Sport issue 252

Issue 252 | April 20 2012

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is ld h or oug e W en Th not

w E i rv E nt i E v i us l c Ex

fragrances.hugoboss.com

“READY FOR THE CHALLENGE”

JENSON BUTTON. WORLD DRIVERS’ CHAMPION 2009

BOSS BOTTLED. SPORT. THE NEW FRAGRANCE FOR MEN

issue 252, April 20 2012 radar 08 Who’s the greatest?

Another El Clasico — but between Messi and Ronaldo, who do the stats proclaim is the best?

08

10 How to run a marathon

Expert Martin Yelling takes you from novice to seasoned runner in, er, 12 easy months

12 Draft includers

It’s one of the highlights of the NFL — the annual draft of the best college players

to do this coming week Features

Jon Enoch

28

18

18 Judd Trump Snooker’s newest superstar speaks to Sport ahead of the World Championship

28 Kye Forte The freestyle BMX star and his old-school moves

30 The outdoor guide

60

Where to stay and what to do, if you fancy a bit of fresh air

44 Scott Overall

Why our top marathon runner won’t even finish in London — it’s all about the Olympics

52 The Premier League

Round-up of this weekend’s games — still all to play for

extra Time 56 Grooming

A very minty theme this week.

Very fresh indeed

58 Coffee lover

Claire Coffee, an NFL expert who may get your attention

60 Entertainment Featuring Jack White, Bob Marley and Irvine Welsh. Bosh

62 Gadgets

The latest must-have boys’ toys on the market | April 20 2012 | 07

Radar

p10 – Get marathon ready in precisely 12 months

p10 – A perfect fit for a running shoe

p12 – US sports stars of the future revealed

games 33

gOals 41

games 32 assists 14 assists 11

gOals 41

shOts per gOal* 6.9 dispOssessed* 2.0 dispOssessed* 2.7

shOts per gOal* 5.6 Offside* 0.8

Offside* 0.7

dribbles* 1.8

dribbles* 4.8 passing success* 81%

Dominique Faget/AFP/Getty Images

passing success* 84%

Best of the best 08 | April 20 2012 |

*average per game

L

ionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo share pitch space at El Clasico on Saturday on a fresh new high, both having smashed the La Liga scoring record with their 41st league goals last weekend. While the talent gap between these two superstars and the rest of the planet’s footballers may — with due respect to Xavi, Iniesta and Emile Heskey — be fairly large, the gap between the pair of them is clearly narrower than Peter Crouch.

Narrow but, if the numbers are anything to go by, decisive. In this breakdown of their La Liga stats for 2011/12, two things are clear. Firstly, they’re both

phenomenal. Secondly, Messi has the slenderest of leads in nearly all key areas. He’s scored his 41 goals at a more economic rate of shots-per-goal (and in one less game), has three more assists, is caught offside slightly more infrequently and has an edge in passing success.

Still, it’s not all bad news for CR7. He’s dispossessed less: twice each match compared to Messi’s 2.7. Plus he’s leading Lionel in both boutique ownership (he has two) and the Paris Hilton stakes (he’s had one) — numbers which your modern day footballer really respect, after all.

Statistics via whoscored.com

Radar

Marathon plan

If you’re bitten by the marathon bug this weekend, top running coach Martin Yelling explains how you can go from couch potato to marathon-ready for London 2013

First three months “Anyone — even if they’ve never run a step in their life – can build up to a marathon in 12 months.

First, get your health checked to make sure you’re not likely to keel over at the end of your road.

From there, start gently. Your goal is to turn yourself from an inactive person into a regularly active one. One thing that people do is go out to run as far as they can with no progression. Then they get demotivated because they struggle or get injured.

Consistency and routine are golden principles, so set a simple target like three, one-hour, periods each week. That doesn’t mean run for an hour – try walking or walk-running, any type of exercise once a week. Then you’ll build up the amount of time you can run without stopping.”

months seven to nine “This is when you get more serious. The key is to build up the length of time you can run without stopping. Ideally, you’d be up to running 10 miles before January. Maybe set 12 miles before Christmas as a target.

The other thing to work on is pace. What you might have done in the first six months is not worry about pace; just go out and run. Now start to think: how long do I take to run a mile? Try varying your pace by running at three different levels: easy, hard — and somewhere in the middle; ‘steady’. That way, you don’t go out and do the same one-paced plod-run every time. So it’s, frequency: three times a week.

Distance: 10 miles on at least one run. And start playing with pace on at least one run too.”

months Four to six “Now is when you need to make the mindset shift from overall fitness to being a runner. As everyone’s start point is different, that might mean an hour session of walk-running: six nine-minute runs with one-minute walks in between.

Somebody else might achieve that in the first 12 weeks and will be running one hour fairly effortlessly during this three months. It’s still about gentle progression; maybe try adding an extra run in during the week.

As long as your preparation is right, the more running you do, the easier it gets. You get fitter, perhaps lose some weight, your heart and lungs are stronger and your muscles get better at running. It gets easier, so you don’t mind doing one more.”

Final three months “The risk now is some people hit January, get excited and do too much, which can mean injury. You need to increase in appropriate, progressive increments. Your longest run is, say, three weeks away from race day and it’s 20 to 22 miles. Create your plan by working back from there. That gives you targets to hit each week. Go up to 12 miles, 14 miles, then 16 miles — then go back to 10 for one week. Around three weeks to go is when you tail off to be fresh. Reduce the length of your runs — but not necessarily frequency. Achieving a successful marathon is all about careful planning. You need to be patient, improvements take time, but when they happen and you toe the start line confident and competent, it’s all worth it.”

Martin Yelling (PhD) is a former athlete and founder of Marathon Talk (marathontalk.com) a free weekly podcast for runners of all abilities.

For London marathon 2013 entry info, visit virginlondonmarathon.com

Easy street

Andrew Redingon/Getty Images

A

re you one of those short to middle-distance runners who train regularly and cover varied terrain? If you are, then you’re far better than anyone here at Sport, where we term putting the kettle on as ‘caffeinercise’ — but you might also be running in the wrong trainers.

So say hello to the right trainers: the all-new XR Mission runners from Salomon’s range of door to trail-running shoes. Light, responsive and with an energy-returning tendon system, the XR Mission cushions shocks and improves heel-to-toe transition.

The result? A shoe that’s quite simply easier to run in. To the kitchen — and beyond! £90, salomonrunning.com

10 | April 20 2012 |

Bond time I

f James Bond was ever to run a marathon — well, we doubt he'd get through the first four miles. A 50-year diet of martinis, pheasant and loose women does not an endurance athlete make.

However if Bond were ever to try, he'd surely have one of these on his wrist.

The Ironman Run Trainer is the first ever run-specific GPS from Timex, meaning it can instantly calculate your pace, speed, altitude and distance no matter where you decide to run: be it up the hill of a London park or fleeing from a German megalomaniac with a penchant for painting women gold. It also includes a heart rate timer, hydration and nutrition reminders, a customisable split-screen display, post-run performance feedback and more. Everything apart from shout, “Do pay attention, 007” at you, in other words. The ultimate running watch.

Timex Ironman Run Trainer, £275 with HRM (£225 without), timex.co.uk

Developed, tested and worn by Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson Olympic, World and European Champions Discover more at www.clarks.co.uk/sailing

Radar

Golden draft How the USA’s sporting superstars of the future are chosen next week

he US college football draft has become a prime-time TV event in the United States, as the best in young talent is snaffled by the big NFL clubs in several rounds of picks. It’s like all the fun of a Premier League transfer window condensed into just three days (with less Jim White). Plus, in an attempt to create competitive equality that would make Premier League overlords spit their brandy out in disgust, the first overall pick actually goes to the NFL’s weakest team of the previous season.

This means that the Indianapolis Colts (2011 record: won 2, lost 14) are rewarded for their fabulous ineptness with the first overall pick for 2012.

But it isn’t always that simple, as teams can trade their draft positions.

For example, this year the Washington Redskins have taken the St Louis Rams’ second overall pick in exchange for better trading positions lower down the order, higher selections for 2013 and 2014, plus the kitchen sink and their own mother.

The reason for this extravagant offering? Some of the best prospects in more than a decade are set to be swiped in 2012 — men who will be starring in Nike commercials, dating supermodels, earning millions and — hey — maybe even winning a few Super Bowls in the coming decade. To give you the inside track, we’ve take an educated stab at the guys likely to take the top three positions in the draft. Remember their names.

The 2012 NFL Draft takes place on April 26 to 28 in New York

T

Andrew Luck Likely destination: Indianapolis Colts A quarterback prospect so smoking hot that halfway through 2011, some NFL fans actively began campaigns for their teams to 'suck for Luck' lose their remaining games so as to obtain the top draft pick and nab this 22-year-old prodigy. An NFL-ready 6ft 4ins, 230lb, Luck makes great decisions, has a fast release, is accurate, efficient and runs his offense like a pro. Said to be the finest prospect since one Peyton Manning — exactly the player who the Colts are trying to replace.

A no-brainer, as Americans say. That is, if it weren’t for the man pictured above.

Cover star

eaders, we’re after a favour. And we know we can rely on you.

See, it’s like this. A few months ago we produced what we think is the best front cover of Sport ever — a haunting close-up portrait of Gazza (below) that was so stunning we didn’t think we’d sully it with any words at all. And now the good folk at the Professional Publishers’ Association have named it in their shortlist to win the prestigious Cover of the Year award for 2011. Rightly so, we cry.

But we need votes, and lots of them. That’s where you come in. Go to www.ppa.co.uk/ coveroftheyear, admire the great work our rivals have done but then remember to vote for Sport. We will be eternally grateful.

Thank you.

R

Matt Kalil Likely destination: Minnesota Vikings While the likely numbers one and two in the draft are both fancy dan quarterbacks, Matt Kalil is the kind of hero regular Americans can really get behind: a dead-eyed, 306lb, 6ft 7in offensive tackle nicknamed ‘The Hammer’.

Fleet of foot for a man of his ample size, the 22-year-old also has excellent awareness and Mr Tickle-length arms. All told, he’s ready to go straight into the Vikings’ starting line-up, should they choose to select him. Plus, if his NFL career falls through, he can always pick up a job scaring the crap out of kids outside a haunted house.

Jon Enoch, Sarah Glenn/Getty Images, Doug Pensinger/Getty Images, Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Issue 230 | October 21 2011

Robert Griffin III Likely destination: Washington Redskins Andrew Luck was considered a surefire overall first-round draft pick until the explosive emergence of RG3. The dynamic Baylor Bear (that’s Griffin’s college team, not his Mom’s nickname for him) actually claimed the Heisman Trophy for outstanding college player 2011 due to his supreme athleticism and cannon of an arm. At 6ft 2ins on his tiptoes, he’s slightly undersized for an NFL quarterback and has had injury problems, which makes Luck the safer pick. However, in 2011, Griffin was probably the fastest quarterback in any form of football and has the potential to be a future ace.

Radar Editor’s letter

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EDITORIAL

Runners and riders do battle with Aintree, but do they need more room to manoeuvre?

A national dilemma

COMMERCIAL

Two more horses die in the world’s greatest horse race: so what now for the Grand National?

Editor-in-chief Simon Caney @simoncaney

and gamest in training, had died left me questioning where I stand on the National.

I am not especially proud to admit that it was the quality of the horse that died that made me rethink. I suspect I’m not alone in the fact that if it had been two 200-1 outsiders who never made it home, we would not be asking so many questions.

My view is the race can be changed on a very small scale and become safer. The big thing would be to reduce the number of runners from 40 to 30; the sheer chaos of the National definitely contributes to some falls. Also I’d have a longer run to the first fence just to give jockeys a few more seconds to find more running room and, to put it simply, relax into the race a bit.

But there will always be fallers in the National; it is a great race, a real test of horse and jockey. If we want to celebrate that fact, we must do so in the knowledge that sometimes it will not end well.

Ashley Young’s new-found reputation as, let’s say, someone who goes to ground easily is unfortunate. He’s a good player but one thing we cannot abide in this country is the player who goes looking for a penalty. Even if there was contact, his theatrics do him no credit, which, in an unusual step, Sir Alex Ferguson basically told the world afterwards. Is there scope for a player to be booked for diving even if he has been fouled?

Once again – in the light of Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final – the calls come for goalline technology. It does miss the point that Spurs were well-beaten regardless of that one decision, but increasingly, as discussed here previously, match officials are struggling to keep up with the modern game. One word of warning: goalline technology is the thin end of a very large wedge.

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Hearty thanks this week to: Martin Yelling, Ivan Hirschowitz, Django Fung, Jess Trendle, Bridget Gray, Sophie Jewes & Daniel Sullivan Total Average Distribution: 304,700 Jul-Dec 2011

Reader comments of the week Disappointing you’d put a drug cheat as more memorable than the greatest sprinter of all time.

Richard, via email

14 | April 20 2012 |

@simoncaney great Olympic feature today, must have been a few heated boardroom debates nailing down that order? Is the editors word final?!

@simoncaney.I love da paula Radcliffe piece,#51 on your list.The pun at da end made me laugh so loud every1 on da bus was staring at me.

@sportmaguk @simoncaney Great countdown but no.57 Betty Robinson is quite possibly the greatest story ive ever heard.

Should def be no.1

@AliFoster2 Twitter

@landlord44 Twitter

@Si_Margolis Twitter

Chris’ comment sums up everything that is right about Sport. The range and variety means it’s awesome 4 some1 who thinks that sports sections are normally saturated with FB+Rugby.

LAUNCH OF THE YEAR

2008

Don’t forget: Help keep public transport clean

and tidy for everyone by taking your copy of Sport away with you when you leave the bus or train.

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N

eptune Collonges, that grand old stager who for so long raced in the shadow of stablemates Kauto Star and Denman, finally had his moment in the sun. But he won’t be remembered for winning the most thrilling Grand National finish of all time, but for winning the race in which the Gold Cup champion had to be destroyed.

I have previously argued fervently against those animal rights activists who want the National banned. You may as well ban all jumps racing, for any horse can fall at any fence, on any track, and never get up again. And let’s not think the National fences are just wheeled out for one race a season then wheeled back until next year.

But, like many who love racing, this year’s race left me with an empty feeling afterwards. That Synchronised, a terrific racehorse who was among the bravest

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Radar Frozen in time

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Wet and wild If you’ve ever wondered what life might look like for a piece of bum waste being flushed down Pat Keller’s toilet, then you really should talk to your GP about some stronger medication. This is clearly a shot of Pat Keller of the USA riding a rapid during Olympic trials in the Whitewater Slalom. But hey, come back next week and we’ll do you another shot of a sportsman doing something that looks vaguely like something else. That’s our cast-iron promise to you.

16 | April 20 2012 |

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Judd Trump udd Trump is box office. The The 22-year-old Bristolian’s rapid, attacking play, audacious shot selection and penchant for the long pot means he has been carrying the ‘most exciting new talent since Ronnie O’Sullivan’ tag around with him almost since he turned professional five years ago.

And, last year, Trump started to live up to his billing. He outplayed John Higgins for much of the World Championship final, firing in two centuries to build a 10-7 lead and then making breaks of 104 and 99 to go 12-9 up.

Higgins eventually prevailed, rallying to take

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tables — and the ‘green room’ next door, complete with a view of the adjacent B&Q — are there exclusively for the use of the small stable of players managed by Fung, including O’Sullivan and Trump’s 20-year-old flatmate, Jack Lisowski.

The pair live “five minutes down the road”, with Trump uprooting from his native Bristol to find a better standard of practice competition and improve his game nearly two years ago. He describes the move as “a bit of a gamble”, but it seems to be paying off. To that World final, he can add the semi finals of this year’s Masters — beating O’Sullivan along the way — as well as victories at last year’s China Open and the UK Championship in December.

“It was a little bit of a gamble,” he repeats, for emphasis. “But I wasn’t improving where I was.

It’s good fun up here. It’s nice to get away from the parents and just do what you want to do. I do miss them now and again, but it’s nice to have your freedom.”

Is there a danger, then, of that freedom having a detrimental effect — especially with the lure of a The Only Way is Essex social life, as well as London a quick Ferrari ride away?

“It can be hard to dedicate yourself,” admits Trump. “But this is what I’ve wanted to do my whole life and I know this is the age when I have to knuckle down and do what I’ve got to do. We’re pretty good, we don’t go out that often... and we know snooker comes first.”

He’s certainly dedicated, practising as often as seven days a week during the season, unless he is away playing in a tournament. “It’s down to us,” he says. “If we’re doing really well, we can ease off the practice and still do well in tournaments. But if we start losing then we’ve really got to try and punish ourselves, get in here every day and sort it out.”

Trump speaks with a level of maturity that makes it easy to forget he is only 22. Maybe it comes with the quiet confidence honed by winning tournaments against grown men as an eight-year-old at Bristol’s Keynsham Snooker Centre. Or perhaps it’s a by-product of being talked about — by Steve Davis, no less — as the spearhead for the next generation of snooker stars. Does he feel a sense of responsibility to be the poster boy Hearn would so dearly like?

“Yeah. You don’t want to make a fool out of yourself, but you want to promote the game and not say too many stupid things. [You want to] enjoy yourself and show people that it’s good fun what you’re doing and get other people into the game. Snooker doesn’t get half the publicity most other sports get, so it’s hard. And when snooker isn’t in the limelight, you’ve got to promote it to the best of your ability.

“There are times when you’re getting beat, you’re not playing well and you’re sat on your chair, and you just want to pick up your chair and throw it on the table and just get out of

“I like Balotelli. He’s himself and doesn’t change for nobody” a fourth world title 18-15, but was quick to credit his victim with playing “a brand of snooker I have never seen before”. Trump’s performance was credited as being the chief driving force behind the BBC’s highest viewing figures for the final in five years.

That was more than enough to get the headline writers and snooker supremo Barry Hearn excited. But the boy-band hair, ‘maverick’ bow tie and referring to himself as an ‘international playboi’ on Twitter, coupled with a throwaway remark during this year’s Masters, led to comparisons with another nonconformist: Manchester City’s erratic-in-every-way striker Mario ‘Box Office’ Balotelli.

“I said I kind of like Balotelli,” says Trump, by way of explanation. “He’s just himself and he doesn’t change for nobody. Obviously I don’t want to be him — I want to be myself.

But I do admire some of the stuff he does.

He’s just so cool about it.”

So, no setting off fireworks, then? “No. I’m not that kind of person.”

You can see why the comparison is tempting. Trump even arrives for our interview in his red Spider F430 convertible Ferrari (we hear him before we see him), which he parks up outside his snooker club.

But as soon as he walks in, it’s clear that he is not that kind of person at all.

Table manners

A. Sauvage Long Clerk Suit & shirt £1290.00 | £185.00 all from www.asauvage.com Clae Strayhorn shoes | €105.00 from www.clae.eu 20 | April 20 2012 |

Quiet and unfailingly polite, Trump seems almost bewildered by the attention he receives as he obligingly tries on different suits for the camera and sportingly lies flat out on one of the club’s tables. The ‘club’ is not, as we had imagined, a dark, smoky back room guarded by a passive-aggressive barman. Instead, it’s a modern office unit set in a quiet business park on the outskirts of Romford, out of which Trump’s manager, Django Fung, operates.

It’s also where he happens to have five championship-standard snooker tables. The

Judd Trump

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a rollercoaster. It’s going to be nice to get back there and get involved. It’s the biggest three weeks of my life coming up, so hopefully I can do what I did last year and go one step further. The main thing is to go out and enjoy it, and hopefully let the fans enjoy it again.

“I’m playing a lot better than last year, and I feel I’m a better player. These past three or four tournaments I’ve been playing well and losing only by the odd frame, and the people I’ve been playing have been going on to win.

I feel like my form’s there — I’ve just got to try and turn it on and get a spark from somewhere.”

Trump agrees when we suggest that those three weeks last year changed his life.

“Yeah. To people outside of snooker it was a bit of a shock to them. A lot of people didn’t know me then, even though I won a few tournaments before that. That was kind of the rise of me, that tournament, with the publicity the World Championship gets. It really got my name out there and I got a big following from it.”

Part of the final’s story was that it marked the culmination of Higgins’ return to the game from a six-month ban after he failed to report an illegal approach (revealed by the News of the World to be a set-up by the tabloid). How aware of that was Trump, and did it have an effect on him?

“I knew it was going on, but I tried to blank it out and just play John Higgins,” he says.

“People will be trying extra hard to bring me down after last year” there. But you’ve got to look like you’re enjoying it, and I think people take to that when you do.”

Snooker’s saviour?

What about reading headlines labelling him ‘snooker’s saviour’ — does that expectation weigh him down?

“I just ignore it, really,” says Trump. “It’s good to be known as that, but there have been a lot of players in the past who have had that label and kind of underachieved, so I don’t want to be like that — I want to be known as someone who achieved his potential.”

‘The Ace’ (though he much prefers “just Judd”) smiles and shrugs when Sport asks him what that potential might be. He will expand on his ambitions, though — namely, the World Championship.

“Everyone wants to be world champion,” he says. “I don’t think you’re truly remembered unless you win the World Championship. That’s something I want to do, and quite early on. And then get to number one, and hopefully stay there for four or five years.”

Is he confident of making a start on that this year? “I feel good,” says Trump. “This year has gone so fast for me — it’s been like

22 | April 20 2012 |

The age at which Judd Trump reached the semi finals of the World Under-21 Championship, and at which he became the youngest player ever to make a competitive 147

“He’s a great player. Obviously he wasn’t proven guilty, so you just have to get over it and just play him as a snooker player.”

Despite that subplot, it seemed, for a while, as if Trump’s name was on the trophy.

He qualified to beat defending champ Neil Robertson in the first round and stormed through the draw to dismantle world number four Ding Junhui in front of a raucous crowd in the semis. In doing so, Trump became, at 21 years and nine months, the secondyoungest player to appear in a Crucible final.

Only seven-time champion Stephen Hendry — the Scot was 21 and four months in 1990 — got there sooner.

“From the Robertson game on, I felt really relaxed for the rest of the tournament and just thought ‘no pressure’,” reflects Trump.

“I felt like I was invincible at some points.

I just went out and played shots that some people thought were stupid, but at the time I felt like I was going to pot them, so I took them on. And people seemed to enjoy that.”

Might this year present a different challenge? Trump nods: “Yeah. A lot of people are going to expect a lot of me this year. Last year was probably a one-off — some of the balls I was potting and stuff like that — and this year’s going to be a lot harder. There’s going to be a lot of people who want to beat me and try extra hard to beat me and bring me down. I’ll probably have to change my game a little bit and not take on so many balls. But when they’re there I’ll take ‘em — and when they’re not, I’ll play safe.”

Trump admits that playing safe is not a decision he makes easily — especially when a pot, however difficult, is on. “At the time, if

Judd Trump

Danger men The half-dozen World Championship contenders likely to challenge Trump Mark Selby World ranking 1 ‘The Jester from Leicester’ is named for rhyme rather than reason, as the 28-year-old is more likely to ease carefully to victory than break out any naughty trick shots. Consistancy in minor events has helped him reach the top of the rankings, but two Masters wins show this tough competitor can beat the best.

Neil Robertson World ranking 3 His fearsome long potting and blonde coiffure make the Australian a threat to Trump in both the tournament and the ‘most boy-band hair’ stakes. Lost to Judd in an epic semi final last season, but the 2010 world champion gained his revenge at this year’s Masters. Another match between these rivals would be a cracker.

I feel it’s right, then I take it on,” he says.

“Obviously if you watch it back, you can see it’s perhaps the wrong shot. But if you’re out there in the moment, you’ve just got to do what your heart tells you.”

The art of entertainment His words echo those of artist and snooker aficionado Damien Hirst, who has declared himself a fan. Trump, says Hirst, plays with “a lot of emotion”. Does he agree?

“I just go out and whatever I see, I do,” he says. “There’s no scientific approach to it.

I try to get the crowd to enjoy it and get them involved. At the end of the frames I take on shots that other players wouldn’t like to try and get the crowd on my side, and that’s a big part of it — having the crowd on your side helps a lot.”

How did Trump feel, then, after being beaten by Robertson in an unsociable Masters semi final earlier this year, when the Australian suggested he was inspired by what he considered to be the unsporting behaviour of a group of rowdy Trump supporters?

“I just think it’s jealousy, really,” says Trump. “I’ve had a lot of the limelight over the past year, and other players don’t really like that. For him to do that, there was no real reason for it. I think because I beat him in a couple of big tournaments, he just didn’t like it and he wanted to have his say about it. He wouldn’t have said that to someone like

24 | April 20 2012 |

Ronnie, and Ronnie gets 10 times more support than I do.”

Ah, Ronnie. It seems that, to follow in the Rocket’s footsteps, Trump first has to beat him in more or less every tournament he enters — the pair are more often than not drawn together in the latter stages of the bigger competitions (including the Masters quarters, which Trump won). Does he find it difficult to play O’Sullivan — a player he so looks up to?

“First couple of times I played him I was really nervous and found it really difficult having the whole crowd on his side,” he admits. “It’s not a nice place to be when you’re sat on your chair and he’s at the table and everyone’s cheering him on. But the older I’ve got and the more I’ve seen him, it’s become a lot easier. I see it as a bit of a challenge when he has the support — I try and get a few of the crowd on my side.

“But I feel I really need a big occasion to play my best. I really enjoy playing on the TV now in front of people, whereas a couple of seasons ago I found it hard to enjoy and real nerve-wracking. Now all I want to do is be in front of the cameras. I feel I really raise my game in front of the bigger crowds.”

Trump will be hoping he can do just that and claim the world title in front of a packed Crucible three weeks from now. At 5/1 with the bookies, and for an ever-increasing crowd, Trump is the favourite.

Graham Willgoss @grahamwillgoss

John Higgins World ranking 6 He’s admitted to struggling for motivation for much of the season, but if there’s one thing that will rouse defending champion Higgins, it’s the Crucible. The longer-form matches suit the Scot’s game and he has the temperament and experience to add to his four World titles. Whether, at 36, he still has the requisite skills, we shall see.

Ding Junhui World ranking 10 Has the sublime break-building ability to win any tournament, so it’s a mystery as to why China’s prodigiously gifted Junhui has such a poor Crucible record. He made improvements last year, getting to the semi final (losing to Higgins), but has had a patchy 2011/12. The 25-year-old has the talent, but does he have the form?

Mark Allen World ranking 11 The Northern Irishman is the rebellious voice in Barry Hearn’s brave new world of snooker, speaking out against format changes and hosting venues. However, the controversies have distracted from the fact that the man with the punchy cue action has pulled off several gritty wins.

‘The Pistol’ is a dark horse for this title.

Ronnie O’Sullivan World ranking 13 He’s spent the season battling to stay in the top 16 and at age 36 and five months, he’d be the most elderly world champion since Ray Reardon in 1978, but you don’t write off a snooker genius. If ‘The Rocket’ can get past his old foe Peter Ebdon in round one, no player will relish facing the most natural talent ever to touch baize.

Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images/ Scott Heavey/Getty Images

“I take on shots other players don’t like to try”

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Outdoor Special The Interview

28 | April 20 2012 |

Right, we stand corrected.

There must be some downsides, though, otherwise everyone would be doing it?

“It can be quite hard work and the travelling gets tiring, but the majority of the time you try to keep it as fun as possible. Being a dirt jumper is the main part of my profession and actually building the jumps can be a lot of work – there’s a lot of sort of ‘shovel time’ and it’s almost more hours actually creating the jumps than you’re gonna spend actually riding them.”

Dirt Devil

OUTDOOR SPECIAL!

We kick off our 10-page outdoor special by chatting to 28-year-old freestyle BMX rider Kye Forte about big jumps, sick tricks and keeping it old school...

You’ve got some people to help you out with ‘shovel time’ for the bigger events, right? Not that we’re offering or anything.

“Yeah, like Empire of Dirt [see below]. That’s a bigger project so we’ve got a team, but it’s still going to be three weeks on site, long days getting the course done and that. We’ve done a lot of drawings, measurements and site visits — the course is over 400m long and has more than 10 tons of earth, so it’s full-on. It’s almost as fun creating something as riding it I find, so it makes the hard work worth it really.”

You got to design the course — what kind of things do you like to see at a freestyle event?

“Anything that makes a rider think really — if you go to some contests it’s quite similar and you kind of just reel off your repertoire.”

What’s in yours?

“The trick I’m most known for is

probably a table top, which is quite a simple trick — kind of a style thing, but I think my hardest trick would probably be the 360 nat one-handed seat grab.”

We’ll be sure to look that up on YouTube. How do you learn something like that?

“Generally the way I learn tricks, ‘cos I don’t have foam pits and things like that at my disposal, is I’ll learn the jump straight and then I’ll start putting that into a rotation, and then I might add taking a hand off. So you build on tricks over the years – something like a 360 nat one-handed seat grab might take me like three years to get to the stage where I’ve pulled it.”

Wait, foam pits?

“A lot of riders elsewhere have them, and obviously you can learn tricks a lot quicker and safer because, well, you’re landing in foam. In America it’s way more common...”

Cowards. “...but even in parts of England they have them. We don’t really have one around here and I hardly ever get to ride them, so my method is a bit different to kids these days y’know. In my day, if we were gonna try something new, it’d be a case of softening up a landing with a fork and then just having a go for a couple of hours really — until you either learn it, or can’t walk anymore.

Sometimes learning things in foam pits, as much as it pushes the sport and its progression, it’s kind of a sterile environment and it seems like the freestyle element is lost a bit.”

Amit Katwala @amitkatwala Red Bull Empire of Dirt is at London’s Alexandra Palace on May 19-20. For tickets and more information head to redbull.co.uk/empireofdirt

| 29

rutgerpauw.com/Red Bull Content Pool

Muddy fields, tiny bikes, injuries — where’s the appeal?

“Where do I start? It’s an exciting sport, it’s about pushing yourself and hanging out with mates and getting to travel the world and enjoying riding bikes. Those are the reasons I continue to do it.”

Outdoor Special The Guide

Stay and do

Try this for sighs: kayaking on the Thames ahead of a slap-up meal or some speed dating

Turning your thoughts to summer adventures? We’ve got a bit of everything in the UK, and in this romp through the countryside Hannah Engelkamp suggests a range of outings and pursuits – from making the most of the coast to finding Highland solitude on horseback a Float your boat? It’s f, roo a on at bo a hotel in obviously

1

Stay in a boat on the Royal Festival Hall and kayak the Thames, London

Perched on the roof of the Royal Festival Hall, next to the busy Waterloo Bridge, is a crazy one-year-only, one-bedroom hotel, designed to look like a boat stranded high up there by retreating floodwaters. The interior is wooden and full of nautical nooks and crannies. From your two decks you can gaze out over the cityscape, soaking in the rooftop calm while the pleasure boats power back and forth along the river, and cars and buses race frantically around the capital’s streets.

During the day, if you feel the need to get closer to the waters of the iconic Thames, head for Kayaking London, based upstream in Chelsea. They run a bunch of inventive kayaking adventure trips up and down the Thames, all of which have a little something special about them. On the sightseeing tour

30 | April 20 2012 |

you’ll see London from a whole new angle, passing the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, the London Eye, Tower of London and HMS Belfast. Then hop out and head inside Tower Bridge for dinner, all in with the price.

Or there’s the Putney Paddle and Pizza trip — a calm paddle upstream to Putney, stopping at Putney Bridge for an al fresco pizza supper before heading back to Chelsea. Sounds terrible, doesn’t it? There’s also a night paddle through the reflections of London’s glittering skyline... and they run occasional speed-dating paddles, if you are on the lookout for someone who really floats your boat.

Stay A Room for London, living-architecture.co.uk Do Kayaking London, kayakinglondon.com

Not just for muppets: stay at the home of Fraggle Rock and go wreck diving

If you don’t like neighbours but are happy with occasional loud horns, flashing lights, seagulls and storms, a stay in a lighthouse might be for you. The light flashes every 15 seconds, and if it’s foggy an automatic warning honk sounds every 30 seconds. Be warned.

By definition, lighthouses are in stark, windswept and beautiful locations, albeit sometimes a little tricky to get to. This one, St Anthony’s Lighthouse near the mouth of Falmouth harbour, is reached by a 300m path down to the rocks — and once there it’s completely private, the dream holiday of nautical hermits and misanthropists everywhere. Also, brilliantly, 1980s kids’ series Fraggle Rock was filmed here.

For an adrenaline fix, turn your hand to wreck diving. Any sort of scuba diving can be stunning, but there’s something about wreck diving that gets the imagination going. Moving around the sunken ships feels more like flying than swimming, and wrecks naturally come with plenty of history.

The best-known wreck is that of the Scylla, which was sunk deliberately in 1968 just for the purpose of diving. It’s stunning.

Stay St Anthony’s Lighthouse, ruralretreats.co.uk Do HMS Scylla, divescylla.com and aquanauts.co.uk

Veryan Dale/Alamy, Jack Sullivan/Alamy

2

Stay in a lighthouse and go wreck diving, Cornwall

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Outdoor Special The Guide

3

Stay in a yurt and horse trek through the Highlands, Scotland

Hot to trot: a toasty yurt awaits after clocking up the miles in Scotland’s splendid isolation

You can’t throw a Burberry welly these days without hitting a posh yurt — they’ve cropped up all over the country as glamping (that’s glamorous camping, fyi) becomes big business. But for a taste of what yurt dwelling is really all about, head for the remote wilderness of the Scottish Highlands. The splendid isolation starts early — the shower and toilet are a rugged 700m away — but the eclectic yurt is cosy, with a toasty woodburner as well as a barbecue ‘upcycled’ from a truck wheel, and at night you’ll be warm in a vintage Victorian double bed.

While holidaying on Scotland’s answer to the Mongolian Steppes, what you need is a real horse ride. Highland Unbridled run the real deal — multi-day horse rides through the rough Scottish countryside, for which you can even take your own horse. The jewel in their crown is a full 15-day ride, covering 250 miles of mountains, glens, bogs and moors, and including plenty of wide-open beaches to gallop along. During the ride you’ll be clocking up 15 to 20 miles a day, staying at B&Bs or hotels in some magnificently remote areas.

If you’re not sure your loins can handle 15 days literally on the trot, they do various shorter rides, including a three-day New Year gallop about in the snow. It’s called the Horsey Hogmanay, naturally.

Stay Inshriach Yurt, canopyandstars.co.uk Do Highlands Unbridled, highlandsunbridled.co.uk

e no Zen miller: there ar you ep ke to turning sails ead ah t ou ill ch so e awak ng pti co ro of a spot of gy

4

Stay in a windmill and fly a gyrocopter, Devon

For a sky-themed break, spend the nights in a windmill — the 200-year-old Long Barrow Windmill in Devon.

Sit in the majestic 360-degree viewing room up top, and gaze over rolling hills, dramatic cloudscapes and blazing sunsets, or quake at the 100mph winds that blow hereabouts.

The 1860 Ordnance Survey map of the area already showed the windmill as disused, and since then the mill has waited for its new lease of life, finally bestowed on it in the late 1990s. But the history’s not all rosy-cheeked miller’s wives and flour sacks — owner Vince Hallam suspects the mill was built by the same gang of French prisoners who built one at nearby Brixham, involuntarily aiding their enemies’ war effort by grinding gunpowder.

Once you are up in the clouds, why not set your sights higher? Head to Eaglescott Flying School and try your hand at a gyrocopter, which looks like the bastard lovechild of a helicopter and a canoe. They are small and the overhead blades aren’t powered, instead catching the air that flows upward between them. The vertical propeller is powered, though, and provides the thrust you will need to

go forward. Invented back in the 1920s (Amelia Earhart flew one), they remain an emerging mode of transport — until recently, the only way you could legally drive one was to build the ruddy thing first.

Opt for a 30-minute trial flight or a four- to five-day pilot training course. You get to drive the joystick-operated contraption yourself, and the Eaglescott gyrocopters have open cockpits, so you’ll be right up there in the fresh West Country air. Enjoy stunning views of the beaches and cliffs of the Atlantic and Jurassic coasts, wild Dartmoor and Exmoor... and maybe your windmill too.

Stay Long Barrow Windmill, devonwindmills.co.uk Do Eaglescott Flying School, gyrocopterexperience.com

| April 20 2012 | 33

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CAMPING • WALKING • SKIING

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Outdoor Special The Guide

5

Stay in a treehouse and climb about in trees, Wales

If your nervous knocking knees will let you, climb 100 feet up into the canopy of a 120-acre woodland overlooking the Conway Valley in Snowdonia. Perched on a little platform, take in the beautiful view while you catch your breath, and then leap off with your life in the hands of some revolutionary new technology. Freefall face first towards the forest floor, the adrenaline racing through your veins, until at the last minute the unpowered fan strapped to your back catches the air as it rushes past you, and breaks your fall, acting like a parachute (or a gyrocopter) and setting you down with a miraculous featherlight landing.

And that’s just for starters. Tree Top Adventure also has a brand new G-Swing.

Up to five of you, attached in a row to a bar, are winched backwards until you are suspended 80 feet above the cafe. One of you holds the release cord, and when you can’t stand the suspense any more, pull the cord and you all swing through the trees with the

A river runs through it: imagine Deliverance, but with more luxury and fewer banjos

greatest of terror — and a whole lot of gratitude for your Kevlar rope.

There’s also the challenging two-hour continuous high-ropes course, which starts low and takes you higher and higher around the woodland. And as if that wasn’t enough, they are currently working on the Northern Hemisphere’s longest zipline, at a ridiculous 1,800m and due to be ready to rip in July.

Tree Top Adventure has accommodation nearby, but if you’d rather not come back down to earth head over to Bryn Meurig Bach — a treehouse on the other side of Snowdonia National Park. Set 20 feet off the ground, the circular treehouse pod sleeps four around a cosy central wood stove. The treehouse is completely off-grid, and the stove also heats the water for the shower. The clever toilet is in another tree, a treetop walkway away, and the whole shebang is built on low-impact floating joints that keep the trees from harm.

Stay Bryn Meurig Bach Treehouse, canopyandstars.co.uk Do Tree Top Adventure, ttadventure.co.uk

Going native: the humble tent has been replaced by a high-end teepee

Mission possible: freefall towards the forest floor to bring out the Tom Cruise in you

6

Stay in a teepee and go Canadian canoeing, Herefordshire

Come over all Pocahontas on a canoe trip down the wide, cool River Wye, which runs along the border of Wales and England, through an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. And if a tent feels a bit prosaic after all the romance of the open river, you can spend your night in authentic but luxurious teepees along the way.

Canoe touring is the best of all worlds.

You have all the exciting adventurer’s self-sufficiency — each canoe takes two people, plus four waterproof barrels in which to keep all your kit — but there’s little of the adventurer’s hardship; no weighing your kit, living off dried fruit and nuts or wearing the same clothes for days on end. No, with canoe touring you can tie a bottle of Cava to the boat and chill it in the river.

On long, warm summer days there’s nothing better than abandoning ship and leaping into the deep, dark water for a swim, or stopping to boil up the billycan on the pebbly beaches along the way. If you want to go DIY, there are several companies along the Wye that will rent you canoes, barrels, maps and the works. There are campsites along the way, too, but for the full North American Indian experience pick Tipi Adventure, a company that has a number of remote teepee sites dotted along the route.

Teepee connoisseurs (we know you’re out there) might like to know that these are in the Sioux style. Each sleeps seven, on futons and sheepskins around the central open fire-pit — you can sear your evening buffalo steak on the fire, barbecue or gas cooker. The camps are set a good day’s canoeing apart — meaning you can float gently downstream, dipping your oar in now and again, keeping an eye out for friendly riverside pubs as you go.

Stay and do Tipi Adventure, tipiadventure.co.uk

| April 20 2012 | 35

Outdoor Special The Gear

Summer adventures With summer fast approaching, we’ve teamed up with the good people at Snow+Rock, the UK’s leading outdoor retailer, to bring you a guide to all the best gear for the new season. Four pages of the stuff, no less... hether trekking in Nepal or the Netherlands, you’ll need garments with technical fabrics to wick moisture away from the skin.

Hot brand Norrona’s Bitihorn Active Shell Jacket for men and women uses Gore-Tex Active Shell, which is lightweight, soft, waterproof and highly breathable.

W

Comfortable footwear is a must as well, of course. Snow+Rock’s expert bootfitters will make sure you get the right footwear for your expedition, and their Comfort Guarantee* means you don’t have to put up with painful walking boots ever again.

Osprey Talon 33 Backpack £84.99 The Talon 33 is one of the most versatile in Osprey’s popular Talon series, capable of fulfilling the needs of the light backpacker and hardcore Alpinists alike.

With a supportive backpanel and numerous carrying attachments, the Talon 33 is one of the most adaptable out there.

*Terms and conditions apply – see www.snowandrock.com for details

Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra Gore-Tex £115 An outstanding trail shoe featuring Gore-Tex with XCR Product Technology membrane, constructed using Salomon’s 3D Advanced Chassis. The upper consists of Sensifit construction, a quick-drying breathable mesh upper, Quicklace, a mud guard and a protective rubber toe cap.

36 | April 20 2012 |

www.snowandrock.com Norrona Women’s Bitihorn Gore-Tex Active Shell Jacket £380

Norrona Women’s Bitihorn Lightweight Short £69.99

The North Face Base Camp Duffel from £69.99 An iconic expedition piece proven for over 25 years; with a rugged construction, compression straps, haul handles and shoulder straps, the Base Camp Duffel is durable enough to last for a lifetime of adventures.

Norrona Men’s Bitihorn Gore-Tex Active Shell Jacket £380

Norrona Men’s 29 Flex 1 Short £69.99

Competition Enter Snow+Rock’s competition to win £500 worth of The North Face gear: simply send photos of your Base Camp Duffel, in the world’s most exotic places, to basecampduffel@snowandrock.co.uk – make sure you include your name and the photo’s location.

Photos must be less than 7MB in size. Find full details and the gallery on facebook.com/snowandrock

Win!

| 37

Outdoor Special The Gear

Trail running

www.snowandrock.com

The growth in trail running is evident from the number of races springing up across the country.

Wherever you live you’ll be able to find an off-road race near you every weekend, with varying degrees of challenges. Depending on your dedication, you can also travel further afield to Ultra races around the world.

Arc’teryx Incendo Jacket £89.99

Arc’teryx Incendo Tight £59.99

Arc’teryx Incendo Vest £64.99

Arc’teryx Motus Short Sleeved Crew £39.99

Arc’teryx Incendo Long Short £49.99

Barefoot running The trend in barefoot running is catching on. Minimalist ‘barefoot’ shoes encourage a more natural forefoot strike during running, fitness and outdoor sports, which results in your feet becoming both stronger and healthier.

Salomon Speedcross 3 £89.99 A lightweight trail specific shoe with a Running Contagrip outsole, which has combinations of rubber for the perfect mix of grip and durability across varied terrain. The Speedcross 3 is an update to the iconic Speedcross 2.

Oakley Radar Path: Team GB Edition £175 Show your support for Team GB this summer by getting yourself a stylish limited-edition pair of these official shades from Oakley.

Top barefoot picks Merrell Bare Access £74.99 A great introductory shoe to start barefoot running.

Vibram Fivefingers Men’s Spryidon £130 The first trail running-specific FiveFinger shoe.

Inov8 Bare Grip £94.99 An incredibly light shoe that features Bare-Grip sole with Sticky Rubber.

38 | April 20 2012 |

SALOMONRUNNING.COM

XR MISSION “At Salomon, we’re constantly looking to evolve products to be more dynamic than what is currently on the market. The XR Mission is a short- to middle-distance trainer perfectly suited with enough cushion to run on roads without sacrifcing Salomon’s trail-tested reliability.”

– Cristelle Robert Salomon Trail Running Brand Manager

COPYRIGHT© SALOMON SAS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PHOTOGRAPHY: SEMAPHORE.

Outdoor Special The Gear

Summer alpine climbing

Black Diamond Half Dome Helmet £49.99

www.snowandrock.com Adidas Evil Eye Half Rim Pro Glasses £169.99

Sunnier weather doesn’t mean there aren’t still colder climates in which to practise your alpine climbing – and here is the kit to hel p you enjoy it to the max...

The North Face Men’s Alpine Project Windstopper Jacket £225

The North Face Women’s Cipher Hybrid Hoodie £160

Rab Infinity 500 Sleeping Bag £400 Using technology from their Infinity jackets, Rab’s new sleeping bags are their lightest sleeping bags to date, offering a huge weight-to-warmth ratio.

40 | April 20 2012 |

The North Face Men’s Point Five Pant £250

La Sportiva Nepal Extreme Boots £325 An exceptionally warm high-performance boot that is ideal for technical use on high-altitude mountain terrain and ice.

Black Diamond Raven Ultra Ice Axe £84.99 An ultra-lightweight axe for moderate alpine ice and snow.

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Don’t miss out on this summer’s exciting sports and music coverage. To find out how to get digital radio in your car, ask your car dealer or other leading car accessory retailers, or visit getdigitalradio.com

Outdoor Special The Pursuit

At its most basic, running requires little more than some willpower and a pair of trainers. But then there’s a 10k – and beyond that the possibilities are endless For a first taste of trail running, take to the paths and bridleways in the foothills of Helvellyn, England’s third-highest peak. The paths are mostly good, giving you a perfect beginner’s opportunity to take your roadrunning skills to the rougher ground. The views of the mountains and lakes are stunning, the camaraderie encouraging, and there’s also a 15km version if you feel hard enough.

Lakeland Trails in Helvellyn, November 3, lakelandtrails.org

Step 2: The 20-mile trail run in the dark Watch that change from miles to kilometres — 20 miles equates to 32km, and this one is done at night. It’s also November, so you can expect frost or ice underfoot, as you race through the stunning Brecon Beacons in South Wales. You can’t see the view though — it’ll be pitch black, so your field of vision is limited to the pool of light from your headtorch, and maybe a little starlight. The current record is two hours 26 minutes, and 100 per cent of competitors said they’d do it again. So that’s good.

Sleepwalker Night Race, November 26, northridgeadventure.co.uk

42 | April 20 2012 |

Now we’re in serious hardcore territory: this is Britain’s longest non-stop race. The ground underfoot isn’t too tough — it’s the flat Grand Union Canal towpath the whole way — but the challenge is in the sheer bloody length of the thing, the cruelty of darkness falling (runners having started at 6am), and the mental demons, dehydration and energy crashes that dog the ultra-runner. The fastest time, set in 2003, was 27 hours 35 minutes. This year’s race will be the 18th running and is all booked up — plenty of time to get in training for 2013, then.

Grand Union Canal Race, June 2, gucr.co.uk

Step 4: The ultramarathon through the Sahara The Marathon des Sables is well known to readers of this magazine. The daddy of ultramarathons is only just longer than the fearsome Grand Union Canal Race, and is run over six days rather than all in one go, but it’s somewhat more extreme than the Midlands; temperatures in the desert rise to 49 degrees in the day and drop to four degrees at night. Oh, and you have to carry all you need — that’s food for six days, sleeping kit, the lot. On the other hand, you can walk it and sleep at night, so maybe the GUCR is harder.

Why not do them both and let us know?

Marathon des Sables, date for 2013 to be confirmed, saharamarathon.co.uk

Pierre Verdy/AFP/Getty Images

Step 1: The 10k trail run

Step 3: The 145-mile Birmingham to London

Desert swarm: are you ready to join the hardy few who brave the Marathon des Sables?

Step 5: The 3,100-mile race The longest certified foot race in the world, this crazy annual event takes place around and around and around one block in Queens, New York. Each lap is 883 metres, meaning competitors have to do 5,649 laps to hit the 3,100-mile mark. They have 52 days to do it, which we reckon works out as being 60.7 miles per day. That’s 60.7 miles per day, every day, for nearly two months, running for 18 hours, and sleeping for six. The record holder, a German called Madhupran Wolfgang Schwerk, managed it in 41 days in 2006, averaging 75 miles a day and breaking the previous record by four days. All in all, it’s a very long way from the Lake District.

The Self-Transcendence 3100-Mile Race, June 17-August 7, 3100.srichinmoyraces.org

Aviva has been backing British athletes for over 12 years. Show your support for the Aviva GB & NI Team and you could win some great prizes, including a day with European Champion heptathlete Jessica Ennis, who could be the guest at your village fete or give a speech to local school kids. Go on, make some noise and help make Britain proud. Give the team a shout out on our Facebook page or visit aviva.co.uk/athletics

Supporting British athletes since 1999

Scott Overall

Tom Shaw/Getty Images, Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

PACE MAKER As the only British mAn to hAve Achieved the olympic mArAthon quAlifying time so fAr, scott overAll hAs Been tAsked with A specific mission At sundAy’s london mArAthon: to hAul some of his fellow Brits over the finish line in under 2:12.00...

44 | April 20 2012 |

rowing up with a teenage Mo Farah as a training partner might have had certain drawbacks — the 5,000m World Champion was no less rapid pre-facial hair — but it’s starting to pay off for Scott Overall. “Knowing I started in exactly the same place he did — growing up in Hounslow — and seeing what he’s achieved to be World Champion last year is really quite inspiring.”

The 29-year-old is talking to Sport ahead of his first ever London Marathon. But Overall’s not in it to win it. He’s not even in it to finish it. Overall’s job on Sunday is to act as a pacemaker for the Brits looking to follow his lead all the way to the start line of the 2012 Olympic marathon. “I know a few of the British guys trying to make the qualifying time so when I sat down with Dave Bedford from London Marathon we decided that, with me already qualified, I could pace them through the time in London.

“I won’t finish the race, just because with the position I’m in (having already been selected). I want to take advantage of that and not run another marathon basically. I’ll probably go to 18-20 miles and then that’ll be a good workout for me before I go to Flagstaff [Arizona] for altitude training.”

TRACK TRAVAILS Overall’s been running since the age of 14 but it was an athletics scholarship to Butler University in Indianapolis at the age of 21 which he believes has been instrumental in making him the runner he is today. Which is not, as he had foreseen, a track runner.

Overall was seven seconds off the qualifying time for the 5000m at the Beijing Games.

After grinding on for a few years during which he admits things “weren’t really clicking on the track”, he hit a brick wall.

“I went out to Flagstaff last year like I do every year and felt like I was in the shape to run a decent 5,000m time but it just didn’t happen. I got frustrated with that and went out and did a half marathon in Indianapolis where I ran reasonably well.”

It’s an understated assessment of his 63:21min time which was good enough for

fourth place and to convince Overall there was enough left in the tank for him to step up to the full distance. His decision was made last May and four months later — after juggling training with working part time in a sports shop — he stood on the start line for the Berlin Marathon with the Olympic qualifying time of 2:12.00 his target.

SMASHING IT “All my training indicated I was in the shape to do that. But the marathon is kind of an unknown, especially having never run one before. It’s over two hours of racing — a lot can go wrong in that time.” A fifth-place finish and time of 2:10.55 (more than a minute inside the Olympic qualifying cut off) suggest everything went exactly to plan for Sunday | Virgin Overall in the German London Marathon | capital however.

BBC One 8.30am “It was the perfect race in that I ran the qualifying time but what happened during the race wasn’t ideal. I went off with the wrong set of pacemakers; they were too slow so I ran with a French athlete for the first half of the race then the last 13 miles I was on my own. That was my marathon debut and I learned a lot so I know I can definitely run faster.

PLACING PRIORITIES “It may not happen in London this summer though, just with it being a championship race. The Olympic marathons always tend to be a bit slower than the fast big city marathons so I’ll just have to see how the race pans out. No one really cares how fast they run in the Olympics — just what position they finish in.”

Whether Overall will be the sole British male jostling for position on August 12 is yet to be decided of course, but Overall is optimistic. “There’s no reason why we can’t have a lot more guys under 2:12,” he says.

“Before my run in Berlin 2:12 was seen as almost a barrier but now people have seen me doing it I think they realise it’s not that out of reach.”

Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag

| 45

Tim Brabants

Fighting back After winning canoe sprint gold in Beijing, Dr Brabants returned to the ward but the lure of London was strong enough to get the 35-year-old back on the water for his fourth Olympics...

Last winter you suffered one of the most painful-sounding injuries we’ve come across...

“Yeah, I tore my pec (pectoral muscle) off the bone in the gym doing bench presses. I had surgery and spent the best part of three months in a sling which wasn’t ideal preparation for the season ahead. I tried to accelerate things a bit too quickly last season which didn’t go so well, but this year hopefully will be a lot better.”

And you’re benching again?

“I am, but I don’t go down as far as I used to — it’s limited range. I had to build all that strength up because you need the pushing strength for the way we paddle. It came back surprisingly quickly but the challenge is in having the confidence in using those muscles again in that way. The first time you’re back on the bench, every little thing you feel, you’re wondering if it’s safe to do it.”

46 | April 20 2012 |

1,000m paddlers in the squad. Normally all my strong competition has come from international competitors so it’s positive that we’re building a stronger 1,000m squad.

Of course it’s frustrating; you don’t want to be getting beaten by people because that’s the nature of my mind — and that of most athletes — but in terms of the future of our sport you want there to be a decent future that’s filled with more medals from people other than just me.”

After winning gold in Beijing you went back to work as a doctor but had you always planned to return and compete in London?

“Initially I hadn’t thought a lot about it. I didn’t know where life was going to take me or how much I was going to enjoy the medical career. All the focus had been on competing in Beijing and achieving that goal without much thought about what was going to happen after that. But it was when I was at work talking to my colleagues and they were saying to me: ‘Where would you rather be in four years’ time? Flat out working a night shift watching everyone else competing at the Olympics, or there competing yourself?’

It was quite easy to answer that question.”

In Paul Wycherley, who beat you in a race-off for a World Championships spot last summer, there’s another strong contender for the GB K1 1,000m boat in London. Is this the first time you’ve faced such strong domestic competition?

“Yeah, finally we’ve got some other good

Blazing paddle: but the good doctor has faced a bad time of it on the injury front in order to be ready for London

It was described as a major blow to your bid to defend your Olympic title when you lost to Wycherley last year. Did you see it that way too?

“Would that be journalists who said that?

You’ve got to have a realistic look at it.

Yes, it’s annoying and everything else but I knew I wasn’t in my best form at that stage.

The year before that I won silver in the World Championships and Paul ended up middle of the ‘B’ final. So that gave me a clear indication of how far behind where I normally would be I was at that selection race.

I wouldn’t say it was a major blow to anything. I got to race in the double at the Worlds which I’ve never done before and really enjoyed my racing.”

Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag

Tim Brabants is a member of Team EDF, a group of international athletes founded by EDF — proud sponsor and official electricity supplier to London 2012.

Visit www.edfenergy.com

Ciaran McCrickard/Connors/Michael Kappeler/AFP/Getty Images

I

s there the same sense of anticipation in preparing for your fourth Olympic Games as for your first?

“There’s even more excitement compared to other Olympics. It’s a bit different this time around because I’ve had a bad season the year before so I’m not going into it off the back of a really good season like I did before Beijing. I am going into it with a really good winter of training behind me though. I spent three months in Cape Town and have not long come back from another two weeks of training in Seville with the rest of the team.

So compared to the previous winter it’s been good.”

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98 Days to go

Focus 2012

Synchronised Swimming

THE VENUE Once the likes of Michael Phelps and Rebecca Adlington have emptied their lockers, the Olympic Aquatics Centre will open its doors to swimmers of the synchronised sort.

That’s when the underwater speakers will be switched on and the make-up delivered (by the lorry-load). The speakers are positioned to allow swimmers to hear the music while underwater and the make-up is seemingly applied with a shovel to accentuate the artistic element of the sport.

THE EVENT One of two sports on the Olympic programme to be contested only by women (if you know the other, get yourself a muffin)*, synchronised swimming actually started as a man-thing in the 1800s. Back then it was known as water ballet and largely used as entertainment, with theatres adding huge water tanks to their stages during Music Hall evenings.

But by the time FINA — the international governing body of swimming — officially recognised synchronised swimming as the fourth water sport in 1968 (after swimming, water polo and diving), it was mostly female.

Its Olympic debut came in 1984, and the sport has been ever present since. In London there are competitions for duets and teams with the latter consisting of eight identically dressed and made-up women. They must perform two different types of routine: one

48 | April 20 2012 |

technical, in which they perform a set number of moves in a specified order; and the other a freestyle routine, in which they’re free to perform their own material.

As GB star Jenna Randall (see right) explains, to be a synchro athlete “you have to be strong like a weightlifter, have the speed of a swimmer and be very flexible.” Other must-know information? Nose clips are allowed, goggles aren’t and making “deliberate use” of the bottom of the pool is punishable by a two-point deduction. *rhythmic gymnastics, naturally.

TEAM GB’S PROGRESS “Synchronised Swimming in the UK has taken significant steps forward since the last Olympics,” says national performance director Biz Price. “We have improved our world rankings in both the duet and team events by eight places.

“At the 2009 World Championships, we reached the finals in all but one event, and it was the first time we had fielded a full team in a number of years. Last year we proved our competitiveness by reaching the final in all events at the World Championships in China.”

SYNCHRONISED SWIMMING AT LONDON 2012 DATES August 5-10 CAPACITY 17,500 HOW TO GET THERE Tube (Jubilee and Central lines), National Rail, DLR, London Overground

GB hopeful

Jenna Randall

AGE IN 2012 23 MEDAL RECORD Commonwealth Games silver (duet and solo) 2010, Commonwealth Games silver (solo) 2006 At Beijing in 2008, alongside partner Olivia Allison in the duet, Jenna Randall was part of the first GB synchro team to compete at an Olympic Games since Barcelona in 1992...

Randall and Allison finished 14th in Beijing but have since shown great improvement — along with the British team, which will compete in the Olympic eight-woman event for the first time in London. The team finished ninth at last year’s World Championships, while in 2010 Randall and Allison secured Britain’s best finish at a European Championships for 15 years (fifth) before taking Commonwealth Games silver. With a place already confirmed, you’re guaranteed to see Randall competing this summer — if she can nab a medal, you can guarantee you’ll see a lot more of her after that.

KEY EVENTS BEFORE LONDON 2012 FINA Olympic Synchronised Swimming Qualification Event Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, London, April 18-22 Chris Hyde/Getty Images, Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images

In most sports, a ‘split position’ would result in injury.

For synchronised swimmers, though, it’s merely routine

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

APR 20–APR 26 HIGHLIGHTS » Premier League: QPR v Tottenham » p52 » Premier League: Man United v Everton » p53 » Formula 1: Bahrain Grand Prix » p54 » Cycling: Tour of Romandy » p54 » Best of the Rest » p54

Guardiola v Mourinho. Messi v Ronaldo. Good v Evil. It doesn’t matter how you look at it — when the two best teams in the world go head-to-head, it’s always a blockbuster occasion. Just over a month ago, Barcelona were 10 points behind, but, like the heroic protagonist in said blockbuster, they’ve closed the gap to just four points to set up a thrilling finale, and they’ve now got five games left to overhaul their great rivals. The momentum is with them — they have won 11 league games in a row, while Madrid’s advantage has shrunk after draws with Malaga,

50 | April 20 2012 |

Villareal and Valencia. Only one of the eight games where Barcelona have dropped points this season has been at the Nou Camp, and they’ve lost just one of the 14 El Clasico’s since Pep Guardiola moved his stuff into the big corner office at Barca HQ. However, if Pep’s previous meetings with Jose Mourinho have taught us anything, it’s that the Special One’s team will put up a good fight, most likely an ill-tempered fight filled with bookings. As well as getting in Barca’s tiny faces, he’ll curb his side’s attacking instincts to nullify Lionel Messi, who struggled in the Copa Del Rey final when forced deep by two holding midfielders. A goal from Cristiano Ronaldo that day gave Mourinho his only El Clasico win to date, and a lot will rest on the winger’s shoulders again — when playing away from home his team launch 41 per cent of their attacks down his favoured left side.

Barca find themselves in the unusual position of being the ones who have to press forward, but they’ll play the way they always do — lots of possession and a high press, which could leave them vulnerable to quick counters.

They’re not looking quite the unstoppable force of the last few years, and there’s a definite case to be made for Madrid, who are unbeaten since their last encounter with Barcelona 18 games ago. Perhaps crucially, they’ll go into the game knowing that if they can win, or even get a draw, it could effectively seal the title.

Pedro Armestre/AFP/Getty Images

SATURDAY LA LIGA | BARCELONA v REAL MADRID | NOU CAMP | 7PM, SKY SPORTS 1

Competition

Win! The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition he Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings — Enhanced Edition is out now for Xbox 360, from leading video games publisher Namco Bandai Europe.

Originally released for PC, the ultra-modern REDengine has revamped The Witcher 2, featuring both beautiful graphics and sophisticated in-game mechanics, drawing players into the most lively and believable world ever created in a video game.

Now featuring an upgraded interface, game camera and targeting, which have been specifically designed for the Xbox 360, the new and improved pad controls allow players to fully experience The Witcher 2’s spectacular and thrilling combat. The new target-locking system has been streamlined so that players can easily cycle through locked targets on the visible screen, making it much easier to change targets in combat situations when you are fighting against groups of enemies.

The Witcher 2 spins a mature, thoughtprovoking tale to produce one of the most complex and unique RPGs ever released on a console. In addition to its epic story, the game features a complex combat system that uniquely combines dynamic action and tactical depth.

The Enhanced Edition will include new major adventures set in new locations that have been added to the four hours of extra gameplay. These consist of an underground system of chambers

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Play as three of the new major characters; including the strong irascible war veteran Baron Kimbolt or the level-headed and resourceful Dame Brigida Papebrock, whose fate lays in the players hands.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings — Enhanced Edition is out now for Xbox 360. For more information on The Witcher 2 please visit: http://www.namcobandaigames.eu Sport is offering readers the chance to win an XboX 360 and a copy of the witcher 2: assassins of Kings — enhanced edition. for yoUr chance to win, JUst answer the siMpLe QUestion beLow: What is the main character’s name in The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings?

A Geralt B Geoff C Gaz To enter, text NAMCO plus your answer A, B or C and your name to 81089 Texts cost 50p+ std network charge. Competition closes at midnight on Thursday April 26. Full terms and conditions at sport-magazine.co.uk

| 51

7 Days Saturday Premier League | QPr v ToTTenham | LofTus road | esPn 5.30Pm

Around the grounds

Troubled times

One week after their FA Cup humbling at the hands of Chelsea, Spurs make the short trip to Loftus Road to face a QPR side on a good run of form — at home at least.

The Rs might be struggling at the wrong end of the table, but their last three home games have seen them come from 2-0 down to defeat Liverpool, end Arsenal’s six-game unbeaten run and put three past Brendan Rodgers’ Swansea.

It’s away from home where Mark Hughes’ men are failing to cement Premier League safety, and the hit-and-miss nature of January’s big-name signings hasn’t helped.

Djibril Cisse epitomises Rangers’ form since that January window, as the Frenchman has either scored or been sent off in all five of his QPR appearances so far. “When we have been able to keep him on the pitch, he has been excellent for us,” Hughes said after Cisse’s latest misdemeanour. The signs are there that Hughes is getting frustrated with the Frenchman, but he’s available for selection this weekend and his boss must be tempted to pair him with Bobby Zamora.

The selection issue represents a gamble, however. Rangers’ recent home form has been by virtue of a five-man midfield, with

52 | April 20 2012 |

Zamora ploughing a lone furrow up top. Should Hughes stick to the tried and tested formula or reintroduce his hit-or-miss striker?

For Harry Redknapp’s men, meanwhile, it’s time to stop the rot. Last weekend’s cup humiliation at the hands of Chelsea means Tottenham’s focus is purely on the league now, and securing that fourth Champions League spot. Four defeats in eight league games does not make good reading.

But Tottenham have Blackburn, Bolton and Aston Villa coming up. Win here and things will start to look a little bit better in the race for Europe. Defeat for QPR, however — with Chelsea, Stoke and Manchester City to come — and it’s hard to see Premier League football at Loftus Road next season.

No pressure, then.

Tottenham have taken just six points from a possible 24 in their last eight games.

The previous eight saw them take 15

On a wing and a prayer: QPR are looking to Taarabt and Spurs to Bale to stop the rot

arSENaL v CHELSEa emirates stadium, saturday 12.45pm (sky sports 2) aStON VILLa v SuNdErLaNd Villa Park, saturday 3pm BLaCKBurN v NOrWICH ewood Park, saturday 3pm FuLHaM v WIGaN Craven Cottage, saturday 3pm NEWCaStLE v StOKE st James’ Park, saturday 3pm LIVErPOOL v WESt BrOM anfield, sunday 4pm WOLVES v MaN CIty molineux, sunday 4pm (sky sports 1)

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

Man Utd Man City Arsenal Tottenham Newcastle Chelsea Everton Liverpool Sunderland Fulham Norwich Swansea West Brom Stoke Aston Villa Wigan QPR Bolton Blackburn Wolves

P 34 34 34 33 33 33 33 33 34 33 34 34 34 33 33 34 34 32 34 34

W 26 24 20 17 17 16 13 12 11 11 11 11 12 11 7 8 8 9 7 5

D 4 5 4 8 8 9 8 10 10 10 10 9 6 9 14 10 7 2 7 8

L 4 5 10 8 8 8 12 11 13 12 13 14 16 13 12 16 19 21 20 21

F 82 85 67 57 50 56 38 40 42 43 47 38 40 32 35 33 38 36 45 34

A Pts 28 82 27 77 43 64 38 59 42 59 38 57 34 47 36 46 41 43 43 43 58 43 44 42 47 42 45 42 48 35 58 34 57 31 65 29 73 28 73 23

A big week for...

1. David Ngog Two games in hand on most of their relegation rivals means things aren’t all doom and gloom yet at the Reebok Stadium, but the lack of goals in recent games — they’ve drawn six blanks in their last 10 games — is a real worry for Owen Coyle’s men. Top scorer Ivan Klasnic has eight for the season but just one since the turn of the year, while old stalwart Kevin Davies has

chipped in with just three over the campaign. The biggest worry for Coyle, however, is the lack of form of £4m summer signing David Ngog, who has scored just twice in his 27 appearances this season. With five games in the next 15 days, Bolton are going to have to chop and change to stay fresh for the challenge ahead. If David Ngog is to repay his manager’s faith in him, a goal against Swansea — coupled with a win of course — would go a long way towards helping.

Sunday man united v eveRton | old tRaffoRd | Sky SpoRtS 1 12.30pm

2. Hopes of a dream finish Wigan’s shock win over Manchester United two weeks ago may have thrown a spanner in Fergie’s works, but it was order very much restored last week against Villa and United now have one hand on a 20th Premier League title.

Even better, victory over Everton on Sunday will leave the Red Devils with an absolute dream of an opportunity — winning the title at their rivals’ home

ground. All is not lost for City, however, as Everton have proved a troublesome foe for United in recent years. Of the last eight meetings, Everton have lost just four and notched up an FA Cup triumph in 2009. After last week’s FA Cup defeat to Liverpool, Everton’s sole aim is to finish above their Merseyside rivals this season. Can they have a big say in the Manchester rivalry as well?

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images, Mike Hewitt/Getty Images, Ian Walton/Getty Images, Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images

Saturday Bolton v SwanSea | ReeBok Stadium

7 Days SUNDAY FORMULA 1 | BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX | BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT, SAKHIR | SKY SPORTS F1 1PM

TUESDAY-> CYCLING | TOUR OF ROMANDY | SWITZERLAND | BRITISH EUROSPORT 3.15PM There’s a loaded entry list to this year’s Tour of Romandy but dominating the pre-race chatter will be the names of Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins. For the first time since Cavendish joined Team Sky, the two will ride as part of the same team — despite suggestions at the start of the year that they wouldn’t race together until the start of the Tour de France.

It will also be the world champion’s first race since becoming a father for the first time. Daughter Delilah Grace was born on April 3 and Cavendish readily admitted before she arrived that “every single decision I make is not about myself any more. Everything I do affects the future of my baby girl.”

What effect that might have on his determination when there’s a sprint to be won remains to be seen. But it’s the combination of Wiggins and Cavendish riding ‘together’ which will be most closely observed. When Team Sky sealed the signing of Cavendish last year, doubts were cast over how the general classification target of Wiggins could still be served if his teammates were also tasked with delivering Cavendish to stage finishes.

Next week could finally provide some answers.

Double jeopardy?

Desert storm So it looks, at the time of writing, like Formula 1 will be returning to Bahrain after a year’s absence. Whether it should or not is not something we’ve got the space to fully explore here, although the FIA’s insistence that the race will go ahead begs the question of what level of civil unrest there would have to be before they found it prudent to halt their usual operations.

On the track at least, it’s been far from business as usual, as the first three races have yielded three different winners, from three different teams — only the second time that’s happened this century. It’s a good track, according to Sky commentator Anthony Davidson, who says: “It’s got good flow, and what they’ve done in the middle of the desert is outstanding.” Nico

FRIDAY

RUGBY UNION Aviva Premiership: Newcastle Falcons v Saracens, Kingston Park Stadium, ESPN 7pm RUGBY LEAGUE Super League: Leeds v Catalan Dragons, Headingley Stadium, Sky Sports 1 8pm

Harlequins v Leicester Tigers, Twickenham Stoop, Sky Sports 1 3.15pm

MMA UFC: Jon Jones v Rashad Evans, Philips Arena, Atlanta, ESPN 3am

RUGBY UNION Aviva Premiership: Exeter Chiefs v Northampton Saints, Sandy Park, ESPN 1.30pm

Ham United v Leicester City, Upton Park, Sky Sports 1 7.45pm

FOOTBALL Championship: Middlesborough v Southampton, Riverside Stadium, Sky Sports 2 5.20pm

SUNDAY

FOOTBALL SPL: Motherwell v Celtic, Fir Park Stadium, Sky Sports 4 2pm

BASKETBALL NBA: Boston Celtics v Miami Heat, TD Garden, ESPN 1am

TUESDAY MOTORSPORT World Superbike Championship: Round 3, Assen, Holland, British Eurosport 2, 9.55am

RUGBY LEAGUE Super League: Wakefield v Salford City Reds, Belle Vue, Sky Sports 1 5.45pm

GOLF Indonesian Open: Day 4, Jakarta, Sky Sports 2 10am

BOXING EBU Super Middleweight Championship: James DeGale v Cristian Sanavia, Arena Nord, Denmark, Box Nation 9pm

TENNIS ATP Monte Carlo Rolex Masters: final, Monte Carlo Country Club, Sky Sports 2 12.30pm

SATURDAY FOOTBALL SPL: St Johnstone v Dundee United, McDiarmid Park, ESPN 12pm RUGBY UNION Aviva Premiership: 54 | April 20 2012 |

FOOTBALL MLS: DC United v NY Red Bulls, RFK Stadium, Washington, ESPN 11pm

WEDNESDAY BASKETBALL NBA: New York Knicks v LA Clippers, Madison Square Garden, ESPN 1am

MONDAY CRICKET West Indies v Australia: Third Test, Day 1, Roseau, Sky Sports 2 2.55pm FOOTBALL Championship: West

THURSDAY TENNIS ATP Barcelona Open: Day 1, Real Club de Tenis Barcelona, Sky Sports 3 12.30pm

Paul Gilham/Getty Images, Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

BEST OF THE REST

Rosberg’s pole to flag victory in China shows that Mercedes’ unique DRS set-up can do it on race-day as well as in qualifying, and they’ll certainly benefit from the track layout. Lewis Hamilton leads the nascent standings, as unlike last year he’s been quietly going about his business for a hat-trick of bottom-step finishes, but the McLaren is not as dominant as it looked like it might be. After the processional Red Bull romp of last year, you actually feel like almost anyone is capable of winning a race this season.

That has given this season so far the kind of uncertainty that the sport ought to thrive on, and it will make for an exciting race in Bahrain, whether you think it should be happening or not.

£25

FT E GI COM O123 L E W e SP Cod

P62 A toaster containing The Hairy Cornflake?

Why it’s a miracle!

Extra time Grooming

Making the most of your time and money

Mint imperious 1 3

And you thought mint was only good for roast lamb and mojitos... think again, gentlemen

1 Fudge Hair Shaper Mint

Want your thatch to give off a refreshing minty fragrance? A lot of men do, evidently — this strong-hold, texturising creme is Fudge’s best-selling product. £10.95 | fudge.com

2 Marvis Aquatic Mint Toothpaste

Yeah, we know — there are plenty of toothpastes that feature a fresh, minty taste.

But we have a particular liking for this one from Marvis; it’s nice and subtle, and we like the tube. £5.50 | nivenandjoshua.com

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3 CK One Summer

The initial splash of blue mint in this new summer scent from Calvin Klein soon gives way to any number of refreshing blends — but it’s the mint that kicks it off, and it does so beautifully. £29 for 100ml | debenhams.com

Dubai Basil, Mint and Black Pepper Body Wash 4 Shiffa

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Stimulate circulation and clear the senses with this strong-smelling and purifying body wash from Shiffa Dubai. Use it in a long soak to decide which of its three chief aromas lingers longest. £25 | 020 7893 8333

& shoulders Active Sport Anti-Dandruff Shampoo 5 head The menthol formula in this anti-dandruff shampoo has gone down well with rapid cyclist Mark Cavendish, who uses it in the shower as an essential part of his pre-race winning rituals. That’s what he told us, anyway. £2.79 | 0800 731 2892

A revitalising scrub that cleanses and nourishes the skin by removing dead cells.

Don’t worry about the devilish bit, either — that’s inspired by one of the ingredients, the detoxifying Devils Apron Seaweed. So there. £24.60 | timetospa.co.uk

56 | April 20 2012 |

James Lincoln, jameslincoln.co.uk

6

Elemis Devils Mint Body Scrub

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MANY ROADS LEAD TO THE MEDAL, BUT ALL BEGIN WITH A GREAT START. SIR CHRIS HOY, 4X OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST

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T

he last time Sport saw a live game of American football was at Wembley, which was helpfully narrated by a gent behind us who stood up sporadically to shout “f**king kill him” about whichever player had the ball at that given moment.

Er, we’re pretty sure those aren’t the rules, sir.

If only there was a blog where the ins and outs could be explained. And if only that blog could be written by Claire Coffee.

Helpfully, the American actress and San Francisco 49ers fan, who has appeared in The West Wing and is currently starring in Grimm (NBC’s cop show inspired by the fairytales of the brothers Grimm – don’t ask) does just that, at Hellogiggles.com.

“I have a lot of friends who wanted to get into football but didn’t know enough about the rules of the game or scoring,” said Coffee, on starting the blog.

“So I tried to explain a little bit… and I had the Fantasy Draft with some of my friends – the chatroom exploded with smacktalk. I think it might cause a rift in a few marriages.”

It’s probably not, we hypothesise, the first time Coffee has upset the matrimonial apple cart. Anyway, we’re off to select our fantasy NFL side, what with the first round of the draft being on April 26. Good luck.

Hot Coffee Extra time Claire Coffee

58 | April 20 2012 |

Apix Syndication

| 59

Extra time Entertainment

Aural pleasure

FILM

A Jack White solo album, a new Bob Marley documentary and Santigold returns to make it a fine week ahead for your ears MUSIC

Blunderbuss Jack White He’s been the brains — and the raucous guitar — behind so many projects that it’s almost a shock to realise that Monday sees the release of Jack White’s very first solo album. Fresh from a recent divorce, Detroit’s finest has poured his anguish into Blunderbuss to diverse effect. There’s the playful analysis of love’s pains on the bluesy, classy Love Interruption and the contrasting wail of the Sixteen Saltine’s raw chords.

It’s rare that a rock guitarist going solo can marry new directions and his renowned style so fluidly, but Jack’s managed it. Being single clearly suits him.

BOOK

Marley From the slums of Trenchtown to global reggae superstar, this new documentary tells the story of Bob Marley’s life in exhaustive but enthralling fashion. The cast is vast, with family, bandmates and (a small army of) lovers giving both positive and negative insights on the forcefully ambitious, fiercely

BOOK

principled singer. However, it’s the live music footage — particularly of Marley playing a free concert to many thousands in Jamaica just days after a gunman had come inches from ending his life — that’s truly mesmeric. A stirring tribute to a rich voice that had plenty to say, Marley is in cinemas now.

GAME

Skagboys Irvine Welsh

Master of my Make-Believe Santigold

Sick Boy, Renton and lovable psycho Begbie star in this Trainspotting prequel which reveals the path that leads the chaps to become hooked on violence and that moreish heroin. Early reviews are mixed, but Welsh always spins his yarns with grisly elan.

Imagine Jonah Lehrer

Prototype 2 (PS3/Xbox 360)

Subtitled How Creativity Works, this new book pooh-poohs the idea of a ’creative type’ to explain how ideas form. Examples range from Bob Dylan’s songwriting to the original inspiration for Barbie (it was a pornographic doll spotted in the window of a German cigar shop). It also advises on how you can become more creative, so stop hanging around near German cigar shops and pick up a copy pronto.

If you dream of becoming an organic version of the shapeshifting T-1000, we’d suggest less cheese before bedtime — and also investing in Prototype 2.

A notch up from it’s predecessor in visuals and gameplay, it lets you tear through Manhattan parkour-style, slashing enemies with your giant razor claws because they... killed your wife. Or something. Despite the dark concept, this is pure, adrenaline-rush fun.

60 | April 20 2012 |

MUSIC

She’s kept us waiting on a new album for four years (it’s a woman’s prerogative, we’re told), but Santi White returns on Monday with a bang.

Full of turbo-charged drumbeats, synth-pop hooks and strident vocals (with potshots at Lady Gaga), it’s good as gold to hear Miss White as feisty as ever.

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Extra time Gadgets

Tasty tunes Video may have killed the radio star but this could mark a comeback for the old wireless, at least until George Foreman’s Blu-ray grill comes out.

Breville VTT296 Radio 2-Slice Toaster Picture the scene in the Breville boardroom, as ashen faces peruse market trends. “We’re toast!” yells the boss, highlighting the dangerous rise of the breakfast pastry. “People have stopped eating toast. How can we make bread exciting again and ensnare a new generation? What do kids these days even like?” The worried silence hangs in the room. “Oh screw it”, he says, finally, “Lets just stick an FM radio in it.” £50 | currys.co.uk

Sony Bloggie Sport The Japanese tech giant’s pocket camcorder has been strengthened and beefed up, possibly in some sort of Rocky-style training montage.

Funnily enough, if you want to film an 80s training montage of your own, this is probably the perfect device — it’s water, dust and shockproof and shoots HD video as well as taking stills. And hey, if your training video is any good, Sylvester Stallone might even incorporate it into Rocky 19. £179 | sony.co.uk

Sony Vaio E Series 14 inch laptop

Logitech UE Air Speaker

This may not look like the posh screen Tom Cruise uses in Minority Report, but it does have Gesture Control, so you can scroll through photos or control music with a flick of your hand in front of the webcam. The similarities end there sadly, so for now budding crimefighters will have to stick to driving around in a van solving mysteries.

A more wallet-friendly approach to home audio than the box to the left, this wireless speaker lets you stream music direct from your laptop, iPod or iPhone, with no need for messy wires.

While it’s designed for wireless streaming, you can, if you really must, still plug iDevices into the device to charge. Neanderthal.

From £409 | sony.co.uk

£299 | logitech.com

UnitiQute All-in-one Player We always thought of ourselves as the ultimate all-in-one playa, at least until this box came barging in on our turf. Plug it into a set of speakers and it’ll do pretty much anything you want (except that). FM, AM and DAB radio tuners are joined by a USB input so you can listen from iPod or memory stick, and the ability to stream directly from the internet, all with phenomenal audio quality. £1,425 | naimaudio.com

62 | April 20 2012 |