Quiet man of British athletics on overhauling Farah, taking a risk in running London and Olympic hopes for Paris and beyond

The changing of the guard usually takes place at Buckingham Palace. But at last year’s London Marathon it happened on Tower Bridge, as Emile Cairess blasted past Mo Farah on the way to finishing as the top British athlete in the race.

It was a hell of a performance given it was Cairess’s debut over 26.2 miles – and, strikingly, it also came without the benefit of top-end tech. While everyone else in the elite field was wearing the latest carbon-plated supershoes, Cairess came sixth in 2hrs 8 mins 7 secs in Takumi-Sen 9s, which have no carbon plate and are designed for 5km and 10km races. For good measure, he was also wearing a Casio watch that could have been made in the 1970s.

• Estimated £66m will be raised for charity, including aid for Gaza
• Race to begin with tribute to world record holder Kelvin Kiptum

London Marathon organisers have urged potential protesters not to allow the heightened tensions in the Middle East to disrupt Sunday’s race, which the event’s director, Hugh Brasher, said was “a force for good” throughout society.

Brasher confirmed that multiple security measures would be in place this weekend, but said he hoped the focus would be on the race’s celebration of humanity.

Britain’s greatest female sprinter has found herself on and off the track after a life-changing move to Texas to prepare for Paris 2024

‘I’ve changed a lot,” says Dina Asher-Smith as she looks back at six dizzying months that have seen her decamp 5,000 miles from the Garden of England to the Lone Star state, find herself off the track, and rediscover her mojo on it.

“I went to a new coach, a new group, and a new philosophy. And part of the transformation is that I’m far more comfortable with letting people in.” And with those words, Britain’s greatest female sprinter opens the door to her new life in Texas for the first time. It’s one that involves playing Top Golf and taking up pottery, learning to relax away from the incessant pressures of low-level fame, and priming her body for the Paris 2024 Olympics, which begin in 100 days’ time.

• Initial release provoked debate over sexism in sport
• Athletes say they are comfortable with choices offered

In the moments before she fired off the Instagram comment heard around the world , Tara Davis-Woodhall could hardly believe her eyes.

The American long jumper and world silver medalist had just seen a photograph of one of Nike’s Team USA uniforms for this summer’s Games, a high-cut leotard barely covering the bikini line that was unveiled at a launch event in Paris last week. The running publication Citius Mag had posted an image of the slinky uniform on a female mannequin alongside a male one-piece kit with longer legs.

• Investigation launched after trio appear to let He cross line first
• Kenya’s Willy Mnangat says they were all hired as pacemakers

Organisers of the Beijing half marathon are investigating the men’s race after two Kenyans and one Ethiopian runner appeared to deliberately allow China’s He Jie to win.

Footage of the final few hundred metres of the race seemingly shows Robert Keter and Willy Mnangat of Kenya and Ethiopia’s Dejene Hailu Bikila slow down and gesture in front of them, encouraging He to pass and take the lead.

• E coli levels in Paris river one of Games’ ‘biggest challenges’
• Triathletes will be ‘sanitised to within an inch of their lives’

Team GB’s triathlon stars are already preparing for pollution in the Seine during the Paris Olympics by eating more yoghurt and taking probiotics, it can be revealed.

British triathletes have also been told they should not touch recovery drinks or food after training in the water until they have been “sanitised to within an inch of their lives” in a bid to avoid gastrointestinal issues.

• Ujah was banned for failed test but cleared of intentional doping
• ‘I’d rather we face up to that and plan,’ says UK Athletics chief

UK Athletics has defended its “incredibly difficult” decision to pick CJ Ujah for Great Britain’s 4x100m relay squad for the first time since his drugs ban, saying it had little choice given the sprinter could qualify for the Olympics.

Eyebrows were raised at UKA’s decision to include Ujah in the GB squad for the world relays next month, given his positive test after the Tokyo Olympic final cost Team GB a silver medal. However the chief executive Jack Buckner said it was a sensible move with Paris around the corner.

Athletes paid $1m to take enough performance-enhancing drugs to win records? Truly we get the TV sports we deserve

How encouraging to learn of another shot in the arm for the Enhanced Games . If you’re not familiar with it, this is the sporting event scheduled for inauguration next year in which openly drug-taking athletes will be able to take part in a “better version of the Olympic Games”. I know – imagine being able to watch track and field but with athletes who dope. Who among us can even picture it?

None of which is to sound as offhand as World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe did a few weeks ago when he was asked about the Enhanced Games, and judged: “ It’s bollocks, isn’t it ? … I really don’t get sleepless nights over it, it’s not going to be a page turner is it?” I wouldn’t bank on that. By way of background, the project is the brainchild of Aron D’Souza , some weirdo businessman who doesn’t even drink coffee (of course), and is partly funded by biohacking Palantir horseman Peter Thiel and AI/psychedelics/crypto investor Christian Angermayer (double of course).

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