Anything but Footy

We confess there's a hint of deja vu in this week's edition of Anything but Footy as we give the latest updates and analysis on a number of stories that have dominated the headlines - and the podcast - in 2020.

We start with the spread of coronavirus which is having a significant impact on world sport. Both the Tokyo 2020 organising committee and the International Paralympic Committee have met this week to discuss the potential impact on the Olympic and Paralympic Games later this year. With five months to go we discuss the implications.

Should the Court of Arbitration of Sport hold their case reviewing Russia's suspension from top level sport in public to help with the need for more openness and transparency? That's certainly the view of independent body Global Athlete along with athletes groups from a number of major track and field nations including Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Nike has announced a number of new products following World Athletics' ruling over the legality of some of their new sports shoes. We are already seeing improvements from athletes wearing Nike shoes - notably this week Jemma Reekie who has broken a number of records.

Mo Farah is out of The Big Half with injury and GB Basketball is out of contention for Tokyo 2020 after failing to qualify following their defeat by Spain. It's a hugely disappointing outcome for a sport which is aiming to become UK Sport funded moving forward.

We also have the announcement from GB Boxing about the men and women who will be in Olympic qualifying action in March in London and news from British Athletics about the list of funded athletes for the Paralympic programme.

Plus, we mark your card on which British sailors to look out for in the imminent World Championships.

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This is Great British Bosses by Anything but Footy. We profile the women and men responsible for sport in this country - many at national governing bodies - who manage teams, staff, budgets, grass-root participation and overseeing those medal moments at Olympic, Paralympic and elite level.

Ian Walker MBE is the Performance Director of the British Sailing Team, two time Olympic silver medalist in 1996 & 2000, coached a crew to gold in 2004 before sailing round the world three times! He now oversees the Royal Yachting Association's World Class Programme (brand British Sailing!) and talent pathways, as well as the broader remit of racing participation in all its forms in the UK. Effectively he's the main responsible for medals and more people taking up sailing! He admits he's concerned about the number of people taking to the water every weekend and the country and sport needs 'healthy' clubs, but he's confident of the future of the sport in the Olympics with more windsurfing and kiteboarding set for Paris 2024. British Sailing has also named the majority of its team for Tokyo 2020 - so we ask what's its medal target?

This is Great British Bosses from Anything but Footy - if you like what you hear please subscribe and also leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

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World Athletics gave the go ahead this week for Nike's new Vaporfly shoe to be used in competition after suggestions it offered athletes an unfair advantage. There are now strict rules and regulations around footwear in track and field competition to replace a rule that was previously vague and open to interpretation.

Russian athletes - even those who competed under the authorised neutral athlete banner - could face a blanket ban after a call from The Athletes Integrity Unit. They are angry that the Russian Athletics Authorities are not working with World Athletics over the latest suspensions and doping allegations.

Corona Virus is impacting on the sporting world. The World Indoor Athletics Championships due to be held in China in March has been postponed for twelve months. It's now set to take place just after the 2021 European Indoors. Other sporting events are also now being cancelled or reviewed.

In cycling, there's been plenty of medals for Great Britain in the World Para Cycling Championships and World Cyclo-Cross Championships, whilst there's an update on how Team GB could fare in 2020 in the rugby sevens tournament after the recent sevens event in Sydney. Australia has also just hosted the Australian Open tennis and we run down the roll of honour.

Plus, hockey, gymnastics, canoeing and this week's news from Birmingham 2022.

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This is Great British Bosses by Anything but Footy. We profile the women and men responsible for sport in this country - many at national governing bodies - who manage teams, staff, budgets, grass-root participation and overseeing those medal moments at Olympic, Paralympic and elite level.

Season Two continues with someone who's track record is already remarkable before even starting in sport! From Group Captain in the RAF, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, to running Prince Harry's Invictus Games, Vicky Gosling OBE is now leading the charge to get British Snowsport - skiing, boarding, cross-country etc - into the top 5 nations in the world in ten years! We ask how her, and her team, are going to achieve that in a country used to only a few flurries of the white stuff every year - if at all - and how realistic Winter Games success is in both Olympic and Paralympics. She also backs Prince Harry to continue making a difference despite his 'stepping back' from royal duties.

This is the second of season 2 of Great British Bosses from Anything but Footy - if you like what you hear please subscribe and also leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

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There's exactly six months until the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The latest medal table predictions have been released. The US and China are expected to fill the top two positions with Team GB predicted to fall from 2nd in Rio to outside the top 5 in Tokyo. We analyse where medals might be lost and what sports might surprise this time around by increasing their total.

Meanwhile, the Winter Youth Olympics have finished in Lausanne. We look at Team GB's performance in the context of GB Snowsports stated aim to become a top 5 snow nation by 2030. We also hear from journalist David Easson who was in Lausanne about the staging of the event and what the future holds for the Youth Olympic Games.

Much to discuss in the world of athletics. UKAD, USADA and WADA appear to be involved in a tussle over the blood and urine samples provided by Sir Mo Farah which UKAD are not prepated to hand over to other authorities. Farah has said he's happy for further tests to be carried out, whilst Jess Judd has been critical of UKAD's stance. All this in the week that WADA suspended the licence of the Moscow Laboratory and British Athletics appointed an interim CEO.

Medal success for GB athletes in skiing, badminton, judo and cycling also covered, along with the latest names to be officially named by Team GB for Tokyo as the British Sailing Team has another crew added to it.

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This is Great British Bosses by Anything but Footy. We profile the women and men responsible for sport in this country - many at national governing bodies - who manage teams, staff, budgets, grass-root participation and overseeing those medal moments at Olympic, Paralympic and elite level.

But as we start season two, we wanted to find out more about the grassroots of sport - and try and work out who's really responsible for getting us off the sofa! Sport England play that role!

CEO Tim Hollingsworth effectively swapped medals for movement - after 7 glorious years at Paralympics GB including 2 Summer and 2 Winter Games. He guided and helped the transformation of Para sport, and the public's perception of it, during London 2012 through to Pyeongchang 2018 the most successful ever Winter Paralympics for Great Britain. He discusses the challenges of taking over Sport England, its groundbreaking #THISGIRLCAN campaign and whether some simplification of British sport maybe needed in this new digital age!

This is the first of season 2 of Great British Bosses from Anything but Footy - if you like what you hear please subscribe and also leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

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The perfect white snow, the bright blue sky, everything looks rosy in Olympic world as the 2020 Youth Olympics Winter Games in Lausanne Switzerland enter their second week. Team GB are celebrating success too with 5 medals on day 6 - and more sports start their action this week. 

But thousands of miles away in South America, Rio’s Olympic Park is apparently dangerous and virtually in ruins, 4 years on from the Games, and before the next summer Games start in Tokyo. A judge has said the place was "progressively battered by the lack of care" and "ready for tragedies”. A damning verdict on the three week Rio Carnival of 2016!

There’s three retirements this week with one Olympian starting her new career at the age of 20!

’This Girl Can’ promo from Sport England hits the right tone in trying to encourage more women to get active - and you have a role to play too!

Plus there’s GB Bobsled success, a Lifetime achievement award for one of Britain’s best coaches, skateboarding, hockey and find out why Michael’s UK Sport trip this week nearly ended in a lonely night!

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We have the latest on the plans to stage a separate shooting and archery competition in India alongside the 2022 edition of the Commonwealth Games being staged in Birmingham. John believes this will be the end for the Commonwealth Games and the event has become irrelevant, but Michael disagrees. There's strong opinions on both sides with Michael believing this imaginative staging of the event is the way forward.

Team GB are in action in The Youth Olympics in Lausanne. Competition is just underway, but we tell you some of the channels you can access to keep up to date with how our young sportsmen and sportswomen are getting on in Switzerland.

Two heroes from London 2012 and Rio 2016 are targetting Olympic gold again in Tokyo: Mo Farah has this week launched Mo's Million Mile Challenge initiative, but again has been answering questions about his association with banned coach Alberto Salazar. We ask who has been advising Mo and suggest how he could improve his image. Meanwhile, Alistair Brownlee is injury free and aiming to retain his Olympic title. A team triathlon event could mean he ends 2020 with four Olympic medals in total.

There's also news of a huge Olympic qualifying event which is being held in London in March, ATP Tennis, Para Cycling, Bobsleigh and Skeleton news. Plus, a little round up of some of the main headlines you might have missed over Christmas and New Year.

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It's Olympic year again and Tokyo is preparing to stage its second games - 56 years on. The Games will be dramatically different from 1964 but they'll also be different from Rio - just 4 years ago.

The Olympics changes and evolves and with 5 new sports and more than 30 more gold medals up for grabs, Michael and John run through all what's new for Tokyo 2020 - from stadia to sports to events.

This isn't a preview of who will win what - we may mention it as we go - for that download our Anything but Footy Tokyo 2020 Special - less than a year to go - although we'll have to do another one before Friday July 24!

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Join Michael and John for Anything but Footy Sports Awards - and their Christmas Party at the Gunmakers Pub in Eyre St Hill in Clerkenwell!

For this festive edition of the Olympic and Paralympic podcast, we'll be recognising the sportsmen and women, Team and moments of the Year from a British and worldwide perspective - but they could be the same of course!

So sit back and enjoy the review of 2019 - the highs and lows, the heros and even villains!

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