The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived tonight at a star-studded gala dinner celebrating the Britain's Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

MORE than 1,800 cyclists including sports stars and celebrities took part in Ireland’s first closed-road mass participation cycle event yesterday in Co Clare.

Over 1,800 cyclists took part in Ireland’s first ever closed-road mass participation cycling event in Co Clare today.

OVER 1,750 cyclists including sports stars and celebrities will descend on Clare this weekend for Ireland’s first closed-road mass participation event.

KELLY Sotherton hopes the career of heptathlon silver medallist Lyudmila Blonska is over after the Ukrainian failed a drugs test for the second time.

Kelly Sotherton is banking on the emergence of new rising star Jessica Ennis to help her overcome her problems in the javelin and retain her position as Britain’s leading heptathlete.

Aidan Hennigan

The victims of the July 7 terror bombings were remembered across the globe today in a dignified and defiant two-minute silence.

Formula One organisers today announced a minute’s silence will be held before Sunday’s British Grand Prix as a mark of respect to those who died and were injured in the terrorist attacks in London.

The Olympic spotlight shone today on the most famous sports star to have walked the Earth: Muhammad Ali.

Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis has quit athletics.

Former EastEnders star Jill Halfpenny was today celebrating her scintillating victory in BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing Champion of Champions.

The BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing trounced ITV1’s X Factor to win their hotly contested ratings war.

EastEnders star Jill Halfpenny danced her way to glory last night to be crowned queen of the ballroom in TV’s Strictly Come Dancing.

Singers G4 and Steve Brookstein are neck and neck in the fight to win a £1m (€1.4m) record contract on tomorrow night’s X Factor final.

Venus Williams has revealed how pin-collecting has become a craze among the US tennis squad.

Venus Williams has revealed how pin-collecting has become a craze among the US tennis squad.

UK Athletics chief Max Jones today admitted Britain’s track team will struggle to match their Sydney medal haul in Athens next month – but insisted comparisons between the two games are unfair.

Darren Campbell’s anxious 36-hour wait over Olympic selection ended this morning when he was included in the Great Britain team for both the 100 and 200 metres.

Charles van Commenee, the Dutchman who guided Denise Lewis to her Olympic heptathlon gold medal four years ago, is emerging as a strong candidate to become UK Athletics’ new coaching supremo.

Olympic champion Denise Lewis returns to her home track when she competes in the Norwich Union international in Birmingham on July 25.

Olympic heptathlon champion Denise Lewis has parted company with controversial coach Dr Ekkart Arbeit, and again linked up with her former mentor Charles van Commenee.

Fierce heptathlon rivals Eunice Barber and Carolina Kluft provided a thrilling start to the World Championships here on Saturday.

Former 400m queen Marie-Jose Perec is convinced French heptathlon favourite Eunice Barber has the required spark to overcome Swedish talent Carolina Kluft and win the world crown at the Stade de France.

Olympic heptathlon champion Denise Lewis has defended her decision to utilise controversial German coach Ekkart Arbeit, claiming she is only interested in furthering her career.

Olympic champion Denise Lewis is expected to hit the comeback trail by contesting her first heptathlon since claiming victory in Sydney at the European Cup Combined Events meeting in July.

Model Sophie Dahl is turning over a new leaf – after being named as a judge for a top literary prize today.

Denise Lewis today admitted that spending too much time celebrating her Olympic gold medal played a part in her being forced to pull out of the world championships in Canada.