Sportshour

Suzy Favor Hamilton had competed in the final of the 1500m at the Sydney Olympics before apparently settling into family life. However it emerged that she'd been working as a high-class escort in Las Vegas. She's been telling Sportshour how she has bipolar disorder, a condition that results in dramatic mood swings and at times contributed to her becoming, as she describes it, 'hypersexual'. Another Historic Newlands Day When Temba Bavuma carved out his own piece of sporting history by becoming the first black African to score a Test century for South Africa, he did it at his home ground, the iconic Newlands in Cape Town. We have been finding out why it should be no surprise, that again, it was the venue for such an important moment in South African sporting history.Flintoff’s Failings Andrew Fintoff talks about his off field antics including his battles with alcohol and depression and how it affected not only his time at the crease but jeopardised his family life.Messing with Messi Ahead of the announcement o

We look back at two of the big sporting events we brought you the show from in 2015Photo: President Obama welcomes the successful USA women's football team after winning the World Cup (L) Credit: Getty Tom Brady on his way to leading the New England Patriots to another Super Bowl victory (R) Credit: Getty

The best of Sportshour in 2015. Sometimes serious, sometimes quirky, always interesting!

Cristiano Ronaldo: Football, the Future and Fatherhood We speak to Cristiano Ronaldo about life off the pitch. He tells us how fatherhood has changed him and he wants more children “so let’s find the right woman” He also hints at the prospect of playing in America one day.Roger Federer: I’ve Missed My Best Chance Roger Federer tells Caroline Rigby that he has “missed his best chance” of gold in the singles at the Olympics, the world of tennis is “not all about Novak Djokovic”. He also says Stefan Edberg will continue to help him and “give him feedback” despite having parted company as his coach.Open Marriage Tennis player Arina Rodionova will have a busy Saturday. She’s in action as she tries to qualify for the Australian Open in the morning and then gets married in the afternoon! She tells us that even though she hopes to be back on court on Sunday it won’t stop her enjoying the champagne as she weds Aussie Rules footballer Ty Vickery.The Armless Archer Paralympian Matt Stuzmann tells us about the new archer

The death of the 10 year old Eduardo de Jesus is being seen as a watershed moment in the way Rio’s favelas are policed after an officer was charged in connection with his death. Alex Capstick has been speaking to Eduardo’s mother Terezinha Maria de Jesus about this recent development. With Rio 2016 just months away, she says the methods used by police to clean up favelas is coming at too high a price.Baseball’s Barry Bonds on a Bike Baseball's all-time home run scorer Barry Bonds is a controversial name in the sport. He was once convicted of perjury - based on testimony he gave during the investigation into BALCO performance enhancing drugs scandal. Earlier this year, the one remaining charge against him was dropped on appeal. This week Bonds was given a coaching job at Miami Marlins, but he isn't just a one sport man. In his time away from baseball he invested in the Twenty16 Women's cycling team. We speak to the former world champion Mari Holden who is the team's sports director and Bond's partnerFury Furo

From the X Factor to the 'Got Talent' and 'Idol' formats we all love a good reality show. But, in Nigeria, they're using the same idea to find future World and Olympic champions. The TV show 'Top Sprinter Genesis' is focussed on young athletes. The first few episodes have already been shown, with the series due to finish it's run next year. The show's creator, Bambo Akani, and former Olympic medallist turned judge Deji Aliu believe they can restore Nigeria to sprinting greatness by finding and supporting the country's young talent.Awaken the Force – How to fight like a Jedi Did you know that Lightsabers are real? The blade isn't made out of light, but for the last nine years people around the world have been holding Lightsaber combat events and crowning champions. It's called Ludosport. Sportshour couldn't find a Jedi to be our guide on this one, but we think we've got the next best thing. The Indian goal-keeper hoping someone saves her career Aditi Chauhan plays for West Ham Ladies and is India’s nation

Imagine thinking you had qualified for the Olympics by being the best on the continent, but then finding out you still aren't going to Rio. That's what happened to South Africa's men and women's hockey teams. Despite winning the African championships, the country's Olympic Committee SASCOC, say they haven't met the qualification requirements they agreed with the South African Hockey Association. We hear from the players who feel their Olympic dream has been snatched away from them.When Kareem met Sherlock One is the NBA’S all-time leading point-scorer; the other is the greatest detective in the history of literature! We hear from basketball superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who has just written a detective novel based on Sherlock Holmes older brother Mycroft. Paint it Pot Black David Grace is currently battling his way through the one of the premier snooker tournaments in the world, but when he’s not at the table, he’s at his easel painting his opponents! Snooker professional by day, artist by night… F1: No Plac

Caroline Barker was at Wembley as France and England met just a few days after the devastating terrorist attacks in Paris, included one attack at a football match involving the French national team. We look at the significance of a night full of emotion and the implications of hosting Euro 2016.The First Family of African Football We meet the man who gave his name to the Kaizer Chiefs, Kaizer Motaung. He and the rest of his family, son Kaizer jr, daughters Jennifer and Kemiso, sit down for an interview as a family for the first time. NBA Pioneer We hear from Bonnie-Jill Laflin who became the NBA’s first female scout. As well as telling us about the barriers she’s had to overcome we also hear about how working with the LA Lakers brings her in contact with some of the biggest names in the sport.Chipper Clipper We take part in one of the training sessions for Sailing’s Clipper Round the World Races as our reporter Simon Parker prepares to hit the high seas!Lady? Yes, she can! We meet the only female cannonball a

With Sierra Leone looking set to join Liberia in being declared Ebola free we visit both countries to find out how sport is playing a crucial role in rehabilitating survivors of the disease and bringing a sense of normality back to the region.The Bhutan Clan: We're hitting the bullseye in Bhutan as we find out the secrets behind this sparsely populated countries archery success. Could they be on course to win their first ever Olympic medal in Rio next year?Brad Pitt & Big Bikes As the MotoGP season draws towards its dramatic climax, we hear about a new behind the scenes documentary voiced by Brad Pitt, which includes many of the sport's stars, including current championship leader Italian Valentino Rossi.Cycling Africa: David Kinjah, captain of the Kenyan National Cycling Team is part of a team riding the length of the African continent. Having started nearly a month ago they are attempting to complete the task in just 34 days and in doing so breaking the current record by a 10 days.Sporting Witness… has

As the Rugby World comes to an end, we look at the high-profile injuries in the tournament and whether it’s time for all players wear scrum caps. We have been to the British Standard Institution’s testing facility to see what difference they can make.The Best of Enemies So who will come out on top in the battle of the Antipodeans? We look at what binds and divides these two nations with Australian comedian Marty Wilson and New Zealand funnyman Jarred Christmas.The Big Sleep Why tossing and turning the night before the World Cup final might actually improve the performance of any Australian or All Black insomniac players.Scary Sport On Halloween, we hear some of the remarkable ghost stories that make baseball the scariest sport around. From A-rod to Babe Ruth, “Field of Screams” documents more than 140 separate supernatural baseball stories. We hear from the author Mickey Bradley.Walking Back from the Dead Six time Olympic gold medal swimmer Amy Van Dyken was told 18 months ago she would never walk again after

Former boxing world champion Mark Prince steps back into the ring on Friday despite having initially retired in 1999. However he continues to fight in memory of his son, Kiyan Prince a former QPR youth team player, who was murdered outside his school in 2006. Mark has vowed to continue to fight both in the ring and knife crime outside it, but at 47 how long can he keep going? Chinese Follow Wenger Way As the Chinese President enjoys a visit to Manchester City’s training ground we join the first of 5000 trainee coaches who have been paid by the Chinese government to study football at 3 French Universities. One of which was the institution Arsene Wenger studied at.Amazing Grace One hundred years ago, on October 23rd 1915, WG Grace, one of the legends of cricket died aged 67. At the time of his death World War One was raging and despite a career facing up to fast bowling on dangerous wickets he is reported to have been terrified by the threat of German air raids in the area. But just how much of an impact did th

Baltimore Ravens' John Urschel explains how he juggles being a maths genius and NFL star.Athlete Abuse Should romantic relationships between athletes and coaches be banned? That is the view of Safe4athletes founder, former British Olympic swimmer and abuse survivor Katherine Starr. We discuss that issue and others around athlete safety with Katherine and Canadian Olympic gold medalist Jenn HeilProfessor Klopp Before his playing days were over Jürgen Klopp was eyeing up management by completing a degree in sports science including a diploma in walking. We speak to professor Klaus Bös who taught Klopp everything he knows about walking.The Alternative Rugby World Cup One hundred children from some of the poorest parts of the world have been in England to play an alternative rugby tournament. Joe Wilson has been to see The Tour Aid Cup, Its belief is rugby can narrow the divide between the world’s wealthy and those who live close to poverty.Sporting Witness We speak to Tanya Streeter who in 2012 set a new world

We hear from business, political and sporting leaders all so we can offer Liverpool's new manager Jürgen Klopp a guaranteed blueprint for managerial success. We also preview this weekend's Ironman World Championship in Hawaii with 6 time winner and triathlon legend Mark Allen. After revelations emerged that Wayne Rooney was a secret poet we hear from football's only poet in resident. Thomas Clark of Selkrik FC. Plus on the 30th anniversary of Marita Koch setting the Woman's 400 m world record, we investigates one of the most controversial world leading times, that still stands today. Sporting Witness… Goes back to the 1980's when Argentina won their first victory over one of rugby union's top teams such. Argentina were led by fly-half Hugo Porta, now considered one of the greatest players of all time. Porta discusses rugby, his diplomatic career in South Africa and why he decided not to become a footballer in a soccer-mad nation.Jürgen Klopp (Credit: Matthias Hangst/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Soa Palelei has been asked not to attend a charity event at a children’s hospital in Perth, Australia. Although the sport of Mixed Martial Art is not banned in Western Australia, UFC is, because of the use of a cage in bouts. As such Palelei’s attendance was not seen as having a suitable influence on the children. We hear from the fighter and explore if cage fighting should be banned.From Wickets and Wides to Tackles and Tries Meet Rudie van Vuuren, the only man to play in a Cricket and Rugby World Cup. That was in 2003, when he turned out for Namibia in both tournaments. There were highs and lows. On the cricket field, he took the scalp of Sachin Tendulkar but got hit for 28 in one over by Darren Lehman. On the rugby pitch, he was sitting on the bench injured as Namibia were crushed 142-0 by Australia in a group game.What Links Cricket and Tennis to the Humble Egg? It is the last part of our series looking at the language of sport. Amongst other things we find out wh

2-time national Motocross champion Adrianne Cooper has at the age of just 27 had her career ended after losing a kidney. However the loss of that kidney was deliberate. She made a conscious decision to gift the organ to 10 year old Logan Carson saving his life and in the process having her career terminated early.The Medieval Maul Whilst listening to the Rugby World Cup the Sportshour team were struck by the language used. It turns out that 'ruck' and 'maul' have entomological roots dating back way before the game was invented. Simon Horobin, Professor of English at Oxford University explains all.How to Be a Record Breaker in Berlin The men's marathon world record has been broken on seven separate occasions in Berlin. So what is it about this particular race that enables the shortest times in the longest race? Ed Harry Investigates.Inside the scrum We ‘crouch, bind and set' to find out exactly what goes on inside a scrum."Remembering Terry" We hear from Anna, just one of thousands of people who'll be putti

A mix of some of the Rugby World Cup's biggest characters, important issues and global stories. We’re with the Japanese team as they acclimatise to new surroundings with the help of some food, especially shipped in from home. We join the Italian squad as they test out some of the state-of-the-art technology that allows players to recover quicker. Plus we delve in to the history of the sport and the cultural differences between rugby and other popular sports. Iranian Pioneer Football in Iran is hugely popular, and since the sports governing body FIFA changed it's rules on the wearing of headscarfs whilst playing, more and more women are being attracted to take up the game. The growth of the sport is all the more notable because the Islamic republic bans women from attending men's matches. Katayoun Khosrowyar now a veteran of the Iranian national women's squad was part of the very first team to represent the country. She tells us about being a pioneer of the sport.Tri- A little Harder Although the Olympic disc

Meet the man determined to make every football stadium in England and Scotland out of Lego. Death, Deafness and Dominating the World When his father was murdered in 2000 the career of England rugby union star Ben Cohen fell away. He lost his international place, and couldn't even make the starting fifteen for his club. Three years later he was a World Cup winner. With the 2015 tournament starting on Friday we hear from Ben about that 2003 success, about lip reading on the pitch to overcome deafness, on being an icon for the gay community and how that family tragedy spurred him on to be the best in the world.Tyres in Tyre This week the Rally of Lebanon came to an end against a backdrop of protests. Many have been demanding change from a government they say is corrupt and ineffective and that has been without a president for over a year.Commonwealth Youth Games Former England footballer Danny Mills visits the 5th Youth Commonwealth Games in Samoa. He’s been watching his son compete in the competition and soaki

Germany, Europe's biggest economy, is often the preferred destination for those fleeing conflict. Whilst the debate continues in countries that make up the European Union, German football fans have been expressing their feelings by unfurling banners at many matches that simply read "Refugees Welcome". So what has caused this open support in stadia? We hear from German football experts Ronald Reng and Raphael HonigsteinPremier League Winners 2015/16 Revealed! What difference will all those transfers make to the coming months? Are we any closer to knowing who will be the champions? Can we do away with months of anguish, weeks of worry and days of uncertainty? One man says yes! Well, maybe... We give you Doctor Raffaele Poli from the CIES Football Observatory a statistical research group in Switzerland. Settled in Seattle The new American football season is nearly upon us as the 32 teams of the National Football League bid for a place at the Super Bowl. The Seattle Seahawks, champions in 2014 and runners up i

The killing of Cameroon footballer Albert Ebosse moments after a match he played in for his team in Algeria, shocked the world of football. Exactly a year on we ask why so many questions about his death have remained unanswered and why no one has been brought to justice. John Bennett has been speaking to Albert’s brother, as well as looking at the mounting evidence that counters the claims made by authorities in Algeria to what actually happenedSub 2-hour marathon The first medal awarded at the World Athletic Championships in Beijing on Saturday will be for the marathon. Whilst the focus on this occasion will be gold, regardless of the time, the discipline is dominated by a seemingly impossible goal of running a sub 2 hour marathon. So can it be done and if so when? We hear from the athlete, the scientist and the author of a new book "Two Hours: The Quest to Run the Impossible Marathon"Uganda: Needing A Sporting Chance The power of sport and its ability to inspire and improve lives is no better evidenced tha

The election of the new president of the IAAF, athletics world governing body, will take place next week against the backdrop of more allegations of doping. So what is wrong with the IAAF? In his only BBC interview, Olympic champion Robert Harting speaks to Sportshour about how he has lost faith in the organisation, and Don Catlin, one of the world’s most famous anti-doping testers, gives his views on what the IAAF needs to do to regain the sport’s integrity. We also hear from both presidential candidates, Lord Sebastian Coe and Sergey Bubka. Costly Kit Conflict: “They said it was MY decision not to go. That’s absolute bull! I did everything required of me.” In his only BBC interview American 800m runner Nick Symmonds has told Sportshour about his conflict with USA Track and Field over what kit he can wear and when. As a result the 2013 silver medalist has been dropped by the USA for the World Athletics Championships in Beijing.World’s Toughest Horse Race: The Mongol Derby is billed as the longest and toughes