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Paris Diamond League: Four Things To Watch

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Sprinters Marcell Jacobs and Noah Lyles, along with 400m hurdles sensation Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, headline the fourth leg of the Diamond League circuit which takes place in Paris on Friday.

AFP Sport looks at four events to watch.

Jacobs v Lyles

Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs has had a difficult start to the season, twice pulling out of 100m showdowns with world champion Fred Kerley with a back problem. There is no Kerley at Stade Charlety, but there is his American teammate Noah Lyles, the world 200m champion who ran a scorching 19.67sec over the distance in Kingston last week. While Jacobs and Lyles are the key participants, the field also boasts 2011 world champion Yohan Blake and African champion Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya.

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Gidey v Kipyegon

Kenyan Faith Kipyegon steps up from her favoured 1500m to go head-to-head in the 5,000m with Ethiopia’s world record holder Letesenbet Gidey, the world 10,000m champion. Kipyegon is fresh from her own world record, smashing the previous 1500m best in Florence last week. There will be high hopes of a sub-14min time, with the field aided by three pacesetters, including Kenyan Beatrice Chepkoech, another world record holder, albeit in the 3,000m steeplechase.

McLaughlin-Levrone v Eid Naser
American Sydney

McLaughlin-Levrone, who set a remarkable one-lap hurdles record of 50.68sec at last year’s world championships in Eugene, makes her season debut in the French capital. Having last competed in a Diamond League event in Europe in 2019, the 23-year-old Olympic champion will race in the 400m flat, but will have her work cut out against Dominican Marileidy Paulino as well as Bahraini Salwa Eid Naser, the 2019 world champion returning from a doping ban.

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Ingebrigtsen targets 2-mile world record

Norway’s Olympic 1500m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen, also world 5,000m champion a year later, is targeting the world record over 2 miles of 7min 58.61sec set by Kenyan Daniel Komen back in July 1997 in Hechtel, Belgium). To this day, Komen is the only person to have covered 3,218m in under eight minutes, despite the best effortrs of the likes of running legends Haile Gebrselassie, Mo Farah and Eliud Kipchoge in the rarely-run event. Ingebrigtsen will be aided not only by pacesetters, but also by Wavelight technology, lighting posted on the inside of the track that enables athletes to better adapt their pace.

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Why We Lost Against Mali – Finidi George

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Super Eagles interim coach, Finidi George has provided insights into why his team lost to the Eagles of Mali in an international friendly match held in Marrakech, Morocco.

Super Eagles interim coach, Finidi George has provided insights into why his team lost to the Eagles of Mali in an international friendly match held in Marrakech, Morocco.

The Super Eagles suffered a 2-0 loss to Mali on Tuesday, with Finidi attributing the defeat to costly errors made by his team.

The Enyimba gaffer rued the missed chances in the game, but applauded the boys for their dominant performance.

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Finidi George said, “It was not a bad game. Good intensity. We created a couple of chances, but we could not score. And in games like this, if you don’t score, and make mistakes, you will be punished. Lost one. We were not outplayed.

“In the first game as well, we did so well. I would have loved a different result, but that’s not the case. If you look at the performance of the players, it is commendable.”

The Super Eagles will now shift their attention to the June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic.

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Messi Reveals When He’ll Retire From Football

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Iconic Argentine footballer, Lionel Messi, recently discussed retirement on the Big Time Podcast, shedding light on his future plans as he navigates the twilight of his career.

Since joining Inter Miami in the summer of 2023, Messi has contributed 16 goals and seven assists in 19 appearances across competitions.

However, the 36-year-old has also grappled with injury issues, leading to concerns about his longevity in the sport.

Reflecting on his retirement plans, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner emphasized his self-awareness, acknowledging that he evaluates his performances critically.

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Messi expressed his readiness to step away from the game when he feels he can no longer perform at his best or derive enjoyment from playing, regardless of his age.

“I am very self critical of myself, I know when I’m good, when I’m bad, when I play well and when I play badly. When I feel it’s time to take that step, I will take it without thinking about age,” Messi said.

“I know that moment I feel I am no longer ready to perform, that I am no longer enjoying myself or helping my teammates.”

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Brazil’s Gabigol Handed Two-year Ban For Anti-doping ‘Fraud’

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Flamengo’s international forward Gabriel Barbosa was suspended for two years on Monday for attempted fraud during a doping test, a Brazilian sports court said.

Known as Gabigol, the 27-year-old Brazilian was alleged to have been uncooperative during a surprise doping test at club headquarters in Rio de Janeiro.

The punishment, which can be appealed, is backdated to April 8 last year, when the events occurred.

He failed to comply with the schedule, disrespected the doping officers and refused to obey instructions, local media said.

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“The aforementioned athlete was tried today by the Full Court of Sports Anti-Doping and, by majority, it was decided that a violation of the anti-doping rule of fraud had occurred,” the court said in a statement sent to AFP.

Gabigol subsequently hit back on social media, saying “I never tried to obstruct or defraud any test.”

I am confident I will be found innocent at the highest court,” he added.

Flamengo said in a statement it would support its player and assist with his appeal “because there was no type of fraud”.

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On the testing day, Gabigol’s teammates underwent testing in the morning while he ignored a request to be present and attended after lunchtime, according to the accusation.

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When he finally arrived to be tested, he reportedly became upset because an officer escorted him to the bathroom.

Furthermore, he did not respect the sample collection protocol, according to the accusation.

A key figure in Flamengo’s 2019 domestic league and Copa Libertadores titles, Gabigol has consistently denied having tried to cheat in the test.

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“The Flamengo player has confirmed that the test has been carried out and the result was negative,” his lawyer said in December, when the allegations first surfaced.

“In view of this information, there is nothing that could compromise or violate the protocol,” the lawyer added.

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Gabigol had disappointing spells at Portugal’s Benfica as well as at Inter Milan in Italy having come through Santos’ academy, before joining Flamengo in 2019.

His return to form for Flamengo earned him call-ups to the Brazil squad and he made the last of his 18 international appearances in January 2022.

Gabigol’s contract with Flamengo expires in December.

 

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