More than the Score

Figure skating is one of the most popular sports at the Winter Olympics, with skaters like Alysa Liu becoming global stars following their success at the Games.
However, the sport hasn't been a part of this year's Winter Paralympics in Milan-Cortina. Figure skating has yet to be officially sanctioned by the International Paralympic Committee, and has never featured on the Paralympic programme.
Dan Rodenby is a development officer at British Ice Skating and works on the organisation's Let's Skate programme, which is designed to help people with a disability get involved in skating, both on and off the ice. He explains to Lee James why recognition of figure skating by the International Paralympic Committee would be hugely significant for those looking to get involved in the sport.
Among those advocating for its inclusion is the former figure skater Rhiannon Parker-Nicholls. She became ill as a teenager and suffered multiple strokes aged 19, which have led to her living with long-term health issues. She tells Emma Tracey from Access All - the BBC's disability news and mental health podcast - why she's seeking a return to skating and what the sport can do to help get people like her involved again.
Emma Tracey also speaks to Margarita Sweeney-Baird, the founder and chair of Inclusive Skating - a charity designed to help skaters with disabilities to participate in the sport. Her hope is that we see figure skating at the Winter Paralympics in 2038.
Access All is the BBC's weekly podcast about disability news, mental health and wellbeing for listeners all over the world. Search for BBC Access All wherever you get your podcasts.
Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From Formula One to netball, MMA to figure skating, and Grand Slam tennis to Diamond League athletics. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like para-skiing star Menna Fitzpatrick, Winter Olympic legends Johannes Klaebo and Arianna Fontana, South African football icon Benni McCarthy and cricket superstar Smriti Mandhana, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from football super-agents to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels.
And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email [email protected], or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

Max Verstappen is the greatest Formula 1 driver of this decade. Since making his debut as a 17-year-old back in 2015, he's won four world championships and 71 races. But this week, he's announced he'll also be taking on a new challenge by competing in the Nurburgring 24-hour race in May - one week before the Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix.
At the same time, Verstappen has also said he wishes Formula 1 racing was "more fun" at present. New rule changes brought into the sport at the Australian Grand Prix have met with a mixed reception, with some saying the new emphasis on energy management is robbing the sport of skill and excitement.
So what's the appeal of endurance racing - and might it prove more attractive to Verstappen than the sport that's made him famous?
Seb Priaulx is an endurance racer from Guernsey who's working with Ford on a bid to win the iconic Le Mans 24-hour race in 2027. He tells More than the Score's John Bennett about what it takes to make it through an endurance race, where drivers compete as part of teams, racing in shifts. He also explains the challenges that the different styles of sportscars present, from GT3 cars to hypercars, and why he thinks Verstappen is well-suited to this new style of racing.
BBC Sport's Matt Warwick also joins the pod to talk about the appeal of endurance racing from a spectator's perspective, and why the format offers a different range of experiences to appreciate. He also considers how the new rules have impacted Formula 1, and whether other racers might also look to test themselves in new formats.
Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From Formula One to netball, MMA to figure skating, and Grand Slam tennis to Diamond League athletics. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like Winter Olympic legends Johannes Klaebo and Arianna Fontana, South African football icon Benni McCarthy and cricket superstar Smriti Mandhana, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from football super-agents to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels.
And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email [email protected], or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

The Ekstraklasa, the top division of Polish football, is currently having one of the most exciting seasons in its history.
The top spot in the table – currently occupied by Zaglebie Lubin - has changed hands multiple times, and the top nine clubs in the 18-team division are currently separated by just eight points. The league’s top scorers, Lechia Gdansk, are 11th in the table, while its best defence belongs to eighth-placed Wisla Plock – who are currently on a five-game losing streak.
Meanwhile, the most successful club in the history of Polish football, Legia Warsaw, are currently in the relegation zone, along with Widzew Lodz – who this season have signed five of the most expensive players in Polish football history.
So what’s happened to make the Ekstraklasa so unpredictable, and does the football on the pitch live up to the stunning statistics?
Polish football journalist Piotr Kozminski tells More than the Score’s John Bennett about the background to this remarkable season, and explains how the introduction of the Europa Conference League has been a game-changer for Polish clubs. He also suggests that neutral fans might want to keep an eye on Gornik Zabrze, where legendary striker Lukas Podolski could be set to make history in the boardroom.
Colin Millar of the Athletic discusses the Ekstraklasa’s impact in the wider context of European football, and shares some of his favourite things about the season – including how one club lost two games in a row, yet still climbed the table.
Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From Formula One to netball, MMA to figure skating, and Grand Slam tennis to Diamond League athletics. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like Winter Olympic legends Johannes Klaebo and Arianna Fontana, South African football icon Benni McCarthy and cricket superstar Smriti Mandhana, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from football super-agents to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels.
And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email [email protected], or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

Only 10 teams took part in the men's Winter Olympic cross-country skiing relay final, which was won by Norway for a third consecutive time. They were led to gold by perhaps the greatest Olympian of all time, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo. Despite his country's successes, journalist Jan Petter Saltvedt explains to Ade Adedoyin why he thinks it's time for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to switch to a mixed team event. Jan believes if teams only need to pick their top two men and top two women for one relay, that will make standards easier to achieve for more nations.
Martyn Rooney is a former British 400m runner and Olympic medallist, who now works as a relay coach for UK Athletics. He says the mixed relay - which was introduced as an event in 2019 - was a great success at the Paris Olympics and thinks it will one day become the main event when it comes to relay competition.
Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From Formula One to netball, MMA to figure skating, and Grand Slam tennis to Diamond League athletics. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like Winter Olympic legends Johannes Klaebo and Arianna Fontana, South African football icon Benni McCarthy and cricket superstar Smriti Mandhana, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from football super-agents to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels.
And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email [email protected], or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

The average age of a manager in the Premier League in the 2025/26 season is 45. 10 years ago, it was 53. As far as modern football at the highest level is concerned, managers appear to be getting younger. But are older coaches being unfairly overlooked? Scottish giants Celtic have twice turned to 74 year-old Martin O'Neill this season while former Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti  will take Brazil to the men's 2026 World Cup and is still regarded as one of the greatest coaches of all time at the age of 66.
Former Premier League manager, Phil Brown, tells John Bennett why players are looking at a career in management much earlier than those who played in the 90s. Brown also worked as assistant to Sam Allardyce at Bolton Wanderers. He says 'Big Sam' still has what it takes to manage at the top of the game and should have been considered for the Tottenham Hotspur job ahead of Igor Tudor. 
Mark Ogden, senior football writer at ESPN,  explains why the likes of 71 year-old Allardyce, and 77 year-old Neil Warnock - who's just returned to management with non-league Torquay United - deserve more respect and shouldn't always be overlooked for up-and-coming managers such as former Manchester United manager, Ruben Amorim. 
Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From the Winter Olympics to the Super Bowl, the Australian Open to the Diamond League, and netball to Formula 1. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like skimo star Emily Harrop, snowboarding icon Scotty James and cycling sprint king Harrie Lavreysen, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from the referees who run VAR to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels. And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email [email protected], or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore