Global governing body supports the heritage of track and field with the creation of a digital home for artefacts

Over the years there have been various attempts to keep the history of the sport alive. Athletics has a strong presence, of course, in the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, whereas the Olympic Museum in Barcelona was a temporary home to an IAAF centenary exhibition in 2012.

Similarly, a shopping centre in Doha housed a World Athletics collection of memorabilia for six months in the run-up to the 2019 World Championships in the Qatari city. Then there is the National Track & Field Hall of Fame in New York, which was founded almost half a century ago.

In Britain, a group of enthusiasts have worked hard in recent years to maintain a collection of primarily written material such as old programmes, books and of course magazines like AW. There have been temporary exhibitions, too, such as at Alexander Stadium during the Diamond League in Birmingham. But plans to build a bricks and mortar museum at the Olympic Park in London in 2012 did not materialise, which means of course that much of the historical material is currently inaccessible to fans.

During the past year, of course, museums have been largely inaccessible anyway due to the pandemic. Given this, World Athletics has created an online museum to allow fans to immerse themselves in the history of the sport without stepping outside their own homes.

The Museum of World Athletics – or MOWA for short – features 3D images of shoes, clothing and equipment, plus medals and more. It has evolved following the creation of the World Athletics heritage initiative in 2018 “to honour, preserve and promote the sport’s history” and includes attractive computer-generated images combined with actual high-quality photographs of various items and artefacts.

It’s goal? To excite, educate and entertain.

“It has been born out of necessity,” Chris Turner from World Athletics heritage department admits. “Covid-19 caused the cancellation of our plans for public events in 2020 and so the answer was simple: to go online.”

World Athletics president Seb Coe adds: “We’re not only the first international sports federation to launch a 3D sports museum online but MOWA is the first virtual sports museum of any kind in the world.”

The museum includes items such as Grete Waitz’s racing shoes from her heyday in the early 1980s and the singlet and number that Herb Elliott wore when winning the Olympic 1500m title in a world record in 1960 (see below).

A World Championships collection room is a focal point of the museum as it opens this week, but World Athletics plan to unveil an Olympic Games section in July followed by a section for road running, race walking, indoor athletics and cross-country in the autumn.

AW enjoyed an exclusive and extensive tour around the museum several days ago in advance of the official launch. Afterwards, World Athletics president Coe spoke with enthusiasm about the initiative and he enjoyed a short chat with middle-distance legend Elliott via video from Australia plus Waitz’s husband and coach Jack in Norway. As part of the launch today (March 15) a heritage plaque has also been awarded in honour of Elliott’s coach, Percy Cerutty.

So what is the MOWA experience like? Pretty good, I have to say. A bit like reading this article online in comparison to flicking through the pages of a printed magazine, some people will inevitably prefer the idea of visiting a museum in person rather than viewing items digitally. But during the pandemic we have little option and World Athletics has made a fine job.

There is a section focusing on the ancient history of athletics and how it has developed in the past 3000 years. Iconic artefacts from every continent are on display too. However the focal point so far is, not surprisingly, the World Championships area where everything from Carl Lewis’ singlet through to Mo Farah’s racing spikes are on view.

READ MORE: Our 5 favourite artefacts in MOWA

There are a few sound effects but instead of the shrill and arguably irritating music that visitors to the Diamond League website have found in recent years, it is the quiet rumble of footsteps and light chatter that you would find ordinarily in a museum.

The sound effects aren’t intrusive and make it feel very authentic. Add to this the general design – which includes images of make-belief visitors and even the same style of toilets that you would find in a real-life museum – and at times it really does feel like you are there.

If you grew up playing Space Invaders and Pacman, you will be blown away with the graphics. If you are part of the Fortnite generation, you will feel right at home.

Much of the technology involved in the MOWA is down to a company called dcSPORT, which is headed up by Jason Gardener, the former world and European indoor 60m champion.

Gardener’s team took 36 photos of each artefact at successive 10-degree angles to create the 3D element. The pictures were high quality, too, so that if you zoom in you can see every scratch or mark on the footwear or apparel.

Gardener says: “We wanted it to be a stunning visual, immersive, engaging and enjoyable place to visit. To be part of this big project where anyone with internet access can tap into this rich history is amazing.”

Many athletics moments last only a few minutes or even seconds, but their memory endures forever. Consider the blur of a 60m sprint, for example, or a shot putter spinning or sliding across a throws circle, or a triple jumper bounding into a pit. These feats of athleticism are over in a flash but the MOWA will allow them to endure for years to come.

Not only is MOWA impressive but it will inevitably grow in coming months and years if it can continue to get hold of interesting material. “MOWA is a myriad of marvellous memories and moments which few other sports can match,” says Turner. “But we are entirely dependent on the generous donations from athletes.”

To check out the museum, CLICK HERE

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – After making his NASCAR Cup Series debut in the Daytona 500 last month, reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Austin Cindric will make his second series start this Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Team Penske revealed the news via Twitter on Monday morning.

Good news for your Monday?@AustinCindric is back in a Cup car this weekend. ?#NASCAR | @PIRTEKUSA pic.twitter.com/GO13jt14Mj

— Team Penske (@Team_Penske) March 15, 2021

Cindric drove the No. 33 Team Penske Ford Mustang to a 15th-place finish in the Daytona 500 on Feb. 14 in his NASCAR Cup Series debut. He’s scheduled to make several additional NASCAR Cup Series starts this year in preparation for a full-time switch to the Cup Series in 2022 with Wood Brothers Racing.

Driving the No. 22 for Team Penske in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Cindric won six races and the series championship last season. He’s already won two NASCAR Xfinity Series races this season in five starts, including last Saturday’s race at Phoenix Raceway.

Pep Guardiola and Oleksandr Zinchenko disagreed at Manchester City's Champions League news conference on Monday over whether they can win the quadruple this season.

Ahead of their clash with Borussia Monchengladbach, Zinchenko said City are capable of lifting the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup this season.

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But when the 24-year-old's claim was put to Guardiola, the City manager said he was wrong.

"I am older than Zinchenko, I have more experience and don't agree with him," Guardiola said.

"The only thing he has to be worried about is trying to win the game tomorrow [Tuesday] and going through. Four titles has not happened before and in my opinion is not going to happen. If you ask me if I'd agree with him I'd say no."

Guardiola's response to a question about the quadruple was in stark contrast to Zinchenko, who insisted City can go one better than the domestic treble they won in 2019-20.

"With Pep and I think everything is possible," he said. "We have an unbelievable squad, the best players in the world and definitely, why not."

Meanwhile, Guardiola has played down reports of a row with Raheem Sterling after the winger was left out of the squad for the 3-0 win over Fulham on Saturday.

Guardiola insisted the decision was purely tactical and confirmed that Sterling is part of the group travelling to Budapest to face Borussia Monchengladbach on Tuesday.

"Nothing happened," Guardiola added. "He was not selected. When you have 20 top class players, always it will be unfair for some of them. I love them, they are the main reason why we are in the position. That game, not selected. No more than that. I don't expect them to be happy, the guys who don't play and not selected. Normal. Since football was created. He's so important for the team and for all of us."

Valencia midfielder Yunus Musah will represent the United States at international level.

Musah, 18, made the announcement in conjunction with the U.S. Soccer Federation, and it amounts to the latest successful recruiting of a player eligible to represent multiple countries, following Barcelona defender Sergino Dest's choosing of the USMNT over Netherlands in October 2019.

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"I think it was pretty clear for me to decide to play for the United States," Musah told the U.S. Soccer website. "First of all, I think it makes sense to represent the country I was born in. The moment I decided to play for the United States came one day when my heart told me that this was the best place for me. The project that we have now and for the future is so exciting, and it's a great pleasure to be able to be a part of that. I can't wait to get started."

Born in New York City to Ghanaian parents, Musah could also have represented England, Italy, or Ghana. He spent his early childhood in the Italian city of Castelfranco Veneto, but moved to London with his family when he was nine. Musah was part of Arsenal's academy, and went on to represent -- and captain -- England at various levels, most recently the under-18s in 2019. He was also called up to represent their U-19 team in October of 2020.

But after Musah joined Valencia in the summer of 2019, the U.S. pursued him with the help of former Valencia assistant and current U.S. staff member Nico Estevez. USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter invited Musah to a training camp back in November ahead of friendlies against Wales and Panama, and gave the player his senior international debut in the 0-0 draw against Wales. Musah also played in the subsequent 6-2 victory against Panama.

"I was really happy with, with Yunus' performance, I'm really happy with him in camp. The guys really took to him well," said Berhalter after the Panama match. "All I've ever said about players in his category is that all we want to do is create an environment for them, that they want to be in, that they trust is a good environment for their development. And it seemed like that was the case for Yunus. It seems like he sees us as a pathway to continue to develop and play with a good young group. But in the end, it's going to be him and his family that decide."

U.S. fans have been obsessing over Musah's every move on social media ever since, noting whenever he followed or like a post from one of his possible U.S. teammates. Now that the player has decided, he joins a promising group of U.S. youngsters that includes Chelsea's Christian Pulisic, Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie and RB Leipzig midfielder Tyler Adams.

"The U.S. supporters have been really warm and made me feel wanted and appreciated," Musah said. "It's exciting with such a young squad. It's nice to compete against so many great players for spots. It's exciting to see what we can do together. I'm sure we're going to be able to do great things."

The recruitment battle for dual national talents is one that every coach is familiar with, which is why March 4 may go down as a day to remember for the United States men's team. It was on that day that manager Gregg Berhalter received a text from Valencia midfielder Yunus Musah with a simple request: "Coach, can I talk to you?"

Berhalter said yes. At that point, Musah -- who, in addition to the U.S., was eligible to represent Ghana, England or Italy -- informed him that he would be pledging his international future to the Red, White and Blue.

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"It was quite a happy conversation," Musah told ESPN in an exclusive interview. "I told [Berhalter] I appreciate everything and how he welcomed me to the team, and I just want to embark on this journey with everyone else and the USA."

Berhalter wasn't as composed. While this was the latest recruiting coup of a player with multiple international options, a list highlighted by Barcelona defender Sergino Dest, Musah is looked upon as another special talent.

"I screamed into the phone. I gave a loud 'Yeah!'" Berhalter told ESPN. "But it was good. It's not only judging him as a player, just as a person. It's great to have someone like that in your team."

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When one country wins out on a player with multiple international options, the others lose. It is a zero-sum game that, in some instances, forces players to feel like they're torn in two. The 18-year-old's ties to England in particular ran deep, having not only lived in London starting at age nine, but playing extensively for the Three Lions at youth level, though never in official competition. Musah even took the field twice for England against the U.S. at under-17 level, including the 2017 Nike Friendlies in which England prevailed, 1-0. In this case, the Valencia midfielder isn't walled off from the emotions that came with saying no to England. And there were other suitors as well.

"It was a difficult situation, as England have done so much for me," he said. "When someone's nice to you, you don't want to kind of leave them upside down. But at the end, you have to make the best decision for yourself.

"I was getting so many phone calls from a lot of different people, a lot of different organizations. And that sort of made it hard, and also the fact that I represented England in the past. That's why it was a really hard decision to make."

But he added, "This is just so exciting. I can't wait to get started."

Thus concluded a 20-month recruiting process by the U.S. to win Musah over, one that was pitch-perfect at every step of the way. It started soon after Musah signed with Valencia in the summer of 2019, when the Spanish club notified Nico Estevez, a U.S. men's assistant (and former Valencia coach), that there was a player with an American passport on the roster. Berhalter soon reached out with a get-to-know-you phone call to make Musah aware of the U.S. team's interest. That call eventually opened the door for a meeting with the player's family to discuss the U.S. program in more depth.

Like most recruiting battles, relationships played a key role, and the bond between Musah and Estevez took on immense importance. Musah says that from the moment the U.S. first made contact, he and Estevez spoke at least once every two weeks. Berhalter added that there were times when his assistant and the player spoke as often as every other day.

Estevez's knowledge of Valencia helped Musah navigate his way through his first season with the club's B-team, as well the player's initial foray with the first team in the 2020-21 campaign. He helped him adapt to life in a new country as well: Estevez would talk Musah through his games and send him video clips. Berhalter recalled that the level of trust between the two was such that Musah began soliciting advice and video from Estevez instead of the U.S. assistant being the one to reach out.

"We just speak as people really," Musah said of his relationship with Estevez. "He didn't really treat it as player-coach or something -- more just friends, you could say. He talked to me about how my week is going. He helped me analyze and improve my game. He understands some of the things that I'm going through."

By the time Berhalter invited Musah to a national team training camp in Wales last November, much of the groundwork had been laid, but there was still work to be done. Fortunately for the U.S., a wave of talented players has entered the program in recent years, including Juventus' Weston McKennie, RB Leipzig's Tyler Adams, Borussia Dortmund's Gio Reyna and Dest. They made sure that Musah arrived to a warm embrace.

The positive vibes paid off, and if there was ever a telltale sign that Musah was leaning towards the U.S., it was evident in the pregame team photo ahead of his international debut against Wales last November. These photos are usually about players having their game face on, all intensity and concentration. That was largely the case here, save for Musah, who sported the widest of smiles.

"I told myself, 'Listen, just enjoy this moment, because it only comes once,'" he said. "And surprisingly enough, the coaches as well told me the same thing, the players told me the same thing and so what I was thinking about was enjoying the game. And as you can see in the photos, I was enjoying it already."

Musah delivered an impressive debut, helping the U.S. control the match from the center of midfield in what ended up being a 0-0 draw. That role is a change from where he has been typically deployed with Valencia, where he's mostly played as a wide midfielder in a 4-4-2. But the center of midfield is where he -- and Berhalter -- feel he's best-suited. It gives him the chance to show off his range of skills: his confidence running with the ball, his vision when it comes to connecting on his passes and his energy on defense.

"I feel like I can play in a lot of systems," he said. "But particularly with the U.S., I feel like we want to be on the field and express ourselves. And when you're on the field and trying to express yourself, I think the best version of yourself comes out. And that's really important."

Granted, it wasn't just about Musah choosing the U.S. The player also had to impress beyond what happened on the field, but Musah passed those tests with ease.

"He endears himself to everyone," said Berhalter about Musah. "He's such a good guy, such a friendly guy to be around; great demeanor, great attitude. The thing about him is when you're around him, you can just feel this warmth from him."

Musah was also all-in on the U.S. team's anti-racism message before the Wales game, one in which his warm-up jacket had the message "United As One."

"A lot of people talk about racism and how they don't like it, but not everyone does something about it," he said. "And the fact that we decided to do something about it was a real big thing, and I definitely wanted to be involved and be a part of it. So, I wrote my own message 'United as One,' because no one should have to go through that alone. We're together in this."

The friendly matches cemented the bond, as the U.S. went on to beat Panama 6-2 in the second match of that international window. The U.S. staff and players didn't let up with their recruiting pitch, as evidenced by the flow of communication between Musah and his U.S. teammates on Twitter and Instagram. But the hard work had been done.

"I think [about] the amount of time and effort that Gregg and the staff put into it, always contacting me since last year, and also get me to come to camp, and see how it goes," he said. "Everyone was really welcoming. Everyone was great, like it was as if we've seen each other or met each other before. And that that helps me because I'm new, and they welcomed me really well. In the end, we played two games really well and also had fun."

Berhalter is quick to remind everyone that Musah is 18. There is a lot of growing left to be done, but the U.S. manager also can't help but be excited by what the future could look like.

Quinton de Kock will make his comeback to competitive cricket in South Africa's first-class competition this week. de Kock has been training with his franchise, the Titans, and is available to play for them in their match against the Lions at the Wanderers, which starts on Tuesday.

de Kock has not played any cricket since South Africa's Test side returned from their two-match series in Pakistan. He was not part of the T20I squad, as South Africa were planning to play Australia in Tests at home (though the series was indefinitely postponed) and took a mental-health break during South Africa's T20 competition.

Earlier this month, de Kock was replaced as South Africa's captain in all formats, having filled the Test role in a temporary capacity this summer and been installed as white-ball captain last February. Dean Elgar was appointed red-ball captain with Temba Bavuma taking over the ODI and T20I squads.

Although de Kock was expected to relinquish the long-format role, him being stripped of the limited-overs' position as well came as a surprise, although selection convener Victor Mpitsang insisted it was a consultative decision. "He hasn't been fired," Mpitsang said. "We've come to an agreement to say that he doesn't need the captaincy any more."

At the time, director of cricket Graeme Smith said de Kock remained a key part of South Africa's plans in future. His return to the game will also put him in a position to play for South Africa against Pakistan next month, although that series will clash with the IPL. de Kock is contracted to the Mumbai Indians and is likely to have to miss at least a part of the Pakistan series.

For now though, de Kock will want to do his bit to help the Titans secure their spot in the first-class final. They are currently at the top of Pool B, 14.16 points ahead of their nearest rivals, the Warriors. The top team from each pool will contest the final, which will be the last franchise match in South Africa before the system is dissolved to make way for a 15-team provincial set-up from next summer.

Sarah Taylor, the former England Women's wicketkeeper, will join the Sussex coaching staff, working with the county's men's squad, for the upcoming season.

Taylor was widely regarded as one of the best keepers in the sport before she retired in 2019 at the age of 30 following long-term struggles with anxiety. Now she is stepping into relatively unfamiliar territory as a woman coaching professional sportsmen, working with the likes of Ben Brown and Phil Salt.

"We have a really talented group of keepers at Sussex who I am looking forward to working with immensely," Taylor said. "I want to share my experience and expertise to help them get the most out of their game. I'm a big believer in keeping things simple and perfecting the basics so that players can enjoy and express themselves with the gloves."

Taylor's role with the club will focus largely on wicketkeepting. She earned 226 England caps, claiming 232 dismissals. But her expertise with the bat - she also scored more than 6,500 international runs - and her experience in dealing with and speaking about mental health issues make her a valuable all-round addition to the Sussex coaching ranks.

Following her retirement, Taylor became a sports and life coach at Bede's School in Eastbourne. She recently told ESPNcricinfo that she had not ruled out a playing comeback, having not picked up a bat since her last match, for KSL side Surrey Stars in August 2019. In January, she helped launch the Sussex Cricket Mental Health & Wellbeing Hub, an online resource set up by the club with whom she had a playing career spanning 15 years.

James Kirtley, joint Sussex head coach with Ian Salisbury, said Taylor would not only bring valuable skills to the players but to the club environment as well.

"She is hugely skilled in the world of wicketkeeping, but she will also bring so much good as a person around our group," Kirtley said. "She adds great perspective to a situation and as a coach she provides an excellent sounding board for ideas and is a fantastic communicator. I am certain she will become a huge asset to our setup."

It is not unheard of for a woman to coach in elite men's sport - Amelie Mauresmo coached Andy Murray, for example - but it is still relatively rare.

The club announced Taylor's appointment on Monday, along with that of Ashley Wright as an assistant to lead batting coach Jason Swift. Wright has previously worked with Surrey and Bangladesh Premier League side, Rajshahi Kings, and was national head coach of Guernsey for four years. Both will work with the professional squad and the Sussex Cricket Pathway, for the development of junior players, part time.

Salisbury added: "They both bring a huge amount of cricketing knowledge, skill and experience, as well as a fantastic work ethic, to the entirety of our player pathway. Equally as important, Sarah and Ash both fit our mantra of coaching the whole person, not just the cricketer very well."

Penn State is expected to hire Purdue assistant Micah Shrewsberry as its next head basketball coach, sources told ESPN.

Pat Chambers, who had been the Nittany Lions' head coach since 2011, resigned in October after an investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct. Jim Ferry took charge this past season on an interim basis.

Shrewsberry is a longtime assistant coach under Brad Stevens and Matt Painter at the college and NBA levels. The Indianapolis native spent three seasons under Stevens at Butler -- helping lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back national championship game appearances. He then went to Purdue for two seasons as an assistant coach under Painter before reuniting with Stevens for six years with the Boston Celtics.

Shrewsberry returned to the college game in 2019 as the associate head coach under Painter at Purdue.

With the Celtics, Shrewsberry worked with and aided in the development of young stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. He's also been tasked with running Purdue's offense the past couple of seasons; the Boilermakers rank in the top 25 nationally in offensive efficiency this season.

The ACC eliminated its intraconference transfer rule on Monday in a unanimous decision by its board of directors.

The intraconference transfer rule, created in 1996, required student-athletes without a degree to sit out one year if they were transferring from one ACC school to another. The move does not come as a surprise, considering pending NCAA legislation that would grant student-athletes a one-time transfer with immediate eligibility in all sports.

In January, the NCAA Division I council delayed a vote that would loosen those restrictions but said it remains committed to making changes.

"The time has come for all student-athletes to have the opportunity to transfer and be permitted to compete immediately," ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said in a statement Monday. "This decision is in the best interest of our student-athletes as it allows greater flexibility during their collegiate career."