The Paris Olympics will be a “knock it out of the park spectacular” experience for Team GB athletes, their chef de mission has said.

Wednesday marks one year to go until the Games opening ceremony, and Mark England is confident the building blocks for success are being put in place for what is set to be the closest thing to a home Games for a generation.

“This will feel like a home Games and I think we need to talk about it as being a home Games,” England said.

“We won’t have all the home advantages that the French team will have but we’re very, very confident in what we’ve got in place.

“I think (the athletes) will find it the most inspirational and exciting Games they have ever been in. There’ll be a smattering of London 2012 Olympians there, but this will be knock it out of the park spectacular for those in their first or second Games, which is the lion’s share of them.

“They are in Europe, in their own time zone give or take, and with an opportunity to move quite freely between Paris and the rest of Britain.”

England said marginally under 50 athletes were qualified so far for the Games, and was confident ultimately 350 to 375 athletes would compete for medals.

Asked whether the ‘home’ environment might be the catalyst for a bigger medal haul than Tokyo, where the team finished fourth, England said: “I think we’ve got a great opportunity to be the top European nation again, despite the fact that the home nation is very, very strong and getting stronger for a whole variety of reasons.

“So top European nation, top five are our aspirations. I know that we are medal-competitive in a significant number of sports. I think we’ve got all of those building blocks, notwithstanding we’ve got another 12 months to build on that.”

England has already “kicked the tyres” on Team GB’s training bases in St Germain-en-Laye and Reims, plus the Performance Lodge in Clichy.

As well as being a training facility, England said the Lodge will serve as a place where athletes who wish to will have the opportunity to spend time with loved ones to boost preparations, something denied to them in Tokyo due to the strict Covid-19 protocols in place.

Concerns have been raised about security for the Games in Paris, amid riots in the French capital this summer and the terrorism threat level for the city still rated as severe.

Team GB athletes will be equipped with an emergency response app, but England said: “We’re in good shape. (The app) is absolutely nothing that we haven’t done before, and we used it extensively in Rio (in 2016).

“Our security footprint is no greater, no less than any other previous Games.”

Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from July 25.

Football mourned Chris Bart-Williams.

Becks has still got it.

Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed Japan.

Anthony Elanga was on the move.

Man City went dark.

Burnley went bright.

Cheltenham went….mint

Wilfried Zaha was ready for the next chapter.

Roy Hodgson looked cool.

Ricky Ponting addressed talk of his uncanny resemblance with Open champion Brian Harman.

A post shared by ICC (@icc)

Stuart Broad loved the celebappeals.

Barmy Army were not happy with the Manchester weather.

Something to celebrate.

Kevin Pietersen played I spy.

A lovely moment.

Jason Robinson was in the gym.

Mercedes poked fun at Red Bull’s broken Hungarian Grand Prix trophy with a pic of their own from 2013.

George Russell was raring to go.

Adrian Lewis reeled in the big fish.

Nathan Aspinall produced one of the best displays of his career to become Betfred World Matchplay champion for the first time after thrashing Jonny Clayton 18-6.

Aspinall won 13 of the last 14 legs, including 11 on the spin from 5-5 on his way to lifting the Phil Taylor Trophy at Winter Gardens in Blackpool.

Welshman Clayton, 48, who beat Luke Humphries 17-15 in a thrilling semi-final, had made a 141-checkout to level it up at 5-5, but from there on was a virtual bystander as Aspinall raced away to victory.

While being celebrated by his fans to the tune of ‘Mr Brightside’ by The Killers, he told Sky Sports: “I’ve got no words. I don’t know what it was but I found it.

“I scored brilliant all game. I knew I had to get rid of my darts quicker. The people who come to Blackpool are die hard darts fans.”

The 32-year-old from Stockport produced a 170-finish on the bull to extend his lead to 11-5 and made his fifth 100-plus finish (115) to move 13-5 clear, having averaged 110 over eight legs.

World number seven Clayton stopped the rot to trail 16-6, but there was no halting Aspinall, who clinched the biggest win of his career with double five as he led 17-6.

Aspinall, who lost both the Grand Slam and Grand Prix finals last year, climbed up to fifth in the PDC rankings with his victory, collected the £200,000 winner’s prize and became the 12th player to lift the title.

Earlier on Sunday, teenager Beau Greaves won the Women’s World Matchplay at the first attempt.

The 19-year-old top seed, making her debut in the competition, cruised to a 6-1 victory against Japan’s second seed Mikuru Suzuki.

The west Yorkshire town of Batley is no stranger to Hollywood scripts having hosted the likes of Frank Sinatra and Jayne Mansfield in the heyday of the town’s famous Variety Club.

But Batley Bulldogs head coach Craig Lingard believes his side have written an equally improbable chapter in the town’s history after beating York Knights on Sunday to reach Wembley for the first time in their 143-year history.

Batley, who were the first winners of the rugby league Challenge Cup in 1898 and 1899 when the final was played at Headingley, will face Halifax Panthers in the 1895 Cup final for second and third-tier sides following the main final on August 12.

It will provide a fitting send-off for Lingard, who has graced the club as both a player and coach for nearly two decades, and will leave to join Castleford as a full-time assistant coach at the end of the season.

Lingard told the PA news agency: “It’s a very emotional feeling because this club have been such a big part of my life, and I guess with me leaving at the end of the year it’s our own version of a Hollywood script.

“So many great people have been through this club and to be part of the first group that will be going to Wembley is an unbelievable feeling.”

Lingard inspired Batley’s run to last year’s Championship Grand Final where they were beaten by Leigh, and they have defied the odds again this term as they currently sit third in the table, despite operating on one of the smallest budgets in the division.

“I have no regrets about my decision to leave – it was a case of what else could I achieve at a club that has done so much despite not spending a great deal of money,” added Lingard.

“We reached a Grand Final last year and we’re going to Wembley this year, and there is the possibility of reaching another Grand Final too. It is something that everybody at this club richly deserves.”

Jonny Clayton came out on top of a thrilling Betfred World Matchplay semi-final against Luke Humphries.

The Welshman won 17-15 to set up a meeting with Nathan Aspinall in the final.

With very little to separate the two players on the Winter Gardens stage, it was Clayton’s higher checkout percentage that ultimately proved the difference.

The 48-year-old will now go in search of his first premier title since 2021, buoyed by a tough night in Blackpool.

Aspinall, who lost both the Grand Slam and Grand Prix finals last year, will now be aiming to go one better after powering past Joe Cullen.

A 17-9 win showed his superiority, with Cullen’s 148 checkout to break in the seventh leg proving to be a false dawn for the 34-year-old.

Instead, Aspinall pulled clear and never looked like slipping up as he progressed through to Sunday’s final.

PA SPORT BIRTHDAYS

Graham Gooch (cricket) – former England and Essex captain, born 1953.

Andy Townsend (soccer) – former Chelsea, Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland midfielder, now a pundit, born 1963.

Maurice Greene (athletics) – American sprinter who won 100 metres and 4x100m relay gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, born 1974.

Gail Emms (badminton) – 2004 Olympic mixed doubles silver medallist, born 1977.

Stuart Elliott (soccer) – former Hull and Northern Ireland winger, born 1978.

David Strettle (rugby union) – former Saracens and England winger, born 1983.

Aaron Peirsol (swimming) – American five-times Olympic gold medal-winner, born 1983.

Danny Ings (soccer) – West Ham striker, born 1992.

Sophie Unwin (paralympics) – Cyclist who won two medals for Great Britain at the 2020 Paralympics, bronze in the Women’s B 3000m individual pursuit and silver, along with pilot Jenny Holl, in the Women’s road race tandem B, born 1994.

Deandre Ayton (basketball) – Phoenix Suns centre, taken at number one in the 2018 NBA draft, born 1998.

ON THIS DAY IN SPORT

1949: Brian Close became England’s youngest Test cricketer when he made his debut against New Zealand at Old Trafford aged 18 years and 149 days. He played the last of his 22 Tests at the age of 46, some 27 years later.

2000: Tiger Woods won the Open Championship at St Andrews by eight shots. The American, who a few months earlier had won the US Open by the biggest margin in major championship history, became only the fifth player to wrap up a career grand slam of major titles after his triumph at the home of golf.

2006: Woods won the Open at Hoylake, just 11 weeks after the death of his father.

2007: Freddie Ljungberg’s nine-year Arsenal career came to an end as the Sweden midfielder joined West Ham in a £3million move.

2010: France’s entire 23-man World Cup squad were suspended for the friendly game against Norway on August 11 after the controversy in South Africa which saw them stage a sit-in on the team bus.

2012: Cyclist Sir Chris Hoy was named as Great Britain’s flag bearer for the opening ceremony of London 2012. Hoy went on to win two gold medals at the Games, giving him six in total to make him at the time Britain’s most successful Olympian.

2014: The Commonwealth Games opened in Glasgow after a ceremony at Celtic Park that included performances by acts such as John Barrowman and Rod Stewart.

2016: David Moyes was appointed Sunderland manager on a four-year deal, replacing new England boss Sam Allardyce.

2017: Jordan Spieth claimed victory in the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

2017: England beat India by nine runs in the final of the Women’s Cricket World Cup at Lord’s.

2017: Chris Froome won the Tour de France for the fourth time.

2021: Tennis star Naomi Osaka lit the Olympic flame as the Tokyo Games were opened with an understated opening ceremony held behind closed doors.

PA SPORT SELECTED TV LISTINGS

Today (Sunday, July 23)

FOOTBALL: Women’s World Cup, Sweden v South Africa – BBC Two England 0545; Netherlands v Portugal – BBC One 0815; France v Jamaica – ITV 1030.

CRICKET: Fourth Ashes Test, England v Australia – Sky Sports Cricket 1015, Sky Sports Main Event 1100; Second Test, West Indies v India – TNT Sports 1 1430.

GOLF: The Open – Sky Sports Golf 1100, Sky Sports Main Event 1830; PGA Tour, The Barracuda Championship – Sky Sports Golf 2200.

MOTOR RACING: Formula One, Hungarian Grand Prix – Sky Sports F1 1355; World Rally Championship, Estonia – TNT Sports 1 0600.

CYCLING: Tour de France, stage 21 – Eurosport 1 1500, ITV4 1630; Tour de France Femmes – Eurosport 1 1100.

DARTS: World Matchplay, Blackpool – Sky Sports Action and Sky Sports Main Event 2000; Women’s World Matchplay, Blackpool – Sky Sports Action 1300.

RUGBY LEAGUE: Challenge Cup, Hull KR v Wigan – BBC Two 1630.

EQUESTRIAN: Global Champions Tour, Riesenbeck – Eurosport 2 1800.

ATHLETICS: Diamond League London – BBC One 1315.

MOTOR CYCLING: British Superbikes, Brands Hatch – Eurosport 2 1300.

Tomorrow (Monday, July 24)

FOOTBALL: Women’s World Cup, Italy v Argentina – ITV 0630; Germany v Morocco – ITV 0905; Brazil v Panama – ITV 1135.

CRICKET: West Indies v India – TNT Sports 1 1430.

CYCLING: Tour de France Femmes – Eurosport 1 1400.

PA SPORT QUIZ

1. Who scored the opening goal of the FIFA Women’s World Cup?

2. Liverpool signed Fabinho from which club?

3. Who beat Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the French Open final in 2019?

4. Britain’s Holly Bradshaw is a leading name in which athletics discipline?

5. Who won the 2022 Open Championship?

6. Celtic winger Sead Haksabanovic plays for which international side?

7. In which town were cycling twins Adam and Simon Yates born?

8. England bowler Chris Woakes plays for which county team?

9. Where and when did Novak Djokovic win his first grand slam title?

10. How many gold medals did Great Britain win at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 – 22, 24 or 26?

ANSWERS: 1. Hannah Wilkinson; 2. Monaco; 3. Ashleigh Barty; 4. Pole vault; 5. Cameron Smith; 6. Montenegro; 7. Bury; 8. Warwickshire; 9. Australian Open 2008; 10. 22.

Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from July 21.

England defender Lotte Wubben-Moy started her Doodle Diary again.

Another nice bit of artwork.

Republic of Ireland captain Katie McCabe reflected on her country’s World Cup opener.

Nigeria forward Deborah Abiodun apologised for her red card against Canada.

Burnley once again got creative with their transfer announcement.

Tottenham continued their tour.

A post shared by James Maddison (@madders)

Sheffield United’s new man is a dab hand at other sports too.

Happy birthdays.

Liverpool turned the clock back.

A rubbish day for Australia.

Matt Wallace’s shirt in the second round of the Open caused a stir.

Richie Ramsay went for orange and black…

….another one to consider.

Justin Rose was optimistic.

Daniel Ricciardo was excited to make a return with a new helmet at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

And his fans were pleased to see him back too.

Boyband credentials for the top three in practice.

Joe Cullen produced a 142 checkout against Daryl Gurney on his way to becoming the first player through to the Betfred World Matchplay semi-finals on Thursday night.

Former Masters champion Cullen beat Gurney 16-11 in the best of 31 legs to secure a maiden appearance in the last four at the Winter Gardens.

Cullen, who edged out Gerwyn Price in a second-round thriller, averaged 97.11 and threw eight 180s on his way to victory.

After Cullen raced into a 5-0 lead, Gurney started to fight back and a 132 checkout reduced the deficit to 8-5, but Cullen responded to take out 142.

Two 13-dart finishes later in the match ensured it was Cullen who was victorious and he will face Nathan Aspinall in Blackpool on Saturday for a place in the final.

“It feels great, but I am the same as the other six players left. I feel like I can win the tournament, but it is showing it on the day,” Cullen told Betfred.

“I feel like I am good enough, as are the other players left, but it is all about showing it on the day.

“You could be rubbish the whole year, but if you find a good week here, you can write your name into history and that is what I am trying to do.”

Aspinall ended the fine run of housemate Chris Dobey with a 16-12 win in the second match on day six of the tournament.

Dobey made a brilliant start and, after leading 3-2 at the end of the first interval, a 140 checkout helped him establish a 6-3 advantage.

That became 7-5 before world number nine Aspinall showed his pedigree by winning three legs on the spin.

Aspinall took out 92 to move 10-8 ahead and, despite a couple of nervy throws in the final leg, the Stockport right-hander checked out 25 to secure his own first semi-final appearance at the World Matchplay.

Their last-four showdown will be the sixth meeting between Cullen and Aspinall, with the latter winning 10-2 in their last encounter in the UK Open in March.

Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from July 20.

Arsenal off to winning start in pre-season.

Kai Havertz finally scored a volley!

Liverpool were also up and running.

Manchester City were back in training.

Manchester United headed for America.

Paul Mullin was 1-0 down.

Alex Morgan geared up for the Women’s World Cup.

Ian Wright was excited by VAR!

Jack Butland was honoured.

Mesut Ozil was reminiscing about El Clasico.

A post shared by Mesut Özil (@m10_official)

Return of the Matt!

Tony Finau showed his colours.

Zak Crawley scored a century.

England celebrated their new number three’s effort against Australia.

Entertainment on and off the pitch at Old Trafford.

Stan was grateful.

Chris Eubank Jr made a promise.

Three-time world champion Bianca Walkden goes under the knife.

Ryan Searle was left looking for a new hotel after dumping Peter Wright out of the Betfred World Matchplay.

The Englishman was only booked into his accommodation in Blackpool until Friday, but now needs to find somewhere to stay after beating world number two Wright 11-8 to set up a quarter-final with Wales’ Jonny Clayton that night.

Searle told Sky Sports: “I’m going to have to try to book a hotel now because I’m meant to be leaving on Friday. I have to try to find somewhere to stay.”

The first five legs went with the darts, but it was Searle who landed the first break to lead the twice world champion 4-2, and as an out-of-sorts Wright struggled to find his best form, it was an advantage he never relinquished.

He took four legs on the trot, culminating in a 107 checkout and although missed doubles cost him the next two and gave the Scot hope, he eventually saw out the win with a 112 finish to claim a place in the last eight for the first time.

Searle said: “That’s unbelievable, really. That was such a scrappy game compared to Monday. We both gave each other chances and in the end, I was lucky enough to take mine.

“I didn’t expect an easy game, obviously. He’s not been in the best form, but you never know when he’s going to just turn a switch and turn it around. It was quite nervy at the end there, but I’m just happy to get over the line.”

Clayton produced a finishing masterclass as he eased past Belgium’s former Matchplay champion Dimitri Van den Bergh.

Clayton hit checkouts of 170, 156 and 126 as he surged from 4-4 to win four successive legs before eventually securing an 11-6 victory.

Speaking afterwards, he told Sky Sports: “I knew I had to play well here tonight. Thank God, my darts went good.

“Dimitri gave me a few chances and a few shots, but listen, the ton-pluses always look good and they always feel good, so I’m glad to get over that line.”

Luke Humphries will face Damon Heta in the quarter-finals after seeing off Dirk van Duijvenbode in sudden death.

The Dutchman raced into a 3-0 lead, but found himself level at 5-5 as both players scored heavily, but missed doubles.

Humphries had to scrap his way back once again and produced an 11-dart leg to reduce the deficit to 9-7, only for his opponent to produce a 10-darter in the next.

However, he held his nerve to level at 10-10 to set up a tense conclusion before going on to win 14-12 in a classic.

Heta had earlier secured his progression with an 11-1 demolition of Northern Ireland’s Brendan Dolan.

Dolan, who dispensed with reigning champion Michael van Gerwen in the previous round, was overwhelmed as the Australian, whose passage was secured with the help of a 150 checkout in the seventh leg, cruised to victory.

Billy Boston has described a statue of him and fellow Welsh rugby greats Clive Sullivan and Gus Risman in his home city of Cardiff as among the “highlights of my life”.

Boston celebrates his 89th birthday next month and was in the Welsh capital to see three of rugby’s ‘codebreakers’ honoured with the first statue in Wales to feature non-fictionalised, named black men.

“What a day this is,” said Boston, who scored 478 tries in 487 matches for Wigan after making the rugby switch from union to league in 1953.

“Coming home to Cardiff has always been a pleasure and this is one of the highlights of my life.

“To be up there alongside such magnificent men as Gus Risman and Clive Sullivan is simply amazing. I feel honoured to be singled out for this remarkable tribute by the people of Cardiff.

“Let’s face it there aren’t many left who have ever seen me play for Wigan or Great Britain. So to be remembered in this way is truly wonderful.

“Cardiff and Wales have always held a very special place in my heart, Wigan adopted me and became my home from home. The people of that town became my second family and have been wonderful to me for almost 70 years.

“But all of a sudden, as I look up and see my arms around Gus and Clive on this statue, I feel very much at home.

“I may have been a Wiganer for the past 70 years but it looks as if I’m home to stay now.”

Risman and Sullivan also left Cardiff to make their names as professional rugby players in the north of England at a time when black players were ostracised by the amateur Union code in Wales.

Sullivan, who scored 250 tries for Hull and another 118 for Hull Kingston Rovers, became the first black player to captain any Great Britain side and led his country to 1972 Rugby League World Cup glory.

Risman – the son of Russian immigrants who settled in Tiger Bay – scored 4,052 points in 873 games for Salford and Workington and played in five Ashes-winning series for Great Britain.

Sullivan’s son Anthony, a dual code international for Wales who also represented Great Britain in rugby league, said: “It’s really important for the family that we were well represented here as it’s such a momentous occasion.

“It’s amazing for the three men to be represented like this, people talk about them as men and that’s really important.

“They wanted to act as inspiration, not only what they achieved in sport but as people. The way that people talk about them in such glowing terms is something that should not be lost.

“They may have been forgotten a bit here in Wales but not in the rugby league community.

“That sense of community, belonging and togetherness, and struggling for achievement which is something our sport is synonymous, and I think it’s nice that it’s represented in the men that are up there.

“To be recognised in their home country and, as everyone has said they are home now, would have been really important to them.”

The ‘One Team. One Race: Honouring the Cardiff Bay Rugby Codebreakers’ project behind the statue was established in 2020, being inspired by calls from the Butetown and wider Cardiff Bay community.

The statue, which was created by Yorkshire sculptor Steve Winterburn, stands on a prominent part of Cardiff Bay.

Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from July 18.

Marcus Rashford extended his Manchester United stay.

There was some good news on another United great as Edwin van der Sar left intensive care.

James Maddison, Destiny Udogie, Guglielmo Vicario and Manor Solomon enjoyed their Spurs debuts.

A post shared by DESTINY UDOGIE (@udogiethree)

A post shared by Guglielmo Vicario (@guglielmovicario)

And Harry Kane was glad to get some minutes in his legs in Australia.

But West Ham came out on top in Perth.

Antonio Conte enjoyed Venice.

A post shared by Antonio Conte (@antonioconte)

Gabriel Jesus donned Arsenal’s new kit.

Cristiano Ronaldo was back at work.

Manchester City turned the clock back.

Alex Carey finally got his haircut!

Stuart Broad was sledged.

George North enjoyed Switzerland.

Home comforts for Stan Wawrinka.

Kevin Magnussen welcomed a new arrival.

Mika Hakkinen enjoyed being back in a car.

Andy Jameson was sad for swimming.

TNT Sports replaced BT Sport and underwent a rebrand.

A new host is needed for the 2026 Commonwealth Games after the Australian state of Victoria announced on Tuesday it was pulling out.

Here, the PA news agency takes a closer look at the key issues in this story.

What has happened?

At a 3.30pm meeting in London on Monday, a Victoria state government representative informed the Commonwealth Games Federation it was withdrawing as hosts of the 2026 Games. Eight hours later, Victoria state premier Daniel Andrews went public with the news, citing estimated costs which were way above original budgets – he claimed up to seven billion Australian dollars (£3.6bn).

What happens next?

Before consideration is given to who can step in as hosts, the CGF must first agree a compensation settlement with Victoria. PA understands the CGF has already received half of its hosting fee and all of the development grant for 2026. Victoria has now entered into discussions with the CGF on settling its outstanding obligations.

“We entered into a contract with (Victoria) to deliver a Games. They are defaulting on that contract,” CGF chief executive Katie Sadleir said.

“There are a series of clauses that articulate the kind of cash flows that would have happened if the Games had gone on. We are sitting down to look at options to come to a resolution that we will be happy with.”

So who could host?

Sadleir says all options will be considered, including the UK.

“The UK are fantastic hosts and we would be very open to having a conversation with them about it, if that’s something they would be interested in doing,” she told the PA news agency.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman said he hoped a “viable solution” could be found for Australia to host the Games. Asked if the British Government would encourage a UK bid, the spokesman said: “We are getting slightly ahead of ourselves.”

Hasn’t this happened before?

Not quite. Durban had the right to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games stripped from it in 2017, with Birmingham ultimately winning the race to replace the South African city as hosts.

Doesn’t Victoria’s decision prove that staging Commonwealth Games has just become too expensive?

The costs set out by Andrews on Tuesday, if correct, are eye-watering and way above the cost of staging Birmingham 2022 (put at £778million by the British Government).

However, the CGF argues Victoria’s approach to hosting was a factor in some of those costs – it chose, for example, not to use existing sports facilities in Melbourne in favour of developing temporary sites in the regional state hubs it planned to use for the Games.

Victoria was the first Games host that was able to benefit from a new CGF hosting ‘roadmap’ which, among other things, reduced the number of compulsory sports from 16 to two and removed the requirement to provide a bespoke athletes’ village.

The British Government and Birmingham City Council would disagree that staging a Games is necessarily a money pit.

An independent report published in January this year said Birmingham 2022 had contributed £870.7m to the UK economy, with over half the economic impact generated (£453.7million) benefiting businesses and communities across the West Midlands.

Does the Commonwealth Games have a future?

Victoria’s withdrawal will again spark a debate about the relevance of the Games in the modern world. But organisers have worked hard to provide hosts with flexibility on hosting to keep costs to a minimum, while the CGF is keen to work with international sports federations on providing a global showcase for their new innovations.

Birmingham 2022 broke new ground with the introduction of 3×3 basketball, with T20 women’s cricket also making its debut at a multi-sport event and setting world attendance records.

The organisers of the Commonwealth Games say they will listen to any offer from the United Kingdom to step in as emergency hosts for the 2026 event after the Australian state of Victoria’s sudden withdrawal.

State premier Daniel Andrews announced Victoria was pulling out on Tuesday, citing rising costs.

Katie Sadleir, the chief executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), said her organisation was “open” to discussions with all members with a view to replacing Victoria as hosts – including the UK.

Before that, Sadleir said the CGF will work with its lawyers on agreeing a suitable compensation deal with Victoria following its withdrawal.

She told the PA news agency: “The UK are fantastic hosts and we would be very open to having a conversation with them about it, if that’s something they would be interested in doing.”

Birmingham stepped in as hosts of the 2022 Games after the CGF stripped South African city Durban of hosting rights back in 2017.

Asked if the British Government would encourage a UK bid for 2026, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman said: “We are getting slightly ahead of ourselves.”

The Downing Street spokesman had earlier said he hoped a “viable solution” could be found to hold the event in Australia.

Asked if Australia remained the CGF’s first preference, Sadleir said: “We’re open to all opportunities, but Commonwealth Games Australia are a partner with us in terms of the hosting contract that we’ve all been working to for quite some time.

“I will be meeting with (Craig Phillips, CGA’s chief executive) to talk about what other (Australian) cities and states are interested, so we will have that conversation with them. But at the same time, we must be open to having discussions with our wider members as well.”

Victoria’s withdrawal will inevitably reopen the debate about the Games’ future and the cost of staging it.

Andrews said the estimated costs to his state for the bid were now up to seven billion Australian dollars (£3.6billion).

Victoria were the first hosts who were able to take advantage of the CGF’s new ‘roadmap’, which was designed to make staging the event more cost-effective. Among the measures within the roadmap were a reduction in the number of compulsory sports from 16 to two, and the removal of the requirement for a bespoke athletes’ village.

Sadleir believes Victoria had the flexibility to stage the Games much more cheaply, but chose not to, opting to hold the event over five provincial hubs rather than centring it on Melbourne.

“The cost of the Games is in relation to what the host country wants to get out of it,” she said.

“This was an expensive, unique Games, but it was driven by what the Victorian Government wanted to do.”

Sadleir, who described the news of Victoria’s withdrawal as “devastating”, said the CGF had been given eight hours’ notice of the decision to pull out.

Sadleir said CGA chief executive Craig Phillips was “correct” in his statement earlier on Tuesday that Victoria had “wilfully ignored” recommendations that could have reduced costs, such as using existing facilities in Melbourne.

“At all times we questioned whether or not they had really thought through the dispersed model,” added Sadleir.

“They increased the number of hubs from what the original bid was. They added additional sports, they decided to invest in facilities outside of Melbourne, some of them which had limited legacy because of the pop-up nature of them. But those were decisions that they made.

“We did go back to them several times to say, ‘are you sure?’ and were assured.

“We were aware there was a budget submission, it was a paper that went to the (CGF) board in mid-April. So we were aware (of an increase in estimated costs), but we did not have those figures that are (now) in the public domain.

“We definitely did provide a variety of solutions to actually reduce the cost of the Games. They said it was their unique model and they wanted to invest in regional economic development. They did not want anything in Melbourne that was existing, they wanted to invest in the regions and at all times we were led to believe that they had the funding to do that.”

The British Government put the cost of staging the Birmingham Games last year at £778million, and an independent report published in January said the Games had already contributed £870.7m to the UK economy by that point.

Asked if she could assure athletes there would be a Games in 2026, Sadleir said: “What I can assure them is that I will be working very hard to make that happen.”

On the subject of compensation from Victoria, Sadleir said: “We entered into a contract with (Victoria) to deliver a Games. They are defaulting on that contract.

“There are a series of clauses that articulate the kind of cash flows that would have happened if the Games had gone on. We are sitting down to look at options to come to a resolution that we will be happy with.”

Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s big-hitters and emerging stars have been backed to inspire a new generation after a hugely successful showing at the Para Athletics World Championships.

Reigning Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroft took gold in the women’s T34 100m and T34 800m, while Aled Davies secured a fifth world title in the men’s F63 shot put and Sammi Kinghorn a third in the women’s T53 100m.

However, 19-year-old Scot Ben Sandilands also led a group of potential future stars onto the podium in Paris with victory in the men’s T20 1500m to demonstrate the effectiveness of GB’s National Lottery-funded para athletics strategy drawn up in response to a disappointing return at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing.

Paula Dunn, head coach for para athletics between 2012 and 2022, told the PA news agency: “We had a strategy in terms of not just looking in the short term at athletes, but building a sustainable programme, having a clear pathway of talent coming through, having talent identification and recruitment drives ahead of 2012, which was an amazing opportunity to create some role models and just increase that profile and awareness of the sport.

“We are just reaping the benefits of that long-term continued investment in the sport, which we’re really fortunate in this cycle amounts to around £9million of lottery support.

“That’s critical for our continued success. It’s nice when a strategy comes together and it starts delivering.”

In all, lottery support for para athletics has totalled £214million and the success that has helped to generate – Britain finished fourth in the medals table in Paris with 29, 10 of them gold – has made athletes such as Cockroft and sprinter Jonnie Peacock, one of the stars of the 2012 Paralympics in London, household names.

Asked how their profile has helped to attract new blood to the sport, Dunn said: “It’s critical. The children who turn on the TV this year – and definitely next year when the Paralympics are on – will see somebody who looks like them, and if you see somebody that looks like you, you’re more likely to go and have a go at that sport.

“For us, it’s critical to make sure we keep the profile high to keep that fresh blood coming into the sport.”

Success at the World Championships will only increase excitement levels ahead of next summer’s Paralympic Games, which are also taking place in Paris, although Dunn knows only too well the hard work ahead of those hoping to thrive on the global stage again.

She said: “We always deliver. Is it going to be hard? Absolutely. The Paralympics now is exceptionally competitive. We can see that there are very small margins now between success and failure.

“We’ve got a great high performance system, we’ve got funding, so we’ve got everything in place now to deliver. But these guys now will be coming back, have a short break and then again their eyes will all be on Paris 2024 to go there and deliver on the global stage once again.”

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