Brit swimmer takes silver at the Moscow World Cup, GB girls finish in top three at Ironman World Championships, Team GB paddleboarder wins Nationals AND Women’s Tour of Britain gets equal status as men’s. Anyone who says women’s sport isn’t packed with excitement is most definitely not on their game
FOOTBALL: FA prolongs coach decision.
Brent Hills will continue to coach England Women’s team as the Football Association defers the appointment of a new permanent head coach.
Hills, 59, who was an assistant to Powell, has been temporarily in charge of the ladies since Hope Powell’s departure.
He’s seen the team through two successful world cup qualifiers in the last month. They beat Turkey 8-0 and Belarus 6-0.
![England v Turkey - Women's World Cup Qualifier [Source: TheFA]](https://www.healthista.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/England_W_v_Turkey_W_20.jpg)
Hills has replaced midfielder Gothenburg Anita Asante for Birmingham defender Laura Bassett. Asante is ruled out with a broken bone in her foot.
Hills has already said that he would like the role on a permanent basis.
England and Lincoln Ladies captain Casey Stoney writes a regular column for BBC Sport. In a recent column she wrote: ‘Brent is a fantastic coach – he gives great information – and I would expect his name to be put forward for the role on a long-term basis.’
‘Even though he was Hope’s assistant, he will want to put his own mark on the team.’
IRONMAN: GB ladies finish in top three at World Championships.
Rachel Joyce and Liz Blatchford came second and third at the Ironman World Championships, Hawaii, on Saturday.
Australia’s Mirinda Carfrae, 32, came first claiming her second title with a time of eight hours 52 minutes 14 seconds, and breaking Briton Chrissie Wellington’s course record of 8:54:02.
![Mirinda Carfrae adds a second title to her IRONMAN resume.[http://eu.ironman.com/media-library/images/galleries/events/ironman/world-championship/2013/the-winners.aspx#ixzz2hdg1drtg] [Nils Nilsen]](https://www.healthista.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/1310125245.jpg)
The race, which began at 6.35am local time, is a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile cycle and a 26.2-mile run.
Defending champion GB Leanda Cave came 13th and Jodie Swallow did not finish.
SWIMMING: Sophie Allen takes silver at Moscow World Cup
Sophie Allen won her second silver medal of 2013 on Sunday and clocked a personal best.
Britain’s first podium finishes of the series came from Allen and Scotland’s Jamieson when both swimmers took silver in their races.
Allen clocked a personal best of 2:07:92 in her 200m butterfly.
She also finished fifth in the 100m breaststroke final.
The eight-meet series continues in Dubai, Doha, Singapore and Tokyo before the tournament closes in Beijing on November 14.
Paddleboarding: Marie Buchanan takes first place at the National Paddleboard Championships.
Team GB paddleboarders were chosen at the event in Devon at the weekend.
Top UK ladies paddleboarder Marie Buchanan won her race in Kingsbridge, Devon at the event organsied by the British Stand Up Paddle Association (BSUPA) in Kingsbridge, Devon.
Ollie Shilston, from Cornwall, won his race. Both competitors will now represent Great Britain at the World Championships in Nicaragua in February.
Legendary surfers Laird Hamilton and Dave Kalama developed the sport, described as a cross between canoeing and surfing, in America.
Around 40 competitors took part in the weekend’s flat water racing on the Kingsbridge estuary.
The Wave championship took place just a week earlier at Watergate Bay in Cornwall.
Cycling: Women’s Tour of Britain gets equal status as men’s
The world cycling’s governing body, the UCI, awarded the women’s Tour of Britain the same 2.1 status as the men’s race for its launch in 2014 last week.
![Hannah Barnes celebrates winning on Whitehall last month [http://thetour.co.uk]](https://www.healthista.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/hannahbarnes_whitehall.jpg)
The women’s race gaining the Tour of Britain 2.1 status means it will rank among the highest-rated women’s races and will attract all the top riders.
The race, which will be staged over five days beginning 7th May 2014, will be separate to the men’s event which is held in September.
A petition for a women’s Tour De France was set up by professional cyclists Emma Pooley, Marianne Vos, Kathryn Bertine and World Ironman Champion Chrissie Wellington in July.
It is hoped this status change for the Tour of Britain is an indication of a step in the right direction for women in cycling.
Exact details of the route, and start and finish locations have not been announced yet but the opening stage will be in held in Northamptonshire.
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