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Eilish McColgan set a new women’s European 10km record in Valencia – just seven days after her previous record was broken by Belgian Jana van Lent.
The 35-year-old Briton knocked three seconds off Van Lent’s time by winning the Valencia Ibercaja on Sunday in a time of 30 minutes seven seconds.
McColgan held the record for more than three years after setting a time of 30:19 in Manchester in 2022, but that was lowered to 30:10 by Van Lent in Nice on 4 January.
Before that, GB’s Paula Radcliffe held the women’s record for almost 20 years, after running a time of 30:21 in Puerto Rico in February 2003.
Sweden’s Andreas Almgren also set a new European record of 26:43 in winning the men’s event in Valencia, beating his own previous best time, which was set on the same course, by nine seconds.
Aryna Sabalenka prepared for the Australian Open with a comfortable victory over Marta Kostyuk to win a third Brisbane International title.
The world number one took control of Sunday’s final by reeling off five consecutive games from 4-4 in the opening set, taking just 79 minutes to win 6-4 6-3.
Sabalenka defended her crown at the Queensland Tennis Centre, where she also won the title in 2023.
“Every day you go out there and prove your level, and I think this week I did it really well,” said Sabalenka, who did not drop a set in the tournament.
Looking ahead to the Australian Open, she said: “The only thing I know is that I’ll be there, I’ll be fighting.”
Salablenka lost in the Melbourne Park final last year to Madison Keys, having been champion in 2023 and 2024.
“I’ll do my best to go as far as possible,” she added. “And do a little bit better than last year. That’s my focus.”
Kostyuk, who had not won a set in four previous defeats by Sabalenka, settled herself after cancelling out an early break of serve, but lost her serve again in the 10th game as her opponent stepped up her intensity to win the first set.
The 16th seed was aiming for just a second WTA singles title in what was her first final in two years and fourth in total, but her game crumbled under the weight of Sabalenka’s groundstrokes.
One break of serve at the start of the second set proved enough for Sabalenka to see off the world number 26 as Kostyuk fired into the net on her first championship point.
Kostyuk struggled to hold back tears as she spoke to the Brisbane crowd about conditions at home in Ukraine, where officials have been battling to repair heating and water supplies damaged by Russian bombing.
“I want to say a few words about Ukraine,” she said. “I play every day with a pain in my heart. There are thousands of people who are without light and warm water right now. It’s minus 20 degrees outside so it’s very, very painful to live this reality every day.
“It’s very hot in Brisbane so it’s difficult to imagine, you know, but my sister is sleeping under three blankets because of how cold it is at home.”
Sabalenka’s 22nd WTA title is her first since claiming a fourth Grand Slam at the US Open in September.
Meanwhile, Great Britain’s world number two Alfie Hewett needed just 65 minutes to beat Spanish second seed Martin de la Puente 6-1 6-3 in the men’s wheelchair singles final.
Another Ashes series in Australia has come and gone, meaning England’s wait for a win down under goes on.
By the time the next series against Australia starts in summer 2027 it will be 12 years since England last won the urn.
Moments of cheer – Jacob Bethell’s first Test century, Josh Tongue’s efforts and Joe Root’s long-awaited Australian ton – were few and far between, leaving plenty of questions over the future.
As it stands, it appears the wish to change England’s leadership, one unafraid of picking youngsters, is limited. If so, do not expect sweeping changes in playing personnel.
England’s next big hope?
Aged 21 years and 114 days, Somerset’s James Rew became the youngest Englishman to score 10 first-class hundreds last year and was given a first England call-up soon after for the Test against Zimbabwe though he did not play.
Some say his 18-year-old brother Thomas, who scored England Under-19s’ fastest 50-over century last June, is even more talented.
Both were part of the England Lions squad that toured Australia this winter.
James made 92 not out against a Prime Ministers’ XI in the Lions’ day-night match in Canberra.
Thomas scored 55 against England in their Lilac Hill warm-up before the first Test, and 47 in a thrashing at the hands of a strong Australia A in Brisbane.
Both could become options as top-six batters, or apply pressure to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith should his slump continue.
It should not be forgotten Thomas, who will lead England Under-19s at their World Cup later this month, is still yet to play a first-class match for Somerset.
Other than Root and Bethell, the only player to make a century in an England shirt this winter was 21-year-old Asa Tribe – the Glamorgan right-hander who has also played international cricket for Jersey.
Tribe, who scored 129 not out against the Australia A attack that featured five full internationals, is making a name for himself with a rapid rise.
He was still playing university cricket for Cardiff last year but earned a spot on the Lions tour with a run for Glamorgan that included three straight 50-over centuries, two more fifties and was followed by a double hundred in the County Championship.
Currently at the SA20 after being picked up by Paarl Royals, Tribe will get a shot at Division One of the County Championship next season after Glamorgan’s promotion.
The Rews are not the only brothers it is hoped will have big futures.
Rehan Ahmed was the youngest man to play Test cricket for England when he featured in Pakistan in 2022, while his 17-year-old brother Farhan, an off-spinner rather than leggie like Rehan, became the youngest bowler to take a five-wicket haul in first-class cricket in Britain when taking seven for Nottinghamshire against Surrey in 2024.
Rehan was another on this winter’s Lions trip. Many thought he should have been in the full Test squad after a strong season for Leicestershire.
Farhan has played for the Lions this year and will be part of the Under-19 World Cup group.
After Shoaib Bashir’s tour as drinks carrier, England appear back at square one in their search for a frontline spinner.
Having scored five centuries and taken 23 wickets in the 2025 County Championship Division Two, it may be that Rehan’s future is more as an all-rounder.
Lancashire left-arm spinner Tom Hartley, who has not added to his five Test caps since the 2024 tour of India, was with the Lions in Australia, and do not forget Somerset’s Jack Leach.
This is perhaps the most worrying area, given the struggles in Australia.
England picked a relatively inexperienced pace attack for the Ashes and only Josh Tongue and Jofra Archer emerged with their reputations enhanced. Those further down the analysts’ ‘depth charts’ have even less experience.
Leicestershire’s 21-year-old left-armer Josh Hull, brought in from relative obscurity for one Test in 2024, Hampshire’s Eddie Jack, 20, and Warwickshire recruit Nathan Gilchrist, 25, are part of the group below the Test side the current management are trying to develop.
There is also Sonny Baker, for whom a Test call-up appeared possible before a one-day international debut that returned figures of 0-76 and a subsequent injury, and Matthew Fisher.
Fisher, 28, was with England from the third Ashes Test after Mark Wood’s injury. Despite injury issues of his own, he at least has experience built from 10 years on the county scene at Yorkshire and more recently Surrey, while his sole Test cap came against West Indies in 2022.
But what if England’s Ashes defeat forces them to change course – to look more often from the county scene?
There could, of course, be a change in management entirely, which may result in the net being cast wider.
Sussex seamer Ollie Robinson, 32, said this week he is keen to add to his 20 Test caps, having been set aside by the current regime.
At his best, he is undoubtedly one of England’s most skillful seamers but his fitness and reliability remains a concern.
Openers Dom Sibley, 30, and Haseeb Hameed, still only 28, were the leading scorers in last year’s County Championship. Neither have played a Test in the Bazball era.
Yorkshire seamer George Hill took 51 wickets at 16.72 last summer, though does not bowl at a pace currently fancied.
Britain’s Dalton Smith announced himself on the global stage with a coming-of-age stoppage of Subriel Matias to claim the WBC light-welterweight world title in New York.
In a fifth round that lit up Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, Smith stood toe-to-toe with the heavy-handed Puerto Rican and dropped him with a looping overhand right.
Matias was left sprawled on the canvas. Although he beat the count, he staggered back to his feet, prompting the referee to wave the fight off.
“Take nothing away from Subriel – he’s a great champion.
“I didn’t really stick to the tactics tonight. I played him at his own game. You can’t hurt me and I knew I’d get to him.”
Smith joined heavyweight Fabio Wardley, welterweight Lewis Crocker, super-featherweight Jazza Dickens and featherweight Nick Ball as the UK’s fifth current male world champion.
Ticket sales were reportedly modest, but there was no shortage of noise from travelling supporters as Smith walked to the ring to ‘When the sun goes down’ by Arctic Monkeys, who are from his home town of Sheffield.
Yet it felt like a home fight for Matias, with New York’s strong Puerto Rican population firmly behind the 33-year-old.
He appeared so relaxed that he stopped for selfies with family members during his ring walk.
Making the first defence of the title he won against Alberto Puello in July, Matias has at times been a slow starter and Smith exploited that by banking the opening round with sharp, crisp punches to head and body.
Matias edged the second, forcing Smith on to the back foot as blood trickled from the Briton’s nose.
After a scrappy third, Smith, remarkably and unexpectedly, chose to trade with the champion.
With 22 knockouts in his 23 wins, Matias entered with a reputation for relentless pressure and heavy hands. Smith, however, also carried stoppage power, having recorded 13 knockouts of his own.
He landed several heavy left hooks to close the fourth round. Then came the career-defining moment that truly announced Smith on the world stage.
After briefly stumbling from a Matias combination, an unfazed Smith came roaring back in a fifth-round firefight.
He landed two straight left-right combinations that snapped Matias’ head back, before the decisive overhand right.
Before the fight promoter Eddie Hearn said “justice shall be served”, a remark widely interpreted as a reference to Matias’ adverse drug-test findings.
Matias tested positive for banned substance ostarine in a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association out-of-competition test in November, with the B-sample also returning an adverse finding.
The New York State Athletic Commission ruled the concentration detected was below the threshold used by major boxing jurisdictions, allowing the bout to proceed.
“This is a message to every kid out there. Do not let anybody tell you can’t achieve your dreams because if you work hard, you can do it,” Smith said.
By winning a first world title in the US, Smith joins an exclusive list of British fighters including Bob Fitzsimmons, Alan Minter, Lloyd Honeyghan, Nigel Benn, Darren Barker, James DeGale and Kell Brook.
Smith can now set his sights on the division’s other top contenders. WBO and Ring Magazine titleholder Teofimo Lopez is set to face Shakur Stevenson on 31 January, while Gary Russell holds the WBA belt and Richardson Hitchins is the IBF champion.
Matchroom boss Hearn has hinted that a homecoming celebration could be next.
“Smith has announced himself as the light-welterweight superstar,” Hearn said.
Tottenham’s new signing Julie Blakstad is aiming to make her mark on the Women’s Super League second time around.
The 24-year-old spent two years at Manchester City from 2022 but only made 36 appearances and left on loan to BK Hacken before eventually joining Hammarby.
Since then, she has gained valuable experience which made her a priority signing for Spurs.
She’s poised to make her debut for Tottenham in Sunday’s game against Leicester (12:00 GMT) and hopes to stamp her mark on the WSL this time around.
“When I first came, I was obviously four years younger. It’s a different move now and I feel like I have much more experience,” Blakstad told BBC Sport.
“I was really ready to come back here. The league has developed a lot since then and it’s super exciting to see how the games are even better now.
The Norway international returns to the WSL in hot form having shone for Hammarby last season, grabbing 15 goals and six assists in 26 games.
She also scored three goals in the Champions League and has transitioned into the left wing-back poisiton from a midfield.
Her versatility and “attacking edge” attracted Tottenham – and Blakstad said manager Martin Ho was a big reason as to why she agreed to join.
“I’ve been following Martin in the league in Norway, playing against him and seeing how he coached Brann,” said Blakstad.
“I think he brings a lot of the same principles to Tottenham. What we’re seeing from the summer until now has been really positive work.
“He’s really engaged in the game and gives a lot of feedback. I really like how he sees the tactical parts of the game. He can help every individual player to develop.
“That’s a big part of why I chose Tottenham because in my mind, it’s important for me to become an even better player, not only to win games.”
Blakstad is one of five players to join Tottenham so far in the January transfer window as they hope to build on a successful start to the season.
Ho’s side sit fifth in the table with six wins from their opening 11 WSL matches and are just two points adrift of Manchester United.
“We can just keep building on that. Obviously there are a lot of good teams in the WSL and the competition is really high, but I think we have a good mix of players,” added Blakstad.
“Tottenham is a big club with great ambitions and want to be competing to reach the top three now and then in the long run, get into Europe and play well.
