed me down. I run the whole 200m with a game plan in mind, and I feel it’s important to do that – especially with the mechanics of my running. It’s hard to get started initially, so it’s about working yourself into the race and

then exploding in the last 80 metres. As soon as I get on that straight, my legs open up and I use my upper-body strength all the way down the home straight. I’d raced at the Olympic Stadium in the test event, so I thought I knew what was happening. The problem is whether you think you know what 80,000 people sound like. You don’t – it was unbelievable. I had to get my head back into the game at that point. When I heard that roar when my name was announced for the 200m, it was something that could have made or broken me. When that gun goes off, you can be caught in the moment or you can be successful. It just felt like I was in a jet engine – as I came round the bend it just felt everybody was behind me. It really did inspire me. I did two laps of honour, I think. I definitely milked it.” Richard Whitehead is an ambassador for Powerade, official hydration partner of London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Visit poweradegb.com

16 | August5 24 2012 | October 2012 | 33|

El Clasico

E l b i r r E T El Sunday la liga: barcelona v real Madrid | caMp nou | Sky SportS 1 6.50pM

34 | October 5 2012 |

uís Figo won the Ballon d’Or award in 2000, the year he moved from FC Barcelona to Real Madrid – a switch that made him the most expensive player in the world. It’s hard to

Any time he ventured near one of the corners of the pitch, objects – including coins, mobile phones, half-bricks and a bicycle chain – rained down on top of him. When he played in the same fixture two years later, someone threw the head of a suckling pig at him while he prepared to take a corner. The vilification didn’t faze Figo. “In the moment one sees that it is a unique experience,” he said, almost wistfully, during an interview for El Clásico: Barcelona v Real Madrid, Football’s Greatest Rivalry. “I don’t think there’s another athlete that has played with a hundred-thousandsomething crowd against him. It’s good to remember that.” He said he made for the move for the money and to win more titles, which he did: a league (2001), a Champions League (2002) and another league (2003). During this time, Barça fell into a trophyless tailspin.

The SpeCiaL One’S Big MOuTh Figo is one of two great hate figures in the annals of the clásico rivalry. The other is his Portuguese compatriot, José Mourinho, who was installed as Real Madrid manager on >

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Firo Foto/Getty Images

ds to a e h s ’ ig From p enis slang, to p politics d Fitzpatrick Richar new book r of a ives us o h t u a – o – g the c i s á l C on El history on the Real v a n o l Barce before ivalry day r d i r d Ma on Sun t e e m they

recall a transfer that caused a bigger ruckus. When he returned to play in Barcelona for the first time in Madrid colours, armed police ran alongside his team coach for protection. Still, the bus was ambushed by Barça fans. Four or five windows were broken. Real Madrid’s players cowered on the floor as stones and bottles whistled past them. He was, in Barça eyes, the worst kind of traitor – a pesetero, a money-grabber. Fans yelled “Die Figo” as he took to the pitch. Noise levels, according to the sound meter that Canal Plus television had installed for the match, were higher than at any nightclub in town.

El Clasico

50 yeaRs of peace Although it feels like it sometimes, it is not, however, eternal. Both clubs were founded at the turn of the 20th century. It took another half century, notwithstanding the occasional skirmish, before their rivalry properly took root, sometime in the 1950s.

p u g n i doubl

36 | October 5 2012 |

During the 1930s, for instance, players from Barcelona and Madrid used to go for dinner together after matches, an arrangement that would be inconceivable today. Geography had a role to play in the late blooming of their animosity. For a long time, both teams were preoccupied with local rivalries. The Spanish league didn’t kick off until 1928. Initially, Spanish football wasn’t the duopoly it is today. There were other teams, most notably Athletic Bilbao, who dominated in the early days. What surprised me, after two years spent writing my book, is that the rivalry is, politically speaking, as intense today as it was during the 36-year Franco dictatorship that followed the Civil War in the late 1930s. This is particularly evident, for example, for the million Madrid supporters who live in Catalonia, in the northeast of Spain. The region is home to Barcelona, and is pushing for independence. “Now there is an agenda,” José Miguel Villarroya, an author and journalist told me. “A lot of politicians, bankers and

only . t o n , e foe catalonia h t s i adRidelona, Buties” m l a e “R st BaRc ld enem againResents o “Resentment it Rep

Absolute classic: (from top) Barca mock Mourinho; Madrid fans celebrate their Spanish Cup win; the Special One on the charge

towards Real Madrid supporters is stronger now. They say: ’Are you a Real Madrid fan? Well, then you are a fascist.’ In Franco’s time, this was not a problem because there was no democracy. People couldn’t talk about politics. Real Madrid, Barca and Espanyol were only football teams.” I discovered other surprises in my research. Only 200 or 300 away fans travel to watch Clásico matches. It boggles the mind. And also that Franco wasn’t a Madrid fan after all, but recognised the club was a useful propaganda tool. It seems he preferred signing death sentences to watching football. El Clásico: Barcelona v Real Madrid, Football’s Greatest Rivalry, Bloomsbury, £12.99

ose o and J Luis Fig o are not h Mourin men to have ly n o e h t d by mploye been e ça and Real. ar both B ks out five ic p t Spor table names o n r e h ot

industrialists are trying to create a homogenous society. They say a good Catalan person loves Catalonia. Barça is the image of Catalonia. It is a great team. It wins a lot of trophies. The most important thing in Catalonia is Barça. It’s the central column of this feeling. So if you’re not from Barça, you’re not a good Catalan. If you’re from Real Madrid, you’re the devil incarnate. “Real Madrid is the foe, not only against Barcelona, but also against Catalonia. For these people, not all the Catalans, Real Madrid represents the old orthodoxy, old Spain. It represents old enemies – Franco’s time, centralism and restrictions on Catalans’ liberties.

Ronaldo

michael laudRup

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samuel eto’o

RoBeRt pRosinecki

’El Fenomeno’ became a galactico in 2002 for €46m. Gobbled 104 goals and two La Liga titles in five years at Real despite problems with injuries and corpulence. Previously had a sole season at Barcelona in 1996-97, scoring 47 goals in 49 games aged just 20. Phenomenal indeed.

Wonderfully coiffured Swansea boss spent five years as a majestic midfielder at Barcelona before heading to Real in 1994. Won his last El Clasico at Barça 5-0, then inspired Real to a 5-0 revenge win the following season, thus personally winning the fixture 10-0 on aggregate. Sort of.

Germany’s ’Blonde Angel’ played for Barça for eight years from 1980, displaying his genius at passing, dribbling and shooting, as well as his prowess in falling out with managers (including El Tel Venables). Stormed off to Real in 1988-89, winning a liga and copa in that very season.

Madrid’s one that got away: the Cameroon striker played just three games for Real as a youngster before a transfer to Mallorca. Joined Barcelona in 2004 for five prolific seasons, scoring in two Champions League final wins and never hiding his joy when he netted against his former side.

Chain-smoking Croat playmaker signed for Real in 1991 and scored a superb free-kick against Barça that year, but injuries dogged his Los Blancos career. Had one season for Barcelona in 1995-96, completing the ’big three’ hat-trick with a year playing for Portsmouth in 2001.

All pictures Getty Images

the eve of the 2010 World Cup. Mourinho, they like to say in Spain, is bocazas – big-mouthed. He’s turned Real Madrid into “a Mexican gang like Pancho Villa’s Army”, as Tomás Roncero, Spain’s most colourful TV football pundit, said to me. He’s been a scourge of Barcelona, the club where he worked as a translator and assistant coach in the late 1990s – most notably in his constant badgering of former manager Pep Guardiola, implying in press conferences that he was deceitful. And, of course, with his poke in the eye for Guardiola’s successor, Tito Vilanova, during a pitchside mêlée last summer. When asked, incidentally, about the eye-gouge afterwards, Mourinho said that he didn’t know who “Pito” Vilanova was. Pito, in Spanish, is slang for penis. Mourinho, unsurprisingly, is revered as much amongst madrileños as he is despised by Barça fans. He is the only Real Madrid manager to ever have his name chanted at the Bernabéu, and a hero to Spain’s political right. Esperanza Aguirre is the president of Madrid’s parliament. In one of her first public pronouncements after an operation for cancer, she said that Mourinho was the best manager of the 21st century. “I’m with Mourinho a muerte,” she pledged. It’s interesting to note, according to a study in 2011 by the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas, that political voting patterns across Spain split evenly along left-right/Barça-Madrid lines. It reflects “a broken red Spain”. The Clásico rivalry is a proxy war in a divided land.

RORY McILROY

+ BELIEVABLE POLO

Ryan Hall saturday SUPER LEAGUE GRAnd finAL: LEEdS RhinoS v wARRinGton woLvES | oLd tRAffoRd | Sky SPoRtS 1 6Pm

38 | October 5 2012 |

Hallmark of quality hen the Leeds Rhinos step out on to the Old Traﬀord pitch tomorrow evening, they will do so knowing they are but 80 minutes away from a fifth Grand Final victory in six sensational years for the Yorkshire club. For old stagers such as Jamie Peacock, Kevin Sinfield and Danny McGuire, the Manchester stadium has become a home from home in recent years – but such has been the Rhinos‘ unprecedented run of achievement in recent times, that even a relative youngster such as Ryan Hall is looking forward to his fourth Grand Final. Ahead of tomorrow‘s clash with the Warrington Wolves, by contrast appearing in the Grand Final for the first time in their history, we caught up with the 24-year-old speed machine who marked his 2008 debut in rugby league‘s showpiece match with a try – and who is yet to taste defeat in a fixture the Rhinos have very much made their own.

Wolves on the prowl: Leeds are looking for revenge after losing out to Warrington in the Challenge Cup ﬁnal

What does it mean to both you and the club to have made it into another Grand Final? ”It‘s absolutely brilliant, and we never take these occasions for granted. We‘ve been there for quite a few years now, and I know it seems like we‘re the team that gets there every year, but we‘re certainly not taking it for granted. To be able to win the Grand Final, you‘ve got to get there first – and to do so again has been brilliant for the club. It really shows the character we have as well; the past two years we‘ve finished fifth in the league and not performed too consistently, but we‘ve also made four major finals in that time – two Challenge Cup finals at Wembley [both of which were lost] and now two Grand Finals.” Last season, the Rhinos became the first club to finish fifth in the regular season and then go on to win the Grand Final – and now you‘re on the verge of doing it again. How do you explain this ability the side has to come good at this time of year? ”We know what‘s at stake when we‘re playing these games. We know we have to win, and being able to do so has brought us back to the Grand Final again. It‘s a new opponent this year in Warrington; they‘re a really good knockout side, as they‘ve proved by winning the Challenge Cup three times in four years. They know how knockout rugby works, so it should be a really exciting game on Saturday.” As part of the Club Call system employed in the playoffs, Wigan chose to face you in the semi finals rather than Warrington. Did that act as extra motivation for you? ”That does give you a bit more fire in your belly, naturally, but looking at it I think Wigan would have been a bit silly not to pick us. They played us twice in the league this season and beat us twice, so you can‘t really blame them for picking us can you? It just so happened that we turned up on the night at their place and played really well.” Do you think it‘s coincidence that both semis were won by the teams that had played the previous week? Might Wigan and St Helens have lost a bit of edge during their week off? ”I don‘t know really. It is tough at this time of year; in our squad we have a couple of guys >

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand | 39

Gareth Copley/Getty Images, Jan Kruger/Getty Images

On the eve of the Super League Grand Final at Old Traﬀord, Sport speaks to the Leeds Rhinos’ ﬂying winger Ryan Hall

Ryan Hall

Grand Final

The Key Battles As Leeds Rhinos and Warrington Wolves prepare to face off in a second major final of the season, Sport identifies three of the on-pitch battles that could decide the destination of Super League XVII

who have played every week since February. In that respect it might have been pretty useful to have a week off, but we‘ve played the hands we‘ve been dealt and gone about it in a great manner. We have a great staff, have been able to recover quickly and were able to battle our way through. I think it maybe is coincidence that both sides who played last weekend have gone through. It could have gone either way.” Leeds are the old hands at Grand Finals, but this is Warrington‘s first – might that give you an advantage on such a big occasion? ”Hopefully! We‘ll take all our experiences from recent years and try to draw on what we‘ve learned from winning before, but we are aware that Warrington know exactly how to go out and win on the big stage because of the Challenge Cups they‘ve won. They proved that against us again this year, but then we know exactly how to win a Grand Final. Hopefully that can bring us through once more.” You‘ve lost to the Wolves in two Challenge Cup finals in the past three years – is there a bit of a score to settle in this one? ”There will be a lot of battles going on within the game, and there is already plenty of fuel on the fire with [Warrington coach] Tony Smith being our ex-coach. They also have a few England players who we know very well, close enough to be able to call friends, so in a way it will be like playing against your mates. It‘s going to be a good encounter, though, with a lot of things going on out there.” How important will it be to stop Warrington playmaker Lee Briers dictating play? ”He‘s a great player, we‘re not going to shy away from that, but they have great players all over the park. It‘s not about stopping just the one guy, because if you manage that there

is always someone else lining up to have a storming game themselves. Lee is a great player, though, and we know his game – he‘s got some tricks up his sleeve, so we‘ll have to be on our game against him. Which we will be – this is a final, and we‘ll be well prepared.” How good will it be to have Danny McGuire, who missed both the Challenge Cup final and last week‘s semi, back in the Rhinos team? ”Absolutely, yeah. Danny‘s a great player for us, just as Lee is for them. He brings that attacking flair to the team and has that X factor; he brings that bit of unpredictability, which is great, but also plenty of experience. I think Danny‘s won five Grand Finals now, so with that kind of experience we‘ll be hoping he can help us go out and win it again.” It has already been a good week for the club, with Jamie Peacock picking up a lifetime achievement award and Zak Hardaker being named Super League young player of the year. There must be a great feeling around the place at the moment... ”It certainly is a special club, but it‘s run in the right way. It looks after the youth coming through, which has shown in our youth side getting through to their own Grand Final this season. I don‘t know any different, having been at Leeds my whole career, but it‘s a great club and I am proud to be a part of it.” Finally, which of your three Grand Finals do you look back on with most fondness? ”Looking back, it‘s gotta be my first in 2008. That was the game that won me my first Super League ring, and will always be very special; but there‘s a saying that your best final is always the next one – and I'm looking forward to Saturday more than ever.” Tony Hodson @tonyhodson1

“We know exactly how to go out and win a Grand Final” 40 | October 5 2012 |

Second RoW Jamie Jones-Buchanan v Ben Westwood Second row is the engine room of league, tackling machines who can pop up wide to test defences at what is often their weakest point. And this pair, both 31, are two of the best in the business. JJB made his Rhinos debut back in 1999 and is an unsung hero, doing the hard graft while rarely in the spotlight. Westwood began life as a centre with Wakefield Trinity, but moved to second row after joining the Wolves in 2002 and has since been a revelation. His blockbusting runs help lay the platform for Warrington‘s talented backs. Verdict Westwood has had a huge season for Warrington and can get the better of his old rival tomorrow. centRe Kallum Watkins v Ryan Atkins Possibly England‘s centre pairing for the 2013 World Cup, both are big, strong, quick centres who know where the try line is. Atkins, 26, spent four years at Wakefield before moving to Warrington in 2010, and has blossomed under Tony Smith – he is a real threat in an all-star Wolves backline. Despite two injury-ravaged seasons, Watkins showed in the games he did play what a talented athlete he is. One of the brightest stars in the English game, the 21-year-old has had a fine season for the Rhinos. He has power and pace, plus the knack of scoring spectacular touchdowns. Verdict Almost too tight to call, but Watkins is a young gun with pace to burn – so he gets our vote.

Gareth Copley/Getty Images, Jan Kruger/ Getty Images, Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Danny McGuire will bring that crucial X factor, says Hall

HalF back Kevin Sinﬁeld v Lee Briers A good kicking game is vital, and Saturday‘s final could hinge on how well these two master craftsmen put boot to ball. Sinfield‘s kicking out of hand and for goal is exemplary, and his leadership and commitment – plus his versatility in switching between back row and stand-off – mark him out as an all-time Super League great. Briers has been revitalised under Tony Smith at Warrington, proof that you can teach an old dog new tricks. A clever half-back who shone in his club‘s Challenge Cup triumph over the Rhinos, his variety will test any defence. Verdict Briers is a wily old wolf, but this is Sinfield‘s stage. He can give the Rhinos an edge behind the pack.

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The Not-So-Secret Race

Tyler Hamiltonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s claims of ram cycling have dominated headli over in recent weeks, with Lan accused of standing at the cen the scandal set to explode in the now seems the time to recap th

42 | October 5 2012 |

mpant drug use in ines the world nce Armstrong ntre of it all. With e coming weeks, he story so far...

THe WHisTLe-BLoWer An unassuming man from Massachusetts, Tyler Hamilton is a 41-year-old former Tour rider and Olympic gold medal winner in Athens in 2004 – though he was stripped of that title this year. For six years, between 1995 and 2001, Hamilton rode for Lance Armstrong’s US Postal Team, and claims to have lived a lie. Like almost every one of his peers, j’accuser claims he was faced with a fork-in-the-road choice – either cycle clean but be left behind and inevitably dropped, or sign up to the alternative and ride onwards and upwards. Hamilton claims he had no choice but to opt for the latter. During the course of his career, he tested positive three times for performance enhancing drugs.

Mellow Johnny: Armstrong, in the Yellow Jersey, at the 2001 Tour; the Texan and Hamilton at Le Tour in 2003 (above, right); and (right) before a Tour medical in 2001

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Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Images, Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images, Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images

THe CLAims Put simply, Hamilton alleges the majority of the peloton took banned, performance-enhancing drugs, all the time, routinely, and that the governing Union Cycliste Internationale were happy to turn a blind eye where the top performers were concerned. The drug of choice, claims Hamilton, was EPO, nicknamed Edgar after the novelist Edgar Allan Poe – it boosts red blood cell count (the cells that carry oxygen to the muscles), allowing riders to go harder for longer. Blood bags were also commonly used to enhance performance – the blood drained and stored in freezers to be reinfused at key stages during key races, instantly increasing a rider’s red blood cell count and therefore improving power output by around 3 per cent. Hamilton alleges that riders did it because a clean rider could never outperform a doper. As he claims: “Lance’s Golden Rule: whatever you do, those other fuckers are doing more.“ >

The not-So-Secret Race Hamilton’s headline claim, however, is that it all revolved around Lance Armstrong at Postal – the Texan is alleged to have openly doped, keeping his EPO in the fridge of his Nice home. ”I was surprised that Lance would be so cavalier,” writes Hamilton in The Secret Race. “Lance acted like he was invulnerable.“ Hamilton accused Armstrong of hiring a man named Philippe, whom they nicknamed ’Motoman’, to deliver EPO during races: “We were standing in Lance’s kitchen when he lined out the plan: he would pay Philippe to follow the Tour on his motorcycle, carrying a thermos full of EPO and a prepaid cell phone. When we needed Edgar, Philippe would zip through the Tour’s traffic and make a drop-off.“ He also contests Armstrong was allowed to dope by the UCI, who recognised his value to the sport, claiming Armstrong was tipped off ahead of drug tests. But he’s not finished, for Hamilton also claims that in 2004, the UCI summoned him to their offices to warn him his blood test had been found to be “a little off“ after the Dauphiné Libéré Classic – in which

“You can say i’m lying, but you can’t say all 10 of us riders are lying”

Rogerio Barbosa/AFP/Getty Images, Martin Bureau/ AFP/Getty Images, Robert Leberge/ Getty Images

he’d outclimbed Armstrong on the brutal Mont Ventoux. Subsequently, Armstrong’s teammate Floyd Landis (who later admitted to doping) reportedly told Hamilton: “Lance called the UCI on you… said… you guys were on some new shit.“ When Hamilton confronted Armstrong, he denied the allegation.

Hamilton’s Secret Race co-author Daniel Coyle speculates on the possible reasons for the case being closed in a footnote, the most notable being that US Attorney Andre Birotte “wanted to protect President Obama from the potentially ugly spectacle of indicting an American hero during an election year“.

The evidence

The AccuSed

In 2010, Hamilton testified for four hours in front of a grand jury, then for a further three hours with a federal investigator, revealing all. His book, The Secret Race – Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France: Doping, Coverups, and Winning at All Costs, connects every dot. “You can say I’m lying,“ he told The Guardian recently. “But you can’t say all 10 of us are lying.“ A reference to the other former riders who are said to be willing to testify against Lance Armstrong. The most notable other whistleblower to date is Landis, a former teammate of Armstrong’s who claimed, as Hamilton has, that the Texan tested positive for EPO but paid the UCI off to keep it quiet. Both thenpresident Hein Verbruggen and Armstrong have vehemently denied the allegations, and the evidence has not been proven. In February this year, the US Attorney announced that, after two years of investigations, it was closing its investigation of Armstrong and allegations of doping by the Texan and his teammates.

The US Anti-Doping Agency has stated that 10 of Armstrong’s former teammates are prepared to testify against him. Armstrong continues to deny ever taking drugs, responding to USADA’s investigation by saying: “I have never doped and, unlike many of my accusers, I have competed as an endurance athlete for 25 years with no spike in performance, passed more than 500 drug tests and never failed one.“ In August, Armstrong announced that he would no longer fight USADA’s litany of charges, which included using banned substances as far back as 1996 – including EPO, steroids and blood transfusions – to boost his performance. “There comes a point in every man’s life when he has to say enough is enough,“ said Armstrong, likening the USADA’s pursuit of him to a witch-hunt. “For me, that time is now.“ Treating his statement as an admission of guilt, USADA stripped Armstrong of his seven Tour titles the following day and banned him for life from all future competition.

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In response to Landis’ accusations of them being complicit, the UCI issued a statement that read: “The allegations are completely unfounded... the UCI can only confirm that Lance Armstrong has never been notified of a positive test result.“ Following Hamilton’s revelations, it said: “The UCI can only express its indignation at this latest attempt to damage the image of cycling by a cyclist who has not hesitated to abuse the trust of all followers of cycling on several occasions in the past.“

The FuTuRe USADA will submit its report into Armstrong’s lifetime ban to the UCI no later than October 15 – the UCI will then decide if it will ratify the decision to strip Armstrong of his Tour titles. It sounds a formality. UCI president Pat McQuaid has said: “Unless USADA’s decision and case file give serious reasons to do otherwise, the UCI has no intention... not to recognise the USADA’s sanctions on Lance Armstrong.“ Asked how he thought Armstrong would react, Hamilton shrugged. “I don’t know. Based on his recent actions, he’ll deny it. But I can’t imagine he can maintain it.“ Nick Harper

Winning at all costs? Armstrong with Floyd Landis at the 2004 Tour (top); with Hamilton after finishing Stage 8 of the 2003 Tour (above); and (above, left) at the World Cancer Congress in August this year

7 Days OUR PICK OF THE ACTION FROM THE SPORTING WEEK AHEAD

friDAY >

bASEbALL | MLb POSTSEASON PLAyOFFS |

OCTHIGHLIGHTS 5-OCT 11 » Football: Premier League » p48 »Formula 1: Japanese Grand Prix » p50 » Rugby Union: Sale v Leicester » p51 » Horse Racing: Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe » p52 » Darts: World Grand Prix » p52

ESPN AMERICA 10PM

After its teams have battled through 162 games over the past six months, it’s time for the Major League Baseball postseason. At the start of the 2012 season, MLB added an extra wildcard spot to each league, meaning the runners-up with the best two records will contest a one-off game this evening. The American League has gone right to the wire. As we went to press, the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles are still battling to win the AL East. Whether they win or take the wildcard, it will be the Orioles’ first postseason since 1997, outperforming all expectations as they have gone – their payroll this year is $81m, just the $116m less than the Yankees.

46 | October 5 2012 |

The team with the lowest payroll in the postseason, however – in true Moneyball style – is the Oakland Athletics (pictured) and this is despite trading several of their best players before the season and replacing them with rookies and less well-known players. Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes has put up excellent numbers in his rookie year, and Brandon Moss went on a tear in September, hitting .364. The A’s are joined by the Texas Rangers and, in the AL Central, the Detroit Tigers – led by Miguel Cabrera, who at the time of writing looked likely to be the first winner of the triple crown (leading the AL in RBIs, home runs and average) since 1967.

In the National League, the surprise package were the Washington Nationals, finishing top of the NL East for the first time since they relocated from Montreal. The team has been improving year by year, their top draft picks Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper combining with some clever trades. The Nationals still have to see off several teams with regular playoff experience, however. The San Francisco Giants topped the NL West, with Buster Posey returning after a season-long layoff as if he’s never been away, currently hitting for .336 average. The Cincinnati Reds ran away with the NL Central, meanwhile, and will be looking to improve on their 2010 playoff appearance.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Moneyball II – Return of the A’s

7 Days

Premier League

saturday west HaM v arseNal UptoN park | espN 5.30pM

Newcastle versus Manchester United usually entertains, while Arene Wenger against Sam Allardyce always does sunday Newcastle v MaN Utd | sports direct areNa | sky sports 1 4pM

The Premier League’s Punch and Judy, Professor Arsene and his bete noire Big Sam, are back after a year off – and how we have missed their double act. What’s more, Mr Allardyce has himself an exciting new whacking stick in the form of one Andy Carroll. And while Carroll is unlikely to start, West Ham are in fine fettle without him, and will look to test the theory that their London rivals have a more robust defence. Of course, one poor display against Chelsea doesn’t mean Arsenal are suddenly an easy mark – especially as big Per Mertesacker is likely to return (assuming he’s fit). Spanish duo Santi Cazorla and Mikel Arteta have already formed a classy midfield bond and will try to control possession, but Arsene will clench whenever West Ham have the ball.

Feeling blue

saturday MaNcHester city v sUNderlaNd etiHad stadiUM | sky sports 2 12.45pM

Anyone questioning the judgement of Sir Alex Ferguson would be wise to cast a glance at his sideboard (heaving with trophies and fine wines) and compare it to their own (an old copy of Football Manager, probably, and a bottle of Tesco Value gin). However, the flaws that armchair analysers have been picking out in Manchester United’s midfield for several years – the lack of a ball-winner, too many attackers and ageing passers – seems particularly notable this season. Against Tottenham and Liverpool, they were often outhustled in midfield, their back four exposed to attacks from deep. It doesn’t help that their defence has looked porous without Nemanja Vidic – whose absence, along with Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, has left the team short of choice at centre-back. In theory, Newcastle have the attacking potency to exploit these problems, just as they did in winning 3-0 at home in this fixture in January. However, the Magpies are yet to rediscover last season’s dynamism and imagination. They were fortunate to snatch

48 | October 5 2012 |

a 2-2 draw at Reading last weekend, indebted to a literal helping hand from Demba Ba. Alan Pardew, eight-year contract stuffed in his pocket, can take comfort from Ba’s prolific form and Hatem Ben Arfa’s attacking flair, but his own defence has wobbled at times. Also, trying to match firepower with Manchester United rarely works out well. With Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa slotting in superbly, plus Wayne Rooney looking hungry (in a good way) on his return from injury, Fergie’s team looks as sharp up front as they do shaky further back. To us, it all points to a goal-fest on Sunday from two of the Premier League’s most historically entertaining teams – so we can only apologise if it’s a scoreless bore draw that has you reaching for that gin.

Goals scored by Demba Ba in 40 league games since his free signing for Newcastle in 2011

The reason behind Manchester City’s sluggish defence of their Premier League title is, well, a sluggish defence, with even Vincent Kompany out of sorts. City have yet to keep a clean sheet in six matches, although the good news for Roberto Mancini’s players is that it seems they only need to stop one man on Saturday: Steven Fletcher has scored all five of his side’s league goals this season. Still, a Fletcher-less Sunderland took four points from City last season, so Mancini knows all about the tenacity of Martin O’Neill’s teams. The great news for City is the return of Sergio Aguero. They do not lack for strikers, but Aguero is their Tina Turner: simply the best of the lot. He – plus the returning-to-form David Silva – may just give City the cutting edge they need to win this tricky tie.

The league leaders against a team who’ve conceded five goals in matches twice already this season. It doesn’t look too competitive, but Chelsea’s midweek trip to Denmark aids Norwich (teams in the Champions League tend to struggle in the match after an away trip). Norwich have at least had a full week to figure out how to shut down a Chelsea midfield comprised entirely of tiny geniuses. Have they suceeded? Probably not, no.

sunday southampton v fulham st mary’s | ss1 1.30

Fulham tend to struggle away from their comfy Cottage, so how they must wish they had Dimitar Berbatov fit to exploit Southampton’s generous defence for this trip to St Mary’s. The absence of the languid Bulgarian – plus the threat posed by Rickie Lambert (above), Jay Rodriguez and Gaston Ramirez – mean Saints start this game as favourites, but Fulham have scored 13 in six league games this season. Could be a cracker.

saturday sWansea v reading liBerty stadium | 3pm

The plummet of Swansea’s fortunes, with three one-sided league losses in a row, is a slide that Michael Laudrup (above) will be desperate to address. Second from bottom Reading should be ideal fodder, but they looked lively against Newcastle (Jobi McAnuff in particular) and were unlucky not to claim all three points. If Swansea lose again, Laudrup may be tempted to get his boots back on and play himself. Please do that, Michael.

sunday liverpool v stoke anfield | 3pm

The return of a former Liverpool striker is the skinny on this game, but it’s Peter Crouch not Michael Owen who is most likely to worry the Anfield home fans. His brace last weekend ended Stoke’s winless start to the league season, just as Luis Suarez’s sublime treble helped Liverpool to do the same. Two strikers in lethal form, of very different styles, both of whom look like they could eat an apple through a letterbox. Bring it on!

saturday West Brom v Qpr the haWthorns | 3pm

Adel Taarabt’s pearler against West Ham cannot disguise that QPR were second best in that match, and a grim 20th best in the league according to the table. Not the ideal time to visit West Brom, who have taken nine points from nine at The Hawthorns this season, and who have Peter Odemwingie back after his suspension. Mark Hughes will have to hope his team starts to click soon, or he could always just sign another keeper.

sunday tottenham v aston villa | White hart lane | 3pm

Andre Villas-Boas gave an exciting glimpse of what his Spurs side may become last weekend. The pace of Gareth Bale (above) and Moussa Dembele! Jan Vertonghen storming up from defence! Jermain Defore unselfish in attack! Was it just a dream? No, but one win doesn’t mean a finished product. Villa are improving under Paul Lambert, may flood the midfield and – if he starts – Darren Bent could haunt his old team.

saturday Wigan v everton dW stadium | 3pm

Both of these teams tend to start seasons poorly then pick up pace like an express train. Not that Everton are on that track this time, steaming up to second place already, with Steven Pienaar (above) the engine in midfield. It’s been a freescoring start, while Wigan – struggling without the outlet of Victor Moses – are on a three-game losing run. Still, the Latics are prone to spring occasional surprises. Don’t rule out a DW derailing.

Premier League table 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

P Chelsea 6 Everton 6 Man Utd 6 Man City 6 Tottenham 6 West Brom 6 West Ham 6 Arsenal 6 Fulham 6 Newcastle 6 Swansea 6 Stoke 6 Sunderland 5 Liverpool 6 Aston Villa 6 Wigan 6 Southampton 6 Norwich 6 Reading 5 QPR 6

W 5 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0

D 1 1 0 3 2 2 2 3 0 3 1 4 4 2 2 1 0 3 2 2

L 0 1 2 0 1 1 1 1 3 1 3 1 0 3 3 4 5 3 3 4

F 11 12 14 12 11 8 7 10 13 8 10 6 5 9 6 5 10 4 6 4

A 3 6 9 8 8 5 5 4 9 8 9 5 4 12 10 11 18 13 11 13

Pts 16 13 12 12 11 11 11 9 9 9 7 7 7 5 5 4 3 3 2 2

Man Utd have lost two of their first six games twice before in the Premier League (1992-93, 2002-03). They won the title in both seasons

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All pictures Getty Images

saturday Chelsea v norWiCh stamford Bridge | 3pm

7 Days SUNDAY FORMULA 1 | JApAnese GRAnd pRix | sUzUkA | sky spORts F1 7AM

Set your alarm

It’s back to early mornings for the next couple of races, as Formula 1 returns to daylight hours for the remaining legs of its Asian tour. This weekend, it’s Suzuka – a circuit ranked highly by drivers and fans, and one that tends to deliver exciting racing in keeping with its status. As you’ll probably have heard, there have been a few driver changes confirmed for next season, with Lewis Hamilton’s rumoured move to Mercedes confirmed with a speed and efficiency from which football could learn a thing or two. Still, Hamilton has six races left in his McLaren, even though the timing of the announcement would seem to indicate that McLaren and Hamilton have given up on the title, with their departing driver in fourth and 52 points behind leader Fernando Alonso. It would appear, then, to be a straight fight between a resurgent Sebastian Vettel and Alonso. Has Vettel timed it perfectly, or can the Spaniard hold on to his lead?

Japanese Grand Prix Sky Sports F1 commentators David Croft and Anthony Davidson share their love for the classic Suzuka track.

Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images, Romeo Gacad/AFP/Getty Images, Stu Forster/Getty Images

AD: “It’s one of the all-time classics.” DC: “It’s awesome because of the elevation, it’s like a B-road. It goes with the undulations, it mirrors the landscape, there’s just something natural about the circuit. You wouldn’t

design a circuit like this now and it’s a shame. It’s an absolute work of art.” AD: “I‘d say the first sector rivals Silverstone – maybe just about tops it for the best sector of all, taking into account that first corner and the S-curves and going into Dunlop curve and the Degners. It’s a rollercoaster ride. You’ve gotta be precise, it’s very high speed, but the circuit gives a lot of grip. It’s super high G-force on the neck and the back, and you’ve got to trust that your car is going to be there for you. Add the sensational support the fans give, and it’s a magic circuit.”

LAPS 53 CIrCuIT LengTh 5.807km rACe dISTAnCe 307.471km LAP reCord 1:31.54 – k RAIkkONEN (2005)

drIver STAndIngS 1 fERNANdO AlONsO (fERRARI) 2 sEbAstIAN vEttEl (REd bull) 3 kImI RAIkkONEN (lOtus) 4 lEwIs HAmIltON (mclAREN) 5 mARk wEbbER (REd bull)

194 165 149 142 132

SCheduLe (gMT) SATurdAy oCTober 6 QuAlIfyINg 6Am SundAy oCTober 7 RAcE 7Am

St Ar t

2011 reSuLT 1 sEbAstIAN vEttEl 2 mARk wEbbER 3 JENsON buttON

MONDAY > tennis | Atp sHAnGHAi | Qi zHOnG tennis CenteR | sky spORts 1 7AM

Murray on a hat-trick The so-called Asian Swing of the ATP Tour comes to a close next week, with the only Masters 1000 tournament to take place in the Far East. Andy Murray heads to Shanghai looking for his third win in succession at the Qi Zhong Tennis Center, having beaten Roger Federer in the final two years ago, and David Ferrer in 2011. Both will be in attendance this year, along with Murray’s US Open victim, Novak Djokovic.

50 | October 5 2012 |

With Murray, Federer and Djokovic already assured of their spots at the World Tour Finals next month (as is the absent Rafael Nadal), their focus is on the rankings. Federer finished 2011 as world number three, well behind Djokovic, but the 31-year-old has since usurped the Serb at the top. There’s only 1,335 points separating the two (at the time of writing), and Federer faces a tough autumn defending the points he amassed with wins in Basel, Paris and London last year. With Murray a further 2,000 points behind Djokovic, the Olympic champ will be focused on closing that gap – and finishing his greatest season in style.

Friday Rugby union | Sale v leiceSteR | SalfoRd city Stadium | Sky SpoRtS 2 8pm

Sharks need to find their bite With a sparkling new stadium, a new coaching staff and a number of star signings, Sale’s fairytale was all set for this season. Five games in, however, and the Premiership’s sole northern representatives’ story is more Stephen King than Enid Blyton: the Sharks have just one solitary point, have lost their star scrum half for at least a month, have had to fire their forwards coach and sit bottom of the pile. And tonight they face a dangerous-looking Leicester side. Having been stung into life by defeat to Harlequins two weeks ago, the Tigers came out flying last week, and put 30 on the visiting Exeter Chiefs. A Matt Smith masterclass at 13, combined with the finishing class of Adam Thompstone and the power of Vereniki Goneva on the wings, means Leicester have a dangerous backline

– and with the gaps that the Sharks have been leaving in their defensive setup, that could spell trouble. The real question mark for the visitors lies at 10. Toby Flood is looking solid if not spectacular, but what to do with George Ford? Too many weeks on the bench, and the young England fly half will have his head turned. Speaking of young English fly halves, Sale’s enigmatic lynchpin Danny Cipriani (above), who made headlines on his arrival, has been good but not great. He found himself benched last week, but it’s time for him to stand up and be counted as the leader of this Sale backline – and it’s time for the Sharks’ forwards to do the same. Bucketloads of heart and body-on-the-line rugby is what Sale need right now. Anything less, and tonight could be another hammering. | 51

7 Days Sunday Horse racing | Qatar Prix de l’arc de triomPHe | longcHamP | racing UK & at tHe races 3.25Pm

Shattered dream

As the autumn leaves begin to fall, thoughts in horse racing inevitably turn to the imminent jumps season. There are still a few late-campaign highlights to look forward to on the flat, however; Frankel’s last race on British Champions Day at Ascot later this month stands out – but, before then, our attention turns to Paris for Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. The race, run over a mile and a half of the picturesque Longchamp racecourse, nominally decides the champion middle-distance horse in Europe, with recent winners including the unbeaten star filly Zarkava and John Oxx’s all-time great Sea The Stars. Neither of those supreme champions raced on beyond their three-year-old season, however, meaning they were unable to defend their title a year on. The same could not be said of 2011 winner Danedream, until disaster struck earlier this week. The first German-trained horse ever to win the Arc was due to defend the crown she won so impressively as a 20/1 outsider 12 months ago – but the outbreak of swamp fever, a serious equine disease, at her base in Cologne left her stranded in Germany and unable to travel to France this weekend. In her absence, the door looked to be left open for Nathaniel, who Danedream denied in a dramatic head-bobbing finish to the King George at Ascot in July (pictured). But, less than 24 hours after Danedream’s withdrawal was announced, trainer John Gosden revealed his star four-year-old had spiked a temperature and would also miss the race. That leaves Japanese raider Orfevre as the likely favourite, but the most intriguing horse to line up could be our own Derby winner Camelot. Bookies have reported a lot of money coming for Aidan O’Brien’s colt since his failure to complete the Triple Crown in the St Leger three weeks ago, and three-year-olds have won eight of the last nine runnings of this great race. If he does run, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him bolt up.

MOnday > darts | World grand Prix | cityWest Hotel, dUblin | sKy sPorts 1 7Pm The World Grand Prix is unique among darts tournaments for its double-start format, which sees players having to begin as well as end each leg with a double. it is not unique among darts tournaments, however, in that its history is dominated by one man: Phil taylor. the Power has won just the 10 of this event’s 14 stagings to date, and returns for the 2012 renewal as reigning champion after defeating northern ireland’s brendan dolan in last year’s final. He kicks off his defence against st Helens youngster michael smith on monday evening in dublin, with a further three rounds to navigate if he’s to once more make the finale next sunday evening.

All pictures Getty Images

BEST OF THE REST

the questions is: can anyone beat the 52-year-old? Probably not, as ever, although the aforementioned dolan did knock him out of the european championship in germany last month. that tournament was eventually won by the remarkably bearded aussie simon Whitlock, who takes momentum with him to dublin; while James Wade, champion here in 2007 and 2010, should never be ruled out. With taylor on the prowl, mind, it’s hard to rule anyone else in.

Phil your boots

Friday

Sunday

cricKet icc World t20: second semi Final, West indies v australia, r Premadasa stadium, colombo, sky sports 1 2.30pm

tennis rakuten Japan open: Final, ariake colosseum, tokyo, sky sports 2 6am

cricKet icc World twenty20: Final, r Premadasa stadium, colombo, sky sports 2 2.30pm Football serie a: ac milan v inter (featuring diego milito, pictured), san siro, esPn 7.45pm

Saturday

motorsPort World superbikes: round 14, magny cours, France, british eurosport 2 9.15am

rUgby Union rugby championship: south africa v new Zealand, Fnb stadium, Johannesburg, sky sports 1 4pm

cricKet icc Women’s World twenty20: Final, r Premadasa stadium, colombo, sky sports 2 10.30am

Football championship: ipswich v cardiff, Portman road, sky sports 2 5.20pm

golF alfred dunhill links championship: day 4, st andrews, sky sports 3 12.30pm

thurSday

Football sPl: celtic v Hearts, celtic Park, sky sports 4 12.45pm

nFl tennessee titans v Pittsburgh steelers, lP Field, nashville, sky sports 1 1am

boxing Prizefighter: lightweights, liverpool olympia, sky sports 1 8.30pm

52 | October 5 2012 |

tueSday cycling tour of beijing: stage 1, tiananmen square to bird’s nest olympic stadium, british eurosport 8am

Invoke the spirit of Ollie’s men... t is forbidden for a player to consider a match a lost cause, no matter how far he may be behind, no matter how seemingly impossible the situation, and no matter how many hours of premature victory chanting he has been subjected to. Instead, a player is permitted to fix his opponent with the Poulter Look, reach into his golf bag and invoke the spirit of Medinah. Thank you Team Europe. We’ll be celebrating for the rest of October – so why

not join us? We’re offering you the chance to grab half an hour’s daytime practice for £5* all month in any of our state-of-the-art aboutGolf simulators (the one Luke Donald uses – enough said!). Next time you’re in a tight spot on the course, you can summon up the same heroics as Ollie and his men. After a few practice sessions, maybe you will be up to the test of London’s Best Golfer, in association with Pebble Beach. www.urbangolf.co.uk/londonsbestgolfer

The leaderboard (scores over nine holes) 1. Luke Donald 30 (-6) 2. Alistair Downes 34 (-2) 3=. Trevor Nelson 35 (-1) David Andrews 35 (-1) Fraser Devlin 35 (-1) John Willcox 35 (-1) 7. Sean Cook 36 (level) 8=. Tony Moss 37 (+1) Mark Richards 37 (+1) 10.= Chris Marsterson Smith 38 (+2) Luke Carby 38 (+2) Nick Saunders 38 (+2)

*Terms and Conditions apply – please visit www.urbangolf.co.uk/thanksteameurope. Image: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

Sport Promotion

P62 Call this archaeology? Harrison Ford’s finest trilogy (plus one) gets the boxset treatment

Extra time Kit

Making the most of your time and money 1

Sole, man

Don’t judge a man until you walk a mile in his shoes. If his shoes are on this page, you’re in for a treat

1Nike Blazer Low Vintage Crystal Palace fan? These suede retro beauties will fit in perfectly on the Selhurst Park terraces. Not a Palace fan? Well, they won’t match your team, but they’re still nice. £60 | usc.co.uk

3 K-Swiss Gowmet II VNZ If you love your stripes, K-Swiss is the option for you, and these ‘bison/desert/straw’ trainers fit the bill nicely – especially because vulcanized soles ensure they will last. £55 | kswiss.co.uk

5 Le Coq Sportif Milos

The 1986 vintage running shoe is back, and with a suede and mesh combination designed for fashionistas. Available in a range of colours, including this eye-catching combination. £55 | 020 7636 4664

6 54 | October 5 2012 |

2 Adidas Gazelle

AFC Wimbledon fan? These sued... okay, you get the picture. With the signature three-stripe branding on the side, these panelled trainers are sure to help you stand out, whichever team you support. £60 | usc.co.uk

Teva Crank Mid

Aimed at dirt bike riders, these midcut trainers offer tread designs to help grip in the dirt, as well as a rubber sole that aids grip to your pedals and a stiff outsole that’s tuned for riding. Basically, they’re ace! £60 | jejamescycles.co.uk

6 Firetrap Jersey Canvas A bargain – and the rubber sole means they should last. Plus our friend Gok told us grey goes with everything. £12 | sportsdirect.com

Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017), Scotland (SC039907) and the Isle of Man (604). MAC13569

Talking to your family about cancer can be really tough. But a chat with one of our experts on the Macmillan Support Line can help you ﬁnd the words you need. So you and your family can face the future, together. This is just one of the ways the Macmillan team can help you through cancer. Our medical professionals, cancer support specialists and beneﬁts advisers are just a phone call away.

For cancer support every step of the way call the Macmillan team free on 0808 808 00 00 (Monday to Friday, 9am – 8pm)

or visit macmillan.org.uk

Extra time Claudia Jordan

56 | October 5 2012 |

| 57

e’ve been known to stretch the tenuous nature of the sporting relevance of the girl on these pages to its very limit, but Claudia Jordan is as relevant and timely as we could ask for. The former Miss Rhode Island Teen USA not only shares a surname with one of America’s favourite sporting sons but, as an East Providence High School student, she was selected for the All State Track and Field team, participated in three Junior Olympics and once finished third in the long jump at the East Coast Invitational. Jordan is also the girlfriend of Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald – and, despite her stellar sporting CV, is perhaps best known Stateside for her five-year stint as a model on the US version of Deal or No Deal. How Fitzgerald and the rest of the NFL could have used her negotiating experience recently – only last week did the league come to an agreement with NFL officials to end a 115-day ‘lockout’ after a dispute over salary, extra officiating relief crews, full-time status and retirement benefits. The NFL was forced to use inexperienced replacement officials in order to fulfil the fixture list, bringing them in from the lower reaches of the game and such places as the Lingerie Football League (yes, it’s a real thing – and, yes, it’s been on these pages before). The resulting widespread frustration over the performance of replacement refs, who according to USA Today “marred the game with inconsistent and egregious calls” came to a head with a ‘blown call’ that gave the Seattle Seahawks a controversial win over the Green Bay Packers. You know how it works by now – the NFL’s banker (probably) urgently called up the NFL officials with an offer, related pensively to them by the American equivalent of Noel Edmonds. Jordan and anyone else with a vested interest in the NFL waited nervously. And, to the relief of all concerned, the stand-off was resolved with a four-letter word: deal.

Deal or no deal?

APIX Syndication

Ear warmers They’ll keep your ears toasty, and these ones double as headphones. Technology, eh? What will they think of next? 3 2

4 5

1. Logitech UE 6000

2. VOX amPhones

3. Sony MDR XB-800

4. Ferrari Cavallino T350

5. Philips Fidelio X1

The UE stands for ‘Ultimate Ears’, although sadly these won’t give you super-hearing powers. They will, however, faithfully reproduce your music with a wide-open soundstage and active noise-cancelling software – and they fold away like sunglasses for easy storage. Your career as a spy will have to wait, though. £169 | logitechUE.com

VOX guitar amplifiers have shared the stage with the likes of the The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, and now they’ll be able to add a third illustrious location to that list – your face. The amPhones (get it?) use a combination of analogue components and modern technology to recreate the warm sound of the Sixties. £120 | voxamps.com

Totally addicted to bass? These might just be the fix you’re looking for, you emaciated wreck. Sony’s new extra bass ‘phones deliver a hit of low-end straight into your earholes. Although, if you’re that hooked, you might want to consider abstaining for a while – or switching to metha-bass, the less harmful substitute. £150 | sony.co.uk

Because otherwise, how are people going to know you own a Ferrari? You can’t just go round telling them. And, although your Ferrari jumpsuit still does the trick, it doesn’t exactly scream sophistication. This luxurious pair does, though. And they’re noise-cancelling, so you can block out all the people calling you names for wearing them. £299 | ferrari-by-logic3.com

These are designed for home listening, so they’re for serious audiophiles who can’t bear the thought of their cherished soundwaves passing through something so common as air. Or, for people whose musical taste is so appalling, they can’t bear the possibility of others hearing it. Or both – maybe a very passionate Little Mix fan. £270 | philips.co.uk

58 | October 5 2012 |

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60 | October 5 2012 |

L’O

... with any one of these moisturisers this winter. Or play safe and slap ‘em all on

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Fight the elements...

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Extra time Grooming

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ant your facial hair as razor sharp as that of a musketeer? Maybe you just want to turn that five o’clock shadow into something that looks as if you’ve put a bit of effort in, for a change, like the rather intense chap above. Either way, the good news is that you can achieve your own desired facial hair style – whether trimming, shaving or edging – with one precision tool. No, not a musketeer’s rapier. We are talking about Gillette’s Fusion ProGlide Styler, a three-in-one grooming tool that combines Braun engineering with Gillette Fusion ProGlide technology. It trims evenly, shaves closely and edges accurately, making styling fast and hasslefree. Whether you want to seasonally style, trim down or experiment with details, the Fusion ProGlide Styler offers a complete precision-styling solution. As well as all the features you would expect from a Braun-engineered Gillette styler and razor (see box, right), the Fusion ProGlide Styler includes a blade stabilizer so you can

maintain optimal blade spacing for comfort and allow the blades to adjust to the contours of your face. Its snowplow comfort guard, meanwhile, helps maintain blade contact while stretching the skin for a close, comfortable shave. The styler also features Gillette’s Lubrastrip, enabling the razor to move over skin smoothly – even on repeat strokes – and a microcomb that helps guide hair to the blade. Keeping the styler clean and tidy is easy with the power trimmer door, which allows you to rinse with minimum fuss, and a stylish base that conveniently holds all three Braun combs, the Fusion ProGlide attachment and the Braun trimmer neatly and securely. Gillette has also launched its Fusion ProGlide Clear Shave Gel, a non-foaming, clear shave gel that allows you to see exactly where to shave when edging and styling. It’s also formulated with advanced lubricants for incredible glide, comfort and smoothness. Absolute control, precision and effortless manoeuvres – all qualities held in the highest regard by any good musketeer.

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The Gillette Fusion ProGlide Styler

illette’s new three-in-one grooming tool for men who style their facial hair combines Gillette’s world-class, thinner, finer blades with a precisionedging blade to help sculpt crisp, defined facial hair lines and Braun engineering

The Gillette Fusion ProGlide Razor features Gillette’s most advanced razor blade technology for incredible closeness and comfort The Braunengineered Power Trimmer includes three slim combs that manoeuvre effortlessly through facial hair, trimming evenly and consistently

Light and easy to manoeuvre with a compact handle featuring ergonomic grips for maximum control

| 61

Extra time Entertainment

somethings old, somethings new

event

On one hand, Indiana Jones and Neil Young; on the other, a festival of new films and an impressive debut album Blu-ray

Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures

filM

BFI London Film Festival Returning for 2012 with a new artistic director in the form of Aussie Clare Stewart, the 56th London Film Festival is a shorter but more expansive version of its predecessors. It launches next Wednesday (October 10) with Frankenweenie – Tim Burton’s latest masterpiece of dark whimsy

DvD

(above) – and concludes 11 days later with Mike Newell’s adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic Great Expectations (right). In between, film fans can enjoy a whole bunch of new flicks screened in a wider range of London boroughs than ever before. For a full list of films and timings, see bfi.org.uk/lff.

Music

Parade’s End

Waging Heavy Peace Neil Young

Classy adaptation of Ford Madox Ford’s novels follows the gifted yet outmoded Christopher Tietjens’ struggles to uphold his moral code in the face of his flirtatious socialite wife and his love for a spirited Suffragette. Superbly acted with witty, uncompromising dialogue. Out Monday.

Anyone expecting a conventional read from this memoir should look away now, for Young has produced a sprawling collection of memories and musings that defy any meaningful attempt at order. Fascinating and insightful stuff from one of music’s true giants.

Sinister

All Our Favourite Stories Dog Is Dead

If there is one thing horror film characters never seem to learn, it’s that you should never, ever move house. Such is the folly executed by crime writer Ellison (Ethan Hawke, above) in this supernatural chiller – and it only gets worse when he finds a box of home movies featuring the murders of the families who used to live there. Sinister barely covers it.

Out on Monday, this debut album from Nottingham five-piece Dog Is Dead lacks the rawness you might expect from relative newcomers. In its place is an upbeat musical self-confidence borne out in a chain of catchy indie-pop tunes that will remind you of The Cure one minute yet evoke the folky harmonies of Fleet Foxes the next. Definitely one of all our favourite introductions.

62 | October 5 2012 |

BOOK

Lucasfilm Ltd/Paramount/The Kobal Collection

If the risible Kingdom of the Crystal Skull achieved anything, it was to remind us of just how much we loved the first three instalments in George Lucas’ series of Indiana Jones films. The complete franchise (you may as well have the fourth, if only for neatness’ sake) is out on Blu-ray from Monday, with a meticulously restored Raiders of the Lost Ark leading into pleasingly remastered versions of the others and a host of special features. A (Harrison) Ford fiesta, if you will.

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