place. do you anticipate that initially, we have to accept fewer metals? there's a chance that some of the metals will be effective, —— affected, but they will still deliver great results. this is about great success, but how about success is delivered is important. the belief is longer—term. we're not talking massively long—term, reasonably short to long term, then i think will have more sports doing it better. the commitment from all of us behind these decisions is actually increased success across the board but also increase positive environment for every athlete and every member of staff. it will be a positive experience for them. modern pentathlon‘s facing a cut of almost 20%, and jo choong, who competed at the rio games, told me that will lead to a cut in the number of athletes.

we we re we were planning on having 16 spots, so we were planning on having 16 spots, so eight women and eight men on the programme. but this had to be announced, i think we were told five men and five women, whichjust means trying to invest and help those future out least will be much more difficult —— future out least will be much more difficult — — future future out least will be much more difficult —— future athletes. it's going to be challenging to support everyone for the next cycle. we don't expect to keep all the money we had. there was the pandemic and it's very difficult for everyone worldwide, but i think what's most upsetting is looking in comparison to other sports. we just sort of lost funding with some of them. it would be a lot less upsetting in our eyes. of those to benefit, badminton has seen an increase and wheelchair rugby has had its funding restored after it was cut completely following the rio games. new additions climbing, surfing and skateboarding, all of which feature at tokyo next

year, have all received funding. for me, it's the right thing to do because we're at the early stages of olympic. we're a new sport but we're a sport that's been around for a0 yea rs. a sport that's been around for a0 years. with nearly a million people skateboarding every year. what this funding does is just skateboarding every year. what this funding does isjust us skateboarding every year. what this funding does is just us to create a foundation to inspire people in the future and really change lives. it just gives us that basis of generating that system that we need for world —class generating that system that we need for world—class performance. sunday will finally see the conclusion to last season's scottish cup. hearts take on celtic inside an empty national stadium. for the holders, it's the chance to complete a clean sweep of domestic trophies for the fourth year in a row. a victory for hearts would mean payback in more ways than one. here's our sports news

correspondent, chris mclaughlin. what scottish cup weekend usually looks like versus... glasgow on the weekend of cup final 2020. all very bizarre. on sunday, the stands of hamden will be empty as last season's showpiece is finally played out days before christmas. this was 2019, the same line as sunday. two teams at the top of their game. how things have changed. celtics struggling and manager under huge pressure. it's important to us to try and complete a quadruple, which probably will never be seen again. maybe on a bit of form, yeah it's a good time for us. how much do you

think a good time for us. how much do you thinka win good time for us. how much do you think a win on sunday will go some way towards going down that convincing doubters you are the one? you may never convince convincing doubters you are the one? you may never convince some convincing doubters you are the one? you may never convince some of the doubters. since coming in, there's been quite a few of those. parts have felt the pain of coronavirus perhaps more than most clubs —— hearts. despite a fight, they fell through the trapdoor through the championship. fury, frustration? there are a lot of words you can use. the fan base, they're looking at this had an opportunity to give something to fans. it's been a difficult yearfor them, something to fans. it's been a difficult year for them, it's something to fans. it's been a difficult yearfor them, it's been something to fans. it's been a difficult year for them, it's been a difficult year for them, it's been a difficult year for them, it's been a difficult yearfor difficult year for them, it's been a difficult year for them, it's been a difficult year for the staff at the club. cuts, redundancies. this place has witnessed many inevitable cut finals. sunday's will forever go down as a covid cup final, the festive cup final without the

cheers. setting that aside, for celtic, the quadruple trouble is huge and for hearts, i club or elevated because of the virus victory here will be sweet indeed. chris mcglocklin, bbc news, hampden park. and it wouldn't come much sweeter for britain's callum smith if can pull off what would be a huge upset in the early hours of sunday morning. he's going head to head with one of the best pound for pound fighters on the planet in the shape of unbeaten mexican saul ‘canelo' alvarez in texas. despite smith being a world champion himself at super—middleweight, the bbc‘s boxing correspondent mike costello says a win for the liverpudlian would be "one of the greatest wins by any british fighter" but as you'll see he's not overawed fighter". but as you'll see he's not overawed by the task in front of him. still the best in the world. these type of fights, it's not even about

as much, fighters from britain. my name amongst them, it'sjust as much, fighters from britain. my name amongst them, it's just about being a member. it doesn't come much bigger than this. it's everything for me but it's a bit intense. it's obviously going to come with it, but i think obviously going to come with it, but ithink in obviously going to come with it, but i think in terms of lifestyle, it's life—changing for me. it's about the win. people who taste the fame, it comes to a stop at some point —— chase the fame. i've never been big on social media, i've never called people out. i'm in a position to secure the biggest fight possible. i haven't got here because i'm a big

character, people want to see because i'm a good fighter and it's a good fight. and bbc radio 5 live will have commentary of callum smith against canelo from aam on sunday morning. mike costello and steve bunce will be joined by george groves, will be joined by george groves. next up, are you superstitious? believe in curses? well, gaelic football side mayo fear one has hung over their team for years, having made it to the all—ireland final on several occasions they haven't won it in 69 years. they take on dublin tomorrow afternoon in what is one of the biggest days on the sporting calenderfor irish communities around the world. this year's final will take place in an empty stadium. and could this strange year change things for mayo? here'sjoe lynskey reports. # o, the green and red mayo... county mayo is where ireland's mountains meet the sea. it's wild, it's remote, but it's not quiet. cheering. this weekend, mayo playing gaelic

football's all—ireland final. for them, this match is an obsession. mayo last won the title in 1951. since then, they've reached the final nine times and lost them all, a run that makes some fans believe in the supernatural. did that team in the 50s create the mayo curse? so, the story goes that on their drive home, the team neglected to pay proper respects to a funeral and a local priest cursed the team that while any member of the 51 team lived, mayo will never win and all—ireland final. there's only two surviving members, including my grandfather. he thinks it's funny, but he doesn't truly believe in it. he has a different recount of how they travelled home. people from mayo will watch around the world, perhaps even the president—elect. he has roots there. but the county knows how hard it'll be. for the cup, they face dublin. they're going for a sixth title

in a row, and three times this decade, they've beaten mayo in the final, in all of them byjust a point. this dublin team, it's by far the best team that's ever played the ga because no one has ever won until last year, and now they're going for six and utterly, utterly dominant. you play for where you're from, and the sense of pride that comes with that is huge. so, what would it mean to your family and this county for mayo to win this on saturday? it would mean so much, especially for my grandfather, given he's 91 years of age. that's what i want, i want for him and for all our family. this year, croke park will be empty, just like irish clubs in the uk. but mailable in curse anyway they can. they've lost nine times before but in this county, they keep coming back —— but mayo. joe linsky, bbc

news. it feels there is a bit of a family theme. like father, like son. this is tyler woods and his son —— tiger woods. charlie on the golf course, and wayne rooney is no different. he's taken to social media to annouce that his 11—year—old kai has signed with manchester united. katie gornall reports. they say the apple never falls far from the tree. earlier this year, wayne rooney's oldest son kai showed off his skills in this video. now, the 11—year—old has signed for manchester united's academy. he's been working hard. continuing with his footballing. he went in on a

trial with manchester united, and he's impressed them. yeah, he signed his form yesterday. he's following in big footsteps. wayne rooney is united's record goal—scorer. he'd spent 13 years at the club's following everton. during his career, the former english record scored 253 times. he's been brought up scored 253 times. he's been brought up in scored 253 times. he's been brought upina scored 253 times. he's been brought up in a football environment, so even though he's still extremely young, i think it was kind of inevitable that he was always going to be in this situation of having the opportunity to join to be in this situation of having the opportunity tojoin united. rooney's four sons grew up seeing what success in football can bring, but heading down the same path as your parents has its challenges. michael is a premier league winner with leicester, but always face

comparison to his father peter, a manchester united legend. this is when rooney at the same age as kai is now, appearing as a mascot. even back then, he seemed desperate to make it. his son will want to make a name for himself. katie gornall, bbc news. i'm sure he will. a proud day they are for the rooney family. that's all from sportsday. we will be back with all of tomorrow's action on bbc news at 6:30 p:m.. for now, goodbye. hello there, it's very mild today. it's also windy and for some parts of the country, very wet as well. this area of cloud has been bringing the wetter weather into western parts of the uk. the weather front driving it is not moving very far today, so it stays wet in scotland, wales and western parts of england. the focus of the very heavy rain

is going to be across south wales and south—west england. we've got this amber rain warning from the met office — flooding likely, travel disruption too. these are the two main areas of heavy rain and it's over the higher ground — dartmoor, the brecon beacons — that will see 100 millimetres, four inches by the end of the day. that wetter weather still around actually in the same sort of area all the way up into eastern scotland this evening. gradually, that rain band will push more towards eastern england, allowing clearer spells and showers to return notjust to northern ireland, but into scotland, wales and western parts of england. it will still be windy overnight and, as a result, it will be mild — temperatures eight to ten degrees. as we head into the weekend, things look a little different. it's going to be a case of sunny spells and scattered showers this weekend. the very mild air and the heavy, persistent rain that we're seeing now will get pushed away and showers will get drawn in around that area of low pressure from the atlantic and gradually the air will get cooler as the weekend goes on. now, we've still got some rain to clear away

from eastern—most parts of england by mid—morning tomorrow. and then it's sunshine and bands of showers coming in. the showers more frequent and heavier out to the west, but more showers will get blown inland because it is going to be quite a windy day still, particularly around those heavier showers. but it's still going to be quite a mild day, actually, on saturday, not as mild as today, but still temperatures in the range of nine to 12 degrees. things are starting to cool off, though, as the weekend goes on. early sunday will be cooler with temperatures perhaps as low as five or six degrees. again, it's a case of sunshine and showers on sunday. we'll see most of the showers again across western areas, some wetter weather, windier weather in the north—west of scotland. elsewhere, more in the way of sunshine, the winds ease down it of sunshine, the winds ease down. it will be cooler on sunday, and then we've got cloud and rain arriving in the south—west during the evening. one area of low pressure bringing wet and windy weather

overnight into monday, another one waiting in the wings before it turns drier in most areas, but colder by christmas. this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. the spread of covid—19 is accelerating in the uk , with the crucial r number now back above one. health leaders are warning of significant pressure on the health service. hospitals are very active at the moment. a lot of them are operating at capacity, as we've said. to add a third spike on to that post christmas, i think, potentially, is really serious. the us vice president, mike pence gets his coronavirus vaccine shot on live tv, to encourage people to have the injection. more than 300 schoolboys abducted in northern nigeria a week ago are expected to be reunited with their families within hours after their release. headteachers in england say the last—minute demand for mass