Every Welsh sports fan knows that Lynn Davies won an Olympic gold medal in 1964. But fewer realise that his best long jump – 8.23m – is still a Welsh record that has now stood for an astonishing half a century. Clive Williams looks at the man and the measurements. Fifty years ago this week, […]

Junior Hoilett have given Cardiff City a boost by signing a new deal that will keep him with the Bluebirds until 2021. The Canada international’s previous deal was due to expire at the end of this month having signed a one year extension last year.

Rhys Bradshaw is firmly establishing himself as the rising star of Welsh hockey and the talented 17-year-old grabbed his first senior international goal in the 6-1 thumping of Serbia in opening game of the Open Series in Zagreb. Now both he and his Welsh team mates face a step up in class when they meet tournament favourites Austria on Tuesday in what is likely to be Wales’ toughest test in the week-long, four match competition.

Scotland’s Lisa Aitken is the first Karakal Bangor Squash Classic Champion. Number one seed Aitken powered to victory at Bangor University, beating qualifier Lucy Beecroft (England) in the final. It’s been a tough road back from illness for former World number 38 Aitken, who was diagnosed with dengue fever, a mosquito-borne tropical disease, during an […]

Swansea Harrier Kristian Jones lopped a huge 34-second chunk off his 5,000m personal best at the weekend. Jones clocked 13:45.25 as he won the A race at the British Milers Club meeting at Loughborough on Saturday evening. The 27-year old just managed to hold off the challenge of Norway’s Per Svela and Portugal’s Rui Pinto in a thrilling finish.

Newtown returned to pre-season training this weekend with a familiar looking squad which is still yet to be finalised by manager Chris Hughes. The Robins manager welcomed back many of last season’s faces along with a handful of trialists, who Hughes will be running his eye over in coming weeks. Promising full-back Callum Roberts was […]

Llanelli Knights secured their first ever win at open age level after taking over from West Wales Raiders after overcoming a strong Rhondda Outlaws side 46-16 at Stebonheath Park. Samuel Pridge made a 50 metre run to give Llanelli a 15th minute lead. Iwan Mayze converted.

Cardiff City’s pre-season friendly against Spanish side Real Betis will be shown live on S4C this August. Ahead of their return to the Premier League, Neil Warnock’s side welcome Los Verdiblancos – who finished sixth in La Liga last season – to the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday, 4 August 2018. S4C’s flagship football series Sgorio will present live coverage from 5.00pm, with English match commentary available via the red button.

It was a wonderful day for a walk in the park if you were Welsh and in Leeds on Sunday. Race walkers Bethan Davies and Heather Lewis secured their places at the European Athletics Championships by taking first and second spot at the British Grand Prix of Walking at Rounday Park.

Glamorgan captain Michael Horgan has paid tribute to Usman Khawaja as the Australian star bids to become the first in the county’s history to score centuries in his first three appearances. Khawaja struck 126 against Derbyshire – following his 125 against Warwickshire – to become the first Glamorgan player to make successive centuries in his first two matches. But neither innings has yet brought him his first Glamorgan victory, although Khawaja has an early chance to put that right.

This fixture was delayed by six weeks due to a Sharks player shortage and traffic problems meant the Cornishmen arrived at Llanharan with just 20 minutes to spare before kick-off.  It was agreed to delay the game by an hour but perhaps the referees could have been a bit more understanding than charging the visitors, whose small 26-man squad arrived in two minibuses, with a 15-yard delay of game penalty.  That helped push the Sharks further back into their own territory before they had to kick away their first possession. A block in the back cancelled out Daniel Dacey’s impressive punt return to ensure the Warriors would start at midfield. 

Llandudno’s Matt Edwards has extended his lead in the Prestone MSA British Rally Championship by scoring maximum points on the Ypres Rally at the weekend. Co-driven by Abersoch’s Darren Garrod, the Welsh pairing claimed a last-gasp victory to seal their first BRC win on Tarmac – backing up their victory on the opening round of the series on gravel. What’s more, the M-Sport crew lifted the Tony Pond Trophy for the first British crew across the finish line in eighth in their Swift Rally Team Ford Fiesta R5. It was by no means an easy trouble-free win for Edwards. On the opening day, electrical problems forced the team into a complete wiring loom change at evening service, handing him a 1min 10sec penalty for going over the allotted time and putting him on the back foot going into the last day.

Becky James insists she has felt no pangs of regret over her decision to quit competitive cycling at the age of 25. The double world champion and Olympic silver medal winner retired just under a year ago, explaining she had fulfilled her dreams after overcoming injuries and illness to reach the top. James has since begun a baking business, but took time out to be inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame last week, along with four other new entrants. It was an honour she claimed was unexpected, but despite reflecting on the abrupt end to her career the cyclist turned baker, turned coach, insisted: “After being inducted, it feels quite strange to be retired at the age of 25 and I have wondered whether I could have had a few more years in my cycling career.

Chaz Davies is confident his Ducati team are back on the right track after bagging a double podium in Laguna Seca. The Knighton-born rider finished second in both races to reigning three-time champ Jonathan Rea.

It was another incident-filled Toyo Tires MSA British Rallycross Championship race meeting at the Welsh Motorsport Centre today – with the Penrhiwllan-based Spencer Sport team denied the home victory it hoped for and deserved after rivals collided with its Mitsubishi Mirage RX Supercar in two out of the three heats. In the first heat, the Ford Fiesta Supercar of Ollie O’Donovan came flying out of the joker lap so quickly that it was unable to make the next corner and rammed into the side of the Mirage RX. With broken steering, Spencer Sport’s driving ace Julian Godfrey was forced to park up, his race over. Then, in the third heat, Steve Hill’s Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10 Supercar pushed Godfrey sideway at the start, losing the home team places and putting them fifth on the grid for the Final. The five time British Rallycross Champion recovered to finish third – a podium being a fine achievement, but not the victory Spencer Sport was looking for.

Cardiff AAC’s Matt Clowes and Thames Valley Harrier Tracy Barlow both claimed course records as they raced to victory at a sun-drenched JCP Swansea Half Marathon on Sunday. Clowes’ sensational season continued as he knocked five seconds off injured three-times winner Dewi Griffiths’ course record, crossing the line in 64:43.6. Originally from Stoke on Trent but now based in Cardiff, Clowes had already won the Llanelli and the Potters Arf half marathons this season, as well as the Telford, Caerphilly, and Treforest 10ks.

Osian Pryce recorded fastest time on all five of the Red Kite Rally stages in the Vale of Neath today to win the two-wheel drive section of the event in an Escort Mk2 – and in doing so scored his first win in a rear-wheel drive car, to add to victories already achieved in front- and four-wheel drive machinery. Co-driven by Dale Furniss, Pryce flew through the opening Crynant test to open up an 18 second lead, despite running first on the road in the G&M Pryce/Pirelli-backed car and sweeping the worst of the loose gravel. By the time he returned to first service in Resolven after SS2, his lead had increased to 22 seconds, even after a half spin near the end of the stage. The 25-year old Machynlleth-born driver then put in a storming run through Margam to head into the final two stages with a comfortable 56 second advantage. On one of the hottest days of the summer, Pryce didn’t cool his pace towards the end and instead maintained an unbeaten number of fastest times in the RallyXtreme-run BDA-engined Escort Mk2 with quickest time on stages four and five to come home 1min 25sec ahead of Paul Barrett/Will Rogers. Steve Bennett/Osian Owen were third, a further nine seconds behind, to make it an Escort Mk2 podium lockout.

It is almost 34 years since Steve Jones smashed the world marathon record in Chicago, but even though Wales’ greatest long distance runner has spent the last 27 years living in the USA, his legacy at home lives on. Rob Cole reports on the Steve Jones Mile Road Race Series. The great man would no doubt have approved of the concept, but those following in his illustrious footsteps still have a bit of ground to make up. The good thing was that there was an impressive turn-out for the Steve Jones Mile Road Race Series, promoted by the Parc Bryn Bach Running Club.

It’s Scotland v England in the Karakal Bangor Squash Classic final. English qualifier Lucy Beecroft continued her run of success, beating second seed Enora Villard (France) in 69 minutes. Beecroft,who plays Lucy Aitken in the final, lost the first and third games against Villard, but won a nervy fifth 12-10. Close first game is taken […]

The two leading drivers battling for the Toyo Tires MSA British Rallycross Championship clashed in the Final of Round 4 at the Welsh Motorsports Centre today, ruining both their Finals – and the grudge match will continue tomorrow (Sunday) when Round 5 also takes place at Pembrey. The Mitsubishi Mirage RX Supercar of the Penrhiwllan-based Spencer Sport team had dominated the heats, with its driver, five time British Rallycross Champion, Julian Godfrey, winning three out of three races. The performance was made all the more remarkable considering the west Wales team had completely rebuilt the car following its massive accident in the previous round at Croft, where it rolled five times and caught fire. The early, and somewhat easy, race wins made it favourite to win the Final, but that wasn’t to be – after arch rival Mark Higgins hit the back of the Mirage RX on the opening lap, pushing the car into a spin and puncturing a rear tyre.