Team GB have secured a slot in the archery competition of this summer's Olympic Games thanks to Patrick Huston while the British Lionhearts complete a successful day for British Boxing by reaching the World Series of Boxing final. Here's our review of the last 24 hours:
Archer Patrick Huston won Britain its first place in the archery competition of this summer’s Olympic Games in a quota tournament held as part of the European Championships.
Huston, won his third-placed play-off 5-3 against Serbia’s Luca Popovic.
The 20-year-old was watched on by the entire British team, family and local supporters as he reached the latter stages of the knock-outs.
“Having heard the crowd this close to you, that many people all cheering for Great Britain, clapping, hearing them shouting my name was such an amazing feeling,” he said.
“I was nervous and the shots weren't as good as I would had liked but I won the match, won the place, and that's all that matters.”
Great Britain still has a chance to qualify a women's place, or upgrade to full team invitations in either competition, at the last stage of the 2016 Archery World Cup in Turkey.
British Lionhearts head coach Rob McCracken was rightly proud of his boxers after they defeated reigning champions Astana Arlans of Kazakhstan to reach the final of the World Series of Boxing (WSB) for the first time.
Leading 3-2 from Thursday’s first leg, the Lionhearts showed no sign of easing off at York Hall in London on Friday, with a 4-1 victory on the night and 7-3 aggregate win.
Luke McCormack, Frazer Clarke and overseas selections Koryun Soghomonyan of Armenia and Bulgaria’s Radoslav Pantaleev all recorded wins as the Lionhearts overwhelmed a strong Kazhak team.
It sets up a meeting with last year’s beaten finalists the Cuba Domodores in Uzbekistan on Saturday June 4.
“To defeat the defending champions and make the final against one of the super-powers of WSB is a superb achievement by the whole team,” said Cracken, who is also performance director of GB Boxing.
“The Astana Arlans are extremely tough so to win 7-3 is a fantastic result and the boxers should be extremely proud of what they have done over these last two nights at York Hall. “It has been a very good season for us and all of the boxers that have represented the Lionhearts have performed well and contributed to the success we have achieved.“
Nicola Adams became the only female in the history of the sport to have won all five major titles.
The 33-year-old defeated Peamwilai Laopeam of Thailand in the flyweight final of the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Kazakhstan to be crowned World Champion.
The win completes Adams’ major title collection, having already won European and Commonwealth gold, as well as becoming Olympic Champion at London 2012 and claiming the inaugural European Games title last year.
“I came here to win the gold so to leave as World Champion is absolutely brilliant and one of the high points of my career,” she said.
“To finally become World Champion after losing out in three previous finals is very satisfying and shows that if you stick to your goals and work hard you can achieve them in the end.”
Olympic Champion Mo Farah showed a glimpse of what is to come this summer as he recorded his third fastest time over the 10,000m to take victory at the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon.
Farah clocked 26 minutes 53.71 seconds in what was his first track race since claiming double gold over the 5000m and 10,000m at last year’s World Championships.
Kenya’s William Malel Sitonik was second, 0.95 seconds behind Farah who will look to defend his 5000m and 10,000m titles at this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio.
Andy Murray cruised through to the last 16 of the French Open with a straight-sets victory over big-serving Croatian Ivo Karlovic.
The world No.2 produced a dominant performance, recording a 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) win to secure himself a spot in the fourth round, where he will face either John Isner or Teymuraz Gabashvili.
Murray wrapped up the first set in 24 minutes, breaking Karlovic’s opening serve in each of the first two sets before taking the second in 39 minutes.
“Especially at the end, it was very close,” said Murray. “I got off to a quick start and against someone like Ivo that’s important but he fought to the end. I’m glad to get off after a fairly quick match.
“The return has normally been the strongest part of my game but against him it’s not always up to you.”
There was disappointment for Samantha Murray and Kate French as they finished 16th and 24th respectively at the 2016 Modern Pentathlon World Championships in Moscow.
Both were well placed early on with 2014 World Champion Murray recording the third quickest time of the day in the swimming pool first up.
She then stayed third after the fencing round, just nine seconds off the lead while French was 20th.
Both then knocked down a single pole in the riding event, with Murray dropping down to fourth ahead of the final combined event.
But despite some strong running, she lost ground on her rivals on the shooting range, eventually finishing down the field.
Both athletes have already achieved the Olympic Qualification standard and will now have a wait to see if they are selected for Team GB with the announcement on June 8.
Pentathlon GB Performance Director Jan Bartu said: “This was Sam's best swim performance in a year and although the fencing could have been better she did really well.
“One knock-down in the ride was acceptable but unfortunately the tough nature of the combined event doesn't allow you to stay in contention with one bad shoot and she dropped away from the leaders.
“Kate was suffering from illness in the build-up so it may be that she was still suffering some residual infections.”
Perri Shakes-Drayton suffered heartbreak at the London 2012 Olympic Games when she missed out on a place in the 400m hurdles final.
She failed to reach the final after finishing third in her semi-final but was sent through when Denisa Rosolova was disqualified, only for the Czech to successfully appeal the decision.
But that disappointment pales into insignificance when you look at the difficulties with injuries that Shakes-Drayton has suffered since.
Barely 12 months after her London disappointment, the 27-year-old tore her posterior cruciate ligament at the World Athletics Championships in 2013 – she has barely competed since – but she is desperate to become an Olympic medallist this summer in Rio.
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Katrina Johnson-Thompson will compete in her first heptathlon since the World Championships in Beijing last year today (Saturday).
Jessica Ennis-Hill is missing the event after failing to recover from an Achilles injury.
The 23-year-old will be looking to achieve the 6,200 points she needs to meet the IAAF qualifying standard for this year’s Olympic Games in Rio.
Johnson-Thompson said: “Unless there’s a disaster, there’s no need that I won’t be able to score 6,200 points so it’s about getting it in the bag and then building on it for the summer.”
Sportsbeat 2016