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Cecile and Laurent Landi being the right hand of the American gymnast

Cecile Canqueteau-Landi fit “in the box,” as she put it. She was skinny. She was blonde. She was pretty good at gymnastics.

And so at 9 years old, she was whisked away to become part of the French national team program, a path that ultimately led her to the 1996 Olympics.

There was reward in that journey. Yet looking back nearly three decades later, Landi wonders how many promising young athletes had their careers and their lives altered – and not for the better – because they didn’t fit someone’s preconceived notion of what a gymnast needed to look like by the time they reached their 10th birthday.

Simone Biles

When Landi transitioned into coaching in the early 2000s, she vowed not to make the same mistake.

So maybe it’s not a coincidence that when Landi and her husband Laurent – himself a former French national team member – walk onto the floor at Bercy Arena for women’s Olympics qualifying next Sunday, they will do it while leading the oldest U.S. women’s gymnastics team – headlined by 27-year-old Simone Biles – the Americans have ever sent to a modern Games.

A healthy partnership

In another country in another era, maybe Biles becomes something other than an icon. Maybe she becomes a casualty.

“An athlete like Simone would never have reached her full potential in France,” said Cecile. “Because she would have been put aside because she didn’t fit that box.”

For the Landis – who began coaching Biles in 2017 – there is no “box.” There can’t be.

“It’s not the athlete that needs to adjust to the coaches,” Laurent Landi said. “The coaches need to adjust the athletes and the athlete’s abilities.”

Biles was already 20 and the reigning Olympic champion when the Landis agreed to helm the elite program at World Champions Centre, the massive gym run by the Biles family in the Houston suburbs.

Simone Biles

They knew Biles fairly well at the time having already coached gymnasts who competed alongside Biles at several world championships and the 2016 Olympics. During the interview process, all three agreed there was no point – and no fun – in having Biles merely try to hold on to her otherworldly talent. To keep her engaged, they needed to make sure she kept moving forward.

The result has been perhaps the best gymnastics of Biles’ remarkable career, a stretch that includes three world all-around titles and another handful of entries in the sport’s Code of Points with her next name next to them, from the triple-double on floor exercise to the Yurchenko double pike vault that drew a standing ovation at the Olympic trials last month.

Biles views her relationship with the Landis as more of a partnership.

“They’ve been big mentors in like my adulthood (because) they got to see and harness the more mature Simone,” Biles said. “They’ve helped me a lot not just in the gym but out of the gym too.”

When Biles moved into her first house, Cecile who came over and showed her how to operate the dishwasher. When a gymnast who had just gotten their driver’s license had a problem with one of her tires, Cecile went to a nearby gas station and gave a tutorial on how to use the air pump.

“If we can help and they want the help, then why not?” she said with a laugh.

Changing with the times

Simone Biles

The trick is finding a way to provide that help safely and productively, particularly amid a culture shift in the sport aimed at empowering athletes to take ownership of their gymnastics. It is a delicate needle to thread. What serves as motivation for one athlete could be construed negatively by another.

It’s a reality the Landis are well aware of as they try to find the proper balance between being too rigid and too lax. They grew up in a time when the coach/athlete relationship was one-sided. There was no back and forth. There was no discussion. The coach set the standards and expectations. The athlete met them or they didn’t last long.

The shift toward a more cooperative approach was overdue, but that doesn’t mean it is always easy. Laurent Landi admits he’s not the most patient coach, though those around him say he has mellowed a bit over the years. He also understands if he wants to keep doing this for a living, he didn’t have much of a choice.

“Yeah, there will be frustration,” he said. “But you can always go around some stuff and just take your pride (as a coach) away and make sure that the athletes still get the skill done.”

It’s an approach that helped World Champion Centre’s elite program send five athletes to the Olympic trials, with Biles and Jordan Chiles making the five-woman U.S. team while Joscelyn Roberson and Tiana Sumanasekera were selected as alternates.

It’s the kind of success Roberson envisioned when she moved to the Houston suburbs a few years ago to train under the Landis. She was intimidated at first before realizing her new coaches “have a million different ways to coach one skill,” a marked departure from what she was used to.

Simone Biles

“We’re not always right,” Laurent said. “If you do your own way all the time, you will hurt the majority of the athletes. Maybe one will survive and will be an amazing person, amazing athlete but the (other) 90 percent, they will be broken. … We had to adjust to Simone, otherwise we would have broke her.”

It’s not just Biles’ age they had to accommodate, but her schedule. She is no longer a precocious teenager who buries herself in the gym. She’s a newlywed whose schedule is packed with everything from corporate commitments to building a house and a family with her husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens.

“When (we) tell him he just hears ‘you’re missing practice’ and kind of freaks out,” Biles said. “Because he sees all the end goals and then he gets the calendar and then he’s like, ‘Oh, OK, that’s fine. We’ll do this today, we’ll do that.’ So it just takes time for him to process.”

Biles certainly appears well-prepared. She arrives in Paris at the height of her powers more than a decade after ascending to the top of her sport. She’ll be accompanied by a pair of coaches who view the trip as more of a business trip than a homecoming.

A new challenge awaits

While the Landis have been approached to take over the women’s national team program in France in recent years, returning never made much sense to them even with the women’s program is in the midst of a resurgence.

“I think our family will be very proud, probably more than we are,” Cecile Landi said. “Because in a weird way, it’s just work for us.”

And perhaps, goodbye too.

Simone Biles

Cecile, long a supporter of NCAA gymnastics, earlier this year agreed to become the co-head coach at the University of Georgia. Laurent will remain at World Champions Centre in the short term until the Landis’ daughter Juliette – who will dive for France during the Games – graduates from high school next spring.

After that, who knows? The young gymnast who was put in a box has become a coach who no longer puts limitations on anyone, herself maybe most of all.

“I think I’ve done everything I could do in elite, and beyond what I could ever have imagined as a little French girl in a little town,” Cecile said. “I’ve coached the greatest of all time. I’ve coached many kids. I’ve had many great athletes in NCAA and elite that I feel like I want to try what’s next, a new challenge.”

Jake Paul will be doing more than fighting Mike Perry Saturday.

He’ll be putting his much-anticipated fight against Mike Tyson at risk.

Paul (9-1, 6 KOs) has claimed that a loss to Perry, a bare-knuckle brawler, would cost him a chance to fight Tyson in a bout set for Nov. 15. How Paul fares against Perry, a former mixed martial arts fighter who in 2015 lost his only pro boxing match, could be determined early.

Perry will spend no time sizing up Paul in their cruiserweight fight scheduled for eight rounds, according to Perry’s trainer, James “JT” Taylor. He said Perry will pressure Paul from the outset.

Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson: Date and everything we know

 

“Everybody that sized Jake up in the very beginning got picked apart,’’ Taylor told USA TODAY Sports. “We’re not doing that. It’s going to feel claustrophobic in there.

“This is not going to be a boxing match. This is not where you’re going to see the best two technique guys go against each other. No, you’re not going to see that. You’re going to see a fight.’’

The IBF has confirmed to  that it has not received a request to sanction Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois as an IBF world heavyweight title fight; Former WBO champion Joseph Parker believes he deserves an AJ rematch after his wins over Zhilei Zhang and Deontay Wilder

Anthony Joshua has revealed that he is close to confirming the opponent for his upcoming bout.

Joshua, who has boxed once so far in 2024 when he knocked out former UFC champion Francis Ngannou, said: “Nearly finished my negotiations for my next fight. Feeling motivated.”

Joshua vs Dubois: the full story

 

It has been widely speculated that fellow Briton Daniel Dubois could be in the frame to fight Joshua.

Dubois stopped Filip Hrgovic at the start of this month to win an interim title from the IBF.

But the IBF confirmed to Sky Sports that it has not received a request to sanction Joshua vs Dubois as an IBF world heavyweight title fight.

After beating Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk holds all four of the major heavyweight world championships, including the IBF.

There are other contenders also vying to take on Anthony Joshua. Zhilei Zhang, who defeated Deontay Wilder on the same bill as Dubois’ victory over Hrgovic, would relish boxing AJ. He lost to the Watford man at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

According to the Ukrainian’s manager, official confirmation for a mouthwatering Gervonta Davis vs. Vasiliy Lomachenko fight still appears to be some way off.

Egis Klimas has declared that Lomachenko is not in the mood right now, just months after becoming world champion again.

With Lomachenko and Davis both holding world titles at lightweight, it appeared that a unification between the pair could be close.

The targeted date was the end of the year, and Klimas has provided some information on where things stand.

He's next' - Gervonta Davis reveals plan to finally fight Vasyl Lomachenko  after Frank Martin clash and Shakur Stevenson reacts angrily | talkSPORT

 

“Loma is not in the mood right now, he doesn’t have the motivation at the moment,” said Klimas when speaking to Steve Kim with the reporter updating his followers on X.

“He’s taking off, he wants to spend more time with the family. He doesn’t want to do anything till the end of the year. “So, he’s definitely not coming to the ring till the end of the year.”

Ever since Gervonta “Tank” Davis scored an eighth-round KO win over Frank Martin in June, there were rumors the WBA lightweight champion would be taking on IBF champion Vasyl Lomachenko in a unification bout in his next fight.

Unfortunately for boxing fans, talks between Davis and Lomachenko have broken off, per ESPN’s Mike Coppinger.

According to Coppinger, Lomachenko has decided to take the rest of the year off and will not fight again in 2024.

Long-time boxing writer Steve Kim spoke to Lomachenko’s manager, Egis Klimas, for further context and specifics.

Gervonta Davis

According to Kim, Klimas said, “Loma is not in the mood right now. He doesn’t have the motivation at the moment. He’s taking off. He wants to spend more time with the family. He doesn’t want to do anything until the end of the year. So he’s definitely not coming to the ring until the end of the year.”

According to Klimas, there are other factors besides money for Lomachenko. He has to be motivated; if he’s not, he won’t fight. He did make sure to clarify that Lomachenko hasn’t retired, which is a logical question given his age (36) and the current situation.

If you’ve been paying attention to Lomachenko of late, as another prominent journalist in boxing, Raging Babe has been, this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

She posted this on X, referencing Lomachenko’s potential struggle to get motivated to fight more following his triumphant victory over George Kambosos Jr. in May.

Gervonta Davis 

Lomachenko has had a legendary amateur and professional career. He will go down as one of the best fighters of his era–even if he never boxes again.

When that is the case with any fighter, and there are questions about motivation, it is only natural for fans and others to wonder if we’re at the end. As for Davis, he has plenty of options.

A fight with WBC champion Shakur Stevenson would be massive. The two men have traded barbs on social media for over a year. Stevenson is a free agent after his contract with Top Rank expired following his win over Artem Harutyunyan in July.

Stevenson took to X with the following cryptic post after the news about Lomachenko pulling out spread on social media. The post is lyrics from Eminem’s iconic “Lose Yourself” track.

Gervonta Davis and Vasiliy Lomachenko have cut off contract talks, ending hopes of a mega-fight between them in 2024.

According to ESPN’s Mike Coppinger, an official involved with the negotiations said they have been broken off due to Lomachenko’s desire to take the rest of 2024 off.

The two sides had been attempting to hammer out a deal that would have locked in a lightweight title unification bout for November in Las Vegas.

Gervonta Davis 

Representatives from PBC and Top Rank met last week in Las Vegas with the goal of finalizing a deal for an ESPN-Prime Video pay-per-view fight between Davis and Lomachenko, but they never got to the finish line, per Coppinger.

Lomachenko’s manager, Egis Klimas, explained that the Ukrainian star simply wasn’t feeling the idea of boxing again in 2024, saying:

“Loma is not in the mood right now. He doesn’t have the motivation at the moment. He’s taking off. He wants to spend more time with the family. … With Loma, just money is not what motivates him.

“He doesn’t take anything just because of money. You can offer him millions, tens of millions of dollars—if he doesn’t have motivation, he’s not ready to prepare for the fight.”

Davis, 29, is widely regarded as one of the top pound-for-pound boxers in the world. He boasts a perfect career record of 30-0 with 28 knockouts, and is the WBA lightweight title holder.

“Tank” most recently fought in June, beating Frank Martin by eighth-round knockout to retain his title.

The 36-year-old Lomachenko first rose to prominence as an Olympic gold medalist in 2008 and 2012, but he has enjoyed success in the professional ranks as well.

Gervonta Davis

Loma is 18-3 with 12 wins by way of knockout, and he has won major titles in three separate weight classes.

After somewhat controversially losing to Devin Haney by unanimous decision in a bout for the WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring lightweight titles, he bounced back to beat George Kambosos Jr. in May for the vacant IBF lightweight title.

While Lomachenko reportedly intends to return in 2025 to defend that title for the first time, Davis must now find a new opponent for the fall.

Coppinger listed Isaac Cruz, William Zepeda and WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson as potential options.

Comment: The former world No 1 retired last week, but was subjected to questions about her weight at the Laureus Awards in Madrid, Molly McElwee examines Spain’s ongoing issue surrounding sexism in sport

ormer world No 1 Garbine Muguruza is Spain’s best female tennis player of the last decade. So when she retired earlier this month, aged just 30, she faced all the queries you might expect: why now? What will you miss about tennis? What will you do next?

One question though, she was not anticipating. On the red carpet, at the Laureus Awards in Madrid last week, Muguruza faced a throng of journalists and one piped up: “[People] were saying they can tell you’ve stopped training, especially on social media, people were attacking you harshly because of the shape you are in…”

Garbine Muguruza : Latest News, Videos and Photos on Garbine Muguruza -  India.Com News

 

 

Muguruza’s eyes widened momentarily, as she was clearly taken aback. Then, she laughed. What else was she meant to do with that kind of question, four microphones and as many cameras thrust in her face?

Muguruza might have thought the days of answering questions about her body were over, considering she has no intention of playing professional tennis again. There is also the more obvious point: that it is frankly no one’s business.

On a red carpet, with dozens of paparazzi, journalists and people brandishing smartphone cameras to track her every move, the very last thing she might want to be reminded of are social media trolls. Namely those that have decided she no longer fits the impossible beauty standards set for women – let alone those expected for an elite female athlete.

Garbine Muguruza : Latest News, Videos and Photos on Garbine Muguruza -  India.Com News

But still she managed this ludicrous question with incredible poise. “Well, if I don’t train what’s going to happen?” Muguruza said, forcing another serene smile. “I want to live life, enjoy life. A training regimen is extremely hard, so when you can live life more and relax, you want to enjoy it. The physique of an Olympic athlete, we all know…” she let out another laugh. “Let’s be clear – the important thing is to stay healthy and enjoy life.”

 

The clip of Muguruza’s response has gained traction across Spain and created widespread debate. She has been praised for how she dealt with the situation by some, and rightly so. But she should not have been put in it in the first place.

Spain’s sports culture has been placed under the microscope in recent months, with sexism and inequality top of the agenda. It began with the former chief of the Spanish football federation Luis Rubiales planting an unsolicited kiss on striker Jenni Hermoso’s mouth during the World Cup trophy ceremony last August.

FLINT, MI – Flint boxer Claressa Shields will host a block party at Berston Field House to rally support for her upcoming heavyweight title.

Shields, otherwise known as the “GWOAT,” is hosting an event from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 21, at Berston Field House, 3300 Saginaw St., on the city’s north side.

The free block party at Berston will feature music, food, giveaways and performances from specialguests.

Shields is stepping up two weight classes to take on WBC heavyweight champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse, 28, on Saturday, July 27, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

Claressa Shields takes jab at boxing establishment | CNN

 

At stake will be the WBC heavyweight championship, WBA interim light heavyweight title and WBC light heavyweight championship.

If she wins the fight, it would be the fourth weight division in which Shields, 29, has won a world boxing championship.

In addition to the middleweight division, Shields previously won world championship belts as a super welterweight and super middleweight.
Claressa Shields is giving this boxer the 'best chance' of winning an  Olympic gold medal | DAZN News GB

The two-time Olympic boxing champion has a 14-0 professional record with two knockouts. Lepage-Joanisse’s record stands at 7-1 with two knockouts.

Berston Field House served as a training ground for Shields growing up in Flint.

The community center is located across the street from where she grew up.

In 2022, Flint named the street after Shields.

Davis ranked among the world’s top 10 boxers

Gervonta Davis, also known as “Tank,” has made a name for himself in the world of professional boxing. With a net worth of $10 million, he has secured numerous world championship titles, including the IBF super featherweight title and the WBA lightweight and super featherweight titles. In 2022, he was recognized as the tenth-best boxer in the world by the Boxing Writers Association of America. However, Davis has also faced legal issues, particularly related to domestic violence charges.

Born on November 7, 1994, in Baltimore, Maryland, Davis attended Digital Harbor High School before dropping out to pursue his boxing career. His journey in the sport began at the age of five when he started training at the Upton Boxing Center under Calvin Ford.

Gervonta Davis 

As an amateur boxer, Davis achieved significant success, winning multiple National Silver Gloves Championships and the National Golden Gloves Championship. He also secured two National Junior Olympics gold medals and two Ringside World Championships, finishing his amateur career with an impressive 206-15 record.

Davis transitioned to professional boxing in early 2013 and quickly made an impact with a knockout victory in his debut match against Desi Williams. He continued to build an undefeated streak, defeating notable opponents such as Israel Suarez and Alberto Mora. In early 2017, Davis faced off against José Pedraza for the IBF super featherweight title and emerged victorious with a knockout in the seventh round.

From amateur prodigy to pro dominance

Reflecting on his career, Davis stated, “I’ve worked hard to get to where I am today, and I’m grateful for the opportunities that have come my way.” His determination and skill have propelled him to success in the ring, earning him recognition as a formidable boxer in the industry.

Gervonta Davis

Despite his professional achievements, Davis has faced challenges outside of boxing. His involvement in legal issues related to domestic violence has garnered attention and raised concerns. These incidents have overshadowed his accomplishments in the sport and sparked discussions about accountability and responsibility as a public figure.

Gervonta “Tank” Davis has achieved significant success in professional boxing, securing multiple world championship titles and earning recognition as one of the top boxers globally. However, his legal troubles have also been a prominent aspect of his public image, highlighting the complexities of fame and responsibility.

Champion criticizes new league as Kingdom aims to reshape the sport

Saudi Arabia is making waves in the sports world, and boxing is the latest arena they’re conquering. The kingdom has been organizing some of the biggest sporting events, and they’re doing it exceptionally well. Just last month, Riyadh hosted the highly anticipated Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury match for the undisputed heavyweight title, setting a new benchmark in the sport.

But that’s not all-Saudi Arabia is also home to other notable boxing events like the Matchroom vs. Queensberry 5 vs 5 card. And now, the kingdom’s influence is about to get even bigger with a proposed $4-5 billion boxing league backed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Gervonta Davis

This new league aims to unify the fragmented world of boxing by bringing together fighters, promoters, broadcasters, and sanctioning bodies under one roof. The plan is to kick off this ambitious project sometime next year, promising to reshape the sport’s landscape. While the idea of a unified league might sound revolutionary to some, not everyone is thrilled. WBA lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis has been vocal about his skepticism and isn’t too eager to fight in Saudi Arabia.

Davis recently secured a knockout victory over Frank Martin at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. However, his enthusiasm for Saudi Arabia’s new league is lukewarm at best. When asked about His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, Davis didn’t hold back. “If he feel like he got the power coz he got the cash, so it’s like let me sh*t on everybody else,” Davis remarked. He also criticized the potential sidelining of promoters, saying, “It’s somewhat good I would say for the sport, but I don’t know. So you want to kick everybody out! All the promoters! That’s crazy.”

His Excellency Turki Alalshikh had something to say to Davis

Gervonta Davis

The drama escalated when His Excellency Turki Alalshikh responded to Davis’s demands for luxury cars in exchange for a fight in Saudi Arabia. “If they want me they gotta send me something… like 2 Ferraris,” Davis had tweeted. Alalshikh didn’t mince words in his reply on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Hour show, saying, “I heard (what) Davis said… I say to him: we will send you two gloves if you want, that’s it!” Davis, clearly unimpressed, fired back with his own comments, asserting he doesn’t need Saudi Arabia to sell fights.

Boxing’s history has always been defined by its promoters, and a unified league could indeed disrupt the traditional structure. While some may see this as an evolution, Davis clearly sees it as a threat to the promoters’ role in the sport. Saudi Arabia has proven its prowess in organizing top-tier boxing events. A fight involving a star like Gervonta Davis would undoubtedly be a spectacle fans wouldn’t want to miss. Whether or not Davis will ever fight in Saudi Arabia remains to be seen.

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