Brooke Boney has shared a touching message with her fans after announcing her shock resignation from the Today Show live on air on Friday.

In an Instagram post after the news broke, the TV star shared a moody image of herself on the street, along with a heartfelt caption.

“Thank you for all the wonderful messages,” she began the post.

“I will answer everyone all weekend and we will shed all the tears when I leave in September.”

She was flooded with support from her colleagues and co-stars, including Tracy Vo who said: “Awesome Brooke! What a huge adventure awaits us. Congratulations!’

Melissa Doyle chimed in: “Big hugs for your next adventure!” while comedian Tanya Hennessy added, “I’m so excited for you BB XX

Belinda Russell said: ‘Oxford, here she comes!! Congratulations BB. You always amaze me.’

The 36-year-old TV presenter confirmed in an emotional announcement on Friday’s program that she will be leaving Channel Nine’s breakfast show to pursue her dreams.

Boney has been part of the show for five years as a news and entertainment reporter, but is now leaving to study abroad.

She confirmed on air that she will move abroad to study at Oxford University from September, leaving the show after the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris in August.

‘I have very big news for you this morning. I have been offered a place at Oxford University later this year, which means I will be leaving the show after the Olympics,” Boney said on air on Friday.

“I don’t want to go into too much of it now as there will be plenty of time for goodbyes and thank yous, but I just wanted to share this good/bad news with you this morning.”

Boney will take an intensive one-year Masters of Public Policy course, which focuses on economics and policymaking.

The rising Nine star admitted the decision to leave her role on the program was ‘very difficult’.

“It was a dream of mine to be able to study at a foreign university, and it just felt like the right time to take that step,” she explained.

“I’m so grateful to come here every day and I love you all so much. So it made the decision very difficult. But it just means you all have to plan trips to Britain to come visit me.”

Boney was comforted by her co-host Sarah Abo as she was left teary-eyed after sharing her big news, admitting she had “mixed emotions” over her love for her job.

‘My head currently running. My heart is beating very fast,” she added.

Karl Stefanovic also shared his pride as he spoke glowingly about her huge achievement in securing a place at the prestigious red brick university.

He said: ‘It’s a big challenge to break away from something as safe as this, and it’s to make your dreams come true. Taking that step, biting off that step, is a testament to you as a person and says everything about you.’

“The good news is you can meet my daughter to check in,” Stefanovic also joked about his daughter Willow, 18, who is studying at the London College of Fashion.

However, Boney assured fans that she will be on screens for a few more months as she will cover the 2024 Olympics live from Paris.

“We’re going to have a great time in Paris,” she said.

Boney will take an intensive Masters of Public Policy course, in which students will tackle some of the most complex public policy challenges of this century.

According to the course prospectus, the curriculum focuses on modules in economics, public policy, law and the politics of policymaking.

“It is a transformative opportunity for current and future leaders with a commitment to public service,” the course description adds.

Speak with NineBoney described working on the Today Show as a ‘privilege’ and said ‘never in her wildest dreams’ did she think she would be on the programme.

Despite her big change, she hasn’t ruled out a return to television in the future and hopes her studies will help her decide what to do next in her career.

‘I thought: if I don’t do this now, I probably never will. “I’m at that age where if I leave now, go to college and come back, I’ll only be 38,” she said.

‘That still leaves plenty of time to figure out the next part of my career.

“I would love to come back and still do stuff with Nine and figure out what that looks like.”

Steven Burling, director of Nine’s morning television, said of Boney’s departure: ‘We couldn’t be more proud of Brooke as she takes on this challenge in the second half of the year. She inspires us all as she follows her dreams wherever they take them. her.’

Boney started her television career as a political correspondent for SBS before moving to NITV, subsequently joining the Today Show in 2019.

She first joined the Channel Nine show as an entertainment reporter when she replaced long-standing editor Richard Wilkins, who moved to Today Extra.

She said at the time: ‘I’m very happy to be joining the team and so excited to be working with Richard Wilkins. He is such a legend in the industry.

“It is such an exciting time to be joining Nine and I look forward to learning from everyone in the Today team.

‘As a young girl growing up in the countryside I used to watch Today, so it’s really great to know this will be my new home.’

Last year, Boney was promoted to newsreader, taking over from Alex Cullen, who started focusing exclusively on sports.

Variety magazine joked in 2022 that Ozempic deserved its own thank-you speech at the Emmys, because so many stars on the podium had obviously been taking it. 

Hype around the drug hit the general public last year, but as with most trends it had already been doing the rounds in Hollywood, with celebrity fans including Kelly Osbourne, 39, Oprah Winfrey, 70, Amy Schumer, 42 and Boy George, 62, all admitting to using it. 

However while many raved about the new weight loss jab, other celebrities have spoken out to warn others of the grim after-effects.

Sharon Osbourne, 71, has voiced both the benefits and negative effects of using the drug, telling ITV’s Loose Women she stood by using it but she did regret continuing to take the jabs after her weight dropped below seven stone, saying ‘Be careful what you wish for’.

While Stephen Fry, 66, said his ‘astonishing’ weight loss came at a price, after Ozempic caused him to vomit up to five times a day.

Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry has become the latest big name star to warn of the dangers of the drug, The Mirror reported.

He attributes his obsession with food to his childhood in Norfolk, and the cook Mrs Riseborough employed by his parents Marianne and Alan who was a ‘good English plain cook’. 

After years of battling with his weight as a result, Fry said he was pleasantly surprised by the drug’s effectiveness and found it stopped all of his cravings for food and alcohol.

He said: ‘The first week or so, I was thinking, “This is astonishing. Not only do I not want to eat, I don’t want any alcohol of any kind. This is going to be brilliant.

‘Then I started feeling sick, and I started getting sicker and sicker and sicker. I was throwing up four, five times a day and I thought, “I can’t do this”. So that’s it. The new variant, Tirzepatide Mounjaro, makes it even worse apparently.’

Fry, who is married to comedian Elliott Spencer, says he was at his heaviest in April 2019 when his weight came to nearly 21st.

But by August of that year, he had lost five and a half stone after taking the drug.

Kelly Osbourne 

Kelly Osbourne is a vocal fan of Ozempic even calling the drug ‘amazing’ while speaking to E! News in February.

Part of the appeal to Kelly was that she found it less ‘boring’ than changing one’s diet and increasing exercise to lose weight.

‘There are a million ways to lose weight, why not do it through something that isn’t as boring as working out?’ she said. 

The daughter of Ozzy Osbourne went further, accusing critics of the medication and similar drugs of being jealous or deceitful. 

‘People hate on it because they want to do it. And the people who hate on it the most are the people who are secretly doing it or pissed off that they can’t afford it. Unfortunately, right now, it’s something that is very expensive, but it eventually won’t be because it actually works.’

Oprah Winfrey

The television host finally admitted to using the weight-loss drug in December — after previously vowing she would never use Ozempic or a similar drug because they were the ‘easy way out’.

The 70-year-old had lost more than 18kg over recent months, which led to speculation that she used the weight loss medication to help.

Oprah previously revealed she weighed 107.5kg at her heaviest, however she did not say what her current weight was. 

She revealed in an interview with People that she ‘now [uses] it as I feel I need it, as a tool to manage not yo-yoing’.

‘The fact that there’s a medically-approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift, and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for.’ 

She did not reveal which weight loss drug she used, although many speculated that she had got a prescription for Ozempic.

Oprah said she took the medication before Thanksgiving, and credited it with ensuring she only gained half a pound rather than eight.

Speaking in An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution, she fought back tears as she revealed how the drugs had meant she was no longer ‘constantly thinking about what the next meal is going to be’.

She said ‘for 25 years, making fun of my weight was national sport’ and that over the years she had ‘lost some weight’ and ‘put back on some weight’ but since starting to take medication she had stopped ‘obsessing’ about food. 

Along with messages of support online, some viewers slammed Oprah, accusing her of ‘promoting big pharma and pushing Ozempic’ and criticizing her for taking the drugs after spending nine years promoting Weight Watchers.

The show was released days after Oprah quit her Weight Watchers board role, citing a potential ‘conflict of interest’ with the show, which heavily featured weight loss drug brands.

During the show, Oprah pushed back at people she said wanted to ‘shame’ her for her weight and for taking the drugs.

She said: ‘I come to this conversation in the hope that we can start releasing the stigma and the shame and the judgment… to stop shaming other people for being overweight or how they chose to lose and not lose weight.’

She added: ‘All these years, I thought all of the people who never had to diet were just using their willpower and they were for some reason stronger than me.

‘But now I realize y’all weren’t even thinking about the food. It’s not that you had the willpower. You weren’t even thinking about it. You weren’t obsessing about it.’

Now, she said: ‘I use it as a tool, combined with hiking three or five miles a day or running. It’s not just one thing, it’s multiple things for me.’

Sharon Osbourne 

Sharon Osbourne has also revealed she took Ozempic — but said she lost so many pounds on the drug that she ‘needed to put weight back on’.

The 71-year-old started taking the drug in 2023 when she weighed 142lbs (64.4kg).

She shed more than 45lbs (20kg) on the medication, but then her weight fell down to 97lbs (43kg).

‘I can’t afford to lose anymore,’ she said. My weight has stabilized. I went down to about 97lb (43kg) and it was like, ‘oh no!’. I needed to put some weight back on, which I have.’

She added while speaking to Women magazine: ‘You can lose so much weight and it’s easy to become addicted to that, which is very dangerous.

‘I couldn’t stop losing weight and now I’ve lost 42lbs — and I can’t afford to lose anymore.’

She added that when she first went on the drug she felt ‘very nauseous’ and was vomiting regularly. It took about two weeks for this to subside.

She urged people to keep the drug away from teenagers, saying it was just ‘too easy’ to become addicted.

She recently revealed doctors ‘can’t figure out’ why she hasn’t been able to gain weight back after she stopped using Ozempic months ago.

Asked about her weight loss in an interview with Woman Magazine released on Tuesday, Sharon said that even medics are stumped by her inability to gain the weight back.

The doctors can’t figure it out,’ she said. ‘But I think it’s just because I’m getting older and as you get older you lose weight anyway and shrink and shrivel off.’

Sharon started taking Ozempic in December 2022 and in November 2023 she told Mail On Sunday: ‘I’ve been off it a while now.’

Boy George

Boy George opened up about his fluctuating weight in his memoir Karma, which was released last year.

‘I know I don’t enjoy being overweight and it’s something I really want to deal with,’ he wrote. 

‘I have struggled with my weight most of my life and being under public and media scrutiny doesn’t help.’  

The Karma Chameleon singer, 62, wrote that he started out with Ozempic and then switched to Mounjaro.

Mounjaro uses the active ingredient tirzepatide, which targets GLP-1 and the hormone glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP). Mounjaro is only FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes.  

George wrote: ‘I love food, and I can’t control my appetite, but I think I have finally got it under control.’ 

‘Well, I’m on Mounjaro. Isn’t everyone? Trust me, anyone who was fat last year and is not skinny is on the wonder drug.’

The singer also got a tummy tuck several years ago ‘to get rid of excess skin’ after losing 100 pounds. 

Heather Gay

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star announced that she has been taking Ozempic to lose weight.

At Variety’s Women of Reality TV event, she said that while she uses the drug, she has yet to see a big difference.

‘I’ve been on it for a long time, but hadn’t really seen much results,’ she told People. 

She also said that people around her started acting differently when they learned she was on Ozempic, which she found ‘discouraging.’ 

‘You lose five pounds, people are nicer to you,’ the 49-year-old said. ‘I don’t know why. It’s just the way the world works, and that makes me sad for women.’

‘But I’m happy that I’m down five.’ 

Tracy Morgan 

The comedian has also revealed he was taking Ozempic, saying the drug ‘cuts my appetite in half.’

The 55-year-old said he had lost several pounds on the drug and that he ‘ain’t letting it go.’

Speaking on the Today show, the star said he injected himself with the drug every Thursday to help with weight loss.

When told he had been working on his body and health a lot on the show, he said: ‘No, that’s Ozempic.

‘That’s how this weight got lost. I went and got a prescription and I got Ozempic. And I ain’t letting it go! It cuts my appetite in half. Now I only eat half a bag of Doritos.’

Elon Musk  

One of the world’s richest men said Ozempic made him ‘fit, ripped and healthy’, Elon Musk said he lost almost 30lbs (13.6kg) while taking the drug.

He revealed that he was using it in October 2022 when a fan asked what the secret was to his new slimmed-down appearance. Musk, 53, replied ‘Fasting’, before adding: ‘And Wegovy’.

He has also said his transformation was down to: ‘Fasting + Ozempic/Wegovy + no tasty food for me.’  

He said his weight-loss journey was prompted after seeing unflattering images of himself on a yacht. The 53-year-old’s weight loss formula prompted admiration from fans.

He also admitted to suffering a side effect from the drug. A Twitter user asked: ‘Does it give you those nasty burps? Taste like rotten eggs lol ugh.’ He replied: ‘Yeah, next-level.’

Robbie Williams

Robbie Williams said that he’s on ‘something like Ozempic’ to keep the pounds off.  After overcoming addictions to drugs and alcohol, the hitmaker has revealed that he’s on a mission to better his health.

‘Babe, I’m on Ozempic,’ he told The Times. ‘Well, something like Ozempic. It’s like a Christmas miracle.’

The 50-year-old, who did not reveal exactly what drug or regimen he’s on, said that he has lost 25 pounds so far. 

Williams has also said that he struggles with body dysmorphia, a mental health condition that causes a person to obsess over flaws in their appearance, such as weight.

‘And I need it, medically. I’ve been diagnosed with type 2 self-loathing,’ he said. It’s shockingly catastrophic to my mental health to be bigger.’

Amy Schumer

The comedian and actress revealed that she had tried the medication — but quickly gave it up.

The 42-year-old said on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen: ‘Like a year ago, I tried it.

‘I was one of those people that felt so sick and couldn’t play with my son. I was so skinny and he’s throwing a ball at me and [I couldn’t].’

She said she quickly gave up the medication, realizing it was not for her. She said: ‘And you’re like, ‘OK, this isn’t livable for me’. But I immediately invested [in it] because I knew everyone was going to try it.’

Schumer revealed that she had opted for liposuction, however, to help lose weight.

She said: ‘I just wanted to say that because if anybody sees me in pictures or anything and they’re like, she looks thinner, and whatever: It’s because I had a surgery.’

Emily Simpson

Real Housewives of Orange County star Emily Simpson started taking Ozempic after a doctor suggested she may be prediabetic. 

‘So I did. I did that in December,’ she said last year. For one month and you know, that was a great kickstart for me.’

She said that Ozempic helped her kick habits like ‘grazing’ and ‘not really paying attention’ to what she was eating.

She lost about seven pounds on the drug but stopped taking it due to exhaustion.

‘I didn’t like the way it made me feel lethargic and it made me just not have a lot of energy, which was hard with three little kids, but it does make you feel full and it does make you, for me, it was like a refresh,’ she said. 

Table tennis star Achanta Sharath Kamal was India’s flag bearer at the closing ceremony of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022.

New Delhi: Veteran table tennis player and reigning CWG champion Sharath Kamal will be India’s flag-bearer at the 2024 Paris Olympics, while legendary boxer MC Mary Kom was appointed chef de mission of the country’s contingent on Thursday. The 41-year-old table tennis player symbolizes “the unity and spirit of our contingent as they compete on the Olympic stage,” the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said in a statement while making the announcement.

“It was an incredible three weeks. From not even being assured of an Olympic spot to playing like I did last week in Singapore, rising 54 places in the rankings to the title of India’s flag bearer,” Kamal told PTI. “It is the greatest honor and a fairytale story, as it will be my fifth and last Olympic Games. Moreover, not many TT players worldwide have received that honor. I just got a call from the IOA and I couldn’t believe it.”

Kamal was the flag bearer for India at the closing ceremony of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022. Recently, the Indian men’s and women’s teams had qualified for the team events of the Olympic Games for the first time based on their rankings. Six-time world champion Mary Kom, bronze medalist at the 2012 London Olympics, will be assisted by luger Shiva Keshavan, who has been appointed deputy chef de mission.

“Mary Kom’s unparalleled dedication to sport and inspiring journey make her a natural choice to guide and guide our athletes at the Olympic Games,” the IOA said. “Keshavan, a former Olympian in luge, brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to support the team’s management and coordination efforts.”

Olympic bronze medalist in rifle shooting Gagan Narang will oversee India’s operations at the shooting range, which is very far away from the main locations. India will send its largest ever shooting contingent to Paris, with 19 quota already in hand.

“His (Narang’s) meticulous approach and understanding of athletes’ needs will ensure an enabling environment for our shooters,” the statement said. “These appointments represent a blend of experience, expertise and leadership that will contribute significantly to the success of our athletes on the world stage,” the statement said.

Commenting on the appointments, IOA President PT Usha said: “We are delighted to have such a distinguished and capable team of officials leading our contingent for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Their expertise, dedication and passion for sports will undoubtedly inspire our athletes to be the best they can be and make the nation proud.”

DOUBLE Olympic champion Major Heather Stanning OBE immediately returned to her career in the British Armed Forces after 2016.

Stanning, 39, made history by claiming Team GB’s first gold medal in the coxless pair at London 2012.

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Together with her rowing partner Helen Glover, they became the first British female rowers to win an Olympic crown.

But before that, Stanning was appointed to the Royal Artillery from Sandhurst in 2008, where she held the rank of captain.

The two-time champion took up rowing in 2006 and was selected for Team GB’s ‘Start’ programme.

Four years later, in 2010, Stanning was granted a leave of absence from the Army to train for the 2012 Olympics.

In 2011, she and Glover finished second at the World Rowing Championships, 0.1 second behind New Zealand.

But in 2012, the pair completed all three events in the rudderless women’s pair of the World Rowing Cup.

They then opened the scoring for Great Britain’s historic 29 gold medals won at London 2012.

It was the first ever Olympic gold medal for British women’s rowing – a sport that Team GB dominated at the subsequent 2016 Games in Rio.

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After the race, the BBC played a message for Stanning from her regiment, which was deployed to Afghanistan.

Colonel Roddy Lee said: “We are extremely proud of Captain Stanning. She is a credit to the Royal Regiment of Artillery, to the Army and to the nation.”

A month later, Stanning reported back to her garrison and resumed her army career, where she was posted to the Middle East.

She was promoted to major in December 2015 and resumed work full-time in the Army from 2017 before entering the Staff College in September 2017.

Meanwhile, Stanning and Glover continued to compete with Team GB rowing and retained their Olympic crown in 2016.

Stanning announced her retirement from the sport in November 2016 to return to the Royal Artillery, while Glover is targeting her fourth Olympic Games in Paris 2024.

Stanning is now ready for her next challenge.

She is about to take part in the Marathon des Sables, an extraordinary race of 250 kilometers over six days, which has been taking place in the southern Moroccan Sahara since 1986.

Stanning’s team includes three other British army personnel and TV personality judge Robert Rinder.

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• The Queensland government has considered pulling out of the Olympics
• A stadium crisis has broken out with politicians unwilling to pay the enormous construction costs
• But the withdrawal will cost the government at least $500 million

By Ollie Lewis

Published: 04:45 EDT, March 19, 2024 | Updated: 4:23 PM EDT, March 19, 2024

OLYMPIC leaders have lifted a ban on sex for athletes ahead of this summer’s Games.

A gender suspension was introduced ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Games, which took place in the summer of 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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The ban was imposed in an attempt to prevent events being disrupted by Covid outbreaks.

But those preventive measures have been lifted ahead of this summer’s Games in Paris, meaning athletes can get as much rumpy-pumpy as they want.

Olympic Village director Laurent Michaud said: “It is very important that the conviviality here is something big.

“Working with the athletes committee, we wanted to create some places where the athletes would feel very excited and comfortable.”

The Olympic Village, according to TMZwill be stocked with as many as 300,000 free condoms.

So athletes will have no excuse not to practice safe sex during the tournament.

However, there will be no free champions to drink during the match.

Although they will have a wide variety of foods from all over the world available to them every day.

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Former Center Parcs head Michaud said: “[There will be no champagne in the village, of course, but they can have all the champagne they want also in Paris.

“We will have more than 350 metres of buffet with the world food.

“And I’m sure that the athletes will be very happy to have some French specialties made over here.

“But the variety will first respond to the athletes’ needs for their nutrition and their performance.”

The Paris Games – which get underway on July 26 and end on August 11 – are expected to attract the largest crowds since London 2012.

Olympic Games executive director Christophe Dubi told Sky News: “It has to be a celebration and it is a celebration.

“We’ve had many challenges in the past. “In Rio, we faced situations that were amazingly complex.

“But what you see is that with a bit of goodwill from everyone – starting with the organisers.

“But also as far as the Olympic community is concerned – meeting with the challenges and coming up with solutions… is in the greater interest that the Games represent.

“What we all want is for unity, peace and a celebration of the best athletes.

“This is how this creative family works together. Any challenge? We will win.”

Dame Laura Kelly has hinted that a miscarriage and desire for a second child could be the reason behind her shock retirement.

Britain’s five-time Olympic gold medalist today announced that she has retired from cycling after ending her dream of qualifying for this summer’s Olympic Games.

The mother-of-two, 31, from Harlow, appeared on BBC’s Woman’s Hour, where she discussed how motherhood had affected her distinguished career and how juggling both had meant constant ‘sacrifice’.

During the candid interview, she also revealed that a miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy she suffered in 2021 played more of a role in the decision than I ever realized.

Speaking to hosts, Laura opened up about raising her two children Albie, six, and Monty, eight months, with husband and seven-time champion Jason Kenny, 35.

She said: ‘I was very open about having a miscarriage and the ectopic condition [pregnancy].

“I think that might have meant more than I ever realized or expected.

“All I ever wanted for Albie was a brother or sister. I always thought of Albie as a big brother – and that might not happen and I might not have another baby…

“Once it was here and I had another one, I just didn’t want to waste that time.”

Before Monty turns eight months old tomorrow, Laura said she feels a growing need to spend more time with her children.

She also shared that parenthood wasn’t as “easy” this time around compared to when she had her first son Albie, admitting that she may have “taken that time in her life for granted.”

She explained, “He is [Monty] is eight months tomorrow. I mean, I don’t know where that went, and I’ve been with him every step of the way, you know.

“Maybe I can sit here now and say that I took Albie for granted a little bit – how easy it was to have Albie. How easy everything seemed at the time. I would just ask my parents to come and take care of him.

‘While this time I just didn’t want to. I wish I was. I didn’t want to miss anything.”

Last year the Harlow-born athlete revealed the heartbreaking news that she had suffered a miscarriage, leaving her ‘so lost’ and ‘sad’.

Britain’s most successful female Olympian revealed in an Instagram post that the miscarriage occurred in November 2021 and that one of her fallopian tubes was removed in January 2022 due to an ectopic pregnancy.

She has since spoken openly about the personal difficulties she faced in competing, namely pursuing a fourth Games in Paris, despite only giving birth to her second son, Monty, last July.

With her chances of selection judged to be ‘slim’ by British Cycling bosses earlier this month, Laura decided to end her illustrious career altogether at the age of 31.

Speaking on Woman’s Hour, she spoke in detail about the physical challenges of mothering two children.

She said: “It just seemed right at the time [after birthing Albie] I was really into it, I went for it completely. While the recovery took longer this time, it took 12 weeks before I could cycle again.

‘And it’s just a lot. It’s just a lot to leave someone so young who was still eating. I mean, I’m still breastfeeding. It’s a lot to sacrifice’.

In response to a question about the pressure of having to qualify for the Olympics ‘so quickly’ and before next month, Laura noted that the ‘pressure’ was ‘really daunting’.

“It meant leaving them quick and sharp,” she added.

‘I just couldn’t do it. I just didn’t want to do it.”

She added that comments from her eldest child about being “sad” that she would be leaving for the Olympics were not something she could “live with”, and also revealed that she struggled being separated from Albie at the time athletes had to lock up two weeks before the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Olympics.

Last week, pop star Lily Allen sent shockwaves across the country over comments that having her two daughters “completely ruined” her career.

In response, Laura disagreed and instead said that women “can have it all,” but questioned whether it was “worth it” in the long run.

She said, “I mean, I think you have to be prepared. I was recently asked this; someone said to me: was it worth it? Can you do both? Can you have it all?

“And I would say, yes, and I could have gotten back on the bike and I could have possibly qualified for the next Olympics, but you have to think about whether it’s worth it.

“Because in the long run it’s your luck that you’re playing with, you know – and it was chaos.

“Albie traveling the world and traveling the world with him and qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics was an absolute bloodbath.”

She admitted that she and her husband Jason made it look “easy,” “but it was far from it” and “there were some seriously heartbreaking sacrifices along the way.”

Laura won gold in the omnium and team pursuit at both London 2012 and Rio 2016. After giving birth to her first son Albie in 2017, she won the team race at Tokyo 2020 alongside Katie Archibald, as well as silver in the team. pursue. She also claimed seven world titles.

Kenny wrote on social media: ‘Thank you cycling for everything you’ve given me – including a husband and our growing family!

‘For people to say that I have inspired women and girls to get active and get on their bikes means a lot to me.

‘Thank you to Team GB, British Cycling and all the partners who supported my journey. A special thank you to every teammate I have had over the years and of course to my family for being the best support unit I could ever ask for.

“Now it’s time to move on, but stay tuned for the next chapter.”

Kenny says she hopes to be in Paris in ‘some capacity’ but has ruled out becoming a coach like her husband Jason, who will work with the British men’s sprint team after his retirement in 2022.

“Nothing is set in stone, but there are things I’m so interested in,” she told the BBC. ‘Something to help the younger generation, whether that could be some kind of academy.

‘I could never become a coach because that’s just too much pressure for me, but maybe something in the background that gives the young people the opportunities that I had.’

Paying tribute to Kenny, British Cycling performance director Stephen Park said: ‘Laura hangs up her wheels not only as one of the sport’s greatest riders, but as one of the greatest sporting talents our country has ever produced.

‘Anyone who has had the pleasure of watching Laura compete will testify to her peerless combination of craft and determination, which led her to become Britain’s most successful female Olympian and the first British woman to win gold medals in three consecutive Olympic Games.

‘Equally impressive, however, is the impact Laura has had on her fellow Great Britain Cycling Team riders and the next generation of Olympic hopefuls.

‘She has been a beacon of inspiration to so many, young and old, and I am sure the entire British cycling community will wish her all the best in the next chapter of her life.

“From Welwyn Wheelers and our talent pathway to the very top of the sport, we are so proud of everything she has achieved, and I am sure she will remain one of our team’s biggest supporters for many years to come. ‘

Emerging javelin thrower Kishore Jena will start his outdoor season from the Diamond League in Doha in May.

Chandigarh: Rising javelin thrower Kishore Kumar Jena has been making headlines ever since he took on Neeraj Chopra at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest last year. For the first time in Asian Games history, Chopra and Jena made it a one-two punch in Hangzhou 2023. Now that she has qualified for Paris, Jena believes the medal prospects in the javelin throw are not just limited to Chopra.

The Summer Olympics are just over 130 days away and Jena is working hard to make it an unforgettable outing for the country together with Olympic and world champion Chopra. Jena, who is currently training at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NSNIS) in Patiala, believed India can win more than one javelin medal in Paris.

“According to the rule, three players from one country can compete in the javelin throw. That increases the chance of winning more medals in Paris. We are all training hard for the Summer Games and if we can stay consistent and injury-free, India can do better than Tokyo,” Jena said on the sidelines of Youth and Sports Minister Anurag’s Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) launch program Thakur in Chandigarh on Tuesday.

“My season has started well compared to last year. I believe 2024 will be a great season for me. The training is going well and I am getting support from all quarters, be it the Sports Authority of India (SAI), TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) or the Athletics Federation of India (AFI).

“I am sure my performance will be better as I will give my 100 percent. The rest is up to the Almighty and what happens on that particular day,” said Jena, who will make his first return to outdoor competition in 2024 at the Doha leg of the Diamond League season in May.

Jena, who hails from a farming family in Odisha’s Puri district, went on a discovery tour to Australia’s Gold Coast last month, where he was accompanied by long-time coach Samarjeet Singh Malhi. He did various types of strength training to improve his core and shoulder strength.

What will be his target in Doha? Will it throw the javelin to 90 meters? Will Chopra’s presence put pressure on him? “I haven’t thought about it until now (90 meters). My goal is to continue to improve my results and overcome my weaknesses. I continue to take suggestions from Neeraj Bhai.

“I don’t see him as my competition. Whenever I encounter a problem I follow his advice as he is one of the nicest people I have ever encountered. He does not hold back when it comes to giving the right tips,” says Jena.

During the Asian Games, there was a bit of a scare for Chopra as his first ‘good’ throw was not considered by the umpires. Later, Jena recorded his personal best of 87.54 meters, prompting Chopra to give it his all. The Olympic champion eventually came up with a monster throw of 88.88 meters to defend his gold medal. Jena settled for silver and, more importantly, achieved the qualifying mark for Paris 2024.

“At that time I was happy that I had qualified for Paris 2024. I went to him (Chopra) and even told him that I had qualified. He boosted my confidence by saying that I can make a bigger throw. Like everyone, my goal is to win a medal, but that is not completely under my control and I will go for my personal best at my first Olympic Games,” Jena signed off.

Leander Peas is a twenty-time Grand Slam winner. He is the first and only Indian to win a tennis medal at the Olympics.

Calcutta: Legendary tennis star Leander Paes has joined hands with a Calcutta-based real estate company in a strategic partnership with a keen focus on creating an environment that promotes sports as a way of life by honing emerging talent and creating abundant employment opportunities for former sportspersons through a series of centers of excellence in West Bengal.

The first joint venture project is to create an Olympic-level infrastructure with state-of-the-art training facilities under top coaches and systems with structured modules for different age groups across multiple disciplines. This will be India’s first multi-sport setup, complete with sports science, analytics, sports medicine and nutrition.

“I am excited about partnering with Shrachi to create an ecosystem that leverages sports for life, build the India of tomorrow and create jobs for more Indians,” said Leander, who has twenty years in his glittering career. has won Grand Slam titles.

The partnership is aware of its responsibility towards both sport and society and wants to invest in innovations, including support and development for top sport, but also for leisure and recreational sports. It also aims to combine application-oriented sports education with curriculum-based performing arts, especially theatre, literature, painting and local folk art.

The University will continuously promote interdisciplinary exchanges and close cooperation with various fields involved in the application of sports, encourage new academic talent and offer students specialized training in academically oriented career profiles.

Paes also envisions using sports as a catalyst for building more robust ecosystems within communities. His ambitious plan means he wants to reach 250 million Indian children in the next fifteen years. The partnership strategically focuses on a variety of sports including hockey, athletics, tennis, badminton and table tennis, in addition to the widely popular cricket and football.

At the heart of their strategy are grassroots-level coaching camps, led by former players, that foster a symbiotic relationship. This approach not only imparts valuable knowledge to aspiring athletes, but also generates employment for the players who have become mentors. This multi-faceted initiative is expected to open up a wide range of prospects for athletes in various sports.

A crucial aspect of their vision involves the development of a sports curriculum, further strengthening their commitment to promoting well-rounded sports education.

Below me stretches a green headland with tangled trees, bordered by a clear blue sea, over which a small triangle sails.

I swim a few more meters and this soothing panorama continues. And I swim some more and some more.

I’m in Europe’s longest infinity pool, at 105 meters longer than Olympic Games pools, on the roof of the new Petram Resort in the northwestern corner of Croatia.

It’s not the only swimming offering at Croatia’s newest resort, complete with smart, simple apartment rooms (where children and pets are welcome), tennis courts, a spa and a rooftop restaurant with views over the Gulf of Trieste.

There’s a swimming pool in the garden that’s almost as big and just a three-minute walk (or hotel buggy ride) away is the silky, clear waters of the Adriatic Sea.

There are swimming spots all along this rocky coast and the sea is warm enough for swimming from June to late October.

“People used to come here mainly to swim,” says winemaker Moreno Coronica, as we sit a few minutes’ drive from Petram, surrounded by the red earth vineyards his family has been growing for generations.

‘And then they might have a glass of wine, but now it is also a gastronomic destination.’

Indeed it is, with Michelin-style menus at gastropub prices.

Almost everything here is bilingual. This area was ruled by Italy (ancient Rome, medieval Venice, modern Rome) for about half of the last two millennia.

Ancient Rome can take some credit for Istria’s culinary successes since they introduced the cultivation of vines and olives.

Excellent olive oil adorns almost every table, and I enjoy learning how to taste it properly (before the tongue, then suck air through your teeth and wait for the spices).

The Romans also left a more solid legacy: in the peninsula’s largest city, Pula (1½ hours from Petram), which is dominated by the curved, honeyed ellipse of the well-preserved gladiator arena.

The departure of the Italians when this area became part of communist Yugoslavia in 1945 turned many places into ghost towns, but some have since found a new lease on life and are just as worth a visit as the region’s picturesque seaside centres, such as the tourist attractions Rovinj.

When I arrive in Groznjan, Mozart floats out of the medieval Kastel, now a concert hall. And hidden in the small streets of flower-decorated historic houses are about thirty studio galleries. This colorful artists’ colony is small, but not rushed.

A few hilltops away is Motovun. With a height of 277 meters and around 1,000 medieval stone steps (don’t worry, there’s a road too), this is the best preserved Venetian fortified town in Istria.

I pass the Palladian Renaissance church and its 13th-century campanile, originally a defensive tower said to have been shaken in frustration by the city’s legendary largest resident, Giant John, the subject of a nearby mural. I wander over the city walls and enjoy the view over the Motovun Forest, which used to provide the Venetians with wood.

Today it is equally appreciated – for truffles. I meet truffle hunter Nikola at the edge of the forest in Livade, the self-proclaimed ‘world center of truffles’. Black truffles, he says, are fungi that can be grown all year round, but white ones are autumnal, only wild and extremely expensive. The most expensive, a 1.5kg whopper, sold for £237,000 in 2007.

“Maybe we won’t find anything,” says Nikola, as his dog Zara starts sniffing the ground. Immediately Nikola is on his knees, his head against hers, frantically digging.

A moment later he leans back, in disbelief. In his palm is a large white truffle. It’s broken, which halves its value, but it will taste the same. But would I pay through the nose for it in a London restaurant without the pleasure of seeing the dog sniffing out?

I’d rather spend it on traveling to Istria, and having my truffle served, along with history, music, art, wine, olive oil, vast landscapes and swimming.