Billed as a rival to the Olympic Games, the Enhanced Games, set to take place in 2025, is a sporting event with a difference; athletes will be allowed to dope. Ian Sample talks to chief sports writer Barney Ronay about where the idea came from and how it’s being sold as an anti-establishment underdog, and to Dr Peter Angell about what these usually banned substances are, and what they could do to athletes’ bodies Clips: Talk TV, News Nation, Inside with Brett Hawke, ESPN Read Barney Ronay’s opinion piece on the Enhanced Games ..read more

Estimated £66m will be raised for charity, including aid for Gaza Race to begin with tribute to world record holder Kelvin Kiptum London Marathon organisers have urged potential protesters not to allow the heightened tensions in the Middle East to disrupt Sunday’s race, which the event’s director, Hugh Brasher, said was “a force for good” throughout society. Brasher confirmed multiple ­security measures would be in place this weekend, but said he hoped the focus would be on the race’s celebration of humanity ..read more

Initial release provoked debate over sexism in sport Athletes say they are comfortable with choices offered In the moments before she fired off the Instagram comment heard around the world, Tara Davis-Woodhall could hardly believe her eyes. The American long jumper and world silver medalist had just seen a photograph of one of Nike’s Team USA uniforms for this summer’s Games, a high-cut leotard barely covering the bikini line that was unveiled at a launch event in Paris last week. The running publication Citius Mag had posted an image of the slinky uniform on a female mannequin alongside a m ..read more

Investigation launched after trio appear to let He cross line first Kenya’s Willy Mnangat says they were all hired as pacemakers Organisers of the Beijing half marathon are investigating the men’s race after two Kenyans and one Ethiopian runner appeared to deliberately allow China’s He Jie to win. Footage of the final few hundred metres of the race seemingly shows Robert Keter and Willy Mnangat of Kenya and Ethiopia’s Dejene Hailu Bikila slow down and gesture in front of them, encouraging He to pass and take the lead ..read more

E coli levels in Paris river one of Games’ ‘biggest challenges’ Triathletes will be ‘sanitised to within an inch of their lives’ Team GB’s triathlon stars are already preparing for pollution in the Seine during the Paris Olympics by eating more yoghurt and taking probiotics, it can be revealed. British triathletes have also been told they should not touch recovery drinks or food after training in the water until they have been “sanitised to within an inch of their lives” in a bid to avoid gastrointestinal issues ..read more

Ujah was banned for failed test but cleared of intentional doping ‘I’d rather we face up to that and plan,’ says UK Athletics chief UK Athletics has defended its “incredibly difficult” decision to pick CJ Ujah for Britain’s 4x100m relay squad for the first time since his drugs ban, saying it had little choice given the sprinter could qualify for the Olympics. Eyebrows were raised at UKA’s decision to include Ujah in the GB squad for the world relays next month, given his positive test after the Tokyo Olympic final cost Team GB a silver medal. However the chief executive, Jack Buckner, said i ..read more

It’s fair to say that the Olympic philosophy is not in a good shape – but is that a reason to give up on its values? We were told last week how World Athletics is leading the way in modernising the Olympics, showing all the other sports how behind the times they are and how much the international athletics federation is on the side of its athletes. Sebastian Coe, chair of World Athletics, announced that $50,000 (£40,000) prize money will be given to Olympic gold medallists in track and field events in Paris, proudly returning the sport’s commercial gains back to the athletes and boldly facing ..read more

Teenager Claudia Hollingsworth among four rookies Nicola Olyslagers, Matt Denny and Peter Bol get tickets Middle-distance sensation Claudia Hollingsworth and long jump surprise packet Chris Mitrevski are among four Olympic rookies who locked in their spots for the Paris Games with standout performances at the Australian track and field championships. Hollingsworth turned 19 on Friday and enjoyed the most welcome of late birthday presents when she stormed to victory in a world-class 800m final in a personal best of 1:58.40 ..read more

Athletes paid $1m to take enough performance-enhancing drugs to win records? Truly we get the TV sports we deserve How encouraging to learn of another shot in the arm for the Enhanced Games. If you’re not familiar with it, this is the sporting event scheduled for inauguration next year in which openly drug-taking athletes will be able to take part in a “better version of the Olympic Games”. I know – imagine being able to watch track and field but with athletes who dope. Who among us can even picture it? None of which is to sound as offhand as World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe did a few weeks ..read more

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