Australia men's coach Ric Charlesworth has criticised the Olympic match schedule after claiming it disadvantages his side and benefits their major rivals.

David Beckham is to make a special guest appearance at the official handover ceremony of the Olympic Flame in Athens and bring it back to Britain for the torch relay.

The Way I See It: If you had to be named after a fictional character, PG Wodehouse's Mike Jackson would do nicely

The biggest test yet of whether the Olympic Park is ready for the London 2012 Games begins today.

The appeal of studying in the US is growing as fees rocket at home.

Millions of spectators and tourists are expected to flock to London this summer, placing a huge strain on essential services. Rhodri Marsden looks at IT's role in keeping things running

Peter Ustinov once called Toronto "New York run by the Swiss", meaning that Canada's largest city has everything the Big Apple does, but is just a bit cleaner, friendlier, more efficient and – well, Swiss. It might be an overstatement but, as a big metropolis, it does feel safe. But not safe enough for former US vice-president Dick Cheney, who yesterday pulled out of a talk in the city due to fears about his safety. Is he right to be scared? What are Toronto's potential dangers?

Thank goodness, a comedy lead who's the very opposite of a smart alec. But this tale of a brawling ice-hockey star doesn't pack much of a punch

Hockey player tells Sue Mott how he's overcome awful injuries – and the insertion of metal plates – to push for London 2012 glory

She has returned the GB women's team after a career-threatening series of injuries, including an horrific car smash

A boy who hit an ice hockey puck into a tiny hole from the rink's centre line 27 metres away has been denied $50,000 prize money, because his identical 11-year-old twin brother bought the ticket that allowed him to take the shot.

James Tindall struck a golden-goal winner to give England a 2-1 victory over Belgium and the bronze medal at the EuroHockey Nations Championships. Reading defender Richard Mantell had fired England ahead from a penalty corner in the sixth minute, but Alexandre De Paeuw pulled Belgium level after 42 minutes.

Two goals from captain Barry Middleton helped England get their European title defence off to a winning start with a 4-2 victory over Ireland in Monchengladbach. Middleton's first put England ahead for the first time in the match while his second late in the game relieved the pressure that had been building following John Jermyn's penalty corner goal ten minutes from time.