Naana&nbsp;Oppon, the newly crowned&nbsp;British&nbsp;tumbling champion at the age of 16, heads to the Trampolining&nbsp;World&nbsp;Championships this week confident of winning a medal and encouraging more "black or girls of colour" to take up the sport. Oppon&nbsp;says she "loves seeing the&nbsp;world&nbsp;upside down" as she jumps and twists down the 25-metre (82-foot) track with only her hands and feet allowed to touch the surface.

"As much as you have to stay focused there is also a sense of freedom and it is great fun," she told AFP in a Zoom interview. "It comes with a lot of skills. It is a very power-based sport and that was what drew me in."

Oppon&nbsp;says she was a "very active girl" and aged four took up tumbling, a trampoline gymnastics discipline that falls under the aegis of the International Gymnastics Federation. Her progress has been so swift that she has been described by coaches as the sport's Usain Bolt and compared to American gymnastics superstar Simone Biles. Not surprisingly she identifies strongly with the American four-time Olympic&nbsp;gold&nbsp;medallist and says she "absolutely" hopes she can be as inspirational as Biles.

"In the gym, people doing tumbling specifically do not look like me, either black or people of colour. The way Biles carries herself has been a big inspiration,"&nbsp;Oppon&nbsp;said. "I think I have already definitely inspired the black community and people of colour to try tumbling out.

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"Anyone can join." Oppon&nbsp;accepts she could inspire even more to take it up if she were to win a medal at the&nbsp;world&nbsp;championships which take place in the English city of Birmingham from Thursday to Sunday. "I do definitely think it's realistic to win a medal in the team or individual," she said. "It would mean a lot to win a medal as it means all the hard work and sacrifices made by me and my family were worthwhile."&nbsp;Cirque du Soleil dream.

<h2>Cirque du Soleil dream</h2>

For&nbsp;Oppon&nbsp;to fulfil her dream, she has had to lead a life far from that of a normal teenager. "I have made quite a few sacrifices, especially my social life and hanging out with friends," she said.

"I have also been a little behind with schoolwork because I have been training in two gyms for the past year and a half. "However, it balances out in the end, I guess."

Her parents, mother Antonia and father Paul, have also sacrificed a lot by, at one point, taking two jobs each to finance expenses that amount to roughly 700 pounds ($850) a month -- as tumbling does not receive the funding from the lottery that Olympic sports do. However, supermarket worker Antonia gave up one of her jobs so she could drive&nbsp;Oppon&nbsp;to one of the gyms that is quite a distance from their home.

Paul still works two jobs and&nbsp;Oppon&nbsp;says her sister is also supportive of her pursuit of her goal. The&nbsp;British&nbsp;title in September therefore made her proud that she had repaid their time and efforts.

"I am very, very proud of myself as it was not really what I expected to do," she said. "I was really just hoping to do my best but I did even better than that and came out on top.

"It was a very nice outcome." As it turns out she was not so far behind in her schoolwork and despite being "very, very nervous" about her GCSE exams she got "very good" results.

Oppon&nbsp;says while she is focused on her sport, the worlds are the pinnacle for her discipline as it is not part of the trampolining category at the Olympics -- she also has an eye on what is to come after school. Further down the line, she envisages "learning sign language" and either being a sports physiotherapist or a sports psychologist -- but before then a year at the circus appeals, but no ordinary one.&nbsp;

"I would like to take a year off after school and join Cirque du Soleil," she said. "It would be a really amazing experience to be part of that."After all tumbling is quite a part of it."

Naana Oppon, the newly crowned British tumbling champion at the age of 16, heads to the Trampolining World Championships this week confident of winning a medal and encouraging more "black or girls of colour" to take up the sport.

Naana Oppon, the newly crowned British tumbling champion at the age of 16, heads to the Trampolining World Championships this week confident of winning a medal and encouraging more "black or girls of colour" to take up the sport. Oppon says she "loves seeing the world upside down" as she jumps and twists down the 25-metre (82-foot) track with only her hands and feet allowed to touch the surface. "As much as you have to stay focused there is also a sense of freedom and it is great fun," she told AFP in a Zoom interview. "It comes with a lot of skills. It is a very power-based sport and that was what drew me in." Oppon says she was a "very active girl" and aged four took up tumbling, a trampoline gymnastics discipline that falls under the aegis of the International Gymnastics Federation. Her progress has been so swift that she has been described by coaches as the sport's Usain Bolt and compared to American gymnastics superstar Simone Biles. Not surprisingly she identifies strongly with the American four-time Olympic gold medallist and says she "absolutely" hopes she can be as inspirational as Biles. "In the gym, people doing tumbling specifically do not look like me, either black or people of colour. The way Biles carries herself has been a big inspiration," Oppon said. "I think I have already definitely inspired the black community and people of colour to try tumbling out. Also Read: NBA: Franz Wagner's 31 points help Orlando Magic beat Washington Wizards; register eighth consecutive win "Anyone can join." Oppon accepts she could inspire even more to take it up if she were to win a medal at the world championships which take place in the English city of Birmingham from Thursday to Sunday. "I do definitely think it's realistic to win a medal in the team or individual," she said. "It would mean a lot to win a medal as it means all the hard work and sacrifices made by me and my family were worthwhile." Cirque du Soleil dream. Cirque du Soleil dream For Oppon to fulfil her dream, she has had to lead a life far from that of a normal teenager. "I have made quite a few sacrifices, especially my social life and hanging out with friends," she said. "I have also been a little behind with schoolwork because I have been training in two gyms for the past year and a half. "However, it balances out in the end, I guess." Her parents, mother Antonia and father Paul, have also sacrificed a lot by, at one point, taking two jobs each to finance expenses that amount to roughly 700 pounds ($850) a month -- as tumbling does not receive the funding from the lottery that Olympic sports do. However, supermarket worker Antonia gave up one of her jobs so she could drive Oppon to one of the gyms that is quite a distance from their home. Paul still works two jobs and Oppon says her sister is also supportive of her pursuit of her goal. The British title in September therefore made her proud that she had repaid their time and efforts. "I am very, very proud of myself as it was not really what I expected to do," she said. "I was really just hoping to do my best but I did even better than that and came out on top. "It was a very nice outcome." As it turns out she was not so far behind in her schoolwork and despite being "very, very nervous" about her GCSE exams she got "very good" results. Oppon says while she is focused on her sport, the worlds are the pinnacle for her discipline as it is not part of the trampolining category at the Olympics -- she also has an eye on what is to come after school. Further down the line, she envisages "learning sign language" and either being a sports physiotherapist or a sports psychologist -- but before then a year at the circus appeals, but no ordinary one. "I would like to take a year off after school and join Cirque du Soleil," she said. "It would be a really amazing experience to be part of that."After all tumbling is quite a part of it."

Tumbling champion Naana Oppon heads to trampolining World Championship

On Sunday (August 27), India's javelin&nbsp;star Neeraj Chopra created history by securing gold in the World Athletics Championships final with a throw of 88.17 metres. Having already won gold in the Tokyo Olympics and during the&nbsp;Diamond League&nbsp;in 2022, the 25-year-old Indian star continues to make waves with another thundering result in the just-concluded World C'ships in Budapest, Hungary.

After becoming the first-ever Indian to win gold in the world event, Chopra was on cloud nine. He&nbsp;said, "I still have a lot to achieve. It’s not as if I have won all these medals so I’ll rest easy. I want to repeat this success year after year. I also want more Indians to join me on the podium. That will be fun."

Post his historic win, Chopra won hearts outside the track as well. A Hungarian fan came towards him and wanted an autograph on the Indian flag. The Indian superstar denied with a heartfelt reply but gave the lady an autograph on her t-shirt&nbsp;sleeve.&nbsp;Check out the viral post:

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A Hungarian lady wanted Neeraj Chopra's autograph on the Indian flag, Neeraj denied her and said 'I cannot sign it on the flag'. Later he signed it on the lady's tshirt sleeves. (Sportstar). 
 
- The respect and admiration Neeraj has for the Indian flag! 🇮🇳 <a href="https://t.co/tei4Xsy4fM">pic.twitter.com/tei4Xsy4fM</a>
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) <a href="https://twitter.com/mufaddal_vohra/status/1696010907522863534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/neeraj-chopras-gold-medal-throw-at-world-athletics-and-warm-gesture-for-paks-arshad-nadeem-watch-629824">Neeraj Chopra's gold medal throw at World Athletics and warm gesture for Pak's Arshad Nadeem - WATCH</a>

As Chopra continues to make India proud globally and looks set for further glory in the Paris Olympics next year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also lauded the youngster for his recent achievement. "The talented @Neeraj_chopra1 exemplifies excellence. His dedication, precision and passion make him not just a champion in athletics but a symbol of unparalleled excellence in the entire sports world. Congrats to him for winning the Gold at the World Athletics Championships," wrote&nbsp;PM Modi on social media platform X,&nbsp;formerly known as Twitter.&nbsp;

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The talented <a href="https://twitter.com/Neeraj_chopra1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Neeraj_chopra1</a> exemplifies excellence. His dedication, precision and passion make him not just a champion in athletics but a symbol of unparalleled excellence in the entire sports world. Congrats to him for winning the Gold at the World Athletics Championships. <a href="https://t.co/KsOsGmScER">pic.twitter.com/KsOsGmScER</a>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1695979426163700082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<h2>'Winning medals does not mean we have done everything'</h2>

At the post-match presentation, Chopra opined, "The biggest thing is I still have many more throws in me and the saying goes that ‘throwers don’t have a finishing line’. So I can push myself, it is motivation to see how many medals one can win. Winning medals does not mean we have done everything. There are so many athletes who have won multiple medals. So I will push myself much more and work harder."

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On Sunday (August 27), India's javelin star Neeraj Chopra created history by securing gold in the World Athletics Championships final with a throw of 88.17 metres.

On Sunday (August 27), India's javelin star Neeraj Chopra created history by securing gold in the World Athletics Championships final with a throw of 88.17 metres. Having already won gold in the Tokyo Olympics and during the Diamond League in 2022, the 25-year-old Indian star continues to make waves with another thundering result in the just-concluded World C'ships in Budapest, Hungary. After becoming the first-ever Indian to win gold in the world event, Chopra was on cloud nine. He said, "I still have a lot to achieve. It’s not as if I have won all these medals so I’ll rest easy. I want to repeat this success year after year. I also want more Indians to join me on the podium. That will be fun." Post his historic win, Chopra won hearts outside the track as well. A Hungarian fan came towards him and wanted an autograph on the Indian flag. The Indian superstar denied with a heartfelt reply but gave the lady an autograph on her t-shirt sleeve. Check out the viral post: A Hungarian lady wanted Neeraj Chopra's autograph on the Indian flag, Neeraj denied her and said 'I cannot sign it on the flag'. Later he signed it on the lady's tshirt sleeves. (Sportstar). - The respect and admiration Neeraj has for the Indian flag! 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/tei4Xsy4fM — Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) August 28, 2023 × Also read: Neeraj Chopra's gold medal throw at World Athletics and warm gesture for Pak's Arshad Nadeem - WATCH As Chopra continues to make India proud globally and looks set for further glory in the Paris Olympics next year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also lauded the youngster for his recent achievement. "The talented @Neeraj_chopra1 exemplifies excellence. His dedication, precision and passion make him not just a champion in athletics but a symbol of unparalleled excellence in the entire sports world. Congrats to him for winning the Gold at the World Athletics Championships," wrote PM Modi on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The talented @Neeraj_chopra1 exemplifies excellence. His dedication, precision and passion make him not just a champion in athletics but a symbol of unparalleled excellence in the entire sports world. Congrats to him for winning the Gold at the World Athletics Championships. pic.twitter.com/KsOsGmScER — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 28, 2023 × 'Winning medals does not mean we have done everything' At the post-match presentation, Chopra opined, "The biggest thing is I still have many more throws in me and the saying goes that ‘throwers don’t have a finishing line’. So I can push myself, it is motivation to see how many medals one can win. Winning medals does not mean we have done everything. There are so many athletes who have won multiple medals. So I will push myself much more and work harder." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'Can't sign on Indian flag': Chopra wins hearts after encounter with Hungarian fan post World Athletics gold

Australia's Mollie O'Callaghan stormed to victory in the women's 100 metres freestyle race at the World Aquatics Championships on Friday, capturing gold in a time of 52.16 seconds to defend her title and complete a sprint sweep.

Australia had dominated the event with three titles in the previous five editions of the championships thanks to victories by O'Callaghan at Budapest in 2022, Bronte Campbell at Kazan in 2015 and Cate Campbell at Barcelona in 2013. The 19-year-old O'Callaghan ensured that fine run continued by finishing strongly to edge out Siobhan Haughey of Hong Kong who grabbed silver in 52.49 seconds.

O'Callaghan also became the first woman to win the 100m and 200m titles at the same worlds. Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands set the pace in the semi-finals but had to be content with bronze after coming home 0.55 seconds behind the winner. South Africa's Tatjana Schoenmaker had set the benchmark in the women's 200m breaststroke with the quickest semi-final time and the 26-year-old will look to claim her first gold of this year's meet later after a silver over 100m earlier this week.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-england-beat-denmark-to-stand-on-verge-of-fifa-world-cup-last-16-620272">Football: England beat Denmark to stand on verge of FIFA World Cup last 16</a>

Looking to deny her will be Tes Schouten of the Netherlands and American Kate Douglass, with the top three separated by only 0.68 seconds ahead of the final. American Ryan Murphy faces a tough task in his quest to retain his men's 200m backstroke crown, with the trio of Roman Mityukov, Benedek Bendeguz Kovacs and Hubert Kos all going faster than the 28-year-old in the semi-finals.

Victory for the experienced Murphy over his younger rivals will complete a superb double at Fukuoka, after he won the 100m backstroke title beating the fancied Thomas Ceccon of Italy. Australia's Zac Stubblety-Cook is the overwhelming favourite to defend his men's 200m breaststroke title after solid displays in the preliminary races and the 24-year-old will aim to lower his own world record of 2:05.95 set in Adelaide last year.

His biggest challenger will be China's Qin Haiyang, who is looking for a third gold after wrapping up breaststroke titles over 50m and 100m at the Marine Messe Hall. Qin was 0.43 seconds slower than Stubblety-Cook after the semis with American Matt Fallon a further 0.20 seconds away.

Australia will look to boost their gold medal tally further when their men's team take to the pool for the 4x200m freestyle relay with the U.S., Italy and Britain set to challenge in the day's final race. 
 
&nbsp;

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Australia's Mollie O'Callaghan stormed to victory in the women's 100 metres freestyle race at the World Aquatics Championships on Friday, capturing gold in a time of 52.

Australia's Mollie O'Callaghan stormed to victory in the women's 100 metres freestyle race at the World Aquatics Championships on Friday, capturing gold in a time of 52.16 seconds to defend her title and complete a sprint sweep. Australia had dominated the event with three titles in the previous five editions of the championships thanks to victories by O'Callaghan at Budapest in 2022, Bronte Campbell at Kazan in 2015 and Cate Campbell at Barcelona in 2013. The 19-year-old O'Callaghan ensured that fine run continued by finishing strongly to edge out Siobhan Haughey of Hong Kong who grabbed silver in 52.49 seconds. O'Callaghan also became the first woman to win the 100m and 200m titles at the same worlds. Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands set the pace in the semi-finals but had to be content with bronze after coming home 0.55 seconds behind the winner. South Africa's Tatjana Schoenmaker had set the benchmark in the women's 200m breaststroke with the quickest semi-final time and the 26-year-old will look to claim her first gold of this year's meet later after a silver over 100m earlier this week. Also read: Football: England beat Denmark to stand on verge of FIFA World Cup last 16 Looking to deny her will be Tes Schouten of the Netherlands and American Kate Douglass, with the top three separated by only 0.68 seconds ahead of the final. American Ryan Murphy faces a tough task in his quest to retain his men's 200m backstroke crown, with the trio of Roman Mityukov, Benedek Bendeguz Kovacs and Hubert Kos all going faster than the 28-year-old in the semi-finals. Victory for the experienced Murphy over his younger rivals will complete a superb double at Fukuoka, after he won the 100m backstroke title beating the fancied Thomas Ceccon of Italy. Australia's Zac Stubblety-Cook is the overwhelming favourite to defend his men's 200m breaststroke title after solid displays in the preliminary races and the 24-year-old will aim to lower his own world record of 2:05.95 set in Adelaide last year. His biggest challenger will be China's Qin Haiyang, who is looking for a third gold after wrapping up breaststroke titles over 50m and 100m at the Marine Messe Hall. Qin was 0.43 seconds slower than Stubblety-Cook after the semis with American Matt Fallon a further 0.20 seconds away. Australia will look to boost their gold medal tally further when their men's team take to the pool for the 4x200m freestyle relay with the U.S., Italy and Britain set to challenge in the day's final race. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Swimming: Australia's Mollie O'Callaghan defends 100m freestyle title at world championships

Next year's ice hockey world championship will be moved away from St Petersburg in Russia, governing body IIHF said on Tuesday, due to concerns about the wellbeing of players and officials after Russia`s invasion of Ukraine.

The tournament was scheduled to take place in St Petersburg from May 5-21. The federation said it will name an alternate host for the 2022 world championship, which will take place in Finland. "The decision to relocate the event was taken primarily out of concern for the safety and well-being of all participating players, officials, media, and fans," the IIHF said in a statement.

"The council expressed significant concerns over the safe freedom of movement of players and officials too, from, and within Russia." Earlier this year, the IIHF suspended Russian and Belarusian teams from its competitions until further notice and revoked Russia`s hosting rights for the 2023 world junior championships. Moscow calls its actions in Ukraine a "special military operation". Belarus is a key staging area for the invasion.

St Petersburg and Moscow co-hosted the 2016 world championships, where Russia finished third. 
This year`s edition in Finland will be held from May 13-29 with Austria and France replacing Russia and Belarus.

Next year's ice hockey world championship will be moved away from St Petersburg in Russia, governing body IIHF said on Tuesday, due to concerns about the wellbeing of players and officials after Russia`s invasion of Ukraine.

Next year's ice hockey world championship will be moved away from St Petersburg in Russia, governing body IIHF said on Tuesday, due to concerns about the wellbeing of players and officials after Russia`s invasion of Ukraine. The tournament was scheduled to take place in St Petersburg from May 5-21. The federation said it will name an alternate host for the 2022 world championship, which will take place in Finland. "The decision to relocate the event was taken primarily out of concern for the safety and well-being of all participating players, officials, media, and fans," the IIHF said in a statement. "The council expressed significant concerns over the safe freedom of movement of players and officials too, from, and within Russia." Earlier this year, the IIHF suspended Russian and Belarusian teams from its competitions until further notice and revoked Russia`s hosting rights for the 2023 world junior championships. Moscow calls its actions in Ukraine a "special military operation". Belarus is a key staging area for the invasion. St Petersburg and Moscow co-hosted the 2016 world championships, where Russia finished third. This year`s edition in Finland will be held from May 13-29 with Austria and France replacing Russia and Belarus.

Ice Hockey: Russia loses next year's World Championship

Kidambi Srikanth created history at the Badminton World Championships, becoming the first Indian male shuttler to win a Silver medal at the prestigious event. The former World No.1 spoke To Wion Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo on his run to the final and return to the spotlight.

Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth scripts history after his Silver medal win at World Championships