bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Josh Ball

Does Olympic gold overshadow all other achievements, that’s the decision the Hong Kong public and others with a say in the city’s sports awards will have to make.
The battle for top female athlete will come down to Paris fencing champion Vivian Kong Man-wai and double bronze medallist Siobhan Haughey, and it could be that this week’s World Swimming Championships tip the balance in the favour of the latter.
Haughey begins her bid to win more titles in Budapest on Wednesday in the heats of the 100m freestyle, where her main competition is likely to come from American Katie Douglass, who already has one gold to her name after winning the women’s 200m individual medley on Tuesday.
That was just some of the action happening overnight, so, this is what happened while you were sleeping.
Voyce feared dead

Former England rugby international Tom Voyce is missing and feared dead after his car was recovered from a flood-swollen river, police said.
Northumbria Police believe the 43-year-old, who had not been seen since Sunday, attempted to drive across a section of the River Aln near Alnwick, a town about 30 miles north of Newcastle, when his car was caught in the current.
“Officers have since recovered his car, but sadly Tom is yet to be found,” police said in statement on X. “It is believed in his attempts to escape he has been swept away and tragically died.”
Voyce, who played wing and fullback, won nine caps for England from 2001 to 2006. He played for Wasps from 2003 to 2009, winning European and domestic titles. He also played for Bath and Gloucester, making 220 Premiership appearances before retiring in May 2013.
Salah hits 50 mark
Mohamed Salah’s 50th Champions League goal maintained Liverpool’s perfect record in the competition this season with a 1-0 win over Girona.
The Egypt forward struck a 63rd minute penalty to seal the win in Spain that kept Liverpool atop the revamped 36-team league stage.
But even after a sixth straight win for the Merseyside club, head coach Arne Slot was critical of his players in a game that saw goalkeeper Alisson pull off several saves to keep Girona out.
“I’m far from pleased about the performance tonight,” he said. “I almost feel sorry for them [Girona] because they deserved so much more in this Champions League campaign than the three points they have until now. But we have an incredible goalkeeper.”
Villa’s surreal run
Aston Villa captain John McGinn toasted his side’s unexpectedly successful return to the Champions League after Tuesday’s 3-2 win at RB Leipzig put them on course for a top-eight finish.
Villa moved to third in the table and on course for a top-eight finish, 41 years after their last campaign at the highest level of European football.
“It’s a bit surreal,” McGinn told Amazon Prime after the game.
McGinn said he “didn’t know” how far Villa could go in Europe this season, adding “obviously, it’s our first season back in the Champions League for a long time, so we’re just going to take each game as it comes. If we get into the top eight, brilliant. That’s the target now and hopefully we can do that.”
‘City till I die’
Pep Guardiola has said Manchester City will be his final managerial job in club football. The inspirational former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss has won 18 trophies since taking charge at the Etihad Stadium in 2016.
He ended speculation over his short-term future last month when he signed a contract extension through to 2027 but he is now thinking about life after City.
Speaking in an interview on the YouTube channel of celebrity chef Dani Garcia, the 53-year-old did not indicate when he finally intended to step down but said he would not be returning to club football after doing so.
Guardiola said: “I’m not going to manage another team. I’m not talking about the long-term future but what I’m not going to do is leave Man City, go to another country, and do the same thing as now.
“I wouldn’t have the energy. The thought of starting somewhere else, all the process of training and so on. No, no, no! Maybe a national team, but that’s different.”
McIntosh a northern star
Swimmer Summer McIntosh won the Northern Star Award as Canada’s top athlete of 2024 on Tuesday after a year in which she became the first athlete from her country to win three gold medals at a single Olympic Games.
At the Paris Olympics, McIntosh won gold in the 400 metres individual medley, 200m butterfly and 200m individual medley, as well as taking silver in the 400m freestyle.
Her four podium finishes tied fellow swimmer Penny Oleksiak for the most medals won by a Canadian athlete at one summer Games.
The 18-year-old McIntosh was announced as the Northern Star Award winner shortly after she broke the world record in the short-course 400m freestyle in Budapest.


Alexander-Arnold blasted over display in United draw, Sainz flips out, Maher makes impact

Bizarre penalty decision, Haaland finds his shooting boots, and Littler eyes greatness

Mohamed Salah’s ‘last’ Liverpool-Manchester United clash, Luke Littler’s crowning moment

Football derbies, rivalries and why El Clasico will never be the same as an Old Firm clash

While you were sleeping

Ex-England star missing feared dead, Liverpool stay perfect, City Guardiola’s last club

Liverpool’s Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson makes a flying save during his side’s Champions League win over Girona. Photo: AFP

England’s Tom Voyce scores a try despite being tackled by Argentina’s Luccio Lopez Fleming during a game in 2005. Photo: AP

‘Humanising Saudi football’: Netflix series paves way for country to host 2034 World Cup

Amnesty International activists dressed as football referees holding red cards and a banner protesting against Saudi Arabia’s candidacy for the 2034 World Cup, in Zeist, Netherlands last month. Photo: AFP

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (left) with Fifa president Gianni Infantino at the 2018 World Cup in Moscow. Photo: AP

China’s Zheng Qinwen at the WTA Finals tennis event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in November. Photo: Xinhua

Al-Nassr’s Saudi Arabian midfielder Abdulrahman Ghareeb playing against Damac at Al-Awwal Park. Photo: AFP

SCMP Best Bets: Newnham galloper can strike another winning Blow at the Valley

Sport

Football

Former Wasps wing Tom Voyce hasn’t been seen since Sunday, while in the world of football Arne Slot was not happy with Liverpool’s win


Former Wasps wing Tom Voyce hasn’t been seen since Sunday, while in the world of football Arne Slot was not happy with Liverpool’s win.


Uefa Champions League