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The ICC has encouraged fans who have not yet received their tickets for World Cup games over the weekend to print them out in advance, as issues with its systems led to the offer of full refunds for those delayed getting into Trent Bridge for West Indies' win over Pakistan on Friday.

Steve Elworthy, the tournament's managing director, said that a combination of late sales and people needing to collect tickets that had not been delivered led to "1600, 1700 people standing in a queue", forcing the ICC to consult with Ticketmaster about offering the facility to print tickets at home.

In the lead-up to the tournament, a number of fans had taken to Twitter to complain about not receiving tickets despite purchasing them up to a year ago. While the ICC has overseen the delivery of more than 700,000 tickets, Elworthy said there had been problems with some getting through.

"What's happened is that we've got these tickets that weren't delivered and then we've also got people wanting to collect at venues from late sales," he said. "So it's 400 or 500 people to collect on a day - which is not unusual at some of the Test match grounds. But you bring four or five people with you that you've got tickets for, suddenly there's like 1600, 1700 people standing in a queue trying to get tickets. So it looks like there's a whole load of people there.

"Obviously we need to fulfil that, so we've got to try and find a way. We had all these people wanting their tickets, reprinting them and handing over the collections and there was just a delay because of the volume of people there to get their tickets. That's the nub of the matter and we're working to resolve that now."

The problems at Trent Bridge were exacerbated by the fact that Pakistan collapsed to 105 all out in 21.4 overs, with the whole match over before the scheduled interval - meaning anyone that was delayed getting into the ground may have ended up missing a significant proportion of the action.

"Anybody whose tickets were printed after half past 10 at the ticket box office, because the delay was there, we're going to refund 100% of their ticket value," Elworthy said.

"The perfect storm was the fact that Pakistan got bowled out for 100. If the score was 200 for 3, these people would be seeing cricket until 6 o'clock. I probably still would have thought about a refund of some sort because they missed some of it, but it might not have been a 100% refund."

Elworthy said that Ticketmaster would allow ticket-holders to log into their accounts and print off tickets for games over the "next couple of days", but he indicated it could be extended throughout the tournament if problems persisted.

In a statement released after the conclusion of the match, the governing body said: "The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup would like to apologise to any fans caught up in queues here at Trent Bridge today. We be offering a full refund to anyone who was impacted by the delays because of the high volume of ticket collections. This will happen automatically based on data from our ticket scanners along with time of ticket issue from the box office.

"We are currently working with Ticketmaster to resolve all outstanding issues and have put in place a number of measures to ensure fans don't suffer this inconvenience at future games. This includes the introduction of a print at home ticket and improved distribution methods at the venues."

West Indies intend to continue their aggressive bowling tactics after Andre Russell's early short-ball barrage sparked a Pakistan collapse at Trent Bridge.

Russell's three-over spell proved crucial, his brutal bouncers claiming the wickets of Fakhar Zaman and Haris Sohail and exposing Pakistan's middle order early. It was clearly a pre-meditated plan and one that Jason Holder suggests will be repeated throughout the World Cup.

"I think our style was just to be aggressive," Holder said after the match. "We just want to be aggressive with whoever we're playing against. It's just something that we need to do in order to pick up wickets.

"I think with the modern-day game, if you are not picking wickets up throughout the innings you're going to struggle to contain teams. So, we just want to be aggressive even if we give up a few runs up front, trying to get wickets. One of the things we've spoken about in the recent past is just trying to have that mindset to take wickets because if you're not taking wickets you're going to struggle."

ALSO READ: Russell confident of fitness ahead of Australia clash

Such was the force of the West Indies pacemen that they scythed through Pakistan's line-up in just 21.4 overs. Sheldon Cottrell performed his wicket-taking salute after a leg-side strangle of Imam-ul-haq, Holder picked up three wickets, and Oshane Thomas picked up 4 for 27 in a memorable World Cup debut.

"Yeah, he's been excellent," Holder said. "The last game he got five wickets and then he comes and follows it up with four wickets here today. It was great to see him running in and bowling fast. That's one thing we ask of him, just to be aggressive in those middle overs, as I said before. He's working out quite nicely for us. It's just a matter for us to be consistent with it, and at times not get carried away with it in terms of overdoing it.

"But yeah, credit to him. He's been outstanding so far, and he's definitely created a buzz throughout the entire team."

ALSO READ: 'When I see fear in the batsman's eyes, it pumps me up' - Oshane Thomas interview

Thomas, though, credited Russell with creating that buzz around the bowlers at Trent Bridge, encouraging the debutant to keep up the short-pitched attack.

"Andre Russell led the way, bowling aggressive and fast," Thomas said. "The Pakistani guys didn't like it. So I just picked up where he left off really - [the rules allow] two short balls every over, so use them."

"The guys were sitting back. Russell was bowling short so I think the short ball - we had a good plan and executed well. It's a good move going forward for us."

West Indies' next opposition - Australia on June 6 - will likely provide a different challenge, their batsmen more accustomed to fast, short-pitched bowling. But Holder will take encouragement from the all-round discipline displayed by his attack.

"Yeah, I was pleased with the discipline," Holder said. "Outside the aggression, we need to be following up on our deliveries and building overs quite nicely. One of the things we always harp on about in the dressing room is what are we bowling outside of the aggressive balls, whether it be a short bowl or if you're going up there for a yorker or whatever it may be, you've got to follow up with some other deliveries. It's just about stacking overs nicely together and building some pressure."

The PCB is hopeful that South Africa will tour Pakistan within the next 12 months.

ESPNcricinfo understands that PCB managing director Wasim Khan recently extended an invitation to CSA. South Africa have not toured Pakistan since 2007 though captain Faf du Plessis led a World XI side to Lahore in September 2017.

It is unclear what format the tour could take, but it seems likely that Pakistan would accept any amount of cricket - perhaps two or three limited-overs games - as part of a longer itinerary that could be completed in the UAE.

Pakistan has hosted little international cricket since the terror attacks of March 2009 upon the Sri Lanka team and its convoy, though that has been steadily increasing. Zimbabwe played T20I and ODI cricket in the country (in May 2015), the World XI played three T20Is (in September 2017), Sri Lanka played a one-off T20I (in October 2017) and West Indies played four T20Is in April 2018 in Karachi. But, on the whole, Pakistan have been obliged to use venues in the UAE as their home from home in recent times.

The number of foreign players visiting the country is steadily increasing, though. With more PSL games taking place in Pakistan, the PCB hope the prospect of playing there is becoming normalised and that it will, in time, lead to increased confidence from international teams.

South Africa, it is understood, have not yet committed to the tour.

The PCB also remain hopeful that England may return to Pakistan in 2022. England are scheduled to play three Tests and five ODIs against Pakistan at the end of that year but have not visited the country since the end of 2005. While it seems most unlikely the entire tour will take place in Pakistan, PCB officials are hopeful that at least two or three ODIs could be held in the country.

The ECB executive are understood to be supportive in principle of the aim of seeing more international cricket return to Pakistan, but their decisions are sure to be governed by the advice of security experts. It is also understood there are, at present, significant reservations from players and their representatives.

George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles said Friday that he would not have returned to the team so soon after his wife had a miscarriage had she not been OK with him attending organized team activities.

"If my wife needed me at home right now, I'd be at home. That's just me being honest," Foles said. "She's the one who said, 'Go, the team needs you right now.' She knows I'm coming home right away [after practice]. So that's her. It really is as simple as that.

"If she says, 'I need you to stay home,' I'm going to call the team right now and just say I need to be home. The great thing is the team said as long as I need, whatever I need, they understand. They've been wonderful. But at the same time, my wife also knows; she wants me to be here because we're building something right here."

Foles said during an April news conference that the couple were expecting their second child, but Tori Foles announced Wednesday night on Instagram that she had gone into early labor on Sunday morning at only 15 weeks and was hospitalized.

"The emotions go back and forth from immense and overwhelming sadness, confusion and anger to a firm belief that God has this fully in his hands and will use this for good," Tori Foles wrote. "We cannot always understand or explain, but we know that is true."

Foles did not attend the Jaguars' organized team activity Tuesday, but he was back in the building Thursday morning. He said he returns home after practice to be with his wife and daughter. Foles also said his mother-in-law has been in town and his mother is arriving soon, so there's plenty of family around to support his wife when he's at the team facility.

Foles said he's amazed at how his wife, who was a volleyball player at Arizona, has handled the recent tragedy, especially since she's already battling the chronic disease POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome). It's a condition that affects blood circulation and can cause lightheadedness, fainting and a rapid increase in heartbeat.

"She's way stronger than I'll ever be," Foles said. "She's gone through so much, and people don't realize it. ... She was bedridden, hospitals. She battles that every single day.

"We've gone through so much this past couple of years. We're going through this now, but she's so strong. She's unbelievable."

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Green Bay Packers have their first major injury of the offseason program: coach Matt LaFleur.

The first-year head coach, who has shown a hands-on approach in practice, tore his Achilles tendon, according to a source.

A source confirmed that LaFleur was injured on the basketball court inside the Packers' headquarters at Lambeau Field, as NFL.com first reported.

LaFleur, 39, will have surgery on Sunday. A source said team physician Dr. Pat McKenzie advised LaFleur to have the tear repaired as soon as possible.

Just this week, LaFleur was seen in an OTA practice lining up at safety during a drill. Earlier this offseason, LaFleur, who played quarterback at Saginaw Valley State, actually grabbed the ball and threw some passes during rookie minicamp.

Afterward, he joked that he "threw some good balls out there, man."

The second-youngest coach in Packers history, LaFleur has an active approach in practice.

"I would say Matt is definitely hands-on," Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said this week. "The whole key is, especially now in the role that he's in, he's still got to be him. That's why he's here. That's why we're all here. We have to be who we are. I think everybody has their role they want to fill and who they think that they are.

"That's why you love Matt. Matt is the same guy I met about five, six years ago. He hasn't changed a bit besides now he's the head coach of the Packers. Every guy is different. Every head coach I've worked with and all the different guys I've been around have had their niche and how they want to do it."

The Packers have two more weeks left in the offseason program. The final OTAs are next week, followed by the mandatory minicamp June 11-13. The players are then off until training camp reporting day on July 24. The first practice is July 25.

Durant to miss Game 2; Iguodala likely after MRI

Published in Basketball
Friday, 31 May 2019 11:53

TORONTO -- Golden State Warriors star forward Kevin Durant will not play in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, but Andre Iguodala is expected to be available against the Toronto Raptors, coach Steve Kerr said Friday.

Durant, who went through a light individual workout on the court Friday, will continue rehabbing a right calf injury that has kept him out of the lineup since May 8.

"Kevin's not going to play Sunday," Kerr said. "I guess we've been sort of holding out hope, but I might as well just say it now. He's not practicing today. We'll have a practice tomorrow, but he's still progressing. It's near impossible for him to play on Sunday."

After his workout, Durant went through about an hour of treatment on his calf.

"Getting there," he told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.

Durant has been doing individual work since the Warriors touched down in Toronto, but he has not been cleared to participate in full practices. The Warriors continue to take a day-to-day approach regarding his availability, hopeful that he will be able to ramp up his workouts in the next few days.

"The thinking is, when he's ready to play, he'll play," Kerr said. "It's not like this is a sore ankle or his knee is sore, whatever, and you can play through it. This is a tricky one. If you reinjure the calf, then that's it and then he's done for the series. So when he's ready to play, he'll play. That's our approach."

Whenever Durant returns, Kerr does not believe it will be in a limited role.

"I don't see that," Kerr said. "When he's ready to play, we're going to play him. Maybe it will be a minutes issue based on his conditioning for not having played in a month or whatever it is, but we'll just have to wait and see. Once he's ready to play, he'll play. And then [Warriors director of sports medicine and performance] Rick [Celebrini] and I will discuss what a plan would be in terms of how many minutes and all that stuff."

The Warriors got some good news Friday when an MRI on Iguodala's left calf came back clean.

Iguodala, who sat out Game 4 of the Western Conference finals because of the same injury, played 29 minutes and tweaked the calf with 1:55 remaining in the Warriors' 118-109 loss in Game 1 on Thursday. The veteran swingman limped down the floor after coming down awkwardly on his leg, but the Warriors are confident he will be ready for Game 2.

"Andre had an MRI this morning," Kerr said, "and seems to be doing well. ... He said he felt pretty good."

Warriors forward Draymond Green says it has been good for both Durant and the team to have the big forward around again. Durant didn't travel with the Warriors for the final two games of the Western Conference finals against the Portland Trail Blazers as he continued his rehab at home.

"You can see him inching closer back to the team," Green said. "I think so much has been made of Kevin because of what lies ahead for him -- 'Oh, he's not with the team; he's not around; he's not a part of it.' In December or November or whatever month I was out, I wasn't around the team either. And at times Steph [Curry] was missing; he wasn't around the team either. That's kind of how the cookie crumbles. You're on your own schedule. You're rehabbing. You're doing all these different things to get back.

"So now you kind of see him around the team more. All of a sudden he's on the bus to shootaround or to practice. Once you start to get closer, you start to kind of move back into a normal schedule. You starting to see him, hear his voice more. You're starting to hear him coming up with adjustments even before the game, giving his input. But that's kind of just the natural buildup when you're going through an injury."

Kerr said the decision for Durant to travel was based on the fact that he could get the best treatment that way.

"Our training staff is here," Kerr said. "And we need him with our training staff. And we also need our training staff for the rest of our players. And Kevin also wanted to be with the guys."

Clippers fined $50K for Rivers' Kawhi comments

Published in Basketball
Friday, 31 May 2019 13:26

The NBA fined the LA Clippers $50,000 on Friday for tampering because of comments head coach Doc Rivers made about Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard earlier this week.

The league did not specify which comments violated the anti-tampering rule.

Rivers compared Leonard to Michael Jordan while breaking down the Raptors' matchup with the Golden State Warriors on ESPN's NBA Finals preview show.

"He is the most like Jordan that we've seen," Rivers said after Magic Johnson, the Lakers' former president of basketball operations, talked about Leonard on Tuesday's preview show. "Like, there's a lot of great players. LeBron [James] is phenomenal. KD [Kevin Durant] is phenomenal. But he is the most like him.

"Big hands. Post game. Can finish. Great leaper. Great defender. In-between game. If you beat him to the spot, bumps you off. Then you add his 3-point shooting. I never get into who's the best player. Magic is the best player, Michael Jordan is the best player, LeBron. But it's that same group."

Leonard will be a free agent this summer.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Rivers "crossed a bright line" when asked what the Clippers coach should do when he appears on a show that would require his analysis of other teams' players.

"I would just say Doc has been at this for a long time," Silver said in a video posted by the Boston Globe on Friday. "It's not a fun part of my job ever fining anyone. And I understand the interest of the media in hearing a coach's view about a current NBA player, but it's something where there's a bright line in this league and you're not allowed to do it.

"And head coaches or team executives in those positions, you just say, 'I'm not permitted by the league to respond to that question.' And it's a balance of interest. I understand that. But he unfortunately crossed a bright line."

The Clippers could have $54 million in cap space to pursue free agents this summer, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks. Leonard, who is originally from the Los Angeles area, will be among the Clippers' top targets.

Johnson drew a warning from the NBA after a 2017 appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in which he made tongue-in-cheek, wink-wink-type remarks about Paul George and the Lakers. The Lakers were later fined $500,000 after an NBA investigation for tampering with George and another $50,000 when Johnson later praised Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo.

TORONTO -- Kevin Durant was long gone by the time the Golden State Warriors' locker room opened after Thursday night's 118-109 loss to the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

His locker looked well worn, however, because this is where he sat, and paced, as his teammates lost the first game of an NBA Finals for the first time in five seasons.

"I know it's killing him not to be out there," Warriors guard Shaun Livingston said. "He's been very vocal in here. At halftime he was having a one-on-one talk with Stephen [Curry]. Giving him what he sees, his perspective. After the game, he was speaking up amongst the team. He had the floor."

This is all Durant has been able to do since he injured his right calf more than three weeks ago in Golden State's conference semifinals series against the Houston Rockets. Television cameras have caught him venturing out into the hallways to greet his teammates as they come in for halftime or exiting the arena. But except for those rare glimpses, Durant has been nearly invisible.

The Warriors looked so good without him in finishing off Houston and rolling over Portland that it became fashionable to talk about how they could win without him. How differently they play. The joy was back. Sharing (the ball) was caring, again. They looked like the Warriors of old, back when this dynastic run was still young and fresh -- and maybe like the Warriors' future, if Durant leaves as a free agent this summer.

A few brave souls might have even posited that Golden State might be better without him and cited the team's 31-1 record (entering the Finals) when playing with Stephen Curry, but without Durant.

But only the most insufferable Twitter troll would stand on that ground after Thursday's game. Because the Warriors absolutely need to get Durant back if they're going to win this series.

Toronto's defense reminded everyone why Durant has won the past two NBA Finals MVP awards. The Raptors are long, athletic and committed to disrupting Golden State's flow on offense. When teams do that to Golden State, Durant becomes their "Get out of Jail Free" card.

"People don't stop him," Warriors assistant coach Bruce Fraser said. "He either misses or makes shots. But the defense usually has very little to do with it. He's too good."

The defense matters a whole lot when Durant isn't out there, however.

"I think they're actually a lot like our team," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of the Raptors. "They can switch and guard different positions. They're tough, and they get after you and play well together."

The Warriors have been reminding anyone who would listen how much they needed Durant for the past three weeks. But it was hard to hear that as anything but courting their mercurial free-agent-to-be. If Durant was going to be home, hearing on social media how well the team was playing without him (and taking it personally enough to get into Twitter debates), he could at least keep reading quotes from his teammates and coaches saying how much they missed him.

But that concerted charm offensive wasn't lip service. Privately, the Warriors had been concerned about their chances to beat Toronto or Milwaukee in the Finals if Durant wasn't able to play. They knew they needed him as a failsafe on offense and maybe even more at the defensive end, given potential matchups with Kawhi Leonard or Giannis Antetokounmpo. That need is even more acute with Andre Iguodala battling a calf injury that had him noticeably wincing during Game 1.

While there's some optimism Durant plays at some point in these Finals, his chances to play in Game 2 on Sunday seem quite dim. He only traveled with the team to Toronto to be around the team's medical staff. But he hasn't practiced yet or done much on-court work. His rehabilitation work has mostly been upper-body conditioning and some light lower-body work that's not weight bearing.

If this were the regular season, one Warriors source said, Durant would probably be weeks away from returning to action, as this type of calf injury can easily be reinjured.

But this isn't the regular season, of course. It's the Finals. Perhaps the last Finals this group of Warriors plays in together.

During a fourth-quarter timeout with 7:31 remaining and the Warriors down by 12, Kerr lit into his team with an expletive-laced message. The Warriors were on their way to giving up 24 fast-break points: "For the past five days, the one message we had was, 'Get back on defense. ... This is the f---ing Finals. Get back on defense.'"

Being behind was nothing new for the Warriors. They had faced second-half deficits in three games in the Portland series. But as dominating as Golden State has been during this five-year run, their coach seems aware that they have never been more vulnerable.

That's what happens as a superteam ages, of course. Injuries mount. Key players leave. Depth is harder and harder to build as the star players are rewarded with increasingly lavish contracts. That sense of fragility has hung over the team all season. It's actually become something of a motivator, as those who have lived through this run try to enjoy it as long as possible.

The one thing they all were hoping -- depending on what Durant decides to do this summer -- was to finish strong. And while the Warriors' mantra has always been "strength in numbers," they have always known they are strongest when Kevin Durant is on the court.

ST. LOUIS -- Perhaps St. Louis sports fans will be distracted by the Stanley Cup Final, forgetting that the Chicago Cubs and Kris Bryant will be in town for a weekend series. It's the first time Bryant will be in St. Louis since famously calling the city "boring" during a comedy sketch at the team's annual fan convention this winter.

Hoping the viral moment will be forgotten could be wishful thinking, though. Bryant and his teammates are prepared to hear it from the loyal Cardinals fan base.

"Of course it's going to be not great," Bryant said with a smile Wednesday. "I hope they boo all of us. We want the games to be a nice rivalry and intense. It's always nice going there to play because there's a ton of people -- a lot of our fans show up, too. It makes it fun.

"There's no hard feelings."

The Cubs have several former Cardinals who can help shed light on what Bryant can expect at Busch Stadium come Friday night, including infielder Daniel Descalso. He played for St. Louis from 2010 to 2014.

"I feel like people were pretty upset with him, especially when Yadi [Molina] defended the city," Descalso said. "They love Yadi over there, so they're going to have his back. They're very passionate."

Not long after the comedy sketch hit the internet, Molina came to his city's defense in a rather aggressive manner. He said "only stupid players and losers" make fun of other cities, setting the stage for another intense season series.

Bryant and Molina saw each other at Wrigley Field when the teams met earlier in the month, but there wasn't much interaction, according to Bryant.

"I don't hate the guy," Bryant said. "I think he's a great player, great catcher and leader of his team. I get over things pretty quick. ... I don't know him, but I can't imagine not saying 'what's up' to him my whole career."

Bryant doesn't want to escalate the rhetoric, but that doesn't mean his teammates aren't having fun with it. The Cubs had the day off in St. Louis on Thursday, meaning Bryant had to find something to do. Some suggested the Gateway Arch, but that's not exactly his thing, as the 6-foot-5 infielder/outfielder is a bit claustrophobic. Instead, Bryant indicated he was just going to look for a good place to eat.

"Need some suggestions, though," he said before the off day.

Adding another layer to the story is Bryant's partner in crime, former Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster, who also disparaged St. Louis during the comedy bit, claiming he would never have signed there if given the opportunity as a free agent. Dempster is slated to call Friday's game for a Facebook broadcast, so Bryant might not be the only one to feel the wrath of Cardinals fans.

"I might go walk around and say hi to everyone," the almost-always-sarcastic Dempster said in a phone interview Thursday. "I wonder what he went to go do on the off day. Probably fun and exciting."

You could picture the smirk on Dempster's face as he said that final line. He's never been afraid to needle friend or foe, so he has plenty of experience hearing boos.

"I was pretty good at getting booed, even from my home crowd," he said. "I think KB is smart and he'll handle it like he's supposed to."

When informed that Dempster was going to be at the game, Descalso deadpanned, "They should make him trot out there, too."

The former Cubs pitcher suggested a tip of the helmet by Bryant to the fans if the razzing gets really loud, while teammate Kyle Schwarber thinks a simple smile will keep things light and show that the crowd isn't getting to him.

"When we went back to Cleveland in 2017 [after the Cubs beat the Indians in the 2016 World Series], I got booed a little bit," Schwarber recalled. "It's more hecklers than anything, out in left field.

"I think it's cool. You must be doing something right to be booed."

And therein is the reason Bryant garnered so much attention. Former Cub Alfonso Soriano famously told a teammate, "They don't boo nobodies." The bigger the star, the louder the boos.

"Looking back, it was the middle of January, not a whole lot going on," Descalso said of the skit that sparked all this. "[St. Louis fans] liked to boo Brandon Phillips every time he came to the plate over the years, maybe [Bryant] will get the same treatment."

Cubs manager Joe Maddon remembers the first time he was soundly booed. It came from the home crowd on the final day of the season.

"My first really good booing was as interim manager [in 1999]," Maddon said. "Eight and two-thirds innings for Jarrod Washburn, pitching a shutout, at Anaheim. [The visiting Rangers] were pinch-hitting and I brought in Lou Pote to replace Washburn. Jarrod did not appreciate me taking him out. The game had no deciding factor on anything. Retrospectively, I probably would have left him out for at least one more hitter, but I took him out. I was roundly booed by the Anaheim faithful and I kind of liked it. I had never been roundly booed before. I took that as a good sign."

Bryant and the Cubs will take that same approach this weekend, recognizing that they are part of an intense rivalry that sees the Cubs in first place and the Cardinals 4½ games behind them. Bryant would rather focus just on baseball at this point, even if fans this weekend have other things when he steps to the plate.

"I was generally just joking and having a good time with Dempster," Bryant said, reiterating his take from January on the sketch.

Descalso added: "We'll probably laugh at it. We know there is nothing malicious."

Wayde van Niekerk, Sally Pearson, Karsten Warholm, Mutaz Barshim, Katerina Stefanidi and Christian Taylor set to compete in London

Six world champions from London 2017 will return to the scene of their triumphs at the Müller Anniversary Games on July 20-21.

Olympic and two-time world 400m champion Wayde van Niekerk, London 2012 Olympic and two-time world 100m hurdles champion Sally Pearson, world and European 400m hurdles champion Karsten Warholm, world high jump champion Mutaz Barshim, Olympic and world pole vault champion Katerina Stefanidi and double Olympic and three-time world triple jump champion Christian Taylor are the latest athletes announced to compete at the Diamond League meeting in the London Stadium in July, as they prepare to defend their world titles at the IAAF World Championships in Doha later this year.

With 50 days to go until the event, the ‘six from 2017’ were announced on Twitter by some of Britain’s greatest ever athletics stars and celebrities.

Van Niekerk was the first athlete revealed by Britain’s two-time world 110m hurdles champion Colin Jackson.

The South African sprint star will compete over 400m at the Müller Anniversary Games in one of the most highly-anticipated races of the weekend. It will be the first time Van Niekerk, the 400m world record-holder, has raced in the London Stadium since his sensational 400m gold medal and 200m silver medal-winning performances in 2017.

The London stadium is a particularly special venue for Australian hurdler Pearson, who won her Olympic gold medal there in 2012 before once again emerging victorious on this track to secure the 2017 world title, and her Anniversary Games participation was announced by 2012 Olympic and three-time world champion heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill.

Norway’s Warholm was announced by former European 400m champion Iwan Thomas, while Barshim was named by two-time Olympic decathlon champion Daley Thompson.

Stefanidi was revealed by British Athletics Couch to 5k ambassador and television personality Nell McAndrew.

The last name to be revealed was triple jump star Taylor, with former Olympic and world 400m hurdles champion Sally Gunnell highlighting his inclusion in the line-up.

“The Müller Anniversary Games is one of the world’s premier outdoor meets and always attracts the best athletes in the world, and I’m very excited that these six champions from the London 2017 World Championships will be competing in the London Stadium on 20-21 July,” said Cherry Alexander, major events director for British Athletics.

“They will be joined by many more top stars, and we will see some spectacular performances as the countdown begins for the world championships later this summer. The Müller Anniversary Games will be an outstanding weekend of entertainment for all the family in the iconic London Stadium and is not to be missed.”

Tickets for the Müller Anniversary Games are on sale at www.theticketfactory.com/british-athletics

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EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsTyler Naquin, who hasn't played in the major leagues since 2023, is...

A's hire ex-Raiders prez Badain for same position

A's hire ex-Raiders prez Badain for same position

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLAS VEGAS -- Former Las Vegas Raiders President Marc Badain was hir...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

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    Federation Internationale de Speedball

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