World Athletics launches video series Iron Sharpens Iron on the road …

World Athletics has launched a video series titled Iron Sharpens Iron on the road to the Ultimate Championship, set for Budapest, Hungary, on 11-13 September 2026, featuring a historic prize pot of $10 million. sport-newz.biz

The long-form documentary series features three of the most prominent training groups in the world in lead-up to the competition.

Side by side in the blocks while training in Florida, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Sha’Carri Richardson are each putting in the preparation to be the world’s best sprinter.

In the UK, Keely Hodgkinson and Georgia Hunter Bell are pushing each other to the limit in a joint quest for middle-distance supremacy.

Meanwhile, in the Dutch countryside, Femke Broeders-Bol is trying to become a world beater in a whole new event, the 800m, alongside a stable of internationally acclaimed teammates continually driving each other forward.

Now, for the first time, athletics fans are being given a front-row seat and all-access pass to see how three of the world’s best training groups prepare for the World Athletics Ultimate Championship come September.

Across three half-hour documentaries, viewers will witness the rollercoaster nature of an athletics season, from the physical and mental highs and lows at their training bases to competing on the Diamond League circuit in the build-up to the season finale in Budapest, where $150,000 is on the line for each individual champion.

Iron Sharpens Iron explores dynamics of excellence, rivalry, growth and achievement as some of the world’s greatest are put through their paces by the sport’s leading coaches. The video series is a testament to the athlete-centric model of the Ultimate Championship, which was designed to put athletes at the heart of the global event, whether through broadcast, operations, planning, partnerships or storytelling.

Episode one is available now, taking viewers to Papendal, a picture-perfect location in the Veluwe woods of the Netherlands, five miles from the city of Arnhem. A star-studded group trains there fastidiously, led by Broeders-Bol, who has opted to switch her attention from her favoured 400m hurdles to the 800m.

Also in that stable is one of the rising stars of the 400m, Czechia’s Lurdes Gloria Manuel, who was crowned world indoor champion in Poland in March. In their midst are two other Dutch athletes in Olympic and world champion Lieke Klaver and multiple global medallist Nadine Visser. They all train under the ever-watchful eye of Laurent Meuwly.

Next, the cameras point to Star Athletics, the Florida-based group headed up by Dennis Mitchell, the three-time Olympic sprint medallist. This chapter focuses on the respective stories of Jefferson-Wooden and Richardson, as they battle for sprinting dominance not just on the national stage but globally as well. Kenny Bednarek and Christian Coleman, both multiple global medallists, also feature.

The documentary series is capped off by a visit to the UK and M11 Track Club, the Manchester hub headed by husband-and-wife coaching duo Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows.

Their star double act is undoubtedly Hodgkinson and Hunter Bell, who both began 2026 in style with indoor world titles over the 800m and 1500m, respectively. But also in their training group are Ireland’s Sarah Healy, France’s Benjamin Robert and British athletes Erin Wallace and Lewis Davey.

Over the coming weeks, fans will get an inside look at what it takes to truly become one of the best athletes in the world – and how training groups enable athletes to reach new peaks in their careers.

The World Athletics Ultimate Championship is set to transform the athletics calendar and settle the debate over which athlete is the best of the best every two years – pitting world champions, Olympic champions, Wanda Diamond League winners and the year’s top-ranked athletes against each other to crown the champion of champions.

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À seulement 20 ans, Ibrahim Maza vient de vivre une saison particulièrement riche. Entre ses débuts en Ligue des champions avec le Bayer Leverkusen, la CAN et la Coupe du monde avec la sélection nationale, le jeune milieu offensif a connu une ascension pour le moins spectaculaire. Dans un entretien accordé à Bild, il s’est notamment exprimé sur son choix des Verts et son passage remarqué au Mondial.

The post Verts : « Je n’ai jamais regretté », Maza revient sur son choix pour l'Algérie et son année folle appeared first on Football Algérien - DZFOOT.COM.

The race to the Currie Cup playoffs reaches a climactic conclusion on the final weekend of pool action, as five teams battle it out for the remaining two semifinal places.

On the penultimate weekend of pool play the table topping Griquas and second-placed Cheetahs secured home knockouts, with both locked on 26 points and unable to be caught.

But they still have something to play for as the top team will host the final should they get that far, so the defending champions Griquas, who face the fourth-placed Boland Cavaliers (16 points), and the Cheetahs, who take on the third-placed Pumas (17), will both be eager to win.

Both the Cavaliers and Pumas will, however, be desperate to win themselves as they have a pack of teams on their tails, and a loss could see them drop out of the playoff hunt.

On Sunday, the Cavaliers will have it all to do when they host the Griquas in what should be a carnival atmosphere in Wellington in front of their incredibly passionate supporters, while the Pumas will be banking on home ground advantage against the Cheetahs in Mbombela on Saturday.

Chasing pack

Of the chasing pack the Stormers (16) lead the way, just trailing the Cavaliers on points difference, followed by the Lions (15) and Sharks (13), who are all still in with a shot, and will be hoping for the two sides above them to falter down the home stretch.

The Lions host the Stormers at Ellis Park in what should be a cracking encounter as both teams will be going in full guns blazing to try get themselves into the knockouts.

The Stormers head into the game off a big win over the Bulls last weekend, so will have plenty of momentum, while the Lions lost two games ago and drew against the Sharks last weekend, so will need to hit the ground running on Friday evening.

Although the furthest from the knockouts, the Sharks have the easiest match of the weekend, against the bottom of the log Bulls in the late game on Friday night in Durban.

The Bulls are winless this season and it will thus be the perfect opportunity for the Sharks to get a full house of points and improve their points difference, while hoping that the teams above them all slip up and allow them to sneak into the playoffs.

Fixtures

Friday

Lions v Stormers at Ellis Park: Kick-off 5:05pm

Sharks v Bulls at Kings Park: Kick-off 7:15pm

Saturday

Pumas v Cheetahs at the Mbombela Stadium: Kick-off 2pm

Sunday

Boland Cavaliers v Griquas at the Boland Stadium: Kick-off 3pm

À peine arrivé à Brighton, Jaouen Hadjam n’a pas seulement évoqué ses ambitions en Premier League. Dans une interview légère publiée par son nouveau club, l’international algérien a surtout profité de l’occasion pour mettre en avant ses origines et son attachement à l’Algérie. Une séquence qui devrait particulièrement séduire les supporters des Fennecs.

The post Angleterre : Hadjam met l’Algérie à l’honneur à Brighton (vidéo) appeared first on Football Algérien - DZFOOT.COM.

Wallabies coach Les Kiss has made wholesale changes to his forward pack for Saturday’s clash with Argentina in Jujuy, with Allan Alaalatoa taking over as captain.

Kiss has retained the same backline that started Australia’s 56-17 victory over Japan in Townsville, but has changed all eight forwards as he continues to rotate his squad. Regular captain Harry Wilson has been rested for the Test.

Australia head into the clash on the back of successive wins over Japan – which included a narrow 35-32 win in Osaka.

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Kiss said managing the demands of a long season while giving players Test experience had influenced his selection.

“As coaches, we’ve needed to consider how we manage a long season for players while also providing Test experience in important positions,” he said.

“At the same time, we’ve selected a team that has lots of experience and proven combinations for what’s going to be another tough challenge, taking on Argentina on their home turf – we’ll need to be at our best.”

Rob Valetini moves into the No 8 jersey in Wilson’s absence, while Tom Hooper returns from a shoulder injury at blindside flank and Fraser McReight comes back on the openside.

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Josh Canham and Jeremy Williams form the second-row pairing, while the experienced Alaalatoa starts at tighthead alongside Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Isaac Kailea.

Kailea is set to make his first Test appearance since 2024.

There is continuity at halfback, with Ryan Lonergan and Carter Gordon combining for a second consecutive Test, while Hunter Paisami and Isaac Henry retain their midfield partnership.

Harry Potter, Max Jorgensen and Tom Wright also remain together in the back three for a fourth consecutive Test.

Australia can climb above Argentina into seventh place in the world rankings with victory on Saturday.

WALLABIES – 15 Tom Wright, 14 Max Jorgensen, 13 Isaac Henry, 12 Hunter Paisami, 11 Harry Potter, 10 Carter Gordon, 9 Ryan Lonergan, 8 Rob Valetini, 7 Fraser McReight, 6 Tom Hooper, 5 Jeremy Williams, 4 Josh Canham, 3 Allan Alaalatoa (c), 2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 1 Isaac Kailea.
Bench: 16 Billy Pollard, 17 Angus Bell, 18 Massimo De Lutiis, 19 Lachlan Shaw, 20 Charlie Cale, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Ben Donaldson, 23 Joseph Suaalii.

Photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

The post Alaalatoa leads Wallabies against Los Pumas appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.