Duplantis wins top award and takes aim at Grand Slam Track’s exclusion of field events

Armand Duplantis has capped a remarkable 2025, in which he broke four world records and won another world title, by being named World Athletics’ male athlete of the year.Immediately after picking up the award, the Swedish pole vaulter took aim at Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track, which collapsed in the summer and is still yet to pay athletes their full prize money.“There was another tour that tried to exclude field events,” Duplantis said to an audience that included multiple athletics stars as well Prince Albert II of Monaco. “That didn’t didn’t go so well, did it? I am very proud to represent field eventers.”That received applause and laughter in the room, and there was more when Duplantis, who was unbeaten in 16 competitions in 2025, said he was “delighted and honoured to win the award – I just love pushing myself and pushing boundaries”

Panthers shock Rams, Texans beat Colts and Bucs best Cardinals: NFL week 13 – as it happened

(7-6) Carolina Panthers 31-28 Los Angeles Rams (9-3)(3-9) Cleveland Browns 8-26 San Francisco 49ers (9-4)(8-4) Indianapolis Colts 16-20 Houston Texans (7-5)(5-7) Miami Dolphins 21-17 New Orleans Saints (2-10)(3-9) New York Jets 27-24 Atlanta Falcons (4-8)(7-5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-17 Arizona Cardinals (3-9)(1-11) Tennessee Titans 3-25 Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4)And that’s the end of that chapter. I’m really glad we got another upset after all the shocks midweek. The Panthers couldn’t look like more of a different team than the rabble that flopped against the 49ers on Monday. Nice to see Bryce Young pull off a huge win, maybe we might start seeing a few more of them as he continues to develop. Enjoy the rest of night’s action if you are staying locked in, goodnight! I’ll just leave you with another view of that frankly ridiculous Puka Nacua catch

Norris and Piastri voice frustration at McLaren’s strategy as title race goes to finale

Lando Norris, the championship leader, has decried the McLaren team strategy error at the Qatar Grand Prix that allowed Max Verstappen right back into the fight and forced a three-way battle at next Sunday’s title-deciding finale in Abu Dhabi.Verstappen won the race in Doha after McLaren chose not to pit their drivers under a safety car early in the race. It was a costly error that gave Verstappen the lead and the win. Norris could finish only fourth and his teammate Oscar Piastri, who was equally unhappy with the team, was second.Norris had been 24 points ahead of both Piastri and Verstappen going into the weekend but now leads Verstappen by only 12 points and Piastri by 16

F1: Verstappen wins Qatar GP as three-way title race goes to Abu Dhabi finale – as it happened

Giles Richards’ race report is here:Thanks a lot for reading and for all the emails. That was a terrible race in many ways, but for all that, I will be tuning in for the season finale next week given the potential for drama … it’s a funny old game.Good night.“David Coulthard even said yesterday that if there was a safety car early, everyone would pit,” emails Kevin. ”They should’ve watched Channel 4 highlights

Max Verstappen beats Piastri to take F1 title race to Abu Dhabi GP as Norris falters

Max Verstappen believed he had long since “checked out” from being able to defend his world championship. Yet the Dutchman, while down, was far from out and has, with victory in the Qatar Grand Prix, battled and bludgeoned his way back into contention just as McLaren have somehow contrived to leave Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri vulnerable to his late charge, as Verstappen forced the title race to the wire at the final round next weekend in Abu Dhabi.With Lando Norris, the title leader, fourth and his teammate Oscar Piastri second in Doha, after McLaren made an egregious strategy error, there will now be a three-way fight to the finish at the season finale, with 16 points separating all three drivers. Verstappen is 12 points back from Norris, with Piastri a further four worse off. It is a scenario that was all but unthinkable when Verstappen was 104 points behind Piastri after the Dutch Grand Prix on 31 August and he had in effect written off his championship ambitions

Arundell crowns Bath comeback victory at Saracens to advance England claims

In the battle of the X-factor wingers with England ambitions, fleetness of foot edged out the head for heights. Henry Arundell came out on top of a captivating duel with Noah Caluori to crown a fine individual showing with a second try and finally sink Saracens. That the Bath head coach offered comparisons with Bryan Habana is a demonstration of just how impressive Arundell’s performance was.It may be reductive to condense such an absorbing, chaotic multifaceted contest into a singular head‑to‑head but the contest between Caluori and Arundell was thrilling. Saracens’ early ascendancy owed much to Caluori’s aerial skills – Owen Farrell kicked for him to chase four times in the opening eight minutes – while Bath’s revival from 14-3 down was sparked by an Arundell intercept that had Johann van Graan recalling Habana in his heyday