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With 40 days to go, elections polarise France

With 40 days to go, elections polarise France

France was the scene of massive demonstrations last Saturday organised by trade unions and left-wing parties to protest against the rise of the far-right, which opinion polls suggest is on the verge of taking power. Police reportedly estimated the number of demonstrators at 250,000 nationwide, with 75,000 concentrated in Paris.


Femke Bol predicts "nice battle" with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in Paris

Femke Bol predicts "nice battle" with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in Paris

Femke Bol, fresh from two golds and a bronze at the European Championships, admits she is looking forward to what she says will be a "nice battle" with American arch-rival Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at the Paris Olympics. Bol was one of the stars of the championships in Rome, dominating her speciality event, the 400m hurdles, and going on to anchor the women's 4x400m relay team to victory while also picking up third place in the mixed relay.


Matt Richards tells IOC to "take care of their athletes" after ticketing scam

Matt Richards tells IOC to "take care of their athletes" after ticketing scam

Olympic freestyle gold medallist Matt Richards has urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to take better care of athletes competing at the Games and their families after his parents fell victim to an online ticketing scam. Richards' mother Amanda has told the BBC that the family had been scammed out of £2,500 pounds (€2,955 euros) by a ticket website that "looked perfectly legitimate”. The swimmer has called out the IOC and its President for not providing competitor’s families with better access to tickets. 


Emmanuel Wanyonyi: Olympic berth with third fastest time ever

Emmanuel Wanyonyi: Olympic berth with third fastest time ever

Nineteen-year-old Emmanuel Wanyonyi claimed the men’s 800m final at the Kenyan Olympic trials Saturday, clocking in at a world-leading and personal best time of 1:41 —the third fastest in the world behind fellow Kenyans David Rudisha and Wilson Kipketer. Wanyonyi almost failed to qualify for the finals after he was tripped and fell during Friday’s semifinals, where he finished sixth. Despite struggling with a swollen leg, Wanyonyi bounced back on Saturday to secure a spot on the Olympic team. 





Faith Kipyegon returns to winning ways in Kenyan Olympic trials

Faith Kipyegon returns to winning ways in Kenyan Olympic trials

Kenya's two-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon returned to form on Friday with a win in the women's 5000m at trials in Nairobi for the Paris Games, brushing off injuries that had sidelined her for months. It was the 30-year-old's first race of the year after pulling out of last month's Prefontaine Classic Diamond League in Oregon with a muscle injury.



G7, Pope Francis call for Olympic truce

G7, Pope Francis call for Olympic truce

G7 leaders have called for an Olympic truce in the run-up to the Paris Games in the summit's final declaration. "We urge all countries to respect it, individually and collectively, as outlined in the United Nations General Assembly resolution adopted on 15 December 2023," the statement said. 



Emma McKeon fails to qualify for Olympic 100m freestyle defence

Emma McKeon fails to qualify for Olympic 100m freestyle defence

Olympic 100m freestyle champion Emma McKeon will not defend her title in Paris after missing out on qualifying Friday at the Australian Olympic Trials with Mollie O'Callaghan and Shayna Jack securing the two Australian slots at stake. O'Callaghan surged home on day five of the Australian trials in Brisbane in 52.33secs with Jack (52.72) second ahead of a top-class field.


Palestinian Olympic head hopes Olympics will spotlight war in Gaza

Palestinian Olympic head hopes Olympics will spotlight war in Gaza

Head of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, Jibril Rajoub, said Wednesday he hoped the Paris Olympic Games would bring more attention to the war in Gaza and the "Israeli occupation of the West Bank," Times of Israel reported last week. So far the country is set to participate in the Games with one athlete confirmed in taekwondo while other hopefuls are training to meet the International Olympic Committee standards to have priority for wildcards. Rajoub said in a press conference earlier this month that Palestine will have a minimum of 6-8 (athletes), three of which are likely to come from Gaza.