Paris Olympics 2024

SEB COE believes Keely Hodgkinson can be Britain’s greatest-ever athlete.

Hodgkinson is now in Japan for the World Athletics Championships — a year after she won Olympic 800 metres gold.

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Twice she has missed out on the world title over two laps.

But 23-year-old Hodgkinson remains determined to add the crown to her Olympic and European successes.

Given that the Leigh athlete also wants to break the 42-year-old world record in her event, then the sky really is the limit for the next decade.

Asked if she could become the greatest track-and-field star Britain has ever produced, World Athletics chief Lord Coe said: “Yeah, she absolutely could.

“I have no doubt about that. Absolutely, for sure. She could end up at the top of the heap internationally if she goes on.

“Touch wood, she’s got many athletics seasons ahead of her. And she’s also got good coaches in Jenny Meadows and Trevor Painter.

“Those guys know what they’re doing. It’s a really good example of British coaching at its best.

“I have spoken to her enough times to know that, mentally, she’s mahogany hard. She really is.

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“She wants to end her athletics career at the top of the heap — and there’s no reason why she shouldn’t.”

Hodgkinson opened her season on August 16 having not competed for 376 days following two hamstring injuries.

And her time of 1min 54.74sec in Poland  — the best in the world so far this year — was described by Coe as “unbelievable”.

In her next appearance, four days later in the driving rain of Lausanne, Switzerland, she posted a winning mark of 1:55.69.

British middle-distance legend Coe, 68, a double 1500m Olympic champion himself, admitted: “You just have to marvel at how she has come back.

“To be out injured and then basically you first set foot on the track and you’re running 1:54… 

“We’ve been saying for a long time, she is the real deal. What was clever was doing two races back to back.

“She was clearly testing out a thesis: did she have enough in the tank to go back-to-back? That is what she’s going to be asked to do in Tokyo.

“The answer was a resounding ‘Yes’. She’s in good nick.”

The nine-day World  Championships begin on Saturday and are being staged in the same national stadium which hosted the Covid-hit Olympics four years ago.

However, Coe insists there are contingency plans in place in case the event is impacted by typhoons in the Far East.

Severe weather saw three matches cancelled during the Rugby World Cup in Japan six years ago.

The British boss added: “Let’s hope there isn’t one!

“We do have full meteorological prediction and predictive teams out there at the moment.”

THE widow of an Olympic hero and schoolteacher has paid tribute to “a proud Yorkshireman” after his tragic death at the age of 80.

John Sherwood lived in Hillsborough and shot to fame in 1968 when he won the bronze medal in the hurdles at the Mexico Olympics in 1968.

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He sadly passed away after a long illness at the palliative care unit at the Northern General Hospital on August 19. 

His heartbroken wife, Sheila, who also won an Olympic medal in Mexico has paid tribute to her husband who she said always gave his best whatever he did.

She went on to say: “There were never any half measures. He would do things properly and that was why he had such a great sporting career and was such a good teacher.

“We were unique in 1968, a married couple who both won medals. We’d married six months before the games.

“We were amateurs and both worked full time as teachers. John was at Intake School in Doncaster at that time, I was at Myers Grove.

“After we won our Olympic medals we just carried on as normal.”

John’s wife Shiela has received dozens of messages of condolence from John’s former pupils at Forth Park Comprehensive, where he worked for 37 years.

John, who is survived by his two grown up children, retired from teaching in 2005.

He and his wife trained for the games together and both took home medals.

Sheila said: “We were unique in 1968, a married couple who both won medals. We’d married six months before the games.

“We were amateurs and both worked full time as teachers. John was at Intake School in Doncaster at that time, I was at Myers Grove.

“After we won our Olympic medals we just carried on as normal.”

She taught at Myers Grove School and the pair returned to their careers following their Olympic success.

Sheila added: “He loved teaching, and didn’t want to go into an office as a head of year. He wanted to stay as a PE teacher.”

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A NEW road side in France this summer is threatening to impose a huge fine for holidaymakers if they break its key rule.

Travellers to the country’s capital may come across the sign when driving in Paris, and it should not be ignored.

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A fine of £118 awaits motorists breaking the rules of the sign, which features a white diamond on a blue background.

The sign can be seen on the eight lane Boulevard Périphérique around Paris, which is used by around one million vehicles each day.

The symbol on it signifies that the left-hand lane can only be used for vehicles with passengers.

Motorists caught driving alone in these lanes on the road’s cameras will be issued automatic fines.

It is being used in a bid to restrict car use in the capital, following changes in recent years to the Boulevard by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.

Another measure was introduced last year, which reduced the speed limit to 30mph on the 22-mile motorway.

Four filling stations along the stretch of road were also banned from selling diesel fuel.

However, the latest road rule incurs a costly bill if not followed, requiring a payment €135, equating to around £117.50.

A new control system was installed on May 2, and put live to ensure compliance with the rules.

The system involves hi-tech computer-assisted video enforcement (VAO) which monitors vehicles in the far left lanes at all times.

It can capture the number of people in each car through artificial intelligence cameras.

The recordings of vehicles considered to be breach the rules are then sent to a human agent for verification, who can then issue motorists abusing the rules with a fine.

Signs and enforcement for the new carpool only lanes on the ring road also started at the beginning of May.

They aim to encourage commuters to travel into the city in groups of at least two, hoping to reduce congestion and emissions from vehicles.

The car sharing lanes are on the far left of the four-lane carriageway in both directions of what is one of the busiest ring roads in Europe.

These exclusive lanes were initially introduced for the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympic Games last summer, designated for athletes and staff to use as priority vehicles accessing the city.

Hidalgo, who has launched various anti-car measures for the city, confirmed they would remain after the conclusion of the games, and instead be used for car sharing in peak congestion hours.

These hours 7am to 10:30am and 4pm to 8pm on weekdays.

On weekends and public holidays, all lanes are open to any vehicle.

Public transport operators, emergency service vehicles, taxis, and cars for people with reduced mobility are also permitted to use the carpool lanes at any time.

President of Automobile Association, Edmund King, told the Daily Mail: “Britons driving to Paris this summer might be forgiven for not understanding a new addition to French road signs – the diamond with a blue background. 

“Some might think it is a sign to the ‘diamond district’ in Paris, which is around Place Vendôme and Rue de la Paix, but it is not – it is a sign denoting a car sharing lane.”

The iconic River Seine has reopened to swimmers in Paris, allowing people to take a dip in the French capital’s waterway for the first time in at least a century after a more than billion-euro cleanup project that made it suitable for Olympic competitions last year.

A few dozen people arrived ahead of the 8am (06:00 GMT) opening on Saturday at the Bras Marie zone in the city’s historic centre, diving into the water for the long-awaited moment under the watchful eyes of lifeguards wearing fluorescent yellow T-shirts and carrying whistles.

It was also a welcome respite from the scorching heat enveloping the city this week. Parisians and tourists alike, looking to cool off this summer, can dive in – weather permitting – at three bathing sites: one close to Paris’s Notre-Dame cathedral, another near the Eiffel Tower and a third in eastern Paris.

The swimming zones are equipped with changing rooms, showers and beach-style furniture, offering space for 150 to 300 swimmers.

The seasonal opening of the Seine for swimming is seen as a key legacy of the Paris 2024 Olympics, when open-water swimmers and triathletes competed in its waters, which were specially cleaned for the event.

“It’s a childhood dream to have people swimming in the Seine,” said Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who visited the bras Marie site on Saturday morning.

But officials reminded swimmers of potential dangers, including strong currents, boat traffic and an average depth of 3.5 metres (11 feet).

“The Seine remains a dangerous environment,” said local official Elise Lavielle earlier this week.

To mitigate that risk, lifeguards will assess visitors’ swimming abilities before allowing independent access, while a decree issued in late June introduced fines for anyone swimming outside designated areas.

The promise to lift the swimming ban dates back to 1988, when then-mayor of Paris and future President Jacques Chirac first advocated for its reversal, about 65 years after the practice was banned in 1923.

“One of my predecessors (Chirac), then mayor of Paris, dreamed of a Seine where everyone could swim,” President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X, describing the move as the result of a “collective effort” and a moment of “pride” for France.

L’un de mes prédécesseurs, alors Maire de Paris, a rêvé d’une Seine où chacun pourrait nager. Demain sa promesse sera tenue.

C’est un héritage des Jeux olympiques et paralympiques de Paris après 100 ans d’interdiction, un travail collectif, une fierté pour le pays.

Merci… pic.twitter.com/KhymFPgIy1

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 4, 2025

Ahead of the Olympic Games, authorities invested approximately 1.4 billion euros ($1.6bn) to improve the Seine’s water quality.

Since then, work carried out upstream, including 2,000 new connections to the sewage system, promises even better water quality – with an unappetising catch.

On rainy days, the mid-19th-century Parisian sewage system often overflows, causing rain and wastewater to pour into the river.

Flags will inform bathers about pollution levels in the water every day, and if it rains, the sites will likely close the day after, said Paris city official Pierre Rabadan.

The presence of the faecal bacteria Escherichia coli (E coli) and enterococci in the Seine will be assessed daily using live sensors and samples.

A refuge from the hot weather

Varying weather conditions will be a critical factor. Swimmers may be in luck this year, though, with temperatures predicted to be drier than the record rainfall during the games, which had led to the cancellation of six of the 11 competitions held on the river.

With record-breaking heat hitting Europe, including France’s second warmest June since records began in 1900, authorities said they expect Parisians to embrace the relief of a refreshing swim.

Some scepticism about the water quality remains, however.

Dan Angelescu, founder and CEO of Fluidion, a Paris and Los Angeles-based water monitoring tech company, has routinely and independently tested bacterial levels in the Seine for several years. Despite being in line with current regulations, the official water-testing methodology has limitations and undercounts the bacteria, he said.

“What we see is that the water quality in the Seine is highly variable,” Angelescu said. “There are only a few days in a swimming season where I would say water quality is acceptable for swimming.”

Some Parisians are also hesitant about the idea of swimming in the Seine. The feeling is often reinforced by the water’s murky colour, floating litter and multiple tourist boats in some places.

Hidalgo, who took an inaugural swim last year, said that cleaning up the Seine for the Olympics was not the final goal but part of a broader effort to adapt the city to climate change and enhance quality of life.

The swimming spots will be open for free until August 31 at scheduled times to anyone with a minimum age of 10 or 14 years, depending on the location.

GEORGE MILLS is eyeing up a gold rush after demolishing Sir Mo Farah’s British men’s 5000 metres record in Oslo last night.

The 26-year-old, son of ex-England full-back Danny, clocked 12:46.59 at the Bislett Games to slash over six seconds off the four-time Olympic champ’s mark from Monaco in 2011.

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It left the Yorkshireman fourth as the USA’s Nico Young led home a mass charge.

But after landing two Euro silvers in 12 months, Mills wants some big nights that match Mo’s moments of magic.

He said: “That record was one of the things I came here for and it’s nice to be able to do it.

“I like to run brave. I like to assert myself on races. So that’s what I was able to do.

“Now I want medals at worlds and Olympic Games. That’s what I have to do. That’s what I’m aiming for now.”

Mills competed at the Olympics Games in Paris last summer – with his race was overshadowed by controversy.

In a chaotic 5000m heat, the Team GB ace was one of four runners that fell over on the home straight.

It led to a confrontation after the finish line as George pushed France’s Hugo Hay and appeared to tell him to “f*** off.”

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Elsewhere Norway’s Karsten Warholm set a 300m hurdles world record of 32.67 seconds.

Dina Asher-Smith lost out to Paris Olympic gold medallist Julien Alfred in coming third in the women’s 100m.

While world indoor champion Amber Anning was third over 400m.