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Bryan Colangelo will be staying on with the Raptors is the role of president; new GM will report directly to Leiweke /1

— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) May 21, 2013

The team confirmed the move in a press release.

Colangelo will now serve as the team president and will no longer have final authority on basketball-related decisions.

Leiweke and Colangelo will conduct a search for a new general manager –- who they expect to hire in the next 30 days.

“After thorough evaluation and considering all the options, we have concluded that these changes will be in the best interest of the organization,” Leiweke said in a statement. “By splitting the roles and having both men report directly to me, we are adding depth to the basketball operations group and giving the Toronto Raptors the best chance of competing for championships in the future.

“The new GM will inherit a great situation in Toronto, as all of my due diligence around the League indicates that we have a fine, young core and a few key moves will make us a playoff contender next season.”

In his new job, Colangelo will report directly to Leiweke and will focus more on the business side of the organization.

“The future of this team and this organization excites me more than ever, and I am looking forward to being part of our future success,” Colangelo said in a statement. “I will add whatever is necessary to help improve our basketball team while also expanding my efforts to increase brand awareness and influence growth of the game across this great country.”

Colangelo and new MLSE CEO Tim Lieweke are holding a pair of conference calls on Tuesday to announce the move.

He is expected to try and help the Raptors establish a national footprint similar to what the Blue Jays possess.

Colangelo’s role as Raptors president will include consulting to Leiweke on basketball but also expanding Raptors footprint nationally. /3

— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) May 21, 2013

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After surprisingly dismissing GM Brian Burke before puck drop, the Leafs were expected to extend their playoff drought and be in the Nathan MacKinnon-Seth Jones conversation.

But a young group of players emerged for Toronto, and coach Randy Carlyle helped turn the Leafs into a playoff club for the first time since 2003-04.

While it’s easy to remember their horrific Game 7 collapse against Boston, the Leafs took a huge step forward in 2012-13.

Now the next step for GM Dave Nonis and Carlyle is helping build off their impressive playoff performance and add pieces to help turn the Leafs into a legitimate contender.

WHO SHOULD RE-SIGN

Projected cap room: $19,495,833 (via capgeek.com)

The Leafs’ biggest off-season question comes at centre, where Nonis has a decision to make on Tyler Bozak. The team already has a lot of money tied into Mikhail Grabovski, and it remains unclear how much they’d be willing to pay Bozak. His market value could exceed what the team believes he is worth.

In terms of RFAs, the Leafs have two key players to sign in Nazem Kadri and Cody Franson — both of whom took huge strides this season. Kadri should be a top-six player for years to come but could be a tough guy to sign after only really producing in the lockout-shortened season. His late-season slump could affect his asking price.

Franson was basically an afterthought coming into the season but is quickly developing into a top-four defender for Toronto and is a must-sign piece on the blue line.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

Tyler Bozak, centre: Tough call for Leafs. Bozak will see his best opportunity with Toronto but could certainly command more money on the open market.

Clarke MacArthur, left wing: Future up in the air. Played well in the playoffs after uneventful season.

Colton Orr, right wing: Favourite of Carlyle. Showed improvement after working with Dallas Eakins in AHL.

Tim Connolly, centre: Won’t be back in Toronto. Nonis wasn’t able to unload him at deadline.

Ryan Hamilton, left wing: Hard worker that can fill in when needed. Expected back with Marlies.

Ryan O’Byrne, defence: Filled void as depth defenceman. Leafs probably look to upgrade instead.

Mike Kostka, defence: Exposed as season went on. Not a horrible option as No. 7 blue-liner.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

Nazem Kadri, centre: Was scoring at a crazy rate before late-season slump. Short-term deal would be ideal for both sides.

Joe Colborne, centre: Still a project, but Leafs like upside. Potential Bozak fill-in.

Leo Komarov, centre: Pesky forward helped change Leafs’ identity. Nice bottom-six player.

Frazer McLaren, left wing: Carlyle favourite during regular season but a very replaceable piece.

Cody Franson, defence: Took huge step forward in 2013. Developed into a core figure on defence.

Carl Gunnarsson, defence: Reliable piece for back-end who should return in 2013-14.

Mark Fraser, defence: Performed above expectations, but future remains unclear after injury.

FREE AGENT FITS

David Clarkson, right wing: Leafs still need size in top-six, and Clarkson is that rare tough guy who can also score.

Mike Ribeiro, centre: Would be a nice fit with Phil Kessel or Joffrey Lupul if Leafs move on from Bozak.

Rob Scuderi, defence: Veteran would be ideal addition to blue line that lacks toughness, experience.

The post Off-season outlook: Will Leafs re-sign Bozak? appeared first on Sportsnet.ca.

So on Monday night, when Pavel Datsyuk stretched to his arms’ limit to corral a Johan Franzen pass and fired a wrister that traveled about as fast as a car in the far-left lane over Corey Crawford’s right shoulder, even Kessel — a wristshot specialist in his own right — took notice.

That wasn’t a bad shot

— Phil Kessel (@PKessel81) May 21, 2013

Datsyuk’s dart — eerily similar to the forward’s Round 1 laser — enters and exits the net so fast, a photograph of the goal shows the Chicago Blackhawks goalie still looking forward at Datsyuk as the puck is leaving the back of the net.

The marker capped off the Wings’ Game 3 victory and sealed their surprising 2-1 series lead over the favoured Presidents’ Trophy champs. It also provided assist man Franzen with some small vengeance, as the big Swede was crunched into the boards on a play that led to the Blackhawks’ goal earlier int he period:

If for nothing else than providing a steady stream of Gotta See It fodder, we hope Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock is correct in betting that Datsyuk will not bolt for the Kontinental Hockey League after next season.

2-1. Great game. Preparation for game 4 starts now!

— Pavel Datsyuk (@Datsyuk13) May 21, 2013

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A report posted on the Denver Post’s website Monday night says Roy’s younger brother, Stephane Roy, leaked the impending announcement.

“They’re discussing the final details of an arrangement,” Stephane Roy told the denverpost.com. “Colorado is going to be very happy. Patrick is looking for a new challenge.”

Patrick Roy would take over from fired Joe Sacco, who was let go after Colorado finished this season last in the Western Conference with a 16-25 record.

Roy played in Colorado for eight seasons before retiring in 2003. He won a Stanley Cup with the Avs in 1996 and 2001.

After retiring, the 47-year-old bought into the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, becoming vice president of hockey operations and then their head coach in 2005. Roy led the Remparts to a Memorial Cup victory the following season.

Roy would be reunited with former teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Joe Sakic, who became the vice president of hockey operations on May 10.

Stephane Roy told the Denver Post that Sakic has been at Patrick’s home in Florida the last few days working out the arrangements.

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“I put it in my mind to go aggressive and look for a pitch I could make a good swing on,” Encarnacion said.

The Blue Jays, now 18-26, had loaded the bases for Encarnacion when reliever Josh Lueke walked Emilio Bonifacio, Munenori Kawasaki and Jose Bautista. All three runners scored on the double, which proved to be the decisive hit in a 7-5 Blue Jays win.

“It was just a good win all around,” third baseman Brett Lawrie said. “Eddie with the big hit for us with two outs there. That got the game right there pretty much.”

R.A. Dickey pitched effectively for eight innings, holding the Rays to three runs, only two of which were earned. The knuckleballer said after the game that walks have inflated his pitch counts unnecessarily of late.

“I’ve felt like I’ve been stuck in a quagmire for the last week, two weeks, so it’s nice to feel like you get one foot out of it.”

Dickey allowed four hits and four walks while striking out five. He’s still looking for consistency with his primary pitch.

“The knuckleball can be a very capricious animal,” he said. “It’s there one batter and then it kind of goes away. I mean you can throw great ones and they’re just not strikes. I had big movement today and four hits (allowed) is probably indicative of good movement, but it’s still tougher when the velocity’s a little bit lower.”

Casey Janssen pitched the ninth inning for the Blue Jays, allowing two runs to score in his first appearance since May 11. Janssen allowed a home run to former Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar and walked Matt Joyce in an uncharacteristically shaky outing.

Right-hander Jake Odorizzi made his Rays debut in place of injured starter David Price. Odorizzi, a major piece in the trade that sent James Shields to the Kansas City Royals, looked strong, allowing three earned runs in five innings while striking out five.

“He knows what he’s doing out there,” said Toronto manager John Gibbons, who was in the Royals organization at the same time as Odorizzi. “He’s got a chance to be a good one.”

THE BATS: The Blue Jays opened the scoring with two runs in the first inning. Melky Cabrera and Encarnacion singled, putting runners on the corners with one out. Adam Lind drove in the game’s first run when a 12-pitch plate appearance ended with a sacrifice fly. One batter later Lawrie tripled in Encarnacion to make it 2-0.

The Blue Jays took a 3-0 lead in the second inning on doubles by Henry Blanco and Cabrera, but their three-run advantage didn’t last long thanks to Evan Longoria. The hot-hitting third baseman scored after leading off the second inning with a single, then doubled home two runs the following inning.

The Blue Jays start Blanco when Dickey pitches because the veteran backstop is viewed as the club’s best receiver of the knuckleball. That’s not quite the way it worked out Monday, as Blanco allowed two passed balls on defence. He made up for it on offence, contributing a double and two walks.

THE ARMS: Dickey pitched eight strong innings before handing over the ball to Janssen, who allowed Escobar’s two-run home run. Dickey recorded a quality start for the third consecutive time.

“He’s on a nice little roll,” Gibbons said. “If you look at the way he pitches, he usually gets stronger as the game goes on and finds that groove.”

Dickey said he liked pitching with the Rogers Centre dome open and that it should be a non-issue going forward.

“R.A. pitched magnificent today,” Lawrie said. “He got outs, got us in the dugout, allowed us to do our jobs and put runs on the board.”

GOSE DEBUTS: Anthony Gose made his season debut as a late-game defensive replacement for Cabrera in left field. Gibbons said before Monday’s game that the organization’s decision makers believe Gose has lots of long-term value, even though he’ll be a bench player for now.

“We’re really high on him. We think he’s got future here,” Gibbons said.

Gose flied out to left field in his first plate appearance of the season. The manager said after the game that he inserted Gose into the contest for defensive reasons.

“He’s one of the better outfielders around,” Gibbons said.

ESCOBAR RETURNS: Escobar was greeted with steady boos in his first appearance at Rogers Centre since being traded last November. He hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning to make the score 7-5. Escobar extended his arms to his sides when he crossed home plate, but Janssen said after the game that he wasn’t taking the forceful gesture personally.

“I didn’t see it,” he said. “I don’t think he was doing anything directed at me.”

Earlier in the game Escobar made a throwing error, allowing Encarnacion to advance two bases.

The Blue Jays traded Escobar to Miami after a disappointing season that reached a low point when the shortstop wrote a homophobic slur on his eye-black.

INJURY UPDATES: Dickey, who dealt with neck and back pain earlier in the season, indicated that he’s not pitching at full strength.

“I’m not going to say I feel great. I’ve had a few maladies over the season and I’m hopeful to continue to progress, but I’m not all the way there quite yet,” Dickey said.

The Blue Jays’ closer isn’t perfectly healthy, either. The team continues monitoring Janssen’s workload since his pitching shoulder isn’t yet at full strength.

“I don’t think it’s getting any better,” Janssen said. “Definitely not worse. It’s just the progress isn’t gaining.”

The right-hander said he worked some kinks out against the Rays and expects to feel strong for Tuesday’s game.

Gibbons suggested that right-hander Josh Johnson will pitch approximately three innings and 45-50 pitches in his first rehab start with the Dunedin Blue Jays Monday night. Johnson, who is not a candidate to start against the Baltimore Orioles Friday, is recovering from a triceps injury.

Shortstop Jose Reyes played catch on the field before Monday’s game. The injured shortstop must successfully run the bases and complete a minor league rehab assignment before returning to the big-league roster.

WHERE THINGS STAND: The Blue Jays are now 18-26 after defeating the Rays in front of 29,885 on Victoria Day. Meanwhile, the Rays fall to 23-21.

The teams play again Tuesday when Alex Cobb faces Ramon Ortiz in the second game of the three-game series. Ortiz, who turns 40 Thursday, has pitched well in a pair of starts for the Blue Jays, allowing two earned runs in 12 innings.

Cobb has turned quality starts six of the eight times he has pitched this year. The 25-year-old right-hander has a 2.89 ERA through 53 innings.

NOTES: On pleasant days like Monday, the Blue Jays will play with the roof open regardless of the preferences of their starting pitchers … Second base umpire CB Bucknor clearly missed a call when he said Blanco slid into second base safely in the second inning … Gibbons put Lind in the cleanup spot because of his recent production.

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Personality vs. Behaviour

Vitor Belfort’s knockout of Luke Rockhold in the main event was a sight to behold. The Brazilian’s evolution as a mixed martial artist is inspiring to yours truly, having been lucky enough to watch him since his professional debut, a devastating pounding of John Hess in Hawaii in 1996. Seventeen years later, he’s still around, but his reputation is being questioned with the TRT cloud hovering above him.

Say what you will about Vitor and TRT, but there are certain truths that I agree with. TRT didn’t throw that kick that won Vitor the fight, and like many a mixed martial artist has stated before, you can’t inject it into your chin.

In essence, it may help a fighter recover during training camp, but it doesn’t make their chin and heart any stronger. You either have those attributes, or you don’t. The TRT debate will continue for awhile, and until changes are made in the sport, it will be discussed to no end.

I may oppose its use in the sport, fearing any consequences that may occur if a fighter seriously hurts or kills an opponent, and it is then discovered the victor was full of synthetic testosterone. But its current use is legal, so it is something I understand, but necessarily respect.

During my corporate management days, I remember being taught the importance of carefully understanding the difference between an employee’s personality and their behaviour. It was a lesson I learned quickly and whose model I follow to this day. There is a poignant difference between many actions that show a trend versus one action that may point out an anomaly.

Belfort has long been considered a stellar ambassador for MMA, but at Saturday’s post-fight press conference, I was appalled by his words and behaviour, which I reiterate, and hope, was just a onetime thing and I will not use to change my overall opinion of “The Phenom.”

Unfortunate Reaction

Eighteen-and-a-half minutes into the post fight press conference, USA Today and MMAJunkie.com’s John Morgan asked Vitor if it was frustrating to deal with questions about testosterone every time he does something good.

Belfort was not in the mood to answer the question, looked into the crowd and asked, “can somebody beat him up for me, please?” He then proceeded to mock Morgan which altogether was something I found incredibly difficult to digest.

There is a behind-the-scenes perception about covering the UFC in Brazil — it’s as if there is a “do so at your own risk” caveat. Personally, my own Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructors, three of which hail from different parts of Brazil, have sat me down and offered their thoughts on how to best enjoy my time in their homeland.

At the forefront were personal security and my well being — a consistent theme and coincidentally the top item they each spoke to me about. After these different discussions, I’ll admit, I was worried. What if I was sent down to cover an event in Brazil? Should I or shouldn’t I? It would be a dream of mine to go down there, but at what risk? To wit, one of my instructors made it crystal clear, that if I do go down, he would come with me and be my shadow for the duration of the trip.

Truth be told, if offered, nothing would stop me from going to Brazil. It’s one of the most beautiful destinations on the planet and I would go in a heartbeat, but would ensure, just like when I visit the U.S., Japan, Italy or any other international destination, that safety would be my top priority. So, when Morgan, an international visitor to Brazil, a father and husband, simply doing his job, has his well being threatened by one of the countries MMA stars, I can’t explain to you how worried I was for him.

Still “The Phenom”

Does this change my view of Belfort? Not really, I still consider him an MMA legend and pioneer who, truth be told, is one of the nicest guys in the game. His personality has long been one I respect, but this one behaviour was shocking. It may have been a joke, but how many Brazilians have been upset with Chael Sonnen’s jokes about their nation? One of them went after Chael during the TUF finale. Fans take what many stars of this sport say seriously, especially those who are proud of their heritage.

Thankfully nothing happened to Morgan, but if something did? How would Vitor explain that to his beloved children? Belfort holds a lot of cachet with the public in his homeland, and deservedly so, but no matter how annoyed he was, I was more appreciative of when he stated that he would not answer any more questions from John — perhaps even a “no comment” would have sufficed. Considering what Vitor stands for, believes, and preaches, it simply was the complete opposite of what his usual message was.

One of his own peers, a professional mixed martial artist who asked to remain anonymous, texted me shortly thereafter explaining how difficult it is for him to go to an elementary or high school to do an anti-bully talk, and someone like Belfort is bullying reporters. He went on to say how it is not the image the UFC wants, and likely not Vitor either.

I’m also surprised there has been no word from the UFC yet, about this incident. But I’ll be speaking with the organization, in person, in just a few days, as I head down to Las Vegas with the UFC Central team to cover UFC 160: Velasquez vs. Bigfoot 2.

Stay tuned…

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Highlighted by an atrocious outing by the Detroit Red Wings’ newly stinkin’ rich goaltender, Jimmy Howard, here are the wild — and wildly soft — goals scored in the Western Conference games.

• The puck gets caught in a wandering Jimmy Howard’s skates and he obliviously puts it in his own net, giving The Calgary Flames’ Steve Begin one of two easy goals on the night. Begin had previously caught Howard misplaying the puck behind his goal and scored a gimme into a vacant cage:

Wow, saw Jimmy Howard’s last 2 GA last night. Did he go on a binge & spend ALL that contract money yesterday afternoon? Ugly performance.

— Greg Brady (@bradyfan590) April 18, 2013

• Johan Franzen beats Miikka Kiprusoff on an innocent-looking backhanded dump-in from centre ice:

Fluky & ugly goals going in all over the place in CGY/DET 3rd. A Franzen dump in bounces past Kiprusoff & DET down 3-2 w/under 2 to play

— Matt Brown (@mbrownSN590) April 18, 2013

• And a personal favourite. From close range, Anaheim’s David Steckel bats the puck off a defender’s stick and it flies skyward. No one knows where it is. It lofts over Columbus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, lands in the crease and trickles over the line:

#AnaheimDucksGoooaaalll David Steckel’s shot goes about 10 feet in the air and drops BEHIND Bobrovsky and into the net! 2-1 #NHLDucks.

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) April 18, 2013

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So on Monday night, when Pavel Datsyuk stretched to his arms’ limit to corral a Johan Franzen pass and fired a wrister that traveled about as fast as a car in the far-left lane over Corey Crawford’s right shoulder, even Kessel — a wristshot specialist in his own right — took notice.

That wasn’t a bad shot

— Phil Kessel (@PKessel81) May 21, 2013

Datsyuk’s dart — eerily similar to the forward’s Round 1 laser — enters and exits the net so fast, a photograph of the goal shows the Chicago Blackhawks goalie still looking forward at Datsyuk as the puck is leaving the back of the net.

The marker capped off the Wings’ Game 3 victory and sealed their surprising 2-1 series lead over the favoured Presidents’ Trophy champs. It also provided assist man Franzen with some small vengeance, as the big Swede was crunched into the boards on a play that led to the Blackhawks’ goal earlier int he period:

If for nothing else than providing a steady stream of Gotta See It fodder, we hope Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock is correct in betting that Datsyuk will not bolt for the Kontinental Hockey League after next season.

2-1. Great game. Preparation for game 4 starts now!

— Pavel Datsyuk (@Datsyuk13) May 21, 2013

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On April 17, Toronto Sun columnist Steve Simmons wrote that “insiders” had informed him that Colangelo had been looking to let Casey go, but he had been denied the right to do so.

Later in the day, Simmons wrote that Colangelo sent him a text which read, “Your speculation about me trying to fire DC this year is absolutely false. Your ‘insiders’ are not accurate.”

The future of the Raptors remains up in the air as we enter the off-season.

Casey has one year remaining on his current contract while the Raptors have yet to announce a decision on whether they will pick up the option year on Colangelo’s contract.

Tom Anselmi, president and chief operating officer of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, told Simmons that the board will soon decide on Colangelo’s future and that either he or Colangelo’s successor will then have final say on Casey.

The dominoes are not expected to fall with the Raptors at any point soon as no board meetings are currently scheduled.

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After surprisingly dismissing GM Brian Burke before puck drop, the Leafs were expected to extend their playoff drought and be in the Nathan MacKinnon-Seth Jones conversation.

But a young group of players emerged for Toronto, and coach Randy Carlyle helped turn the Leafs into a playoff club for the first time since 2003-04.

While it’s easy to remember their horrific Game 7 collapse against Boston, the Leafs took a huge step forward in 2012-13.

Now the next step for GM Dave Nonis and Carlyle is helping build off their impressive playoff performance and add pieces to help turn the Leafs into a legitimate contender.

WHO SHOULD RE-SIGN

Projected cap room: $19,495,833 (via capgeek.com)

The Leafs’ biggest off-season question comes at centre, where Nonis has a decision to make on Tyler Bozak. The team already has a lot of money tied into Mikhail Grabovski, and it remains unclear how much they’d be willing to pay Bozak. His market value could exceed what the team believes he is worth.

In terms of RFAs, the Leafs have two key players to sign in Nazem Kadri and Cody Franson — both of whom took huge strides this season. Kadri should be a top-six player for years to come but could be a tough guy to sign after only really producing in the lockout-shortened season. His late-season slump could affect his asking price.

Franson was basically an afterthought coming into the season but is quickly developing into a top-four defender for Toronto and is a must-sign piece on the blue line.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

Tyler Bozak, centre: Tough call for Leafs. Bozak will see his best opportunity with Toronto but could certainly command more money on the open market.

Clarke MacArthur, left wing: Future up in the air. Played well in the playoffs after uneventful season.

Colton Orr, right wing: Favourite of Carlyle. Showed improvement after working with Dallas Eakins in AHL.

Tim Connolly, centre: Won’t be back in Toronto. Nonis wasn’t able to unload him at deadline.

Ryan Hamilton, left wing: Hard worker that can fill in when needed. Expected back with Marlies.

Ryan O’Byrne, defence: Filled void as depth defenceman. Leafs probably look to upgrade instead.

Mike Kostka, defence: Exposed as season went on. Not a horrible option as No. 7 blue-liner.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

Nazem Kadri, centre: Was scoring at a crazy rate before late-season slump. Short-term deal would be ideal for both sides.

Joe Colborne, centre: Still a project, but Leafs like upside. Potential Bozak fill-in.

Leo Komarov, centre: Pesky forward helped change Leafs’ identity. Nice bottom-six player.

Frazer McLaren, left wing: Carlyle favourite during regular season but a very replaceable piece.

Cody Franson, defence: Took huge step forward in 2013. Developed into a core figure on defence.

Carl Gunnarsson, defence: Reliable piece for back-end who should return in 2013-14.

Mark Fraser, defence: Performed above expectations, but future remains unclear after injury.

FREE AGENT FITS

David Clarkson, right wing: Leafs still need size in top-six, and Clarkson is that rare tough guy who can also score.

Mike Ribeiro, centre: Would be a nice fit with Phil Kessel or Joffrey Lupul if Leafs move on from Bozak.

Rob Scuderi, defence: Veteran would be ideal addition to blue line that lacks toughness, experience.

The post Off-season outlook: Will Leafs re-sign Bozak? appeared first on Sportsnet.ca.

The 37-year-old Scot spearheaded Britain’s surge to the forefront of world track cycling, winning his first Olympic gold in Athens in 2004 and capturing three more in Beijing in 2008 and another two at his home games in London last year.

“I know I have done everything I can and it would be a mistake to go on,” Hoy said. “I have had my time in the sun. It’s time for other athletes to have their share.”

His haul of six golds is one more than British rowing great Steve Redgrave, who won five from 1984-2000. Hoy also won a silver medal at the 2000 Games in Sydney.

Hoy, who won 11 world titles, decided against extending his career to the 2014 Commonwealth Games, which will be held in Glasgow in his native Scotland.

“Maybe it’s greedy but it would have been the ideal swansong,” Hoy said at a news conference at Murrayfield in Edinburgh.

Hoy’s last race at the top level was his gold-medal ride in the keirin at the London Olympics when he held off Maximilian Levy of Germany in the home straight.

Hoy received a knighthood in 2008 and is known as Sir Chris.

“The impact that Sir Chris Hoy has had on our sport since he won his first gold medal in Athens in 2004 is unparalleled,” British Cycling president Brian Cookson said. “It goes without saying that not only is Chris an absolutely phenomenal athlete, but he is also an exceptional individual. The fact that he’s acquired six gold medals and is Britain’s most successful ever Olympian is testament to this.”

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