General Sports 3 Days

Last updated: August 12, 2026, 6:30 PM ET

European Athletics Championships

Great Britain dominated the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, with Amy Hunt storming to 100m glory in her "coming of age" moment. Romell Glave and Jeremiah Azu delivered a sensational 100m one-two for the hosts, while Matthew Hudson-Smith made history as the joint-most decorated man of all-time by claiming 400m gold. Jakob Ingebrigtsen fought back from "the lowest of lows" to win a stunning 5,000m gold after almost a year out with injury. Keely Hodgkinson progressed in the 800m heat alongside rivals Audrey Werro and Femke Broeders-Bol, setting up a tantalizing final. The world record for the women's 800m remains the longest standing in athletics at 43 years, and a BBC Sport feature explores why it's so tough to break. Meanwhile, criticism emerged over nearly 10,000 empty seats at Alexander Stadium.

European Aquatics Championships & Other Swimming

On the opening day of the European Aquatics Championships in Paris, Great Britain secured three medals, while Jack Kelly set a new Irish record to reach the breaststroke final. Angharad Evans won her first European Championship gold in the 100m breaststroke final. Adam Ramsay-Peaty was beaten for the first time at the championships, finishing fifth in the 100m breaststroke in Paris.

The Hundred Cricket

In The Hundred, Ellyse Perry hit a superb 62 not out to lead Birmingham Phoenix to a five-wicket victory over MI London. MI London and Welsh Fire were eliminated from knockout contention after group-stage defeats. Trent Rockets face a nervous wait after a six-wicket defeat by Southern Brave, needing help to qualify automatically for the final. BBC Sport’s "Who am I?" quiz challenges fans to Guess The Hundred cricket star No. 21.

WNBA & Women's Basketball

The WNBA Power Rankings tighten as time runs out for teams jockeying for playoff seeds. Fever coach Stephanie White spoke out against critics and received vocal support from Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham after she was booed in Indiana before Tuesday’s win over the Liberty. Kayla McBride of the Minnesota Lynx set the WNBA single-game record by making 10 3-pointers in a 103-90 victory over the Dallas Wings. A transgender controversy has emerged in the league after Sophie Cunningham said it was "common sense" to ban transgender women from women’s sports, stirring debate among former NBA players about eligibility rules. For fantasy players, a playoff guide offers strategy and expert picks.

NBA Cup & Regular Season Schedule

The NBA announced its opening week, Christmas Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day games, leading with a tripleheader on Oct. 20 where the Knicks face LeBron and the 76ers. The league revealed the group stage schedule for the fourth annual in-season tournament — the 2026 NBA Cup — with full groups and format details.

College Football

The debate over quarterback physiques continues: Oklahoma's John Mateer has turned heads with his massive arms, but has he gotten too big? A comprehensive breakdown of 43 QBs includes which signal-callers opposing coaches fear or have questions about. Freshman phenoms who could affect conference and CFP races are highlighted, though they are not the top-ranked recruits. How much does a Power 4 starter earn? We talked to GMs, staffers and agents to put a price on each position. Northwestern football received a $35M donation from Liz and Dick Uihlein aimed at strengthening the program. In transfer news, Seth Trimble has committed to Louisville after a court ruling granted Class of 2022 high schoolers a fifth season of eligibility.

NFL & Patriots Camp

Christian Gonzalez, the Patriots' top cornerback, is having a notable camp, leading by example while still negotiating a contract extension. Brit Efe Obada has retired from the NFL to pursue what he calls his "true calling," launching a foundation after 10 years in the league — he says he has finally found his life's purpose. A high school player in Arkansas unknowingly wore a helmet with a venomous snake inside it for nearly an hour — the snake in helmet story is one for the record books. Meanwhile, New Orleans Saints kicker Charlie Smyth, from County Down, is adjusting to being a player rather than a fan as he enters his first pre-season as an NFL starter.

Golf

The FedEx Cup Playoffs start this week at the St. Jude Championship in Memphis. Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are among the headliners, and tee times for rounds 1 and 2 have been released. McIlroy expressed confidence he'll reach a compromise with the PGA Tour to maintain his dual membership, needing 15 starts — he's done 14 this year. Jackson Koivun, who left Auburn in June and won the 3M Open in only his third start, narrowly secured the 70th spot and goes from college to the final playoff spot in just two months. A broader preview of over the next three weeks, including who is on the bubble, is available here. In amateur golf, a St. Louis-area club member resigned after a viral cheating scandal where he faked a hole-in-one.

Little League World Series

A Tulsa, Oklahoma, Little League team was initially disqualified from the Southwest tournament due to an ineligible player, leading to a legal battle. A Texas judge initially ruled to remove the team, keeping it from the title game for a LLBWS bid, but later granted a temporary restraining order, allowing the team to play for a bid after all. The comprehensive Road to the LLBWS page covers results, schedules and more.

International Cricket & Other Sports

Elena Rybakina came back from a set and a break down to beat Naomi Osaka in three sets at the Canadian Open quarter-final. Afghanistan sealed an ODI series victory over Ireland with a game to spare at Stormont, thanks to their record tally in the one-day format. Rahmanullah Gurbaz hit 71 to help Afghanistan take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Rocky Flintoff, 18-year-old son of Andrew Flintoff, hit his first professional century for Lancashire. Glamorgan’s One Day Cup coach highlighted positives in developing young players despite only two wins from eight. England opener Emilio Gay is set to be fit for the first Test against Pakistan next week. A historic pre-season encounter at Croke Park will see Manchester United face Leeds — the first association football match between two English teams at the venue. Brennan Johnson is tipped to thrive under David Moyes at Everton after his switch from Crystal Palace. Arne Slot confirmed talks for the Netherlands managerial vacancy but says his next job will be in club football. In Northern Irish football, NIFL CEO Gerard Lawlor insists "no side deals" were done for the EGM to take place to prevent a season delay. The Irish League's long-term European hopes rest with Larne after Northern Ireland dropped outside Uefa's top 50 coefficient ranking.

Horse Racing, Snooker & Other Notable Events

A horse racing integrity firm is investigating five races at Saratoga and Monmouth Park after bookmakers detected unusual betting patterns on horses that overperformed. In snooker, Zhang Anda shocked world number three Zhao Xintong with a 6-5 victory by potting a respotted black ball in round one of the China Open. The horse racing meeting at Ffos Las will begin about two hours early on Wednesday because of the solar eclipse. Hezly Rivera, won her second straight U.S. gymnastics title, rallying from fourth on the final day with poised routines — read about Rivera earning back-to-back titles. In NASCAR, Ty Gibbs outlasted Christopher Bell, using late pit strategy to win the Cup Series race in Iowa.

NFL & College Football Off-field

The NCAA and FBI announced a partnership to combat athlete sexual exploitation, educating athletes on how to prevent private images from falling into the wrong hands — the partnership aims to protect college athletes. In the SEC, 2026-27 projections range from three possible champions to three teams that won't go dancing — see the best and worst outcomes for every SEC team.

Formula 1 & Other Motor Sports

Kimi Antonelli, the 19-year-old F1 sensation, is profiled with details on his age, career, salary and records — learn more about Antonelli. An F1 Q&A addresses Liam Lawson's chances of keeping his seat for 2027, plus sprint races and title challengers — read the Q&A.

Rugby Union & Other Sports

England head coach Steve Borthwick handed central contracts to Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Alex Coles, Guy Pepper, Jack van Poortvliet and Seb Atkinson for the first time — a shake-up of the squad. Ulster captain Iain Henderson will miss several months after hip surgery. Ma'a Nonu, performed a solo haka in response to the All Blacks before his side the Sharks took on New Zealand in Durban — see the haka. The Great Britain dressage team secured qualification for the 2028 Olympics by winning silver at the FEI World Championships in Aachen. Wales have named 14 uncapped players in a 46-strong squad for the WXV Global Series, with wing Lisa Neumann returning from injury — see the squad. England's Red Roses are in pre-season training using controversial smaller balls ahead of the WXV Global Series. Ospreys say the WRU plan to cut a professional team is wrong, believing four sides is the way forward — Ospreys respond. The Russian Athletics Federation filed a new claim with CAS to challenge World Athletics sanctions — read about the claim. A Commonwealth bronze medalist in judo, Summer Shaw, returned to work at McDonald's a week later — her story highlights the reality for many athletes.

Fantasy Sports & Miscellaneous

Tristan H. Cockcroft goes with his gut to suggest late-season fantasy baseball trade targets, including checking out the Bronx. Hacky sack has surged in popularity thanks to viral momentum, and ESPN’s coverage explores its future — hacky sack is making a comeback. A Chilean defender with Welsh roots hopes for a rule change to help his international ambitions — Jeremias James wishes he could play for Wales. Hull FC centre Davy Litten will join Wakefield Trinity at the end of the 2026 season for a "substantial" fee — Litten move. Dakota Ditcheva says she broke both hands again during a win over Denise Kielholtz, months after recovering from similar injuries — Ditcheva shares her tears. And finally, the team behind Keely Hodgkinson’s golden rise and her pursuit of a world record is examined — M11 Track Club is the engine.