22/04/2016 Sport Wales

Coming up tonight, the king and I, Ewan Roberts eats -- meet the

Welshman on the brink of Premier League glory. We have the chance to

achieve something and we are concentrating on it now. We catch up

with the women's Welsh Premier League winners. To do it for the

third time in a row is something quite special. The Welsh swimmers

selected for Rio, and Jazz Carlin is hungry for medals and records.

Everyone has dreams and goals but I'm going to make sure I do

everything I can until then. Another Welsh medal hopeful, triathletes

Helen Jenkins, well on track for Rio. It means keeping on trying with

it. Gareth Rhys Owen does his bit for British boxing's Olympic hopes.

This is how you get to Rio, Champ, keep it up. And a huge French test

for the Dragons, can they reach their first ever European final?

Teams don't make the semifinals of the European cups two years on the

trot by coincidence, it's because we deserve to be there. Good evening,

it's one of the most incredible stories that British football has

ever known, Leicester City on the brink of winning the Premier League.

Now, just a small handful of Welsh players have done it and it looks as

if Andy King will join them. We sent a former Leicester man, Ewan

Roberts, to meet him. COMMENTATOR:

They've come out firing. Granny areas are absolutely delighted. When

I came and played for this club a couple of play-offs at Wembley was

as good as it got and this was the shirt I wore in one of them. Now,

the foxes are on the brink of completing one of football's

greatest of a fairy tales, four games to go for Leicester City to

bring home here to the King Power Stadium the Premier League title.

COMMENTATOR: Off the post and in. Andy, thanks

for joining us, what a season it's been. Yes, it's been good, we know

we have four massive games to go now. Just about trying to keep

focused, take one game at a time and make sure we prepare right. We have

a massive chance to achieve something and really concentrating

on that now. When did you realise we've got a great chance of

achieving something massive here? I think not until that long ago,

really, that was when we started the season really well and then we

thought the 40 point mark is well within touching distance here, we

got to their and then being top at Christmas was massive. You see the

stats of a lot of teams who are top at Christmas and where they go on to

finish and we were strong going into the New Year. We have been taking it

little hurdles at a time, trying not to look too far ahead, trying to

play between international breaks, there's usually four games in

between international breaks, so it's getting through the next four,

that's the way we've looked at it and we found ourselves in this

position which is brilliant and we have four games to achieve something

special. After the game against West Ham, Spurs win on Monday, a really

convincing performance at Stoke and if there are doubters out there

thinking that that it's going to be Spurs's, how do you react to them?

We don't react to anyone outside the four walls of the training ground or

outside the changing room. We know it's down to the boys who are in

their, the supporters we have in this city will always be behind us

and they've been brilliant throughout the time I've been here

anyway. We are focusing on our own job and we don't really have to

answer to anyone from outside of that in terms of how we are going to

respond. We will show it on the pitch. Are you feeling any pressure?

Not at all. I've seen it this season where the pressure was here last

season, it's a disparate -- different type of pressure. This is

more excitement than pressure. Pressure is when you are facing

getting relegated, or there are people at the club who might be

losing their jobs and stuff like that. As you have seen with Villa,

that's real pressure. This is where you want to be. An enjoyable sort of

pressure. This is where you want to be playing, this is what you play

football for, to be in these thoughts of situations and we are

loving it. I saw the game of the Liberty and it was one of the best

counterattacking performances I've seen. Yes, we are really aware of

what Swansea are like, the way they play football. It's a game you look

at and think you can go there and get a real hiding, but fortunately

enough we managed to reverse it. We knew it would be a different kettle

of fish playing at home, they have a new manager under real pick-up in

form so we have to be ready for that again. You've got the Champions

League group stages to look forward to, you've got the euros to look

forward to in June. Yes, it's obviously something on the horizon

which we can't wait for, something again which is the first time in

Wales' history to get to a major tournament like that which is

obviously brilliant. We are going there full of confidence. We know we

can upset a few people and I can't wait to get started. Any thoughts on

the group, Slovakia, Russia and England? It's an ideal group for us,

it's a good thing we don't play England first. I think that's good,

even though you can save that game for the middle and we can

concentrate and focus on ourselves for the first game rather than the

occasion being the first game, if that makes sense. We have a quality

group of players, a quality squad, and we can go there and not just

impress a few people but actually progress. I'm sure you get this

question lots of times, what's it like playing with playing with the

likes of Gareth Bale? It's early and, top class players who would get

into any team in the European any time, but Leicester in the Champions

League next year, it's the type of players we need to attract and fight

off their challenge in the team. Thank you for talking to us. Thank

you. A couple of weeks ago we featured the Welsh triathlete Helen

Jenkins, a -- ahead of a race which was crucial to her hopes of making

the Olympics. She had a terrific win on Australia's Gold Coast and today,

British triathlon officially put her name forward for Rio. Christian

Malcolm went to meet team Jenkins. From the Gold Coast in Australia

back home to the South Wales coast, time for Helen Jenkins and her

husband to reflect on what an outstanding performance.

COMMENTATOR: Victory celebrations will begin for

Helen Jenkins, who has had the race of her life. Helen, you had some

good news this afternoon. Yes, I found out I have been nominated for

British triathlon for the Rio team. I can start planning for real now.

Let's go back to the Gold Coast, that fantastic race. Did you know

that you were in that good a shape? I like to swim, bike and run hard

and this race played into my hands. COMMENTATOR:

When they make their way to the transition to find the bikes... She

didn't swing that great, I didn't know where she was, she worked her

way through and came out 13th, she got herself into a decent position

but not a good position after the swim.

COMMENTATOR: She has ambitions to compete in her

third straight Olympics, continues to force the pace. The bike is where

you did the real damage. It was never an intentional attack. I think

there were three others who got away, myself, Andrea Hewitt and

Flora Duffy, probably the three strongest in the different groups.

We ended up with a app and it kept going out and out. We ended up

having 90 seconds but you never discount last year's world champion,

such a fast runner, she will catch me around five K. I wasn't thinking

about winning at that point. I was thinking about running the best I

could run. And Hayter who will be first to rise from transition? Helen

Jenkins. I went past Mark, he said pace everything, it's hot, keep

drinking. I have no place, just running. -- pace. It must be hard

for you not just as a coach but the husband to be sat on the sidelines

knowing what she's going through in the last few years and knowing if

she gets through this now it could be at, on the plane? The hardest

thing, you know what it's like being an athlete and now you know what

it's like to be a coach. You have no control. What's going on, there's

nothing I can do about it. It's horrible, isn't it?

COMMENTATOR: Today looks like being Jenkins' Day

on the Gold Coast. About 800 metres to go, I knew I had got this and I

was able to enjoy the last bit. The smile is broad, relief is obvious.

Jenkins takes the victory. I haven't felt in that good shape for probably

four years, even though when we finished and we went to go up on the

podium and I was like, I've got to stand up on the top, I kept

expecting someone else to get up there. It made the last few years of

sticking with triathlon and keeping on trying worth it. We don't want to

go into Rio with the any expectations. We weren't expecting

her to get there, we weren't expecting her to perform as well as

she did on the weekend. It was a fantastic performance. We've already

had a good year, so whatever happens from this point of a bonus. I'd love

to get to the start line fit and have a good block of training. That

would be ideal. I didn't get a chance to do that in London, so I'd

love to get their fit and see what I could do. Staying with the Olympics

because more and more athletes being named for Rio, the British when team

has been selected, so can the Welsh contingent help bring home the

medals? Bath, a city with a rich history and

culture. I am here to meet the Welsh swimmers hoping to win gold for

Britain. There will be four Welsh swimmers travelling to Rio as part

of the 26- strong GB team. Chloe Tutton was the surprise inclusion.

Jazz Carlin finally makes it after missing London 2012. Missing out in

London was tough for me, my family and everyone that has seen me

through my career. The home Olympics only comes once-in-a-lifetime. I

gave it one more shot and thought I would throw everything at it.

COMMENTATOR: She has done it by a third of a second. To finally have

that confirmation, to be on that team, my head is in the clouds, I am

over the moon. The Olympics comes every four years. It is a long wait.

She swam for a long time with Rebecca Adlington. She has now

retired. It was a hard slog for Jazz to stay on it and she has got better

and she is much more resilient than in the past, and that has been

credit to her and the team working with her. We are chuffed for her.

The 19-year-old Chloe Tutton, making the team came as a shock. She broke

the British 200 metres breaststroke record in the trials and now has a

shot at the big time. It is surreal. I have dreamt of this moment but I

am so proud to have achieved something like this. I did not

expected. You always get a few shocks, people who you think will

not make team and they do, and some seasoned campaigners who sadly fall

away. She was one of the shocks. World-class, a massive improvement,

a British record. She and her coach got it right on the day. She is a

great girl and has a good future in front of her. Other swimmers to make

the team are 50 metres Commonwealth champion George Davies, and Euan

Lloyd, who also competed in London 2012. It is their turn to start

dreaming of gold. My first Olympics, so exciting, a competition I have

never been to before. I have that excitement and drive to do

everything in training and work really hard. I will throw everything

at it and will have no regrets going into Rio. Everyone has dreams, but I

will make sure I do everything I can until then. It is a very lean and

mean team, and these girls are part of that. Jazz is a world-class, with

medals at the World Championships. Both the girls will have to be at

their best on the day. I just want to go faster. I always want more. I

will push myself and see what I can do. Everyone in the team knows they

are in with a chance of a medal. Both of them are great. Chloe is on

an improving curve, so we expect she can go faster. Jazz is always within

range. Both of them have a great chance. Confidence seems pretty high

in the squad. Who knows how many gold medals they can bring home?

Boxing is a sport where Wales has not done so well down the years.

Just two Welsh men have won medals at the Games, but could we get a

third this summer? Well, Joe Cordina certainly hopes so. The dream is

going and winning gold. -- scoring a winning goal. The dream is scoring

the winning try. The dream is winning Olympic gold. But you've got

to get there first. COMMENTATOR: Sharpshooting off the

back foot very well, Joe Cordina, number two seat, reigning European

Championship gold medallist, ranked number eight in the world. Joe

Cordina is through to Rio 2016. The main thing for me was getting the

qualifying spot and putting the pressure of qualifying behind me and

setting a new goal, which is to bring back an Olympic gold medal

back to Cardiff. I believe I can beat anyone on my day. I truly

believe that. I can out box them completely. If I have to get thrown

into a fight, so be it. This is my father, Joe Senior. Beagle Little

Jo. He was rugby, football mad. Rugby was his main sport and he

loved it. I never thought in my mind for him to box in any shape or form

until one day he saw a couple of boys running and he said, what are

they doing? I said, they are boxing. He said, can I have a go, because

the rugby season was over, just to keep fit. I said, no one can help

you in there. That was it, he made his decision to box. When was that?

I haven't got my glasses? Sean, Zach. I started going when I was

about 15, 16. To be honest, I did not want to fight. I just wanted to

say, I am a boxer. I go to a gym. I had one, and it led to two. That led

to three, and so on. What is it like watching him? Nervous. I do get

really bad stomach. I just shake. She can't even speak. It is

different, because I hear her voice screaming. Get off the ropes, get

off the ropes! Get your hands up! Where's dad? Come on. Clap hands,

clap hands. Yes! Daddy! This is my daughter, Sofia, a little angel.

This is why I do it. I push myself in the gym every day. She is the

reason. Before it was for fun, but now I have to do it for her and make

a better life for her. This is what it takes. On three, everyone say

cheese. Cheese. Three, two, one, cheese. He said on three, and then

he said three, two, one, cheese. How many punches have you had? Dear me!

That is down to the boxing, that is. On three. No, on one. I am going to

go one, two, three. On three. Everyone say cheese. One, two,

three, cheese. The women's Welsh elite has been

dominated for the past two seasons by Cardiff met. Last night they

played their final game of the seizing, where a win or a draw would

guarantee a third successive title and a place in the Champions League.

Cathy Williams went to get the secret behind their success.

Cardiff met is known for sporting excellence but it is its success on

the football pitch which has been making headlines. The women's

football team are one game away from defending their league title. They

are a student -based team, currently sitting top of the table in the

Welsh league. It is a big thing for us and for the university, and it

adds to the sporting profile, which goes back years. So for us to do it

for the third time in a row, I think is something special and will be

celebrated throughout. Tonight, Cyncoed Ladies, they are like your

next-door neighbours. They are. They are the closest team geographically.

I would not say it is a derby, but they are on our doorstep and there

is a good relationship between the clubs. That said, it will be a

competitive match. I think particularly this season it would be

nice to win on points. Last season we left it to goal difference and we

were waiting around for a few weeks at the end of the season, which was

a weird feeling. We are really up for tonight and hopefully we can get

three points and qualify for the Champions League, which is always an

amazing experience. Going into the game as strong favourites, they

certainly didn't disappoint. You have done the hard work but you

have to do a lot more hard work. This half is not about scoring

goals, OK, it is about putting out a performance, about you putting in

the best 45 minutes you have had all season, because this is your last

game. We were not as clinical as we would

have liked to have been in front of goal in parts. That said, 6-0,

against a decent side, we are really pleased. We were not bothered about

the scoreline. We were bothered about three points. It is nice to

win it here. We have never won it at home. We look on now to the

Champions League and start preparations for that. The first

time is a great feeling, the second and third time it is really special

and I am very proud of what the girls have achieved. It is testament

to their hard work and the expertise they have behind them in terms of

sports science support. It is by far the biggest game of the

season for the Newport Gwent Dragons, but they go into it rocked

by the departure of their director of rugby. So can they overcome that

to reach the final of the European challenge cup, as they head to

France to face Montpelier. A fortnight ago, against the

reigning holders who had won their last 15 matches, no one gave the

Dragons a chance, but they ripped up the form book. What a win for the

Dragons, and they are in the semifinal of the Challenge Cup, the

only Welsh team in Europe. One of the best I have been involved in and

one of the best the Dragons have had in recent years. We have lost in the

last few minutes on many occasions. This time, we got the opportunity to

go to the corner and finished with a try. Relief for everyone. A great

confidence boost for us. No one expected it, we were underdogs.

Director of rugby Lynne Jones was not that the game and in his

continued absence the inevitable became reality this week. Newport

Gwent Dragons have parted company with their director of company,

Lynne Jones, through mutual consent. Has it changed things, added

pressure, being the sole man in charge? Not really. In the last ten

years, I have been in charge for six or seven myself so I understand the

responsibility of the role. It is second nature. I lead lots of

training sessions anyway and the players have cracked on as if

nothing has changed. But after the high of Europe it is back down to

the pro 12, with a 16th defeat in 20 games coming at Arms Park. We made

too many mistakes. We had opportunities to score. Not the

perfect day for us. We will take positives but quickly move on.

Amidst the doom and gloom in the league, the European challenge cup

has been a lifeline for the Dragons to show a different, more positive

attitude. There are no perceptions. We play with an open spirit.

Sometimes against bigger teams in Europe, as long as you can manage

set pieces, it hurts them. Montpelier are a big, strong side

and we will be trying to move them around. If you like, South Africa

against Japan, and we are Japan. There are South Africans in the

team. We know Jake from super rugby level. We know how he is planning

and what type of game plan they play, so we have to match up. They

have a wealth of experience in key positions and it will be great to

challenge ourselves against them. It is always nice playing against the

best. It will be a huge challenge but definitely one we relish. Last

year we lost in the semifinal so it would be great to win. You never

play rugby just to contribute, you play to win. It would be massive and

would go a long way to changing this sometimes disappointing season

around. Teams do not make semifinal of the European cup two years on the

trot by coincidence. It is because we deserve to be there. The best of

luck to the Dragons in France. Tunisian to radio Wales for live

coverage of all the big games across the weekend. -- Tunisian. We are

back next Friday, but for tonight, from all of us, goodbye for now.