Episodes
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The WTA Finals - the season-ending finale to the 2024 women’s tennis season - are taking place in Saudi Arabia for the first time this week. The world’s best eight singles players and eight doubles teams are competing for the titles in Riyadh, as well as a share of a record prize pot of $15.25 million. But the decision to hold the crown jewel of the women's game in the Kingdom has been mixed. The WTA has been criticised for holding the tournament in Saudi Arabia due to issues over women’s rights and the treatment of the LGBT community, with world number three Coco Gauff saying she had “reservations” about travelling to the country. But the Saudi Tennis Federation says people should come to the Kingdom before passing judgement - with an ambition of getting one million Saudis engaged in tennis by 2030.
Mark Chapman is joined by BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller, BBC sports news correspondent Laura Scott, and Egyptian tennis journalist Reem Abulleil to discuss how the finals have been received in Saudi Arabia. Plus, we hear from the key people involved in bringing the WTA Finals to Saudi Arabia, including the President of the Saudi Tennis Federation, Arij Mutabagani, and WTA Ambassador, Judy Murray.
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A Gladiator, a trip around the world, a fight for funding & a Superbowl winner. Deaf athletes share stories of a parallel world that none of them want to leave.
Watch the signed version of this podcast here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0jkqvq3
And read a full transcript here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5jwd8CBFMY01X3xF0gDF2fM/the-quiet-place-full-transcript
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Missing episodes?
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Team GB Olympic swimming champion Adam Peaty talks to celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay about everything, from food to fame.
In this in-depth interview, Peaty opens up about his difficult journey to the Games, his return to form and how he has found happiness away from the pool.
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Sebastian Coe looks back on his days as an Olympian, including his rivalry with Steve Ovett and training on Christmas Day. He talks about his role at the London 2012 Olympic Games and the pleasure in awarding Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill her heptathlon gold medal. Also, as the current president of World Athletics, he discusses the biggest challenges ahead for the sport.
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In this latest episode the spotlight falls on Dame Denise Lewis as she shares her experience of claiming Gold in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, seeing the Commonwealth games come home to Birmingham and her journey to the top of the sport. She also details how her life changed following global success.
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Wheelchair racer Hannah Cockcroft speaks to Eleanor Oldroyd about her brilliant career. The winner of seven Paralympic golds and the holder of five world records in the T34 classification, Hannah discusses how she got into the sport, the people who inspire her as well as the importance of her wheelchair (and making sure the size is correct!) and why she is determined to just keep on winning.
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After taking a two-year break from the sport, Tom Daley is back to compete in his fifth Olympics at Paris 2024. And, speaking to his former diving mentor Leon Taylor, he reflects on how it felt to finally end his wait for gold at Tokyo 2020.
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Dame Sarah Storey discusses her remarkable Paralympics career with Ely Oldroyd explaining how she developed her love for swimming, but ended up switching to cycling, where she continued to win gold after gold.
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The Olympic rowing great discusses his incredible career with Elly Oldroyd - one that saw him win five rowing gold medals across five consecutive Games.
He also opens up on his health issues, his struggles during Covid and his regrets at not getting the opportunity to work in a coaching capacity with the GB team. He also explains how it feels when they build a statue of you in the town where you live.
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Sprint legend Michael Johnson joins Katharine Merry and Allison Curbishley on the podcast to discuss his many career highlights that have included winning eight world titles and four Olympic gold medals.
The American chooses as his 'gold medal achievement' his sensational 200m and 400m double at his home Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996.
It wasn't easy to find a 'wooden spoon moment' but Johnson explains that he still holds some regret about losing a race at high school.
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Helen Glover discusses her career as an Olympic Gold medal winner and also her aims for this summer's games in Paris. She talks about how she began her rowing career, the legacy that she hopes to leave and her greatest moments in life and her career.
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From his training base in Jamaica, Zharnel Hughes sits down with Eleanor Oldroyd ahead of this summer's Paris Olympics. He’s a double Commonwealth Games and European Championships gold medallist, and now he’s aiming to add an Olympic title to his collection.
He goes right back to the beginning - from when he first discovered he was pretty fast, to making the move to Great Britain, and moving on from the disappointment of missing Rio and false starts and team disqualification in Tokyo.
He also gives us a glimpse inside his mind when on the start line and discusses if it’s time for a new era of athletics
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Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill is the latest athlete to discuss the most memorable moments from her career and she looks at some of the highlights in the sport that stand out for her.
She reminisces on watching a remarkable world record breaking run from Usain Bolt in 2009 and having an unlikely fan in Denzel Washington.
Ennis-Hill also talks about returning to compete as a mum and how that impacted her Olympic performance in 2014 and reflects on her gold medal win on Super Saturday at London 2012
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The British athletics legend chats to Eleanor Oldroyd about her incredible career, capped by winning Olympic gold in the 800m and 1,500m in 2004.
She discusses her career - and explains how portable toilets and ice creams featured during the Athens Games.
She also opens up about living in fear for years that her sexuality would be revealed, and how inspiring just one other person by coming out would eclipse all her sporting success.
WARNING: This episode contains discussions about suicide and self-harm. If you or someone you know is in need of help, you can find links to organisations who can provide help and support at www.bbc.co.uk/actionline
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From track and field legends, to stars chasing gold at the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games – Eleanor Oldroyd, Katharine Merry & Allison Curbishley talk to the biggest names ahead of the greatest show on earth - the 2024 Olympic & Paralympic Games.
