Coach and athlete reunite to grab magical gold — and more

A coach said seeing one of her athletes win gold at the UK Athletics Championships was magic.

Joel Clarke-Khan cleared 2.19m to win the men's high jump at the Birmingham competition after an injury-plagued couple of years which saw him miss out on taking part in the Paris Olympics.

During that time he reunited with coach Deidre Elmhurst after they took a break a few years ago. The Worcester-based pair first started working together when Clarke-Khan was just 13.

"It's magic and it's the reward for all the hard work, the planning and the training," Elmhurst said of his victory.

The high jumper had previously broken his metatarsal three times, the last time being so bad he required screws to repair it.

"It's hugely difficult [coming back from injury], Elmhurst said.

"Joel had a major knee injury when he was with me and we worked through that together and I think that cemented a trust in each other.

"You have to keep the athlete incredibly positive but not looking too far ahead."

Speaking at the UK Athletics Championships Clarke-Khan said it had been a rough few years but he felt like he was getting back to where he'd been before.

"For me, that's the most important thing now and to cement that feeling with a British Championship win, it just means the world to me."

He added: "I've working with my new-old coach Deidre from Worcester and I think we've just clicked.

"Everything we knew about each other before, the chemistry, it's just working so well."

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Shiffrin finished the two‑run event in 1:39.10, a full 1.50 seconds ahead of Switzerland’s Camille Rast, who took silver. Swedish skier Anna Swenn Larsson earned bronze.

The victory marks Shiffrin’s third Olympic gold overall and the first time a U.S. athlete has won three gold medals in alpine skiing.

Ahead of another big round of Premier League football, our team took on good friends Essential Football in this week's predictions.

The weekendPremier League action features a massive North London derby as Tottenham Hotspur host Arsenal, while Michel Carrick aims to continue his unbeaten start as Manchester United manager when the Red Devils head to Everton on Monday night.

Elsewhere,Burnley boss Scott Parker takes his struggling side to former club Chelsea, Manchester City host Newcastle, and Vitor Pereira leads Nottingham Forest for the first time against Liverpool.

Who will come out on top as the two sites go head-to-head in predictions warfare? Below are our weekend predictions, and you can check out the full article on Essential Footballhere.

Feb. 18 (UPI) -- The San Francisco 49ers will be the home team for the NFL's 2026 Mexico City game, the league announced Wednesday.

Their opponent -- as well as the time and date for the game at Estadio Banorte -- will be announced this spring when the league reveals the full schedule for 2026-27. The NFL announced Feb. 2 that it would play regular season games in Mexico City for the next three years.

"We are thrilled to return to Mexico and to play in front of one of the most passionate fan bases in the league," 49ers CEO Al Guido said in a news release.

"After two unforgettable experiences in 2005 and 2022 in Mexico City, we're excited to reunite with the Mexico faithful and look forward to the energy local fans will bring in creating a true home-field advantage for our team abroad."

A record nine international NFL games will be played in 2026 across four continents, including North America, South America, Europe and Australia. Additional matchups will take place in London, Madrid, Melbourne, Munich, Paris and Rio de Janeiro.

"We're delighted to host the San Francisco 49ers once again in Mexico City for the 2026 NFL Mexico Game," said NFL Director General Arturo Olive. "Returning to Estadio Banorte highlights our strong, ongoing commitment to Mexico. Few places generate the kind of energy we see here, and we look forward to being back in a country that plays such a meaningful role in the growth of our game."

The NFL previously held games in Mexico in 2005, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2022. The 49ers participated in two of those matchups: a 38-10 win over the Arizona Cardinals in 2022 and a 31-14 loss to the Cardinals in 2005.

A total of 62 NFL regular season games have occurred outside of the United States.

Jutta Leerdam could score $1M for this 'flashing underwear' moment after winning gold originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Olympic gold medalists the world over cash in on endorsements after they return home as victors. For Dutch speed skater Jutta Leerdam, her first major payday could already be in the works.

According to a February 16 report in the Daily Mail, “Jake Paul's fiancée Jutta Leerdam 'pockets $1m from flashing underwear at the Winter Olympics' - and her gold-medal tears are raking in the cash too!”

The “underwear” in question is her Nike sports bra “undergarment” she revealed after unzipping her racing suit after not only taking home the gold medal in the 1,000 meters for the Netherlands, but breaking an Olympic record, too. “Jutta Leerdam could earn $1million (£730,000) from Nike, whose sports bra she showed off at the Winter Olympics, an advertising expert has claimed,” writes the outlet.

“The image of the visibly emotional Leerdam quickly hit the back pages of newspapers and websites across the globe - and was quickly redistributed by Nike's 298 million Instagram followers,” notes the outlet.

MORE JUTTA: Gold medalist Jutta Leerdam rocks skimpy swimsuit as ‘strongest, sexiest’ Olympian

MORE JUTTA: Jutta Leerdam flaunts flawless physique in risky thong, see-through gown

The source estimating $1 million is Fredereique de Laat, the founder of Branthlete. The specialist in female athlete advertising gave the quote to Dutch newspaper AD, calculating the number based on Leerdam’s 6.2 million followers.

As for her “gold medal tears” mentioned in the headline? “Leerdam also found herself being targeted by Dutch retailer Hema in the wake of her gold medal win,” reports the Daily Mail, “after her makeup ran down her face when she cried.”

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