Former Great Britain forward Josh Jones has opened up on the “terrifying” reality of life after being diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) at just 31 years old.

The ex-St Helens star retired from the sport in 2023, but the physical toll of his career has cast a long shadow over his life away from the pitch.

Speaking in an emotional interview with BBC sports editor Dan Roan, Jones revealed the depth of his anxiety regarding the condition.

‘Scared the life out of me’

“It’s scared the life out of me,” the former Salford Red Devils captain admitted when discussing the prognosis.

CTE is a progressive brain condition often associated with repeated blows to the head and has become a major talking point in contact sports.

Jones was joined by his wife, Olivia, to explain the daily difficulties the family has faced since the medical verdict was delivered.

A heavy price to pay

Jones enjoyed a successful career, including a Grand Final victory with Saints in 2014 and international honours on the 2019 Great Britain tour.

However, the diagnosis has forced the 31-year-old to confront a starkly different future than he imagined upon hanging up his boots.

His revelation adds another powerful voice to the growing conversation surrounding player welfare and the long-term impact of high-impact collisions in rugby league.

French biathlete Julia Simon has powered to Olympic gold at the Milano-Cortina Games, barely four months after being convicted of fraud against a national team-mate.

A controversial victory

The 29-year-old gestured for silence with a finger to her lips as she crossed the finish line in the women’s 15km individual race.

This victory marks her second gold medal of the Games, adding to her mixed relay triumph three days earlier.

In a stark contrast of fortunes, her victim and compatriot Justine Braisaz-Bouchet finished well off the pace in 80th position.

Legal troubles and suspended sentences

Simon’s participation in Italy had been in serious doubt following legal proceedings last October.

The multiple world champion was handed a three-month suspended prison sentence and fined €15,000 (£13,000) for credit card fraud and theft.

She stood accused of using bank cards belonging to Braisaz-Bouchet and a team physiotherapist to make online purchases exceeding €2,000.

Admitting to “the entirety of the facts” before an Albertville criminal court, the biathlete apologised to those she had wronged.

“I can’t explain it. I don’t remember doing it. I can’t make sense of it,” she told local media during the hearing.

The French Ski Federation subsequently imposed a six-month ban, though five months were suspended, clearing her path to compete on the world stage.

‘Speak about sport, not gossip’

Emotions ran high on Wednesday as the gold medallist wept on the podium while the French national anthem played.

However, her celebration at the finish line hinted at underlying tensions.

Simon insisted the gesture was directed at a specific critic following negative press coverage rather than the general public.

“It was for one person, I think he knows it, he is here,” she explained.

The decorated athlete remained defiant regarding the focus on her private life.

“I’m here for sports. I’m doing my best sport. So now we have to speak about sport and not about gossip. If you want to speak about gossip, you go away.”

Speaking to Eurosport, the double Olympic champion issued a plea for the media to move on from the scandal.

“What I would like now, in all honesty, is for you to leave me in peace. The page has been turned within the team – we have spoken about it.”

The 21-year-old clocked a blistering time of one minute 6.28 seconds at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium.

His performance erased the previous Olympic standard set in 2002, a benchmark established before the American prodigy was even born.

It marks the first strike in an ambitious campaign for four gold medals at these Games.

A dominant display

Dutch rival Jenning de Boo claimed silver, finishing half a second adrift of the champion.

China’s Zhongyan Ning completed the podium with bronze.

No other competitor came within a full second of the Wisconsin native’s explosive pace.

The victory ends a lengthy drought for the United States in this discipline.

Not since Shani Davis defended his title at Vancouver 2010 has an American man topped the 1,000m podium.

Davis, a mentor to the new champion, paved the way for this historic resurgence.

The wait for glory

Celebrations were briefly muted inside the temporary arena.

A rare re-skate was granted to Joep Wennermars following an obstruction incident, forcing the leader to wait 10 minutes to confirm his victory.

Stolz, who had visualized this moment since skating on frozen ponds as a five-year-old, watched calmly.

Once the final heat concluded without a threat to his time, the emotion finally poured out.

He offered an understated pump of the fist before collecting his prize.

Watching royalty

Pressure was high for the pre-race favourite, who went unbeaten in this season’s World Cup circuit.

Watching from the stands was Eric Heiden, the legendary figure who swept five golds at the 1980 Lake Placid Games.

He was joined by rapper Snoop Dogg, adding star power to a historic afternoon.

With one title secured, the focus now shifts to whether the young star can emulate Heiden’s legendary haul.

Ryan Garcia aims to capture the WBC welterweight title against Mario Barrios in Las Vegas on Saturday, potentially setting up a lucrative showdown with Conor Benn.

The 27-year-old challenger is bidding to become a fully-fledged world champion for the first time in his turbulent career.

Victory at the T-Mobile Arena would likely clear the path for a high-profile bout against “The Destroyer”, who is currently waiting in the wings.

Stuttering champions collide

“King Ryan” enters the ring looking to rebuild his reputation following a chaotic period both inside and outside the ropes.

His aspirations have previously been derailed by inconsistency, including a points defeat to Rolly Romero and a victory over Devin Haney that was overturned due to a failed drug test.

However, the defending champion is also arriving in Nevada without recent winning momentum.

Barrios has not tasted victory since May 2024, having recorded back-to-back draws in his subsequent outings.

The Texan titleholder struggled to overcome Abel Ramos last November and was held to a stalemate by a 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao the previous summer.

Start time and how to watch

The action takes place on Saturday, 21 February at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

For UK viewers, the main card is scheduled to begin at 01:00 GMT on Sunday morning.

Ring walks for the main event are expected at approximately 04:00 GMT.

The event will be broadcast exclusively on DAZN Pay-Per-View.

UK fans can purchase the event for £24.99, while the price is set at $64.99 for viewers in the United States.

Undercard details

Three other title fights feature on a stacked bill in Sin City.

• Mario Barrios (c) vs Ryan Garcia – WBC welterweight title
• Richardson Hitchins (c) vs Oscar Duarte – IBF super-lightweight title
• Gary Antuanne Russell (c) vs Andy Hiraoka – WBA super-lightweight title
• Frank Martin vs Nahir Albright – Super-lightweight
• Bektemir Melikuziev vs Sena Agbeko – Super-middleweight

Promoter Eddie Hearn has admitted there are “no guarantees” Anthony Joshua will ever fight again following the tragic car crash in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two close friends.

Hearn calls for patience after trauma

While the Matchroom Boxing chief expects the heavyweight star to eventually return, he insists the priority remains the fighter’s recovery.

The former two-time world champion was injured in a collision on 29 December which resulted in the deaths of Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele.

Hearn emphasised that the Watford-born boxer must be allowed indefinite time to process the traumatic event before making any professional decisions.

“I don’t think there is any guarantees he fights again, but at the same time I expect him to because it is something that he loves,” Hearn told First Round TV.

Hearn believes the sport could eventually offer a path forward for the grieving athlete.

“It is something he can carry those guys with him through as well and it is something he wants to do.”

Physical toll worse than feared

Beyond the emotional impact, the physical injuries sustained by the Olympic gold medallist appear more significant than initially publicised.

Joshua had recently stopped Jake Paul in Miami, a victory that was supposed to pave the way for a 2026 super-fight.

“From a boxing sense, physically it wasn’t easy what he went through either. People probably don’t realise the extent of that,” Hearn revealed.

Although the British superstar has been present in the gym, he is not yet medically cleared for combat training.

“He has been training, but he is not ready yet and won’t be for a while to return to boxing training.”

Fury showdown plans shelved

The accident has completely derailed the boxing calendar, with a planned March bout now cancelled.

Consequently, the long-awaited undisputed clash with Tyson Fury is now in serious jeopardy.

“Obviously, that is not happening now and I don’t know if it will ever happen right now,” Hearn added regarding the Fury fight.

The promoter indicated that the next month will be crucial as Joshua attempts to “turn the dial up” on his rehabilitation.

Steve Tandy’s side are now preparing to face France in Cardiff on Sunday.

They carry the heavy burden of a 12-match losing streak in the tournament.

The national team has also suffered 22 defeats in their last 24 internationals since the 2023 World Cup.

A discipline disaster

The visitors capitulated at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham, yielding seven tries in a chaotic defensive display.

Ill-discipline plagued the Welsh ranks throughout the afternoon.

They conceded 16 penalties and saw four players sent to the sin-bin during the rout.

Captain Dewi Lake stated after the final whistle that the squad had let the nation down.

Winger Josh Adams appeared visibly distraught and was close to tears on the pitch.

When pressed on the nature of the loss, Sherratt offered no excuses.

“No, it wasn’t [acceptable],” he said.

“It doesn’t sting anyone more than the players and staff, it’s so disappointing.”

“With the big picture, we want to make the nation proud of the Welsh rugby team.”

“There wasn’t a lack of effort, but at the top end of sport, you need more than effort.”

Honest conversations

Sherratt insisted that the subsequent analysis on Tuesday was conducted with transparency rather than brutality.

“The review was honest,” the assistant coach explained.

“It wasn’t brutal, but it was honest. We had two days afterwards, which helped, because sometimes it is a bit of a grieving process.”

“By the time we came back in on Tuesday, there had been a lot of conversations and the players understand as well.”

He emphasised that the responsibility was shared collectively.

“It’s not about the coaches standing at the front telling the players where it went wrong,” he added.

“It’s pretty joined up, we’ve got senior players who were hurting as much as anyone.”

Training ground disconnect

The coaching staff acknowledged a worrying failure to translate training ground preparation into match-day execution.

“We felt we’d worked hard for two weeks, but with every sport, it’s about producing what you’ve done in practice on the day and we weren’t able to do that,” Sherratt admitted.

“Regardless of the scoreboard that was the most disappointing thing.”

“We didn’t feel like we replicated what we’d done in training.”

Despite the wretched run of results, the management team intends to maintain their strategic direction.

“It’s a balance, it’s like with any job,” Sherratt said.

“If you start changing course every two or three weeks, you lose confidence in what you’re trying to do also.”

He pointed to fleeting moments of quality against Argentina and New Zealand as evidence of potential progress.

“We’re not stubborn, so we will look at what’s the best chance for the team to get a result at the weekend,” he concluded.

“But you can’t be scrapping your plans each week as well.”

Tyson Fury will face Arslanbek Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 11 April, marking his return to the ring after plans for an Old Trafford homecoming were scuppered.

The Gypsy King is aiming to rebuild his career following consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.

Hopes of a fairytale return at Manchester United’s home ground were dashed due to a fixture clash.

The Premier League giants are scheduled to face Leeds United on the same date, rendering the Theatre of Dreams unavailable.

With Tottenham Hotspur travelling to Sunderland that weekend, the north London venue became available to host the heavyweight contest.

A difficult test against ‘The Lion’

Standing in Fury’s way is Arslanbek Makhmudov, a giant Russian heavyweight currently based in Canada.

The 36-year-old boasts a formidable record of 21 wins from 23 fights, with 19 victories coming by way of knockout.

However, the puncher has shown vulnerability recently, having been stopped in defeats by Guido Vianello and Agit Kabayel.

Despite recent setbacks, Makhmudov remains confident of upsetting the odds.

I am thrilled about the opportunity. I’m coming to deliver a war. Tyson Fury has been a big champion. I will be more ready than ever to leave with a massive W.

Arslanbek Makhmudov

Netflix debut and future ambitions

This bout marks the former two-time world champion’s first fight to be broadcast on Netflix.

It follows the filming of the second season of his reality series, At Home with the Furies, which is set for release this spring.

Fury has outlined an ambitious plan to fight three times this year as he looks to re-establish himself as a major force in the division.

“Well it’s official im back doing what i [love] to do,” Fury stated on social media.

“I’ve brought the biggest network along with me… this is going to be astronomical.”

The road to Anthony Joshua

The April contest is viewed as a warm-up for a potential blockbuster clash with Anthony Joshua later in the year.

However, uncertainty surrounds Joshua’s timeline following a tragic car accident in Nigeria involving his team.

Promoter Eddie Hearn has stated that the Watford fighter will not be rushed back into the ring.

Should the Joshua fight be delayed, WBO champion Fabio Wardley has emerged as another potential opponent for a summer showdown.

Wardley must first navigate a defence against Daniel Dubois in May.

The Scotland centre admits he was left “angry and frustrated” following the 18-15 loss in Rome.

Jones struggled to impact the game amidst torrential rain at the Stadio Olimpico.

Gregor Townsend’s side failed to register a single line break against the Azzurri.

It marked a stark contrast to previous attacking fluency, with the Scots looking uncharacteristically blunt.

A shot at immediate redemption

Jones insists the arrival of the Auld Enemy at Murrayfield offers the ideal platform to respond.

The midfielder has an impressive record in this fixture, having scored six tries in seven appearances.

However, the disappointment of the performance in Italy remains a driving force.

“After a loss when everyone’s hurting and when we didn’t really get to play, we all have that pent-up frustration and energy.”

Jones said

“Even if we’d won I would have come away knowing I didn’t get to do anything. I’m really angry about that and this week adds to the fuel of just wanting to go out and show what we can do.”

“It’s the perfect one for us to come back to.”

Facing a resurgent rival

Despite his personal success in the fixture, Jones is wary of the threat posed by the visitors.

He concedes this iteration of the England squad is potentially the strongest he has ever faced.

That assessment includes the side that handed Scotland a chastening 61-21 defeat at Twickenham in 2017.

Processing the pain

The dressing room atmosphere following the defeat in Rome was described as one of the toughest Jones has experienced.

He outlined the emotional cycle of defeat, moving from confusion to anger before focusing on clinical analysis.

“No-one’s hiding. It’s horrible and what’s tough for the public is that you don’t get to be in those conversations.”

“Part of being a professional rugby player is you have to get back to work immediately and you have to park those emotions – but you use that as fuel.”