Sportsworld

In Rio 2016, African competitors won 45 medals, with 10 of them golds. At the last Games in Tokyo - that number slipped to 37 medals overall.But Africa does have its first medal. On the opening day, South Africa won bronze in the men's Rugby 7s.BBC Sport Africa's senior reporter Celestine Karoney. George Addo Junior and Nishat Ladha joined Sportsworld’s Lee James at our Olympic hub to take a look at Africa’s medal chances.Photo: Bronze medallist Mohamed Elsayed of Team Egypt celebrates on the podium during the Men's Épée medal ceremony on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Grand Palais on July 28, 2024 in Paris, France. (Credit: Getty Images)

Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred is this year’s World Indoor champion for the women’s 60 metres. She’s aiming to win Saint Lucia’s first Olympic medal, and would like it to be gold.After a stunning US Collegiate career, Alfred reached the final of both the 100 and 200 metres at the 2023 World Championships, just missing a medal in the longer sprint. In 2024, her first season as a professional, she made history for Saint Lucia, winning the island’s first World Indoor gold, taking the 60 metres title in Glasgow.Julien describes just how tough the pathway to the top of the sport can be. She explains how hard it was relocating to Jamaica as a young teenager in order to join a coaching group. We also gain a real insight into the role of her coach, Edrick Floreal, and the value he places on supporting his athletes – not just on the track, but in terms of their mental well-being.Over the winter of 2023, Dina Asher-Smith joined Alfred’s training group – so what’s it like working each day alongside one of your main riv

Canada’s Marco Arop is the reigning World champion for the men’s 800 metres. He describes being inspired to take up the event after finding the video of David Rudisha breaking the world record to win Olympic gold in 2012.Marco tells The Warm Up Track that he watched it repeatedly. Fittingly, it was the Kenyan who presented him with his World gold in Budapest in 2023. For Marco, that moment was even better than winning the race and, in the near future, he hopes that they can find time to sit down together and talk all things 800 metres. Having made his name as a front-runner, an athlete who likes to lead a race from gun to tape, Marco was finding it hard to hold on and win races at the highest level. He’s very candid about just how hard it was it for him go against his natural instincts and change his tactics, and how not making the final at the Tokyo Olympics was part of that difficult journey. In the late 1990s, Marco’s family fled the war in Sudan, eventually settling in Canada. So how much contact

Larissa Iapichino is the European long jump silver medallist indoors and out. She talks to The Warm Up Track about being the daughter of Fiona May, winner of two long jump World titles and two Olympic silver medals. Larissa is coached by her father, Gianni, who was also an elite athlete and coached her mother too, so how do they keep athletics and their family life separate? How does Larissa cope with having a famous mum and the inevitable comparisons that come with that? She tells us why it’s important to pay attention to all of her life’s different ‘spheres’; because she’s not only an athlete, she’s a friend, a sister, a daughter and much more besides.With her mother Fiona May competing first for Great Britain and later for Italy, what’s it like being a child of both places? Why does Larissa love the rain in Derby, but not Italian rain? While her mother is her mentor, she’s also a bag of nerves when her daughter is jumping – so where in the stadium was she when Larissa was winning European silver in Ro

Valarie Allman is reigning Olympic champion for the women’s discus and has also won bronze and silver at the last two editions of the World Championships.She tells The Warm Up Track how she and her coach figured out ‘the master of all puzzles’ to win Olympic gold in Tokyo. Valarie explains how, starting out, they sought to break the mould of how previous US throwers had prepared for global championships, and that strategy was to face her main rivals as often as possible on the circuit. But, having succeeded in that, the pandemic then took away that opportunity to compete.Valarie says that actually helped her fall back in love with the sport – all of which set up her Olympic gold medal winning season in 2021. She tells us how it felt silly telling herself she was going to win Olympic gold – but how, after a while, those affirmations began to feel authentic.Young Valarie was a dancer, so what was it like to be around the TV show ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ at weekends, and then being back in Middle School dur

Seventeen-year-old Maria Sharapova shocked the tennis world when she won Wimbledon in 2004.The teenager beat top seed and defending champion Serena Williams to win her first Grand Slam singles title in one of the most memorable finals in history.Twenty years on, Sportsworld’s Delyth Lloyd looks back on Sharapova’s rise and route to the Wimbledon title with insight from her former doubles partner Tamarine Tanasugarn, her second round opponent Anne Keothavong, and tennis commentator Barry Millns, who commentated on the final for BBC World Service.After winning Wimbledon, Sharapova went onto win a career Grand Slam and became the highest paid women’s sports star in the world for over a decade.Forbes reporter Matt Craig shares what it is that made Sharapova so marketable, while Tanasugarn and Keothavong both reflect on Sharapova’s career and legacy.Image: Maria Sharapova, 17 year old Russian from Siberia who won the women’s singles championship at Wimbledon 2004. (Credit: BBC News & Current Affairs via Getty

The oldest of the continental tournaments - the Copa America - begins its 48th edition on 20th June. It's being hosted in the United States and the World Cup holders Argentina are defending the title they won in Brazil three years ago. Sportsworld's Mani Djazmi and guests have your essential guide to the Copa America of 2024.Photo: Lionel Scaloni, Head Coach of Argentina, presents the Copa America trophy during the official draw of CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 at James L. Knight Center on December 07, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Credit: Getty Images)

Sada Williams of Barbados is the reigning Commonwealth champion for the women’s 400m and also won bronze at the last two editions of the World Championships.Williams is among the favourites for Olympic gold in Paris but, when she isn’t racing, she’s not someone who seeks the spotlight. In a rare interview, she explains how being the centre of attention is not her thing – and that extends to her gold medal winning moment on the podium at the Commonwealth Games. As happy as she was, she was thankful when the anthem ended and the whole stadium stopped focussing exclusively on her. Williams shares how she has suffered from anxiety in her career, and some of the strategies she’s used to overcome that – including no longer following what her opponents are doing. In fact, she barely follows track and field at all when she’s not actually at a meet or a championships. Plus, as reigning Commonwealth champion, she expresses her hope that the 2022 Games in Birmingham don’t turn out to be the last.Photo: Sada Williams o

Delyth Lloyd is in Berlin for the start of the men’s European Championship. She travels across the German capital and visits famous sports teams such as Bundesliga side Union Berlin and basketball club Alba Berlin to understand how you build a successful team in the city.She also gets to hang out with Berliner and future Olympic rower Maren Volz as she prepares for the 2024 Olympic Games.Image: The Olympiastadion in Berlin during the men's European Championship. (Credit: BBC)

Grenada’s Kirani James discusses winning his first global medal aged 14, and the Olympic title at 19. He also describes being diagnosed with the thyroid condition Graves’ Disease in 2017, and the impact that had on him. He tells us where he keeps his full set of Olympic medals, and explains what it’s meant to stand on the podium in the same event at the last three editions of the Games.When he won at London 2012, he went online to check the words of Grenada’s national anthem, because he knew all 105 thousand residents of the island would be watching him sing.Still only 31, James believes he can reach the Olympic final again in Paris and tells us why, once there, all things are possible. He also reveals that, whatever happens in the French capital, he wants to compete at LA 2028, and that desire grew out of a conversation he had last year with his former coach Harvey Glance, before he passed away in June of 2023.Photo: Grenada's gold medallist Kirani James celebrates on the podium of the men's 400m at the a

World 400 Hurdles silver medallist, Kyron McMaster, describes in detail losing his coach in 2017. Xavier Samuels was killed when Hurricane Irma hit The British Virgin Islands and McMaster believes that, together, they would have broken the world record.The twice and reigning Commonwealth champion describes how coach Samuels’ words and methods have continued to shape the athlete he’s become in the years since, and explains why the world record and Olympic gold medal can still be his.He also discusses how different his career might have been if he’d chosen to represent Great Britain, instead of the British Virgin Islands. There’s also a visit to see King Charles to be planned to collect his OBE. He might even celebrate by buying a new PlayStation, or maybe he’ll keep the old one a while longer, even if it does sound like a fridge or a boat engine. Plus, the benefits of listening to some Beethoven are all on the agenda.Photo: Kyron McMaster of Team British Virgin Islands celebrates after winning the gold meda

Jurgen Klopp is the smiling, bear-hugging coach who leaves Liverpool having led the club to eight trophies – including winning the Champions League and a first Premier League title.But what do you know about his Black Forest roots, and his journey from second division footballer to managerial master?Sportsworld’s John Bennett takes you to Klopp's home village of Glatten, to Mainz where he was a player for a decade, then tasted promotion and relegation as a manager - and to Dortmund where he won trophies, became a celebrity and had a pop song written in his honour.Hear from school friends, players, executives and fans about how he developed his coaching philosophy, his big personality, his gifts as an orator and the man-management skills that set him apart from many of his peers.This programme - which won an SJA award for best audio documentary in 2021 - is the comprehensive back story of one of the most revered coaches of modern times, and it’s been updated to include Klopp’s nine years at Anfield and the leg

After British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS group were confirmed as new minority investors in Manchester United - a deal which saw them take control of United's football operations - will this new era return the club back to their perch at the top of English football? The BBC’s Chief Football News Reporter, Simon Stone; Carl Anka who covers Manchester United for The Athletic; and United fan Beth Tucker, presenter of The United Stand, join Sportsworld’s Lee James to discuss what can be expected from their involvement at Manchester United. We'll also hear at length from Sir Jim Ratcliffe himself, who spoke to BBC Sports Editor Dan Roan after the deal was completed. Image: A billboard near Old Trafford shows a picture of Sir Jim Ratcliffe above the words 'Welcome To Manchester' prior to the Premier League match between Manchester United and AFC Bournemouth at Old Trafford on December 09, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

The Asian Cup is football’s second oldest continental championship and the 18th edition – which gets underway in Qatar on 12 January 2024 – will see the continent’s best football nations go head-to-head to be crowned this year’s Asian champions.Who are the main contenders? Which team could spring a surprise? What can be expected? Mani Djazmi is joined by Asian football journalist Michael Church, Japanese sports journalist Kumi Kinohara and BBC Persian Service’s Iran reporter Pooria Jafereh to preview the tournament.Also hear from South Korea’s manager Jurgen Klinsmann, Palestine’s midfielder Mohammed Rashid, India’s goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and tournament debutants Tajikistan’s Amirbek Juraboev.Image: Qatari footballer Hassan al-Haydos carries the Asian Cup trophy during the draw for the AFC Asian Cup in Doha on May 11, 2023. (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)

As 2023 winds down, Delyth Lloyd tests the sporting knowledge of you and some familiar names from the BBC World Service Sport team in a special Sportsworld quiz.Will it be Team World Cup’s Maz Farookhi and Katie Smith, Team Sportsworld’s Lee James and John Bennett or Team Warm Up Track’s Ed Harry and Ade Adedoyin who will be crowned the ultimate sporting quiz champions of 2023?Photo: The sportsworld quiz teams (Credit: BBC)

It's been another sensational athletics season with multiple gold medallists and world record breaking performances on the track, the road and in the field.From the highs of the World Championships in Budapest to Diamond League glory and marathon supremacy, who are the athletes who have impressed the most in 2023?Sportsworld’s Lee James is joined by The Warm Up Track’s Ed Harry and Ade Adedoyin who name their top 10 athletes of the year, with additional insight from BBC Africa’s Celestine Karoney.Image: Noah Lyles of Team United States reacts after winning the Men's 4x100m Relay Final during day eight of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023 at National Athletics Centre on August 26, 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Following the death of Sir Bobby Charlton at the age of 86, here’s another chance to listen to the Manchester United and England legend select his all-time World Football XI.During his illustrious career – which included winning the World Cup with England, the European Cup with Manchester United and also the Ballon d’Or – he played alongside and against many of the world’s best.Who makes his all-time World Football XI? Charlton talks the BBC’s Mike Costello through his squad selection of footballing greats.This was first broadcast on BBC World Service in 2001 and recorded at Old Trafford.Image: Sir Bobby Charlton during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Manchester United at Vitality Stadium on April 18, 2018 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)

In a special Season-ending episode The Warm Up Track welcomes two brand new world champions from Budapest, Hurdler Danielle Williams and Long Jumper Miltiadis Tentoglou.What’s it like winning your second World title eight years after your first?How do you win Gold with your last jump of the competition?Who celebrated their Gold medal with a slice of chocolate cake?Danielle also explains her ideas for improving and evolving the sport of Track and Field as we look at what Budapest did well and the lessons that can be learned for future world championships. More broadly, we also explore how Athletics can and should be making a bigger impact as a global sport. Miltiadis explains how his success has led to Greece embracing the Long Jump and plenty of young people taking up the sport of Athletics in his home town and across the country. We also look ahead to Paris 2024. Danielle will be looking to qualify for the Games for the first time, while Miltiadis will hope to make a successful defence of the title he won

In this special episode of The Warm Up Track, we’re joined by some of the stars of the very first World Athletics Championships as the event prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary.1500m gold medallist Steve Cram explains how important the ’83 Worlds were, at a time when the Olympic Games was beset by political boycotts. He also outlines plans by Athletics’ world governing body, the IAAF, to make the World Championships their equivalent of the FIFA World Cup and make the Olympics track and field’s second tier competition for under-23s only.Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, who won sprint relay bronze, describes a Jamaica team where you had to bring a sewing kit to make adjustments to the vest and shorts you’d been given. She also recalls how all of the teams stayed in university halls of residence, and how the cafeteria was the place to be, a real melting pot of nations where life-long friendships were made.Jamaica’s first World Champion Bert Cameron says that, as he received his 400m gold, he saw his life in flash

After more than 600 wickets, England fast bowler Stuart Broad has decided that the final 2023 Ashes Test against Australia at The Oval would be his last.Broad has become synonymous with the famous rivalry between England and Australia, saving many of his best performances for Ashes battles.We hear from Broad himself and his former England captains Michael Vaughan and Sir Alastair Cook before Lee James speaks to Daily Mirror cricket correspondent Dean Wilson and Australian commentator Jim Maxwell about the bowler and his legacy.Photo: Gareth Copley/Getty Images