sport magazine issue 301
DESCRIPTION
In this week's Sport: Who is the real Ronnie O'Sullivan? We go in search of snooker's greatest natural talent | Mark Selby: the world number one cueman on his chances of bagging the Triple Crown at the World Championships | Amir Khan tells us he's learned from his mistakes ahead of his homecoming bout with Julio Diaz | We pick our favourite fighters from the UFC | Plus our regular look ahead to all the weekend's Premier League actionTRANSCRIPT
Issue 301 | April 19 2013
04
Issue 301, April 19 2013
Radar
04 A first look at FIFA 14
We’ve already booked every Monday
off work for the entirety of next
autumn to make the most of it
08 Ultimate fighters: our pick We bring you the deadliest,
most badass fighters in the UFC.
But we like the mouthiest one
10 Has Joe Hart still got it? It’s not for us to question the form
of Man City and England’s number
one. So we asked David Seaman o this coming weekFeatures
20 Ronnie O’Sullivan
As snooker’s own enigmatic genius
begins his World Championship
defence tomorrow, we go in
search of the real Ronnie
27 Mark Selby The world’s number one cueman
on confidence, and his chances of
bagging snooker’s Triple Crown
30 Amir Khan
The King says he’s learned from his
mistakes ahead of his homecoming
fight against Julio Diaz next weekend
35 Ashley McKenzie The Great Britain judoka on how his
sport and Pokémon saved his life,
and how he rates his chances of
a medal at the Euros in Hungary
Extra Time
56 Grooming The new James Bond Ocean Royale
fragrance: for your nose only, darling
58 Gadgets Sony’s new Bravia TV, and Star
Wars iPhone cases to purr over.
Or whatever it is Chewy does
62 Entertainment
American football gets the graphic
art treatment at Somerset House,
while the White House is redesigned
by North Korean terrorists
20
Co
ve
r ill
us
tra
tio
n b
y P
ete
r S
tra
in: w
ww
.pe
ters
tra
in.c
o.u
k. T
his
pa
ge
: Pa
ul G
ilha
m/G
ett
y Im
ag
es
Contents
30 62
| April 19 2013 | 03
04 | April 19 2013 |
Radarp06 – The cricket books to read when the Ashes is washed out this summer
p10– Safe Hands on England’s current number one
first glimpse of a new FIFA is always
an important moment for us. It’s on
a par with starting a new job, or
moving into a new flat, because we know
that we’re going to spending an unhealthy
amount of time in its slick footbally embrace.
Although the screenshots have looked
identical for the past four years now, we’re
assured that there are a raft of gameplay
improvements to look forward to when it hits
our consoles later in the year.
One of the biggest changes will be Pure
Shot, which gives your players the intelligence
to adjust their stride and approach angle for
a better chance of scoring. It’s just a shame
that, in order to add it to the game, they had
to surgically remove it from Fernando Torres.
And reworked ball physics mean you can
score a greater variety of goals, from belters
to screamers to scorchers.
There’s more emphasis on patient build-up
play, and defenders will be able to recover
quickly from missed tackles. With more new
stuff to be announced, we’re officially excited.
No word on goalline technology yet, though.
FIFA 14, coming autumn 2013
p08 – Our favourite UFC fighters and the wisdom of Chael Sonnen
A
Kicking onA first look at FIFA 14
Radar
06 | April 19 2013 |
he new county cricket season
was greeted, in time-honoured
fashion, by the dreary British
sky opening its taps. If you don’t fancy
getting soaked all summer but still
want your fix of bails and byes, here’s
our pick of the best new cricket books.
The Official MCC Ashes Treasures
(1, £24) will whet your appetite for
the upcoming clashes with Australia.
It looks at the history of the rivalry,
with reproductions of memorabilia
such as scorecards and teamsheets
included in pull-out form. Equally lovingly
put together is photobook From the
Boundary’s Edge (2, £20) by Laurence
Griffiths, who captures scenic village
grounds from around the country.
Gentlemen & Players (3, £16) by
Charles Williams also delves into
history and the death of amateurism
– which ended in 1962. A different take
on death comes from The Promise of
Endless Summer (4, £10) a collection
of beautifully written cricketing
obituaries from the Telegraph. Finally,
quarterly The Nightwatchman (5,
£9, thenightwatchman.net) provides
a more topical spin, with a fascinating
collection of articles pulled together
by the makers of Wisden. Howzat!
All from amazon.co.uk, unless stated
T
Extra covers
1.
2.
3. 4. 5.
08 | April 19 2013 |
Radar
Picking the most exciting f
All
pic
ture
s Z
uff
a L
LC
Anderson silvAThe best fighter in the
history of the UFC,
‘The Spider’ puts on
brutal fight clinics that
veer from disinterested
disdain (see his clowning
against Demian Maia)
to enthralling brilliance
(witness his one-minute
knockout of James Irvin).
Whether he’s dispatching
opponents with Karate
Kid-style crane kicks or
bobbing and weaving like
Muhammad Ali in his prime,
the middleweight champ is
the one fighter in the UFC
you never want to miss.
Anthony PettisDid you watch The Matrix
and wish you could
perform the gravity-
defying kung fu of Keanu
Reeves? Anthony Pettis
did. And then he pulled it
off in real life, running up
the side of the octagon
and kicking Ben Henderson
in literally jaw-dropping
fashion. That was arguably
the zenith of his (and all
MMA) entertainment so
far, but his high-kicking
high-octane style means
the lightweight known
as ‘Showtime’ never fails
to disappoint.
Jon JonesUnbeaten (apart from
one disqualification) and
seemingly unbeatable,
‘Bones’ is set to be the
all-American face of the
UFC for years to come.
A whirlwind of razor-sharp
Muay Thai knees and
elbows, he has beaten
a who’s who of former
champions to retain his
light-heavyweight title.
His clinical finishing blows
have led to accusations of
arrogance, but Jones’
professionalism and
politeness have bagged
him a deal with Nike.
FIVEST
x
x
| 09
xciting fighters in the UFC
All
pic
ture
s Z
uff
a L
LC
Chael SonnenSonnen’s brand of fighting,
while effective, can be
a little dull – but there is
simply no better trash-
talker in MMA, or perhaps
any sport, than the
‘American Gangster’. As
he himself says: “Chael
Sonnen is a tyrant. Chael
Sonnen is a dictator. Chael
Sonnen is the leader of the
free world. Chael Sonnen
has the skills to make
Superman run and hide
like a little girl.” And that
is why he’s on this list.
Martin Potter
@theboxingbrain
Cain VelaSqUezSporting a ‘Brown Pride’
tattoo on his chest and a
thousand-yard stare, the
UFC heavyweight champ is
a fighting machine, having
knocked out nine of his 11
victims. His most recent
victory, a December 2012
revenge win over Junior
dos Santos, was a chilling
display of controlled,
systematic destruction
and one of last year’s
standout performances.
The UFC describes him as
the “baddest man on the
planet”. We’re inclined
to agree.
See Velasquez, Jones,
Anderson and many more
on the UFC Best of 2012 DVD
and Blu-ray (which includes
three hours of bonus footage),
released on April 22.
Available via amazon.co.uk
STARx
x
furious fan runs on to the pitch to attack you. A player springs
to your aid, punching the spectator and knocking him out.
What do you do? If your answer is a Roy Keane-like ‘yell in the
unconscious fan’s face’, this book probably isn’t one for you. Seek help.
What you should actually do, after thanking the player, is to send
him off. That scenario comes from You Are The Ref, a new book that
brings together some of the classic scenarios from the long-running
strip featuring iconic artwork from Paul Trevillion and the sage wisdom
of Keith Hackett, the former head of the Premier League referees.
The book tests you on the full Laws of the Game, and will serve as
a useful guide if you don’t know what you’re doing. We’d like to see a
version that extends to other realms of officialdom. You are policing the
city centre on horseback after an ill-tempered Tyne and Wear derby.
A drunken fan runs up and punches your horse in the face. What do you do?
You Are The Ref (Bloomsbury), out now, £15
Radar
10 | April 19 2013 |
Has Joe Hart still got it?
The form of England’s number one hasn’t been quite as good as it was last year, with a few significant errors earlier in the season. We asked former England stopper David Seaman for his thoughts...
“Obviously he’s made a couple of high-profile
mistakes, but the pleasing thing for me is that
he reacts positively. He makes a mistake and it
doesn’t effect him, and that’s exactly what you
want in a goalkeeper – and especially in a
goalkeeper of Joe Hart’s stature. He’s playing for
England, he’s by far number one. And he’s playing
in top-quality football every week, which is great
because it’s high-pressure football for his club.
It’s what I always used to have, and it puts him
in good stead for England. As long as he stays
clear of injury, he will be the goalkeeper for
England for a long, long time.”
Could complacency creep in now that he’s automatic first choice for club and country?“No – he won’t let that happen. He’s too young
and eager to learn, and when you get to the stage
where you become the number one, you want to
stay there at all costs. You don’t want to give any
other goalkeepers a chance to get any closer
to you. He will just keep driving himself to make
sure he’s number one all the time.”
He has conceded a lot of goals to his left-hand side this season – could he have a problem there?“I doubt that, because if it’s common knowledge
it would be exposed. So he will train at that all
the time, and make sure it isn’t a weakness.
But you know, if people are taking time to think
about his weaknesses on shots, then he’s got
them worried.”
Is he still undisputed number one for England?“By a long way. I’m sure he’ll beat my 75 caps, and
then I hope he beats Peter Shilton’s 120-odd caps.
NOWTV offers instant 24-hour access to all six Sky
Sports channels. Visit nowtv.com for more details
Mik
e H
ew
itt/
Ge
tty
Ima
ge
s, G
are
th C
att
erm
ole
/Ge
tty
Ima
ge
s
england’s top
keepers
Peter Shilton125 caps, 80 goals conceded
David Seaman75 caps, 44 goals conceded
Gordon Banks73 caps, 57 goals conceded
Ray Clemence61 caps, 54 goals conceded
David James53 caps, 46 goals conceded
Joe Hart30 caps, 22 goals conceded
Be the man in black
A
Limited availability. Prices are available one-way on Euro Traveller hand baggage only fares from London Gatwick only, and include taxes, fees and charges, correct as of 15/03/13 but are subject to change at any time. Two items of hand luggage means one piece of hand baggage plus a laptop, briefcase or handbag. Departing from London Gatwick to Amsterdam (Schiphol), Turin, Bordeaux (Mérignac), Genoa (Christopher Columbus International), Venice (Marco Polo), Verona (Villafranca), Barcelona (El Prat), Malaga, Alicante (El Altet), Edinburgh and Glasgow for travel between 01/06/13 – 07/07/13. For full terms and conditions go to ba.com/gatwick
Travel with up to two pieces of
hand baggage, while getting all
the usual benefits of flying with
us. It’s a lighter way to travel when
you don’t need to bring a suitcase.
To Fly. To Serve.
SOMETIMES YOU CAN CARRY EVERYTHING YOU NEEDNew hand baggage only option available from London Gatwick to Europe. Flights from £39 one-way. For our lowest fare book at ba.com/gatwick
HB)_232 x 300mm.indd 1 28/03/2013 10:47
12 | April 19 2013 |
Radar Editor’s letter
Editor-in-chief
Simon Caney
@simoncaney
Sport magazinePart of UTV Media plc 18 Hatfields, London SE1 8DJTelephone: 020 7959 7800 Fax: 020 7959 7942
Email: [email protected]
EditorialEditor-in-chief: Simon Caney (7951)Deputy editor: Tony Hodson (7954) Art editor: John Mahood (7860)Subeditor: Graham Willgoss (7431)Senior writers: Sarah Shephard (7958), Alex Reid (7915)Staff writers: Mark Coughlan (7901), Amit Katwala (7914)Picture editor: Julian Wait (7961)Designer: Matthew Samson (7861)Digital designer: Chris Firth (7952)Production manager: Tara Dixon (7963) Contributors: George Ogier, David Lawrenson, Martin Potter
Commercial Agency Sales Director: Iain Duffy (7991) Advertising Managers: Steve Hare (7930), Kevin O’Byrne (7832), Aaron Pinto del Rio (7918) Sales Executive: Joe Grant (7904)Distribution Manager: Sian George (7852) Distribution Assistant: Makrum Dudgeon
Head of Online: Matt Davis (7825) Head of Communications: Laura Wootton (7913) Managing Director: Calum Macaulay PA to Managing Director: Deborah Dilworth (7826)
Colour reproduction: Rival Colour LtdPrinted by: Wyndeham Group Ltd
© UTV Media plc 2012UTV Media plc takes no responsibility for the content of advertisements placed in Sport magazine
£1 where sold Hearty thanks to: Ivan Hirschowitz, Eleanor Green
Don’t forget: Help keep public transport clean and tidy for everyone by taking your copy of Sport away with you when you leave the bus or train.
LAUNCH OFTHE YEAR
2008
Total Average Distribution:
302,466 Jul-Dec 2012
www.sport-magazine.co.uk
@sportmaguk
facebook.com/sportmagazine
Sports Minister Hugh Robertson says it’s “a bit of an
excuse” to blame last weekend’s FA Cup violence
on the late kick-off, which gave fans the chance to
spend all day drinking and taking drugs.
Well, maybe it is. Robertson is right to say that whatever
the circumstances, that level of behaviour is wrong. It makes
no odds whatsoever whether the protagonists were smashed
out of their tiny minds.
But that does not get around the fact that it was not a
good idea, in any way, shape or form, to have a late kick-off.
It may have been good news for broadcasters, who picked
up a slightly bigger audience. But set against the fact that it
merely encouraged spectators to spend a day on the sauce,
it backfired spectacularly.
Let’s not forget, this was not organised violence. This was
just a drunken rabble. Robertson is right to say this was not a
return to scenes of the 1970s and early ‘80s, when rival firms
would plot their fights weeks in advance. But Millwall have a
reputation going back to that time, and some supporters
clearly thrive on it. It only took a small altercation before dozens
of people had waded in – the image of a terrified young girl
crying in the midst of the violence was deeply upsetting.
I don’t blame Millwall – football violence has never been about
the clubs any more than society at large. You can ban Millwall
from next season’s FA Cup, but that won’t address the problem.
You can ban them from existing, but that won’t do it either.
Idiots will find a place to get drunk and have a fight, if that’s what
they’re after – football’s tribal nature has just always made
them gravitate to the game. But letting them get unnecessarily
drunk before a big match? That’s just asking for trouble.
In the main, I was delighted to see Adam Scott win the Masters
last weekend. He seems a thoroughly decent human being, and
(much more importantly) has a golf swing to die for. However,
my enthusiasm for his victory was tempered by the fact he
achieved it wielding a broomhandle putter. I’m delighted they’re
being outlawed, though you have to fear for the likes of Scott,
who simply could not make a conventional putter work for him.
I hope he proves me wrong and goes on to win more Majors.
The very best of luck to everyone competing in the London
Marathon on Sunday. Events in Boston this week beggar belief
and will cast a long shadow over the event, but it will go ahead
because that’s simply the only way.
Punch drunkLet’s give the morons a beer or six and let them loose, eh? On second thoughts, let’s not
Ge
tty
Im
ag
es
Reader comments of the week
Thanks @Sportmaguk for
helping with my #golf
knowledge...turns out I’ll be
watching the #masters this
w/e after all!
@parsonsknows
@simoncaney not a big fan
of golf, but the top 10
Masters finishes looked
bloody lovely on the page.
@Cricketer_Dan
Great comment by
@simoncaney on
@GNev2 & @fizzer18 in
today’s Sport. Was
always a huge Neville-ite.
Their love of the game
was always clear.
@thomasjohnsonpr
Fantastic BOD article in
@Sportmaguk today. Put
him on the plane to Oz, the
Lions would be poorer
without him! @simoncaney
@c1arke23
Congratulations
@Sportmaguk on your
300th edition! A must read
mag which has made
commuting a joy!
#HappyBirthdaySportMag
@patrickalexande
Free iPad app available on iPad, Kindle and Android devices
Cover of the Year
Why does @davidflatman
in @sportmaguk always
have a beard in his
cartoon but not in his
head shot...?? His article
is reason I pick up btw.
@dompisani
Get in touch @sportmaguk [email protected]
www.jack-wolfskin.com
LIGHTWEIGHT KIT FOR TRAIL RUNNINGEVERYTHING YOU NEED AND STILL UNDER 2 KG
FLYWEIGHT
JACKET MEN
EXPRESS TRAIL
TEXAPORE MEN
HYDRATION
SYSTEM
HELIUM T MEN
HAM ROCK 12
ACTIVE TRACK
SHORTS MEN
MINIMUM WEIGHT,MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE
134051_JW_IAZ03_FS13_Sport_Active-Trail_464x300mm_GB_TZ_Layout 1 22.03.13 15:28 Seite 1
www.jack-wolfskin.com
LIGHTWEIGHT KIT FOR TRAIL RUNNINGEVERYTHING YOU NEED AND STILL UNDER 2 KG
FLYWEIGHT
JACKET MEN
EXPRESS TRAIL
TEXAPORE MEN
HYDRATION
SYSTEM
HELIUM T MEN
HAM ROCK 12
ACTIVE TRACK
SHORTS MEN
MINIMUM WEIGHT,MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE
134051_JW_IAZ03_FS13_Sport_Active-Trail_464x300mm_GB_TZ_Layout 1 22.03.13 15:28 Seite 1
16 | April 19 2013 |
Radar Opinion
As a rugby player, it never crossed my mind that I was working every weekend.
This is probably because I had every Wednesday
off for 15 years and only really worked hard one
afternoon a week, but it’s also because I didn’t see
it as work at all. As Saturdays go, mind, 20 scrums
and 40 rucks constitute a pretty tough afternoon
when compared to Average Joe’s fry-up, dog walk
and a day spent plonked in front of the telly.
But as I approached retirement it occurred to
me that, for the first time since the age of eight,
when I started playing, my weekends would be
my own. What plans I made: I would indulge in
sightseeing; I would tuck into the red on a Friday
night without a care; and I would mow that lawn
like a banshee on a John Deere.
How wrong I was. What with work and children,
I now have less time at weekends than ever. So, 24
hours off last weekend was too good an opportunity
to turn down. “At last,” sighed Mrs F. “A weekend
with no bloody sport.” How I laughed as I got to
the hotel in London and found a bit of rugger on
channel 19. “Get the club sarnies in, love,” I said
with all the romance of a house brick, and was
promptly clipped round the cauliflower ear and
dragged on to the streets of the capital.
Unfortunately, our fun trip through the big
smoke was ruined by, yes, sport. Well, in a way.
As we approached the Tube platform, we heard a
lot of loud chanting coming from behind and above,
and wondered what on earth was happening.
Seconds later, a posse of blokes draped head to
toe in their team’s merchandise burst into the
small space in which we were awaiting a train and
proceeded to give the beautiful game a bad name.
I love a bit of footie, but grown men walking
through the streets and Tube stations necking
lager, lobbing cans on the floor, swearing at
women, flobbing on the pavement where children
are standing and then, in a killer move designed to
ingratiate the masses, accusing a father – while
standing, looking terrified and holding his young
son’s hand – of being a paedophile, was a bit much.
Just in case the child didn’t know what the word
meant, these adult males offered a practical
demonstration by way of definition. Oh, and the
children who were with them joined in with cackles
of intimidatory laughter, knowing no better.
Of course, as soon as the theatre and intimate
meal for two was finished, I got online and checked
the sports news: crowd trouble at the football.
It’s just such a massive shame. I love football and
would watch it every day if I could. Just not live,
as the experience is too unpleasant. Earlier this
season I went to the Emirates and looked down
to see a grown man spitting over the heads of the
stewards and on to a woman for supporting the
opposition. All the while, his little son cheered
him on. This is about a tiny minority of fans, I know
that – and maybe I’ve gone soft since retiring – but
I think I’ll stick to watching on television for now.
Mrs F’s marital regime aside, it seems safer.
@davidflatman
Da
vid
Ly
ttle
ton
Flats on Friday
Giving the beautiful game a bad name
You know what they used to say about nostalgia – well, in the week that
Margaret Thatcher made a dramatic return to
the front pages of the newspapers, extras from the
new Danny Dyer film (see Plank of the Week, below)
started getting all lively at Wembley and measles made
a comeback, it would be remiss not to cast a gimlet eye
over what we really miss about football from the 1980s.
So, as former Top of the Pops presenter ‘Ooh’ Gary
Davies would never have put it: “Here’s the top 10, in no
particular order.”
• Real semi finals. Why should fantastic old grounds like
Villa Park and Goodison be denied top-level football
matches of consequence beyond the procedural
completion of their respective clubs’ fixtures?
• Brian Clough. Just that. Brian Clough.
• Refreshments. Full Members Cup final 1986,
Manchester City v Chelsea – a pie and a pint: £1.89.
FA Cup semi final 2013, Manchester City v Chelsea –
fish and chips and a pint: £13.
• The elegance of Glenn Hoddle, the genius of
Liam Brady and Bryan Robson always being
injured. Beautiful, inspiring and hilarious, in that
particular order.
• Scottish players. I’ll say it again: where the hell have
they all gone? At what point did somebody stop all the
kids in Scotland playing football? I don’t think even
Thatcher can be blamed for this one.
• Proper referees. Mark Clattenburg? Pah! When
George Courtney sent off a player, the crowd thought
they’d have to serve the suspension.
• The football special. A service laid on for the
convenience of thousands of ‘customers’ who need to
travel from A to B on a given day. Ridiculous idea.
• Man City, Chelsea and Newcastle being involved in
relegation battles. One out of three will have to suffice
for the time being but, in a nod to modernity, it was
refreshing to see the Geordies raiding a recycling bin
to find bottles to throw at the police.
• Season ticket books. Substantial and valued items
that slipped in the back pocket of your stone-washed
jeans like a hand in a velvet glove.
• Mark Lawrenson. On the pitch and therefore,
mercifully, off the television.
All that and – because there’s always room for one more
– the Like a Virgin video. Is it really all that long ago?
Can you hear me, Cissy? Cissy?
@billborrows
Plank of the weekTony Shannon, east London (probably)
New haircut? Check. New value-brand jacket? Check.
Ticket for the semi final at Wembley? Check. Knobhead
who has heard too many stories from the big boys in the
pub and steals a copper’s hat? Er... check.
It’s like this…Bill Borrows
Rules of
The Urban Golf Rules Committee is a bit more laid back than its colleagues at Augusta National. Except when it comes to getting your game into shape
for the season ahead. Then it’s deadly serious. Only the world’s best aboutGolf™ simulators are allowed. There are 20 at our three London clubs and you
can use them to practice, play up to 60 different championship courses or have a lesson with one of our PGA coaches. Why not book an hour for you and
your mates next week? Mondays and Fridays (after 5pm) are half price. Just go to urbangolf.co.uk/illegaldrops or call 020 7248 8600. Urban Golf rules.
Rule 37: ILLEGAL DROPA player is allowed to enjoy a beer
and burger while practicing.
He or she may also
wear jeans and t-shirt.
A two-shot penalty will
only be incurred if the
player must explain
to a non-playing
partner waiting at
home about any
illegal drops (ketchup
or beer) when he or
she has claimed to be
working late.
18 | April 19 2013 |
Frozen in time
| 19
Kin
gd
om
fo
r a
ho
rse
We’v
e u
se
d P
ho
tos
ho
p t
o d
ele
te t
he
ho
rs
e f
ro
m
this
pic
ture, ta
ke
n s
ho
rtl
y a
fte
r a
be
su
ite
d P
ao
lo
Di C
an
io r
od
e t
he
win
ne
r o
f th
e 3
.45
at
Utt
oxe
ter
las
t Tu
es
da
y. T
ha
t’s a
lie, o
f c
ou
rs
e –
he’s
giv
ing
it
larg
e a
s t
he
ne
w g
aff
er
of
Su
nd
erla
nd
, w
inn
ing
ove
r th
e f
an
s o
n W
ea
rs
ide
an
d b
ec
om
ing
pu
blic
en
em
y n
um
be
r o
ne
on
Tyn
es
ide
las
t w
ee
ke
nd
.
Min
d y
ou
, it
se
em
s t
he
y’r
e n
ot
ke
en
on
ho
rs
es
up
th
ere
eit
he
r, in
vis
ible
or
oth
erw
ise
.
Stu Forster/Getty Images
20 | April 19 2013 |
Ronnie O’Sullivan A Study
Illu
str
ati
on
s b
y P
ete
r S
tra
in, w
ww
.pe
ters
tra
in.c
o.u
k
une 6 2012, and a statement
appears on the official
website of world snooker
champion Ronnie O'Sullivan.
"I have decided not to enter any
tournaments for the time being,
including this year's Premier
League and forthcoming WPBSA ranking
events," it began, going on to explain that
he didn't want to sign what he saw as a "too
onerous" players' contract. "I still want to play
snooker... and hope to remain involved in the
sport in some way in the future."
To anyone who has watched O'Sullivan
during a 20-year career of sumptuous highs
and seemingly merciless lows, the statement
didn't come as a huge surprise. For every
maximum break achieved with staggering
ease, for every one of his four World
Championship wins, there have been
regular exclamations of despair, increasingly
anguished expressions of frustration with
his form, his mood, his life. The path of
this particular sporting genius has rarely
run smooth.
"He is clearly a snooker player of huge
ability, but one who has had big struggles
with depression," says Matthew Syed, a
writer and broadcaster who has interviewed
O'Sullivan on numerous occasions, and
whose book Bounce pays particular focus
to the mindset of sporting champions.
"Occasionally you see him in the chair as
the other guy is playing, and he just looks
anguished by it all. I think he's a complex
figure who finds it hard to reconcile playing
high-end sport, and the focus that requires,
with the inner difficulties he has had."
What of those inner difficulties?
Broadcaster Andy Goldstein, who presents
his weekday Sports Bar show on talkSPORT,
has known O'Sullivan since they attended
Wanstead High School together more than
20 years ago. As such, he knows more than
most the devastation caused by his father's
imprisonment for murder back in 1992 –
when the younger Ronnie was just 16.
"A lot of people say he's not normal, that
his head's not right," says Goldstein. "But if
you're 16 years old and your dad gets put
| 21
away for life, and then not long after your
mum goes away for tax evasion, and you have
this talent and everyone wants to be around
you because of that talent, it wouldn't be
normal if you turned out normal. There was
only one way he was ever going to go."
The implication, by extension, is that
O'Sullivan's significant talent has only served
to exaggerate his depressive tendencies.
"One of the reasons that snooker does his
head in so much, and why when he plays
badly he wants to crucify himself, is that he
has this gift which means he doesn't need to
put in as much effort as anyone else," continues
Goldstein. "It's natural. He can open his cue
case for the first time in a year and knock in
a 147. No one else on the planet can do that.
"So I think that, when it goes wrong, he
can't put his finger on why. Players like Steve
Davis or Stephen Hendry would practise for
six or seven hours a day, and if their practice
dropped off their game would get worse.
They would know that if they upped their
practice again, they would get better. k
22 | April 19 2013 |
Mic
ha
el R
eg
an
/Ge
tty
Ima
ge
s, P
au
l Elli
s/A
FP
/Ge
tty
Ima
ge
s
with perhaps the most sustained display of
composed and controlled snooker he had put
together in his entire career. The triumph
was in no small part attributed to the work
he had done with Steve Peters, a highly
respected sports psychiatrist best known
for his successful association with British
Cycling, and Victoria Pendleton in particular.
"He has never not loved snooker," Peters
explains. "I think what happens is that things
have clouded the issue in his own mind, so
what he did with me was say: 'Can you just
remove the clouds?' I don't think it was
ever a case of helping him fall in love with
snooker again. I think he's always been in
love with it; it's just that things cloud you
and influence your feelings.
"What I do is try to educate people into
understanding what the mind does and how
it functions, so you learn what you can and
can't do with your mind. Ronnie engages
amazingly with that; he takes on board what
you say, he goes away and thinks about it,
he comes back and questions it so he can
understand it better, and then he applies it.
Ronnie O’Sullivan A Study
But with Ronnie, he can't understand why
he's not playing well."
It's a confusion that has been all too
evident throughout his career – not least
when a tormented O'Sullivan walked out of a
UK Championship quarter final against the
aforementioned Hendry in 2006. He trailed
4-1 in a best-of-17 match when, after running
out of position and missing a tricky red, he
shook his opponent's hand and departed...
leaving Hendry, referee Jan Verhaas and
a stunned crowd behind him.
"It was incredible, I was absolutely
amazed," recalls Hendry. "But I remember
asking him afterwards if he was okay, and he
said yeah, that he just didn't fancy it. I think
Ronnie is different to the rest of us in that
way, in that he just goes with his instinct –
if he's not feeling it or doesn't want to do it,
then he just doesn't do it. In a way, you have
to commend him on that."
This weekend, O'Sullivan returns to
championship snooker more than 10 months
after he last played a competitive match, and
a year after claiming his fourth world title
He's an excellent student, and it has been
a privilege to work with him."
Therein lies the enduring enigma of
snooker's greatest talent. Those who know
him identify a man who is both charming and
open one minute, yet guarded and distant the
next. As soon as he seeks society, it seems, he
craves isolation. "Sometimes at tournaments
he would speak to me and be really friendly, k
O'Sullivan celebrates
world title number four
with his son, Ronnie Jnr
THE TASTE OF crAnbErry, limE Or bluEbErry.
THE EFFEcT OF rEd bull.
WingS FOr All TASTES.
RB_Special Editions_Sport_300x232_UK_AW 4 25/02/2013 16:06
24 | April 19 2013 |
Ronnie O’Sullivan A StudyC
red
it
and then at others he wouldn't speak to me
at all," remembers Hendry. "You never really
knew where you were with him, but in the
last two or three years we've got on a lot
better. We share a common view on snooker
in general, and we speak quite a lot. I've
always liked him, and would like to think
we were mates."
Goldstein tells a similar story. "I've been
presenting Premier League Snooker and
spoken to him for half an hour in the green
room beforehand, just like best pals," he says.
"Then I've gone out and opened the show,
and he's come down and answered my
questions like we've never met before.
"He's the sort of guy who will send you 40
texts in a night and then the next day not
reply to any of yours. I've been in a text
conversation with him one night, and then
not heard from him for weeks."
O'Sullivan has proven particularly elusive
since announcing his intention to return to
snooker for the World Championship back
in February. That is less surprising than it
sounds, given that he has been working on
a second book with the Guardian features
writer Simon Hattenstone – another who has
documented his subject's inconsistencies.
"He's a hopeless friend, really," he revealed
in a piece in early 2006, after working on the
Rocket's first book. "He only phones if you tell
his mum that he's not been returning calls,
then he rings out of the blue at 1am to tell you
he's popping round tomorrow."
As much as O'Sullivan's personal life may
have been defined by his father's long-term
absence, his professional life has been
defined by his relationship with snooker.
Regardless of how much time he has spent
away from the game, and of what he has at
times said about it, he has always returned.
"If Ronnie found something beyond
snooker that he enjoyed doing and that gave
him meaning, he could retire soon," says
Syed. "I'd be very surprised if he was still
going on in the way that Steve Davis has, and
I think at some stage he's going to want to do
something else with his life. But maybe the
problem is that snooker is still the thing he
cares most about."
How does Hendry, who retired from
competition after exiting last year's World
Championship, see it? "People ask me why I
didn't keep playing just for the enjoyment,"
he says. "I tell them that winning games was
the enjoyment for me – so if I'm losing to
players I know shouldn't even be on the same
table as me, then there's no enjoyment.
"But I think snooker means a lot to Ronnie.
He still loves playing, and I think he still
needs the thrill of winning, of making 147s,
of playing at the Crucible and feeling that
special buzz of the crowd. The thing that
killed me was knowing that I wasn't the best
any more. But right now, Ronnie is still the
best player in the world, the biggest draw
and the defending world champion.
"He's had a good few months practising,
and I actually don't think it will be that much
of a shock if he comes back and wins the
World Championship again. John Higgins
was banned for six months [in 2011], came
back and won his first two events. Higgins is
one of the best players in the world, of
course, but Ronnie's better."
Time will tell which O'Sullivan turns
up at Sheffield in the next fortnight: the
composed champion of 12 months ago, or the
troubled character who walked out on that
match against his old rival Hendry in 2006.
It augurs well that he continues to work with
Peters, however.
"What you've got with Ronnie is two very
different parts of the brain working that
present very different outlooks and
personalities," he explains. "Ronnie has
realised that, and is now managing the skill of
saying: 'I don't want to go with this impulsive
emotional machine; I'm going to present the
real Ronnie O'Sullivan.' And the real Ronnie
O'Sullivan is an extremely pleasant,
courteous person."
Perhaps even more than that, the real
Ronnie O'Sullivan is still the 12-year-old
prodigy who walked up to an older boy at
school back in the day, and challenged him to
a game of snooker.
"One day, this little pipsqueak came up to
me and said: 'I'm better than you,'" recalls
Goldstein of their first meeting. "He
introduced himself and I found out that he
lived round the corner from me. He'd heard I
was pretty handy, so he challenged me to a
game at his house the following weekend.
"My dad dropped me off that morning and
I knocked on the door. His dad answered and
immediately asked: 'You here to play my
boy?' I nervously said I was, and he said:
'Yeah, how much for?'
"Bearing in mind I was about 14 and
Ronnie was about 12, I knew I needed to
go big with my answer to impress his dad.
The last thing I wanted to do was make a fool
of myself by saying something stupid. '£1?' I
replied. 'Nah, £50 or nothing,' he said, as the
door slammed shut."
More than a quarter of a century later, that
12-year-old playing for £50 a time has grown
into a four-time world champion still playing
the game he has always loved. When it comes
to Ronnie O'Sullivan and snooker, the door
will never be slammed shut. Ch
ris
top
he
r L
ee
/Ge
tty
Ima
ge
s. A
ll R
on
nie
O'S
ulli
va
n q
uo
tes
ta
ke
n f
rom
Sp
ort
s L
ife
Sto
rie
s: R
on
nie
O'S
ulli
va
n, f
irs
t b
roa
dc
as
t o
n IT
V 4
las
t y
ea
r
WATCH ON DEMAND & ONLINE NOW
“ENORMOUSLYENTERTAINING”
EMPIRE
“SMART, EXPLOSIVEAND VERY FUNNY”
ESQUIRE
COLIN FARRELL SAM ROCKWELL WOODY HARRELSON CHRISTOPHER WALKEN
FROM ACADEMY AWARDr WINNING WRITER AND DIRECTOR OF IN BRUGES
ALSO AVAILABLE ON DVD & BLU-RAY NOW© 2012 BLUEPRINT PICTURES (SEVEN) LIMITED, FILM4AND THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
SevenPsychos_Sport_Page-19Apr 12/4/13 14:00 Page 1
Mark Selby
| April 19 2013 | 27
Wa
rre
n L
ittl
e/G
ett
y Im
ag
es
This time last year, Mark Selby could barely bend down to hit a ball. Now he’s won two of the season’s big three events, and has his eyes on the hat-trick with a first World Championship. Is it any wonder the world number one is feeling good? k
happy p tter
Saturday > World Snooker ChampionShip | The CruCible, Sheffield | bbC TWo 10am
Wars of the worlds
Mark Selby
28 | April 19 2013 |
Ch
arl
ie C
row
hu
rst/
Ge
tty
Ima
ge
s, P
au
l Gilh
am
/Ge
tty
Ima
ge
s
You lost to Neil Robertson in the final of the China
Open last month, but you’re still world number one.
How’s your confidence going into the worlds?
“It’s probably the best season I’ve had, so confidence
is pretty high going into the weekend. Having said
that, I know what it takes to become a champion –
and it’s obviously very tough. With the standard how
it is today, it’s going to be very difficult.”
How big a part does confidence play in snooker?
“It’s huge, I’d say 85 per cent of the game is about
confidence. There are so many great players on the
tour who people probably don’t get to see – and it’s
not because they’re not good enough, just that they
lack that little bit of self-belief. You can’t teach
confidence – it just comes from winning.”
Steve Davis has said there are a lot more good
players on the tour now compared with when he
was at his peak. Do you agree?
“I think the standard’s probably as good as it’s ever
been today, and that’s down to Barry [Hearn] getting
on board and putting more tournaments on, because
it means everyone’s a lot more match-sharp.
Three or four years ago, we had only six or seven
tournaments; after one finished, you’d be having a
break for four or five weeks before the next, so not
everyone was that sharp. With the PTC [Players Tour
Championship] going well, too, players coming into big
tournaments in the first round are getting to play the
likes of John Higgins and Mark Williams week in, week
out. So the fear factor they might once have had in
qualifying for a ranking event isn’t there any more.”
How serious was the neck injury you had last year?
“Very. When I first pulled out of the China Open, I
couldn’t get down on the cue at all – but I didn’t know
what it was and I was scared I might never play again.
I got an MRI scan, and they said I had a disc bulge in
between C5 and C6 on the vertebrae – so when I was
tilting my head back, it was putting pressure on it
that was causing it to go all down my arm and affect
the nerve system. Thankfully, I got some treatment...
it’s still there now, just nowhere near as bad.”
Heading to the Crucible knowing you had that injury
must have been tough?
“It was tough, because it’s the biggest tournament
we play in and the pinnacle of our sport, so everyone
wants to win. Going there knowing I was only 40 to
50 per cent fit was hard. I thought I might be able to
squeeze through the first round, and then get four
or five days’ break to get more treatment, but it
wasn’t to be [Selby fell at the first hurdle, going
down 3-10 to Barry Hawkins]. Thankfully, I’m in
a better frame of mind this year.”
You won the UK Open in December. Was that the
point at which the injury was finally put to bed?
“Yeah, just playing again this season was a massive
plus, considering I more or less pulled out of the last
two tournaments last year. Once you get over the
hurdle of actually winning another tournament, you
realise that you can still play at the top level. I’ve
pushed on from there and I’m feeling good now.”
Then you won your third Masters in January, so
the worlds would give you the Triple Crown in one
season. Is that a distraction, or great motivation?
“It’s in the back of my mind, because obviously it
would be a great achievement – but at the same time,
even if I hadn’t won those two events, it is still
massive to be going to the World Championship with
a chance of winning. It’s going to be tough, though –
especially with Ronnie coming back.”
Does his return help take the pressure off you?
“A bit. He’s only played in one tournament this year,
and I think the tour has progressed without him – but
he gives a lot to the sport when he does play, and as
defending champion I think it’s great that he’s back.
There’s another factor – if you win a tournament with
Ronnie involved, it makes it that much more special.”
You’ve said you like the Masters because it’s a
one-table format, so every game feels like a final
– and you also have a knack of winning from behind.
Do you thrive under pressure?
“Well, I’d rather not be in the position of coming from
behind – but I never give up until the last ball is potted,
whereas some players go three or four frames
behind and let their heads drop. That’s something
you either have or you don’t. I’ve been like that ever
since I started playing, although it helps that I still
love the game as much now as I did when I started.”
So if you win the World Championship, you wouldn’t
be tempted to walk away on a high?
“No way. I feel like I’ve got a lot left in me, and my
hunger for the game is as great as it was when I
first got on the tour. If I get to the stage where I feel
like I can’t compete any more, I’ll knock it on the head.
Until then, I want to play for as long as possible.”
Mark Coughlan @coffers83
We pick out three first-round matches to keep an eye on in the first few days at the Crucible
Ronnie O’Sullivan (1) v Marcus Campbell
He has played only one tour match since winning
last year’s title (a defeat to then world number 75
Simon Bedford in Gloucester), so all eyes will be
on Ronnie’s return when he steps up to the table
on Saturday morning. He needs to be careful,
too, because the man he faces has previous.
Campbell battered Stephen Hendry 9-0 in the UK
Championship back in 1998 – and, having reached a
first ranking semi final at the start of this season, is
a man in (relative) form. It would be typical Ronnie to
whitewash Campbell here. It would also be typical
Ronnie to lose miserably and retire once again. Hell,
it would be ‘typical’ of Ronnie to get on the table
and dance a jig. Either way, it’ll be worth watching.
Judd Trump (4) v Dominic Dale
A Sport favourite ever since he sang My Way in a
press conference, Dominic ‘The Spaceman’ Dale
took on Trump at this stage last year, and led the
tie 4-2 before a slice of luck gave Trump a way
back into the match. The number four seed has
struggled for consistency in a season during
which he has been world number one, but he has
also beaten Dale twice since last year’s meeting –
and accused him of slowing his game in a bid to put
him off the last time they played. The Spaceman
did it his way, Judd – that’s just the way he is.
Graeme Dott (12) v Peter Ebdon
Two former world champions meet in this rematch
of the 2006 final, in which Dott (below) prevailed
after one of the most tediously titanic battles ever
seen on the baize. Both men have struggled for
form this season (no great surprise there), so don’t
expect a classic. Instead, expect a whole bunch of
slooow frames and a shot clock
that just runs and runs. Settle in
for the long haul, this one could
be a case of last man standing.
“You can’t teach confidence – it just comes from winning”
A E N 3 9 1 4 _ S U B S P O R T - 1 2 0 1 3 - 0 4 - 1 5 T 1 2 : 4 1 : 5 5 + 0 1 : 0 0
Amir Khan
Unfinished BUsiness
30 | April 19 2013 |
The advantages are openly acknowledged
in sports like football, but can fighting at
home have an impact on boxers?
“Being backed by home fans can make a
massive difference – especially because,
when you’re in the ring, you’re on you’re own.
So to have people cheering for you and
supporting you can give you that extra edge
in tough rounds. Also, my fans have followed
me everywhere from day one; they’ve spent
a lot of money to travel and see me fight in
Vegas and all over, so I thought I’d show a
Tell us about your opponent on the night,
Julio Diaz. What does he bring to the ring?
“Julio Diaz is a tough guy. He fought [unbeaten
US prospect] Shawn Porter in his last fight,
and I thought he might have won – but it
was declared a draw. He’s a former world
champion and it was very difficult to get any
opponent in the 140lb division. We offered it
to [Vyacheslav] Senchenko, who beat Ricky
Hatton, and he refused it. We offered the
fight to so many names and they just didn’t
take it. So I had to negotiate with guys who
are at the weight above me. Diaz is coming
down from 147lb and I’m going up to
143-144lb.”
Is that also because you’re struggling to
make 140lb now?
“It’s never easy to make 140lb, but I’m a
dedicated and disciplined fighter. So if I >
Ahead of a UK homecoming fight next weekend, Amir Khan tells us that he’s learned from his mistakes
bit of loyalty and come back home to
put a fight on.”
You’re fighting in the hometown of your
rival Kell Brook. Is there an element of
one-upmanship here?
“Well, it’s partly that I’ve never fought in
Sheffield before, and it’s a big boxing city.
They had Naz [Prince Naseem Hamed] there,
and it’s not too far for boxing fans to travel
from London or Bolton or Manchester. But
I did speak to the people who run the venue
[the Motorpoint Arena] and they said the
most Kell Brook has ever sold is probably
8,000 tickets. He’s never really had the
place sold out fully, and they were impressed
that we’re on course to sell a lot more.
Kell Brook is more than welcome to come
by and experience a show that will be
100 per cent full.”
Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
S p o r t _ C a r l i n g _ 1 5 0 4 - 1 2 0 1 3 - 0 4 - 0 4 T 1 2 : 3 3 : 4 8 + 0 1 : 0 0
32 | April 19 2013 |
Amir Khan
have to make 140lb, then I will. But this time,
just by putting that three or four pounds on,
I’ll hold a little bit more muscle and I’ll be more
hydrated. Maybe you’ll see a better Amir Khan
at 144lb.”
It’s nine months since your stoppage loss
to Danny Garcia [pictured right]. What have
you learned from that fight?
“Getting into all the arguments at press
conferences and reacting to the criticism
from his team was a mistake. It’s not really
my style, and all the back-and-forth got to
me a little bit. It taught me just to be myself.
Next time, I know to stay nice and calm.
Also, we trained very hard for the fight, but
one of the reasons I moved to [new trainer]
Virgil Hunter is because I thought that
offensively I’ve got it, but defence is
something I need to improve. I should never
have been getting caught with the shots I was
getting caught with in that fight. I was getting
caught with every shot he was throwing.
It’s all about being smarter next time.”
Was it difficult to lift yourself again after
that defeat?
“It was tough, but I had to make a change – so
I went with Virgil, and I also changed the way
I am in between fights. I’ve been doing mini
training camps, going for a jog or to the gym
for a little bit – whereas before, I didn’t used
to do anything between fights. So that will
help me, because it’s made me more hungry
in a way – to not cheat myself and to be more
professional. That’s what I am now.”
After December’s win against Carlos Molina,
this is your second fight with Virgil Hunter.
What differences has he made for you?
“He’s honest. He tells you how it is, and he’s
not really bothered whether you’re happy or
unhappy about what he has to say. That’s what
I want: to have a trainer who’s very straight up.
Having him in my corner against Molina was a
big help. He was always shouting, motivating
me and giving me the right instructions.
Also, he told me about my style, the way I make
defensive mistakes and how I can improve.
He’s making me understand boxing, instead of
just telling me what to do and what not to do.”
What’s made you such an exciting fighter,
though, is that you have that warrior streak:
when you’re hit, you hit back...
“Yeah, I know, but that can be a bad thing
sometimes. There were times in the past
where I could have just taken a step back to
breathe and boxed instead of being too brave.
It can be bad for you, but that stuff made me
an exciting fighter, because I’ve traded in
fights and no one knew what to expect from
me. But I’ve learned from that now. When I
used to get hit before, I’d want to hit my
opponent back with a shot twice as hard;
now, it’s about what I can do differently to
avoid getting hit again. After you recover
fully, that’s when you go back in to attack.”
“I was gettIng caught wIth every shot he was throwIng”
| 33
Promoters Golden Boy have a plan for your
weight division: the winner of Danny Garcia v
Zab Judah takes on the winner of Lamont
Peterson v Lucas Matthysse – then you fight
the overall winner at the end of this year.
Who do you think that fighter will be?
“I think Garcia will beat Judah, but Matthysse
and Peterson is a tough one because of the
workrate and the pressure that Peterson
puts on. That will be a close fight, but I believe
either Peterson or Matthysse could beat
Garcia if they box him smartly. So it could be
one of those two.”
But you definitely want to fight the winner?
“Yeah, it’s good in that it quickens the route to
becoming the world’s best light-welterweight.
The winner of that tournament will then be
number one in the division, and then against
me everything will be on the line. Hopefully I
can beat the winner of that tournament and
then move up to the next weight. It is getting
very hard now to make 140lb, but I’ve got
unfinished business in this weight category,
so I don’t want to move up yet. It’s a must-win
against Julio Diaz, though, and I’m focused on
that first.”
You talk about training more professionally
– but please tell us the chocolate drawer
you keep at home still exists?
“Definitely! It’s more of a mental thing than
anything: to know you have a chocolate drawer.
You do crave chocolate and stuff when you’re
making weight, but mainly because you know
you’re not allowed it. When at home, I hardly
touch it. It’s mainly for the [friends’ and
family’s] kids – they use it more than I do.”
What’s your weapon of choice if you do
go for one, though?
“Something like a Kit-Kat or a Twix. Or I might
spoil myself and go for a posh one like a
Ferrero Rocher or something. But there’s
often not any left because the kids tend to
choose that one before I can get to it.”
Alex Reid @otheralexreid
Tickets for Amir Khan v Julio Diaz on April 27 can
be purchased from motorpointarenasheffield.co.uk
or by calling 0114 256 5656
“He’s an Honest coacH. He tells you How it is, and He’s not really botHered wHetHer you’re Happy or unHappy about wHat He’s got to say”
Jo
hn
Gu
rzin
sk
i/A
FP
/Ge
tty
Ima
ge
s
extra iPad content
Download
the free
Sport iPad
app for more
images of
Amir in
training
Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
FOR THE
PRIDE
There can’t be many better feelings than lifting the Aviva Premiership Rugby trophy in front of 82,000 fans at Twickenham Stadium, the home of England Rugby. Don’t miss your chance to be part of the incredible atmosphere at the biggest club rugby fi nal on the planet.
TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM JUST £25 TICKETMASTER.CO.UK 0844 847 2492 #bepartofit
hhhh bb
LIMITED TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE
TWICKENHAM25TH MAY
FINAL 2013
971.114_Sport Magazine 232x300_V2.indd 1 16/04/2013 16:28
Judo Ashley McKenzie
| April 19 2013 | 35
joh
na
ng
ers
on
arc
hiv
e.c
om
A tearful first-round exit in the
2012 Olympics wasn’t what
-60kg judoka Ashley McKenzie
had in mind. But things have
rarely gone to plan for the
23-year-old from Queen’s Park,
who starred in BBC Three
documentary Bad Boy Olympian
before the Games and has
since appeared in Channel 5’s
Celebrity Big Brother. As
McKenzie prepares to fight in
next week’s European Judo
Championships in Hungary, he
tells us how different his life
could have been were it not for
a run in with an estate bully at
the age of 11...
Why did you get into judo?
“Basically, I used to play on the
street as a young kid, and I used
to play with Pokémon cards.
One day I was trading my cards,
and one of the guys on the
estate took it off me. It was a
nice little shiny one. He took it
off me and I was like: ’Mate, you
need to give me that back.’ He
didn’t want to give it back and
he threw me, and so I went to
hit him and he threw me again.
“I went home and asked my
mum to type ‘throwing’ into the
internet, and judo came up. So
I went to my nearest judo club
and there was the guy who had
my Pokémon card. So I got my
card back, and after that I made
a success out of judo and went
to the Olympics.”
If only someone had taken our
Pokémon cards, we might have
made it to the Olympics, too...
[Laughs] “Honestly, I was a lucky
one. I wasn’t the best in school,
and judo helped balance that
out. I was getting excluded from
school and my mum wasn’t the
happiest with me, but every time
I got another judo medal she
was actually pleased with me.”
You have ADHD – did that make
it difficult to concentrate?
“Yeah it was hard at times –
I just wanted to get everything
done, and school was quite a
long process. I’d want to walk
out of class and I just couldn’t
concentrate for that long. I take
Equasym, which helps. I was
also on Ritalin – but that wasn’t
allowed once I started judo.”
You’ve had other problems, too?
“Yes, I’ve been banned [from
competing] a few times – once
for one month, once for three
months and once for six months,
thanks to me just going out and
doing what I want, really. I didn’t
really go according to what they
wanted me to do. When I was
younger, I was just a rebel.”
What was the turning point?
“When I was 16, the Olympics in
London were announced.
Believing in myself wasn’t my
strongest thing, but someone
said to me: ‘You could go to the
Olympics if you put your mind to
it’. From then, I just went for it.”
It must have been devastating
to go out in the first round?
“For me it was always going to
be about my first experience.
I was always looking forward to
Rio – I think London was always
going to be a learning curve.”
Do you think you can come back
from Hungary with a medal?
“I like to think I can. I’m in the
top 10 in Europe at the moment,
so I don’t see why not.”
Why did you decide to go on
Celebrity Big Brother?
“They asked me to do it, and I
thought: ‘Why shouldn’t I?’ It was
like living in a cave and everyone
telling you what to do 24/7. It’s
a big game, but I wasn’t really
playing the game, so I kind of
enjoyed the experience.”
Where would you be without
judo, do you think?
“Probably in jail, if I’m being
honest with you. I wasn’t going
to be working in McDonald’s or
nothing like that, cause I can’t
hack a job like that. So yeah,
probably in jail.”
Amit Katwala @amitkatwala
Ashley is supporting the BHF’s
campaign Fight for Every Heartbeat.
Text FIGHT to 70123 and give £3,
or donate by visiting bhf.org.uk
How the Olympics(and Pokémon)
saved my life
Olympic judoka and reformed
‘bad boy’ Ashley McKenzie spoke
to Sport ahead of the European
Championships next Thursday
36 | April 19 2013 |
BMX Liam Phillips
Bry
n L
en
no
n/G
ett
y Im
ag
es
A pedal malfunction saw him crash out of the medals in the Olympic final. Now Liam Phillips is out to make amends at today’s BMX Supercross World Cup
Crash Course
No London regrets“I can’t really look back on 2012 without
going back even further. In 2011, I didn’t race
BMX at all. I basically got scared of getting
injured, so I took some time out and went
on to the track instead. That meant I didn’t
race [a BMX] from October 2010 until
February 2012. So I felt like I was playing
catch-up for a lot of the past season.
So, despite what happened in the Olympic
final, I have only fond memories of 2012.
Ultimately, I know the sort of risks that are
involved in the sport. You need only make one
mistake and that’s it – your chance has gone.
That’s almost what’s so appealing about the
sport, in some respects.”
You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone...“It got to the stage where I was absolutely
sick of working my socks off and making
gains in BMX racing, only to get an injury and
end up back at square one. So I evaluated
things at the start of 2011 and decided that
it was all about the Olympics for me, and if I
had a better chance of success in another
area then I’d be stupid not to take it. So I
switched to track cycling. But almost
immediately, I missed BMX more than I ever
could have imagined. I didn’t think I’d be
bothered at all. Sometimes when you do
something for so long – and I’ve been racing
BMX bikes since I was five – you take it for
granted a bit.”
Breaking my collarbone 10 weeks before the Games was brilliant“When I crashed at the World Championships
last May, I thought my Olympics was over
before it had begun. The type of impact I had
and the speed I was going at meant I feared
the worst. So when the doctors said I’d only
broken my collarbone and a few ribs, that
was brilliant... although I did break my
shoulder blade as well. But it could have
been so much worse. I went in for surgery
straight away and was back on the track
after five weeks. That was really pushing it,
but I had no choice. It was time to go all in.
I knew that if the medical team could give me
five weeks on my bike, I could still go to the
Games and perform at a high level.”
Come rain or shine, we ride“The indoor BMX track in Manchester
has been a complete game-changer
for us since it opened about 18
months ago. It’s the only permanent
indoor BMX facility in the world,
and with the weather we have
here it means we can actually plan our
sessions because we know we’re going to
be able to train every day. Before, when we
couldn’t ride because of snow or heavy rain,
we used to go out to a series of tunnels that
run underneath the runway at Manchester
Airport to get our sprint sessions on the
bike done. It was still bloody cold down there,
though. It was brutal, in fact. But it’s really
made me appreciate the facilities we’ve
got now.”
Home advantage is huge“Having the Supercross World Series opening
round on our home track [in Manchester] this
weekend is a huge advantage, really, in terms
of knowing the track itself. But having said
that, with the way BMX is now, [the critical
part of] the race is actually from the top of
the start ramp to the bottom. And that’s only
about two and a half seconds. There are
other countries that have the same start hills
as we do in Manchester, so it doesn’t matter
how good you are around the track – if the
start of your race isn’t up to scratch, then
it’s essentially worthless. But from a
psychological aspect, being comfortable with
the surroundings and the environment – and
knowing that you use that track day in, day
out – is worth its weight in gold.”
Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag
Liam Phillips will be competing at the UCI BMX
Supercross World Cup in Manchester on April
19 and 20. For more information and to find out
how to buy tickets, visit bmxsuperx.com
It is now possible to get safety equipment on the scheme without needing to buy a bike.
Ask in-store for details.
The best place to spend your Cyclescheme vouchers
Have your HR department set up the scheme today!
Take advantage of the Government’s Cycle to Work scheme and buy your new Specialized bike through
Cyclescheme and make huge tax savings.
RETAIL VALUE
£900
SPECIALIZED ALLEZ ELITE
YOU PAY ONLY
£51X 12 MONTHLY PAYMENTSTOTAL PAYMENT fOR LOWER
RATE TAX PAYERS £612
YOU PAY ONLY
£43.50X 12 MONTHLY PAYMENTSTOTAL PAYMENT fOR HIGHER
RATE TAX PAYERS £522
SAVE
32%
SAVE
42%
29 stores across the UK & Ireland* including 17 within London*Scheme not available in Ireland
The Allez Elite combines pro-level looks with high-end performance that will serve you well when commuting or on longer rides.
To browse the latest bikes and accessories visit
3393_SPC Sports Ad_232x300.indd 1 25/03/2013 09:14
Desert blues
Ed
Jo
ne
s/A
FP
/Ge
tty
Ima
ge
s
7 DaysAPR 19-APR 25
HIGHLIGHTS
» Football: Premier League Preview » p40
» Football: Champions League Semi Finals » p42
» Rugby Union: London Wasps v Exeter Chiefs » p44
» Athletics: The London Marathon » p46
» Boxing: Nathan Cleverly v Robin Krasniqi » p48OUR PICK OF THE ACTION FROM THE SPORTING WEEK AHEAD
SUNDAY FORMULA 1 | BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX | SAKHIR | SKy SPORTS F1 1PM, HIGHLIGHTS ON BBC ONE FROM 5PM
For the second year in succession, Bernie
Ecclestone's travelling circus has made its way
to Bahrain amid an atmosphere of unrest that's
undoubtedly been stirred up by the world's gaze.
Protests against the government continue, and
human rights activists are again arguing that the
race should be cancelled because of the use of
torture by Bahraini authorities. Online group
Anonymous has threatened to disrupt websites and
online services relating to the race. Meanwhile, in the
captial Manama, tear gas has been fired at protesters
demanding the release of a colleague arrested last
week, and last Sunday a car bomb was set off in the
Financial Harbour district of the city. With so much
money invested in the race, however, the show will
go on – whether it should or not.
While one Australian was belly-putting his way to
victory in Augusta, on the other side of the world
another was having one of the worst weekends of
his life. After losing out to Sebastian Vettel's
disobedience in Malaysia, Mark Webber's luck in
China was so bad that his team principal Christian
Horner was forced to deny there was a conspiracy
against him. Demoted to the back of the grid after
running out of fuel in qualifying, the 36-year-old
ended up parked by the side of the road in the race,
his right rear wheel rolling across the track after it
was not properly secured at a pit stop.
In the desert heat, tyre management will again
be crucial – and Ferrari (above) look best equipped
to take advantage of that, despite Pirelli deciding
not to take the softest compound tyre to the race.
Their soft tyre was used for the first time in China,
but drivers found it degraded so quickly that no one
spent more than seven laps on it in the race.
Mercedes and Red Bull are quick, but Fernando
Alonso demonstrated in Malaysia that his car looks
after its tyres better than most of his rivals.
Elsewhere, Nico Rosberg has had luck of Mark
Webber-like proportions, having finished just one
race this season thanks to technical problems, while
Australian Daniel Ricciardo put in an impressive
performance in his Toro Rosso to finish seventh in
China. McLaren struggled again, with Sergio Perez
failing to score points. They will, however, have
upgrades waiting for when they get back to Europe.
And, much like the F1 authorities, will just hope to
finish this controversial race without any disasters.
38 | April 19 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
40 | April 19 2013 |
7 Days
Tottenham have had 10 days to muse upon their Swiss
heartbreak and rouse themselves again for one last
push in the league. Their fight for fourth begins with
the visit of FA Cup finalists Manchester City on Sunday,
the champions having played twice in the time since
Spurs last laced up their boots.
Manager Andre Villas-Boas will have been thankful for
the break, and specifically the chance to welcome key
players back from injury, including Gareth Bale – who
could return despite being carried off on a stretcher
during Spurs’ first-leg draw with FC Basel. The Welshman
has netted 22 club goals this season, and Spurs haven’t
won a match in which he’s not scored since January 1.
Sergio Aguero has been almost as influential for City
in recent weeks, scoring four goals in his past five
appearances ahead of City’s midweek tie against Wigan.
The Argentine has also scored two goals in City’s last
three games against Spurs, netting the equaliser in their
2-1 win at the Etihad last November. He also scored the
last time City played at White Hart Lane, but that was a
mere footnote to Edin Dzeko’s four-goal haul that resulted
in a 5-1 hammering. A repeat is unlikely, but you have to
go back to December 2012 to find the last time Spurs kept
a clean sheet at home in the league (against Stoke). Odds
are that City will score, then – while the odds on Spurs
winning almost certainly hang on the fitness of Mr Bale.
Is the belief back at Arsenal?
Results ahead of their midweek tie
against Everton suggested so, but
the feeling that a defensive calamity
lies around the corner won’t go away.
Luck was on their side last weekend
– and one win in their last four at
Craven Cottage suggests they could
do with more on Saturday. With
Fulham boss Martin Jol happy that
they’ve now reached their goal of
40 points, Arsenal will hope
Fulham’s foot is well off the gas.
Reading’s club record run of eight
straight defeats in all competitions
ended with a draw against Liverpool
last weekend. However, as manager
Nigel Adkins said: “It’s only one
point; we need three.” The Royals
are without a win in their past three
against the Canaries (though two
of those have been draws), but
then Norwich have to play fellow
relegation battlers Stoke and Aston
Villa after this – three six-pointers
in a row that could seal their fate.
saturday norwich v reading | carrow road | 3PM
Tottenham return from their late-season break hoping it’s not too late to steal fourth, while Rafa Benitez looks forward to an Anfield love-in. It’s been a while, after all
saturday fulhaM v arsenal craven cottage | 3PM
Premier League
sunday tottenhaM v Manchester city | white hart lane | sky sPorts 1 1.30PM
Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
SATURDAY qpr v stoke | loftus road | 3pM
| 41
SATURDAY sunderland v everton | stadiuM of light | 3pM SATURDAY swansea v southaMpton
liberty stadiuM | 3pM
Newcastle’s defeat to Sunderland
last weekend was compounded by
the loss of goalkeeper Tim Krul to
injury for the rest of the season.
With the Magpies not entirely safe,
and with games against Liverpool
and Arsenal to come, Alan Pardew’s
bum may be squeaking should they
lose on Saturday. The Baggies
haven’t won in their past three,
though, and have lost their previous
two meetings with Newcastle.
So Pardew may yet beat the squeak.
SATURDAY west broM v newcastle | hawthorns | 1.30pM
After both teams had tough
midweek games against Mancunian
opposition, this could be survival
of the fittest. Wigan have the
motivational edge, knowing their FA
Cup success will mean little should
they fail to beat the drop. They can
take comfort from the fact they have
already beaten West Ham twice this
term, their Capital One Cup win
coming at Upton Park, too. The
Hammers have lost only four league
games at home this season, though.
SATURDAY west haM v wigan | upton park | 3pM
Stoke’s record away from home
is dire. They have one win from 17
on the road in all competitions this
season and face three more before it
comes to a close, starting Saturday.
QPR’s time in the Premier League is
all but over, though Harry Redknapp
can’t yet admit it... “otherwise I may
as well go on holiday now”. QPR
beat Stoke 1-0 at Loftus Road last
May – a result that helped keep them
up. It’s never too la... actually, in this
case, it probably is.
With the Paolo Di Canio effect
in full swing at Sunderland,
David Moyes will be wary of taking
Everton to the northeast for their
third game in a week. But the
journey will at least conjure some
positive memories for the Toffees
– their last away win (before their
midweek game at the Emirates)
came at Newcastle in January.
Then again, Everton have drawn
their previous three at Sunderland
in the league.
The Swans have had two weeks off
after ending a run of three defeats
with a draw against Norwich. With
boss Michael Laudrup insisting
a top-10 finish is within reach, he’s
targeting two wins out of their three
remaining home games. With one of
those against Manchester City, one
imagines Saturday’s game against
Southampton is one he has marked
with a ‘W’. Saints are unbeaten in
five, though, and will equal Swansea’s
points haul with a win here.
Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez chose an
interesting time to voice his conviction that his
future lies back at Anfield. The ex-Liverpool boss
took the Chelsea job 10 days after these two teams
last met (in a 1-1 draw at the Bridge), so this will be
his first visit to Anfield as occupier of the Chelsea
hot/ejector seat. After their FA Cup defeat last
weekend, which was swiftly followed by a game
against local rivals Fulham in midweek, Benitez
could struggle to get the best out of his side
on Sunday. Considering the Spaniard’s long-term
ambition involves him ending up as manager of
their opponents, that might suit him best.
SUnDAY liverpool v chelsea | anfield | sky sports 1 4pM
19A
ll p
ictu
res
Ge
tty
Im
ag
es
The predicted ‘bounce’ from
Matthew Lowton’s incredible strike
against Stoke didn’t materialise.
A draw at home against Fulham last
weekend was a disappointing result
for a team fighting relegation and
with a trip to the likely champions on
the horizon. It wasn’t for lack of
effort – Villa’s 33 interceptions were
the most made by any side last
weekend. But too many chances
were wasted... not something they
can afford to do at Old Trafford.
monDAY Man utd v aston villa | old trafford
sky sports 1 8pM
Liverpool have had
more shots on target
than any other
Premier League side
in April, but are one
of only two sides
not to score
One manager will be on the e
ford.co.ukProud sponsor of the UEFA C
42 | April 19 2013 |
7 Days
Pep Guardiola will be watching this one with
interest. The Spaniard coached Barcelona to 14
trophies in four years, and will take over from Jupp
Heynckes at Bayern Munich at the end of the season.
With his side already crowned Bundesliga champions
(they have a 20-point lead with six games to go),
Heynckes is bowing out on a high, and he insists he
won’t be tempted to call on his successor to find out
the secrets to Barcelona’s success.
At any rate, Barca’s secret was obvious during the
Catalans’ lacklustre first hour against PSG in the
second leg of their quarter final. Leo Messi’s arrival
from the bench has been written about in awed
terms that haven’t been used since the Gospels;
although it was far from miraculous, his performance
certainly seemed to galvanise Barca when they
looked to be heading out of the competition.
In contrast, Bayern were in control of their tie
against Juventus from the first minute of the first
leg, when David Alaba opened the scoring, to the
closing stages of the last, as Claudio Pizzarro netted
to add the final touches to the 4-0 aggregate
scoreline. The Germans are in unbelievable form
– they have won 17 of their past 18 games, and have
lost just three games in all competitions this season.
An equally formidable stat: Barcelona are unbeaten
in their last 17 games against German sides, a run
stretching back to 2001.
Bayern’s top scorer Mario Mandžukic is suspended
for Tuesday’s clash, but Mario Gomez is a worthy
replacement – he hasn’t started regularly this
season, but Messi and Karim Benzema are the only
active players with a better goals-per-game ratio in
the Champions League than the German.
Both teams have made regular appearances at
this stage in the past few years, and it’s slightly
surprising that they’ve only met once. In 2009,
Barcelona got the job done with a 4-0 home win at
the Nou Camp. A 1-1 draw in Munich followed –
expect a similarly tight game between two teams
that have only matured since then. And, of course,
a Spanish manager in the crowd wondering how
he can possibly improve on this.
A big night for...
Tactically, there are parallels between the
sides – both Heynckes and Tito Vilanova
normally ask their sides to press high
up the pitch, and both teams have
players who like to start wide and
drift inside. Munich are more
likely to attempt to hit their
opponents on the break. With Carles Puyol
and Javier Mascherano both injured and usual
stand-in left-back Adriano suspended, 22-year
old centre-back Marc Bartra (there he is, look –
to your right) could be in for some hard running.
No Pep talk required
TUESDAY FOOTBALL | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI FINAL FIRST LEG: BAYERN MUNICH v BARCELONA | ALLIANZ ARENA | ITV 7.45PM
Sh
au
n B
ott
eri
ll/G
ett
y Im
ag
es
, Da
vid
Ra
mo
s/G
ett
y Im
ag
es
, L
ars
Ba
ron
/Bo
ng
art
s/G
ett
y Im
ag
es
, Od
d A
nd
ers
en
/AF
P/G
ett
y Im
ag
es
e edge of his seat. Guardiola.
FC Bayern München v FC Barcelona Tuesday 23rd April 7.45pm
A Champions League for 21 years
Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand | 43
Germany divided
WEDNESDAY FOOTBALL | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI FINAL FIRST LEG: BORUSSIA DORTMUND v REAL MADRID | WESTFALENSTADION | SKY SPORTS 2 7.45PM
José Mourinho's Real Madrid are also
heading to Germany, where their hunt for
a tenth European Cup came off the rails last
season. They have pursued that goal with a
single-minded obsession that has seen all
other competitions fall by the wayside this
season – and with the manager surely on
the way out, it's his last chance to complete
the job he was hired for.
Looking to stop him are Jurgen Klopp's
exciting Dortmund team. On paper, they
might seem like the easiest proposition
of the four semi-finalists, but they caused
Madrid real problems in the group stages,
taking four points from the Spanish
champions. Admittedly, Madrid were
suffering from defensive injuries and were
forced to pull in former Chelsea hatchet
man Michael Essien to play at left back,
but Dortmund pressed high and were
deserving winners.
Klopp is an astute tactician, and he will
likely ask his side to set up in a similar way
– although they may not have as much luck
against a full-strength Madrid, who also lost
Sami Khedira to injury that day.
As well as taxing our subeditor,
Dortmund's home-grown midfield quintet
of Kevin Großkreutz, Sebastian Kehl, llkay
Gündogan, Marco Reus and Mario Götze
will pressure Madrid’s own midfield, and
look to win the ball high up the pitch, then
create chances through clever interplay.
They may also target the left back again, as
Cristiano Ronaldo tends to be given licence
not to track back when out of possession.
It's well justified in his case, of course –
the Portuguese forward has scored 11
in his past eight club games; his brace
against Atlético last weekend included
a free-kick that would have looked
ridiculous even on FIFA.
Regardless of who goes through, it's
likely to be a German-influenced outcome.
Because, as well as Dortmund's central
five, Madrid's own Deutsch-duo could be
pivotal. Khedira has the energy to disrupt
Die Schwarzgelben’s clever play and, at the
other end, Mesut Özil will try to find space
and unpick Dortmund's defence.
Eleven years is a long time for a team as
accustomed to success as Real Madrid to
wait for a European trophy – they last won
Ol’ Big Ears by beating another German
side, Bayer Leverkusen, at Hampden Park
in 2002. But Mourinho will make sure they
know that these two ties with Dortmund
could prove as tough as anything another
final might throw at them.
A big night for...
Both teams are at their best when on the
counter-attack, but Madrid might
dominate possession at the
Westfalenstadion – as they did in
the group stage. Dortmund
goalkeeper Roman
Weidenfeller (right) could
be kept busy – as you’re
probably well aware by
now, both Ronaldo and
Ángel di María will cut in
from their respective
flanks to shoot.
Two games are left in the Premiership season, and three
points separate the three sides currently chasing the
all-important sixth place that means Heineken Cup rugby
next season. What a time, then, for Wasps (in eighth) and
Exeter (sixth) to meet – especially considering that Bath, in
seventh, face Leicester and Saracens in their final games,
so face an uphill task to trouble the top six.
Wasps’ recent form has been patchy, to say the least, but
the power they possess up front is always dangerous, and
Billy Vunipola is sure to want to bow out in style before he
leaves for the plastic pitch at Saracens. It’s out wide where
the Londoners’ real threat comes, though, with Tom Varndell
(with 12) and Christian Wade (10) the league’s top try
scorers, and Elliot Daly (pictured) at 15 having twice troubled
the try of the week committee in recent rounds. Admittedly,
Wasps’ defence has been pretty poor of late – but with the
finishing class they have, the good weather and firm grounds
could have arrived just in time.
The Chiefs have shown in recent weeks that they can
compete with the best – most notably with their win away at
Harlequins. They’ve slipped out of top-four contention (bar a
miraculous final fortnight), but they will not give up on Europe.
Fly half Gareth Steenson has been in electric form since that
visit to The Stoop, while their all-round fitness and desire
mean Wasps won’t get a moment’s rest. Neither side can
afford to lose, but the neutrals could be the real winners here.
Heineken for one
Following their 84-6 hammering by Wigan
Warriors on Easter Monday, Hull Kingston
Rovers came back impressively six days
later to beat St Helens 22-14 at Craven Park.
And the pair meet again in the fourth round
of the Tetley’s Challenge Cup on Saturday,
with all the promise of a typical blood-and-
thunder cup tie.
Craven Park has traditionally been a tough
place for the Saints, and they will need some
of their injured personnel back on board if
they hope to progress. History is on their
side, though, in that they have won the
Challenge Cup 12 times (the last time in
2008) while Rovers have only carried off the
trophy once – and haven’t made the final
since way back in 1986.
But St Helens are struggling up front and
at half-back, while the home side are well
placed in both departments. And what the
Saints would give for a scrum half of the
quality of Rovers’ Michael Dobson (pictured)
– the Australian is the heartbeat of his side,
and his kicking game is exemplary. Up front,
meanwhile, Cory Paterson, Micky Paea and
Rhys Lovegrove are a real handful. Saints’
youngsters have been competitive of late,
but they need the likes of Tony Puletua and
Jonny Lomax back to give them a real edge.
The only other all-Super League tie sees
Leeds Rhinos at home to Castleford Tigers
(Friday, 8.30pm). The Tigers recently parted
company with head coach Ian Millward but
got a morale-boosting win over Widnes last
weekend. They will need to step up another
level if they are to unseat the Rhinos, though.
A possible cup upset could come at The
Stoop, where London Broncos take on
Championship side Featherstone Rovers
(Saturday, 3pm) – a team with Super League
ambitions who knocked Castleford out of this
competition last year.
7 Days
Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
To
m D
ula
t/G
ett
y Im
ag
es
, Mik
e E
ge
rto
n/G
ett
y Im
ag
es
Saints on the cup run from Hull
Sunday Rugby union | aviva pRemieRship: Wasps v exeteR | adams paRk | espn 2pm
SaTuRday Rugby League | ChaLLenge Cup: huLL kingston RoveRs v st heLens | CRaven paRk | bbC one 2.30pm
44 | April 19 2013 |
7 Days
Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
To
m S
ha
w/G
ett
y Im
ag
es
, Ale
x L
ive
se
y/G
ett
y Im
ag
es
Sunday Athletics | Virgin london MArAthon | BBc one 8.30AM
46 | April 19 2013 |
The mood around one of the nation's favourite
sporting events will inevitably be more sombre
than usual on Sunday, as thousands of runners from
the international elite to the everyday jogger
congregate in the capital for the London Marathon.
Events in Boston on Monday will rightly be to the
forefront of people's minds, but organisers moved
swiftly to insist that the race would go ahead as
planned this weekend – hopefully in part as a fitting
tribute to those affected by the blasts.
Fast track"The London Marathon course itself is one of the
fastest in the world," says Liz Yelling, who competed
for Great Britain in two Olympic marathons. "Paula
Radcliffe has run a world record on it, so it must be
fairly quick, but for all the runners there are key
landmarks. The little loop featuring the Cutty Sark
[between miles 6 and 7] is usually a really great
section for the crowd; Tower Bridge [just short of
halfway] is a massive landmark for a lot of people,
many of whom will be holding out to get there; and
then you have Canary Wharf – a quieter part in terms
of the crowd, and the calm before the final six miles.
Then you hit Tower Bridge again [mile 23], and come
along Embankment – that always felt like the home
straight for me, where the crowd practically carries
you to the finish line."
New girlThe 2013 race marks a decade since Paula Radcliffe
set a world record for the women's marathon that
still stands – in her absence, though, Yelling sees
hope for the future. "Paula was an extreme talent,
and to have had her in our country in our lifetime was
just incredible," she says. "She's inspired a lot of girls,
I think, but this year we have a great challenger in
Freya Ross. She made her marathon debut in last
year's London Marathon and went on to run at the
Olympics [where she finished 44th]. She's a really
promising British runner who will be trying to hang
on in there with the top international elite."
Half a MoMuch has been made of the fact that Olympic track
hero Mo Farah will be running only the first half of the
marathon this year, but Yelling thinks this is a very
wise move for the long term.
"I did exactly the same the year before running
London for the first time," she reveals. "It was a great
learning curve, and will really help Mo get experience
of the start of the race, the vibe around it and the
preparation you need to go through. That will all
help him for when he does step up to the marathon
distance. He still has some business to do on the
track, but if he's careful with his training and stays
injury-free, he has another eight to 10 years left
on the road – and that could be great for British
distance running."
If you are going down to watch on the day, visit
#Mile23, where Lucozade Sport will be fuelling
runners, and a few famous faces will be giving
them an extra boost towards the finish line
The show goes on
Saturday horse rAcing | corAl scottish grAnd nAtionAl | Ayr | chAnnel 4 & rAcing uk 3.50pM
An encore from Auroras?Another marathon of sorts on
Saturday, when the Scottish Grand
National takes place at Ayr. There is
a certain buoyancy about jumps racing
at the moment, after the success of
the English equivalent at Aintree a
fortnight ago – and the winner of that
race, Auroras Encore (right), could line
up to bid for an historic double that
hasn't been achieved since the great
Red Rum won both races in 1974.
The 11-year-old, trained in Yorkshire
by Sue Smith and set to be ridden by
a fit-again Ryan Mania, was second in
the race last year – but he will have to
carry top weight here after his Aintree
heroics, and may encounter softer
ground than he would like at the
Scottish course. The odds are stacked
against him, then, but he's a horse and
doesn't know that. An encore may yet
be possible.
Endurance nutrition. Without compromise.
I use these gels when I need energy.
They’re simple to take and easy on the stomach,
so all I have to do is focus on my run.
scienceinsport.com Twitter Facebook YouTube
Available from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Boots
Sport_RUNNING_male_300x232.indd 1 16/04/2013 13:55
It has been a turbulent few months for promoter Frank Warren,
but a much-altered Rule Britannia show at Wembley Arena finally
takes place this weekend. And topping the bill will be one of Britain’s
most underappreciated world title holders: Nathan Cleverly (above).
Cleverly faces Kosovo-born German Robin Krasniqi in the fourth
defence of his WBO world light-heavyweight title, in a fight seen by
many as a stepping stone to a unification bout between Cleverly
and Bernard Hopkins, boxing’s elder statesman. However, after a
series of mismatches and less-than-stellar showings from Cleverly,
the Welshman knows that only a punch-perfect performance will do.
A stacked undercard sees the return of Dereck Chisora, as he
looks to get his career back on track against the Argentinian Hector
Alfredo Avila following a spate of losses – most recently (and
notably) to David Haye. Fireworks can definitely be expected as
southpaw Liam Walsh puts his unbeaten record on the line against
the talented but unpredictable Scott Harrison.
As is often the case on Warren shows, fans will be treated to a
look at the future of British boxing. Young prospects with huge
potential such as Frank Buglioni, Mitchell Smith and Gary Corcoran
round out what has the potential to be a great night in the ring.
7 Days
Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
Al B
ell
o/G
ett
y Im
ag
es
, Sc
ott
He
av
ey
/Ge
tty
Ima
ge
s
Warren’s night finally comes
The NBA playoffs begin on Saturday,
and the main question will be whether
anyone can stop the Miami Heat. The
bookies have them as favourites to be
NBA champions, at odds of just 5/6. They
had the second longest winning streak in
NBA history – winning 27 straight – and in
the second half of the season they have
been virtually unstoppable, losing just
three times since the end of January.
Theirs is (at the time of writing) one of
only two fixtures to be confirmed – they
will take on the Milwaukee Bucks in the
first round more determined than ever,
says LeBron James (pictured): “We had
that feeling [of being champions last
year], and we want it back. That makes us
even more hungry.” James himself is
coming off a season with career highs in
three-pointers and field goal percentage.
Too hot to handle
SATURDAY BASKETBALL | NBA PLAYOFFS | SKY SPORTS (DETAILS TBC) SATURDAY BOXING | NATHAN CLEVERLY v ROBIN KRASNIQI | WEMBLEY ARENA | BOXNATION 7PM
Perhaps the New York Knicks have the
best chance of stopping the Heat – they
beat them three times during the regular
season, with Carmelo Anthony scoring 50
points in their previous meeting at the
beginning of April, and are 9-1 in their
past 10 games (at the time of going to
press). They face the Boston Celtics in
the other confirmed first-round tie.
Last season’s runners-up, the
Oklahoma City Thunder, are second
favourites for the title – but after trading
James Harden at the start of this season,
they are even more reliant on star man
Kevin Durant and were easily beaten in
the finals last year (4-1). The LA Lakers
should scrape into the playoffs, too, but
without the injured Kobe Bryant it will
require something special to see them
progress beyond the first round.
48 | April 19 2013 |
www.thamespathchallenge.com
RRRRUUN
N
I
I
T
T
WWWW TTRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
T
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWL
LK
KWWWW
LL
K
KWWWW
LL
K
KWWWW
LL WWWW
LL
K
KWWWW
LL
K
KWWWW
LL
K
K
KKLLLLKK KKLLLLKK KKLLLLKK KKJJJJOO
TTTTTTTTRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
T RRRRUUN
NI
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
T
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWAA
LL
K
KWWWWA
AL
LK
KWWWWA
AL
LK
KWWWWA
AL
LK
K WWWWAA
LL
K
KWWWWA
AL
LK
KWWWWA
AL
LK
KWWWWA
AL
L WWWWL
LK
KWWWWA
AL
LK
KLLLLKKKKWWWWA
AL
LK
K WWWWL
LK
KWWWWA
AL
LK
KLLLLKKKK KKLLLLKK KKLLLLKK KKLLLLKK KK
JJJJOOLLLL
WWWWAA
LL
K
K
I
I
T
TWWWWA
AL
LK
K
I
I
T
TWWWWA
AL
LK
K
I
I
T
TWWWWA
AL
LK
K
I
I
T
TWWWWA
AL
LK
K
I
I
T
TWWWWA
AL
LK
K
I
I
T
TWWWWA
AL
LK
K
I
I
T
T
WWWWAA
LL
K
K
I
I
T
TWWWWA
AL
LK
K
I
I
T
TWWWWA
AL
LK
K
I
I
T
TWWWWA
AL
LK
K
I
I
T
TWWWWA
AL
LK
K
I
I
T
TWWWWA
AL
LK
K
I
I
T
TWWWWA
AL
LK
K
I
I
T
T
WWWWAA
LL
K
K
I
I
T
TWWWWA
AL
LK
K
I
I
T
TWWWWA
AL
LK
K
I
I
T
TWWWWA
AL
LK
K
I
I
T
T
WWWWAA
LL
K
K
I
I
T
TWWWWA
AL
LK
K
I
I
T
TWWWWA
AL
LK
K
I
I
T
TWWWWA
AL
LK
K
I
I
T
T
WWWWAA
LL
K
K
I
I
T
TWWWWA
AL
LK
K
I
I
T
TWWWWA
AL
LK
K
I
I
T
TWWWWA
AL
LK
K
I
I
T
T
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTKK I
IT
TKK I
IT
T KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
LLLLKKI
IT
T KK II
TT
KK II
TT KKKK
II
TT KK II
TT
KK II
TT KKKKKKKK
JJJJKKKKKKJJJJOOJJJJOOKKKKKKLLLLKK KKKKKKJJJJOOJJJJOOKKKKKKJJJJ
LLLLKKJJJJOOJJJJOOKKKKKKLLLLKK KKKKKKLLLLKK KKKKKKLLLLKK KKKKKKJJJJOOKKKKKKLLLLKK KKKKKKJJJJOO
LLLLJJJJOO
KKKKKKLLLLKK KKKKKKLLLLKK KKKKKKLLLLKK KKKKKKJJJJOOGGGG I
IT
T GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TTOOGG
II
TT
OOGGI
IT
T OOGGI
IT
TOOGG
II
TT OOGG
II
TT
OOGGI
IT
T OOGGI
IT
TOOGG
II
TT OOGG
II
TT
OOGGI
IT
TGGGG I
IT
TOOGGI
IT
T OOGGI
IT
TOOGG
II
TT
GGGG II
TTKK I
IT
T OOGGKK I
IT
T OOGGKK I
IT
T OOGGKK I
IT
T JJJJOOG
GKK I
IT
T OOGGKK I
IT
T OOGGKK I
IT
T OOGGKK I
IT
T JJJJOOG
GKK I
IT
T OOGGKK I
IT
T OOGGKK I
IT
T OOGGKK I
IT
T JJJJOOG
GKK I
IT
T OOGGKK I
IT
T OOGGKK I
IT
T OOGGKK I
IT
TTTGGGGTTGGGGTTGGGGTTGGGGTTGGGGGGGGTTGGGGKK I
IT
TKK I
IT
T KK II
TT JJJJOO
GG
KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT JJJJOOOO
GG
KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT JJJJOO
GG
KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT JJJJOOOO
GG
KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT JJJJOO
GG
KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK TT JJJJOO
GG
KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT JJJJOO
GG
KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK TT
TTGGGGTTGGGGTTGGGGTTGGGGKK I
IT
T OOGGKK T
TKK I
IT
T OOGGKK I
IT
T OOGGKK T
TKK I
IT
T JJJJOOG
GKK I
IT
T OOGGKK T
TKK I
IT
T OOGGKK I
IT
T OOGGKK T
TKK I
IT
T JJJJOOG
GKK I
IT
T OOGG
TTTTKK II
TT OOGG
KK II
TT OOGG
TTTTKK T
T JJJJOOG
GKK I
IT
T OOGG
TTTTKK II
TT OOGG
KK II
TT OOGG
TTTTKK T
TTTGGGGTTGGGGTTGGGGTTTTTTTTGGGGTTTTTTGGGGTTTTTTGGGGTTTTTT
KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT JJJJOOOO
GG
KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT JJJJOOOO
GG
KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT JJJJOO
GG
KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
TTGGGGTTGGGGTTGGGGTTTTGGGGTTGGGGTTGGGGTTGGGGTTGGGGTTGGGGTTGGGGTT
KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT JJJJOO
GG
IIIITTTTKK TT
TTKK II
TT
JJJJOOOOG
G
KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT JJJJOO
GG
IIIITTTTKK TT
TTKK II
TT JJJJOOOO
GG
KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT OOGG
IIIITTTTKK TT
TTKK II
TT
JJJJOOG
GKK I
IT
TKK I
IT
T KK II
TT OOGG
IIIITTTTKK TT
TTKK II
TT
TTGGGGTTTTTTTTGGGGTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTGGGGTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
LLLLKK
I
IT
T KK II
TT
KK II
TT KKKK
II
TT KK II
TT
KK II
TT KKJJJJOOOO
GG
KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
KK II
TT KKKK
II
TT KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK
TTGGGGTTTTGGGGTTGGGGTTGGGGTTTTTTTTGGGGTTGGGGTTTTTTGGGGTT
KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT JJJJOO
GG
IIIITTTTIIIITTTTTTKK TT TTTTTTLLLLKK
II
TT JJJJOOOO
GG
KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT JJJJOO
GG
IIIITTTTIIIITTTTTTKK TT TTTTTTKK II
TT
TTGGGGTTTTTTGGGGTTTTTTTTTTTTTTGGGGTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
KK II
TT KK II
TT
LLLLKKI
IT
T KK II
TT
KK II
TT KKKK
II
TT KK TT
KK II
TT KKJJJJOOOO
GG
IIIITTTTIIIITTTTIIIITTIIIITTTTTTTTKK TT TTTTTTTTTT TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
OOGGI
IT
T GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGGGGGG
II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
RRRRUUN
NI
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
T RRRRUUN
NI
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
T
RRRRUUN
N
I
I
T
T RRRRUUN
NI
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
RRRRUUN
NI
I
T
T RRRRUUN
NI
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
NNNN II
TT NNNN II
TT
NNNN II
TT NNNN II
TT NNNN II
TT
NNNN II
TT NNNN II
TT
NNNN II
TT NNNN II
TT
NNNN II
TT NNNN II
TTRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
T RRRRUUN
NI
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
T
RRRRUUN
NI
I
T
T RRRRUUN
NI
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
T RRRRUUN
NI
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
TRRRRUU
NN
I
I
T
T
GGGG I
IT
T RRRRUUN
N
GGGG I
IT
T RRRRUUN
NGGGG
II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG I
IT
T RRRRUUN
N
GGGG I
IT
T RRRRUUN
NGGGG
II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG I
IT
T RRRRUUN
N
GGGG I
IT
T RRRRUUN
NGGGG I
IT
T RRRRUUN
N
GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG I
IT
T RRRRUUN
N
GGGG I
IT
T RRRRUUN
NGGGG I
IT
T RRRRUUN
N
GGGG II
TT
TTNNNNTTNNNNTTNNNNTTNNNNTTNNNNTTNNNNTTNNNNTT
GGGG II
TT
GGGG I
IT
T GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG I
IT
T GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG I
IT
T GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG I
IT
T GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT NNNN
TTNNNNNNNNTTNNNNNNNNTTNNNNNNNNTTNNNNNNNNTTNNNNNNNNTTNNNNNNNNTTNNNNNNNNTT
GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG I
IT
T GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG I
IT
T GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG I
IT
T GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG I
IT
T GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG I
IT
T GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG I
IT
T GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
TTNNNNTTNNNNTTNNNNTTTTTTTTNNNNTTTTTTNNNNTTTTNNNNTTTT
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG I
IT
T GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG I
IT
T GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT NNNN
TTNNNNNNNNTTNNNNNNNNTTNNNNNNNNTTTTNNNNTTTTTTNNNNTTNNNNTTNNNNTTTTTTNNNNTTNNNNTTNNNNTTTTNNNNTTNNNNTTTT
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG I
IT
T GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG I
IT
T GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG I
IT
T GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
TTNNNNTTTTTTTTNNNNTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTNNNNTTTTTTTTTT
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG I
IT
T GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGGGGGG
II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGGRRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGGGGGG
II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG NNNN
TTNNNNNNNNTTTTNNNNTTTTTTNNNNTTNNNNTTNNNNTTTTTTNNNNTTTTTTTTNNNNTTTTTTTTTTTTTTNNNNTTTTTTNNNNTTTTNNNNTTTTTTTTTTNNNNTTTT
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG I
IT
T GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGGGGGG
II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG
RRRRUUN
NGGGG T
TGGGG I
IT
T GGGGGGGGI
IT
T GGGG TT
GGGG II
TT GGGGRRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT RRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG I
IT
T GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGGGGGG
II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG
RRRRUUN
NGGGG T
TGGGG I
IT
T GGGGGGGGI
IT
T GGGG TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG NNNN
TTNNNNTTTTTTTTNNNNTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTNNNNTTTTTTTTTT
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGGGGGG
II
TT GGGG TT
GGGG II
TT GGGGRRRRUU
NN
GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGG II
TT
GGGG II
TT GGGGGGGG
II
TT GGGG TT
GGGG II
TT GGGGWALK IT
JOG ITRUN IT
WWWWAA
LL JJJJOOOO
LLLLKKJJJJOO RRRR
OORRRR
OOWWWWWWWWAA
LL
K
KWWWWA
AL
L WWWWAA
LL
K
KLLLLKK
JJJJOOLLLLJJJJOOOOJJJJOOOOJJJJOOOO
LLLLKKJJJJOOJJJJOO OO
RRRROOOOOO
RRRROO
LLLLKKLLLLKKLLLLKK JJJJOOLLLLKK
JJJJOOLLLL
JJJJOO RRRRRRRRRRRROOGG RRRROOGG RRRROOGG RRRROOGGOOGG OOOOGG RRRROOGG OOOOGGOOGG RRRROOGG OOOOGG RRRROOGG RRRROOGG RRRROOGG OOOOGG RRRROOGGWWWWWWWWWWWWA
AL
LK
KWWWWA
AL
LK
KWWWWA
AL
LK
KWWWWA
AL
L WWWWAA
LL
K
KWWWWA
AL
LK
KWWWWA
AL
LK
KLLLLKKLLLLKKLLLLKK JJJJOOLLLLJJJJOOOO
GG
JJJJOOOOJJJJOOOOG
GJJJJOOOOJJJJOOOO
GG
JJJJOOOOJJJJOOOOG
G
KKJJJJOOKKJJJJOOJJJJOOKKLLLLKK KKJJJJOOJJJJOOKKJJJJ
LLLLKKJJJJOOJJJJOOOOGG OOOOGG RRRROOGG OOOOGG
OOOOGG OOOOGG RRRROOGG OOOOGGKKLLLLKK KKLLLLKKLLLLKK KKJJJJOOKKLLLLKK KKJJJJOO
LLLLJJJJOO
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOGG RRRROOGG RRRROOGG RRRROOGG RRRROOGG RRRROOGG RRRROOGG RRRROOGGOOGG OOGGOOGG RRRROOGG OOGGOOGG RRRROOGG OOGGOOGG RRRROOGG OOGGOOGGOOGG RRRROOGG OOGG RRRROOGG RRRROOGG OOGG RRRROOGG RRRROOGG OOGG RRRROOGG RRRROOGG OOGGOOGG OOGGOOGGOOOOGG OOGGOOGG RRRROOGG OOGGOOGGOOOOGG OOGGOOGGOOGG OOGGOOGG RRRROOGG OOGGOOGGOOOOGG OOGGOOGG RRRROOGG OOGGOOGG RRRROOGG OOGGOOGG RRRROOGG OOGGOOGGOOOOGG OOGGOOGG RRRROOGG OOGGOOGGWWWWA
AL
LWWWWA
AL
L WWWWAA
LL
WWWWAA
LL WWWWA
AL
LWWWWA
AL
L WWWWAA
LL
WWWWAA
LL WWWWAA
LL
WWWWAA
LL WWWWA
AL
LWWWWA
AL
L WWWWAA
LL
WWWWAA
LL WWWWA
AL
L JJJJOOOOG
GJJJJOOOO
GG
JJJJOOG
GJJJJOOOOJJJJOO
GG
JJJJOOOOG
GJJJJOO
GG
JJJJOOOOJJJJOOG
GJJJJOOOO
GG
JJJJOOG
GJJJJOOOOJJJJOO
GG
JJJJOOOOG
GJJJJOO
GG
KKJJJJOOKKJJJJOOKKJJJJKKJJJJOOJJJJOOKKKKKKJJJJOOKKKKKKJJJJOOJJJJOOKKJJJJKKJJJJOOKKJJJJKKJJJJOOJJJJOOKKKKKKLLLLKKKKKKJJJJOOJJJJOOKKKKKKJJJJ
LLLLJJJJOOJJJJOOOOGG OOGGOOGG
OOOOGG OOGGOOGG RRRROOGG OOGGOOGGOOOOGG OOGGOOGGOOOOGG OOGGOOGGOOOOGG OOGGOOGG RRRROOGG OOGGOOGGOOOOGG OOGGOOGG RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
GGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGOOGG GGGGRRRRGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGRRRRGGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGOOGG GGGGRRRRGGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGOOGG GGGGRRRRGGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGOOGG GGGGRRRRGGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGRRRRGGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG
OOGGGGOOGG OOGG GGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGOOGG OOGG GGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG
OOGGGGOOGG OOGG GGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGOOGG OOGG GGGGOOGGWWWWA
AL
LWWWWA
AWWWWAA
LL
WWWWAAWWWWAA
LL
WWWWAAWWWWAA
LL
WWWWAAWWWWA
AL
LWWWWA
AWWWWAA
LL
WWWWAAWWWWAA
LL
WWWWAAWWWWAA
LL
WWWWAAWWWWA
A WWWWAAWWWWAA
WWWWAAWWWWAA WWWWAAWWWWAA
WWWWAAWWWWA
A WWWWAAWWWWAA
WWWWAAWWWWAA WWWWAAWWWWAA JJJJOO
GG
JJJJOOG
G JJJJOOG
GJJJJOOOO
GG JJJJOO
GG
JJJJOOG
G JJJJOOG
GJJJJOOOO
GG JJJJOO
GG
JJJJOOG
G JJJJOOG
GJJJJOOOO
GG JJJJOO
GG
JJJJOOG
G JJJJOOG
GJJJJOOOO
GG JJJJOO
GG
JJJJOOG
G JJJJOOG
GJJJJOOOO
GG JJJJOO
GG
JJJJOOG
G JJJJOOG
GJJJJOOOO
GG JJJJOO
GG
JJJJOOG
G JJJJOOG
GJJJJOOOO
GG JJJJOO
GG
JJJJOOG
G JJJJOOG
G
KK II
JJJJOOKK I
I JJJJOOOOKK I
IJJJJOOKK I
I JJJJOOOOKK I
IJJJJOOKK I
I JJJJOOKK I
IJJJJOOKK I
I JJJJOOOOKK I
IJJJJOOKK I
I JJJJOOKK I
I OOKK I
I JJJJOOKK I
IJJJJOOKK I
I JJJJOOKK I
I OOKK I
I JJJJOOOOKK I
IJJJJOOKK I
I JJJJOOKK I
IJJJJOOKK I
I JJJJOOKK I
IJJJJOOKK I
I JJJJOOKK I
IJJJJOOKK I
I JJJJOOOOKK I
I OOKK I
I JJJJOOKK I
I OOKK I
I JJJJOOKK I
I OOKK I
I OOKK I
I OOKK I
I KKKKKKJJJJOOOOKKKKKKJJJJOOOOKKKKKKJJJJOOKKKKKKJJJJOOKKKKKKJJJJOOKKKKKKJJJJOOKKKKKKJJJJOOJJJJOOKK
KKKKJJJJOOKKKKKKJJJJOOJJJJKKKKKKJJJJOOKKKKKKJJJJOOKK
OOKKJJJJOOOOKK
OOKKJJJJOOOOKK
OOKKJJJJOOKK
OOKKJJJJOO
KKOO
KKJJJJOOKK
OOKKJJJJOOKK
OOKKJJJJOOJJJJOOKKOO
KKJJJJOOKK
OOKKJJJJOOJJJJKKOOKKJJJJOOKK
OOKKJJJJOO GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGRRRRGGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGRRRRGGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGGOOGG GGGG
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGG
RRRRRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGG
RRRRRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGG
RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGG
RRRRRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGG
RRRRRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG
OOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG OOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG OOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG
OOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG OOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG RRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG OOGG GGGGGGGGGGGGOOGG
OR
Take on the Thames Path Challenge. Walk, jog or run either
100 or 50km from Putney to Henley along the famous
Thames Path – all in aid of a charity of your choice!
Walk It – An epic endurance walk along the iconic Thames Path –
a real test of mental strength and stamina – go at your own pace,
with a target time of 12hrs for the 50km or 24hrs for the 100km.
Run / Jog It - step up from a marathon distance with either a
50km ‘Marathon-Plus’ or 100km Ultra Challenge - go further than
ever before and set a new personal record.
Enter as an individual, or with a team of friends and colleagues.
Exclusive corporate packages available allowing you to fundraise
and support your charity of the year.
14 - 15 SEPTEMBER 2013
TPC13 FP Sport 232x300 Ad AW.indd 1 16/04/2013 16:26
50 | April 19 2013 |
Extra timEMaking the most of your time and money
That time has come around
once more, when we present
you with the very best new
watches on the market.
We kick off four themed pages
with our pick of timepieces in
negative, from Storm going
slimline to an iconic piece
from Hugo Boss.
P62
Something for
everyone at the
Pick me Up
art fair – even
an elephant
on strings
Watches
Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
First row (L-R): Storm Slim-x xL, £119.99 | www.stormwatches.com; Hugo Boss iconic, £395 | www.bosswatches.co.uk; Braun x Dieter rams,
£120 | www.mrporter.com Second row (L-R) : Nooka Zub ZenV 38, £100 | www.urbansurfer.co.uk, rado D-Star rattrapante, £4,425 | www.rado.com;
Citizen Stiletto Blade, £399 | www.citizenwatch.co.uk Third row (L-R): meccaniche Veloci Due Valvole, £1,775 | www.djjdistribution.co.uk ;
Nixon Newton, £100 | www.nixon.com; Uniform Wares 100 Series, £120 | www.mrporter.comPh
oto
gra
ph
y b
y J
am
es
Lin
co
ln, w
ww
.jam
es
linc
oln
.co
.uk
Swiss movement, English heart
In 1912 Malcolm Campbell christened his car “Blue Bird” and a legend was born. More than 100 years later this iconic name continues to challenge for world speed records using futuristic electric vehicles.
Christopher Ward is proud to be Bluebird Speed Records Official Timing Partner and, in celebration, we have released this stunning timepiece in a limited edition of 1,912 pieces.
111_ChristopherWard_SportMagazine.indd 1 16/04/2013 18:00
52 | April 19 2013 |
First row (L-R): Citizen Royal Marines Commando, £299 | www.citizenwatch.com; Casio GA-1000, £250 | www.hsamuel.co.uk; TW Steel Pilot TW422 45mm,
£325 | www.twsteeluk.com Second row (L-R): Bell & Ross BR 01-92 Carbon, £2,950 | www.bellross.com; Nixon Quad, £100 | www.nixon.com;
Victorinox Original Chronograph Limited Edition, £395 | 020 7647 9070; Police Raptor, £160 | www.watchshop.com
Extra time Watch Special
Military precision
Battle your way into work every morning with
one of these top-rate watches, from Citizen’s
Royal Marines Commando to the Hamilton
Khaki Aviation QNE. If your pockets run deep,
you have a fighting chance of being able to
afford the Tutima Military NATO Chronograph.
| 53
Third row (L-R): Timex Originals Indiglo Weekender, £47.99 | www.watchshop.com; Hamilton Khaki Aviation QNE, £900 | www.hamiltonwatch.com;
Rotary Gents White Case, £199 | www.rotarywatches.com; Tutima The Military NATO Chronograph 760-01, £3,520 | www.djjdistribution.co.uk
50 | April 5 2013 |
UltralookIt’s a definite first-world
problem, but we find it quite
hard to watch football in
standard definition now. At first
it was terrifying – being able to
see every crude gesture from
the crowd, every gaping furrow
in Alan Hansen’s storied brow
– but now we’re
used to it. We can only imagine
what new depths of excitement
and terror Toshiba’s new range
Kit
Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
It’s a definite first-world problem, but we find it quite hard to watch football in standard definition now. At first it was terrifying – being able to see every crude
gesture from the crowd, every gaping furrow in Alan Hansen’s storied brow – but now we’re used to it. We can only imagine what new depths of excitement and
terror Toshiba’s new range of UltraHD televisions will bring, then. The first of their kind to be launched
Top to bottom:
Tissot Visodate, £385 | www.tissotshop.com;
Cartier Tank Americaine,
£5,500-£6,000 | www.watchesofknightsbridge.com;
CK Surround, £185 | 0845 296 2447;
Certina Podium Square, £480 | www.certina.com;
Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Cinq Aiguilles,
£3,150 | www.mauricelacroix.com;
Dreyfuss & Co Rose Gold Half Skeleton,
£1,725 | www.dreyfussandco.com
Extra time Watch Special
A good vintage
Aim for the classical look with one of these vintage pieces.
The Ball Trainmaster Eternity could help improve your
carriage, or you could be a touch more adventurous with
the 1967 Rolex Explorer. Sail through life with the Omega
Seamaster Aqua Terra on your wrist, or just go for the
power of the Cartier Tank Americaine. The choice is yours.
54 | April 19 2013 |
Top to bottom:
1967 Rolex Explorer,
£2,000-£2,500 | www.watchesofknightsbridge.com;
OMEGA Seamaster Aqua Terra,
£3,420 | www.omegawatches.com;
Ball Trainmaster Eternity,
£1,350 | www.roomofluxury.co.uk;
Grand Seiko SBGH001,
£5,000 | www.grand-seiko.com;
Corum Gran Précis, £11,500 | Harrods, 020 7730 1234
£100
evanscycles.com/tradein
The Great Evans Cycles Trade-in.
Bring in your old banger this week and
we’ll give you up to £100 off a bike from
our wide range of famous brands.
04.11_Sport_EvansCycles.indd 1 12/04/2013 09:20
56 | April 19 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
Thunderball
eT Grooming The snooker starts tomorrow. And if Ian Fleming’s super-agent wouldn’t
approve of this selection, we’re sure Nigel ‘00-147’ Bond would
The post-shave lotion
lab Series PrO lS
all-In-One Face Treatment
Now pay attention, 007, because this
Lab Series formula not only instantly
soothes and calms the look of redness
and irritation from shaving while potent
moisturisers restore moisture back to
your skin – it also leaves you with a
shine-free appearance and, over time,
helps diminish the appearance of lines
and wrinkles. So no matter how long
you’ve been kicking villains’ backsides
and saving the world, a dab or two of
this and you can return to any poker
game as unruffled as you left it –
without the wrinkles of Roger Moore.
£22 for 50ml | labseries.co.uk
The close shave
The bluebeards revenge
Bond appears, briefly, with a beard
in Die Another Day (take our word
for it – for god’s sake don’t watch
the film), as he does in Skyfall.
Both soon return to the smooth,
sharp-suited stud we know and
love – thanks, in Daniel Craig’s case,
to the cut-throat razor. Bluebeards’
Shavette (£9.99) will do you
the same service, the difference
between this and a straight razor
being the changeable blades.
Prep first with the brand’s luxury
Shaving Cream (£9.99 for 100ml)
and doubloon bristle Shaving
brush (£6.99), then reach for their
Post Shave balm (£9.99 for 100ml)
with witch hazel and aloe vera to
nourish the skin. Then simply look
your best in front of anyone who
has been expecting you, Mr Bond.
bluebeards-revenge.co.uk
007 Ocean royale ‘Thunderball’ was a term used
by US soldiers to describe the
mushroom cloud seen during
the testing of atomic bombs,
and therefore lends the fourth
Bond movie its name. Bond
himself never wore cologne, but
shoorly he’d find thish hard to
reshisht: an invigorating, aquatic
fragrance with top notes of lime,
aniseed and bergamot, and a
heart of teak wood. Base notes
of cedar wood and sandalwood
are complemented by tonka bean
and Jamaican coffee to “harness
the dangerous sophistication
and masculinity of the world’s
favourite secret agent”. So shplash
shome on, old shun, and create a
thunderball of your own.
£25 for 50ml | boots.com
The fragrance
21 STORES NATIONWIDE AND AT HIGHANDMIGHTY.CO.UK
THE LENGTHS WE GO TO
HAM0404 - The lengths we go to - Sportmag_Layout 1 11/04/2013 11:56 Page 1
Sony Bravia W900A
Bravia TVs offer ‘colour like no other’, and we can’t think of a better way to
put that to the test than with Barcelona’s horrific away kit. As well as doing
that... er, justice, the W900A includes a wi-fi connection and punchy audio.
Available for pre-order from £1,400 | store.sony.com
58 | April 19 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
ASUS FonePad
Ever wished you could make a
phone call from your tablet?
Well now you can, with the
FonePad – a seven-inch Android
tablet that, unlike most similar
offerings, includes the ability
to make phone calls. Not to
be confused with the ASUS
PadFone, which is (actually)
a different product entirely.
£180 | amazon.co.uk
Philips Soundbar HTL5120
This isn’t, as we first thought, a
high-tech vuvuzela. It’s actually
something much better – sit it
under your TV and this integrated
sub-woofer will boost your bass
without taking up space. Your
home entertainment system will
sound so good that watching
African football on it will be
almost unbearable. Brrzzzz!
£250 | John Lewis stores from
Samsung DA-F60 Speaker
NFC technology like that found
in your Oyster card makes it
easy to pair this wireless speaker
with all the latest smartphones
and tablets via Bluetooth and
wi-fi. We also tried tapping our
contactless bank card on it, but
it just played the ‘wrong answer’
buzzer noise from Family
Fortunes. Upsetting.
£249 | johnlewis.com, from May
Star Wars iPhone 5 Cases
Let’s face it – if you’re not
already geeking out over this,
nothing we can write here
is going to convince you. So
we’ll only add one thing – the
Chewbacca case has a coating
of ‘real’ Wookie fur. All the other
phones will make fun of yours,
of course, but it’s a small price
to pay. Easy, Chewy.
£20 | firebox.com
THe gADgeTS yoU’re Looking For
eT gadgets Revamp your spare time. Because, once you show your friends your new Star Wars phone case, you’re going to have a lot more of it
When last we brought
you model, Playmate
and MotoGP grid girl
Lauren Vickers, she was engaged
to MotoGP Power Electronics Aspar
rider Randy de Puniet. In other
words, there was still some hope.
Our wildest dreams were,
however, crushed (they always
are) last December, when she
mystifyingly said ‘I do’ to the
handsome 32-year-old French
action man. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that ol‘
‘Legz’ here (she’s still 5ft 11ins)
remains something of a polymath.
As the lady herself explains:
“Fashion. Beauty. Glamour.
Motorsport. TV presenting. Charity.
Spokesmodelling. I do it all, and
I love every minute of my work.”
So, aside from the marriage snafu,
what – we ask you – is not to like?
Apart from the spokesmodelling.
We’re not really sure what that
actually is.
60 | April 19 2013 |
Extra time Lauren Vickers
picdesk.com
Pretty polymath
| 61
My Criminal World
Henry Sutton
David Slavitt has a strained
marriage, a pushy editor and
an agent who thinks his writing
needs more violence. But the
issues for the protagonist in
Henry Sutton’s literary crime
novel really begin when his latest
story starts intertwining with
his life – leaving him to question
what’s real and what’s fiction.
Out now
62 | April 19 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
Edgeland
Karl Hyde
The Underworld lead makes his
solo debut with a nine-track
album he says was inspired by
cityscapes and hidden corners.
Cut Clouds is the standout
track, but the album’s full of
percussion-light and deliberately
crescendoing treats. “Shouting
lager lager lager” seems a very
long time ago now.
Out Monday
Olympus Has FallenIf films about one man’s mission to stop
terrorists who have taken over the White
House are your thing, 2013 is shaping
up nicely. Channing Tatum’s White
House Down arrives later in the year, but
first the duty of protecting the home
of the leader of the free world falls to
Gerard Butler. The president, played by
Aaron Eckhart, is kidnapped and held
hostage by North Korean gunslingers
who kill a bunch of people, take over the
presidential hangout and demand missile
launch codes – all of which is somehow
related to reuniting North and South
Korea. Cue Secret Service agent Butler
– who, out to redeem his prior failings,
sneaks in and takes out the terrorists
one by one. But if you’re thinking Die
Hard in the Oval Office, you’re wrong.
Director Antoine Fuqua insists they’re
nothing alike (spoiler alert: they are).
The worryingly timely plot has all the
explosions and cheesy lines you’d expect,
except one: Yippee-ki-yay, Mr President.
Out today
Pick Me
Up Graphic
Arts Festival
In addition to
showcasing
and selling
original artworks, this fair at
London’s Somerset House
offers plenty of variety beyond
the usual ‘old painting on wall’
format. Whether it’s 3D models,
Modern Toss comics, interactive
T-shirt printing or playing with
claymation gurus Aardman
(of Wallace & Gromit fame),
something is bound to pique
your interest. And, with tickets
at just £8, they’ve done a
cracking good job, Gromit!
Open until April 28
Stepping Out
Anthony Strong
Not since Jamie Cullum burst
on to the scene have jazz and
mainstream seemed such natural
bedfellows, but Anthony Strong’s
second album mixes classic
jazz and upbeat swing to create
an ideal soundtrack for long
summer evenings. BB King called
Strong’s work “real great music”,
and who are we to argue?
Out now
The Prisoner of Heaven
Carlos Ruiz Zafón
The third in the Daniel Sempere-
narrated series takes us back
to the atmospheric Barcelona
backstreets and bookshops that
Zafon so wonderfully creates, as
the Spanish author interweaves
narratives to explore another
mystery long thought lost
among the pages of the
Cemetery of Forgotten Books.
Out now
Film Exhibition
MusicBookMusic Book
A GOOd dAy TO dyE HArd
ET Entertainment The White House comes under attack – not for the last time
this year – and there’s T-shirt printing at Somerset House