Sports News

Triple World and double Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya has been confirmed as one of the headline star due to compete at the Müller Grand Prix in Birmingham.

The South African star will compete over 1500m at the Alexander Stadium, with her presence sure to excite the legion of fans that she has built in the UK following her successes at both London 2012’s Olympic Games and last summer’s IAAF World Championships in the same city.

Having established her status as the 800m athlete to beat following three successive world titles and back to back Olympic golds over the distance, Semenya’s outing in Birmingham over 1500m - a distance which she has claimed world bronze and Commonwealth gold in the past 12 months - will see her have one eye on breaking her own South African record time of 3:59.92 set earlier this year in Doha.

27-year-old Semenya said: “It has been such an amazing 12 months for me and I cannot wait to continue it by competing back in the UK again and in Birmingham for the first time ever. It is rare that I get to race somewhere for the first time, so that in particular is really exciting and will motivate me to perform very well in what I know will be a great, great race.”

In an exciting 1500m race Caster will be up against the Netherlands’ five-time World Championship medallist Sifan Hassan who impressively won the inaugural Millicent Fawcett mile in London less than two weeks ago in a time of 4:14.71, the fourth quickest women’s mile time in history, and is sure to relish returning to Birmingham having set Dutch records on her previous two outings in the city.

Also set to be present is Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay - who carries extraordinary range with sub-2:00, sub-4:00 and sub-15:00 minute personal best times for 800m, 1500m and 5000m respectively, while Kenyan World Championship finalists Winny Chebet, and Britain’s Laura Weightman are joined by 2017 European indoor finalist, and fellow-Brit Sarah McDonald.

British Athletics’ Major Events Director, Cherry Alexander said: “We’re delighted to have Caster racing in Birmingham and are very much looking forward to welcoming her to Birmingham for the very first time.

One of the most pleasing things we hear from overseas athletes come from them speaking about the warmth of the UK crowds and how strong a reception they receive, and I know that Caster will be sure of just that in Birmingham.

Having Caster present in the race alongside fellow world-class names such as Sifan and Laura means we are in for a fantastic spectacle. The fields are really coming together across the board and will be some of the strongest we have ever assembled, so the meeting will give the athletics-loving crowd another preview of the amazing action we are sure to see come 2022’s Commonwealth Games in the city.”

At the Müller Grand Prix Birmingham, on Saturday August 18, Caster Semenya will be join global stars Greg Rutherford, Luvo Manyonga and Juan Miguel Echevarria.

Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth champion Greg Rutherford will take to the long jump runway for the final time in Birmingham at next month’s Müller Grand Prix Birmingham on Saturday 18 August.

Competing at the Alexander Stadium for the last ever time following countless outings in the city for both the British Championships and IAAF Diamond League meetings over the years, Rutherford’s outing next month will be his final competition in the second city and his last British Athletics meet.

The 31-year-old British record holder has struggled with injury since taking Olympic bronze in 2016 but has committed to one more Stadium competition in Birmingham in order to bid farewell to many of his fans, though the competition in Birmingham will be nothing short of stiff.

Among those in the field are the two best long jumpers in the world at current: world champion Luvo Manyonga of South Africa and current world leader Juan Miguel Echevarria of Cuba.

Echevarría, 19, is widely regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in global athletics having recorded the longest jump in 23 years last month with 8.83m,

The Cuban missed the recent Müller Anniversary Games in London due to injury but will return to Birmingham and compete in the UK for the first time since he won gold at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in March earlier this year.

Looking ahead to an emotional farewell in Birmingham, Greg Rutherford said: “I am really excited. As the crowd sees you appear, there is a sort of rippling effect of cheers and every year that I have competed there has been relatively emotional for me. Ever since London 2012, the crowd have been amazing towards me. So, to do it, for what will be the last time in such a great Stadium with so many memories for me, is going to be very emotional and I am probably going to cry.

“We are very lucky in Great Britain that the crowd who come along generally are very knowledgeable and in Birmingham it’s generally the big athletics fans that are there, so they really do get behind you and know what is good and what’s bad. They know the athletes and will know that I am not at my full strength but they will get massively behind me with every jump so it will be really special.”

On his excitement of competing against Echevarría, Rutherford added: “I am really excited to have him there in Birmingham too, and that I will have the chance to compete against him before I retire. He, in my opinion, will go on to become the world record holder and will become the greatest ever so it will be wonderful to compete against him in Birmingham.

“It’s a bit of a change of the guard, and that’s how I am looking at it. I have had my time in the sun and been the best in the world for all of those years, but now it’s like I am passing the torch on. Hopefully he will run with it and elevate the event to where it should be.”

Rutherford also hopes that having world class names in the event will help to grow the sport, concluding: “The long jump is such an incredible event and I hope that from Echevarría’s successes, we see a whole new flood of new young athletes getting involved with long jumping.

“And once we keep pushing these kinds of athletes out and letting people see how incredibly talented they are, what we find is that those events will come to the top and people will really enjoy it.”

Give Greg a memorable send-off as he jumps in Birmingham for the last time on 18 August at the Müller Grand Prix Birmingham.

Scores of families and young people have already signed up to a free Summer of Sport being offered by WV Active over the next six weeks.

The City of Wolverhampton Council’s three leisure centres, WV Active Aldersley, WV Active Central and WV Active Bilston-Bert Williams, will be providing a wide range of free activities for adults and children of all ages between Monday 23 July and Friday 31 August – from badminton, tennis, squash and table tennis to family swimming lessons and fitness classes.

Those who want to take advantage of the offer must be residents of Wolverhampton and will need to register for free Summer of Sport membership via the WV Active website.

Councillor Steve Evans, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for City Environment, said: “We are delighted to be offering a wide range of free activities for local residents of all ages during the school holidays, and I’d encourage people to sign up for their Summer of Sport today.”

The Summer of Sport programme is being supported with funding from the council’s Public Health service.

Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, Councillor Hazel Malcolm, said: “It is important that as many people as possible have the opportunity to enjoy sport and exercise, and by offering a wide range of free sessions at our leisure centres from 23 July to 31 August we hope that even more residents will be able to enjoy a fit and active summer.

“This ties in well with our Vision for Public Health, whereby we create the right sort of environment in which people are better able to look after their own health and wellbeing.”

Your country needs you! At the Gymnastics World Cup on 23 March 2019! Be prepared to play your part in this major global event, as countries from around the world, with some of their best gymnasts, take up the ultimate gymnastics challenge. Fly your flag proudly as the mighty powerhouses of each country battle it out on this global stage. Which nations will emerge victorious?

Watch the battle as our male gymnasts go for glory. Who will show flair and stamina on the pommel horse and floor, demonstrate extreme strength on the rings, and pull off strong routines on the vault, parallel bars and high bar? Our female gymnasts will wow the crowds as they show grace and composure on the beam, let their personality and flair shine through on the floor, as well as unleashing power yet control on the vault and uneven bars.

Amanda Reddin, Women’s Head National Coach commented:

“This is a great opportunity for our gymnasts. The competition structure of the event allows gymnasts to thrive under pressure, their routines showcasing all the effort they’ve put in during hours and hours of training to peak at the right time. Competitions of this nature are invaluable to support our gymnasts on their road to Tokyo. There’s no better platform for them to perform on – these conditions make the Olympic pressure real.”

Great Britain’s very own James Hall and Alice Kinsella proved successful in 2018, both picking up medals in front of the all-important home crowd. Who will represent their country this year? Make sure you’re in the crowd cheering the gymnasts, flying the flag and lending your support.

The atmosphere will be electric. The competition will be tough. Make sure you’re part of it.

Regional schools from across the country have congregated at King’s House Ground, Chiswick,  to compete in the Summer Bowl, the season finale of the NFL Flag football tournament for UK schools in partnership with Subway. In a tense and thrilling competition Chorley Seahawks were crowned national NFL Flag champions.

The Summer Bowl attendees earned their place at the season finale by winning their respective regional tournaments throughout the year and included pupils from Thorpe Primary (Leeds), Primrose Hill (Manchester), George Betts Primary (Birmingham) and Gretton School (Tewkesbury).

On the day around 1,000 children aged 8-11, were coached and encouraged by six NFL stars, including current Super Bowl champion and Philadelphia Eagle, Mack Hollins, Oakland Raider Jared Cook, Seattle Seahawk Neiko Thorpe and Tennessee Titan Jurrell Casey, who acted as honorary coaches. All six NFL players in attendance will be playing in the NFL London Games in October.

NFL Flag Presented by Subway is currently operating in eight cities including London, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Bristol, Gloucester, Peterborough and Cardiff.

More than 10,000 school children across the UK have been involved in the programme since its launch in 2014, with the NFL and Subway sponsorship aiming to help primary school children develop their characters by focusing on the NFL core values of respect, integrity, responsibility, resilience plus the importance of a healthy lifestyle and getting active through NFL Flag.

Ian Oxborrow, Head Coach for Chorley Seahawks, said, “The kids are delighted to be crowned the national NFL Flag champions. NFL Flag has been a great programme to be a part of and we’ve first hand experienced the benefits it has to offer. We hope to be going head-to-head with more schools and reclaim our title next year!”

Sacha Clark, Marketing Director for Subway UK & Ireland, said: “Our partnership with the NFL is all about bringing the NFL closer to everyone. One of the ways we’re helping to do this is by enabling the NFL to grow its Flag programme, taking the sport into an increasing number of schools, to encourage everyone in the family to get active.”

Jason Brisbane, Head of Community for NFL UK, said: “Summer Bowl has been a huge success and continues the positive growth of NFL Flag in the UK. This event is testament to the positive impact American Football can have on children in the UK and a great celebration of this year’s national NFL Flag tournament.  Congratulations to Chorley Seahawks  for being crowned national champions!”

The World Cup led to record sales and footfall in Lidl UK stores over the past month, as people opted for garden parties and BBQs to cheer on the England team.

During the tournament, the discounter, which is the Official Supermarket of the England Football Team, experienced the highest ever number of customers shopping in stores, outside of Christmas. Footfall peaked on 30^th June, as customers prepared for the World Cup ‘Last 16’ stage, with fans visiting their local Lidl to stock up on supplies to support their team from the comfort of their own home.

Sales during the period indicate that the hot weather inspired football fanatics across the country to host BBQs and garden parties for friends and family.  Since 14^th June, when Russia beat Saudi Arabia in the opening game of the World Cup, to France’s victory in the Final on 15^th July, the following products delivered a record-breaking sales performance compared to the same five-week period in 2017:

• Total BBQ meat and poultry sales were up 25%.
• Burger sales were up 45%, with more than 100 burgers sold every minute.
• The beer, wine and spirits category grew 16% overall, with beer experiencing a 18% sales uplift.

As England’s chances of reaching the Final heated up, Lidl saw a particularly strong sales uplift across certain food items. In the week of England’s Quarter and Semi Final matches, burger sales increased by 50%, compared to the same period last year.

England’s successful run in the World Cup led to unprecedented support for the team from home fans, with Lidl seeing a surge in England football kit sales. Lidl sold 120,000 England branded tops, 34,000 children's England strips and 35,000 footballs in its 710 stores across the country.

Christian Härtnagel, CEO of Lidl UK said: "England's remarkable run in the World Cup, along with a never-ending heatwave, has led to more customers coming through our doors than ever before. As the Official Supermarket of the England Football Team, we’ve been really proud of their performance, and it’s been great to get behind the squad. We’re also incredibly proud of our colleagues, who have worked extremely hard throughout the tournament, to ensure that Lidl stores across the country were stocked up with supplies, as the nation showed their support.”

WV Active will be offering six weeks of free sporting activities for Wolverhampton residents to enjoy this summer.

The City of Wolverhampton Council’s Summer of Sport starts on Monday 23 July and continues until Friday 31 August across all three leisure centres, WV Active Aldersley, WV Active Central and WV Active Bilston-Bert Williams.

Free activities on offer include badminton, tennis, squash, table tennis, family swimming lessons and fitness classes, and can be enjoyed by adults and children of all ages.

Those who want to take advantage of the offer must be residents of Wolverhampton and will need to register for temporary Summer of Sport membership for free via the WV Active website.

Councillor Steve Evans, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for City Environment, said: “We are delighted to be offering a wide range of free activities for local residents of all ages during the school holidays, and I’d encourage people to sign up for their Summer of Sport today.”

The Summer of Sport programme is being supported with funding from the council’s Public Health service.

Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, Councillor Hazel Malcolm, said: “It is important that as many people as possible have the opportunity to enjoy sport and exercise, and by offering a wide range of free sessions at our leisure centres from 23 July to 31 August we hope that even more residents will be able to enjoy a fit and active summer.

“This ties in well with our Vision for Public Health, whereby we create the right sort of environment in which people are better able to look after their own health and wellbeing.”

World No.1 long jumper Lorraine Ugen has been handed the honour of captaining the British team at the Athletics World Cup in London from 14-15 July.

Ugen, who secured her place at the Athletics World Cup with an impressive victory at the Müller British Athletics Championships earlier this month, was chosen to captain the British team by performance director Neil Black.

The 26-year-old is currently enjoying a fine summer having retained her British long jump title with a world lead, Championship record, best British performance of the day and personal best leap of 7.05m in Birmingham and won the Stockholm leg of the IAAF Diamond League in June.

In partnership with the Mayor of London’s #BehindEveryGreatCity campaign, which commemorates the 100-year anniversary of the 1918 Representation of the People Act, which gave some women the right to vote for the very first time, the Athletics World Cup will see all eight competing nations led by female captains.

Lorraine Ugen said: “It feels great to be named team captain. We have a great set of athletes coming out for the first World Cup and I am looking forward to being the captain for these athletes and hope that we can put on a show for the home crowd. I am most looking forward to the team spirit that comes with competing in a team event rather than just focusing on individual events only. We will all be cheering each other so we can fight to score the most points. It’s nice to see female leads on all teams. It will be an inspiration to young girls and athletes out there that they can be leaders in sport and hopefully inspire them to want to do the same. I have been training well so I hope to go out there and score well for my team.”

Neil Black, Performance Director at British Athletics, said: “It is a pleasure to announce Lorraine as captain of the British team for the Athletics World Cup in her home town of London. Lorraine is not just a world-class long jumper but a pleasure to have on any team and a fantastic role model within the sport, which is a vital characteristic of any captain. I’ve no doubt Lorraine will lead by example with her performance on the track and also with her enthusiasm and love of the sport off the track as well.”

With chants of ‘it’s coming home’ and the nations expectations on their shoulders, the England team face down against a Croatia team that many thought would be an easy match to reach the final.

Despite a wonderful start through a 20 yard free kick by Kieran Trippier after only 5 minutes, England were unable to take advantage of any of the multitude of chances they created for themselves.

It was this inability to get a second that seemed to give Croatia a new lease of life in the second half, and lo and behold in the 68th minute Croatia equalised through Perisic.

Neither team was able to break the deadlock, which was surprising considering the level of play and talent on show on the pitch.

Extra time and penalties loomed, but England started to look tired and unfortunately in the 109th minute Mandzukic shattered the hopes and dreams of the millions of England fans watching worldwide.

Just like that, ‘it’ was no longer ‘coming home’.

As bitterly disappointed as the team will be that they didn’t make it all the way to the final, there are so many positives to take away from this World Cup, not least the team itself which overachieved and showed a level of passion, pride, hunger and teamwork that has been sorely lacking from previous national squads.

Gareth Southgate should be celebrating his decision to give our young players a chance to show that we can get past the starting line. Playing exciting football and always looking positive, this is a team to now work on for the Euros and beyond.

As a nation we should be extremely proud of what the team has achieved, and be very excited to look to the future with this team.

Organisers of the Athletics World Cup, in conjunction with the World Platinum Investment Council, today revealed the highly coveted Platinum Trophy. Made from solid platinum, which is 30 times rarer than gold, the unique trophy will be presented to the captain of the winning nation of the inaugural event at the London Stadium in less than ten days’ time (14-15 July).

Coinciding with the launch of the British team, Commonwealth silver medallist Morgan Lake, British 200m champion Beth Dobbin, European under-23 gold medallist Ojie Edoburun and Athletics World Cup Chief Executive Niels de Vos were all on hand to unveil The Platinum Trophy at Dartmouth House in London today.

Eight nations – China, France, Germany, GB & NI, Jamaica, Poland, South Africa and USA – will battle it out over two floodlit evenings at the London Stadium in a bid to get their hands on The Platinum Trophy, which is believed to be the most valuable sporting trophy ever made, surpassing those of the FIFA World Cup and Wimbledon as well as the NHL’s Stanley Cup.

The reveal of The Platinum Trophy follows on from the unveiling of the Athletics World Cup medals last month with a first of its kind Platinum Winners’ Medal on offer in addition to the traditional gold, silver and bronze medals awarded to the top three athletes in each of the 34 events.

The Platinum Trophy was shaped and formed in separate pieces, before being assembled, with the entire process completed by hand using traditional techniques. The Trophy took more than 650 man hours to create, stands at 512mm tall and weighs a total of over 6kg. The base was made using bog oak, believed to be 5000 years old, from the Fens in Cambridgeshire.

Commonwealth silver medallist Morgan Lake said: “It is always an honour to be selected to represent Great Britain & Northern Ireland, especially for a home event. I have such fond memories of competing in the high jump at the World Championships last year in London, the atmosphere was amazing and I cannot wait to get back into the stadium.

“After jumping a personal best at the British Championships I’m really excited to see what comes next for me, and I’m looking forward to the Athletics World Cup.”

British 200m champion and Scottish record holder Beth Dobbin said: “It has been a crazy season so far for me but it feels great to be handed my senior British debut at the Athletics World Cup. If you had asked me at the start of the season if I would be in this position I would have probably said no but I knew if I started running well I could start to achieve what I have done. It is a dream come true and I can’t wait to run for Britain at the London Stadium.”

European under-23 100m champion Ojie Edoburun said: “I am excited to pull on the British vest and run in my home town at the Athletics World Cup next weekend. I have had some great moments competing for Britain, becoming the European junior champion in 2015 and the European under-23 champion last year, and I am relishing the opportunity to test myself against seven other top sprinters in front of a passionate home crowd at the London Stadium.”

Chief Executive of the Athletics World Cup, Niels de Vos, said: “With less than ten days to go until the Athletics World Cup, we are pleased to reveal the unique Platinum Trophy that all eight nations will be competing for across two exciting days of sporting.

“Along with the Platinum Winners’ Medals we are offering the successful nation at the Athletics World Cup a prize like no other in world sport. The Trophy is befitting of the hard work and dedication made by all athletes in their bid to be the best they can be.

“We look forward to welcoming all of the athletes and staff from each of the eight competing nations back to London next week and then watching the action unfold at the best athletics venue in the world at the London Stadium.”

Chief Executive of the World Platinum Investment Council, Paul Wilson said: “Athletics constantly endeavour to push beyond the boundaries of what we all think is possible. We see the making and gifting of The Platinum Trophy and winners medals as a fitting tribute to this. As the world’s most prestigious precious metal, platinum’s rarity and aesthetic beauty stand as a symbol of outstanding achievement, elite performance and prestige.”

The 2018 Trampoline, Tumbling & DMT British Championships springs into action at Arena Birmingham, on 22-23rd September 2018.

Lucky spectators could witness the return of history-making trampoline Olympic Silver Medallist Bryony Page on home soil, as she takes on stiff competition from world team bronze medallists Laura Gallagher and Kat Driscoll. Nathan Bailey and Luke Strong will go head to head for the men’s senior trampoline crown. Our disability trampoline gymnasts will also perform exhilarating routines in a bid for the prestigious medals.

The senior tumbling teams lead by 2018 European champion Lucie Colebeck, and her teammates Yasmin Taite, Kristof Willerton, Greg Townley and Elliott Browne will show off their immense power and skill down the tumbling track, guaranteeing to leave the crowds stunned.

DMT gymnasts will bring their explosive power and high-flying stunts in a bid for the British titles. The newly crowned Junior European team champions and individual senior gold medallist Kirsty Way will be looking for perfectly executed routines to edge out the competition.

Get the most out of the event with unreserved seating, and watch all three disciplines up close and personal. One thing’s for sure, you will be treated to truly spectacular and inspiring gymnastics performances from Britain’s best trampoline, tumbling and DMT gymnasts.

Eloquent Praise and Empowerment Dance Company, an award-winning community interest company located in the heart of Birmingham currently works with around 80+ young people aged 4-18 years on a weekly basis providing dance and drama tuition as well as voluntary mentoring empowerment services.

"Our mission is to inspire the next generation through the creative arts whilst training them to become the best possible versions of themselves. "

50 Eloquent dancers aged between 7-17 qualified and were selected to represent England at the prestigious Dance World Cup which took place in Barcelona, Spain from 22 June - 1st July 2018.

Dance World Cup is the world’s largest dance competition whereby over 5000 dancers from across the world compete to battle for world titles.  The event was Live Streamed, watched by over 10,000 people across the world. Eloquent Praise Dancers were fortunate enough to qualify in over 5 sections that competed at DWC, beating off some tough competition from across the UK.

After months of long rehearsals , costume preparation and fundraising events; 50 Eloquent praise  dancers aged 7-17years set off on Sunday 24^th June to Barcelona, Spain with a dream to conquer, succeed and achieve.

On Wednesday 27^th June , 2018 Eloquent Praise dancers were crowned Bronze Medallists, ranking top 3 in the world! Eloquent represented England well by going head to head with Spain, Macau, India, Bulgaria, Portugal, Hong Kong and plenty of other countries.

"There were a whopping 17 countries in total and Eloquent were absolutely ecstatic to be walking away with BRONZE MEDALS… All hard work had paid off!"

"Our dancers felt very privileged to be competing against some of the best in the world considering it was their first experience competing outside the UK. Dancers trained for a total of 15 hours a week some weeks whilst balancing rehearsals around their school commitments , GCSEs and college work."

British junior record holders Molly Caudery and Jake Norris head the 40-strong British junior team for the World Junior Championships in Tampere from 10-15 July.

Caudery twice broke the British record in Mannheim at the weekend, vaulting 4.45m and 4.53m on her way to victory, moving her to outright second place on the world junior rankings.

Norris, who is ranked second in the world at Under-20 level, backed up his record breaking 80.45m throw in Bedford at the England U20/U23 Championships with another 80m plus throw in Mannheim, recording 80.28m to take victory.

Gold Coast Commonwealth Games bronze medallist in the women’s heptathlon Niamh Emerson (David Feeney, Amber Valley & Erewash), who is currently ranked fourth in the world at junior level, will look to add another medal to her tally on the world stage.

Fellow Commonwealth Games star Alastair Chalmers (Dale Garland, Guernsey) set another 400m hurdles personal best at the weekend of 50.52 in his native Guernsey, while fellow 400m hurdler Alex Knibbs (Nick Dakin, Amber Valley & Erewash) set a huge personal best of his own, clocking 50.57 in Mannheim – the pair sit fourth and fifth respectively on the all-time British junior list for the 400m hurdles.

Jona Efoloko (John Smith, Sale Harriers Manchester) will look to build on his European Under 18 and Under 20 200m medals in 2016 and 2017 respectively with a first world championship medal, while Kristal Awuah (Matthew Thomas, Herne Hill Harriers) will compete outside of the United Kingdom for only the second time.

European Under-18 gold medallists Holly Mills (long jump, James Coney, Andover) and Isabelle Boffey (800m, Douglas Stone, Enfield & Haringey) earn another British vest, as does double European Under-18 & Under-20 1500m champion, Jake Heyward (James Thie, Cardiff).

Current under-20 women’s 3000m European leader and fourth placer at the European Junior Championships in Tbilisi last year Amelia Quirk (Mick Woods, Bracknell) is selected and is joined by fellow endurance runner Tom Mortimer (Christopher Brown, Stroud), who is ranked second in Europe in the 5000m and recorded a 20-second personal best at the weekend of 13:57.95.

Team Leader for the British juniors, Trevor Painter, said: “We’ve selected a strong team for the World Junior Championships that we believe has an excellent chance of challenging for medals.

“We saw some excellent performances at Mannheim International over the weekend which produced great levels of competition from all our athletes, with personal bests broken all over the track and field, a trend which we hope continues in Tampere.

“The team contains a strong array of medal prospects and athletes that we believe can reach the finals of their respective event and thrive on the World Junior Championship stage.”

The British Athletics junior team for the World Junior Championships on 10-15 July 2018:

Protecting the existing supply of sports playing pitches, enhancing them and providing extra new sites wherever possible are the key themes underpinning a new strategy to promote sport at all levels.

It was one of the toughest world championships in history with over 2300 competitors from 41 countries, after a long competition and several tough rounds Chloe had to compete in a deciding contest for the gold medal. Chloe held her nerve and kicked and punched her way to become world champion in spectacular style in front of a vocal and packed arena.

Well over half of Brits are shunning the pub to watch the World Cup at home with friends and family this year (57%), according to a new study.

The survey of 2,000 people, commissioned by The Ice Co found nearly half of Brits (45%) think the pub is too “laddy”, with a similar number (43%) saying they'd rather watch it in a more civilised environment.

When it comes to the ideal drinks to serve at a World Cup viewing party, beer comes out on top. The top 10 drinks are:

1. Ice cold beer (47%)
2. Soft drinks with ice (35%)
3. Cider in chilled bottles (25%)
4. Prosecco (24%)
5. Cocktails (23%)
6. Extra chilled wine (22%)
7. Gin and tonic (16%)
8. Red wine (11%)
9. Baileys on ice (9%)
10. Whisky on the rocks (6%)

So, what makes the perfect World Cup viewing party at home? The study shows having plenty of snacks in the house (52%), having lots of cold drinks in an ice box or bucket (43%), making sure everyone has a seat (37%) and stocking up on ice for drinks (33%) are the most important factors.

The Ice Co's findings have been included in a new report by food and drink futurologist Lyndon Gee, called World Cup 2018: We'll be playing at home, not away! In the report, Lyndon has also created World Cup drinking personalities, including the Penalty Taker who loves drinking games and the Referee, who tried to organise everyone and make sure all glasses are filled equally.

Lyndon Gee, commented: “There's lots of research out there, which I've cited in my report, to show that staying in is the new going out. The rise of trends such as hygge and lagom have helped fuel all of this, with many of us preferring the comfort and cosiness of our own homes than being in a busy bar or pub. This year's World Cup is no exception, with the survey from The Ice Co clearly showing a large proportion of Brits are shunning the pub, with many people saying the environment is too “laddy” and that they would rather celebrate in a more civilised way with friends and family.

“Ice cold beer is still the most popular alcoholic drink but low and no-alcohol varieties are gaining a lot of traction. Soft drinks are no longer an afterthought for summer parties, and this is evident with the growing trend for adult soft drinks. Cocktails and mocktails are also bang on trend this summer, so we'll see many people serving these at their World Cup viewing parties.”

When it comes to the ideal number of people Brits want to invite round to their World Cup party, the study shows five or six close friends and family members is the “sweet spot”.

Ginny Durdy, marketing manager at The Ice Co, which commissioned the research, said: “Our study showed two-fifths of people (22%) hate queueing for drinks at the pub. So, one of wonderful things about hosting a World Cup party at home, is you don't have to do this! There's nothing quite like getting your friends and family round to your house for a World Cup viewing party and serving them cold soft drinks, wine and beer all day long straight from a box or bucket filled with Party Ice. It's also worth stocking up on Super Cubes or slow melting Premium Ice cubes, which are a brilliant way to keep drinks like gin and tonic, cocktails and mocktails cold while you're watching the game.”