The WTA is saddened by the death of British tennis star Angela Mortimer Barrett, the longest surviving Wimbledon women’s singles champion. She died Aug. 25 at 93.
During her Hall of Fame career, Mortimer won singles titles at three of the four majors and spent most of the 1950s in the world’s Top 10, rising to No.1 after her signature triumph at Wimbledon in 1961. Among the 40 or so titles collected across the sport’s disciplines, she also won the doubles at Wimbledon in 1955, with fellow Brit Anne Shilcock.
Renowned as a wily baseliner, Mortimer famously played in shorts — even influential fashion designer Teddy Tinling couldn’t convince her to change her style. In the end, Tinling introduced a line of shorts and Mortimer would later work for him.
Another kind of trait that set Mortimer apart but became something of a competitive weapon: She was partially deaf.
“I could hear the applause of the crowd, but not much else,” she once said. “I think it helped me concentrate, shutting out distractions. When I hear players say they need to hear the ball, I smile. I couldn’t.”
With her victory at the French Championships in 1955, Mortimer became the first British woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since 1937. She ventured to Australia just once, in 1968, but the journey brought her second major, in addition to finals in both the doubles and mixed doubles. She also played only sporadically at the U.S. Championships, her best result being a semifinal run in 1961.
In total, Mortimer reached five major singles finals, falling to Althea Gibson in Paris in 1956 — the great American’s first Grand Slam title — and Wimbledon in 1958. Other illustrious contemporaries included Maureen Connolly, Doris Hart, Darlene Hard and Margaret Dupont.
But it is thanks to her three-set defeat of younger countrywoman Christine Truman in the first all-British women’s final at Wimbledon in 47 years that Mortimer, who was the No.7 seed, is immortalized in bronze on the grounds of the All England Club.
Her prize: a £20 voucher to spend on tennis-related items.
Born in Plymouth, Cornwall on April 21, 1932, Mortimer didn’t take up tennis until she was 15. She learned the game with coach Arthur Roberts on the indoor court of the Palace Hotel at Torquay, a nearby resort on England’s south coast.
Appropriately, Mortimer played her last tournament back at Torquay in 1962, defeating Ann Haydon Jones in the final. Her autobiography, “My Waiting Game,” was published soon after. Having been a member of the victorious Wightman Cup team in 1960, Mortimer returned to captain the squad from 1964 until 1970 and she also served as captain of the British Fed Cup team for four years.
In 1967, Mortimer was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her services to Lawn Tennis, and she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1993.
“I feel sorry for some of the present-day players,” she said at the time. “The rewards are much greater, but they don’t seem to enjoy playing as much as we did.”
In 2020, the women’s 85 and over category of the annual ITF Seniors World Team Championships was renamed the Angela Mortimer Cup.
Mortimer is survived by her husband, celebrated broadcaster and former Davis Cup player John Barrett, their son, Michael, daughter, Sarah Jane, and their families.
The Barretts are one of only two married couples in the Hall of Fame for their individual achievements, along with Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf.
Haydon Jones (1969) and Virginia Wade (1977) are now the only living British female Wimbledon champions.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova retired from professional tennis on Monday, secure in her status as one of the greatest players of her generation. Having announced ahead of Wimbledon that the US Open would be her swan song, the 35-year-old bowed out in the first round on Monday against France’s Diane Parry.
After making her professional debut on the ITF Circuit in 2006, the left-handed Czech’s first breakthrough came at Roland Garros in 2008, when she advanced to the fourth round on her Grand Slam main-draw debut.
In January of 2009, she captured her maiden WTA title in Hobart. Two years later, in 2011, she matched top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki with a WTA Tour-leading six titles. From that point forward, Kvitova managed to win at least one title nine years running through 2019, also winning the most titles (five) in 2018.
The grass courts of Wimbledon, where Kvitova was twice triumphant, proved to be her greatest stage. In 2011 she defeated recent Hall of Fame inductee Maria Sharapova in the final to become the first player born in the 1990s to win a Grand Slam title. Three years later, in 2014, she overcame Eugenie Bouchard for the crown.
Including these successes, Kvitova went 31-11 in finals across her career, notching important wins on each of the major surfaces — 20 titles on hard courts (including indoors, where her 79 match wins was the most for an active player), six on grass and five on clay. Among active players, only Venus Williams has been more prolific.
Other notable tournament runs included the 2011 WTA Finals in Istanbul — the first of seven appearances at the year-end event — where she defeated Victoria Azarenka in the title bout, and three titles at the Mutua Madrid Open. She won nine tournaments at the WTA 1000 level, most recently the Miami Open in 2023, and was the runner-up to Agnieszka Radwanska at the WTA Finals in Singapore in 2015.
It was after her title run in Istanbul that Kvitova first rose to a career-high No. 2 in the rankings, the first of eight Top 10 seasons (2011-15, 2018-20). She very nearly clinched No. 1 on a couple of occasions. (In Sydney in 2012, she was two wins from making the final ascent. And at the Australian Open in 2019, she needed to defeat Naomi Osaka in the final but fell in a tight three-setter.)
“Throughout her career, Petra has competed with humility and resilience and thrilled tennis audiences with her exciting brand of tennis,” said Portia Archer, CEO of the WTA. “The fact that her player peers voted for her to receive the prestigious Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award on eight occasions says everything about her special place in our sport.
“She is a true champion, on and off court, who will be greatly missed by the WTA family and fans around the world. We wish her much joy and success in the next chapter.”
In addition to tying with Kim Clijsters for a record number of Krantzcke awards, Kvitova was named the WTA’s Most Impressive Newcomer in 2010. In 2011 she was the WTA Player of the Year and Most Improved Player, and in 2014 she was the recipient of the WTA Diamond ACES Award, which goes to the player who gives the most to promote the game of tennis on and off the court.
Kvitova also earned six wins over a reigning World No. 1, defeating Dinara Safina (2009 US Open), Wozniacki (2011 WTA Finals), Serena Williams (2015 Madrid), Angelique Kerber (2016 Wuhan), Wozniacki (2018 Doha) and Ashleigh Barty (2020 Doha).
Including a bronze medal at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016 (Kvitova is a four-time Olympian) and heroic contributions to six Czech Billie Jean King Cup championships, she leaves the sport with a main draw singles win-loss record of 514-258 (128-59 at Grand Slams) and career prize money of more than $37.5 million (seventh on the all-time list).
After playing at the China Open in 2023, Kvitova went on maternity leave for 17 months. She gave birth to her son, Petr, in July 2024 and returned to action at the ATX Open in Austin, Texas in February this year. She won the last of her titles on grass at Berlin in 2023.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is set to compete with Greece at EuroBasket 2025.
Editor’s Note: Read more NBA coverage from The Athletic here. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its teams.
* * *
Are you a little starved for watching some NBA players compete in something other than summer pro-ams or secret pickup workouts? Are you obsessed with European basketball players, including three of the best players we’ve ever seen in Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Dončić? Do you need something to do from the end of August through the middle of September?
Well, welcome to EuroBasket 2025! The tournament featuring 24 of the best European men’s basketball squads starts Wednesday and runs through Sept. 14. These games will happen in Cyprus, Finland, Poland and Latvia, with the gold-medal game set for Riga, Latvia. You may be wondering who is playing, when they’re playing and how you can watch it, and you can find a lot of that information here. You can stream the games on the Courtside 1891 service (you have to pay for it), or maybe you can find other ways to watch on the internet.
Before the games begin, let’s dive into what you need to know for EuroBasket 2025.
Good old-fashioned national pride! This tournament doesn’t really have anything to do with Olympic qualifying. The 24 teams that made it to EuroBasket have automatically qualified for FIBA World Cup qualifying in 2027. That World Cup will help determine some of the teams that will compete in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Mostly, this is about proving which European nation is the best at basketball.
We have four groups of six teams, and each team will play five games in group play. The top four teams of each group will move on to the Round of 16, which is the start of the elimination games.
You’re probably wondering which countries are in which groups. I’m so glad you were wondering because we’ve got a group-by-group breakdown below.
You’re watching this group to see the best player in the world. The group itself is pretty tough, with four of the top 30 teams in the world and four of the top 15 teams in Europe. Serbia is the cream of the crop, but it’ll be interesting to see if NBA stars like Kristaps Porziņģis or Alperen Şengün can lead their countries to a deep run.
FIBA rank: Second
Current NBA players: Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets), Bogdan Bogdanović (LA Clippers), Nikola Jović (Miami Heat), Nikola Topić (OKC Thunder), Tristan Vukčević (Washington Wizards)
Former NBA players: Marko Gudurić (2019-2020, 44 games), Vanja Marinković (2019 No. 60 pick), Vasilije Micić (2023-25, 101 games), Nikola Milutinov (2015 No. 26 pick), Filip Petrušev (2023-24, three games).
Recent EuroBasket results: Fourth place (lost to France) in 2015, silver medal (lost to Slovenia) in 2017, lost to Italy in Round of 16 in 2022
What to expect: Winning the gold. They have 10 players who either made the NBA, are currently in the NBA, or were draft picks at some point. They have the best player in the world. There is so much top talent on this squad that there really isn’t a reason to expect anything less than a gold medal.
FIBA rank: Ninth
Current NBA players: Kristaps Porziņģis (Atlanta Hawks)
Former NBA players: Dāvis Bertāns (2016-2024, 475 games), Dairis Bertāns (2018-19, 12 games)
Recent EuroBasket results: Lost to France in quarterfinals in 2015, lost to Slovenia in quarterfinals in 2017, did not qualify in 2022
What to expect: It’s reasonable to expect this Latvian squad to make it into the top eight, but depending on the matchup, that Round of 16 could be a tough game. As good as Turkey or the Czech Republic might look, Latvia should place second in this group. This will likely depend on how well their guard play can set up Porziņģis and Davis Bertans.
FIBA rank: 19th
Current NBA players: Vit Krejčí (Atlanta Hawks)
Former NBA players: None.
Recent EuroBasket results: Lost to Serbia in quarterfinals in 2015, eliminated in group play (1-4 record) in 2017, lost to Greece in Round of 16 in 2022
What to expect: Missing Tomas Satoranský (back) leaves Krejčí as the only NBA veteran for Czechia in this tournament. I don’t know if that’s enough firepower. We need to see if they can have enough quality size for certain matchups. The Round of 16 is a must, and anything beyond that would be a massive success.
FIBA rank: 27th
Current NBA players: Alperen Şengün (Houston Rockets), Adem Bona (Philadelphia 76ers)
Former NBA players: Ömer Yurtseven (2021-2024, 113 games), Onuralp Bitim (2023-24, 23 games), Furkan Korkmaz (2017-2024, 328 games), Shane Larkin (2013-2018, 256 games), Cedi Osman (2017-2024, 476 games)
Recent EuroBasket results: Lost to France in Round of 16 in 2015, lost to Spain in Round of 16 in 2017, lost to France in Round of 16 in 2022
What to expect: It’s unfair to put Şengün in the role of becoming the new Luis Scola in FIBA play, but let’s see him have a dominant run for Turkey. He has the game, strength and know-how to be a superstar in FIBA competitions. Turkey has a lot of talent but needs quality guard play, even with Şengün as a good playmaker. This team should be expecting quarterfinals or better.
FIBA rank: 43rd
Current NBA players: None.
Former NBA players: None.
Recent EuroBasket results: Eliminated in group play (1-4) in 2015, did not qualify in 2017, eliminated in group play (1-4) in 2022
What to expect: Estonia might put up a fight, but the team has gone just 2-8 in its last three EuroBasket tournaments. Winning a game in group play would still be a good effort. It would be shocking for Estonia to get out of group play.
FIBA rank: 56th
Current NBA players: Neemias Queta (Boston Celtics)
Former NBA players: None.
Recent EuroBasket results: Did not qualify in 2015, did not qualify in 2017, did not qualify in 2022
What to expect: Queta is a high-quality NBA role player, so he might have a positive impact. But Portugal hasn’t been in this competition in the previous three EuroBaskets. Winning a game in group play would be huge.
This group is a little tougher and a little more competitive than Group A. Germany is on a good run with its last EuroBasket, then winning the FIBA World Cup in 2023 and nearly medaling in the 2024 Olympics. This group has four of the top-20 teams in the world and four of the top-13 teams in Europe. However, the final two teams in this group are not serious contenders. One of them will win a game because they face the other bad team.
FIBA rank: Third
Current NBA players: Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic), Dennis Schröder (Sacramento Kings), Tristan da Silva (Orlando Magic)
Former NBA players: Daniel Theis (2017-2025, 411 games), Isaac Bonga (2018-2022, 143 games)
Recent EuroBasket results: Eliminated in group play (1-4) in 2015, lost to Spain in quarterfinals in 2017, won bronze medal in 2022
What to expect: This program has become a powerhouse in international play, so anything short of a medal will probably be a failure. Wagner and Schröder alone should be able to dominate in creating offense. This team has great size, great skill and a deep roster. Germany should find itself in the final four of this tournament.
FIBA rank: 10th
Current NBA players: Jonas Valančiūnas (Denver Nuggets)
Former NBA players: Deividas Sirvydis (2020-2022, 23 games), Rokas Jokubaitis (2o21 No. 34 pick), Azuolas Tubelis (2023, two-way contract with Philadelphia)
Recent EuroBasket results: Silver medal (lost to Spain) in 2015, lost to Greece in Round of 16 in 2017, lost to Spain in Round of 16 in 2022
What to expect: This isn’t your older brother’s Lithuanian team that was looking like one of the biggest problems in international play. But this Lithuanian team is still very dangerous, despite not having the guard play it once had. Valančiūnas is still a monster at the international level, and the team has some solid wing options. Lithuania could very easily get to the quarterfinals or later.
FIBA rank: 16th
Current NBA players: Nikola Vučević (Chicago Bulls)
Former NBA players: Marko Simonović (2021-2023, 16 games)
Recent EuroBasket results: Did not qualify in 2015, lost to Latvia in Round of 16 in 2017, lost to Germany in Round of 16 in 2022
What to expect: Let’s see if Vučević and Simonović can be enough to take the Montenegro team far. They’ll need to hammer the boards and stretch the floor, but this team could very well make it past the Round of 16.
FIBA rank: 20th
Current NBA players: Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz)
Former NBA players: None.
Recent EuroBasket results: Lost to Serbia in Round of 16 in 2015, lost to Italy in Round of 16 in 2017, lost to Spain in quarterfinals in 2022
What to expect: Let’s see what Markkanen can do. We talked about Şengün earlier as having the potential to dominate similarly to Luis Scola. Well, Markkanen is probably the better candidate for that. He’s been on a heater in these friendly games, and we know he can light up just about anybody. He doesn’t have a lot of help to get him deeper than the Round of 16, but getting out of the group should be a lock.
FIBA rank: 48th
Current NBA players: None.
Former NBA players: Tarik Phillip (2019-20, waived by Washington).
Recent EuroBasket results: Did not qualify in 2015, eliminated in group play (0-5) in 2017, eliminated in group play (0-5) in 2022
What to expect: Great Britain hasn’t won a game in EuroBasket since 2013. If it can get one in this group, that’ll be a massive achievement.
FIBA rank: 49th
Current NBA players: Pelle Larsson (Miami Heat)
Former NBA players: None.
Recent EuroBasket results: Did not qualify in 2015, did not qualify in 2017, did not qualify in 2022
What to expect: Larsson is a legitimate NBA role player, but I’m not sure if that will be enough for Sweden to win even one game. The matchup with Great Britain will determine that. Sweden also last won a game in 2013.
This is a very intriguing group because Spain used to be a basketball power until its last two generations of top world talent got too old to keep the run going. Still, Spain is dangerous. Greece does not have a good team but has one of the best players in the world. Italy has some good talent, and Georgia has put together a really nice program.
FIBA rank: Fifth
Current NBA players: Santi Aldama (Memphis Grizzlies)
Former NBA players: Juancho Hernangomez (2016-2023, 339 games), Willy Hernangomez (2016-2023, 344 games)
Recent EuroBasket results: Won gold medal in 2015, bronze medal in 2017, won gold medal in 2022
What to expect: This isn’t the golden age of Spanish basketball by any means. The Gasols aren’t playing. Ricky Rubio, Rudy Fernandez, and Sergio Rodriguez are gone. But there’s still some good talent, led by Aldama and the Hernangomez brothers. Spain has medaled in EuroBasket every year since 2007 and won gold in four of the last six EuroBaskets. Spain is expecting to medal, but finishing in the top four could be tough.
FIBA rank: 13th
Current NBA players: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
Former NBA players: Thanasis Antetokounmpo (2015-2024, 198 games), Kostas Antetokounmpo (2018-2021, 22 games), Tyler Dorsey (2017-2023, 107 games), Kostas Papanikolaou (2014-2016, 69 games)
Recent EuroBasket results: Lost to Spain in quarterfinals in 2015, lost to Russia in quarterfinals in 2017, lost to Germany in quarterfinals in 2022
What to expect: This is simply about where Giannis can carry the team. This isn’t a good roster, and at a certain point, opponents will load up completely on the Greek Freak and dare his teammates to beat them. Giannis should be able to lead Greece to around the quarterfinals, but he’ll have to be a superhero to get the team any deeper.
FIBA rank: 14th
Current NBA players: Simone Fontecchio (Miami Heat), Saliou Niang (2025 No. 58 pick)
Former NBA players: Danilo Gallinari (2008-2024, 777 games), Nicolo Melli (2019-2021, 105 games), Matteo Spagnolo (2022 No. 50 pick), Gabriele Procida (2022 No. 36 pick)
Recent EuroBasket results: Lost to Lithuania in quarterfinals in 2015, lost to Serbia in quarterfinals in 2017, lost to France in quarterfinals in 2022
What to expect: I’m not sure what Gallinari has left in the tank at 37 years old, but this Italian team could have quite a bit of offensive pop at its disposal. Italy has enough NBA-level talent to be a problem for a team like Greece or Spain. It wouldn’t shock me if Italy won this group, but again, that’s probably dependent on Gallinari’s Trevi-esque fountain of youth.
FIBA rank: 24th
Current NBA players: Goga Bitadze (Orlando Magic), Sandro Mamukelashvili (Toronto Raptors)
Former NBA players: Tornike Shengelia (2012-2014, 45 games)
Recent EuroBasket results: Lost to Lithuania in Round of 16 in 2015, eliminated in group play (2-3) in 2017, eliminated in group play (1-4) in 2022
What to expect: This Georgian national team is good, with three bona fide NBA-level players. Bitadze and Mamukelashvili are going to be tough matchups for a lot of this group. Georgia will need Shengelia to have a good tournament, but getting through group play should be the expectation. It wouldn’t shock me if Georgia pulled off a Round of 16 “upset.”
FIBA rank: 41st
Current NBA players: Jusuf Nurkić (Utah Jazz)
Former NBA players: None.
Recent EuroBasket results: Eliminated in group play (1-4) in 2015, did not qualify in 2017, eliminated in group play (2-3) in 2022
What to expect: Recently, the coach of this squad said Nurkić is out of shape. It lowered expectations a bit. Bosnia and Herzegovina hasn’t made it out of group play since 1993, so I wouldn’t expect a change.
FIBA Rank: 84th
Current NBA players: None.
Former NBA players: None.
Recent EuroBasket results: Did not qualify in 2015, did not qualify in 2017, did not qualify in 2022
What to expect: Cyprus is automatically in the tournament as a host country after not qualifying for the previous three. Even coming close to winning a game would be huge.
France is arguably the second-best basketball country on the planet, but Slovenia has one of the best players we’ve ever seen. The rest of this group isn’t very good, but Poland had a good run back in 2022. We’ll see if Israel or Belgium can survive group play, but this is mostly a two-country grouping.
FIBA Rank: Fourth
Current NBA players: Bilal Coulibaly (Washington Wizards), Zaccharie Risacher (Atlanta Hawks), Alex Sarr (Washington Wizards), Guerschon Yabusele (New York Knicks)
Former NBA players: Isaïa Cordinier (2016 No. 44 pick), Jaylen Hoard (2019-2022, 39 games), Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (2016-2022, 328 games), Theo Maledon (2020-2024, 177 games), Elie Okobo (2018-2020, 108 games)
Recent EuroBasket results: Won bronze medal in 2015, lost to Germany in Round of 16 in 2017, won silver medal (lost to Spain) in 2022
What to expect: You’re not getting the heavy hitters like Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert or Evan Fournier, but there’s still a ton of NBA talent on this roster. France is relying on the young guys (Coulibaly, Risacher, Sarr, etc.) to make the big push. They have some good French veterans like Luwawu-Cabarrot, Ntilikina and Yabusele to help guide them. But this French squad should still make it to the medal round.
FIBA Rank: 11th
Current NBA players: Luka Dončić (Los Angeles Lakers)
Former NBA players: None.
Recent EuroBasket results: Lost to Latvia in Round of 16 in 2015, won gold medal in 2017, lost to Poland in quarterfinals in 2022
What to expect: Slovenia shocked everybody by winning this whole thing in 2017 with Goran Dragić starring and an 18-year-old Dončić playing the role of helping the star. Now Dončić is the main star and unquestioned top guy. What kind of impact can he make in trying to get Slovenia back to the medal rounds? That’s the goal and expectation for Dončić and his squad. Anything short of the quarterfinals is a disappointment.
FIBA Rank: 17th
Current NBA players: None.
Former NBA players: Jordan Loyd (2018-2019, 12 games)
Recent EuroBasket results: Lost to Spain in Round of 16 in 2015, eliminated in group play (1-4) in 2017, lost to France in semifinals in 2022
What to expect: Jeremy Sochan was supposed to lead this team, but a calf injury will keep him out of the tournament. Without him, Poland’s expectations fall significantly. The team can still be competitive and get out of the group. However, a Round of 16 loss should be the peak.
FIBA Rank: 39th
Current NBA players: Deni Avdija (Portland Trail Blazers).
Former NBA players: Yam Madar (2020 No. 47 pick)
Recent EuroBasket results: Lost to Italy in Round of 16 in 2015, eliminated in group play (1-4) in 2017, eliminated in group play (2-3) in 2022
What to expect: Nets rookie Ben Saraf will not participate, as originally expected. But Avdija is good enough to have a big tournament and lead Israel out of group play, especially with the bottom portion of this group’s talent level. There’s some good talent on this roster, but it’ll be dependent on how dominant Avdija can be. A Round of 16 loss would be expected.
FIBA Rank: 40th
Current NBA players: None.
Former NBA players: None.
Recent EuroBasket results: Lost to Greece in Round of 16 in 2015, eliminated in group play (1-4) in 2017, lost to Slovenia in Round of 16 in 2022
What to expect: If Belgium had Toumani Camara playing for it, I’d believe it could get out of the group play like we saw a few years ago. I just don’t have a ton of confidence in this team’s talent to definitely break through.
FIBA Rank: 50th
Current NBA players: None.
Former NBA players: None.
Recent EuroBasket results: Eliminated in group play (0-5) in 2015, eliminated in group play (0-5) in 2017, did not qualify in 2022
What to expect: Iceland has never won a game in EuroBasket. I do not expect that to change.
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Zach Harper is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering the NBA. Zach joined The Athletic after covering the NBA for ESPN.com, CBS Sports and FRS Sports since 2009. He also hosts radio for SiriusXM NBA and SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio. Follow Zach on Twitter @talkhoops
Laila Harbert has joined the USA-based side Portland Thorns on loan until January 2026.
The 18-year-old midfielder will now continue her development with the National Women’s Soccer League club.
Laila has been with us since the age of nine, working her way up through our academy system before signing a first professional contract at the club in January 2025. She spent the second half of the 2024/25 season on loan at Southampton, gaining valuable experience of senior football.
Laila is also an experienced England youth international, having captained England under-17s at both the European Championships and the Women’s World Cup in 2024.
We wish Laila the best of luck for this next stage in her development.
The transfer is subject to the completion of regulatory processes.
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Copyright 2025 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.
The IBSF Summer Training Camp – held for the very first time – is now in full swing at Olymp Sports Centre in Czechia’s stunning capital Prague.
A total of 26 bobsleigh and skeleton athletes from 12 nations on four continents are gaining valuable knowledge with targeted training sessions at the seven-day camp, as we approach our competition season culminating in the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
The training camp – which purposefully mixes seasoned Olympians with young athletes fresh onto the senior bobsleigh and skeleton circuits – comes to an exciting finale with the 35th International Championship of Czechia in Bobsleigh & Skeleton Push 2025 on 29-30 August.
Join The Camp – follow on social media
We will be marking the very first IBSF Summer Training Camp with exciting behind-the-scenes social media content.
Want to see how our athletes will be training physically and mentally – weightlifting in the gym, on the track with sprints, ball throws, standing long jump, pushing sessions and team building?
Jump on our Instagram, Facebook, X(Twitter), TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn and support our athletes.
IBSF first Summer Camp excitement
“We’re in great hands here in Czechia – learning from top coaches and experienced peers in the gym, the class room and on the track in this central location in the ‘heart of Europe’,” underlined Nicola Minichiello, IBSF Academy & Development Manager.
“The IBSF Summer Training Camp has several key goals – at the top of the list is building the sense of belonging and collective identity for our bobsleigh and skeleton athletes, which is vital as we continue to expand our sports globally.
“So it’s fantastic to see such a diverse group of athletes coming together to connect, share experiences and hone skills into what will be a huge season with the Olympic Games on the horizon.”
YOG flag bearer eyes Milano Cortina 2026
Camila Copain, flagbearer for France at the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) 2020, was the second youngest athlete to compete in monobob – at just 15 years old, she placed fifth.
No stranger to what the Olympics mean, growing up in Doucy at the heart of France’s renowned Valmorel ski area and just 30 minutes from Albertville – host of the 1992 Games – she is now focusing on her next Olympic goal at the IBSF Summer Training Camp.
Honouring the country where she was born – Colombia – Copain aims to become the nation’s first ever bobsleigh athlete at Milano Cortina 2026, at what will be the fourth Winter Olympic Games for this South American country whose Summer Olympic history goes all the way back to 1932.
“Monobob is super exciting – we don’t have a pusher or a brakewoman. We do all this ourselves – as well as drive. We’re sprinting, pushing a sled that weighs over 160kg – when we jump in, we need to negotiate the track completely alone, totally in the zone!” explained Copain, who jumped from skiing to bobsleigh in search of speed.
“I’m so happy to be here at IBSF’s first summer camp – gaining knowledge, learning how to be faster, more efficient and getting fitter into this important season.
“These are exciting times – competing at Milano Cortina 2026 would be an incredible honour at the second Games to feature women’s monobob.
“With so many older female athletes going strong in this sport, winning medals, it could easily be a reality for me to compete into the future – it’d be amazing to do this at French Alps 2030.”
#Socasliders in Czechia
Shakeel John, brakeman for Trinidad & Tobago Bobsleigh, is looking to hone his skills heading into the upcoming season with one thing on his mind – making history:
“We’re looking to secure more historical firsts for Trinidad & Tobago heading into the IBSF World Cup season – our debut at St. Moritz in January marked the first time a 4-man team from Trinidad & Tobago, and the first Caribbean team since 1998, competed in the World Cup.
“We’re also now super focused on what will be our nation’s second Olympic Games directly after Beijing 2022.
“This is a proud moment for all Caribbeans and of course for the ‘red, white and black’ flag of our dual island nation.
“I’ll be heading back to our team stronger physically and mentally, and with expert knowledge to share, after this camp!”
Summer – “living and breathing bobsleigh and skeleton”
Benny Maier, four-time Olympic bobsleigh driver for Austria, is now studying medicine while being coach of Team Austria’s development programme.
As an IBSF physical coach for this first-of-its-kind IBSF Summer Training Camp, he is targeting the wide spectrum of skills needed for success:
“Being a great athlete and a brilliant driver is vital – but there is so much more! Finishing with a team best time, or a personal best – or on the podium – means you need to understand biomechanics, know how to get your body into the correct position to push, and know how your body reacts to training and nutrition.
“Then there’s mental preparation and focus – whether you’re competing as a team, or on your own, you are travelling at huge speeds on the ice!
“Living and breathing these sports is key in summer at the gym and push track, before the winter season kicks in – where we have the colder climate and real life exposure moving from country to country, with the different ice tracks really testing you mentally as well as physically.
“We also have athletes here who may be the only representative of their nation heading into this next Olympic season, so this camp is also about building those all-important friendships off the ice that can make a really big difference to overall performance.”
High performance in Prague
With the athletes on the IBSF Summer Training Camp getting ready for an action packed week ahead, the Czech Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation is excited as hosts.
Martin Bohman, President of the Czech Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association, member of the Czech Olympic Committee’s Executive Committee, and member of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic bobsleigh team, concluded:
“We are honoured to be hosting the very first IBSF Summer Training Camp for athletes around the world – we hope this will be the first of many!
“Bobsleigh and skeleton requires so many different physical and mental skills – we can’t wait to see these athletes grow with intensive training and expertise from top specialists in our sports, here in Olymp Sports Centre.”
Photo credits: IBSF/Michael Neumann
Tennis bad boy Daniil Medvedev threw his latest tantrum at the U.S. Open in New York City on Sunday, August 24 — and even his biggest fan, wife Daria Medvedeva, has had enough.
After a photographer inadvertently interrupted match point during the Russian player’s first-round match against France’s Benajamin Bonzi, the umpire awarded Bonzi, a re-do of his first serve.
Daniil, 29, exploded with rage, working the crowd into a nearly five-minute booing frenzy.
“Are you a man? Why are you shaking?” he furiously asked the umpire. “He wants to go home, guys.”
ESPN (2)
In the stands, Daria, sat with her head in her hands. Her husband eventually lost the match, and she was seen leaving while Medvedev smashed his racket on the sidelines in one final meltdown, per video posted on X by ESPN.
So who is the woman Medvedev described to reporters at a 2019 press conference as “one of the most important members of my team”?
Daniil met Daria, née Chernyshkova, when they were teens on the competitive tennis circuit and rented a house together in Norwary when they were 14.
“It’s great that she understands tennis,” Daniil said at the 2019 press conference. “It helped me to become better as a person and a player.”
Daria — who goes by Dasha — ended her career at 18 due to injury but continued to follow Daniil’s career, per Russia’s Tatler magazine in 2021. She was studying journalism at Moscow State University when they reconnected on Instagram.
They met up while she was visiting Nice, France, and he was living in nearby Antibes. “I flew in for a couple of days, we had dinner, celebrated, got to talking,” she told Tatler. “From then on, everything started to develop somehow.”
The pair wed on September 12, 2018, in a private ceremony. “I always say that it’s the moment I made the proposal to her, that’s when I started to go up [in tennis rankings],” he told reporters at the 2019 press conference.
Three years later on their anniversary, Daniil, who has been seen playing with his wedding ring on a chain around his neck, defeated Novak Djokovic to win his first U.S. Open.
Daniil didn’t get a chance to buy a gift for his wife before the tournament, he told reporters at a press conference after the match. “So when I went in the final… the only thing I thought [was], ‘If I lose I have no time to have a present. So I have to win this match. I love you, Dasha.’”
Daria Medvedeva/Instagram
They welcomed daughter Alisa on October 14, 2022. Their second daughter, Vika, was born on January 7, 2025.
“I don’t always succeed to be the best father I want to be, but it teaches you,” Daniil told tennis.com in 2024. “I am even trying to read books about it because I really want her to grow up as a happy person.”
Daniil sees himself in Alisa’s tantrums, he admitted. “If something doesn’t go her way, then she throws a toy in anger or bites it. My wife is looking at me saying, ‘Okay, where does it come from?’ And that’s pretty funny because you start asking yourself if it’s just pure genetics and I don’t have an answer to this question.”
Daria is the co-founder of RaWQ energy bars alongside her friend, nutritionist Arina Kuzmina.
“I wanted to help Daniil to become more professional,” Daria shared in an Instagram video posted on February 2, 2024.
When she looked for energy bars to build his strength for matches, she added, “we couldn’t find anything perfect with low sugar. Finally, we decided to create it by ourselves.”
RaWQ Food/Instagram
In addition to her company, Daria is an FP Movement partner. She began showing off the activewear brand’s sneakers, a collaboration with Lacoste, on social media in May.
“Thank you FP Movement, for the ultimate princess treatment,” she wrote on Instagram in June after visiting their gifting suite and tennis clinic in Paris during the French Open.
The 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship (22 August-7 September) has reached the business end.
With the volleyball pool round concluding on 27 August, the lineup of 16 teams is coming together to compete in the knockout stage, which begins on 29 August. Pool winners will be drawn against opposing pool runners-up, with the pairings already set ahead of the tournament.
VBTV is the place to watch the World Championships around the world, showing all the action on its streaming platform. The championship match takes place in the Thai capital of Bangkok on 7 September.
Read on to find out all the teams who have made it to the next stage of the Volleyball Women’s World Championship.