Teenager becomes youngest ever women’s 800m European Indoor champion after storming to victory in Toruń, while there is further British medal success in the 60m hurdles and 4x400m relay

Keely Hodgkinson’s rapid rise continued as the teenager produced a performance of real maturity which belied her years to become the youngest ever winner of the women’s European Indoor 800m title.

Just four days after her 19th birthday, she took over from fellow Briton Jane Finch, who won in San Sebastian in 1977, as the youngest gold medallist in this event.

The British indoor and outdoor champion had already impressed in 2021, breaking the world junior record at the end of January. This championship final was an altogether different test from that run in Vienna, however, and she showed great racing intelligence, as well as confidence, to take victory in Toruń.

Hodgkinson’s winning time was 2:03.88 as she held off the attentions of Polish duo Joanna Jozwik (2:04.00) and Angelika Cichoka (2:04.15). Her fellow Britons Ellie Baker and Isabelle Boffey ran 2:04:40 and 2:07.26 for fourth and sixth respectively.

After Baker made the early running Leigh Harrier Hodgkinson had moved to the head of affairs, reaching the halfway point in 65.31 before making her move with around 300m to go. She then demonstrated not just her physical prowess but also her mental strength to reach the line first.

“I’m so happy. You never quite understand the shock when it happens,” said Hodgkinson, who is guided by coach Trevor Painter and former European Indoor champion Jenny Meadows. “You picture it in your head so many times but, when the reality comes through, it’s just a different feeling.

“I didn’t really think about the pressure. I am only 19 and I’m still learning and there’s still things that I’m going to learn. I just wanted to keep my same relaxed state like I did in the heats and the semi-final. Me and Trevor talked about that and we said not to change anything for the final. I just didn’t want to make any mistakes and I really believed in myself.”

Nadine Visser also lived up to expectations in the women’s 60m hurdles as the 2019 champion successfully defended her title in style, while there was also cause for sisters Cindy Sember and Tiffany Porter to celebrate as they secured silver and bronze medals for Great Britain.

The Dutch athlete had underlined her favourite tag by qualifying fastest from the semi-finals but saved her best for the final as she clocked a world lead of 7.77 to produce a commanding gold medal-winning performance.

Behind her, Sember equalled her PB for the second time of the day when clocking 7.89 while Porter’s late lunge for the line not only meant a time of  7.92 but also a bronze medal.

For Sember, who was fourth over the 100m hurdles at the Rio Olympics, this has marked a real return to form following five years of injury struggles while Porter has been working her way back after becoming a mother to daughter Chidera in 2019. This way her first European indoor medal since she won silver at the 2011 championships.

“It’s absolutely amazing,” said Sember. “I’m so happy to be here and I’m so happy that I could do it alongside my sister. We’ve both been through a lot, so it’s amazing to be medalling.

“It’s given me a lot of confidence. I didn’t think I would be able to do the indoors with some things going on, so now that I’ve been able to match my PB, I think there’s a lot more in store and I’m super excited.”

Porter added: “It’s been a huge journey. I’m so pleased and I’m so grateful to be back. I’m running well. The first two rounds weren’t where I wanted to be, but I was like ‘you know what Tiffany, you’ve been here before, just execute a better race in the final, medals aren’t given in the first two rounds’.”

In the women’s 60m, a world-leading time of 7.03 gave Swiss Ajla Del Ponte the title, as she finished some distance clear of the 7.22 clocked by Lotta Kemppinen of Finland and the Netherlands’ Jamile Samuel.

The final track race of these championships was the 4x400m relay, with individual 400m champion Femke Bol to the fore once again as she anchored the Netherlands to victory in a championship record of 3:27.15.

Great Britain had been firmly in contention after Zoey Clark (51.83), Jodie Williams (52.17) and Ama Pipi (52.62) combined to hand Jessie Knight ( 51.58) a slender lead going into the final leg, but Bol ultimately powered away in the closing 100m to break the mark set by Britain in Gothenburg eight years ago.

Britain took silver in 3:28.20, while Poland clocked 3:29.94 for bronze.

Alfie Hewett successfully defended his Rotterdam title with a 7-5 6-4 win over Gordon Reid in the all-British final.

But second seed Hewett, 23, who beat Australian Open winner Joachim Gerrard in the last four, won five games in a row to take the set in 42 minutes.

He went on to wrap up an impressive victory in an hour and 30 minutes.

Hewett was 2-0 down in the second set but won four games in succession to lead. Even though left-hander Reid - twice a Rotterdam Open winner - levelled at 4-4, the defending champion sealed victory in style with a sumptuous backhand into the corner.

The top-seeded duo, winner of the last five Grand Slam doubles titles, then combined to retain their Rotterdam crown in emphatic fashion, requiring only an hour and seven minutes to defeat Tom Egberink and Maikel Scheffers of the Netherlands 6-1 6-1.

Roger Federer says he never seriously considered retirement in his 14 months away from tennis, and is returning as he feels "the story's not over yet".

It will be his first tour appearance since losing to Novak Djokovic in last year's Australian Open semi-finals.

"I know it's on the rare side for almost a 40-year-old to come back after a year being out. What's important is I'm injury and pain-free," he said.

"The pain is completely under control."

The 39-year-old has a bye into the second round in Doha, where he will play either Britain's Dan Evans or Jeremy Chardy of France.

"I know I need to go back to training after here again, so from this standpoint it's just about building up to being stronger, better, fitter, faster and all that stuff," he added.

"I hope then by Wimbledon I'm going to be 100%, and that's when the season starts for me."

Federer had initial arthroscopic surgery on his right knee last February.

A second operation was required in June as his knee would often swell up after walks and bike rides with his family.

"I wanted to go out on my terms, but for my life, I wanted to do this rehab anyhow. I want to go skiing with my children and my friends, and go and play basketball and football," he said when asked about his motivation to return at the age of 39.

"Retirement was never really on the cards. I think it's really a conversation more, let's say, if the knee keeps bothering me for months and months to come.

"I just feel like the story's not over yet. I enjoy playing tennis, I enjoy being on the road.

"Probably one of the other reasons to come back is that I would like to get that high again of playing against the best players, playing at the biggest tournaments, winning them hopefully, and being in the conversation."

During Federer's absence, Rafael Nadal has matched his mark of 20 Grand Slam titles by winning the French Open, and Novak Djokovic has moved onto 18 with victory at the Australian Open.

"My concern is more my own game, my own health, over the record," he said.

"I think for them maybe this is bigger than for me at this very moment because for me it was very important to equal the record of Pete [Sampras], and potentially break it," he said.

"For them, maybe I'm the measuring stick - like Pete was for me."

In Sunday's tournament finals, Russian Andrey Rublev, who beat Andy Murray and Stefanos Tsitsipas en route to a fourth successive ATP 500 final, won the Rotterdam Open with a 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 victory against qualifier Marton Fucsovics of Hungary.

The 23-year-old world number eight extended his winning run to 20 matches, winning in an hour and 50 minutes.

Meanwhile in Lyon, 18-year-old Danish player Clara Tauson won her first WTA title with a 6-4 6-1 victory over fellow qualifier Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland.

In just her third Tour-level main draw appearance, Tauson did not drop a set throughout the event.

Harlequins held off a Northampton fightback to go third in the Premiership with a fifth win in six.

Mike Brown's try and Marcus Smith's second penalty gave Quins a 27-12 half-time lead.

Ollie Sleightholme's kick and chase and two Quins sin-bins gave Saints hope, but Brett Herron sealed a bonus point.

More to follow

Harlequins: Brown; Morris, Marchant, Esterhuizen, Green; Care, Smith; Marler, Baldwin, Louw, Lamb, Lewies (capt), J Chisholm, White, Dombrandt.

Replacements: Gray, Els, Kerrod, Young, Kenningham, Landajo, Herron, Northmore.

Sin-bin: Kenningham (65), Dombrandt (68)

Northampton: Freeman; Collins, Dingwall, Hutchinson, Sleightholme; Furbank, James; Auterac, Matavesi, Hill, Coles, Ratuniyarawa, Isiekwe, Ludlam (capt), Wood.

Replacements: Haywood, Waller, Painter, Moon, Tonks, Taylor, Naiyaravoro, Mallinder.

Referee: Luke Pearce.

BOSTON -- Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo "is feeling better" but remains week-to-week from the head hit that earned Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson a seven-game suspension, coach Bruce Cassidy said Sunday.

"He's obviously going to be out for a while," Cassidy said.

The NHL suspended Wilson for the fifth time in his career on Saturday, after his hit in the first period of Friday night's game sent Carlo to the hospital in an ambulance. The Capitals wing will also lose $311,781.61 in pay.

"What separates this hit from others is the direct and significant contact to a defenseless player's face and head, causing a violent impact with the glass," the league said in a statement. "This is a player with a substantial disciplinary record taking advantage of an opponent who is in a defenseless position and doing so with significant force."

Although no diagnosis has been released, Carlo was woozy leaving the ice after Wilson smashed his head into the glass, a telltale sign of a concussion. Cassidy called the hit "predatory" but declined to go into details on the suspension.

"I was glad they looked at it, and they did assess some discipline," he said. "I've made my feelings known on what I felt with the hit. ... I've kind of moved on and getting ready for New Jersey."

The Bruins return to the ice Sunday night against the Devils.

"The guys are in a good place," Cassidy said, adding that he texted Carlo on Sunday morning. "They're concerned about Brandon. Getting good news that he's feeling better helps our group. We're a tight-knit group."

Even by his standards it has been an eventful week for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who signed off after performing at the Sanremo music festival by declaring: "I love you Italy, my second home."

The week got off to a difficult start for the AC Milan striker as he was forced to respond to widespread criticism over his comments that sportspeople like four-time NBA champion LeBron James should avoid getting involved in political matters.

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James, one of the NBA's leading voices against racial injustice and police brutality, responded by vowing to "never shut up about things that are wrong," but Ibrahimovic stood by his comments.

"Racism and politics are two different things. Athletes unite the world, politics divides it," the Swede said on Tuesday.

The 39-year-old then made the first of four appearances on stage at the five-day music festival in Liguria, before returning to Milan for treatment on an injury that has kept him out of his side's two fixtures this week.

On returning to Sanremo on Thursday to sing an awkward duet rendition of "Io Vagabondo" on stage with Bologna's manager Sinisa Mihajlovic, he had to hitchhike the final 60km on a motorbike after encountering traffic problems.

"After three hours in the car, I told my driver to open the door to let me out," Ibrahimovic said. "I stopped a motorcyclist and asked him, 'Can you take me to Sanremo?' Luckily he was a Milan fan.

"I know, it seems incredible. I made the video because otherwise no one would have believed me."

For his final performance on stage before joining up with his teammates to watch Milan's match at Hellas Verona on Sunday from the stands, Ibrahimovic signed off with typical hubris.

"Everyone knew Zlatan before this festival, so why did Zlatan come here? Because he likes challenges, adrenaline," he said on Saturday night after his final appearance.

"If you don't challenge yourself, you cannot win. If Zlatan can make a mistake, so can you, the important thing is to make a difference every day with effort, dedication, perseverance and concentration.

"I am at this festival to tell all of you that in your own small way, you can be Zlatan. Thank you to Italy, my second home."

Without their injured top scorer -- the Swede has 14 goals in as many Serie A games this season -- second-placed Milan are trying to close the gap on city rivals Inter Milan at the top.

Real Madrid remain alive in the La Liga title race after Karim Benzema struck an 88th minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

Defeat would have left Real eight points off their rivals with 13 games remaining but Benzema buried a late strike to salvage a draw and keep the deficit to five points.

Luis Suarez struck for the home side in the first half and Diego Simeone's men looked set to take a giant stride towards winning their first title since 2014, but Zinedine Zidane's men had other ideas.

Suarez opened the scoring after 15 minutes in a crucial clash at the Wanda Metropolitano, with a fine effort using the outside of his boot, following good work from Marcos Llorente. The goal ended a five-game goal drought and marked Suarez's 498th for club and country in his career.

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Zidane's side went into the match five points behind Atletico, who also have a game in hand, and the Madrid coach said the title race would not be decided by events on Sunday.

Real Madrid, second best for most of the first 45 minutes, called for a penalty late in the first half after Felipe appeared to handle in the area but following a VAR review, nothing was given.

The home side continued to force the issue in the second half, with Llorente and Yannick Carrasco both going close, while Suarez also called Thibaut Courtois into action in the visiting goal.

Benzema squandered a glorious opportunity to equalise 10 minutes from time but his effort was turned behind by Jan Oblak. The striker made amends, though, eight minutes later when he met Casemiro's pass to level it.

Barcelona are three points behind Atletico Madrid following Sunday's derby, and Simeone's side have a game in hand on them.

Liverpool's miserable run at Anfield continued with a 1-0 defeat to relegation-threatened Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday.

Mario Lemina capitalised on Mohamed Salah's mistake to score the winner in the first half as Liverpool suffered their sixth consecutive defeat at home.

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Liverpool have also failed to score at home since their 4-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester City last month.

The result means that Jurgen Klopp's side remain four points of the top four places while Fulham go level on points with 16th-placed Brighton.

"There were moments we could have had more of an impact on the game -- conceding that goal before half-time was a massive blow," Klopp told Sky Sports.

We tried to react and the boys showed that. In the end we don't score goals and that's a big problem."

He added: "We never had a momentum in the season. You can see it's still in the boys. They still have it all but at the moment can't show it. It would be a masterpiece to find out how we change that overnight."

Despite Klopp saying he wouldn't turn his attention away from the Premier League, Liverpool made seven changes for the game ahead of their Champions League clash against RB Leipzig on Wednesday.

The visitors were a constant threat from the start but their first big chance came after 30 minutes when Alisson denied Josh Maja from close range.

Ademola Lookman enjoyed an impressive afternoon on the left-hand side and almost opened the scoring moments later but his shot was blocked by Neco Williams.

Fulham took a deserved lead on the stroke of half time when Andy Robertson failed to clear a corner and Lemina stole the ball off Salah on the edge of the box and produced a low shot into the corner.

Liverpool went close to an equaliser two minutes after the break but Fulham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola produced a fine save to stop Diogo Jota's well-timed volley inside the box.

Substitute Sadio Mane also came close to scoring after 70 minutes but his looping header clipped the post.

Liverpool pushed for a late goal but Fulham held on to secure an important win in their bid to remain in the league.

"It's a big win. There's a lot of emotion and I am very proud. I am happy for the players and the team because they got nothing short of what they deserved," Fulham boss Scott Parker told the BBC.

"We deserved this result and we have deserved better results over the last few weeks," Parker added.