Liverpool’s training return a ‘massive lift’ for Klopp page 11

Monday, June 1, 2020 Racing in UK under starters orders on road to redemption AFP ing for the first time since “With no other sport to London March 17 is a “tremendous op- watch, you would hope a whole portunity” for the sport. new audience and even gen- English racing will on Mon- “There is precious little else eration will tune in.” day offer a beacon of hope after to watch although it coincides Palmer has two runners at months of nationwide gloom with the day the Government Newcastle — the racecourse when it becomes the first sport allows more people to meet where two-time Arc de Tri- in Britain to emerge from coro- outside,” Palmer said. omphe winner Enable opened navirus lockdown. “My mother would have her account in November 2016 Criticised for pressing been furious if she caught me — but will not be gracing the ahead with the Cheltenham watching TV on a sunny day! track with his presence. Festival as the pandemic took “However, we have to hope “I have a very experienced hold in March racing now finds people will stay inside and team of people who are very itself in the news in an alto- watch the racing. good at their jobs,” he said. gether more positive light. “It is a real opportunity to “With restricted numbers It returns at Newcastle with pick up new followers.” my presence would be unnec- a surreal feel with no specta- Palmer says racing owes essary. tors to watch the 10 flat races a huge debt to the loyalty of “Besides there is no- restricted to 12 runners per owners through the crisis. where to get lunch, nowhere contest and trainers, jockeys Palmer — who has around to get a drink. and grooms wearing masks. 100 horses — said they could “People will be just going There will be none of the have cut their training costs by back to their cars (when they usual celebratory hugs or taking them away whilst the don’t have runners involved in shake of the hands between sport was shut down. a particular race) and listening jockeys and trainers as social “People largely own race- to the radio or watching the distancing officers will be on horses for pleasure and amuse- racing on their phones.” hand to ensure people stay two ment,” he said. Palmer says it has been metres apart. “The sport is only able to go perhaps easier for trainers to However, leading flatahead on Monday because of keep going because equine trainer Hugo Palmer told the thousands of horses own- viruses are the bane of their AFP morale at his Kremlin ers have continued to pay to lives. Cottage Stables in Newmar- have in training. “There was a biography ket has been high due to the “The overwhelming major- titled ‘Months of Misery and “sunniest spring for years” ity of staff were not furloughed Moments of Bliss (late trainer but admits it might have and we have not existed on English racing resumes at Newcastle where two-time Arc de Triomphe champion Enable won her first race back in November 2016.( AFP) Bill Wightman),” he said. dipped had racing “not been government handouts. “To train horses you need around the corner”. “We all owe them (the own- ‘An inherent optimism’ trained by John Quinn. bred’s CEO Amer Abdulaziz Salman takes the same an inherent optimism and a The genial Englishman ers) a huge debt of gratitude. Phoenix Thoroughbreds “We made a commitment Salman told AFP. view as Palmer that it could be spring in your step to drag — who established himself “If they had pulled them — who have over 60 horses at the start of the lockdown “For us, we need to race a new dawn for the sport. yourself out of bed long before among the top rank with out of training then we would in the United Kingdom — not to take any of our horses not just for the prize money “This is an unprecedented the cock crows and to keep do- champion miler Galileo Gold not have been in a position to will have one runner on out of training and we stuck but also for the breeding side opportunity for racing in the ing it because nobody is forc- in 2016 — says racing resum- put sport on at all.” Monday, Luck on Sunday to that,” Phoenix Thorough- of our operation.” UK to raise its profile,” he said. ing you to do it.” World long-jump champion Malaika Coe urges kids to take up Mihambo to work with Carl Lewis sport to battle virus AFP due to resume with the Dia- AFP Prague “Back on Track” will bring mond League meeting, trans- Berlin together professional ath- formed by social distancing World Athletics chief Se- rules into an event the organis- Reigning world long-jump bastian Coe called on chil- letes, including two-time ers are marketing as the “Im- champion Malaika Mihambo dren to take up sports to Olympic javelin champion possible Games”, in Oslo on revealed on Sunday that she combat “shocks” like the and world record holder June 11. Many other events plans to move to the USA to be coronavirus as his sport was have been postponed, such the trained by athletics legends Carl bracing for a restart at a Barbora Spotakova, along- Tokyo Olympics, or cancelled Lewis and Leroy Burrell. Czech event next week. side kids at 173 venues altogether, like the 2020 Euro- “I want to develop as an ath- On Monday, “Back on across the Czech Republic pean Championships. lete and as a person,” Mihambo Track” will bring together “I hope we can start having told German daily Bild. I want to develop as an professional athletes, includ- full stadia again with our fans “I have the feeling that athlete and as a person. ing two-time Olympic javelin than 9,000 confirmed COV- because it’s part of the process now is the right time for such champion and world record ID-19 cases and more than of coming out of the pandemic a big step. I have the feeling that now holder Barbora Spotakova, 300 deaths. world,” said Coe. “Carl Lewis and Leroy Bur- is the right time for such alongside kids at 173 venues “Sport will be the great driv- rell, who will be my sprint a big step. Germany’s Malaika Mihambo after across the Czech Republic. ‘Guided, not dictated to’ er, athletics I want to see abso- coach, were among the best in “I absolutely support this,” “In the fullness of time I’m lutely at the forefront of that.” Malaika Mihambo winning long-jump gold at the 2019 the world for years. World Athletics Championships in Coe told Czech reporters in a hoping that we’re in a safe en- Coe hailed an increase in “I can learn a lot from them, of Germany Doha last October. (AFP) video press conference. “This vironment, the pandemic has sports activities during the that’s irreplaceable.” is the first big initiative that been curtailed or contained, pandemic and singled out German Mihambo won has come to fruition from a and there may be need for so- those improvising under the world gold in Doha in October States. She wants to move to “When the best long jumper letes Konstanze Klosterhalfen, member federation,” cial distancing going forward, lockdown, including balcony with a personal best leap of Houston, Texas, to be coached in the world says something like a 5,000m world bronze medal- “We can work with gov- but at least we can have fans in runners or backyard athletes. 7.30m and was voted her coun- by Lewis, 58, a nine-time Olym- that, it’s a nice sign and encour- list, and Gina Lueckenkemper, ernments to re-establish the stadium,” said Coe. “It makes me feel very re- try’s athlete of the year in 2019. pic champion in long jump and ages you,” she added. the reigning European 100m school sport, which is the “There will come a point assured because it tells me that Only former East Ger- sprints, and Burrell, 53, a for- She is part motivated by a champion, have already moved bedrock of everything that where of course you take the we have the most creative, in- man athletics legend Heike mer Olympic and world 100m desire to improve her Spanish, their training to the US. we know, particularly as we guidance of your medical and genious, resilient, thoughtful, Drechsler, who managed relay champion. because “around 40 percent “If athletes are looking for come into a post-pandemic your scientific teams but the funny people in our sport,” he 7.48m in 1988, has jumped Lewis wrote himself into of the population in Houston, a new challenge to develop fur- world,” the 63-year-old for- sport also has to make a judg- said. further for Germany. Olympics folklore with four gold where I will train and live, are ther, we can’t stop them,” DLV mer runner said. ment about what is in the best “It may just be the nature Having got to know Lewis medals, in the 100m, 200m, Spanish-speaking”. president Juergen Kessing said. “Those communities that interests of the sport as well.” of athletics, I don’t know, may- and Burell in online video calls, 4x100m and long jump, at the However, news of her plans He wished Mihambo “all are fitter and healthier and “We need to be guided but be I’m biased but I am happy 26-year-old Mihambo plans to 1984 Los Angeles Games. ws greeted with disappoint- the best”, but pointed out stronger and have good im- we can’t be dictated to by sci- to say that.” quit Germany in August -- if Mihambo says Lewis has ment by the German Athletics that “title wins are certainly mune systems are those com- ence or just simply those medi- Coe also said he was “sad- travel restrictions due to the told her he is convinced of Association (DLV). achievable within our sup- munities that are going to be cal circumstances,” added the dened” by the cancellation of coronavirus allows -- for the her potential. Top German female ath- port system”. better positioned in future to double Olympic champion on the Boston Marathon over the deal with these shocks.” 1,500 metres. virus, announced on Thursday. Coe, a former British Mem- International athletics are “It’s one of the oldest mar- ber of Parliament, said “politi- athons in the world and I know cal will” was necessary. that it doesn’t just engage elite Three-time Olympic gold medalist Morrow dies at 84 “We need to really have level runners, it’s very much politicians properly under- part of the fabric of that great AFP At Melbourne in 1956, Mor- standing the linkage between American city,” he said. Los Angeles row joined US athletics great Jes- what we’ve all been through “I’m hoping that we can se Owens as the only men to win in the last few months and maintain the road pro- Treble Olympic gold medalist Bob- the 100m, 200m and 4x100m healthy communities,” he said. gramme and the mara- by Joe Morrow -- who won 100m, gold at a single Olympics -- a feat The Czech event will capi- thon majors.” 200m and 4x100m relay gold at later matched by American Carl talise on an easing of the re- the 1956 Melbourne Games, has Lewis and Jamaican Usain Bolt. strictive measures adopted by died at the age of 84. He was named Sports Illus- the government to stem the The San Benito school dis- trated’s Sportsman of the Year virus spread in mid-March. trict, which honoured the home- that year -- beating out baseball At present, sports events town hero by naming their foot- hero Mickey Mantle and boxer with up to 300 people are al- ball stadium after him, expressed Floyd Patterson. lowed across the Czech Repub- At Melbourne in 1956, Bobby Joe Morrow joined US athletics great Jesse condolences on its Facebook Morrow retired from athletics lic, an EU member with more Owens as the only men to win the 100m, 200m and 4x100m gold at page on Saturday, saying Mor- in 1958, and in a brief comeback a single Olympics -- a feat later matched by American Carl Lewis and row’s legacy would “live on for- bid in 1960 failed to qualify for World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe. Jamaican Usain Bolt. (Pic: Twitter) ever” in the Texas town. the US Olympic team. (AFP)