Sportsworld

Nadine Visser has made the last two Olympic finals in the women's sprint hurdles, finishing fifth in Tokyo and then fourth in Paris. The Dutch athlete also has two European Indoor titles to her name amongst an impressive collection of medals won since her breakthrough championships, the World under-20s in Eugene in 2014.
Heading into the 2026 European Championships outdoors in Birmingham, there was something she finally wanted to put right. In three previous finals at the Championships, she hadn't made the podium. Having so often been the top European finisher at the Worlds and the Olympics, that statistic was especially hard to take.
Birmingham 2026 was where Visser finally laid that disappointment to rest. She won the gold medal, but faced an agonising wait for confirmation of that fact as the officials studied the photo finish.
She takes us back to that night at the Alexander Stadium, explaining how and why it meant so much. The build up had been marred by injury, and she knew that the Dutch media would be ready to ask her why she'd once again failed to live up to her top billing if the gold slipped away once again.
This is a candid sharing of an athlete's thought process as they prepare for a championships, and everything they weigh up when they consider whether it's been a success.
Nadine Visser has been at the very top of her sport for more than 12 years; and that includes competing for several years as both an elite Heptathlete and a Sprint Hurdler. How has she maintained that level of success from 2014 to now, and what does she believe is still possible?
Photo: Women's 100m hurdles medallists, from left, silver, Pia Skrzyszowska of Poland, gold, Nadine Visser of Netherlands and bronze, Laeticia Bapté of France during day two of the European Athletics Championships 2026 at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, England. (Credit: Sportsfile via Getty Images)

South Africa's Sinesipho Dambile won the first big gold of his career in 2026, taking the Commonwealth Games 200 metres title in Glasgow. It was special for so many reasons. When he was growing up, he remembered vividly Akanni Simbine coming to his school to speak to them about winning the 2018 Commonwealth 100 metres gold. Sinesipho made the most of the opportunity to ask South Africa's brand-new Commonwealth sprint champion plenty of questions - and later Simbine wouldn't just be a mentor, he'd be a team-mate as well.
We relive the semi-final and the final in Glasgow. Sinesipho was the only athlete at the Games to break 20 seconds, doing so in both of his races. But, having laid down a marker winning his semi-final so convincingly, what was it like lining up for the final as the favourite? He knew that all of South Africa would be watching and willing him to bring home the gold. When he crossed the line, the first thing he saw was South African fans in the stands and the celebrations began. But his greatest supporter has always been his Mum, so what did she say when he called her later that night?
Sinesipho tells us all about where he grew up and how his village had produced stars before, in rugby union and in track and field. He discusses how it feels to be a part of that legacy and to add to it. He also explains why it's so important to him to have followed in the footsteps of an all-time great like Namibia's Frankie Fredericks, who was the last African man to win the Commonwealth 200 metres gold.
The men's 200 metres at the London 2012 Olympics is a special race as far as Sinesipho is concerned. It's his favourite performance by Usain Bolt. The Jamaican started out as a 200 metres specialist before adding the 100 to his repertoire and then dominating both sprints, setting the world records which have stood since 2009. That's the pathway Sinesipho wants to tread as well - so what advice did Bolt share with him when they met in Tokyo during the 2025 World Championships?
We explore the mental side of sprinting and Sinesipho explains how hard he's worked to maintain and improve his focus. That's impacted everything from how he trains to how he behaves when he's out on the Diamond League circuit. How does he make sure he feels at home in those cities and what does he like to do when the season's over and he really can go home to his family and friends?
This is an era of unprecedented success for South African sprinting. Sinesipho is among those leading the way and describes the environment that's enabled him and his international team-mates to rise to the top.
Sinesipho believes that fate chooses you and, when it does, accepting the pressure that comes with that is a privilege. He explains why the World and Olympic 200 metres gold medals are the next step, and the planning that's already gone into topping the podium in Beijing and Los Angeles.
Photo: Gold medalist Sinesipho Dambile of Team South Africa poses for a photo during the medal ceremony for Men's 200 Metres Final during the Athletics on day eight of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games at Scotstoun Stadium on July 31, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Credit: Getty Images)

As the camera moved along the line-up before the 2025 World Indoor Long Jump final, Claire Bryant held up a sign she'd made.
The Championships were being held in Nanjing, and Claire had decided to make a sign which said 'Jesus' in Mandarin.
As she prepared to take her first jump, an official informed her that doing so had broken World Athletics rules concerning the displaying of religious or political symbols or slogans on the field of play.
There was a risk she could be disqualified.
What happened next, as described to us by Claire in this episode, really captures her natural humour, her fierce competitive instincts on the runway and the part that her Christian faith plays in every aspect of her life.
Photo: Gold medallist Claire Bryant of Team United States celebrates winning the Women’s Long Jump Final on day three of the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 2025 at Nanjing Youth Olympic Games Sports Park on March 23, 2025 in Nanjing, China.(Credit: Getty Images)

Anna Cockrell won 400 hurdles silver at the Paris Olympic Games. In her event, the build-up had focussed on the head-to-head between Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol. It was the defending champion and world record holder against the reigning world champion.
Anna was aware of that conversation but also knew that she was in the form of her life. In the finishing straight, she passed Bol to claim the silver medal behind McLaughlin-Levrone. She didn’t believe it until she saw her name come up on the board in the stadium. When it did, the time next to Anna’s name was the fourth fastest in history.
The road to the Olympic podium was difficult. Going back to 2019, Anna was ready to quit track and field. She was carrying the weight of her own expectations and everyone else’s. Her college coach saw she was struggling with depression and sent her to see a therapist. A lot of self-discovery and trial and error followed as she began rebuilding.
In 2021, the same year that her brother won the Superbowl, Anna made her first Olympic team. She reached the final in Tokyo, but finished down the field before being disqualified for running out of her lane. The transition from college athlete to the pro ranks was next, and it wasn’t easy. In 2022, her first year as a professional, she didn’t make the world championship team and got injured as well. It was during the 2023 season that she and her coach started figuring things out. Anna finished fifth at that year’s worlds – learning lessons she’d carry into Olympic year and onto the podium in Paris.
We discuss the prospect of winning gold at a home Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
Some of her friends have already bought their tickets for her final at the LA Games – Anna says they know the schedule better than she does!
Anna’s family, her parents and her siblings, have helped to shape her – that really shines through in this episode. Also listen out for when the Kardashians get a mention – a first for the Warm Up Track!
Photo: Silver medalist Anna Cockrell of Team United States celebrates on the podium during the Women's 400m Hurdles medal ceremony on day fourteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on August 09, 2024 in Paris, France. (Credit: Getty Images)

Sweden’s Daniel Stahl grew up following the NHL and he started out playing ice hockey, but discus thrower Ricky Bruch was always young Daniel’s biggest hero.
Bruch was like a rockstar, a real cultural icon as well as a sportsman. His admiration for Ricky, and the fact that you can’t play ice hockey all year round, helped him to find track and field. Mum and Dad were throwers too, so he had the genes to succeed when he finally picked up the discus.
Daniel wasn’t an overnight success as a discus thrower, and he explains why the journey to the top took time. But when he got there, the medals were gold.
Doha in 2019 was the first of his three world titles but, it was all so overwhelming, that Daniel believes he wouldn’t have won the Tokyo Olympic Games if they had gone ahead as scheduled in 2020. Instead, when those Games did take place, he was better prepared mentally to deal with everything.
A second world title followed and then, on the final night of the 2025 World Championships, he claimed his third. It was special for so many reasons. He was back in Tokyo in the same stadium where he’d won the Olympics, but this time with a crowd. In terms of the night itself, it rained and it rained and it rained.
In the end, everything else had finished. It was the last night of the Championships and even the closing ceremony had ended, but the discus throwers were still out there. What was it like dealing with all of the delays? Watching as the volunteers tried and failed to mop up the rain from the throwing circle using a seemingly endless supply of towels? Daniel watched it like it was a comedy show, knowing he was ready after preparing for those conditions for months.
We also discuss the prospect of completing the career grand slam. He’s won the Olympics and the Worlds, but the European title is the one that’s missing.
Finally, did his hero Ricky Bruch ever give him any advice?
Photo: Daniel Stahl of Team Sweden competes during the Men's Discus Throw Final on day nine of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025 at National Stadium on September 21, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan. (Credit: Getty Images)