European Swimming Championships

Great Britain's swimmers returned from Hungary with their best ever medal haul from these championships - 18 in total!

There were 6 Golds:
Hannah Miley, 400m IM
Lizzie Simmonds, 200m backstroke
Fran Halsall, 100m freestyle
Gemma Spofforth, 100m backstroke
Rebecca Adlington, 400m freestyle
Womens 4x1 medley relay

6 Silvers:
Womens 4x100m freestyle relay
Gemma Spofforth, 200m backstroke
Lizzie Simmonds, 100m backstroke
Liam Tancock, 50m backstroke
Fran Halsall, 100m butterfly
Kate Haywood, 50m breaststroke

and 6 Bronze:
Liam Tancock, 100m backstroke
Womens 4x200m freestyle relay
Ellen Gandy, 200m butterfly
Fran Halsall, 50m freestyle
Joe Roebuck, 200m IM
Hannah Miley, 200m IM

For the day by day countdown and quotes, check out the BBC website here.

Sportsnight

Mhairi Spence took a Bronze in the Modern Pentathlon, held here in little ol' Medway! Check out the Rochester People site for some pics too :)

Lee Westwood was runner up in the U.S. Masters at Augusta.

Mara Yamauchi won the New York Half Marathon.

The cyclists continue to bring home the medals, finishing top of the table for Olympic disciplines in the recent World Championships in Copenhagen, with more to come.

In the IBSA 6th World Judo Championships, Ben Quilter won Gold, with Silvers for brothers Sam and Joe Ingram and a Bronze for Lesley Reid.

Paralympian Danny Greaves set a new world best for the discus, swimmers Jonathan Fox and James Crisp also set new world records.

In sailing, Ed Wright won World Cup Gold in the Finn class.

Squash world number 2, Nick Matthew won his first ISS Canary Wharf tour title.

The triathletes are off and running (and swimming and cycling) as Stuart Hayes and Liz Blatchford take silver and bronze in the first world cup event of the year.

And at the Curling World Championships in Italy, Scotland's curlers win Bronze.

Sportsnight

At the World Indoor Athletics Championships, Jessica Ennis won pentathlon Gold, Dwain Chambers the Men's 60m Gold, while Jenny Meadows grabbed 800m silver in another new British record, after beating Kelly Holmes' time in February, and the Men's 4x400m scooped the bronze.

British boxers won seven medals at the Commonwealth Boxing Championships in Delhi, with Iain Weaver, Scott Cardle and Simon Valilly taking Gold, Frank Buglioni a Silver, with Daniel Phillips, Callum Smith and Frazer Clarke all winning Bronze.

In Sailing, British match racers, Lucy Macgregor, Annie Lush and Ally Martin have toppled French skipper Claire Leroy from the World number one sport (she'd held it for four years!) following a silver in the Miami World Cup meet.

Squash World number two, Nick Matthew beat Egypt's world number one, Ramy Ashour, to win the North American Open.

Britain has another new swimming star in Jazmin Carlin beats Rebecca Adlington and Jo Jackson as Britain beat Germany 207 to 109 points. And our synchronised swimmers won silver at the German Open.

Sportsday

Athletics - our 4x400m relay team will finally be awarded their Gold Medals from the 1997 World Championships, following the American's being stripped of the title, due to Antonio Pettigrew admitting he was on drugs. So that's Team GB, World Champions twice in the 4x4 - 1991 our other glory year - Roger Black the only athlete in both teams. Double world champion - doesn't that have a lovely ring to it!

Swimming - Hannah Miley won 400m IM gold in the European short course championship. What is it with us and the 400m distance! We seem to have always done well, be it running or swimming!

The Winter Olympics begin on 12th February, good luck to all our competitors - particularly the bob skeleton guys, fingers crossed you get more sliding time! It's a shame, they could've all stayed here a bit longer! *peeks out window* Brrrrr.

Sportsday

Athletics - and Hayley Yelling claims a shock win in the European Cross Country Championships! In Boxing, Lee Haskins claims the Commonwealth superflyweight title. Our disabled swimmers again took their place on the world stage, with an impressive 46 medals in the IPC World Short Course championships. The US won the Duel in the Pool - but our lad Michael Rock beat the legend-in-his-own-lifetime that is Michael Phelps! More Triathlon world champions for the media to ignore - Jodie Swallow and Julie Dibens. And a bronze for paralympian slalom skier, Sean Rose in the European cup, adding to the silver and two bronzes from last weekend.

Sportsday

Boxing: Sheffield’s Ryan Rhodes new European Light Middleweight Champion.

Sailing: World Gold and Bronze for disabled sailors.

Daniel Keatings Bronze in World Gymnastics.

Bradley Smith is runner up in the World 125cc championship - why not follow him on Twitter - if you can keep up ...
And our paralympic swimmers have been sweeping all before them in the European Championships! Four Golds on the first day, more on the second day and the next and I could go on - after four days we were top of the table with 36 medals, 16 of them gold! Penultimate day and another 14 medals - I'm not sure they're going to get back through customs with this lot to declare! Here's the final day round up - 39 Golds puts us firmly on top!

Sports Day

Alistair Brownlee has won the London Hyde Park Triathlon, his fourth, putting him firmly at the top of the rankings and making him favourite for the title. Helen Jenkins took the bronze in the women's event.

Paula Radcliffe returned to competition with victory in the New York Half Marathon and will hot-foot it over to Berlin for the World Championships, but will wait before confirming her entry into the Marathon.

Canoeing - Campbell Walsh wins the World Cup meet in Bratislava, whilst our wrestlers decide to get it on the act too - I think the first and last time I mentioned them, the coach was hopeful they would begin to succeed!

Cycling - Mark Cavendish claims another victory, this time in Germany, whilst young Welsh rider, Rebecca James looks as though she'll be keeping Pendleton and Romero honest!

Our Quad Wheelchair Tennis team won the Team World Cup, with the women's team finishing second - on their debut in the competition! Paralympian swimmers set three new European records in the national championships.

World Swimming Championships

Have a read of Steve Parry’s review of our best ever World Championships, with Liam Tancock adding a fourth Gold in another world record – beating the time he set in the semi, Jo Jackson taking another silver, this time in the 800m Freestyle, and Fran Halsall grabbing the silver in the 100m Freestyle.

Another sportsday, tinged with sadness

We lost one of the nicest England managers today, as Sir Bobby Robson passed away at the age of 76. Having suffered from many forms of cancer of the past few years, Sir Bobby appeared at a charity match just last week, hoping he could help others suffering the same as he. In 1986, there are many who believe the World cup was ours for the taking - but for some dubious divine intervention! Close again in 1990, a World Cup would have cemented his reputation, after taking Ipswich Town to European glory. A gentleman manager; he will be sadly missed.

Swimming: Gemma Spofforth takes Gold in 100m backstroke in world record, Jo Jackson and Rebecca Adlington take Silver and Bronze in 400m Freestyle. The womens 200m Freestyle Relay team took Bronze.

Darts: Phil Taylor wins 10th World Matchplay title.

Sailing: GB pair pick up Silver in World Champs.

Shooting: GB women take Gold in European Championship.

Triathlon: Brownlee claims Silver in European championship, and tops rankings following another series win.

Sportsday: Watersport triumphs, motorsport tragedy

Leading with Tom Daley of course, who won the Individual 10m Diving World Championship this week! Swimmer Kerry Payne wins 10km open water Gold, in the same World Champs.

A ‘first’ for rowing Brits and anything the men can do, so can the women in a second ‘first’! GB win the coxless fours in Lucerne and the lightweight women’s double sculls as GB win the World Cup for the third successive season! Woohoo!

Paul Goodison takes his third consecutive World Cup Win in the Laser class, following the brilliant team performance in Holland – *slaps wrist for leaving it too long again*.

Regrettably, I’m ending today’s sport on a sad note. I used to work at Buckmore Park Kart Circuit, as you might know from earlier posts and it was there about ten years ago I met the legendary John Surtees, the only man to win world championships on two and four wheels (the F1 championship in 1964) and his son Henry, who came along and began his karting career with us. During an accident in an F2 race this week Henry, only eighteen years old, tragically lost his life.

As anyone in motorsport knows, it can never be made truly risk-free, even with the advances that have been made – John was and probably still will be a huge supporter of motorsport at grass roots level and I and my family extend our sympathies to him and his family at this terribly sad time.

Sportsnight

Badminton: Robertson and Clark in shock Singapore Open win.

Gymnastics: Double Gold for Tweddle again, Louis Smith a Silver, and Daniel Keatings a silver and bronze at the European Artistic Champs.

Swimming: Rebecca Adlington wins prestigious Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year award.

And of course, Jenson won the Turkish GP – shall we just take it as read for this season, I’ll just let you know if he loses one? An honourable mention (for a change) for Andy Murray - the first Briton to win that other tournament, you know - the one before Wimbledon – since 1938. So now the press will go completely over the top and expect him to win Wimbledon and then crucify him if he doesn’t, we all know how it works ...

Sports Night

The big news of the week of course - Gillingham’s promotion to League One! You can imagine how excited Matt was on arriving home, I was talked through the goal - it’s been a long time since I had to play a goal post!

Another superlative drive from Jenson Button, lights to flag at Monaco, after another last minute pole position, who could ever have believed it after the winter he had - five out of six races now!

Archery: British Women win Bronze in Euro champs. And four medals in the first World Cup meet in the Dominican Republic. Canoeing - Gold for Rachel Cawthorn in the World Cup meet in Poznan, Bronze for Lucy Wainwright and Lani Belcher.

Paralympic World Cup: Cyclists already bringing in the medals; more cycling Gold; Bronze for basketball; swimming medals; more Gold for David Weir ;double Gold for Tweddle and Smith at Gymnastics Grand Prix.

Badminton Horse Trials won by Oliver Townend; Women’s Ice Hockey Bronze; Tania Bailey wins World Tour Squash Title.

Let it alone too long again, didn't I!

Sportsnight

Swimming: Hannah Miley set a new European record, the fourth fastest of all time.

Diving: Brooke Graddon wins bronze in European Championships, Ben Swain and Nick Robinson-Baker take bronze in the Diving World Series, as does Tom Daley.

Snowboarding: Zoe Gillings finished the season in 3rd place overall in the World Cup.

Sportsnight

Women’s cricket - The England ladies team are in the World Cup final again!

Athletics: Gold for Mo Farah and Dwain Chambers at the European Indoor Championships, and silvers for both relay teams.

Paralympians set world records.

Curling: GB Junior Women win World Champs.

Swimmers break World, European and Commonwealth records.

Sports Day

It’s all a bit quiet on the sporting front - apart from these and, of course, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. There are ten nominees listed, six are on my list. Personally, it’s got to be Hoy, Adlington and Hamilton for the top three. Andy Murray has had a great season apparently - but until he wins a grand slam event, I fail to see how he can live with the company on that list, frankly.

Cyclists still on top form
More cycling!
Paralympic Swimmers set world bests.
Bowls success