Matt Richards is embracing the weight of expectation at the Olympics as he insisted his mindset heading into Paris gives him an almost “invincible” aura. At the delayed Tokyo Games in 2021, Wales’ Commonwealth Games star, then only 18, was the junior swimmer alongside Tom Dean, James Guy and Duncan Scott as they captured gold for Team GB in the men’s 4×200 metres freestyle relay.

Faster. Higher. Stronger. The Olympic motto used to be unchanging and did its job well enough from its introduction back in 1894. That was until 2021 when the organisers/modernisers/do-gooders/diversity officers/woke police (insert depending on political outlook) decided on an upgrade.

Team GB athletes – including a record 31 from Wales – will be encouraged to take part in decompression programmes following the conclusion of the Paris Olympics in a move designed to follow the example of military personnel returning home. The initiative, which has been drawn up by the UK Sports Institute (UKSI), is intended to help competitors reacclimatise to life away from the tightly curated environment of the Olympic village and the routines imposed by competition.

Anna Hursey believes her long stint in the limelight, that began as a table tennis child prodigy, will prove invaluable when she goes to her first Olympic Games this summer. At just a month past her 18th birthday, the Welsh teenager will be one of the youngest members of the Great Britain squad heading to Paris later this month.

Paris Olympics supremo Tony Estanguet said Sunday that the city was “ready” for the Games as he played down complaints from some residents and businesses about the impact of the event. “We are ready as we head into the final phase,” Estanguet told a press conference in Paris, five days from the opening ceremony on Friday.

Sabrina Fortune has shattered her own F20 shot put world record ahead of the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. The 27-year-old from Deeside achieved a remarkable throw of 14.83m during a senior meeting at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham on Sunday.

Ray Reardon has been hailed as the inspiration behind Mark Williams’ career following the death of one of snooker’s greatest champions. Welsh three-time world champion Williams hailed Reardon – who died at the weekend at the age of 91 – for paving the way for future generations of snooker players.

Pembrey Circuit will host the inaugural Welsh Motorsport & Supercar Festival on Sunday 22nd September 2024, exactly 31 years to the day since the late Brazilian F1 racing driver Ayrton Senna set the fastest lap around the home of Welsh motorsport. It was widely reported at the time that Senna broke the Pembrey lap record in 1988.

By Hamish Stuart Wales international James Ashfield has been selected in the Great Britain and Ireland team to contest the St Andrew’s Trophy on Welsh soil next week. The biennial match against Continental Europe will take place at Royal Porthcawl on the 25 and 26 of July, with Ashfield hoping to help the home team […]

New Zealander Reinga Bloxham has been backed to make a major impact for Cardiff Dragons next season. The Welsh capital club – who were given one of the eight places in the new elite structure for British netball next season – have appointed Bloxham as their head coach for next season’s revamped Netball Super League (NSL).

Glamorgan have moved quickly to turn Mason Crane’s loan move from Hampshire into a permanent deal. The former England leg-spinner has signed a three-year contract.

By Ian Gordon Top British cycling prospect Josh Tarling is targeting ‘big wins’ after agreeing to stay at INEOS Grenadiers until 2027. The 20-year-old from Aberaeron has already been crowned European and British time trial champion and won world bronze in the event in 2023. Now Tarling, who will make his Olympic bow in Paris, […]

Welsh tennis star Mimi Xu was narrowly edged out in her quest for a first Wimbledon title – losing in the girls’ doubles final. Xu, from Swansea, and Mika Stojsavljevic finished runners-up in the girls’ doubles final after narrowly losing out to the second seeds in a championship-deciding tie-break.

By Gareth James Melissa Courtney-Bryant shattered the British 2000metres record  with another storming display in Monaco. The Welsh middle distance ace took almost a second off the mark set by Yvonne Murray 30 years ago. Courtney-Bryant clocked 5:26.08 – also adding another Welsh record to her collection – as she finished second to Australia’s Jessica […]

Double Olympic taekwondo champion Jade Jones has escaped sanction after being found to have committed a no-fault doping violation following her failure to provide a urine sample in December last year. The UK Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD) confirmed that on the basis of “very exceptional circumstances” relating to confidential medical records, Jones bears “no fault or negligence for her refusal or failure to submit to her sample collection”.

By Ian Gordon Stevie Williams is confident his best cycling  years are still ahead of him after signing a deal to stay at Israel Premier tech until 2028. The 28-year-old from Aberystwyth has been rewarded for a stunning season that brought victories in the Tour Down Under and La Flèche Walloone, the first Brit to […]

Melissa Courtney-Bryant may have missed out on Olympic selection but the Welsh Commonwealth Games star claimed a big scalp running at the FBK Games in the Netherlands on Sunday. Courtney-Bryant – who was edged out of Great Britain selection for Paris at the trials – beat double Olympic champion Sifan Hassan in the 1500m.

Elinor Barker has been backed to bring the benefit of huge experience to the Great Britain cycling squad when she competes at her third Olympic Games. Welsh star Barker, who won Olympic gold in 2016 and silver in 2020 in the team pursuit on the track, has been named in a strong group for Paris that includes Wales’ track sprint world champion Emma Finucane.

Jonny Clayton returned to winning ways with an outstanding 8-5 success against Wesley Plaisier in Wednesday’s Players Championship 14 final in Milton Keynes, as Luke Littler made another early exit. Clayton stormed to victory on a thrilling day of action at the Marshall Arena, denying an in-form Plaisier to clinch his first PDC ranking title since May 2023.

Glamorgan captain Sam Northeast admitted he and his team were “emotionally exhausted” after their epic brush with history in their incredible match against Gloucestershire. The Welsh county narrowly missed out on re-writing all the record books on the final day of a thrilling Vitality County Championship Second Division match against Gloucestershire which ended in a remarkable tie at Cheltenham.