Messi played a key role in guiding Argentina to their first World Cup title in 36 years when they beat defending champions France in the final in December last year.
Olympic champ Biles is unable to go anywhere except her hotel and practice sessions
The big names who will be bidding for a podium finish before bidding farewell...
Biles, who won four gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics, cited the pressure of living up to expectations and a need to protect her mental health for her decision to pull out of events in Tokyo, where she won a bronze on the balance beam and a silver in the team competition, from which she withdrew after one vault.
From the early pioneers to today's global superstars, the Olympics have captured hearts and minds, shaping cultures and inspiring generations.
With the athletes bidding goodbye to Paris after another bone-tingling edition of the Olympics, Norma Astrid Godinho/Rediff.com, shares some interesting nuggets that made the Paris Olympics an event to remember!
'We wholeheartedly support Simone's decision and applaud her bravery in prioritising her well-being.'
Simone Biles withdrew from the vault and uneven bar apparatus finals at the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday as the US gymnast continued to wrestle with mental health issues.
Simone Biles' bid for a record six gold medals at the Tokyo Games ended abruptly on Tuesday when she dropped out of the women's team final after one vault and watched as the United States surrendered their title to Russia.
The four-time Olympic champion finished first at the end of the US Olympic gymnastics trials in St. Louis, Missouri on Sunday.
Biles posted the highest scores of the night on vault (15.800), floor (14.650) and beam (14.350).
India's Dipa Karmakar received a big boost when she was wished luck by none other than three-time world champion Simone Biles.
American Simone Biles became the first woman to win five all-around titles at the gymnastics world championships in Stuttgart.
Simone Biles became the first woman to win four all-around titles at the gymnastics world championships on Thursday.
Former India skipper Virat Kohli, four-time grand slam winner Naomi Osaka of Japan and decorated gymnast Simon Biles of the USA, are some of the star athletes who have been candid about their struggles with mental health.
22-year-old Simone Biles collected a record-extending 15th gold medal at the Gymnastics World Championships.
Simone Biles claimed a record-equalling 23rd medal at the gymnastics world championships on Saturday, leading an American one-two finish in the vault final in Stuttgart.
Simone Biles's shot at a record five gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics suffered a blow on Sunday when the US gymnast failed to qualify for the final on the asymmetric bars.
'...I'll treasure this one a lot more after everything I have been through.'
With a jam-packed schedule brimming with both legendary athletes and captivating storylines, Paris 2024 promises unforgettable moments.
Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi were declared joint winners of the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award in Berlin on Monday, with the voting tied for the first time in the awards' 20-year history. Mercedes driver Hamilton won his sixth world championship in 2019, with 11 race wins and 17 podium finishes, while Messi was crowned the world's best player for a record sixth time when he won the Ballon d'Or. American gymnast Simone Biles, who became the most decorated gymnast in world championship history when she won her 25th medal last year, won her third Sportswoman of the Year gong after winning the award in 2017 and 2019.
All four of the alternates, selected in case one of the main team members tested positive, are in their teens.
The four-time Olympic champion is now the owner of 19 gold medals across four championships against 12 for Belarusian Vitaly Scherbo, who competed in five World events between 1991 and 1996.
'It's such an honor to be a part of the Barbie Role Model series'
Biles USA Gymnastics' tweet as a chance to demand an independent investigation into the Larry Nassar sex abuse scandal.
Four-time Olympic champion Simone Biles has finally broken her silence on the year-long postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and said on Wednesday that while the news left her in tears it was the right call.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James were among seven sports figures named to Time Magazine's annual list of the world's most influential people, which was announced Thursday.
Rediff.com encapsulates all the sporting action from the past week in this eye-catching photo feature.
Simone Biles showed off her sassy moves and explosive tumbles on the floor exercise to win a record-equalling fourth gold at the Rio Olympics on Tuesday.
Olympic champion Simone Biles became the all-time leading world gymnastics championship gold medal winner when the American claimed her third gold at the Doha championships on Friday.
Capturing the drama on Day 11 at the Tokyo Olympics.
Since making her debut at the 2013 world championships, the 19-year-old American has become an unstoppable force. Last year she became the first woman to win a "three-peat" of all-around golds at the worlds.
Simone Biles' triumph made her the fourth successive American to win the title -- following the successes of Carly Patterson, Nastia Liukin and Gabby Douglas -- which is the longest winning streak by a country in the Olympic discipline.
Vinesh Phogat, who lost in the quarter-finals of the women's 53-kg freestyle event at the Tokyo Olympics, penned a letter about emotional breakdowns, mental well-being and how being denied her physio affected her performance at the Games.
In a nod to the domination of her sport, Simone Biles has already entered the debate as the greatest gymnast of all-time even though she has yet to turn a single somersault on the Olympic stage.
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The 21-year-old pushed her all-time gold medal haul at world championships to a record 14 when she claimed top honours in the floor exercise for her fourth gold in Doha.
Simone Biles said on Monday she was sexually abused by former USA Gymnastics team physician Larry Nassar, the latest in a list of female athletes to accuse the doctor of misconduct.
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