Sportshour

We speak to seventeen time Paralympic medallist Tatyana McFadden and director Ian Bonhote ahead of the release of a major new film about the Paralympic movement. McFadden is one of nine athletes featured in Rising Phoenix and she recalls spending time in a Russian orphanage, being adopted and moving to America and then being reunited with her birth mother at Sochi 2014. McFadden tells us she isn’t ruling out competing in another Winter Games and that she hopes to continue her career until the Los Angeles Paralympics in 2028. Ian Bonhote has previously worked on advertising campaigns with Lionel Messi and Tiger Woods and he tells us it was important to give the athletes in Rising Phoenix their own spotlight. He also tells the story of Jean-Baptiste Alaize. The French athlete – who features in the documentary – witnessed his mother’s murder as a child and was hacked with machetes and left for dead himself.David Diamante speaks to us ahead of Katie Taylor’s world title fight against Delphine Persoon. Diamante

We take an in-depth look at the issues surrounding the upcoming college football season after two of the game's major conferences - the Pac-12 and Big Ten - announced they won’t play this Autumn due to concerns around the Covid-19 pandemic. Super Bowl winner and former University of Notre Dame player Rocky Boiman believes the season should go ahead, telling us “If anybody is looking for a 100% safe environment in this world, anywhere, you’re not going to get it. It does not exist”. He also believes a lack of football could cost some players a shot at the NFL draft and adds he’s now resigned to all college football being cancelled in the coming weeks. Hunter Reynolds plays for the University of Michigan and is part of the #BigTenUnited movement. He won’t be playing following the postponement of the Big Ten. He tells us some players he’s spoken to are worried their coaches may be prepared to risk putting winning above safety. Broadcaster Mike Carlson also joins us and he believes the stand-off around the col

I asked myself ‘if it’s not me, then who is it?’” - Farid Noori on his dream of becoming the first mountain biker from Afghanistan to compete at an Olympics. Farid Noori grew up as a refugee in Pakistan after his family fled the Taliban when he was just two years old. He tells us about his early life in Pakistan, his return to Afghanistan and how he’s hoping to grow the sport in his homeland. Noori recalls going to school in a Unicef tent and being able to see rocket shells and debris that were left over from the war. He remembers learning to ride a bike while waiting in line for bread and he says he hopes his own Olympic ambitions can help pave the way for other athletes from Afghanistan. “I thought my career was over at seventeen and to have gone through this a second time is pretty brutal” – Annabelle Lindsay on the rule change that has ended her international wheelchair basketball career. Lindsay is one of a number of athletes, who have been told their disabilities no longer meet the new eligibility

Australian ultra-marathon swimmer Chloe McCardel joins us after she swam the English Channel for the thirty second time this week. She’s aiming to break the men’s record for channel crossings, which currently stands at thirty four and received an exemption from the Australian government to travel to the UK amid the Covid-19 pandemic.Former Orlando Magic, Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers player DeAndre Liggins joins us to discuss the return of the NBA and his decision to join the London Lions. Liggins praises his friend LeBron James for speaking up on social issues and says playing in the Florida bubble makes this “the hardest championship to win”. Liggins adds that his aim now is to put British Basketball on the map. Jamaican 1500 meters runner Aisha Praught-Leer tells us she hopes to inspire the next generation of middle-distance runners on the Island so the they can become known for more than sprinting. Praught-Leer also tells us she will be pushing to help change the International Olympic Committee’s Rul

Alyssa Nakken on making history in Major League Baseball. San Francisco Giants assistant coach Alyssa Nakken joins us to reflect on becoming the first woman to coach on field in an MLB game. She coached first base during this week’s exhibition against the Oakland A’s and tells us she’s grateful for the opportunity but “it’s not like we won a World Series”. Nakken also says she doesn’t feel she’s looked at any differently at the club because she’s a woman. Nakken reveals her “insecurities” lie more with the fact she hasn’t had much experience of “big league level”.The president of the NWSL expansion team set for Los Angeles in 2022 - Julie Uhrman – on the hype around her new club. Uhrman tells us about the club partnering with LA84, being inspired by the City Football Group, attracting players to Los Angeles and the fact her club will allow their players to protest about social issues. Uhrman says: “This started by having a deep interest in pay equity. When something is happening in the world that we are not

“What story are we telling about America?” – Washington’s NFL team agree to change their name.We discuss the Washington Redskins decision to change their controversial name and logo following years of opposition from Native American communities and recent pressure from major club sponsors. Mark Trahant - who is a member of Idaho’s Shoshone-Bannock Tribe and editor of Indian Country Today - tells us the name was offensive because “it came from the era when natives were sold by body parts”. He also recalls being told by his father as a six year old boy not to use the ‘R word’ and he believes all teams that use Native American words and symbols will eventually have to change their names. The “Washington Red Tails” is among the favourites to be the team’s next name and we’re joined by Martin McCauley, who owns the trademark to that name along with a host of others. The Washington fan tells us all about his unusual hobby of trademarking potential team names, how he won’t stand in Washington’s way if they want to u

We go live to Southampton where it is day four of the first test match between England and the West Indies. It has been four months without International cricket and we bring you the latest action from our team who are at the ground.It’s not just listening to cricket that has made a welcome return this week, in the next few hours cricketers up and down the UK will be pulling on their whites for the first time as they are allowed to play for the first time and we hear from one of the players.In January, Mose Masoe, a Samoan Rugby international, was playing in a pre-season friendly match for his team Hull KR and went into a tackle awkwardly. When he woke up he couldn’t feel his legs and told he would never walk again. Fast forward 6 months and he has taken his first steps. We caught up with him and his wife Carissa, who’s about to give birth to their third child.The European PGA tour got underway this week and we hear from caddie Ollie Briggs on what it is like returning to the golf course.A club in Lesotho has

We go live to Epsom in the South of England where the Derby will be held for the first time behind closed doors. Our racing commentator John Hunt will tell us about the importance of the race and we hear from jockey Oisin Murphy who has overcome many hurdles to ride in the big race today.We speak to Lee Kershaw who is a professional Rugby League player with Wakefield in the Superleague. But, like many, with no sport to play, he’s had to look elsewhere for work, away from the sport he loves. He tells us about his struggles. We should be at Wimbledon for middle Saturday today so we hear from Richard Lewis the Chief Executive of the All England Club about how they have been impacted by the Coronavirus and catch up with Georgian player Sofia Shapatava on how her petition to support lower league tennis players is going. Plus Rufus the hawk's handler Imogen Davis tells us how he is keeping busy and how a baby Rufus may be on the way next year.Plus it is time to call time on the humble whistle? Across sport it marks

Liverpool and the end of their long wait for the Premier League title - For some Liverpool fans, seeing their side end a thirty year wait to be crowned English Champions was bittersweet as they had loved ones who didn't live to see it. Mark McVeigh joins us to talk about his son Owen, who died of leukaemia at the age of eleven. Father and son travelled home and away together to watch Liverpool and there's a flag in Owen's honour on the Kop. Mark admits its been an emotional time and he also tells us about the Owen McVeigh foundation, which works with children suffering from Cancer. We're also joined by the Mayor of Liverpool - Joe Anderson - who tells us the club will have a title parade when the time is right.Terry Willis is walking from his home in Alabama to the scene of George Floyd's death in Minneapolis for "change, justice and equality". Willis tells us what happened to Floyd could have happened to him. While, Tamara Moore, who is the only female coach of a men's college basketball team in America, wa

The Premier League returned this week following a one hundred day hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Ahead of the opening round of fixtures: players, managers, coaching staff and officials took a knee to highlight racial injustice. The BBC's football correspondent John Murray, former Liverpool defender Gary Gillespie and Liverpool fan and broadcaster Lizzi Doyle discuss the significance of English football making its voice heard and the prospect of Liverpool ending a thirty year wait for a League Title in the coming week. Gary was part of the last Liverpool side to be crowned English Champions, while Lizzi wasn't born the last time the club won the League."I'm behind NASCAR all the way - we are taking baby steps to better our sport" - Brehanna Daniels is the first African-American woman to work pit crew in Nascar, having made her debut as a tire changer in 2017. She joins us to discuss how she got into the sport and why she gives her backing to NASCAR's decision to ban the Confederate flag.Afghanistan's Di

Chicago Fire forward - CJ Sapong - tells us he welcomes the US Soccer Federation's decision to repeal it's policy requiring national team players to stand during the national anthem. Sapong - who has played for the US Men's National Team - believes a situation has been created around the national anthem, which equates to: "if you're not loyal to this flag...you deserve to die". He also recalls an incident where his family were confronted at a high school soccer game because someone in the crowd felt he had disrespected the national anthem."My heart was broken. I'd given up." - Former AFL Star Adam Goodes describes the toll racist abuse took on him and how being abused by a teenage girl during a game set in motion a chain of events that saw him walk away from the sport in 2015. He also speaks about the importance of athletes using their platforms following George Floyd's death. Nessun Dorma and Italia 90 - Thirty years on from the 1990 World Cup, the BBC's Head of TV Sport - Philip Bernie - tells us how and

Washington Mystics player Natasha Cloud believes the time for silence is over following the death of George Floyd. Cloud says "I fear for my life simply because of the colour of my skin" and that she knows she will suffer racism at some point every day. Cloud adds "that fear is there for every single black American" and says one of her biggest fears is bringing a black child into the world. Cloud says if what happened to George Floyd doesn't "wake you up" it "says a lot about who you are as a human being". "What if I was George Floyd?" - This week more than a dozen of the NFL's top players - including MVP Patrick Mahomes - released a video telling the league that they won't be silenced. It came after the NFL was criticised for it's earlier statement following the death of George Floyd. We speak to former New York Giants player Jason Bell about how the NFL have reacted this week and the fall-out between Saints team-mates Drew Brees and Malcolm Jenkins over Brees comments about kneeling during the national anth

The former Nike Oregon Project athlete - Mary Cain - tells us she now feels "free" when she runs and how she has "discovered the love for it". Cain says her performances during the indoor season have added "fuel to the fire" as she seeks to improve and she believes the Olympics being postponed until 2021 could work in her favour. Cain describes her current coach - John Henwood - as an "amazing person, friend and confidant". Cain is now working with the Boston based company, Tracksmith, on a contract that sees her as a full time employee. She says that has helped ease her worries during the covid-19 pandemic as she's not left worrying about where her next paycheck will come from.Snooker player Mark King tells us if he wasn't able to attend Gamblers Anonymous meetings over Zoom he's "one thousand per cent" sure he would have had a bet during the covid-19 lockdown in the UK. He also tells us "95%" of tour players will be struggling financially as they haven't had any tournaments since March. King is due to play

"I don't think it's going to stop the forward momentum" - Author and documentary maker Susie Petruccelli joins us to discuss the development of women's soccer in America after the US National Women's Team lost their equal pay lawsuit. The team are appealing the decision and Sarah Mulkerrins joins us to explain the background to the case. Former USWNT players Brandi Chastain and Sarah Hagen give us their thoughts on the fight for equal pay and we also speak to Lindsay Eanet. She recently became the first female public address announcer for a professional sports team in Chicago. She's employed by the NWSL side the Chicago Red Stars. "In France if you are a good jockey but a woman you are just a woman jockey. I don't want to be that, I want to be just a jockey like Frankie Dettori." Mickaelle Michel tells us how she's using television shows to teach herself Japanese, with the long-term aim of basing herself there. Over the winter Michel rode a record number of winners for a foreign jockey in Japan. She's back

Story of survival - Ken Dwan is an Olympian who competed at the 1968 and 72 games. But one of his toughest battles was in the last few weeks as he fought coronavirus, he tells us all about what it was like, the doctor who saved him and his hopes for the future.We also hear from Olympic and World Cup Champion Brandi Chastain and former professional footballer and cancer survivor Sarah Hagen. The two have exchanged twitter messages after Sarah celebrated being 15 years cancer free. They have now become friends and also helped each others careers without even realising it.This weekend the Bundesliga is back! After two months Germany's top-flight will become the first major football league in Europe to return to competition. Commentator Kevin Hitchard and former professional goalkeeper and current football board member Lutz Pfannensteil have been keeping audio diaries of how they have been preparing this week. Plus we go live to Germany to hear more about the safety protocols put in place to fight COVID-19. Rever

This week on BBC Sportshour we bring you stories of hope.Australian swimmer and silver medalist Madeline Groves tells us she how the Olympics moving to 2021 has helped her after describing the pain she suffers as being 'stabbed in the uterus'. Luckily she has been able to have surgery to help and now is hopeful she will be able to compete in the Olympics next year.The Netflix documentary The Last Dance has been released early due to Coronavirus. It charts Michael Jordan's all-conquering Chicago Bulls basketball side and their hunt for a sixth NBA title in the 1997-98 season. It’s apparently overtaken Tiger King as the world's most in-demand documentary. With never seen before footage, It’s an all access series featuring everyone from Michael’s mum Deloris, to his superstar teammates like Scotty Pippin and Dennis Rodman. We caught up with Director Jason Hehir.The Campbell family from Scotland are already on their way to Tokyo, they set off before the Coronavirus took hold, intending to travel over land and du

"I couldn't see my baby daughter for two weeks" - former Canada Karina Leblanc goalkeeper gave birth to her daughter last month. However, soon after her baby was born, Karina was rushed to hospital with breathing issues. Due to the possible risk of exposure to COVID 19 at the hospital - Karina then had to self quarantine from her baby and husband for two weeks. We speak to Karina about what happened, how hard it was being separated from her daughter Paris and how good it felt to hold her baby for the first time after isolation."I feel like my purpose in life is competing at a very high level" - in 2018 Robert Wickens was paralysed following an IndyCar crash. Recently he's been competing in the INDYCAR IRacing Challenge, a competitive series that uses simulators. He tells us he sees it as a step towards racing in IndyCar again and how he was determined to and managed to stand at his wedding last September.Anxiety in the A League - play in Australia's A League was suspended in March due to the COVID 19 pandemic

"It's almost deja vu - I had flashbacks" - Former Green Bay Packers executive Andrew Brandt joins us to give his reaction to the virtual NFL draft and his old side's shock selection of a new quarterback. Draft selection Jordan Love is being tipped to challenge established quarterback Aaron Rodgers long-term and Brandt who drafted Rodgers and had to manage a similar situation with him and Brett Favre predicts things won't end pretty.Cricket in the South Pacific Islands - On Saturday the season resumes on Vanuatu, with the Women's club super league finals day. Vanuatu has NO cases of coronavirus but they were struck earlier this month by cyclone Harold, one of the strongest ever recorded in the region. We'll speak live to Shane Deitz who is the head of cricket there. Every time I step out the door I'm "fearful" - UFC fighter Trevin Giles is also a police officer in Houston. He tells us how his day job has changed during the COVID 19 pandemic and of his fears about catching the virus and potentially spreading

Team Cofidis rider Nathan Haas joined us to discuss the importance of the Tour de France to the sport of cycling and the French public after the race was postponed until August. The Australian has been on lockdown in Spain for over thirty days now due to the COVID 19 pandemic and describes how hard that has been. He warns that a year without the Tour de France could be disastrous for his sport. Guenther Steiner, the breakout star of the documentary series Drive to Survive and team principal of the Haas Formula 1 team, has been telling Jennie Gow about his starring role in the Netflix series. Jennie also gave us the latest on where we stand with the current season, with the French Grand Prix the latest to appear in doubt.On Saturday the richest ever online chess tournament gets underway, with eight of the world's top players fighting it out for a prize pool of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. It's the brainchild of the world number one - Magnus Carlsen - who told us how they'll make sure no one cheats,

US Paralympic snowboarder Brittani Coury told us she is choosing "faith over fear" after swapping ski slopes for hospital wards. Coury has returned to nursing to help fight the COVID 19 coronavirus pandemic. The silver medallist from the 2018 Paralympics told us she isn't afraid for her safety and says her "heart breaks" for her patients.How long does it take an athlete to lose their competitive edge? That is a question we explore with the help of an Olympic Swimming Champion, a World Champion Boxer, a Netball player and a competitor from the World's Strongest Man as they all try to maintain their sharpness during the coronavirus lockdown. Sharon van Rouwendaal told us for every week she's out of the water it takes her two weeks to regain the fitness she has lost. She also explains how she's training with the use of a children's paddling pool and a bungee rope. We don't like Cricket - we love it. In the week that the English County Championship was due to start we speak to people in the game about the impac