- Published
British sprinter Amy Hunt knows all about the "magic of the Olympics".
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Hunt → publish → Olympics
Now Olympic hopefuls have another avenue to join the 2024 medallist at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
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hopefuls → have → Angeles
Flag football, a condensed, non-contact version of American football, is one of the world's fastest growing sports and will make its Olympic debut at LA28.
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football → grow → LA28
Great Britain hope to qualify and in a bid to boost their chances, they are looking to identify male and female athletes from other sports who have the potential to convert.
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who → hope → potential
Cross-sport athletes are also being considered for a new professional flag football league, backed by the NFL and the likes of Tiger Woods and Serena Williams.
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athletes → consider → Woods
"Everyone wants to go to the Olympics so I can see why people are moving sport to get there," Hunt told BBC Sport at Sunday's NFL game in London.
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Hunt → want → London
"[LA28] is two years away so this is your last chance to really get sorted with a new sport and find your way in.
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this → sort → way
"I would really encourage it because the Olympics is unlike anything else, and flag football's going to have a massive profile at LA.
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football → encourage → LA
They won the European Championships in 2023 and 2025 and went into this summer's World Championships ranked third.
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They → win → Championships
The USA qualify for LA28 as hosts but two other Olympic spots were available at the Worlds and GB narrowly missed out, losing 20-19 to Mexico in the bronze-medal game.
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GB → qualify → game
She used to play netball but was introduced to flag football at school when she was 14 and ended up choosing to focus on flag.
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she → use → flag
Netball is not an Olympic sport but now Conway, 27, has the chance to become an Olympian through flag football.
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Conway → have → football
"I think it's every athlete's dream to play their sport at the highest level, and what's higher than the Olympics?" asked Conway.
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Conway → think → Olympics
"We never thought [flag football becoming an Olympic sport] could be possible.
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football → think → ?
I remember looking up other sports and whether I could transfer, so when the announcement came it was amazing.
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it → remember → sports
Now I hope that we can get there.
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we → hope → ?
What kind of athletes are wanted?
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kind → want → athletes
Flag football is now played by 20 million people in more than 100 countries and the rapid growth of the women's game was key to it becoming one of five optional sports for LA28.
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it → play → LA28
The sport has been backed heavily by the NFL, which aims to help it earn selection for Brisbane 2032 too.
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it → back → Brisbane
The decision is due before the end of 2026 so flag football could head into its Olympic debut knowing it will feature in back-to-back Games.
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it → head → Games
Participation has boomed in Australia and scores of athletes are switching from Australian rules football, netball and rugby, while the American team has recruited basketball players.
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team → boom → players
GB's Brittany Botterill (football/softball), Phoebe Schecter (equestrian), Marta Mathews (football), Jochebed Frimpong (athletics), Jess Allen (badminton) and Angelica Tait (athletics/snowboarding) all competed in other sports before playing flag football.
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Botterill → compete → football
US-born Emily Kemp even became an ultimate frisbee world champion last year, in the same summer she helped GB win the flag Euros.
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GB → bear → Euros
"We are an elite team already, we're a potential medal threat at LA28, but we're really aspirational so we're looking to widen our talent pool," said Chad Ehlertsen, chief executive of the British American Football Association (Bafa).
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Ehlertsen → look → Association
"If you look at the top flag players around the world, they've generally come from certain sports.
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they → look → sports
They have good hand-eye coordination, agility, speed, decision-making under pressure.
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They → have → pressure
These are the qualities we're looking for.
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we → look → ?
"In many ways we're not looking for elite flag players, we're looking for elite athletes that have the potential [to transfer] and then our coaches will help them understand the game.
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them → look → game
McIlroy and Brady among pro league backers
The NFL announced in March that it would launch a professional flag football league for women and men, in partnership with TMRW Sports.
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it → announce → Sports
Pronounced 'tomorrow', the company was co-founded by Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods and its first major venture was the TGL (TMRW golf league).
Investors in the new league include NFL legends Tom Brady and Joe Montana, plus Billie Jean King, Serena Williams and Alex Morgan.
The league's first season could begin next summer and its first 'talent qualifier' was held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday, with GB players among the 57 international hopefuls showcasing their skills.
"We're casting a wide net," said Champ Kelly, TMRW's senior vice president of flag football operations.
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Kelly → pronounce → operations
"We want flag football's elite, and we want the cross-sport athlete who doesn't even know yet that flag is their sport.
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flag → want → athlete
Some of those selected will feature in a Pro Flag Showcase during Super Bowl week in February while an increasing number of flag football scholarships are being made available at US colleges.
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number → select → colleges
"We're a part of history," added Australia's Kodie Fuller.
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Fuller → add → history
"We couldn't ever have imagined this but every day there's something new happening in flag football that blows my mind."
When are the GB trials?
GB are starting their next training cycle building up to the 2027 European Championships, before the final LA28 spots are available in June 2028.
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spots → imagine → June
The women's programme is holding trials at Loughborough College this Saturday and Sunday, where athletes will be assessed across a range of performance pillars.
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athletes → hold → pillars
About 70 people have already registered and current GB player Conway welcomes the competition.
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Conway → register → competition
"That's top-level sport, you're always fighting for your spot," she said.
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she → fight → spot
"I just think having more people raises the competitiveness and ultimately the level.
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having → think → competitiveness
"There's no expectation that you know what the sport is.
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sport → be → ?
It's just having the right foundation and as long as you're open to trying something new, it could be the best decision you ever make.
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you → have → something
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
