Dame Sarah Storey, Great Britain’s most-decorated Paralympian, has retired from international competition with immediate effect.

The 48-year-old cyclist has opted not to compete at Los Angeles 2028 to focus on helping improve Para-sport.

The 19-time Paralympic champion feels the sport has “stalled somewhat” since the London 2012 Games and that many areas “still need attention”.

“The years between each Games haven’t been utilised well enough to create the momentum that I and others hoped to see,” she said.

“I see this as a critical stage; there are many areas of Para-sport that still need attention, and that is something that has played a big part in my decision.

“I fully believe that I can have a greater impact off my bike, rather than chasing a 10th Games and possibly further titles.

“I’m excited to be part of a future where we inject the momentum that is needed to ensure the future is bright for all Para-athletes.”

Storey started her career as a swimmer and competed at four Games before switching to cycling, winning a total of 30 Paralympic medals across nine Games, including four golds at London 2012.

World Athletics president Lord Coe, who was chairman of London’s organising committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, said: “Para-sport was an enormously significant part of London 2012 and I remain extremely proud of what we were able to deliver.

“However, the issues that Dame Sarah raises upon her retirement resonate with me hugely – sport must continue to take those small but steady steps forward to ensure that what has gone before is not wasted.”

The British Paralympic Association has been approached for comment.

Need help with today’s Connections: Soccer Edition puzzle? You’ve come to the right place.

Welcome to Connections: Soccer Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.

A quick public service announcement before we continue: The bottom of this article includes the answers — and hints — for the four categories. So if you want to solve the board hint-free, we recommend you play before continuing.

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Today’s difficulty

Game No. 29’s difficulty: 3 out of 5

Connections: Soccer Edition hints for July 9, 2026

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Yellow: JOG

Green: HAVERTZ

Blue: TAKER

Purple: FULL

Connections: Soccer Edition answers for July 9, 2026

Scroll below for the full answers to each of the four categories.

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Yellow

Off-the-ball movement: RUN, WALK, PRESS, JOG

Green

Missed in a World Cup penalty shootout: BAGGIO, HAVERTZ, SIX, WADDLE

Blue

Associated with a penalty shootout: TAKER, SUDDEN DEATH, CENTER-CIRCLE, GOALKEEPER

Purple

_____ time: HALF, FULL, EXTRA, ADDED

What is Connections: Soccer Edition?

Connections: Soccer Edition is a new, daily puzzle for the 2026 World Cup designed for players to find connections between 16 words on the game board.

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Each puzzle has exactly one solution, so watch out for words or items that seem to belong to multiple categories!

Category examples:
Teams making World Cup debut in 2026: Cape Verde, Jordan, Curaçao, Uzbekistan
Penalty ____: Spot, Kick, Taker, Shootout

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Miami / 22:00 BST

England’s 3-2 win over Mexico was probably the game of the tournament so far.

I really enjoyed the resilience they showed with 10 men, with the subs coming on and John Stones blocking things, Dan Burn heading every ball clear and Djed Spence making some really important challenges.

This will be a different kind of test for Thomas Tuchel’s side, but I think it will be just as close.

Orjan Nyland made some great saves to help Norway get past Brazil, but I’ve seen quite a lot of them and think they are a good side.

Everyone knows about their star quality in Martin Odegaard and Erling Haaland and, after shooting down Brazil, I am sure Haaland will have a big say in what happens in this game as well.

His movement for his first goal against Brazil was just unbelievable. His contest with Gabriel was hyped up before the game but Haaland won that battle hands down.

Heading is not even among his best attributes, but he stayed out of Gabriel’s eyeline and, at the point the cross was played, he anticipated where it was going, and the defender got nowhere near him.

There are going to be more goals in this game and it would not surprise me if Haaland got a couple of them.

England have not controlled games the way I think people expected them to. They have been a team of moments at this World Cup, in that they have produced some moments of quality at the right times to get through.

At the same time, though, I don’t see Norway’s defence keeping Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham quiet.

If the game opens up, then England won’t mind that one bit. I think there is even more to come from their front players, starting here.

Sutton’s prediction: 2-3

AI’s prediction: 1-2