Your Cookies. Your Choice.
Cookies help provide our news service while also enabling the advertising needed to fund this work. We categorise cookies as Necessary, Performance (used to analyse the site performance) and Targeting (used to target advertising which helps us keep this service free).We and our vendors process data for the following purposes:
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
Cookies Preference Centre
Manage Consent Preferences
Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then these services may not function properly.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not be able to monitor our performance.
Store and/or access information on a device 110 partners can use this purpose
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development 143 partners can use this purpose
Use limited data to select advertising 113 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
Create profiles for personalised advertising 83 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.
Use profiles to select personalised advertising 83 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.
Create profiles to personalise content 39 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
Use profiles to select personalised content 35 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
Measure advertising performance 134 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
Measure content performance 61 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources 74 partners can use this purpose
Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).
Develop and improve services 83 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
Use limited data to select content 37 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
Use precise geolocation data 46 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Actively scan device characteristics for identification 27 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Ensure security, prevent and detect fraud, and fix errors 92 partners can use this special purpose
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.
Deliver and present advertising and content 99 partners can use this special purpose
Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Match and combine data from other data sources 72 partners can use this feature
Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Link different devices 53 partners can use this feature
In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).
Identify devices based on information transmitted automatically 88 partners can use this feature
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.
Save and communicate privacy choices 69 partners can use this special purpose
The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.
Cookie List
Happy Valentine's Day to these 7 power couples of sport
FOR THE DAY THAT’S in it, let’s here it for the these lovely young (and, eh, ‘formerly young’) fit people at the top of their game and still weak at the knees, head over heels in love. Grab a bouquet, a box of chocolates and (in case of nausea) a paper bag as we pay tribute to Cupid’s finest work.
Rory McIlroy / Caroline Wozniacki (‘Wozzilroy’)
Perhaps the number one couple in all of sport – so synonymous with one another that the mashed up version of their name has an instant recognition factor.
Northern Ireland’s supremely talented stick-ball merchant and Denmark’s finest racket-whacker look like the perfect geeky couple made good.
Now, if only Carol can sort out that unsightly Adidas gear so they can wear matching Swooshes.
Fred Beckham/Press Association Images
Zara Phillips / Mike Tindall (‘Phill-all’? ‘Tind-ipps’… ‘Mike Phillips’?)
Unlike the Wozzilroys, all round royal horsey type Zara Phillips and champion dwarf-thrower Mike Tindall have gone through the sporty whole royal wedding thing.
Their life is one of married bliss. She, with her Olympic silver medal in eventing. Himself with a Six Nations trophy and everlasting memories from a lads-on-tour trip of a life time to New Zealand during RWC 2011.
Andrew Milligan/PA Archive/Press Association Images
Steffi Graf / Andre Agassi (‘Standre Grassi’)
The greatest power couple ever to string up a pair of his and hers rackets. Graf won 22 Grand Slam events and Agassi won eight on the men’s circuit before writing a book about how much he hated the sport and loved a bit of crystal meth. Yet they all lived happily ever after.
Derval O’Rourke/ Peter O’Leary (‘O’Reary’)
The queen of Irish athletics and the hoary old, eh… sea captain of Irish sailing. They’re both from Cork, but they’re also quite competitive – Derval once mentions that Peter reckons he could beat her in a 100 metre sprint – so we bet they get on like a house on fire.
©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
Sanya Richards / Aaron Ross (‘Sanron’)
Given that we never did get to see O’Reary race, the award for fastest couple will have to go to this pair.
Sanya Richards-Ross has four Olympic 400 metre golds to her name, including on from the individual event in London 2012. Her husband, twice a Super Bowl champion with the Giants and current Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback, Aaron Ross, can run really fast too… just not over as long a distance.
40 yards is more his thing, running that distance he’s been clocked as low as 4.35 seconds. POWER couple.
David J. Phillip/AP/Press Association Images
Justin Verlander / Kate Upton (‘Uplander’… or maybe just ‘Kate Upton and yer man’)
Get outtadaway Andy Roddick and Brooklyn Decker, there’s a new primary athlete / swimsuit model item on display.
Verlander is a pitcher with the Detroit Tigers who were runners-up in the World Series this year. If you don’t know who Kate Upton is, then you clearly need your Sports Illustrated subscription renewed – she’s like, sorta their Antarctic correspondent or something.
SI screengrab. Paul Sancya/Press Association Images
Brian O’Driscoll /Amy Huberman (Mr and Mrs BOD)
Okay, so Mrs Huberman-O’Driscoll hasn’t won big in her chosen sport (yet), but the day is coming. She’s just had a baby, give her time. Sheesh.
Crispin Rodwell/Press Association Images
Michelle Jenneke does her warm-up dance for the Swimsuit Issue
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Cupid's archery Love is in the air Red Cards Valentine's Day