Sportshour

Has has the past two weeks been a decisive moment for athlete climate activism? As COP26, the United Nations climate change conference, ends what impact has sport had on delivering for the future? Athletes, organisations and members of the sporting community have signed a manifesto calling on, amongst other things, net zero and to protect communities and natural habitats. We hear from English cricketer Joe Cooke, one of those who signed the manifesto. Plus Fiona Morgan is the Global Director of Purpose & Impact at SailGP, a championship that races all over the world but has added a sustainability aspect to the action, rewarding teams as much for their speed on the water as their impact on the environment. She told us about the role sport is playing at COP26 and what it's like to take part in one of the panel discussions at the summit.It's been a busy month for Vivianne Miedema, banging in the goals for Arsenal, nominated for the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year and alongside her partner, West Ham's Lisa

The NHL, the professional ice hockey league in North America, has been rocked by allegations of sexual abuse and failure to investigate them when they were first made. It revolves around a law suit a former Chicago Blackhawks player has brought against the team after he allege he was abused by one of the coaches. That player, Kyle Beach, spoke out publicly this week in an emotional interview with TSN journalist Rick Westhead. We hear part of that interview and from Rick on exposing sexual abuse in the NHL and the cover up.As COP26 continues in Glasgow we look at what role sport can play in protecting the planet. And whilst Baseball's World Series crowned its champion this week, for Milwaukee Brewer’s pitcher Brent Suter the work on making the sport environmentally conscious continues. Proudly known as the "greenest man in baseball" he tells us about the challenges he's faced trying to change minds and habits of team mates and fans.Seeing our favourite stars doing their bit does have an impact because as fans

As Namibia's men continue to make history at their first T20 Cricket World Cup we speak to Dr Rudie van Vuuren, a two-sport international for the country. These days Dr van Vuuren combines his passion for sport with a passion for conservation. He recalls playing at both the Cricket and Rugby World Cups in 2003 and tells us what he would like to see come out of the COP26 Climate Change Conference.We put the same question to Seyi Smith. He’s a Summer and Winter Olympian who's co-founded 'Racing to Zero' in his native Canada. The aim is to make small-scale, local sporting events carbon neutral. Seyi was a sprinter who represented his country at London 2012 and then at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Bobsled. But he’s also an engineer by trade. Once his track career had ended, it was a speech by the former US President Barack Obama which convinced him he needed to encourage grass-roots change to tackle the climate crisis.Great Britain Rower, Melissa Wilson, joins us as she prepares to attend COP26 as a representative

When the first whistle blows in the Premier League most players will drop to one knee as a way of highlighting racial injustice and supporting positive change. It's something that has happened at Premier League matches since the death of George Floyd in 2020. But has 'taking the knee' lost its impact? We hear from former athlete Michelle Moore whose new book 'Real Wins' is described as an urgent call to action from one of the most influential women in sport.With the UCI Track Cycling World Championships taking place in France we hear from Canadian sprint legend Gordon Singleton, the only man to hold all three sprint world records at the same time, about just how special it is to win a world title.Plus as the W-Series, the premier women’s driving championship comes, to an end this weekend we preview the final round of races with one of the drivers, Jessica Hawkins. But you won’t just see Jessica on the track she’s on the big screen too, in the latest Bond film! Jessica tells us how she juggles being a racing c

For a number of years up to 2020, Kelly Lindsey was Head Coach of the Afghan women's football team. Recently she's taken up a position in England with Lewes FC, the first club in the country to pay its female players exactly the same as it's male players. It's no surprise that Kelly should be at such a progressive club, she's always lead by example, and as she explained her experiences in Afghanistan were life changing.In what’s been a difficult week for American football, we look at the fallout from Jon Gruden's resignation as the Las Vegas Raiders' head coach after allegations of the existence of numerous inappropriate emails surfaced. Plus on the weekend London hosts Miami Dolphins and the Jacksonville Jaguars, we’ll look at the NFL’s plan to expand its International Series to Germany with former NFL star Markus Kuhn.Before the Olympics in July much of the talk was of whether athletes would use their time on the podium to protest against injustice. As it turns out there was hardly any athlete activism on d

We explore the aftermath of the shocking allegations of abuse in women's football in the USA. The news from the NWSL was particularly distressing for former Irish international Ciara McCormack, because for many years in Canada, Ciara tried to be heard and taken seriously when in 2008 she highlighted alleged mis-conduct by her coach at the Vancouver White Caps, Bob Birarda. In 2019, McCormack wrote a blog post called "A Horrific Canadian Soccer Story – The Story No One Wants to Listen To, But Everyone Needs to Hear." Birarda, who was also the coach of the Canadian women's under-20 team, was charged with multiple sex offences in 2020, which he denies and is await trial. Ciara started by explaining about the atmosphere and power dynamic at the club.The first new sickle-cell treatment in 20 years was announced this week. It's expected to help keep thousands of people out of hospital and reduce health inequalities for black people, who are predominantly affected. Like Nigerian Rugby League star Ade Adebisi, or th

Ken Green had a good career as a professional golfer, he was a five time winner of the US Tour and reached 15 in the world. For Ken however it was much more than a sport, because his life off the course had seen so much trauma. Here in his own words he explains what he as been through and how golf "saved me... Twice!"The final race of the Triathlon Super League season took place last weekend in Malibu California. We thought it would be a good opportunity to catch up with Taylor Spivey who was racing in front of her family in her home race. And we did talk about that, and about her recovery from a serious bike crash in 2014 which still to this day affects her, but that's the most compelling part of the conversation was when talking about the Olympics and the emotional cost of just missing out on a dream.Football, She Wrote is a new book where women have written a chapter on the game they love. It's a fascinating collection of memoirs and interviews covering all sorts of topics. Fudumo Olow is one of the contr

Tiara Brown is one of the leading names in women's boxing and until a year ago was an award-winning police officer in Washington DC. Back in December, she told Sportshour she left the department feeling they were unwilling to instigate change following the murder of George Floyd. Now, in the first case of its kind, Tiara, and nine other black female officers, have filed a lawsuit against the capitols Police Department citing allegations of sexual harassment and marginalisation. We hear from lawyer Pamela Keith and Tiara.We find out what it's like to sink the winning putt for Europe in the Ryder Cup played in the USA. That's what Irish golfer Phillip Walton did in 1995. He tells us about that experience and why it was bittersweet.It is the AFL Grand Final between Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs. Despite this year's final being between two teams based in Melbourne, the game is being played in Western Australia because Melbourne is in a Covid lockdown and Perth is not. We are joined by Cheryl Critchley who ru

Athletes Unlimited is a collective promoting a new way of thinking about professional sport, placing the player at the very heart and doing away with team owners. It's currently running leagues in women’s volleyball, lacrosse and softball. Jon Patricof, the CEO at Athletes Unlimited, told us how this revolutionary new concept works.Could the development of AI help players avoid injury? That’s one of the claims made by technology companies who operate automated video recording system that records the entire field without the need for a camera operator. Victoria Rich is the Director of Operations for the NWSL, where the technology is being used. Meanwhile, the system has also allowed some teams and leagues without any television contracts to stream their matches to fans and raise some revenue. Patrik Olsson, co-founder & CEO at Spiideo, explained how it works.Two times Paralympic archery gold medallist Danielle Brown explains how she used archery as a coping mechanism to deal with her chronic pain. Now reti

On the 20th anniversary of the 11 September attacks on the United States, we reflect on the role that Sport played, and continues to play, in helping to rebuild the lives of those affected and in remembering those who died.Mary Wittenberg was assistant race director for the New York Marathon in 2001. Going ahead just a few weeks after the attacks, it was the city’s biggest mass gathering since the losses suffered on September 11. US Sport’s big team franchises had already resumed playing but, says Mary, this was the first chance for ordinary New Yorkers to do something for their family and friends; either in remembrance or in solidarity.We also look at the lasting legacy of Mark Bingham, who died over-powering those who had hijacked United Airlines Flight 93. The Bingham Cup, set up in his honour, is one of the premier International Gay Rugby competitions. Karl Ainscough-Gates, the chair of International Gay Rugby, joins us to remember Mark’s sacrifice and celebrate how he continues to change lives to this da

As the Paralympics come to a close we hear from Japan’s Deputy Chef de Mission Miki Matheson on whether the games have been a success. Plus the hidden heroes of the Games. Jose Bernardino is one of the official Otto Bock prosthetic technicians offering support for free to athletes. Their work not only helps performance on the track but to change lives off it. Plus proving age is just a number, 60-year-old Carol Cooke picked up a silver in Tokyo to go along with the three golds she won at the last three Games.Plus, ahead of the American Football season we look at how the NFL have managed to get over 93% of the league's players fully vaccinated without mandating or forcing players to get the jab. But for those refusing to be vaccinated, will it cost them their job? We hear from Tim Elcombe, Associate Professor at the Balsillie School of International Affairs.Plus we preview the Women’s Super League as the new football season in England kicks off, and find out about the first Dutch Formula One Grand Prix for mor

We’re live in Tokyo on Day 5 of the Paralympics, hearing from Spanish Paralympian Desirée Vila. An elite gymnast, she thought her sporting career was over after an injury that ultimately resulted in her losing her leg… but not only did she find Paralympic sport and is competing at her first Games, she’s also a powerful voice advocating positive body image in the Spanish-speaking world.Swimmer Abbas Karimi, who is competing under the IPC’s refugee team, tells us why he had to flee Afghanistan when the Taliban first rose to power. We also hear from the man who won Japan’s first gold of the Games, swimmer Takayuki Suzuki, who tells us what life's like for the disabled community in Japan.Mina Ahmadi, a member of the current Afghan women’s national team, tells us about her fears for those players who have not been able to leave the country.Plus, reaction to the Netball Grand Final, the biggest prize in club netball in Australia.Photo: Bartlomiej Zborowski

For many years the players of the Afghanistan women's football team were seen as beacons of hope and empowerment in the country. Now they are in hiding and in fear for their lives. Haley Carter is the former assistant coach of the Afghan women's team and also a US Marine veteran. She is in daily contact with players and desperately trying to help them.Ahead of the Le Man's 24 hour race, we hear from Amanda Stretton who knows exactly what it takes to be part of one of the most iconic races in motor sport. As it turns out, her journey to the start line took as much endurance as the race itself.We hear from cricketer Nicole Harvey, who a year ago was hospitalised whilst pregnant. She had contracted sepsis and nearly died. A year on she has been one of the stars of the inaugural season of The Hundred.Plus ahead of the Paralympics we gather the presenters of BBC World Service podcast On The Podium, Paralympian Scout Basset, comedian Eliza Skinner and BBC athletic commentator Ed Harry to preview the event.(Photo: H

Swimmer Markus Rogan was a double Olympic silver medallist in 2004 in Athens and a world record holder, before it all fell apart. He learnt the hard way about what can happen when the Olympic flame is extinguished. For some like him, when their sporting careers end a new unexpected challenge arises. Markus tells us about his struggle for a new identity and purpose away from the sporting arena, and his advice to other athletes facing that same challengeKaleigh Gilchrist was badly injured in an accident when the balcony she was standing on collapsed. That almost cost her her place at the Games, and much more. Thankfully she made a full recovery and with the additional year delay to the Olympics, she was ready to take her part in what would eventually turn out to be a gold medal for her and the rest of the USA Women's water polo team. Her second Olympic goldPlus we preview the new Premier League seasonPhoto: Markus Rogan in action in 2006 (Credit: Friedemann Vogel/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Athlete's mental welfare has been one of the main topics of the Olympics, and winning a gold medal doesn't always mean peace of mind. The down after the high of becoming a gold medallist, can be real to some athletes... Helen Richardson Walsh won gold in Rio and knows exactly the potential difficulties that comes after the Games have endedMelanie Smith Taylor, gold medallist in LA in 1984 recalls a unique and funny moment when receiving here gold medal from Prince Phillip on the podium Away from the Games we meet Abhimanyu Mishra who at the age of 12 has became the world's youngest Grandmaster in chess history. Abhi's love of the game started even earlier - after he was introduced to it by his dad Hemant at just 2 and a half!and as FA Cup holders Leicester City face Premier League champion Manchester City in the Community Shield, we hear about another team from the city starting their journey to Wembley. Leicester Nirvana face Deeping Rangers as this year's FA Cup competition as the Extra Preliminary Round ta

Switzerland’s Jolanda Neff reflects on winning the gold medal in the cross-country mountain bike event at the Tokyo Olympics. Neff and her team-mates made history as Switzerland won all three medals in the event. The 28-year-old says it will take some time to comprehend what they have achieved. Neff also tells us how she broke her hand just six weeks before the Olympics and explains how she did not start riding and jumping her bike again until she arrived in Japan.We look ahead to the women’s 100m final with the 2004 Olympic silver medallist Lauryn Williams. The former USA star tells us how to execute the perfect race, recalls how she felt winning an Olympic medal and gives us her thoughts on what gymnast Simone Biles has been through this week. Biles pulled out of the women’s team final to protect her mental health and Williams believes the situation will shine a spotlight on athlete welfare.We also hear from former USA swimmer Ella Eastin on the pressure elite athletes are under, South Africa’s first black

We’re live in Japan on day one of the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The BBC’s Ed Harry reflects on the opening ceremony and rounds up the best of the action so far, while Japanese Olympic historian, Roy Tomizawa, gives us a sense of how the local population feel about the event taking place against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic. We also hear from Mayar Sherif who makes history as the first Egyptian woman to play tennis at an Olympic Games and from USA water polo player Kaleigh Gilchrist, who is in Tokyo two years on from being injured when a balcony collapsed in a nightclub she was in. Simon Gleave from Gracenote tells us which nations are predicted to do well in the medals table and in Sporting Witness, wrestler Yojiro Uetake recalls his memories of competing in the Tokyo Olympics of 1964. And Australia bowler Amanda-Jade Wellington tells us about her excitement about playing in new cricket format, The Hundred. The Southern Brave player tells us it doesn’t need to try and replicate t

Divina Galica, on being the last woman to enter the British Grand Prix and how the former 4 time Olympian is still very much involved in the world of motorsport.We talk to Australian pro cyclist Lachlan Morton, who has completed his remarkable journey of riding not only every stage of the Tour de France, but also cycling all of the transfers in between the stages too! He has completed a 5,500 km journey all by himself raised more than £450,000 for World Bike Relief.Cuban born American Ileana Rodriguez talks to us about being Chef de Mission for the first ever refugee Paralympic team. We hear from one athlete whose Olympic dream has been dashed by the pandemic. Jamaican swimmer Michael Gunning had achieved the qualifying time for Tokyo when the Games were postponed last year, fast forward to now and with a change to the number of places available on the team, he finds himself facing the cold, harsh reality that his Olympic dream is over.Image: Divina Galica of Great Britain sits aboard the #14 Olympus Cameras

We join home favourite Elisa Longo Borghini on the start line of the Giro d'Italia Donne, the most prestigious road race in women's cycling. She tells us why seeing her family cheer her on will be extra special this year, and what it would mean for an Italian to take the title.The opening ceremony of the Olympics is now just a few weeks away and whether Evy Liebfarth grabs gold or not, she is guaranteed to make history. Alongside her fellow competitors, Liebfarth will be one of the first women to ever compete in canoeing at the games. She'll also be one of the younger competitors in Tokyo, but that's not to say she's new to the sport. Under the guidance of her father, the 17-year-old has been waiting for her moment for years!Everyone dreams of gold, but for many simply getting to the Games marks a huge achievement. Ahead of the Rio Games in 2016, we met Houry Gebeshian who was set to become the first Armenian woman to compete in artistic gymnastics. She told us about her gruelling schedule, so was it worth th

We preview the knockout stages at the Euros. As the Tour de France begins, we’re on the start line with former England footballer Geoff Thomas, as he attempts to complete the exact course of cycling’s greatest competition, a week ahead of the race.We’ll look at the environmental impact of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. We’ll hear from ‘ecoathletes’, one group of athletes who are at the forefront of bringing attention to climate change thought their sporting platform.After Pele called for snooker to be included in the Olympics we speak with Igor Figueiredo, the only professional snooker player from Brazil. As the Women’s PGA takes place in Atlanta, Georgia, we look at why some sports are shunning the state and others aren’t.Image: Getty Images.