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Marissa Callaghan and Nadene Caldwell scored to give Kenny Shiels' side a 2-0 win on the night and a 4-1 victory on aggregate in the two-legged play-off.

Captain Callaghan tucked home on 55 minutes and Caldwell netted in injury time to secure the win against Ukraine, who had Natiya Pantsulaya sent off. The Euro 2022 finals will be Northern Ireland's first major tournament. It caps a remarkable 17-year journey for Northern Ireland, whose women's national team only reformed in 2004.

After a goalless first-half, Callaghan broke the deadlock 10 minutes into the second-half when she beat Ukraine goalkeeper Kateryna Samson to the ball and slotted into the empty net. It was a goal which perfectly summed up Northern Ireland's persistence as Callaghan won the initial header from Julie Nelson's free-kick before showing awareness to get to the second ball ahead of the sleeping Ukraine defence to give the home side the cushion they craved.

Caldwell secured the victory after Pantsulaya was sent-off late on. Simone Magill won the ball on the edge of the area and Caldwell, who had just come on the pitch as a substitute, beat the stranded Samson to spark wild celebrations. The celebrations at full-time marked an unbelievable journey for a team who were written off before a ball was kicked in qualifying.

Moments such as Ashley Hutton's last-minute goal against Wales or a superb 1-0 victory away to Belarus with 10 players demonstrate where the unwavering belief stems from. From arriving in May 2019, Shiels and his coaching team, which includes son Dean, have done a remarkable job changing the mentality and tactics of this side.

For players like Nelson, who has been through thick and thin since making her debut 17 years ago, it has been a life-long dream. For younger players like Rebecca McKenna or Chloe McCarron, this will a high point in their fledgling careers that they hope will be the first of many.

It's impossible to name every player but it has been a real team effort to get to this point - and every player in a green shirt played their part. It was an occasion and performance which deserved a packed house at Seaview, but this history-making team can expect the Green and White Army to follow their every move for years to come.

This team dared to dream, and now they will enjoy every moment of the reward they have worked so hard to achieve. Northern Ireland, ranked 25 places below their opponents, looked relaxed from the first whistle as they went about finishing the job they began by securing a lead in Ukraine.

Just as in Kovalivka, Northern Ireland came flying at their opponents right from the first whistle, with Kirsty McGuinness and Magill harrying Ukraine's defence. The positive approach settled any lingering nerves, and while manager Shiels is renowned for his enterprising style of football, it was a direct approach from set plays which gave his side half openings.

Laura Rafferty, one of two changes from the first leg, was inches away from opening the scoring when she poked wide after the ball dropped to the defender from an early corner.

Again, in a similar pattern to the first leg, Ukraine grew into the match and began to dominate the midfield as the half wore on.

Despite Ukraine's growing possession on the artificial pitch, Northern Ireland looked comfortable in defence and Magill, who had a shot comfortably saved by Kateryna Samson, and Callaghan provided an outlet for Shiels' side. McKenna, on her 20th birthday, continued where she left off from the first leg and Rebecca Holloway had the best performance of her short NI career to date as both players were tasked with providing width in both attack and defence.

However, it was the experienced head of Nelson who made the most-important intervention of the first half when she superbly denied Olha Ovdiychuk with some last-ditch defending following a rare lapse of concentration for NI just before the half-time whistle. Cheered on in the stands by the vocal Rachel Furness, who missed the match after sustaining a broken ankle in the first leg, NI came out for the second-half like and looked like a team with the weight off their shoulders.

That soon turned to pandemonium when Callaghan showed tremendous persistence to beat Samson to the ball and score - a goal that meant Ukraine had to net three times to overcome their opponents. It was akin to when men's captain Steven Davis scored twice against Greece in 2015 to fire Northern Ireland to the Euro 2016 finals in France as Callaghan led from the front.

Northern Ireland dropped deep but still looked in command as the visitors ran out of ideas as the clock ticked down. They put plenty of crosses into the danger area but goalkeeper Jackie Burns and the defensive trio of Rafferty, Nelson and Ashley Hutton stood strong as NI began to pick Ukraine off on the counter.

McCarron's cross was just out of reach of Magill and Ukraine were reduced to 10 players when Pantsulaya was dismissed for cutting across the outstanding Sarah McFadden as she raced through on goal. Caldwell then struck in the final seconds to spark jubilant scenes and cap off a superb display as Shiels' team continue to outshine their underdog status.

Progress on the redevelopment of the Alexander Stadium is on the brink of another significant milestone – the completion of the steelworks. Early next week the framework for the eye-catching new West Stand at the venue in Perry Barr will be fully in place, and work to add fixtures, fittings and all of the features required by a world-class sporting arena is now starting.

Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “This is an exciting milestone and it's testament to the hard work and efforts of all involved that we have made such progress despite the challenges of delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We can now clearly see what the new stadium will look like when complete – congratulations to everyone who is working on the redevelopment.” The project is on budget and scheduled for completion in spring 2022.

Operations Director for lead contractor McLaughlin & Harvey, Martin Keys, added: “This is a really important milestone for the Alexander Stadium Redevelopment project.

“Considering the challenges of COVID-19, the complex roof design, and erecting the steel over the winter months; we have been able to complete the steel on programme. It is a really exciting moment for the project and demonstrates that when we work collaboratively together as a team we can overcome difficult obstacles.”

Funding for the Alexander Stadium Redevelopment comes from three sources: Birmingham City Council (£27.4million), the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (£20million) and West Midlands Combined Authority (£25million). Arup are designers for the Alexander Stadium redevelopment, covering all engineering services and architectural design, with Mace acting as project and programme managers, both appointed by Birmingham City Council.

James Watts, Associate Director at Arup, said: “Reaching this milestone is a fantastic achievement for all involved. It has been a true demonstration of proactive and collaborative working.

“Within Arup alone, our team of architects, engineers, planners and specialists have contributed more than 37 years of effort so far to help deliver what will be a wonderful sporting facility for Birmingham. With the steel frame now virtually completed, the curvature of the new stand that will become the stadium’s signature is visible for all.

“The 1,400 tonnes of steelwork has been designed, detailed and fabricated in the UK, with police escorts required for the longest components of the roof structure, which are 35 metres in length. If laid end-to-end, the steelwork would very nearly complete 50 laps of the new track. There is still a long way to go, but all involved should be proud of what has been achieved to date.”

Associate Director at Mace, Paul Robertson, said: “Celebrating the final piece of steel being installed is exciting for a project which has not been without its challenges.

“This time last year we were facing the prospect of starting construction in the middle of a pandemic yet works continue on time and on budget as we move towards the 12-month on-site milestone in May this year. The team partnership and approach has been exceptional, and everyone is pulling together as we move into this next critical phase of the project.”

Rachael Blackmore made sporting history by becoming the first female jockey to win the Grand National with victory on Minella Times at Aintree. The Irish rider scored a thrilling triumph aboard the 11-1 chance, trained by Henry de Bromhead who also saddled runner-up Balko Des Flos.

The thrilled record-breaker said: "I don't feel male or female right now. I don't even feel human."  The 173rd running of the world's most famous steeplechase provided a story for the ages as Blackmore won in the colours of owner JP McManus.

The 31-year-old – who claimed six victories in all, including the Champion Hurdle on Honeysuckle, and was a narrow runner-up in the Gold Cup with A Plus Tard - had already achieved a landmark success at last month's Cheltenham Festival when becoming the first woman to be the meeting's leading jockey. She demonstrated perfect poise and timing to guide Minella Times expertly round the 30 fences over more than four and a quarter miles for victory by six and a half lengths.

The closest a female jockey had previously come to winning the race was Katie Walsh on Seabass in 2012 when she finished third. "I cannot believe it," Blackmore - the daughter of a dairy farmer and a school teacher from Killenaule, County Tipperary - said. "He was a sensational spin. It is unbelievable." Starting out riding ponies as a child, she went on to gain a degree in equine science and combined her studies with competing as an amateur jockey.

There were no spectators at the Merseyside track because of Covid-19 protocols, but the historic moment was not lost on the jockeys, trainers and owners in attendance who cheered the pair back into the winner's enclosure. The 1-2 for De Bromhead sealed his own remarkable story, having won the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

One of the 40 runners, The Long Mile, was euthanised after suffering an injury while running on the flat between fences. It was the second equine fatality in eight editions of the race since safety changes were introduced in 2013. Jockey Bryony Frost was taken to hospital after being unseated from her mount Yala Enki. Amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen, who has won six times in other races over the National fences, led the way with an enterprising ride on outsider Jett.

The favourite, Cloth Cap, followed on the inside and travelled well for a long way before fading as McManus runners Any Second Now and Minella Times entered the picture. Mark Walsh did well to stay on Any Second Now after nearly being brought down at the third-last and the challenges of Burrows Saint and Discorama waned as Balko Des Flos and Minella Times pushed ahead.

As Blackmore and Minella Times safely jumped the last, it became clear a piece of racing folklore was being created and the pair passed the winning line clear of their rivals. Forty-four years after Charlotte Brew was the first woman to ride in the race on 200-1 outsider Barony Fort, who refused at the 27th fence, Blackmore had bettered Walsh's third-placed finish with an historic victory.

"It is huge. It's the first woman to win the National. It's history, but I suppose this has been coming over time," said Walsh. "There's been more women riding in the National over the last couple of years."

Plymouth Raiders went unbeaten in the BBL Championship during March and came up just short in the BBL Trophy Final, leading to recognition for Head Coach Paul James and emerging star guard Rickey McGill.

James wins the Kevin Cadle Molten BBL Coach of the Month award for the second time this season after March saw him lead Plymouth to three league wins, which extends to eight straight going back to February and including the first two games of April, as that good run has seen them climb the table to second place.

Most impressively, Raiders scored a big road win at Newcastle Eagles which initially helped them close the gap on their title-chasing rivals - who had been in second for some time - before over-taking them early in April. It was a strong performance from Raiders, winning 85-72 while scoring 58 points in the paint, led by 16 from former Eagle Mike Morsell, and holding Eagles to their third fewest points of the season, including just 31 in the second half.

Aside from that, there were two other double-digit league wins over the B. Braun Sheffield Sharks and Manchester Giants - the first of those live on Sky Sports - where Raiders showed character to emerge from half time team talks with big second half performances to overturn early deficits - something that they have continued to do since. They beat Sheffield 50-32 in the second half, and Manchester by an even better 52-27.

James' team has a clear identity and style, as the league's leading defence conceding just 75 points per game at only 41% from the field, also giving up the fewest points in the paint (30.5) of any team. They are also aggressive offensively, as by far the league's leaders in free-throw attempts at 24 per game - five higher than the next team - and offensive rebounds with 12 per game.

Raiders have also come through adversity in the month, winning games despite injuries to key players such as Prince Ibeh, Michael Ochereobia and Chris Porter-Bunton, with captain Ashley Hamilton also returning to the team from an injury lay-off.

Even in their only defeat in March, to London Lions in the BBL Trophy Final, Raiders characteristically showed great fight to almost come back from a big early deficit, falling just short of a first piece of BBL silverware since 2007.

The catalyst for Raiders on numerous occasions has been American guard Rickey McGill, who has averaged an amazing 25.5 points per game in March to pick up the Molten BBL Player of the Month award.

That points haul has come on amazing shooting splits of 62% from the field - on 99 attempts, or 16.5 per game as Plymouth's go-to man - as well as 47% from the three-point line and 82% at the free-throw line. He has also added five assists, four rebounds and two steals per game. Overall, he is sixth in the league in assists and seventh in steals.

He was outstanding in March's BBL Trophy run, which saw him score over 30 points in both legs of the semi-final and the final itself. He was unlucky to be on the losing team in the final, scoring 31 points on 68% shooting, including nine early in a three minute third quarter spell to bring Raiders back to within one point from a 16 point deficit.

To get to the final, he scored 63 points over two legs in just three days against Surrey Scorchers, going 24-35 (69%) from the field in a pair of comprehensive wins.

In BBL Championship play, McGill scored comfortably in double-figures in all three games, and had perhaps one of his best all-round performances to round out the month on the road at Manchester Giants, with his first double-double of 23 points and 12 assists, along with four rebounds and four steals.

On Sky Sports, he was MVP of the Sheffield game after hitting 15 of his 21 points in the second half, including a big 'and-one' play for the go-ahead basket that changed the momentum in a previously tight affair.

A busy and important April is already underway for Raiders, with wins in consecutive nights over the Easter weekend, while they also face two South West derbies with Bristol Flyers and a clash with league-leading Leicester Riders as they chase the title in this last month of the regular campaign.

Birmingham City has insisted that they are committed to their women’s team after the players raised a series of complaints with the board.

The Football Association has opened an investigation after City’s squad sent a letter to the Women’s Super League club’s hierarchy highlighting a lack of support for them compared to that given to the men’s team. The complaints were reported to include players earning less than the minimum wage, delays over treatment for injured players, a lack of access to the training-ground gym and changing rooms and travel arrangements for away fixtures.

In response, the club said in a statement: “We are keen to emphasise that the club remains committed to providing support for our women’s team.

“We will further the conversation internally in a bid to address players’ concerns, the details of which, will remain private.”

Head coach Carla Ward said: “This week we have held positive discussions with the board relating to the concerns raised by the players. It was never the intention of the players for the letter to be made public and many of the points were misrepresented.

“We are working together to move forward and will remain in communication with the board to resolve matters internally. We are now approaching a vital stage of the season and will focus all our efforts on winning as many games as possible to keep the club in the BFAWSL.” The issue was raised at England’s press conference ahead of the Lionesses’ friendly against France.

Former Birmingham player Ellen White said: “Well, it’s not OK, is it? For a club of Birmingham’s stature, to be playing in the WSL, it’s not OK for players to be experiencing what they are.

“I was at Birmingham for a couple of years, and I’ve got friends there. I think it’s important that it’s been brought to attention, and something needs to be done, especially with them having been in the WSL from pretty much the start. It’s not OK to be happening.”

Birmingham’s statement also said that their women’s side will be playing home fixtures at St Andrew’s next season if they retain their place in the WSL. The team, who currently play home matches at the SportNation.Bet Stadium, which is also used by Solihull Moors of the men’s National League, are ninth in the WSL table, three points above the relegation spot with four games left.

As the first female referee to take charge of an English Football League game Rebecca Welch was praised for her performance by the managers of both sides she was charged with.

Rebecca, 37, oversaw Port Vale's 2-0 win at Harrogate Town in League Two on Monday. In the elite category of referees and on FIFA's international list, Ms Welch, from Washington, County Durham, previously officiated seven National League games this season. She was the first to be given a game from the off and had a day without any major controversy, barring a contentious decision to wave away Harrogate's appeals for a first-half penalty.

On his assessment of her performance, Port Vale boss Darrell Clarke said: "I thought she was focused and didn't get much wrong. I was moaning about one or two decisions, but generally it was quite consistent. We need to see more women referees and lineswomen moving forward. They should be judged like anyone else and she's had a good start."

Harrogate manager Simon Weaver said: "I think she was very good indeed. Important calls were made throughout and they were the right calls. Hopefully it's just par for the course that we see female referees and officials in the EFL. It's about time."

Speaking after her appointment was announced last week, Welch told the EFL's official website: "Initially I wasn't really aware of being appointed as the first female referee.

"I was just given the appointment and I was over the moon but, when you kind of reflect on it, you think you're the first woman ever to do this, so I'm extremely proud and my family is extremely proud too."

Amy Fearn was the first woman to referee an EFL game as she came on as an injury replacement in the 2010 Championship game between Coventry and Nottingham Forest.

Sport 4 Life UK, the Birmingham-based charity which delivers sports-themed personal development programmes to young people across the West Midlands, is staging a series of free Easter holiday sports camps for 11 to 17-year-olds.

The first sports camp will take place at Aston Powerleague at Birmingham’s Salford Stadium and run from Monday, April 5 to Friday, April 9 between noon and 3pm. In addition to sports sessions and refreshments in the form of water and healthy snacks, participants will also have an opportunity to gain a free, CV-enhancing sports leaders’ qualification.

Alongside this, on Friday, April 9 attendees will be able to get involved with a voluntary Easter social action project aimed at improving their local neighbourhoods and solving problems affecting communities. This event will offer free pizza and Easter eggs, courtesy of Sport 4 Life UK corporate partner Tickd.

During the second week of the Easter holidays, the sports camps will continue at Hodge Hill College in Bromford Road, Birmingham, from today, Monday, April 12 to Friday, April 16, again between noon and 3pm. Participants will also be able to join sports sessions and gain a free sports leaders’ qualification.

Tom Clarke-Forrest, founder and CEO Sport 4 Life UK, said: “I can’t tell you how delighted we are that we’re able to reconnect with young people in person and start providing personal development programmes again, after a long hard winter under lockdown. By combining physical activity with qualifications that help young people build leadership skills and friendships, we are making a meaningful difference to their life chances. This is particularly important right now, because all the data shows young people have been the most adversely affected economically by the pandemic and downturn. With that in mind, we very much look forward to welcoming youngsters back to our activities and supporting their life goals.”

Sports leaders is an enjoyable qualification that is easy to achieve by leading sports sessions and completing a short workbook. It is a recognised qualification and will enhance any CV or college or university application. The qualification involves lots of practical sport, discussion on leadership and designing and leading mini-coaching sessions.

Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, who tested positive for Covid-19 last week, has been admitted to hospital. Tendulkar tweeted that he decided to go to a hospital in Mumbai as a matter of abundant precaution under medical advice.

The former captain, who is loved by millions, added that he was hoping to be back home in a few days. Several Indian cities, including Mumbai, have seen a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases in the past few weeks. Tendulkar, 47, shared the news at a time when India is staring at what experts have called a "deadlier second wave".

India reported 81,466 news cases and 469 deaths on Thursday - the highest daily spike since December. The country's Covid caseload had dropped sharply in January when it was reporting less than 15,000 cases daily. But cases began to spike again in March, largely driven by poor test-and-trace and lax safety protocols.

Many of the new cases were reported in the western state of Maharashtra, where Tendulkar lives in the city of Mumbai. Since the pandemic began, India has confirmed more than 12.2 million cases and over 163,000 deaths. It has the third-highest number of infections in the world after the United States and Brazil - however, its number of deaths per capita is far lower.

India has registered 118 deaths per million, compared to 1,487 in Brazil and 1,668 in the US.

India launched its vaccination drive in January and so far more than 65 million doses have been administered. But experts say the pace needs to further pick up to halt the spread.

Some have also attributed the uptick in numbers to a highly contagious variants of the coronavirus, but the government has denied this. The surge in cases comes during what some experts have called a "delicate phase" of the pandemic for India.

States are now reintroducing restrictions to stem the spread of the virus.

In his tweet, Tendulkar thanked his fans for their wishes and prayers. His fans and many of his former teammates have responded with prayers for his recovery.

He retired from cricket in 2013 but continues to be one of the most popular public figures in India. He recently took part in the Road Safety World Series Challenge, a veterans' tournament in the central Indian city of Raipur.

He made his international debut aged 16 in November 1989, setting off an illustrious 24-year career that earned him global recognition. In that time, he amassed a record 15,921 Test-match runs, the highest number by any batsman in cricket history.

In 2012, Tendulkar became the only batsman ever to reach 100 international centuries. One of his most memorable Test centuries was an unbeaten 103 that inspired India's victory over England in December 2008, and came shortly after terror attacks hit his home city of Mumbai.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and insidethegames.biz have launched an exciting new partnership to tell inspiring Commonwealth Sport stories in the lead-up to Birmingham 2022.

A new section dedicated to Commonwealth Sport has gone live on the world leading and award winning Olympic news website, which features an in-depth overview of the movement. It includes the history of the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Youth Games, round-ups of major Commonwealth Games moments, biographies of star athletes and details of the CGF's drive to use sport for social change.

CGF President Dame Louise Martin said: "I am delighted to announce this exciting new partnership with our friends at insidethegames.biz.

"The CGF and insidethegames.biz have worked closely together for many years, across numerous editions of the Commonwealth Games, Commonwealth Youth Games and other key events on our calendar. They have unparalleled connections in global sport and are as passionate as we are about providing a voice and a platform for our diverse, committed Commonwealth sporting family.

"We are delighted to be moving this strong relationship a step further, with insidethegames.biz hosting a new section that will shine a light on the inspiring stories that are at the heart of the Commonwealth Sport. This will be particularly beneficial for some of our small states and island states, who will have a truly global platform to share their stories.

"My thanks go to editor Duncan Mackay, managing director Sarah Bowron and the entire team at insidethegames.biz for their support in working to promote our movement." insidethegames will produce multiple news articles on Commonwealth Sport each week, covering the 72 Commonwealth Games Associations which are preparing to compete in Birmingham next year.

"We are delighted to be working in partnership with the Commonwealth Games Federation," said Bowron. "Our experienced team have long enthused with infectious excitement about the Commonwealth Games. I caught the bug at Glasgow in 2014 alongside the younger members of our team. Our affection has continued to grow with memorable visits to Samoa, Edmonton, The Bahamas, the Gold Coast and Rwanda among others. 

"Everybody at the CGF and in the CGAs are like a big Commonwealth Family and we are delighted to feel a part of this fantastic global movement. Everybody in our team is looking forward to help tell the story of Commonwealth Sport to the insidethegames.biz influential readership of more than 20 million in over 200 countries and we hope that this will be a partnership for many years to come.

"I would like to thank Dame Louise and the entire team at the CGF for working with us to create this ground-breaking partnership. I am sure it will be a huge success." 

Making football history, when she stepped out to take charge of the Juventus vs. Dynamo Kyiv Champion’s League game, the name ‘Stephan Frappart’ was talked about all over the world's media.

Having inspiring young girls everywhere, the 37-year-old became the first woman to take charge of a men's match in a major UEFA competition when Liverpool and Chelsea met in the 2019 Super Cup. That year, she also refereed the Women's World Cup final between the United States and the Netherlands, and has refereed French Ligue 1 games since 2019.

Unmoved, though, by the worldwide attention she is receiving, a stoic Stephan said: "I never read newspapers about me. I make my bubble. I know that in football everybody speaks about referees and performance.

"I still ignore everything. I prefer it like this."

Having played football from the aged 10, she took charge of her first Europa League game in October when Leicester City hosted Zorya Luhansk. Since then, she said that refereeing at the men's World Cup in 2022 would be a bonus for her. A presence in those types of high-profile games would be a bound and would inspire young girls watching to follow in her foot-steps.

She said: “This would be a great pleasure. I know that I am a role model.

"Young women are watching TV, so I know that if I am here on the field they can see that it's possible.”

Having been in the pool of referees for top flight men's football in France for the 2019/20 season, Stephan Frappart has proved, over a number of years, that she is one of the best referees, not just in Europe but across the world.

Yesterday marked 20 years since David Rocastle passed away.

The Arsenal legend – who also playing for Leeds United and Chelsea, shocked everyone in the footballing world when his death - from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma – was announced. The life of the former England international was cut short, at 33-years-old, by a disease that couldn't be beaten, even by a man of seemingly endless courage.

Few Arsenal players of the modern era ever had the connection with supporters that David "Rocky" Rocastle had. The Lewisham-born star who joined Arsenal's academy in 1982, was always an inspirational fans’ favourite, as he balanced his unique blend of trickery and pace on the wing with a spirit that was way and above so many of his peers – at the time and since.

Two decades on since his passing and Rocastle's legacy is one of outright praise. A player loved by both fans and players alike, ‘Rocky’ was by all accounts the nicest man in English football, and the greatest tributes paid are from his peers – then and till today.

"Remember who you are, what you are, and who you represent," was his poignant mantra as he rose above and beyond those around him with supreme skill, grace and dignity.

Remembering the Gooner legend, another Arsenal great, Ian Wright reminisced about his former friend and teammate when saying that he was involved in the favourite game of his career – when the two played together at Highbury in the 1991-1992 season before Rocastle moved on to Leeds, and they helped the Gunners finish fourth in the old First Division.

Rocky, who also play for Manchester City and Sabah, in Malaysia, tragically passed away at the age of just 33 after suffering with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Always willing to share his invaluable experience and tips to others – regardless of who he spoke to,

20-years on since his passing, and David ‘Rocky’ Rocastle's legacy remains as one of outright praise.

David Weir and Shelly Woods showed their quality in tough conditions at the Thruxton Circuit and Venue as they recorded victories at the inaugural Müller 2021 Wheelchair Marathon, Thruxton Circuit. Weir scored a comprehensive win in the men’s marathon, but he was pushed over the opening four laps of the 12-lap contest by Danny Sidbury who would go on to claim second place and a personal best.

Sidbury led from Weir in the opening stages with the multiple Paralympic champion tucking in behind the Sutton & District athlete as the wind continued to pick up around the circuit. JohnBoy Smith was tracking their every move over these early moments of the contest, while Michael McCabe, who was completing the half marathon distance, followed behind. As they entered the finishing straight to embark on their fifth lap, Weir had opened a small lead on Sidbury, and he never looked back.

At one stage, he was on track for the 1hr35 pace but as the gusty conditions added to the complex nature of the task ahead he crossed the line in 1:44:45. Sidbury was not far behind, crossing the line in 1:46:01, taking 23 seconds off his previous best.

Meanwhile, as JohnBoy Smith dropped out due to a shoulder issue, Callum Hall moved into third place after the halfway mark, and a display of perseverance – racing alone for almost 25 miles - saw him ultimately finish in that position in a time of 1:48:20.

Weir said post-race: “To be honest, it is probably one of the toughest marathons I have done in a long time. Quite a tough one to start the season but I’m just thankful that we could get out and do something.

“Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have had a marathon until Tokyo. It’s good practice and it shows me what I need to do in the next phase of training. For this time of the year, I’m in pretty good shape, probably the best shape I’ve been in for as long as I can remember. So, I’m pretty pleased with the performance.

“It’s nice to be out and see some of the lads as well and see these young athletes competing in the marathon distance. I haven’t got the top ten athletes here and I was going out on my own, but I felt pretty strong all the way around. Usually it takes me a few marathons to get up to speed.

“I’m hoping I’ll get the opportunity to race abroad at some point, so we’ll have to see. It’s a good start so I am happy.” In what she described as the ‘toughest marathon she’s ever done’, Shelly Woods won the women’s marathon in a time of 2:00:40.

Working with Sammi Kinghorn (Rodger Harkins; Red Star) around the first six laps, Woods clocked her fastest 3.6km lap of 9:39:1 on in the first loop and she showed patience as she took on the final half of the marathon in a solo effort. It was a solid push over the final few laps as she took the win to show her credentials in Paralympic year.

Woods said afterwards, “It was very very tough. I was aiming for 1:58 (the Minimum Entry standard for the Paralympics) but I was just outside it. But with those conditions I am quite pleased with the time I did.

“It was brutal out there but, it is great to race. There aren’t many opportunities to race at the moment, especially the big marathons, so it’s amazing that British Athletics were able to put this event on.

“My training has been going well and I’ve proved I can do a good time. I’m still coming back after I had my son. I had some time out after London Paralympics and didn’t go to Rio. It’s my son’s fourth birthday today, so I’m still steadily getting my times back up there. I feel like I’m getting better all the time, so that is a good thing.”

Mel Nicholls was second placed female athlete in the 26.2-mile race, recording a time of 2:22:48. Athletes also had the option of competing over the half marathon or the 10km at Thruxton due to limited competition opportunities over the last year.

The aforementioned Kinghorn finished 13.1 miles in 58 minutes following a solid push, while Michael McCabe was the first male finisher over the distance in 56:14. Only two athletes competed over 10km; multiple European medallist Ben Rowlings was the first across the line in 30:28, while World Para Athletics Junior champion Zien Zhou was second in 33:35.

Chris Thompson and Steph Davies produced personal best performances on their way to securing their marathon spots for Tokyo at the Müller British Athletics Marathon and 20km Walk Trial at Kew Gardens. Ben Connor also secured his place with a second spot in the men’s marathon, while Tom Bosworth sealed his second Olympic Games spot with a similar second place finish in the men’s 20km race walk.

In the men’s marathon race Chris Thompson ran a perfectly judged race, staying off the mid-race pace and at one point languishing 35 seconds behind the lead group of Dewi Griffiths, Ben Connor and Mo Aadan who were being led by the top-class pacing duo of Callum Hawkins and Jake Smith. Yet it was after the departure of the pace athletes, in between 30k and 35k when the evenly judged run by Thompson began to reap dividends. Reunited with the leading group at 35k, he then pushed on to establish a gap on Connor and Aadan, taking the bell for the final lap at 2:00.30.

The 39-year-old looked almost incredulous to be finding himself with a significant lead as he circled Kew Gardens, running well inside his previous marathon best and more importantly, inside the qualifying time for Tokyo, and he crossed the line in 2:10.50. Thompson, who became a Dad earlier this week, said: “This week has just knocked me for six. I have been trying to hold it together and I have just never felt so much emotion in all my life and I have always controlled it.

“I just said don’t cramp on that last lap, because everything fell into place in the last couple of laps. After 30mins I released, I worked the course out and worked out you can’t keep pushing like this, the turns and everything was just building up and I thought I need to check back because these guys need to be in really good shape to keep this going. I checked back and I just thought, an hour and a half, I have either messed this up royally or its going to turn around very quickly. I kept saying to myself, stay on course for the time and see what happens. I was in dreamland, the last to laps I was like ‘I am going’, nothing is stopping me now.

“This sounds bad, but I knew I had it with two laps to go, and I was starting to control my emotions then because I knew I had timed it right. I entered my own little mind palace of ‘this is just the rhythm I need for me’. If they stay gone, then good luck to them, just execute my own race and the other thing I kept telling myself, was just stay inside the time and you still have a chance.”

He added, “To be honest at one-point, worst case scenario, if you are the third Brit with the time, you still have got a chance. Or fourth Brit, because I think three ahead, but they came back to me very quickly once the pacemakers dropped out. I was running on cloud nine, the last two laps just…I feel like someone is going to tell me this didn’t happen. Seriously, I am 39! This doesn’t happen, last night my wife said, ‘finish it off’ and in my head I thought I am going to leave everything out there. I thought if we pull this off, I don’t know how we have done it. This is not like me. My new baby is called Theo and he has a lot to live up to. He has got a two-time Olympian dad!”

In second place and securing the second automatic slot having previously achieved the qualifying time, Ben Connor finished in 2:12.06, 14 seconds ahead of marathon debutant Mo Aadan who ran an admirable first 26.2 mile distance finishing in 2:12.20 for third. Connor added: “I am delighted; obviously I would have liked the win but delighted to have secured the spot. Job done, rest and recover now, get to do it all again in five months.

“I came into it as a race more than anything, as I didn’t have to worry about the time, so I literally just had to finish in the top two. Obviously, I came into win it anyway, so I wasn’t keeping an eye on the watch or anything, but I didn’t know what we were going through halfway, but I knew it was quick. Thommo obviously paced it a lot better. He decided to drop off a little bit but then come through stronger and the run the pace the whole race. Smart racing from him. Glad to hang on myself at the end.

“It hasn’t quite sunk in that I am going to Tokyo yet, but I am sure it will do. I will have a bottle of wine tonight and let it sink in and enjoy it. Be nice if we could go to the pub but I will have to wait a couple of weeks to celebrate.”

In the women’s race Steph Davies put on a superlative performance to dominate after starting to split away from the field having passed halfway in 74.06. She pushed on with the pacing team recording an impressive negative second half split of 73.10, eventually crossing the line in 2:27.16 – a PB by 24 seconds and 2 mins and 14 secs inside the Tokyo qualifying mark.

It was a bittersweet second for Natasha Cockram, whose 2:30.03 was some 43 seconds outside of the qualifying time but it was an impressive PB by some 46 seconds. Completing a hat trick of personal best performances, third spot went to Rosie Edwards (Robert Hawkins) in 2:31.56 – almost nine minutes inside her previous best performance over the marathon distance.

“Anything can happen in the marathon, you can’t just know that this is going to be your day”, said Davis, adding, “It was an amazing event today, flat course, the corners were fine, and I am really happy to take the win and secure that spot and a small PB.”

“Phil and I work very closely as a team, I think I am a bit different to other marathon runners he’s coached before. I don’t do the high mileage, it’s just something I have never done. I do a lot of cross training but with Covid and the gyms being closed, I had to train at home. Doing 6/7 hours on the bike a week, and then my average was about 60/65miles through the week. So, the focus was on the big quality sessions and its always worked for us. We kind of replicated what I did for Valencia, and apart from Phil throwing in some extra-long hard sessions to test me and push me to that next level, that’s really helped to get me there and get me here today with that result.”

Callum Wilkinson stormed to an overwhelming victory in the men’s 20km race walk trial. Almost immediately at the 6am start, Wilkinson was out on his own in an attempt to get the 81:00 Olympic qualifier and was on target at 5km but out on his own in the breezy and damp conditions he fell just over a minute short with a time of 82:47 and won the British title in the process. While Wilkinson’s Tokyo appearance is dependent on a future qualifying time, Tom Bosworth already had the time and by finishing second he confirmed his place on the team for Tokyo. Bosworth was second in 86:24 with Guy Thomas third in 90:19.

Bosworth added: “Today’s race was not really a race for me, it was really really tough. I have suffered with an injury over the last month, but you know, I have qualified for my second Olympic games, I’m on the plane.

“The winter has gone really well, and then about a month ago I suffered a reoccurrence in my lower back of an injury that I had two years ago, which makes moving pretty painful. So, getting through 20k is not easy, even when you are fit, let alone when you are struggling but I knew that was going to be the case. From about 5k in, I was in quite a lot of discomfort and it just got worse and worse. It was just managing the race, I’m experienced enough now, I knew that if I finished first or second, I’d be going to the Games.”

The women’s race was a clear victory for Heather Lewis. After building up a short early lead on the first 5km she was overtaken by Gemma Bridge, but the Oxford City athlete was disqualified and that left the Welsh athlete out on her own, falling short of the 91:00 qualifying time but is hopeful of another opportunity. She recorded a time of 94:49 with Bethan Davies taking second in 97:04 while Erika Kelly sealed bronze in 1:46.31.

Amazon Prime Video has released the official trailer for the Amazon Original docuseries La Leyenda de Sergio Ramos. This new season about the life of the international football player - which follows the success of El Corazón de Sergio Ramos - will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in Spain next April 9th, and on June 18th in the rest of the world.

The 6-episode docuseries will go through the milestones that the legend of Sergio Ramos has written, is writing and is yet to write using the most decisive moments of his life and professional career during this past season as a starting point. La Leyenda de Sergio Ramos will show unpublished images of La Liga, thoughts on the most relevant decisions of his career, memories of great moments and future plans, all this with the testimonials of those who have shared his personal and professional life.

A  story  that  will  speak  of epic  and  glory,  but  also  of pain  and  disappointment,  because  the  path  of a hero demands sacrifice and after more than 15 years in the elite, Sergio Ramos continues to surrender himself to the sport that he has loved since day one.

La  Leyenda  de  Sergio Ramos includes  testimonials  of some  of the  people  who  have  been  part  of the footballer's  career  including  his  teammates  and  coaches  Zinedine  Zidane,  Vicente  del  Bosque,  Luka Modric,  Marcelo  Vieira,  Toni  Kroos,  Raphaël  Varane,  Lucas  Vázquez,  Raúl  González  Blanco,  Roberto Carlos,  Iker  Casillas,  Jesús  Navas  and  Sergio  Busquets;  as  wellas  friends  and  celebrities  who  have influenced his life such as Alejandro Sanz, Jorge Valdano or Rafa Nadal.

The  6-episode  series  is  an  ESI  (Banijay  Iberia)  production,  executive  produced by Javier  Pereira  and directed by José Rueda.

Nadeshiko Japan saw the Tokyo 2020 Olympics get under way as the Torch Relay started in Fukushima. As the flame’s journey will begin in the J-Village national football training facility, the route, which is unchanged from a year ago when the Games were postponed, will see the Olympic flame travel through 859 municipalities, passing within a short distance of the majority of the Japanese population.

Over 10,000 torchbearers, hand-selected from over half-a-million applicants, will have the responsibility of carrying the Olympic flame on its journey across the host country. With its pink gold colour - inspired by cherry blossom, a flower synonymous with Japanese spring - each torchbearer, who was chosen for their ability to overcome adversity, will celebrate the best in everyone.

With the aim of uniting people around messages of supporting, accepting and encouraging one another, the Olympic torch is again on the move - one year after it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With no crowd to witness the start, the first runner to carry the torch was Azusa Iwashimizu, a Japanese player who was part of the team that won the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The ceremony was the beginning of what will be a four-month tour around Japan, culminating with its arrival at Tokyo's Japan National Stadium during the Opening Ceremony in July.

The official mascot for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has been revealed as Perry the Bull was unveiled.

Designed by Emma Lou, from Bolton, in Greater Manchester, who won a national competition, the mascot is named after the Perry Barr area of Birmingham, where the Alexander Stadium will host athletics events as well as the opening and closing ceremonies.

An excited 10-year-old Emma said: "It feels as if I'm in a dream. I chose a bull because of the Bullring in Birmingham, and I decided to use hexagons because they are the strongest shape and the whole world depends on each other.

"I am so excited that my design will be seen by so many people."

The Birmingham Games will take place across the West Midlands from July 28 to August 8 next year and is set to be the most expensive sports event staged in Britain since the London 2012 Olympics.

Olympic gold medal winner Denise Lewis said: “I truly believed that the games would represent a ‘beacon of light’ amid the coronavirus pandemic”.

The president of Commonwealth Games England, she added: "We know there's an Olympic Games to get through first - a very different Olympics - but the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, for a lot of people, will be the end of what has happened. It is a beacon of light, probably a symbolic sign of what we've come through,"

Ian Reid, Chief Executive of Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, said: "Perry is everything I hoped our mascot would be and more: bright, colourful, energetic and totally representative of modern Birmingham and the West Midlands. Perry will celebrate diversity,

community and our region's heritage as well as its future.

"From today, Perry becomes a powerful icon for Birmingham 2022 all over the world, and you'll be seeing a lot more of him during the countdown to the Games."

The mascot will also be brought to life through augmented reality allowing Facebook and Instagram users to summon an animated version and pose for pictures with him.