In today's news: UEFA release their new Women's Champions League anthem, The Hundred partner up with BBC Music Introducing and Team GB win gold for the first time in 94 years in the European Swimming Championships.
Champions League unveils new anthem
The Women's Champions League has entered a new era. For the first time in seven years, a new winner has been crowned after Barcelona beat Chelsea 4-0 in an historic game in Sweden. To match the occasion, UEFA have been working behind the scenes to present a new logo and anthem for the upcoming season.
UEFA Chief of Women's Football Nadine Kessler said that the new anthem has been created to make players "feel invincible" ahead of each match. The composers admitted that there was the desire to implement "female empowerment" when creating the new sound.
"To feel these women's power on the field playing football and then me playing a part as a woman conductor, it is special," said Martina BatiÄ.
The Hundred to feature live music at every game
Ahead of cricket's exciting new tournament set to get underway this summer, major moves have been made to maximise audience reach. The Hundred has partnered up with BBC Music Introducing – a platform dedicated to showcasing undiscovered and unsigned music artists.
The partnership promises to deliver live music and DJs at every cricket match during the competition, tying together the importance of promoting rising stars in the music industry and the women's game.
On July 21st, the inaugural women's match of the 100-ball tournament will get underway at The Oval. There, the Oval Invincibles will kickstart The Hundred in the opening fixture against the Manchester Originals. After that, a further 16 matches will feature across the calendar, playing at major venues including Old Trafford and Lord's.
Team GB win gold in European Swimming Championships
Great Britain's swimming team raced to gold in the 4x100m relay at the European Swimming Championships, winning the freestyle title for the first time in 94 years.
On the opening night of the tournament, Team GB came from behind France thanks to a power shift from Abbie Wood and Freya Anderson in the final 200m. The Brits were almost pipped to the finish by the Netherlands but Anderson finished with a time of 3:34:17, snatching the gold medal by just twelve 100ths of a second to make history for the team.
Serena Williams loses in Parma
Former world number one Serena Williams has a lot of ground to make up after losing yet another match on clay. Williams fell to a straight-sets defeat at the hands of Katerina Siniakova in Parma this afternoon, in the lead up the French Open.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner accepted a wild card invitation to the Emilia-Romagna Open as she prepares to return to the court at Roland Garros. Williams has been out of action since March, after she pulled out of the Miami Open to have oral surgery. She will be looking to return to her fiery best in France later this month, but her shock defeat to 68th-ranked Siniakova will have undoubtedly set her back.
Laura Coombs pens new Man City deal
Manchester City midfielder and England international Laura Coombs has committed her future to the Women's Super League side. The 30-year-old has extended her stay with the Mancunians until 2023.
"It feels great to have signed a new contract here at City – it was an easy choice for me to make," Coombs said. "I feel settled and happy, both on and off the pitch, so it was a natural decision for me to stay."
Coombs started her professional career in 2007, making her senior debut in Arsenal colours. From there, she went on to represent Chelsea, where she stayed for six years, before eventually joining Liverpool. The playmaker has also enjoyed stints in the USL W-League, representing the Los Angeles Strikers. Coombs made the move to City in 2019 and was part of the squad that lifted the FA Cup last season.