Olympic Champion Track Cyclist Katie Archibald to Miss Paris Games after Freak Accident

 Katie Archibald of Great Britain reacts after winning the women’s omnium points race at the UEC track cycling elite European championships, at the Velodrome Suisse, in Grenchen, Switzerland, Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via AP)
Katie Archibald of Great Britain reacts after winning the women’s omnium points race at the UEC track cycling elite European championships, at the Velodrome Suisse, in Grenchen, Switzerland, Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via AP)
TT

Olympic Champion Track Cyclist Katie Archibald to Miss Paris Games after Freak Accident

 Katie Archibald of Great Britain reacts after winning the women’s omnium points race at the UEC track cycling elite European championships, at the Velodrome Suisse, in Grenchen, Switzerland, Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via AP)
Katie Archibald of Great Britain reacts after winning the women’s omnium points race at the UEC track cycling elite European championships, at the Velodrome Suisse, in Grenchen, Switzerland, Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via AP)

British two-time Olympic champion track cyclist Katie Archibald will miss the Paris Games after breaking two leg bones in a freak accident.

The 30-year-old Archibald fractured her tibia and fibula and dislocated an ankle when she tripped over a garden step.

She also sustained substantial ligament damage during the incident on Tuesday and has since undergone surgery.

“I tripped over a step in the garden and managed to, somehow, dislocate my ankle; break my tibia and fibula; and rip two ligaments off the bone,” Archibald posted on Instagram on Thursday alongside a photo of her in a hospital bed, The Associated Press reported.

“Had surgery yesterday to pin the bones back together and reattach the ligaments. Then hopefully this afternoon I’ll be going home.”

Archibald won gold with Britain in team pursuit in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and won another gold five years later in the Olympic debut of the women's Madison alongside Laura Kenny in Tokyo.

This is the latest setback for her over the past two years.

She missed the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham after colliding with a vehicle. Her partner, mountain biker Rab Wardell, died suddenly the same year at 37.

Archibald has also won five golds at world championships and 20 at European championships.



Munich Win Fuels Hopes of US Men’s Clay Revival, Shelton Says

 Tennis - ATP 500 - Munich Open - MTTC Iphitos, Munich, Germany - April 19, 2026 Ben Shelton of the US celebrates with the Munich Open trophy after winning the men's singles final against Italy's Flavio Cobolli. (Reuters)
Tennis - ATP 500 - Munich Open - MTTC Iphitos, Munich, Germany - April 19, 2026 Ben Shelton of the US celebrates with the Munich Open trophy after winning the men's singles final against Italy's Flavio Cobolli. (Reuters)
TT

Munich Win Fuels Hopes of US Men’s Clay Revival, Shelton Says

 Tennis - ATP 500 - Munich Open - MTTC Iphitos, Munich, Germany - April 19, 2026 Ben Shelton of the US celebrates with the Munich Open trophy after winning the men's singles final against Italy's Flavio Cobolli. (Reuters)
Tennis - ATP 500 - Munich Open - MTTC Iphitos, Munich, Germany - April 19, 2026 Ben Shelton of the US celebrates with the Munich Open trophy after winning the men's singles final against Italy's Flavio Cobolli. (Reuters)

Ben Shelton said he ‌had laid down a claycourt marker for US men with his Munich Open win on Sunday after the world number six became the first American to claim an event above the ATP 250 level since Andre Agassi's 2002 Rome Masters triumph.

Shelton's 6-2 7-5 win over Flavio Cobolli also made him the fifth American this century to bag a claycourt title outside ‌the United States, ‌joining Agassi, Andy Roddick, Sam ‌Querrey ⁠and Sebastian Korda.

The ⁠23-year-old said the "huge" triumph underlined his ambitions before the French Open, which begins on May 24.

"Moving forward I have big ambitions for the claycourts, a surface I want to get better on each year. It's become one of ⁠my favorite surfaces to play on," ‌Shelton said.

While the American ‌women have had plenty of success on the sport's ‌slowest surface, with Coco Gauff winning the ‌French Open crown last year, the attention will now turn to whether the US men can leave their own mark in Paris.

With Tommy Paul and Frances ‌Tiafoe making the Roland Garros quarter-finals last year, Shelton said things were ⁠looking ⁠up as American men aim to end a Grand Slam drought going back to 2003 when Roddick won the hardcourt US Open.

"Success on clay is coming back," he added.

"I'm looking forward to being part of this progression of US men's tennis on clay.

"On the women's side, they have a lockdown as they won the French Open last year. We as men have some more to do but we're heading in the right direction."


Burnley Game Is Like a Final, Says Man City’s Haaland

Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Arsenal - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - April 19, 2026 Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates after the match. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Arsenal - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - April 19, 2026 Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates after the match. (Action Images via Reuters)
TT

Burnley Game Is Like a Final, Says Man City’s Haaland

Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Arsenal - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - April 19, 2026 Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates after the match. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Arsenal - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - April 19, 2026 Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates after the match. (Action Images via Reuters)

Manchester ‌City striker Erling Haaland said their next Premier League game against Burnley is like a final after Sunday's 2-1 victory over leaders Arsenal handed them the chance to go top with a win in midweek.

Arsenal have ‌topped the ‌table since October ‌but ⁠City, who have ⁠a game in hand, cut the gap to three points with the win at the Etihad Stadium.

Another win on Wednesday would ⁠put Pep Guardiola's side ‌level on ‌points with the London club ‌and see them top the ‌table on either goals scored or goal difference, depending on the margin of victory.

"On Wednesday ‌we're having a final. The Burnley game is ⁠as ⁠important as this game," Haaland, who scored the decisive goal in Sunday's win, told Sky Sports.

"We need to focus, stay humble."

Arsenal, who are chasing their first Premier League title since 2004, next play Newcastle United on Saturday.


Rybakina Beats Muchova to Win Stuttgart Crown for Second Time

 Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina steers the winner's car next to Porsche CEO Michael Leiters after she won against Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova (not in picture) in the final match at the Women's Tennis Grand Prix WTA tournament in Stuttgart, southwestern Germany, on April 19, 2026. (AFP)
Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina steers the winner's car next to Porsche CEO Michael Leiters after she won against Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova (not in picture) in the final match at the Women's Tennis Grand Prix WTA tournament in Stuttgart, southwestern Germany, on April 19, 2026. (AFP)
TT

Rybakina Beats Muchova to Win Stuttgart Crown for Second Time

 Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina steers the winner's car next to Porsche CEO Michael Leiters after she won against Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova (not in picture) in the final match at the Women's Tennis Grand Prix WTA tournament in Stuttgart, southwestern Germany, on April 19, 2026. (AFP)
Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina steers the winner's car next to Porsche CEO Michael Leiters after she won against Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova (not in picture) in the final match at the Women's Tennis Grand Prix WTA tournament in Stuttgart, southwestern Germany, on April 19, 2026. (AFP)

Top seed Elena Rybakina had her eyes on the prize, literally, as she overpowered Karolina Muchova 7-5 6-1 to win the Stuttgart Open on Sunday and drive away with a Porsche car for the second time in her career.

While the Kazakh claimed her second title of the season, it was the tournament's traditional Porsche award that truly captured Rybakina's attention more than the silverware itself.

The first Porsche she won in 2024 had given her a push to get ‌a driver’s license ‌last year and she was all smiles when ‌she ⁠drove her newly ⁠won second sports car down the ramp before parking it on the red clay of the arena.

Victory elevated Rybakina into exclusive company, making her just the fourth active player to win at least five WTA-level titles on multiple surfaces, joining an elite group that includes Venus Williams, Elina Svitolina and Iga Swiatek.

"It's an amazing tournament, we love coming back here... It really ⁠feels like home and you just want to come ‌back every year," Rybakina said.

"Super happy for ‌the second win here in Stuttgart and this beautiful car."

Rybakina ‌surged to a swift 3-0 lead in the opening set with a ‌flurry of aggressive shot-making against a largely defensive Muchova.

She was nearly untouchable behind her first serve, consistently pushing Muchova onto the back foot, while the Australian Open champion also mixed in confident net play, forcing her Czech opponent to cover ‌every inch of the court.

However, Muchova showed resilience, clawing her way back from 5-2 down to level ⁠at 5-5. But ⁠as she served to force a tiebreak, untimely errors crept in and Rybakina pounced to clinch the opening set when Muchova's return sailed long.

That proved to be the spark Rybakina needed as she shifted gears decisively in the second set, reeling off five consecutive games - echoing her dominant win over Mirra Andreeva in the semi-final - before Muchova got on the board.

Serving for the title, Rybakina closed it out in style, serving to love and wrapping up a Tour-leading 25th victory of the season in 78 minutes.

"Elena, honestly, too good. You played really well," Muchova said.

"I tried to stop you, but you clearly wanted a Porsche for the second time really bad. So, (you) made it very tough for me. Congrats!"