Rob Hodgetts
BBC Sport in Sochi

"Maverick American skier Bode Miller laid down the gauntlet in the first of the men's Olympic downhill training runs and says the challenging Sochi course suits "all his skill sets".

"The colourful Miller clocked 2.07.75 to leave rivals like big Norwegian Aksel Lund Svindal, who said he made a "few mistakes" trailing. Miller said the course was as tough as the difficult Sochi test event in 2012.

"That year was our most challenging downhill and I would say this year is equal," he said. "High speed, really big turns, big jumps and a lot of different challenging sections, things that challenge a much more technical skier, things that challenge a better glider.

"Fatigue wasn't a huge issue but on race day when everyone's looking for more speed and staying low - today I was a bit more casual - it's going to get tougher. It's a real course."

England's team in full: Mike Brown (Harlequins), Jack Nowell (Exeter), Luther Burrell (Northampton), Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester), Jonny May (Gloucester), Owen Farrell (Saracens), Danny Care (Harlequins); Joe Marler (Harlequins), Dylan Hartley (Northampton), Dan Cole (Leicester), Joe Launchbury (London Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton), Tom Wood (Northampton), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins, capt), Billy Vunipola.

Replacements: Tom Youngs (Leicester), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Henry Thomas (Sale), Dave Attwood (Bath), Ben Morgan (Gloucester), Lee Dickson (Northampton), Brad Barritt (Saracens), Alex Goode (Saracens).

Image source, Getty Images

England name an unchanged starting side and replacements' bench for Saturday's Calcutta Cup clash against Scotland at Murrayfield.

The 23 players who were on duty at the Stade de France for last weekend's 26-24 defeat against the French will travel to Edinburgh along with Matt Mullan of London Wasps, who will be 24th man.

Mousa Dembele and Andros Townsend are set to return for Spurs in Sunday's Premier League clash against Everton after injury lay-offs.

England winger Townsend, 22, has missed the last nine matches since hurting his hamstring against West Ham United in mid-December, while Belgium midfielder Dembele, 26, missed the 1-1 draw with Hull City with an ankle injury.

The riders through to Saturday's snowboard slopestyle final from the second heat are Max Parrot of Canada, Finland's Roope Tonteri, Sweden's Sven Thorgren and Norway's Gjermund Braaten.

Ireland's Seamus O'Connor was 13th with a disappointing score of 40.0 and will be in action again in Saturday's semi-finals.

Women's qualifying starts at 10:00 GMT featuring Britain's Jenny Jones and Aimee Fuller.

Richard Conway
BBC Radio 5 live sports news correspondent

The World Anti-Doping Agency has expressed its fears following claims that a new muscle growth drug, which is currently undetectable to testers, has been offered for sale by a Russian scientist.

'Full Size MGF' - a drug which is claimed helps develop muscle growth at twice the normal rate - was allegedly offered to an undercover German journalist by a scientist from the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow.

Asked about the claims, the director general of Wada, David Howman, said: "It's a bit shocking it should happen from a Russian scientist and it's very shocking that this [drug] was only trialled on animals. That is outrageous but it is not surprising."

At the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park, Canada's Max Parrot has thrilled the crowd with a score of 97.50 in the second run of heat two of the snowboard slopestyle to set the pace ahead of Finland's Roope Tonteiri (95.75).

Image source, Reuters

You can follow the action live here.

Image source, PA

Speed skater Jon Eley tells BBC Sport it is a "great honour" to be chosen as the British flagbearer at Sochi 2014's opening ceremony on Friday.

New Zealand's Kane Williamson and Brendon McCullum made centuries in a 221-run partnership which put the hosts in control at 329-4 after Thursday's opening day of the first test against India in Auckland.

Williamson (113) and McCullum (143 not out) came together with New Zealand in trouble at 30-3 after India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni elected to bowl first.

Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan shared three early wickets, but once Williamson and McCullum came together they steadied the ship and although Williamson departed late on, Corey Williams helped the Kiwi cause.

Nick Hope
BBC Olympic sports reporter

British snowboarder Billy Morgan, who finished sixth in the qualification round of the slopestyle event, admits being the first athlete to compete at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics may have cost him the chance of reaching Saturday's final automatically.

Morgan needed a top-four finish but finished sixth and will return for Saturday morning's semi-finals

"It is a bit of a disadvantage [going first] as I don't get to see what everyone has done," he said. "Maybe I could have cleaned it up a bit, but hopefully I'll get to the final."

Image source, Getty Images

If you want to read more about Kevin Pietersen's departure from the England cricket set-up and the questions that remain, BBC Sport's Sam Sheringham looks at the issues that are still to be answered.

Scarlets say they hope to make an announcement about the future of Wales centre Scott Williams on Thursday.

Williams, 23, who was out of contract in the summer, has been linked with clubs outside of Wales.

But Williams has always stated his preference was to stay with the Scarlets.

Action is getting ready to resume at the snowboard slopestyle at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park with heat two of the men's qualifying competition.

There are no Britons in the second heat but Ireland are represented with Seamus O'Connor.

The 16-year-old was born and brought up in San Diego, California but qualifies to compete for Ireland through his grandparents, who were born there.

Here are some of the main stories from today's football gossip column.

Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic, 32, is set to accept a transfer to Inter Milan after holding positive talks with the club over a switch for next season. (Metro), external

Vidic is said to be angry at being left in limbo by Manchester United and it appears the club are ready to let him go. (Sun), external

Former England manager Glenn Hoddle is one of six leading contenders for the Swansea job. Everton assistant Graeme Jones, former Athletic Bilbao boss Marcelo Bielsa, ex-Arsenal forward Dennis Bergkamp, Brighton manager Oscar Garcia and Hull assistant Steve Agnew are also in contention. (Guardian), external

Elsewhere, the fall-out from Kevin Pietersen's departure from the England cricket team continues.

Indian Premier League founder Lalit Modi says the 33-year-old could make up to £3m playing in the competition.

And wicketkeeper Matt Prior has dismissed allegations by TV personality Piers Morgan that he openly criticised former team director Andy Flower during England's disastrous Ashes tour.

Nick Hope
BBC Olympic sports reporter

"I can't believe it," says GB's Jamie Nicholls after qualifying for the snowboard slopestyle final. "I'm stoked about what I've just done!

The 20-year-old from Yorkshire says he'll "go for broke" and "throw everything down" in the final.

Image source, PA

Elsewhere in Sochi, short track speed skater Jon Eley will be the Great Britain flagbearer at Friday's opening ceremony.

The 29-year-old from Solihull will be taking part in his third Games after Turin in 2006 and Vancouver in 2010.

"It is an amazing privilege and a moment that I will treasure for the rest of my life," he said

Norway's Staale Sandbech, Peetu Piiroinen of Finland and Canada's Sebastien Toutant were the other athletes in the top four to make it into the snowboard slopestyle final.

Heat two will be coming up shortly.

Nick Hope
BBC Olympic sports reporter

"There was a massive cheer from the crowd when Billy Morgan landed a stunning 'backside triple' the only rider to try what's arguably the hardest trick in snowboard Slopestyle.

"He was beaming as the camera focused in on his reaction but the smile faded when a score of 85.5 was awarded.

"It was unfairly marked down," says BBC commentator Ed Leigh.

Image source, PA

But fellow Briton Billy Morgan will have to go again in Saturday's semi-finals.

Morgan, the first competitor out on the Rosa Khutor course, was fourth after the first run after scoring 76.25 and although he improved his score in his second run with 85.50 it was not enough to qualify directly and he must try again on Saturday.