Sports Express | August 20, 2026 Verstappen Extends Red Bull Deal to 2030

1. Verstappen extends Red Bull deal to 2030

Source: BBC Sport

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen has officially signed a new contract with Red Bull today, keeping him at the team through the end of 2030 and ending speculation about the Dutchman's future at the end of this season. He had been linked with potential moves to Mercedes or McLaren. Verstappen was previously contracted to the end of 2028, but his contract contained clauses that would have allowed him to leave at the end of the current Formula 1 season.

"I have always said it: the team is like a second family for me and I feel very at home," said the 28-year-old. Red Bull have had a difficult start to the era of new regulations introduced this season, with Verstappen's best results being two second places at the Austrian and Hungarian Grands Prix. Last season he came within two points of beating McLaren's Lando Norris to the world title. The announcement was timed to coincide with Verstappen's final home race this weekend before the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort falls off the calendar. He has won 71 grands prix alongside his four world titles, with his tally ranking third in all-time F1 history after Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.

Original link: https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/articles/c20j3j2mnpxo

2. Five Sydney Swans players suspended as sexual assault claims rock Australian sport

Source: The Athletic (The New York Times)

The scandal surrounding sexual assault allegations against five players at the Sydney Swans has shaken Australian sport. The Swans are one of the biggest clubs in Australian rules football, the country's most popular sport, which attracts more than eight million people to AFL games each year. The case has sparked intense debate about the treatment of women in Australia's national game, with the implications being discussed by some of the country's most senior politicians.

On Sunday, the Swans, who sit second in the AFL, won their penultimate game of the regular season at lowly Essendon in Melbourne. The squad stayed in the city to celebrate, with established players Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner and Nick Blakey, rising star Riley Bice and team-mate James Jordon going out drinking until the early hours, later inviting women to join them at the Pullman Hotel in East Melbourne. On Monday, allegations were made to Victoria Police, whose sexual crimes squad opened an investigation; no arrests have been made. The Swans have suspended the five players for the rest of the season. Chairman Andrew Pridham said on Wednesday: "The players involved are extremely remorseful for their actions that have breached club standards... to effectively torpedo our season by making decisions like this tells you how seriously we're taking it."

Original link: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7523704/2026/08/20/afl-sydney-swans-sex-assault-claims/

3. Markham Indy race president apologizes after botched opening day

Source: CP24

The president of the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham said Wednesday he is proud of how the event came together, but sorry that most fans went home disappointed after the event's opening day. Jeff Atkinson said setting up the track around the streets of downtown Markham for the first time and getting it approved by safety inspectors from the FIA, motorsport's world governing body, was the event's biggest challenge.

His team wasn't able to finish the course until early Saturday morning, forcing Friday's full day of on-track activities to be cancelled. "We know we disappointed a lot of the people that were here on our Ontario Honda Dealers present Free Fam Friday, and for that we're sorry," Atkinson said. "We're sorry that we weren't ready to have race cars on the track on Friday." It was the first year Markham hosted the event after it moved from Toronto's Exhibition Place, where it had been held since 1986; Markham is contracted to host it for the next four years. Saturday hosted 12 hours of on-track events for all classifications, and Sweden's Marcus Ericsson won the race on Sunday. Mayor Frank Scarpitti noted that 71% of race attendees had an easier commute with the new site, and that the city's capital spending for the race had exceeded $12 million.

Original link: https://www.cp24.com/local/york/2026/08/19/markham-indy-race-president-apologizes-after-botched-opening-day-disappoints-fans/

4. Edmonton Marathon route confirmed 674m too long

Source: BBC Sport

The organisers of the Edmonton Marathon have admitted today that the course measured more than half a kilometre too long for the 2026 edition. The annual event in Alberta, Canada is often used as a qualifier for the prestigious Boston Marathon. A number of frustrated runners voiced concerns online after the race, noting that the distance on their GPS watches was over 26.22 miles.

Organisers initially dismissed complaints but in a statement on Wednesday admitted an extra 674.7 metres (0.41 miles) was mistakenly added to the course. Race director Tom Keogh said: "We do not take this lightly. We hosted the nation's best athletes and their finishing times did not truly reflect their amazing performances." Construction work around the Wellington Bridge was cited as the main reason for the error, which forced a slight detour to the course's usual route. The extra distance means participants may have missed out on qualifying for the Boston Marathon, as well as personal best times. Organisers say they are working with Athletics Canada and other partners to determine how this year's results can be recognised.

Original link: https://www.bbc.com/sport/athletics/articles/cvgw9wlky9zo

5. US states pour taxpayer dollars into college sports as budgets strain

Source: The Associated Press (AP)

With universities competing to pay athletes millions of dollars, some US states now are propping up their strained sports budgets in ways not previously seen. The state dollars aren't going directly to star athletes, but by funding facilities and administrative costs normally borne by the schools, states are freeing universities to use their own dollars for other purposes. The athletics program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, for the first time, is receiving $3 million earmarked from state sports betting taxes. Wisconsin lawmakers approved $15 million for athletic costs at the University of Wisconsin, and Connecticut and Louisiana also are using tax dollars to support college athletics.

Daniel McIntosh, faculty director of the sports business program at Arizona State University, said: "Once one state provides that kind of assistance, schools in competing states can argue that they are being placed at a competitive disadvantage, which could create additional pressure on legislatures to respond." Over the past four years, athletic operating expenses at public Division I institutions shot up by nearly a third, notably outpacing revenue and running up deficits, according to an AP analysis using the Knight-Newhouse College Athletics Database. Meanwhile, the Protect College Sports Act, pending in the US Senate, could allow institutions to pay up to an additional $27.5 million annually to retain players, pushing the overall athlete payment cap close to $50 million. Sports business analysts see an emerging trend.

Original link: https://www.informnny.com/news/national-news/ap-states-pour-taxpayer-dollars-into-college-sports-as-athlete-pay-soaring-costs-squeeze-budgets/

6. Heat damages Parc des Princes pitch, forcing PSG to move season opener

Source: BBC Sport

Paris St-Germain have confirmed today that they have been forced to move their opening Ligue 1 game after the summer's "exceptional heatwaves" left their Parc des Princes pitch "severely damaged". The French champions had been due to start their title defence against Rennes in the capital on Sunday, but the fixture will be reversed and held in Brittany instead. LFP officials said an assessment of the pitch in Paris "did not allow the match to be played under satisfactory conditions, particularly with regard to the safety and physical integrity of the players".

PSG say they will replace the pitch at the Parc des Princes before their next home fixture against Monaco on 4 September. The club said they "fully understand the inconvenience caused by this change" but stressed it was an "exceptional situation". France had its hottest day ever on average country-wide on 24 June, with temperatures hitting almost 41C in Paris and half the nation placed under a red heat alert. Spanish club Celta Vigo were also forced to postpone their La Liga opener against Osasuna earlier this month after a fungal "disease" affected the pitch at their Estadio de Balaidos.

Original link: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cx2dwdxqylwo

7. Wolves sign Wales midfielder Jordan James on loan

Source: BBC Sport

Wolverhampton Wanderers have announced today that they have signed Wales midfielder Jordan James on loan with an option to buy at the end of the season. The 26-times capped international returns to the Midlands almost two years on from leaving boyhood club Birmingham City for French Ligue 1 club Rennes in a reported £4m deal. James spent last season back in England on loan at Leicester City, scoring 11 goals from midfield and being voted player of the season, but the Foxes were relegated to League One.

Head coach Cesar Peixoto told Wolves' website: "Jordan is a box-to-box midfielder, with a lot of quality, and knows the Championship well which is important for us. He is a clever player, an intelligent player, and can play in two or three positions in our way of playing and structure." James is the son of Wales semi-pro international defender Tony James, who made over 500 league appearances. He becomes Wolves' fourth signing of the summer and second since Peixoto's appointment in June, following Kieran Trippier, Raul Jimenez and Rafiki Said.

Original link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c5ydezl2jzdo

8. Pirates acquire veteran catcher Bethancourt from Yankees

Source: MLB.com

The Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday acquired catcher Christian Bethancourt from the New York Yankees in exchange for cash considerations. Bethancourt, who was assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis after being acquired, is expected to join Pittsburgh's Major League taxi squad in Los Angeles this weekend. Bethancourt was not on the Yankees' 40-man roster, which is why he could be traded after the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline.

"I've heard great things about him," manager Don Kelly said after Pittsburgh's 4-3 walk-off win over the Tigers on Wednesday. The acquisition points to a possible larger injury for usual starting catcher Endy Rodriguez, who was placed on the injured list on July 6 with a left glute strain and went back to the IL on Aug. 10 with left hip inflammation after playing 10 games. The 34-year-old Bethancourt has hit a combined .270 with nine doubles, 14 home runs, 45 RBI, an .811 OPS and 35 runs scored in 67 Minor League games split between the Cubs' and Yankees' Triple-A teams this season. The Panama native is a career .229 hitter with 35 home runs and 135 RBIs over 428 Major League games.

Original link: https://www.mlb.com/news/christian-bethancourt-traded-to-pirates-from-yankees

9. Groin surgery ends Sam Curran's Test recall hopes

Source: BBC Sport

England all-rounder Sam Curran has been confirmed today as ruled out of the remainder of the English season with a groin injury, ending his hopes of a potential Test comeback this summer. Surrey's Curran, 28, last played a Test in 2021 but had been considered for a recall for the series against Pakistan as England look to balance their side after the retirement of Ben Stokes. Selector Marcus North suggested Curran could have been picked for the ongoing first Test had he not been managing his fitness through The Hundred.

Further assessment has revealed Curran requires surgery on the groin issue; he will have an operation on Friday, ruling him out of the remainder of the season with Surrey and England's white-ball matches against Sri Lanka in September. In March, Curran pulled out of this year's Indian Premier League with a groin issue. Without Curran, Stokes or another seam-bowling all-rounder, England opted not to pick a frontline spinner for the first Test against Pakistan at Headingley, instead picking Dan Lawrence to bat number six and fill the role of spin bowler with his part-time off-spin.

Original link: https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/articles/cd69dd2012qo

10. Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games: six sports to follow at Saly

Source: Olympics.com

From 31 October to 13 November 2026, the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games will bring together nearly 2,700 young athletes in Senegal. In Saly, the coastal city and host venue, beach and water sports will take centre stage: beach volleyball, beach sprints rowing, triathlon, beach wrestling, sailing – windsurfing and beach handball will all take place at Saly Plage Ouest, an official competition venue and cultural festival site right by the ocean.

Wrestling is likely to be one of the most eagerly anticipated sports at Dakar 2026 given its immense popularity in Senegal, with beach wrestling competitions scheduled for 7 and 8 November. Beach handball runs from 9 to 13 November; beach sprints rowing and beach volleyball both take place from 31 October to 3 November; triathlon is set for 5 and 6 November; and the sailing – windsurfing competition runs from 8 to 12 November. Team sports, combat sports and multi-sport events will all meet on the sand and water of this iconic Senegalese coastal destination.

Original link: https://www.olympics.com/en/dakar-2026/news/six-sports-to-follow-in-saly-at-dakar-2026