Legends of the Cue

Allison Fisher, Mark Wilson & Mike Gonzalez
  • 5.0 (18)
  • Sports
  • Updated Weekly

"Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with notable players, promoters, administrators and other people of influence in and around cue sports. We also plan to highlight memorable brands, events and venues. Focusing on the positive aspects of the sport, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher,  Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, our podcast focuses on telling the life stories of cue sport’s greatest, in their voices. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cue.”

  1. 3d ago

    Henrik Larsson - Part 2 (Stockholm, 2,000 Exhibitions and Becoming a World Champion)

    In Part 2 of our Legends of the Cue interview with Henrik Larsson, the aspiring Swedish pool player arrives in Stockholm at age 19 with no elaborate career plan. As Henrik puts it, he was simply addicted to shooting pool—playing until the last poolroom closed at five in the morning, sleeping late and starting all over again the next day.  But Henrik quickly realized that becoming a great player also required finding a way to finance the journey. What follows is a fascinating story of entrepreneurship in professional pool. Henrik teaches juniors and beginners in exchange for free table time, develops corporate pool programs, forms an entertainment business and eventually performs more than 2,000 trick-shot exhibitions. He and his partners go on to own two major Stockholm poolrooms—one built around rock-and-roll and live music, another designed as an upscale, multi-level billiards and corporate-entertainment venue.  Then we turn to the competitive career. Henrik recalls being at the forefront of wheelchair pool in Europe, competing successfully against Sweden’s standing players and winning an early championship in Berlin in 1993. A year later, he travels to America and takes on formidable American wheelchair star Aaron Aragon, scoring a breakthrough victory that Henrik still considers one of the most important of his career. He explains the physical realities of elite wheelchair pool—the reach, table height, bridge shots and pattern choices—and why straight pool became his favorite discipline.  By 1999, wheelchair competition is being staged alongside the European Championships. Henrik begins an extraordinary run of European titles. And in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2003, everything changes: Henrik captures both the WPA 8-Ball and 9-Ball World Championships. From Stockholm poolroom obsessive to double world champion, Part 2 traces the years when Henrik Larsson turned opportunity, creativity and relentless practice into international greatness. Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text. Support the show Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on: Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1 Music by Lyrium. About "Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.  Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

    Henrik Larsson - Part 2 (Stockholm, 2,000 Exhibitions and Becoming a World Champion)

  2. 3d ago

    Henrik Larsson - Part 1 (Growing Up, Rock Guitar and Discovering Wheelchair Pool)

    In Part 1 of our Legends of the Cue conversation with Swedish Parasport pool legend Henrik “Henke” Larsson, we go back long before the world championships and European titles to explore the experiences that shaped one of wheelchair pool’s greatest competitors. Henrik was just months old when a hemangioma inside his spinal cord resulted in the loss of movement in his legs. Growing up in Sweden in the 1970s, he entered a world with few accommodations for children with disabilities—but also a family determined that Henrik would be treated no differently from his two older sisters. He recalls the freedom, responsibilities and sometimes remarkable adventures his parents allowed him, along with the Swedish Parasport camps that reinforced a lifelong belief that problems existed to be solved. His reflections on childhood disability, self-worth, belonging and the emotional struggles he kept largely hidden provide some of the most revealing moments of the interview. Before pool, there was music. Henrik fell in love with the guitar, absorbing everyone from Paco de Lucía and Gary Moore to Eddie Van Halen. For a time, becoming a professional musician seemed entirely possible. Then he walked into a Swedish poolroom owned by Jörgen Sandman. Sandman had never seen a wheelchair player shoot pool, but he immediately recognized possibility. He offered to train Henrik, beginning a three-year mentorship that changed the course of his life. Henrik recounts working with the demanding Sandman, refereeing world-class players in Las Vegas, developing a stroke and technique adapted to playing from a wheelchair, and eventually leaving home at 19 for Stockholm in pursuit of one thing: becoming a better pool player. It’s the origin story of a champion—and of a life built around independence, curiosity and an unwavering willingness to try.  Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text. Support the show Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on: Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1 Music by Lyrium. About "Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.  Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

    Henrik Larsson - Part 1 (Growing Up, Rock Guitar and Discovering Wheelchair Pool)

  3. Aug 18

    Darren Appleton - Part 5 (The Fight of His Life—Hall of Fame, Cardiac Arrest and a New Purpose)

    The final chapter of Darren Appleton’s Legends of the Cue interview is a powerful story of versatility, loss, survival and renewed purpose. Part 5 begins with Darren’s late-career fascination with one-pocket, a game he learned after moving to the United States and studying experienced players whose knowledge of movement and strategy could overcome declining shot-making ability. The conversation moves to Appleton’s 2017 induction into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame and the personal hardships surrounding that period. Darren speaks openly about returning to England, becoming a caregiver for his terminally ill mother, losing her in 2019 and trying to rebuild his professional career as the COVID-19 pandemic brought tournament pool to a halt. By 2022, Appleton believed his game was approaching its former level. Then, without warning, he suffered a massive cardiac arrest while working in his poolroom. He recounts the moments leading to the emergency, the lifesaving actions of his manager Kinga, the medical fight that followed and the realization that simply being alive was a miracle. Darren discusses the physical limitations he now faces and his decision to prioritize health, coaching and Dynamite Billiards. He also considers a future return to the United States, the possibilities offered by Ultimate Pool and how he can continue contributing to cue sports without depending on tournament winnings. The episode closes with gratitude and perspective. Appleton names the family members, mentors and champions who influenced him, reflects on Efren Reyes and the players he most admired, and joins Allison Fisher for “Alli’s Rapid Rack.” Mark Wilson offers a final tribute to Darren’s exemplary stroke mechanics. More than a comeback story, this is an intimate portrait of a champion redefining success—and understanding that a life in pool is measured not only by titles, but by relationships, resilience and the chance to keep moving forward. Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text. Support the show Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on: Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1 Music by Lyrium. About "Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.  Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

    Darren Appleton - Part 5 (The Fight of His Life—Hall of Fame, Cardiac Arrest and a New Purpose)

  4. Aug 18

    Darren Appleton - Part 4 (World Champion Across Disciplines—U.S. Opens, Heyball and a Historic 200-and-Out)

    What does it take to become a world champion across multiple cue sports disciplines? In Part 4 of Darren Appleton’s Legends of the Cue interview, the BCA Hall of Famer revisits the extraordinary championship run that established him as one of the greatest all-around pool players of the modern era. The story begins with Appleton’s breakthrough at the inaugural 2008 WPA World 10-Ball Championship in the Philippines. He explains how winning his first world title—and a $100,000 first prize—lifted years of pressure, secured his financial footing and gave him the certainty that he could perform when everything was at stake. From there, Darren takes listeners through the peak of his career: back-to-back U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships, the 2012 WPA World 9-Ball title, World Games gold and victory at the inaugural World Chinese 8-Ball Championship. He discusses the opponents, conditions and emotional turning points behind those wins, while Allison Fisher and Mark Wilson explore the tactical intelligence, cue-ball control and competitive discipline that allowed him to succeed on dramatically different equipment. Appleton also examines the rise of Chinese 8-ball, or Heyball, and explains why adapting to its table, cloth and demanding pockets required more than ordinary shot-making. His ability to move between English 8-ball, American rotation games and hybrid disciplines became a defining feature of his legacy. The episode then turns to straight pool. Darren recalls winning on his first serious attempt at the Derby City Classic, beating elite 14.1 specialists and later recording a historic 200-and-out against Francisco Bustamante. He explains why straight pool rewards concentration, backward planning and precise cue-ball control, and shares his perspective on the great modern high-run players. This episode is a masterclass in championship pool—and compelling evidence of why Darren “Dynamite” Appleton belongs among cue sports’ most complete competitors. Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text. Support the show Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on: Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1 Music by Lyrium. About "Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.  Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

    Darren Appleton - Part 4 (World Champion Across Disciplines—U.S. Opens, Heyball and a Historic 200-and-Out)

  5. Aug 11

    Darren Appleton - Part 3 (Inside the Mosconi Cup—Leadership, Rivalry and Team Europe)

    Few players have embodied the emotion of the Mosconi Cup like Darren Appleton. In Part 3 of his Legends of the Cue interview, the European pool icon goes inside the team room, the arena and the pressure cooker that transformed the annual USA-versus-Europe contest into one of cue sports’ greatest spectacles. Appleton reflects on joining Team Europe in 2009 and bringing a more vocal, fiery presence to a group traditionally known for quiet professionalism. He explains why assembling the highest-ranked players does not automatically create the strongest team—and why character, chemistry and off-table support can matter as much as shot-making. The conversation revisits Darren’s 2010 Mosconi Cup MVP performance, his memorable battles against American stars and the intensity of playing in front of partisan crowds. He discusses the personalities who defined both sides of the rivalry, including Johnny Archer, Earl Strickland, Rodney Morris, Shane Van Boening, Niels Feijen, Ralf Souquet, Mika Immonen, Thorsten Hohmann, Chris Melling and Karl Boyes. A major focus is legendary European captain Johan Ruijsink. Darren describes Johan’s discipline, emotional intelligence and uncanny ability to tell each player exactly what he needed to hear. One powerful example involves Chris Melling’s struggle after losing his mother and the private conversation that helped him produce an MVP-caliber turnaround. Mark Wilson adds the American captain’s perspective, including Darren’s support for his appointment and the intimidating atmosphere of the 2014 event at Blackpool’s Tower Circus. Allison Fisher also looks back on the early Mosconi Cup years and how dramatically the competition evolved. Appleton closes with candid opinions about playing captains, Team USA’s future, the importance of preserving national identity and why Mosconi Cup memories mean more than trophies or prize money. This episode is essential listening for fans of professional pool, Team Europe, the Mosconi Cup and cue sports history. Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text. Support the show Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on: Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1 Music by Lyrium. About "Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.  Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

    Darren Appleton - Part 3 (Inside the Mosconi Cup—Leadership, Rivalry and Team Europe)

  6. Aug 11

    Darren Appleton - Part 2 (Reinventing a Champion—From English 8-Ball to World 10-Ball Glory)

    Darren Appleton’s rise was anything but gradual. In Part 2 of this Legends of the Cue interview, “Dynamite” recalls winning the first professional tournament he entered, developing one of pool’s most admired cue deliveries and making the career-defining decision to leave English 8-ball behind for American pool. Appleton explains why his compact stroke, timing and cue-ball control were developed through observation rather than formal coaching. He remembers studying Jimmy White, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry, borrowing pieces from great cueists and shaping them into a style built for pressure. The discussion also turns to English stars Chris Melling and Karl Boyes and their early years together. Darren traces his first exposure to American pool through televised women’s events, the Mosconi Cup and Matchroom’s World 9-Ball Championship. He recalls qualifying for the 2000 world championship, meeting Allison Fisher in Las Vegas and recognizing that the larger-table game offered both a technical challenge and a better financial future. The road was difficult. Appleton discusses the International Pool Tour, the collapse of its promises and the reality of starting over in a discipline where kicking, jumping, breaking and percentage play demanded a complete education. His determination took him to the Philippines, where he immersed himself in the game, learned from elite players and discovered a pool culture that became a second home. The gamble paid off spectacularly. In 2008, Darren Appleton became the inaugural WPA World 10-Ball Champion, earned a life-changing $100,000 prize and opened the floodgates to the World Pool Masters, the U.S. Open and the Mosconi Cup. This is the story of reinvention, risk and a champion rebuilding himself from scratch. Appleton’s account shows how technical humility, total commitment and the willingness to enter unfamiliar territory can turn an established winner in one game into a global force in another. Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text. Support the show Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on: Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1 Music by Lyrium. About "Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.  Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

    Darren Appleton - Part 2 (Reinventing a Champion—From English 8-Ball to World 10-Ball Glory)

  7. Aug 11

    Darren Appleton - Part 1 (From Pontefract to Professional Pool—The Making of “Dynamite”)

    Before Darren “Dynamite” Appleton became a multiple world champion and BCA Hall of Famer, he was a fiercely competitive kid growing up on a council estate in Pontefract, West Yorkshire. In Part 1 of this five-part Legends of the Cue interview, Appleton takes Mike Gonzalez, Allison Fisher and Mark Wilson back to the beginning of a remarkable cue sports journey. Darren explains how a childhood shaped by working-class values, football, boxing and family competition forged the mentality that later made him one of pool’s most relentless winners. He shares the story behind the nickname “Dynamite,” reflects on his father’s influence as a boxing coach and recalls the sights, sounds and unmistakable atmosphere of English pub pool in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The conversation explores the distinctive demands of English 8-ball: the smaller table, nap cloth, lighter cue ball, tactical exchanges and competing rule sets. Darren also discusses the limited financial opportunities available to professional English pool players and why that reality eventually encouraged him to seek a larger stage. Along the way, he remembers learning from his cousin Andy Appleton, competing with his brother Shane, leaving football and boxing behind, winning major junior and amateur events at his first attempts and developing the practice habits that separated him from other talented players. His intense hatred of losing became both a burden and a competitive advantage. This opening episode is the origin story of a pool legend—a candid look at family, ambition, sporting obsession and the moment Darren Appleton decided that pool would not simply be a pastime, but his life. He also considers what might have happened had snooker offered more opportunities in his youth, and why pool’s one-on-one nature captured the competitive thrill he once found in the boxing ring and on the football pitch. Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text. Support the show Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on: Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1 Music by Lyrium. About "Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.  Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

    Darren Appleton - Part 1 (From Pontefract to Professional Pool—The Making of “Dynamite”)

  8. Aug 4

    Alan McManus - Part 6 (The Future of Snooker, Pool vs. Snooker, and Alli’s Rapid Rack)

    The sixth and final part of our Legends of the Cue interview with Alan “Angles” McManus looks forward as much as it looks back. After tracing Alan’s journey from Glasgow schoolboy to Masters champion, Crucible semi-finalist, commentator, and podcaster, this closing episode turns to the future of snooker, the growth of cue sports, and the enduring connection between snooker and pool. Alan shares his views on the modern professional game, the extraordinary standard of today’s players, and the influence of young talent from China and around the world. He, Mike Gonzalez, Mark Wilson, and Allison Fisher discuss how snooker continues to evolve, what makes the current generation different, and what the sport must do to keep expanding its audience. The conversation then bridges snooker and pool, a perfect fit for Legends of the Cue. Alan reflects on the skills that transfer between cue-sports disciplines, while Allison and Mark bring their world-class perspectives from snooker, pool, teaching, and competition. The discussion touches on technique, stance, cue action, equipment, and the challenge of moving between games played on very different tables under very different cultural conditions. The episode also features our fun new segment: Alli’s Rapid Rack. Allison puts Alan on the clock with quick-fire cue-sports questions, bringing out his humor, honesty, and love for the game. The interview closes with reflective final questions about what snooker has given him, how he views his legacy, and what he hopes people remember about Alan McManus. For fans of snooker history, pool history, cue-sports technique, modern snooker, Chinese snooker, Allison Fisher, Mark Wilson, and Alan McManus, this finale is a thoughtful, funny, and fitting conclusion to a remarkable six-part conversation. Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text. Support the show Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on: Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1 Music by Lyrium. About "Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.  Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

    Alan McManus - Part 6 (The Future of Snooker, Pool vs. Snooker, and Alli’s Rapid Rack)
See All (132)

5
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

"Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with notable players, promoters, administrators and other people of influence in and around cue sports. We also plan to highlight memorable brands, events and venues. Focusing on the positive aspects of the sport, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher,  Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, our podcast focuses on telling the life stories of cue sport’s greatest, in their voices. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cue.”

Information

  • Creator
    Allison Fisher, Mark Wilson & Mike Gonzalez
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    132
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Legends of the Cue
  • Show Website
    Legends of the Cue

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