Author: WTX Sports Team

Team GB’s biggest stars are all in action at the 2024 Olympics in Paris including Tom Daley, Max Whitlock and Sky Brown as the Games begin. The opening ceremony takes place on Friday (July 26) but the action actually gets underway today (July 24) with the football and rugby sevens kicking things off. Equestrian star Charlotte Dujardin would’ve been one of the main British storylines of the Games – who was hoping to become the country’s most decorated female Olympian of all time – but she dramatically pulled out on Tuesday due to her ‘shameful error of judgement’ during a…

Squadrons of soldiers drafted from all over France; an AI surveillance system that would make China’s president Xi Jinping jealous; both banks of the River Seine barricaded. This is Paris days before the 2024 Olympic Games, which kick off this Friday, July 26. To anyone who does not live in a large European city like London, Paris – often referred to as the ‘City of Love’ – might resemble a dystopian enclave preparing for the Hunger Games. Yasmina, general manager at Hotel Des Ducs D’Anjou, just a few minutes from the Louvre Museum, said the city ‘feels like a jail’ right…

The Olympic Games should be an equestrian free event amid the horse abuse scandal involving Charlotte Dujardin, according to animal rights group PETA. Team GB superstar Dujardin has been provisionally suspended by equestrian’s governing body with immediate effect after a video from four years ago emerged showing her making ‘an error of judgement’. The fallout from the controversy will have far reaching and immediate consequences for Team GB in Paris, as well their three-time gold medalist, but in the long-term animal rights group PETA are adamant that equestrian events are outdated and should have no place in the Games. ‘The…

Charlotte Dujardin has withdrawn from Team GB for the Paris Olympics after a video emerged of her whipping a horse in a coaching session, but what are the rules for using whips in dressage? When competing in dressage, entering the arena with a whip is against the rules and will result in a technical fault. However, whips are allowed to be used in the practice area, as long as it is dropped before entering the space around the competition arena. The International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) state in their rules on whips: ‘At all international Events, it is forbidden…

Viewers are enraged by ITV’s Good Morning Britain commentator Alice Plunkett ‘defending’ equestrian Charlotte Dujardin from backlash surrounding a video of the Olympian whipping a horse. Dujardin has been forced to withdraw from Team GB for the upcoming Olympics after a video – shown for the first time on Good Morning Britain on Wednesday – showing her whipping the back of a horses legs repeatedly during training was revealed. The 39-year-old, who is Britain’s joint-most decorated female Olympian, has now been banned for six months by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) and will not appear at the Paris games. In a statement about…

The International Olympic Committee has voted for the creation of the first Olympic Esports Games, only without the games people care about. While esports has been a fixture of the gaming landscape for years now, its path to being recognised as a sport by the Olympics has been a somewhat slow crawl. The first major step came with the creation of the Olympic Esports Series, which was first held in Singapore in June 2023. The event faced criticism, however, over the choice of games on the line-up, which ranged from Gran Turismo 7, a version of Fortnite where you shoot…

Athletes will be sleeping on ‘anti-sex beds’ at the Paris 2024 Olympics… but do they work? (Photo: TikTok/Instagram) Team GB legend Tom Daley is among the Olympians to have gone viral after testing out the ‘anti-sex beds’ in the Olympic Village ahead of the Paris 2024 Games. This summer’s Olympics officially get underway on Friday night in the ‘city of love’ but organisers have once again attempted to stop athletes from engaging in any randy activities. As was the case in Tokyo three years ago, competitors will be sleeping on ‘anti-sex beds’ made of cardboard which in theory can only…

The Paris Games are embracing sustainable, plant-based options in the athletes’ village (Picture: Getty) The great Usain Bolt famously claimed that McDonald’s chicken nuggets helped power him to gold-medal supremacy at the Beijing Olympics – but fast-food options are off the menu for athletes in Paris this summer. Organisers for the 2024 Olympic Games have instead opted for a healthy, sustainable approach, with a host of high-end French cuisine treats on offer as competitors from 206 nations across the globe prepare for the biggest sporting event of them all. The athletes’ village, sitting in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis, will…

Almost a decade on from when he first burst onto the scene at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Ben Proud will represent Team GB at his third Olympics in Paris. The 29-year-old swimmer is one of the fastest athletes in his sport and in 2022 became the first person ever to win World, European and Commonwealth swimming titles in the same year – all within two months of each other. What are your thoughts ahead of the Paris 2024 games? ‘This is my third Olympic games and I am really looking forward to going to Paris and soaking up the atmosphere.…

Snoop Dogg, real name Calvin Broadus, has a very special role in the Paris Olympics this week – and we can’t wait! The 2024 Paris Olympics are set to kick off this week on July 26 and will run until August 11. Already the Olympians have descended upon the French capital and excitement is beginning to build. But some have questioned why Snoop Dogg, 52, is involved in the sporting competition. It was revealed today that the artist will follow Halle Berry’s footsteps from last month and carry the Olympic flame through Saint-Denis, in the North of Paris later this…

From running to tennis, there’s an Olympic sport for every nudist (Picture: Jam Press) A group of sport-loving nudists have held their own Olympics – with all competitors playing in their birthday suits. From volleyball to boules, the naturists spent the weekend flexing their talents at the Yorkshire Sun Society in Hull from July 19 to 21. The event was organised by British Naturism, who were getting into the spirit of sport with the 2024 Paris Olympics set to begin later this week. Naturists would argue their weekend was closer to the ancient Olympics in Greece, where competitors took part…

The Paris 2024 Olympics get underway on Friday (Photo: Getty) In just a few days’ time, the Paris 2024 Olympics will get underway with thousands of athletes from across the world set to compete. The very best from the worlds of athletics, cycling, swimming, tennis, breakdancing and more will converge on the French capital with the sole aim of becoming an Olympic gold medalist. But for some there’s a little more at stake, with this the first Games where prize money will be awarded in some sports. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how much Olympians can…

Canada’s Phil Wizard is one of the favourites to land a gold medal (Picture: Getty) Fans have been left ‘conflicted’ and ‘underwhelmed’ at a new sport for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris with the introduction of Breaking. It is the first dancesport discipline to appear in Summer Olympic history and will take place very soon at the Place de la Concorde from August 9 to August 10. Not everyone is happy about breakdancing at the Olympics, though, and it has led to plenty of controversy and debate ahead of Friday’s opening ceremony. Why is there so much talk about…

Missing competitive football? Less than two weeks since Spain won the Euro 2024 final in Berlin the men’s and women’s teams are about to kick-off their campaigns for Olympic gold. The two competitions commence before the official opening ceremony is held with glitz, glamour and pageantry in Paris on Friday and it is no surprise Spain are the favourites to be crowned women’s champions after their World Cup success in Australia last year, when they beat England 1-0 in a rather lopsided final in Sydney. There’s no reason why they can’t prevail again despite the fact no nation has ever…

Illia Zabarnyi has explained his decision to sign a new contract at AFC Bournemouth despite being linked to Arsenal in the summer transfer window. Zabarnyi has established himself as one of the most impressive young defenders in the Premier League after just one full top-flight season at the Vitality Stadium. It emerged a few days ago that the Gunners were ‘monitoring’ the highly-rated Ukraine international centre-back, who is already a huge Cherries fan-favourite. Arsenal sent scouts to watch Zabarnyi in action at Euro 2024 and had been ‘hoping’ to secure a deal for him, according to reports, but they have…

Chelsea have been urged to hijack West Ham’s move for N’Golo Kante and bring their former player back to Stamford Bridge. West Ham have expressed interest in signing Kante, who spent last season at Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad after ending his seven-year spell at Chelsea. Kante enjoyed much personal and collective success in West London, lifting Premier League and Champions League trophies and establishing himself as a fans’ favourite with the Chelsea faithful. The 33-year-old impressed for Euro 2024 semi-finalists France out in Germany and has since been heavily linked with a return to the Premier League. New West…

Arsenal’s £55m star forward Gabriel Jesus and Tottenham’s Richarlison have reportedly become top targets for Al-Ahli in the summer transfer window. Jesus currently has a market value of €65m (£55m) according to Transfermarkt, and it was reported back in May that Arsenal were very much open to offers. The Gunners splashed out £45m to sign Jesus from Manchester City in the summer of 2022 and the player has struggled with injury problems on and off. Brazil international Jesus has played 69 matches for the north Londoners to date, producing 19 goals and 15 assists during his two-year spell at the…

Israeli athletes will be given round-the-clock security protection at the Olympics after a French MP said they ‘are not welcome’ in Paris. Thomas Portes, a lawmaker for far-left party France Unbowed (LFI), sparked a huge row with his controversial comments just days before the games begin. It comes after the International Olympic Committee announced Russian and Belarussian athletes will only be allowed to take part without any national ties – and cannot attend the opening ceremony – because of the conflict in Ukraine. ‘France’s diplomats should pressure the International Olympic Committee to bar the Israeli flag and anthem, as is…

Simone Biles is one of the biggest stars in action at Paris 2024 (Picture: Getty) Why over 500,000 tickets remain unsold for Paris Olympics 2024 Over half a million tickets are still unsold for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, despite the action starting in just two days in the French capital. There are many fans who want to know exactly why that’s the case and how you can buy last-minute tickets for one of the biggest sporting events on the planet, which is taking place just a Eurostar train or quick flight away from London. There is also thought…

Bayern Munich have rejected Manchester United’s opening bid for Netherlands defender Matthijs de Ligt, according to reports in Germany. United are interested in signing the 24-year-old despite already bringing French centre-back Leny Yoro to Old Trafford this summer. De Ligt was part of the Netherlands squad that reached the semi-finals of Euro 2024 but did not feature for Ronald Koeman’s side. What have Bayern Munich said about De Ligt? Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeness talked up the possibility of Matthijs de Ligt moving to Manchester United over the weekend. ‘It’s possible that a defender will leave,’ Hoeness said. ‘De…

Arsenal are in the race to sign Marc Guehi this summer and they hope to strike a deal with Crystal Palace by offering Eddie Nketiah in exchange for the centre-back. Guehi was already on the radar of some of the biggest clubs in the country, but his performances for England at Euro 2024 further enhanced his reputation. The 24-year-old partnered John Stones in the heart of the England defence for the majority of the tournament and was thoroughly impressive in doing so, taking his tally of international caps to 17 in the process. After his performances in Germany Guehi looks…

Team GB will be flying the flag for the country over at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. And the British athletes making the short journey across the channel will be hoping to enter the Olympic history books alongside sporting greats from yesteryear. The first British athlete took a Gold medal way back at the inaugural modern Games in 1896: Weightlifter Launceston Elliot claimed the nation’s first gold medal in the one hand lift at Athens. Let’s take a look at the most successful Olympians in British history. Who is Britain’s most successful Olympian? Team GB’s most decorated Olympian in…

Lionel Messi has been branded ‘selfish’ after the racism row (Pictures: Instagram/Getty) Ex-England striker Carlton Cole has branded Lionel Messi ‘selfish’ and says his silence on the Argentina racism row suggests he ‘does not care’ about the issue. Enzo Fernandez faces disciplinary action from Chelsea and FIFA after posting a video on social media that the French Football Federation said included ‘racist and discriminatory’ language. The £107m midfielder was filming some of his Argentina team-mates celebrating their Copa America final win over Colombia on a team bus when a chant was sung about France’s black and mixed-race players. Fernandez said…

Mason Mount had a forgettable first season at Manchester United (Picture: Getty Images) Manchester United are not intending on selling Mason Mount this summer, despite the England international being linked with a shock exit. Mount arrived at Old Trafford ahead of last season in a £55m move from Chelsea, but things did not go as hoped for him over his first campaign with the Red Devils. The midfielder suffered multiple injuries over the season, including a calf problem which kept him out of action for four months and he struggled to find any sort of rhythm in Erik ten Hag’s…

Joey Barton has been charged over tweets relating to Eni Aluko (Pictures: Getty) Joey Barton has been charged with making ‘malicious communications’ towards ex-England star and football pundit Eni Aluko. The former Premier League footballer, who spent most of his career at Manchester City and won one cap for England, will appear in court later this month. Cheshire Police said the charges concerned messages sent by the 41-year-old between 1 and 18 January. In a statement, a force spokesman said: ‘A man from Widnes has been summoned to court to face charges of malicious communications. ‘Following an investigation by Cheshire…