Ryan Garcia weighs 3.2lb over the 140lb limit for Saturday’s light-welterweight contest against compatriot Devin Haney in Brooklyn, New York.
Source: BBC Sport

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says Cole Palmer was asking to leave the club for two years before he eventually joined Chelsea.
Source: BBC Sport

World Athletics’ decision to award prize money at the Paris Olympics “undermines the values of Olympism”, a group of sport federations say.
Source: BBC Sport

Nottingham Forest’s appeal against their Premier League points deduction will be heard on Wednesday.
Source: BBC Sport

Head coach Ioan Cunningham makes seven changes as Wales seek their first win of this year’s Women’s Six Nations at home to France on Sunday.
Source: BBC Sport

Exeter winger Jodie Ounsley – Fury on the successful Gladiators TV show – is to stop playing professional rugby union.
Source: BBC Sport

Lando Norris fought through a slippery and wet track to win pole in China.

On Friday, the British driver for McLaren had his best lap dramatically reinstated during a chaotic qualifying run that featured rain and fire.

Norris will hold the top spot in Saturday’s Sprint, before the Sunday grid for the first Chinese Grand Prix since 2019 is finalized.

Mercedes‘ Lewis Hamilton, who finished second in sprint qualifying, appeared to have the lead but race stewards reinstated Norris’ deleted lap.

“Yeah, baby! Beautiful,” said Norris, as his orange McLaren rolled through a curve in the rain.

It was the exact opposite scenario for Norris in the 2021 Russian GP, which featured a thrilling duel between the young McLaren driver and Hamilton when Mercedes was still at its dominating peak.

“I don’t know where to start,” Norris told Sky Sports after losing the Russian GP in brutal fashion. “I’m unhappy, devastated in a way.”

What was set up as Norris’ first Formula One win ended with pure frustration.

Norris started from pole position, led laps 13-28 and then 37-50, and was just three laps away from a brilliant victory.

But he slid off the track on lap 51, allowing Hamilton to overcome a huge gap and win the Russian GP in Sochi.

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It was Hamilton’s 100th win.

It was racing pain for Norris and McLaren.

He tweeted a photo with one word attached: “Heartbroken.”

“We made a call to stay out and we stand by that,” Norris said. “It was the wrong one at the end of the day but I made the decision just as much as the team.

“It was more that they thought I should box and I decided to stay out. It was my decision, I thought it was the way to go.”

The Norris-Hamilton duel in the rain was the last Russian GP, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine that followed.

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes finally looked sharp again in Chinese GP Sprint qualifying[/caption]

Norris will start on pole for the Sprint at the 2024 China GP at the Shanghai International Circuit.

Hamilton will be second, followed by Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and Carlos Sainz (Ferrari).

Norris, 24, is still searching for his first F1 win.

The Bristol native has finished second seven times and has earned 14 podiums.

Norris is ranked fifth in the 2024 Driver Standings with 37 points, while McLaren is third in the Constructor Standings and ahead of Mercedes.

Source: TalkSport.com Motorsport

The Football Association defends its decision to scrap FA Cup replays from 2024-25 and says “all parties accepted” they could not continue.
Source: BBC Sport

Formula 1 fans are convinced Taylor Swift made a reference to Fernando Alonso on her new album.

The two-time F1 world champion was romantically linked to Swift last year following her split from actor Joe Alwyn.

AFP

Alonso himself added fuel to the fire with a host of cryptic responses about his love life but rumours over a romantic connection quickly evaporated.

He had ended his relationship with former girlfriend Andrea Schlager which sparked interest in a new romance after being spotted with the American star.

But now, F1 fans have reignited speculation by claiming Swift has made a reference to the Spaniard in her new album entitled, ‘The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology’.

The 14-time Grammy Award winner has often referred to ex-boyfriends in her song lyrics and in one newly released track called ‘imgonnagetyouback’, fans believe she sings about Alonso.

She sings: “Small talk, big walk, act like I don’t care what you did. I’m an Aston Martin that you steered straight into the ditch, then ran and hid.”

The lyrics have caught the attention of fans who linked Alonso due to his ties with Aston Martin.

One fan joked: “Taylor Swift releasing a whole album about Fernando Alonso an hour before he’s supposed to go race.”

Another added: “Taylor Swift ate Alonso up in that album i’m afraid.”

A third wrote: “Never thought I’d see Taylor Swift reference Fernando Alonso on her new album.”

Another added: “Taylor Swift and Fernando Alonso confirmed.”

Alonso was romantically linked with Swift shortly after breaking up with ex-girlfriend Andrea Schlager[/caption]

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A final fan posted: “Fernando Alonso??? you DID WHAT with Taylor Swift???”

Swift is now in a relationship with NFL star Travis Kelce after the singer was regularly spotted at his games on their way to winning the SuperBowl in February.

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end’s relationship with Swift was made official after much speculation and she was present in Las Vegas in February to watch Kelce and his Chiefs team-mates scoop American football’s top prize

Source: TalkSport.com Motorsport

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) apologises to Republic of Ireland fans after confirming the search for a new men’s head coach could extend as far as September.
Source: BBC Sport