Sportshour

When the 38 runners and riders gather at the starting line at Aintree, it will be a Grand National like no other seen in the past 30 years. For the first time since 1988, three female jockeys will be in their number. We speak to the first ever female rider to take part in the race in 1977, Charlotte Budd now known as Brew on her memories of that iconic race and how the sport is now heading in the right direction with gender equality.Australian weightlifter Tia Clare Toomey was asked whether she wanted to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games, just a week on after tragically losing her cousin in a car crash. Tia Clare wanted to compete and make her cousin proud. Her cousin Jade was meant to be in the stands cheering her on. Tia went on to lift her personal best 114kg in the clean and jerk to win gold in her home Games. She was also declared the Fittest Woman on Earth last year, when she won the 2017 CrossFit Games. She tells Shari how she has coped with the tragic loss and using it as an inspiration to become

47 people have died in fatal stabbings and shootings in London since the start of the year, many of them teenagers or young adults. Michael Harris, head coach of Double Jab Boxing Gym tells us how the South London club is looking to keep young people clear of gang violence.Six years after first accepting women members, the home of Masters announced their plans to host a women's amateur tournament from 2019, former LPGA tour professional Anya Alvarez assesses the pros and cons of the competition which could clash with the first women's major of the year.As the 2018 Commonwealth Games gets underway on the Gold Coast of Australia we hear from Olufunke Oshonaike, Nigeria's most decorated female table-tennis player who wasn't selected for the Commonweath Games where the country are being represented by an all-male line up.We're in Zagreb as Zdravko Mamic, the man long-considered the most powerful figure in Croatian football, faces charges of embezzlement and tax evasion. Michael DePietro CEO of the Karate Combat L

Seventeen people were murdered when a gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. Two weeks after the tragedy, the school's ice hockey team, ranked one of the lowest in the State tournament, unexpectedly beat the top seeded teams and qualified for the national schools championships. Captain Matthew Hautman says they want to continue their Cinderella story and win the title for the school and the victims. From ice hockey to field hockey, the incredible tale of Sandeep Singh and how a shooting nearly cost him his playing career. Plus, the Netherlands are Europe's most successful baseball nation. Amsterdam Pirates chairman says the proposed game between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in London will lead to more across Europe. And the Marley family are synonymous with Jamaican music. But they are starting to become influential in women’s football. Bob Marley’s daughter Cedella is big fan of the women national football team. The team failed to reach the last World Cup but are ne

The fall out to the attempted murder of a former spy continues with UK police contacting a number of Russian exiles to discuss their safety That's after Prime Minister Theresa May said it was highly likely the Russian State was responsible for posioning Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the English City of Salisbury. In response, amongst other sanctions, came the decision this week that no member of the British government or Royal family will go to this summer's Football World Cup in Russia But should England pull out of the tournament completely? We speak to sports historian John Hoberman.The increase in media coverage of Paralympic sport since London 2012 is clear. NBC in the United States aired a record 250 hours of coverage from these games in PeyongChang. But how accessible are some of the Winter Paralympic sports below the very elite level? We sent Richard Fleming along to join a ski group on the slopes of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. We also speak to US snowboarder Amy Purdy, who was only give

Tatiana Calderon admits that her career hasn’t always been easy. The Sauber test driver tells Sportshour she had to crash in order to the gain the respect from the male drivers. Calderon also talks about the controversial comments made by Carmen Jorda, the former development driver for Lotus and Renault. Jorda said women were more suited to competing in the new Formula E series, using electric vehicles than the high octane world of Formula One. The E-Car she believes presented less of a physical challenge.Last month a school in London tried to ban the wearing of the Hijab for pupils under eight. Staff at Stephen’s Primary School said it was to help younger girls move freely during Physical Education lessons. The idea was shelfed a week later, but what are the risks of having these conversations? And how important is it for young Muslim women to be able to wear them during sport?We also speak to role model Ibtihaj Muhammad and get her thoughts…Professional chef Dean Harper is on call to fuel some of Mancheste

Biathlon Boycott Find out why the US biathlon team are boycotting a World Cup event in Russia this month, despite the IOC lifting their ban. A member of the US team, Clare Egan, tells us they’re making a stand against doping in sport and believe the IOC lifted the sanctions too soon.Zimbabwe to Zambia in a chicken wagon We find out how the footballers of Matabeleland qualified for the ConIFA World Cup in England in May - a tournament for nations and regions not recognised by FIFA. Their English coach, Justin Whalley, tells us the story of their qualification and the fund-raising taking place so they can take part in the finals.Peace in our time Peace Proscovia was never meant to leave her village in Uganda and never meant to get a University degree either. But now she captains her country in Netball - and will do so at the Commonwealth Games in April - and is studying for a Masters in Marketing. Get in the hole ball World No 3 Justin Thomas has a fan ejected for shouting while playing a shot at the Honda

Following former football coach Barry Bennell’s sentencing of 31 years for 50 counts of child sexual abuse, we speak to one of his victims Steve Walters who along with other survivors, have set up a support network, The Offside Trust to combat child abuse in sport and support the healing journey of survivors. In a moving and raw interview, Steve explains what it was like coming face to face with the man who ruined his childhood and how he now aims to rebuild his life.Fans in Australia have had their first taste of a bite-sized version of one of the country’s most popular sports. AFLX is a new, turbo-charged version of Australian Rules Football which organisers hope will be popular with international audiences. It is the latest sport to attempt bringing in new fans to a shorter form of a traditional game. We find out what the response has been like.Vince Smith was a successful jockey winning over 250 races but she is now openly living as a woman after spending more than half a century hiding her feelings from

Earlier this year the sports doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced to more than 360 years in prison in the United States. More than 250 women, including many of the country's elite gymnasts accused him of sexual abuse, including Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles. Among those gymnasts to testify against him was another Olympic champion Aly Raisman. It was the testimony of Raisman and her team-mates that gave the Icelandic gymnast Tinna Odinsdottir the courage to tell Sportshour she was raped by a fellow gymnast following a competition in 2016. Inspired too by the "me too" campaign she revealed, what she described as "her secret".Canada's Ross Rebagliati won snow-boarding gold at the Nagano Winter Olympics. He was then disqualified for using cannabis, but regained the medal, after a ruling that the substance wasn't banned by the IOC. The stigma stayed with him though. Now twenty years on cannabis is banned by WADA for use in competitions, but a cannabis compound is permitted. And Rebagliati remains an advocat

This week, Manchester United and the world of football marked the sixtieth anniversary of the Munich Air disaster. The greatest footballer in Kenya’s history – Joe Kadenge became a Manchester United fan after the tragedy and for the first time in his life, he got to watch United play at Old Trafford against Huddersfield. During his visit to Manchester, he attended the Munich memorial service on Tuesday and also popped into the BBC Sport studio where we spoke to him about fulfilling a lifetime ambition of visiting the Theatre of Dreams.Christina Snead has dedicated her whole life to making a difference in sport. Most weekends, you'll find her officiating high-school American football games in her native North Carolina; the first woman to do so. But in 2003 Christina was pregnant with her first child and was enjoying what appeared to be a healthy pregnancy until complications arose while she went into labour. Her son Brandon was in distress and his brain was injured during birth. Even though he survived, he h

We look back on an NFL season dominated by politics and protest, and ask if the player protests have failed and how significant the issue is that prompted Colin Kaepernick's campaign in the first place - police brutality, and why Minneapolis–Saint Paul was such an apposite location for this year's Super Bowl... Killed on Facebook: Why I joined the police after my nephew was killed by an officerAs well as the home of this year’s Super Bowl, Minneapolis–Saint Paul was also the home of Philando Castile, whose death, at the hand of a police officer, was streamed on Facebook Live by his girlfriend, who was in the car along with her four-year-old child. We meet his mother Valerie, who tells us about that fateful day and her anger at what has happened since. We also speak to Clarence, Philando’s uncle, who despite everything, has recently joined the police force! He tells us why.Kaepernick in the CommunityAlthough he hasn’t played this season, Colin Kaepernick has been plenty busy. He has spent the year donating his

Former Team USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar was jailed for 175 years, after he was convicted of multiple counts of sexual assault. We speak to Katherine Starr who created Safe 4 Athletes, an organisation protecting athlete welfare, who says the first gymnast came to her to report sexual abuse in US Gymnastics.Kiko Matthews will try to break the world record for rowing solo across the Atlantic, despite having little or no experience in a boat. She will be raising money for Kings College Hospital in London, to say thank you for the treatment she received for a rare and life threatening condition: Cushing Disease. And we speak to the Reggae Rollers, Jamaica's first ever lawn bowls team.

Following the sad news this week that Cyrille Regis passed away at the age of 59, Caroline Barker speaks to his nephew Jason Roberts about the inspiring role Cyrille had on many lives but also how he shaped his own footballing career. Jason pays tribute to his hero and how he will remember Cyrille.On 14th February 2013, Reeva Steenkamp was killed by her boyfriend, the once idolised Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorious. At the time, he was sentenced to six years. A term prosecutors argued was shockingly light. Just under three weeks ago, the South African court increased Pistorius's jail sentence to 13 years and 5 months - a move Reeva's family welcomed. On the day she died, Reeva was due to give a talk at a school on violence against women and children - this was an area she was passionate about. So much so, in 2015 her mother June Steenkamp launched the Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp foundation to raise awareness of abuse against women and children not only in South Africa, but around the world. We hear from June St

For the first time Saudi women have been allowed into stadiums to watch a football match. It happened in Jeddah. We hear what the the experience was like from one of the pioneering women and what it means for future change in the country.Stranded in Romania Romania has been home for the Tonga Rugby international Sione Vaiomounga for three years, since he joined the Baia Mare club in 2014. But he suffered kidney failure in his first season and needs regular dialysis treatment. With no dialysis machines in his native Tonga, he's described a return home as a death sentence. We hear from Sione and his wife Sala, plus the former Samoa International Dan Leo, one of the founders of the Pacific Rugby Players welfare organisation, that has been helping Sione and his family.Competing with Smog We're in India to look at how pollution in Indian cities is becoming a barrier to sport and exercise.Breaking barriers on ice When the American figure skater Adam Rippon glides onto the ice for the first time at next month's Wi

Ukrainian Anna Muzychuk is a grandmaster of the sport but the two-time world champion lost her titles as she refused to take part in the World Chess Championship in Saudi Arabia because she did not want to play by someone else’s rules. She told Caroline Barker that she does not want to be treated like a secondary creature. It was the first time the tournament was held in Saudi Arabia which has already caused a stir with several players from Israel denied a visa to enter the country. Anna’s sister is also a professional chess player and she has also decided to pull out of the tournament as she shares the same views.Every season, dozens of African-American basketball players pack up their sneakers to play the sport and live in Israel. In the last 40 years, more than 800 African-Americans have relocated to play in the Israeli Basketball Premier League. We speak to the author of the book, From Alley-Oop to Aliyah: African American Hoopsters in the Holy Land, David Goldstein who explores how identity, race and rel

A look back at a year when President Trump and the world of sport clashed.Photo: US President Donald Trump holds a jersey given to him by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft (R) and head coach Bill Belichick (L) alongside members of the team during a ceremony honoring them as 2017 Super Bowl Champions on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, April 19, 2017. CREDIT: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

Harrison Browne is a professional ice-hockey player with the Metropolitan Riveters in the National Women's Hockey League in the United States. He's won championships, but Harrison is also known for being the first transgender athlete on a professional US sports team. On a cold wintry night in 2003, 89 merry Union Berlin fans hatched a plan. The team had just lost their last game before the winter break but the fans didn’t want to say goodbye to each other without some Christmas joy. So they broke into Union Berlin’s stadium, drank mulled wine and sang Christmas carols. . Every year, the club arrange a Christmas Carol concert that regularly sells out their 28,000 capacity stadium. The festive period means a time when your diet takes a back seat and you over indulge (many many mince pies). Why don’t you join the millions of people who’ve already signed up to Veganuary, a campaign that encourages the public to adopt a vegan diet in January next year? He’s has won English football's League Cup with Stoke City and

Wildfires have caused severe damage to businesses and homes in Southern California. Several horse racing and dressage stables have been destroyed after the blaze engulfed areas outside Los Angeles and San Diego. In early November, Peter Miller was celebrating his most successful day as trainer but 30 days later, he had lost five horses in the fire including a champion ride called California Diamond. Former England captain Graham Gooch talks about how the England cricket team shouldn’t be treated like school boys,after two were punished for their off the field activities. Deep Sea Diver Ant Williams says he loves to compete in the extreme sport, despite regularly coughing up blood. And we meet Mark Maciver aka Slider Cut, who has become a cultural phenomenon thanks to his connection with boxer Anthony Joshua. Mark tells Sportshour, what AJ’s and he talk about, when he’s sat in the barber’s chair and it’s not what you expect.

Kerry Gruson talks about their experiences of competing in Ironman’s as a disabled athlete with her partner Caryn Lubetsky. The American was left paralysed after a soldier attacked her during an interview. The Christmas Truce during the winter of 1914 has become one of the most re-told stories of the First World War Soldiers from both sides stopped fighting to exchange gifts, sing carols and play a game of football on the battlefield near Ypres. To commemorate the truce, every December the Premier League arranges a tournament for youth team players.West Ham youth player Harrison McMahon, Seattle Sounders coach Marc Nichols and Neil Saunders talk about their experiences of the tournament. Since Sir Roger Bannister broke the record for the four minute mile, many runners have tried to break records at that distance. Paul Robinson is no exception. The Irishman was approached by a friend to see, whether he wanted to break a mile record in Antarctica. The problem was Paul only had three weeks to prepare for the cha

As the groups are drawn for the 2018 World Cup we assess the problems facing LGBT and minority fans in Russia.British Athlete Bobby Clay opens up about the over training and under eating from the age of 15 has robbed her of puberty and left her with the bone disease Osteoporosis.As Australia lift their eleventh Rugby League World Cup title we hear from Gary Carter, a journalist who fought back from the brink of death to report on the World Cup final after a brutal attack left him in a coma for six weeks. And we're in Abidjan at Africa's largest eSports event to hear how gaming is growing on the continent. Photo: World Cup draw ceremony at the Kremlin. Credit: Getty Images.

In 1999, 16 year old tennis player Jelena Dokic, Ranked 129, beat world number one Martina Hingis, the teenager from Australia came of age. Dokic would go on to reach the quarterfinals of Wimbledon that year, but despite her success, she alleges that behind closed doors she was suffering physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her father, Damir. Jelena admits she nearly killed herself. Now retired Jelena has been telling her story to Sportshour and how her first day on a tennis court at the age of 6 was actually the day the abuse started.Snooker has been dominated by European players throughout its history with just three world champions from outside the continent in 90 years. But is that about to change? Sportshour’s been to meet Africa's latest snooker hopeful who's hoping to make the breakthrough.We hear from England cricketer Moeen Ali who is currently in Australia hoping to help his side take a firm grip on one of the fiercest rivalries in sport, the Ashes and at the same time change perceptions. T