Thirteen is seen as an unlucky number in many parts of the world, including Merlene Ottey's homeland of Jamaica.

Ottey's remarkably long career and some might say she was unlucky to end up with a bronze medal 13 times

sportsperson of the year 13 times.A 2.4 metre statue of Ottey - known as the Queen of the Track and revered by all

 Ottey had already made the first of her record-breaking seven Olympic Games appearances (she finished

Brisbane Commonwealth Games.She won in 22.19sec from Kathy Cook (then Kathy Smallwood), one of the all-time

Montreal Olympics in 1976 inspired her, and soon after that her career was off and running.She put in record-breaking

In 2010, the club set a world record for the most number of participants in a badminton rally - 113.BasketballClubs

 Ellie SimmondsPara-swimmer Ellie Simmonds was born in Walsall and won five Paralympic gold medals

It has hosted the Ryder Cup four times, more than any other course.

Lewis-Francis also won Commonwealth and European gold, and two World Championship bronze medals, in the

Back to topYear-longThe West Midlands is a sporting destination all-year round.

Kingdom.Nearly 600 athletes competed from 133 countries, in front of packed crowds.Highlights included a world record

again topped the medal table, this time winning six golds, 10 silvers and two bronze.There was a world record

other - have been held at The Belfry.This means the West Midlands course has staged the famous Cup more times

as the Netball World Championships - took place at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham in 1995.A record

where every player takes on three opponents.England's darts legend Phil Taylor won the Grand Slam six times

Imagine a future world for weightlifting where athletes are the centre of attention on a completely different level. The walls have gone and the warm-up and back-room decisions on the next lift are out in the open, part of a vibrant show watched by thousands of spectators.

1972 in either gender – when she won clean and jerk gold and bronze on total at 87kg.That made it 11 medals

contribute to producing superstars" and widen the sport’s appeal, he added.China has won more Olympic gold medals

weightlifting, 38, than any other sport except diving – and in last year’s Tokyo Olympic Games, it had a record-breaking

lifts.Zhou suggested a Grand Prix series with a grand final offering prize money for medallists and record

the way to optimism," he said.There were times in the past two years when Walker thought weightlifting

When Joshua Cheptegei crossed the line first to win gold in the 5,000 metres at Tokyo 2020, he confirmed Uganda's best-ever Olympic performance.

could not be caught over half the distance in front of a deserted Olympic Stadium.Cheptegei, the world record

success has whetted the appetite for sport in the country and work is underway to ensure that the good times

 "People are excited so we need to ensure that the building blocks are all in place.

 "We are certainly expectant as far as the medals are concerned.

We are setting our eyes on medals in different sporting disciplines."

Three-time Olympic speed skating champion Sven Kramer has been given the nod by Dutch selectors to compete at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics after a third-place finish at the national trials put his place in jeopardy.

Kramer - who is the most decorated male Olympic speed skater of all time with nine medals - finished

We have become world champions three times in a row in this part, with these three men as a permanent

in the 1,500m, 1,000m and team pursuit in Beijing as she looks to move closer to the Winter Olympic record

of 15 medals held by retired Norwegian cross-country skier Marit Bjørgen.The Dutch team also features

We have the maximum chance of winning medals, preferably in gold, on both the individual distances and

On this day in 1879, Australian fast bowler Fred Spofforth dismissed three English batsmen with consecutive deliveries at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to complete Test cricket's first "hat-trick".

is, when a player scores three consecutive goals uninterrupted by any other on either side.The NHL record

hat-trick.Previously the mark stood to New Zealand Warriors player Shaun Johnson, who scored three times

achieved both on the same day.The hat-trick has been equally embedded in football, with the fastest on record

having been achieved by Sunday League footballer Alex Torr, who took 1:10 to score three times for Rawson

Bolt of Jamaica completed a "treble treble" by becoming the first man to win three successive gold medals

Paula Radcliffe could not have chosen a better setting to win the first track gold medal of her illustrious career.

into the lead and stayed there.Since the 1996 Olympic Games, Radcliffe had run from the front many times

heartbreak at the Sydney 2000 Olympics when she led for 24 laps in the 10,000m but finished out of the medals

on the 12th and last lap 120m clear of her nearest rival, and the crowd cheered her home in a Games record

the Commonwealth Games.She claimed the cross-country world title, the London Marathon, set a world record

It was a remarkable Games and made all the more memorable because of the enthusiasm of the crowd."

Margaret Mac Neil smashed the women’s 50 metres backstroke world record as Canada claimed a hat-trick

of gold medals on the penultimate day of the International Swimming Federation World Swimming Championships

class of her own as she pulled clear of her rivals to clock a sensational time of 25.27sec.Her world record

5 TIMES WORLD CHAMPION ▶️ 400 IMThe Japanese star is world champion again, it's the 5th times in this

race of the night when their women's 4x200m freestyle relay team triumphed.Fresh from winning gold medals

were also clawing their way back with Melanie Margalis getting the edge over Zhu.Paige Madden gave her all

years younger than Santos but was unable to get the better of the veteran swimmer.Santos was firing on all

Kolesnikov had a night to remember inside the Etihad Arena here in Abu Dhabi as he bagged two gold medals

success here is capping a superb year, in which he has collected three European titles before earning two medals

in the final few metres, but Kolesnikov held on to win in 51.09sec, with Hvas and Ceccon registering times

, 2021Anastasia Gorbenko of Israel and China's Li Bingjie both claimed their second individual gold medals

wall first in 57.80.Gastaldello claimed silver in 57.96 as Kameneva dropped to third position in 58.15.All

Sarah Sjöström in a much-anticipated women's 50m butterfly showdown to claim gold in a championship record

Almost 40 years after successfully defending the Olympic 1500 metres title at the Los Angeles Coliseum, Sebastian Coe flew back to that city having attended the Tokyo 2020 Games.

He was accompanied by numerous American athletes who had won medals in the vast, glorious emptiness of

We know we are living in financially straitened times. All sports are going through that."

We’ve had twists and turns, we’ve had some really frustrating times, we've had subversion as well.

also a reference to another DSD athlete, Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi, who set a women's world 2,000m record

All our rules and regulations are always under review," Coe responded.

The 2021 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Championships came to a spectacular close in Tashkent with another sweep of world records for the Georgian super-heavyweight Lasha Talakhadze.

Talakhadze bettered his own records, all set at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, in snatch, clean and jerk

Armenian who was the last man to beat Talakhadze at the 2012 European Junior Championships.Minasyan, seven times

five from six for 211-246-457, a career best by 12kg that earned second place.There was a junior world record

only to lose that one on review for a press-outSon Young-hee helped South Korea to finish top of the medals

When I was at junior school I took part in a little play written by a classmate. It was entitled "Who Will Be My Gardener?" I thought it very poor and determined to re-shape the work in performance by means of sotto voce directions to my fellow actors.

annexation of his first world title, denying Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton what would have been a record

within the required zone, false-starting, even, on occasions, failing to clear a hurdle correctly.At times

disqualified, also for stepping out of lane…Usain Bolt wins the 2008 Olympic 200 metres title in a world record

of 19.30sec - but silver and bronze medals were reallocated for rule violations ©Getty ImagesHorse racing

the highest level via stewards’ enquiries although, according to britishracecourses.org, "in recent times

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced nominees across six Paralympic Sport Awards categories, which will recognise achievements from Tokyo 2020.

female prize.Storey continued her successful Paralympic career at Tokyo 2020 by winning three gold medals

dominant year, as she became the first wheelchair tennis player to complete the Golden Slam by winning all

the Japanese star becoming the first wheelchair tennis player to win three singles gold medals.He won all

times in the 1500m and 5000m.Britain’s wheelchair rugby squad have been nominated for the best team

honour, with their triumph delivering a first Paralympic gold medal for Britain in a team sport.A record

Birmingham 2022 will not be a home Commonwealth Games for Wales, but it won't be far off.

 Wales enjoyed their record Commonwealth Games performance at Gold Coast 2018 ©Getty Images"There's

exposure, and to put their sport in the frontline when perhaps they don't get the spotlight at other times

Wales enjoyed their record Commonwealth Games performance in Gold Coast, when Phillips was also Chef

nbsp;"And if they do that, and we have some excellent athletes, some very capable athletes, if they all

go in and perform to their capacity, then some of those medals will fall into place.