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The Herald Scotland
4 hours ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Is now the time for a woman to break the four-minute mile barrier?
His run, and the circumstances surrounding it, have become athletics' folklore, and the sub-optimum conditions in which he undertook his sub-four minute run are unimaginable in comparison to these current times of ultra-professional, highly controlled environments in which record attempts take place. It remains impossible to overstate the significance of the Englishman's run of 3 minutes 59.4 seconds, and it served to open the floodgates to a raft of further sub-four minute mile runs. Seven decades on, over 1500 men have dipped under the four minute mark for the mile, and earlier this year, even a fifteen-year-old broke the iconic barrier. Roger Bannister broke the four minute mile barrier in 1954 (Image: Bettmann Archive/ Getty Images) As yet, however, no woman has never run a sub-four minute mile. Indeed, no woman has even come close. Nevertheless, if all goes to plan, that will all change this week and no longer will the four-minute barrier seem unbreakable for women. Firstly, the scale of the challenge must be laid out. The current women's world record for the mile is 4 minutes 7.64 seconds, set in Monaco in 2023 by Kenya's Faith Kipyegon, the woman who will attempt to break the four minute barrier in Paris, in the coming days. Other than Kipyegon, no woman has ever run under 4 minutes 12 seconds for the mile, highlighting just how sizeable a challenge targeting sub-four actually is. Given Kipyegon's current best time is nearly eight seconds slower than she'll need to run this week, it means she will have to drop two seconds a lap to go sub-four. That's an astonishingly large chunk of time. But there is evidence, or certainly the suggestion, that it is possible for a woman to run a sub-four minute mile. That it is Kipyegon who will be making the attempt is a given; she's the only woman modern-day or historical, who has what it takes to get near the four minute mark, never mind break it. The Kenyan is a phenomenon. She's one of the greatest female athletes to have ever lived; she's a three-time Olympic gold medallist over 1500m, has four world titles and is the current world 1500m record holder and so Kipyegon's athletic capabilities are beyond question. Faith Kipyegon is a three-time Olympic champion (Image: Getty Images) She has stated her reason for this sub-four attempt is that she has, in short, achieved everything else there is to achieve in her sport. 'I achieved the world record, the Olympic record, Olympic medals, and World Championship Medals,' she said. 'I was like, 'what else can I achieve?' It's a reasonable question. Aiming for sub-four and achieving it, though, are two entirely different things. There has been much scepticism about Kipyegon's, or any other woman's, ability to run sub-four. Commentators have suggested she's living in 'la-la land' to think it's possible, and even Elliot Hill, the CEO of Nike, which is coordinating and organising the record attempt, has called it a 'moonshot'. In theory, however, it's possible. A study, the results of which were released earlier this year in the Royal Society Open Science journal, concluded that a woman, namely Kipyegon, can absolutely break the four-minute barrier. There are caveats, though. Signifiant caveats. Kipyegon's run will have to be closely managed if she has any chance of getting close. Masterminded by Nike and entitled 'Breaking 4', it's in the same mould as Eliud Kipchoge's 'Breaking 2' project, which saw him dip under 2 hours for the marathon in 2019. Just as Kipchoge's marathon run wasn't deemed 'legal' in terms of setting an official world record, neither will Kipyegon's run be classed as an official world record if she does, indeed, better her current mark. It's estimated that to go sub-four minutes, Kipyegon, will have to make use of aerodynamic drafting, new shoe technology and lightening-quick pacing. When running the current mile world record, she was on her own for the last 600m having dropped the rest of the field and so she's likely to shave a couple of seconds off her time purely by having pacers with her for the entirety of the race. Kipyegon will be wearing the most up-to-date super shoes, will potentially be wearing a 'speed suit' and has a three-day window for the attempt to ensure as close as possible to perfect weather - the attempt is pencilled in for Thursday but Friday and Saturday are also viable alternatives if the weather initially doesn't play ball. While these factors may shave fractions off Kipyegon's time, it's the pacing of her run that will be by far the most significant factor. Her pacers will either be male and so will be able to maintain sub-four pace relatively comfortably, or will be female but will switch in and out as the race progresses. They will be strategically positioned with one pacer just over a metre behind Kipyegon and one just over a metre ahead of her to ensure optimum drafting potential. In addition, there will be pacing lights around the Paris track. Despite the aides Kipyegon will make use of in her attempt next week, the majority of observers remain pessimistic that she will succeed in running sub-four. Certainly, logic suggests that cutting over seven seconds off her previous best (and the world's best) is too large a drop to be realistic, particularly given that middle-distance world records are typical broken by fractions of a second rather than whole seconds at a time. And Kipyegon, at 31 years of age, might perhaps be on the plateau of her career rather than still on the upward curve - she has not set a personal best since 2023. None of the scepticism, though, should deter Kipyegon from trying. At the time of Bannister's attempt 71 years ago, most said it was fanciful that he would succeed in going below four minutes. Of course, he did, in the face of the sceptics, manage it. Similarly, Kipchoge's attempt to run a sub-two hour marathon was scoffed at, until he managed it, on his second attempt. The unlikelihood that Kipyegon will succeed should not disqualify her from trying. If she manages 4:02 or 4:03, which is far more realistic than sub-four, it will highlight just what a woman is capable of, and will almost certainly embolden her peers - potentially Sifan Hassan, as well as others in the future - to aim for the sub-four barrier. I hope Kipyegon manages to break four minutes next week. But, even if she fails, it's likely we'll look back on this attempt as the first step on the path to what is inevitably coming - a female sub-four minute mile.
The National
4 hours ago
- Sport
- The National
Is now the time for a woman to break the four-minute mile barrier?
The four minute barrier was first broken 71 years ago, on a cinder track in Oxford by, of course, Roger Bannister. His run, and the circumstances surrounding it, have become athletics' folklore, and the sub-optimum conditions in which he undertook his sub-four minute run are unimaginable in comparison to these current times of ultra-professional, highly controlled environments in which record attempts take place. It remains impossible to overstate the significance of the Englishman's run of 3 minutes 59.4 seconds, and it served to open the floodgates to a raft of further sub-four minute mile runs. Seven decades on, over 1500 men have dipped under the four minute mark for the mile, and earlier this year, even a fifteen-year-old broke the iconic barrier. Roger Bannister broke the four minute mile barrier in 1954 (Image: Bettmann Archive/ Getty Images) As yet, however, no woman has never run a sub-four minute mile. Indeed, no woman has even come close. Nevertheless, if all goes to plan, that will all change this week and no longer will the four-minute barrier seem unbreakable for women. Firstly, the scale of the challenge must be laid out. The current women's world record for the mile is 4 minutes 7.64 seconds, set in Monaco in 2023 by Kenya's Faith Kipyegon, the woman who will attempt to break the four minute barrier in Paris, in the coming days. Other than Kipyegon, no woman has ever run under 4 minutes 12 seconds for the mile, highlighting just how sizeable a challenge targeting sub-four actually is. Given Kipyegon's current best time is nearly eight seconds slower than she'll need to run this week, it means she will have to drop two seconds a lap to go sub-four. That's an astonishingly large chunk of time. But there is evidence, or certainly the suggestion, that it is possible for a woman to run a sub-four minute mile. That it is Kipyegon who will be making the attempt is a given; she's the only woman modern-day or historical, who has what it takes to get near the four minute mark, never mind break it. The Kenyan is a phenomenon. She's one of the greatest female athletes to have ever lived; she's a three-time Olympic gold medallist over 1500m, has four world titles and is the current world 1500m record holder and so Kipyegon's athletic capabilities are beyond question. Faith Kipyegon is a three-time Olympic champion (Image: Getty Images) She has stated her reason for this sub-four attempt is that she has, in short, achieved everything else there is to achieve in her sport. 'I achieved the world record, the Olympic record, Olympic medals, and World Championship Medals,' she said. 'I was like, 'what else can I achieve?' It's a reasonable question. Aiming for sub-four and achieving it, though, are two entirely different things. There has been much scepticism about Kipyegon's, or any other woman's, ability to run sub-four. Commentators have suggested she's living in 'la-la land' to think it's possible, and even Elliot Hill, the CEO of Nike, which is coordinating and organising the record attempt, has called it a 'moonshot'. In theory, however, it's possible. A study, the results of which were released earlier this year in the Royal Society Open Science journal, concluded that a woman, namely Kipyegon, can absolutely break the four-minute barrier. There are caveats, though. Signifiant caveats. Kipyegon's run will have to be closely managed if she has any chance of getting close. Masterminded by Nike and entitled 'Breaking 4', it's in the same mould as Eliud Kipchoge's 'Breaking 2' project, which saw him dip under 2 hours for the marathon in 2019. Just as Kipchoge's marathon run wasn't deemed 'legal' in terms of setting an official world record, neither will Kipyegon's run be classed as an official world record if she does, indeed, better her current mark. It's estimated that to go sub-four minutes, Kipyegon, will have to make use of aerodynamic drafting, new shoe technology and lightening-quick pacing. When running the current mile world record, she was on her own for the last 600m having dropped the rest of the field and so she's likely to shave a couple of seconds off her time purely by having pacers with her for the entirety of the race. Kipyegon will be wearing the most up-to-date super shoes, will potentially be wearing a 'speed suit' and has a three-day window for the attempt to ensure as close as possible to perfect weather - the attempt is pencilled in for Thursday but Friday and Saturday are also viable alternatives if the weather initially doesn't play ball. While these factors may shave fractions off Kipyegon's time, it's the pacing of her run that will be by far the most significant factor. Her pacers will either be male and so will be able to maintain sub-four pace relatively comfortably, or will be female but will switch in and out as the race progresses. They will be strategically positioned with one pacer just over a metre behind Kipyegon and one just over a metre ahead of her to ensure optimum drafting potential. In addition, there will be pacing lights around the Paris track. Despite the aides Kipyegon will make use of in her attempt next week, the majority of observers remain pessimistic that she will succeed in running sub-four. Certainly, logic suggests that cutting over seven seconds off her previous best (and the world's best) is too large a drop to be realistic, particularly given that middle-distance world records are typical broken by fractions of a second rather than whole seconds at a time. And Kipyegon, at 31 years of age, might perhaps be on the plateau of her career rather than still on the upward curve - she has not set a personal best since 2023. None of the scepticism, though, should deter Kipyegon from trying. At the time of Bannister's attempt 71 years ago, most said it was fanciful that he would succeed in going below four minutes. Of course, he did, in the face of the sceptics, manage it. Similarly, Kipchoge's attempt to run a sub-two hour marathon was scoffed at, until he managed it, on his second attempt. The unlikelihood that Kipyegon will succeed should not disqualify her from trying. If she manages 4:02 or 4:03, which is far more realistic than sub-four, it will highlight just what a woman is capable of, and will almost certainly embolden her peers - potentially Sifan Hassan, as well as others in the future - to aim for the sub-four barrier. I hope Kipyegon manages to break four minutes next week. But, even if she fails, it's likely we'll look back on this attempt as the first step on the path to what is inevitably coming - a female sub-four minute mile.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Inside the ‘Jaws' theme song creation 50 years ago: ‘Everyone's scared of those two notes'
They were the two notes of terror heard around the world. They were the two notes of terror heard around the world. But director Steven Spielberg initially laughed off composer John Williams' 'Jaws' theme that would become the signature sound — and sign — of the great white shark's attack in the summer blockbuster that opened 50 years ago on June 20, 1975. 'I expected to hear something kind of weird and melodic, something tonal, but eerie; something of another world, almost like outer space under the water,' said Spielberg in a 2012 Blu-ray featurette on the making of 'Jaws.' 7 'When everyone came out and said 'Jaws' scared them out of the water, it was Johnny who scared them out of the water,' said director Steven Spielberg of John Williams' 'Jaws' theme. Bettmann Archive 7 John Williams won the first of his four Oscars for Best Original Score for 'Jaws' in 1976. Bettmann Archive 'And what he played me instead, with two fingers on the lower keys, was 'dun-dun, dun-dun, dun-dun.' And at first, I began to laugh. He had a great sense of humor, and I thought he was putting me on.' But Williams was scaring up the menacing motif that would sink its teeth into moviegoers — and terrify beachgoers — for generations to come in the film classic that would launch his and Spielberg's careers into historic heights. While Spielberg might have first thought it was a joke, Williams was dead serious about the ominous ostinato of notes E and F played by tuba player Tommy Johnson. 'He said, 'You can't be serious?'' Williams — who had previously worked with Spielberg on 1974's 'The Sugarland Express' — told Classic FM in 2022 about his chilling riff to 'represent our primordial fear.' 'I think in Spielberg's mind … you want something really complicated and layered and, you know, atonal horror music or whatever,' film music historian Tim Greiving — who wrote the upcoming biography 'John Williams: A Composer's Life' — exclusively told The Post. 7 'You can almost think of it as, like, it is the shark,' said film historian Tim Greiving of the 'Jaws' theme. Courtesy Everett Collection 'But John Williams has such a great story instinct that he knew that the simpler, the better, that kind of economy and just, like, pure drive was what this movie needed. So, yeah, in this way he knew better than Spielberg.' To Greiving, Williams struck just the right note with the 'Jaws' theme. 'It so perfectly represents the mindless, just predatory instinct of a shark,' he said. 'You can almost think of it as, like, it is the shark.' But, he added, there's also a 'sense of a heartbeat' that captures 'you in the water with your heart rate kind of accelerating as the shark gets closer to you.' 7 'He said, 'You can't be serious?' ' said John Williams (left) of Steven Spielberg's initial reaction to his 'Jaws' theme. Courtesy Everett Collection The 'deceptively simple' phrase was just the right hook to harpoon the masses. 'It's just a very effective storytelling device,' said Greiving. 'I think anything more complicated than that wouldn't have been nearly as effective.' The 'Jaws' theme became a cultural touchstone in and of itself. 'Because 'Jaws' was such a huge phenomenon, it … just permeated everything,' said Greiving. 'And you had this musical signature, this musical brand to that phenomenon. So it's just an easy way to sort of shorthand reference 'Jaws' as a whole phenomenon.' 'I think it's like the opening of Beethoven's Fifth or the strings of 'Psycho.' It's just something so instantly recognizable that those kinds of things just catch on … and, you know, they just never go away, right? That's the brilliance of it.' 7 The shark in 'Jaws' had its own theme, which struck fear across generations. Getty Images However, Greiving notes that the two-note 'Jaws' theme that that has struck fear across generations is just a small part of the score that won Williams the first of his four Oscars for Best Original Score. 'I talked to [Oscar-winning composer] Hans Zimmer for my book, and he just said, 'You know, everyone's scared of those two notes, but for composers, we're scared of everything after those two notes, because the whole thing is so impressive,' ' he said. 'And I think John Williams, as he often does, takes a simple idea, a simple motif, and just expands it and develops it into basically a symphony.' Williams went on to score more than 100 films, including other classic Spielberg collaborations such as 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind,' 'E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,' 'Jurassic Park,' 'Schindler's List' and the 'Indiana Jones' franchise,' but he never imagined that the repeated pattern of 'Jaws' would never go away. 7 'He knew better than [Steven] Spielberg,' said Tim Greiving of John Williams (left) proposing the 'Jaws' theme. Getty Images 'At that time, I had no idea that it would have that kind of impact on people,' he told Classic FM. And Spielberg has credited the 'Jaws' theme as a major part of the movie's success. 'When everyone came out and said 'Jaws' scared them out of the water, it was Johnny who scared them out of the water,' Spielberg said in the Blu-ray featurette. 'His music was scarier than seeing the shark.' 7 Richard Dreyfuss (left) and Robert Shaw co-starred in the 1975 summer blockbuster 'Jaws.' Getty Images But for Greiving — whose Williams biography will be released on Sept. 2 — the 'Jaws' theme is even bigger than movies. 'I think the two-note theme in 'Jaws' is maybe the most famous musical unit in the history of music. I think you could argue that,' he said. 'I think more people around the world recognize these two notes played as the 'Jaws' theme more than almost any other piece of music.'
New York Post
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Three of the Beatles' members sons are teaming up for the first time to release a new song together
Here comes the sons. Three of the Beatles' children have united on a new song. Ringo Starr's son, Zak Starkey, confirmed that John Lennon's son, Sean Ono Lennon, and Paul McCartney's son, James McCartney, provided vocals on his supergroup Mantra of the Cosmos' upcoming single 'Rip Off.' 12 Zak Starkey attends the Manta Of The Cosmos' performance at The Box in London in June 2023.12 James McCartney attends a photography exhibition in London in May Claridge's ArtSpace 12 Sean Ono Lennon attends the 2025 Grammy The Recording Academy Starkey, 59, shared a clip of the rock song via Instagram on Sunday. Shaun Ryder of Happy Mondays also provided vocals on the track. George Harrison is the only Beatles member who doesn't have any children working on the song. The late star had one son, Dhani Harrison, who is also a musician. 12 Zak Starkey shares a clip of his new song with Sean Ono Lennon and James McCartney. therealzakstarkey/Instagram 12 Zak Starkey made 'Rip Off' with two other Beatles' children. therealzakstarkey/Instagram In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Starkey denied that his collaboration with Sean, 49, and James, 47, was like a mini-Beatles reunion. 'It's like Mantra of the Cosmos with them in it,' Starkey stated. 'It's Sean of the Cosmos and James of the Cosmos, it's still my band.' 12 Ringo Starr in 1963. Bettmann Archive 12 Paul McCartney in 1963. Bettmann Archive 12 John Lennon in 1963. Bettmann Archive When the interviewer mentioned Starkey just needs Dhani, 46, for the whole gang to be together, Starkey responded, 'No I don't. Why do I?' The last time the Beatles' offspring worked together was when James and Sean came out with the song 'Primrose Hill' in 2024. 12 The Beatles in 1963. Getty Images 'Primrose Hill' is here! Today I am so very excited to share my latest song co-written by my good friend @sean_ono_lennon,' James wrote on Instagram at the time, alongside a selfie of the pair. 'With the release of this song it feels like we're really getting the ball rolling and I am so excited to continue to share music with you.' Back in 2012, James spoke to the BBC about the possibility of forming a music group with Starkey, Sean and Dhani. 12 Paul and James McCartney attend the book launch and private view of 'Mary McCartney: Monochrome And Colour' in 2014. David M. Benett 'I don't think it's something that Zak wants to do,' James said. 'Maybe [Ringo Starr's son] Jason [Starkey] would want to do it. I'd be up for it. Sean seemed to be into it, Dhani seemed to be into it. I'd be happy to do it.' James then said that the supergroup had been 'mooted' but was still hopeful it could happen. 12 Paul McCartney with his son James leave 'Late Show with David Letterman' in NYC in 2013. Getty Images 'Yeah, hopefully, naturally. I don't know, you'd have to wait and see,' he teased. 'The will of God, nature's support, I guess. So yeah, maybe.' Starkey has recently made headlines for being fired twice from the band The Who. The drummer told The Telegraph that he was kicked out of the group after an alleged altercation with lead singer Roger Daltrey. He also alleged that he turned down the offer to tour with Oasis for The Who. 12 Zak Starkey and Ringo Starr attend an event at The Vox in London in 2016. David M. Benett But Starkey hinted in the interview that he might return to The Who. 'I spoke to Roger last week and he said, 'Don't take your drums out of [The Who's] warehouse yet in case we need you,'' Starkey said. 'I said, 'Best let me know.''
New York Post
12-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
CIA releases more than 1,000 pages on RFK assassination — including chilling statement: ‘Kennedy must fall'
WASHINGTON — The CIA released 1,450 additional pages of documents related to the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy on Thursday, including 54 previously classified documents. The files could shed new light on the motivations of Sirhan Sirhan, the Palestinian-born Jordanian citizen convicted of Kennedy's murder after the June 5, 1968, shooting — and contain a psychological profile of Sirhan as well as his handwritten notes. One of the handwritten notes includes the lines 'Kennedy must fall' and 'tonight, tonight.' Advertisement 4 Robert F. Kennedy lies on the floor after being shot on June 5, 1968. Bettmann Archive 4 Part of the declassified document which reads 'Kennedy must fall.' CIA Other records will disclose details about a trip that RFK took with former Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas to the Soviet Union in 1955, during which the future US attorney general and senator 'served the Agency as a voluntary informant.' Advertisement A CIA official said that the documents about Kennedy's journey 'exemplifies the depth of his patriotism and commitment to serving his country,' knowing that 'the USSR was our top adversary at the time.' The information on Sirhan covers his family history and international ties but notes that the gunman was never connected to any terrorist groups, the official added. 'Today's release delivers on President Trump's commitment to maximum transparency, enabling the CIA to shine light on information that serves the public interest,' said CIA Director John Ratcliffe in a statement. 4 Sirhan Sirhan in custody with his attorney in June 1968. AP Advertisement 4 Robert F. Kennedy seen during an interview before he was shot. NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty Images 'I am proud to share our work on this incredibly important topic with the American people.' Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard previously released more than 10,000 pages about the senator's murder at a Los Angeles hotel following his victory in the 1968 California Democratic presidential primary. 'I commend President Trump for his courage and his commitment to transparency,' Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. added in his own statement. 'I'm grateful also to Tulsi Gabbard and John Ratcliffe for their dogged efforts to root out and declassify these documents.'
