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Commonwealth Games 2022: Bruce McAvaney on Matt Shirvington shorts in Channel 7 commentary

Australian sporting icon Bruce McAvaney just couldn’t resist.

The 69-year-old randomly dropped a reference to former Aussie sprinter Matt Shirvington’s “tight shorts” during Seven’s coverage of the Commonwealth Games.

The colorful caller was speaking before the men’s 200m semi-finals at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham after Shirvington had crossed to the commentary team from a Channel 7 studio.

“Let’s go back to Bruce,” Shirvington said.

“It’s the men’s 200m and I’m jealous. There’s a nice little tailwind for them.”

McAvaney responded: “You would like to put the shorts back on, wouldn’t you.

“And they were tight.”

The call got a brief giggle out of Channel 7 athletics commentator Tamsyn Manou.

The comment may or may not be related to McAvaney’s revelation on Friday that he has been getting less than three hours sleep a night in Birmingham.

McAvaney is commenting in the UK for the event where he is covering his fifth Commonwealth Games. The most popular sports caller in the country has also covered 11 Olympics.

More than 15 years after he hung up his track spikes, Shirvington still boasts the most famous lunch box in Australian sport — as immortalized by the commentary of comedian Billy Birmingham in The Twelfth Man.

Shirvington’s thunder is still a small part of Aussie sprint sensation Rohan Browning’s story. The 24-year-old, who finished sixth in the final of the 100m at the Commonwealth Games on Thursday morning, has previously laughed about not wanting to be compared to the Channel 7 presenter.

When Browning made history last year by becoming the first Australian to qualify for the men’s 100m event at an Olympics in 17 years, he was stitched up in a photo post on the World Athletics website which featured an unflattering close-up of his crotch.

Browning responded to the photo with a light-hearted tweet: “Can someone from World Athletics update my profile cover shot please? Don’t want to draw Shirvo comparisons”.

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Commonwealth Games live updates: Hockeyroos face India in semi-final, while men’s decathlon draws to a close

After a shocking upset loss to India in the quarter-finals at the Olympics last year, the Hockeyroos have a chance for revenge as they face off again for a spot in the Birmingham final.

Follow all the action from day eight in Birmingham with our live blog.

live updates

By Jon Healey

Hockey: Still 1-0 to Hockeyros through three quarters

Things are seriously tense at the University of Birmingham Hockey & Squash Centre.

Just one goal in the first quarter is all that separates Australia and India in this semi-final.

England awaits. Who will it be?

By Simon Smale

Key Event

Athletics: Steve Solomon makes the 400m final!

Get the spikes back out Steve! You’re running in the end on Sunday!

Great stuff for the Aussie, who qualifies in the last spot, but just 0.03 of a second, and will race in the final!

By Simon Smale

Athletics: Solomon still alive…

Steve Solomon told Channel 7 that he was happy to wrap his season up after that semi-final run.

He might still be in with a chance of sneaking into the final though, so he may want to reassess…

None of the non-automatic qualifiers managed to beat his 46.30 in that race, so there is still hope for the likable Aussie…

Jonathan Jones of Bahamas got the win in that second semi.

There’s one semi final to go…

By Simon Smale

Athletics: Steve Solomon will have to wait and see in the 400m

Three men run towards the camera.
Solomon (right) tied up in the final 100. (Getty Images)

Steve Solomon has just finished in fourth place in his 400m semi final…

It looked like he really struggled in the home straight, far from fluid as the race really heated up having exited the final bend in a second.

From there though, he went backwards.

He has told Channel 7 that he just didn’t have the running in his legs after a rough six months of injuries and has resigned himself to not racing in Sunday’s final.

I ran to 46.30, which will unlikely be good enough to see him qualify, I’d think.

By Jon Healey

Hockey: Australia gets out of jail to keep lead at half-time

The Hockeyroos have lost their referral pretty dubiously.

Kaitlin Nobbs challenged a penalty corner ruling, and it looked for all money like she’d done so successfully, but the third umpire found a way to confirm it.

All this while Shanea Tonkin was serving time in the penalty box on a green card.

The penalty corner didn’t come off for India, and Australia kept its 1-0 lead at the break despite being pinned in their own quarter of the field for most of the period.

India had five penalty corners in the first half, but couldn’t capitalize, while the Hockeyroos’ sole goal came from the field via Rebecca Greiner.

By Simon Smale

Squash: The Battle of the Lobbans

We have a winner in the battle of the Lobbans…

And it’s Donna Lobban who gets bragging rights with her partner Cameron Pilley!

The Aussie pair (and defending champions) came from behind to beat Scotland’s pairing of Greg Lobban and Lisa Aitkin 3-0.

They won the final game 11-8 to complete the turnaround.

Donna told the Commonwealth Games media team that if Greg won he’d have to make dinner for a month…

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Does that mean dinners are on her for the foreseeable?

Perhaps after the Comm Games are over – Donna and Cameron have worked to do and a medal to win for Australia.

By Simon Smale

Athletics: Decathlon to go down to the wire

Lindon Victor has re-taken the lead in the decathlon after a superb javelin throw.

He leads The Gap’s Cedric Dubler by 161 points heading into the 1500m.

Daniel Golubovic is third, just four points behind Dubler after throwing a season’s best of 58.26m in the javelin.

Alec Diamond is fifth.

It’s ever so close and the 1500 will be a belter when it takes place at 6:30am AEST.

By Jon Healey

Hockey: Australia on the board in opening quarter of women’s semi-final

Australian hockey players celebrate a goal against India at the Commonwealth Games.
(Getty)

Looking for redemption for the quarter-final loss at last year’s Olympics, the Hockeyroos have struck first in the semi against India.

Rebecca Greiner did the damage from the field.

By Simon Smale

Key Event

Athletics: Australia will have one runner in the 200m final

Gutting news for Jacinta Beecher, who misses out on a spot in the 200m final by 0.12.

Jacinta Beecher looks on with a neutral look on her face
So near, yet so far for Jacinta Beecher (Getty Images)

Ella Connolly is the slowest of the qualifiers to make it through and actually ran 0.01 seconds slower than Jacinta Beecher.

But, because the qualification is done on placings in the semi finals (top two qualify automatically, plus the two fastest non-qualifiers) then Beecher misses out.

The favorite Elaine Thompson-Herah qualified fastest.

By Simon Smale

Athletics: Ella Connolly qualifies for the 200m final!

Ella Connolly sprinting
Ella Connolly gave it her all (Getty Images)

Oh my goodness that was so, so close!

did Ella Connolly get second there?

AND IT IS! By 0.01 of a second!

A photo finish of a sprint race
This is what 0.01 seconds looks like (Commonwealth Games)

At the moment, Jacinta Beecher is there too, by just 0.02 seconds…

But there’s one semi to go…

By Simon Smale

Squash: Battle of the Lobbans

Quick update from the University Squash Center and the wife has leveled things up at one game each after she and Cameron Pilley took the second 8 – 11.

It’s coming down to decide…

By Jon Healey

Hockey: Hockeyroos semi-final against India underground

This is for a spot in the final against England.

By Simon Smale

Athletics: 200m semi-finals

A woman is shown side on with a neutral expression on her face
Getty Images

Jacinta Beecher has gone in the first semi final of the women’s 200m and I don’t think she’s done enough to get through, sadly.

Beecher came home in fourth spot with a time of 23.40, a fair way off her PB of 22.70 but she was running into a serious headwind of +1.9.

Like I said, I don’t think that will be enough to get one of the two fastest qualifying spots, but we’ll wait and see.

By Jon Healey

Key Event

🤕 Athletics: Nicola Olyslagers is out of the women’s high jump final

Australian Olympic silver medalist Nicola Olyslagers has had to withdraw from tonight’s high jump final with a calf injury.

She said it was “disappointing and devastating not to be able to compete.”

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“What was thought to be a tight calf after my qualifying round turned out to be a torn muscle in my jumping leg,” she said.

“Of all the emotions and shock I could feel in the moment, I still have peace. Winning bronze at the Commonwealth Games four years ago allowed my professional career as a high jumper to begin, it was a competition that changed the trajectory of my life .

“My prayer is that someone else’s dream comes alive tomorrow as I cheer them on from the sidelines. Let’s go cheer Eleanor on as she jumps for Australia so well out there.”

She is of course referring to world champion Eleanor Pattersonwho will be jumping in the final from 7:17pm AEST.

By Simon Smale

Squash: The Battle of the Lobbans

Remember the story of the husband and wife who are going up against each other in the mixed doubles quarter finals?

Well, they’re in action right now and first blood has gone to the husband Greg (of Team Scotland).

He and his partner Lisa Aitkin took the first game 11 – 9 against his life partner Donna and her cousin, Cameron Pillley.

This might read like a script from Bold and the Beautiful, but it’s not (although let’s not put it past them to get something in on it soon).

By Jon Healey

Key Event

🥉 Diving: Third medal in the pool this morning

Domonic Bedggood and Cassiel Rousseau finish third behind England’s Matty Lee and Noah Williams, and Canadian pair Rylan Wiens and Nathan Zsombor-Murray.

Lee won Olympic gold with Tom Daley last year, but this is his first Commonwealth Games medal.

Bedggood, meanwhile, has claimed his fifth Commonwealth medal and third bronze. He has gold in this event from Glasgow 2014, and won 10m platform gold in 2018, when he also won bronze in 3m and 10m synchro.

By Jon Healey

Key Event

🥉 Athletics: Sam Carter third in men’s T53/54 1,500m

Can Sam Carter and Jake Lappin emulate the efforts of Madison de Rozario and Angie Ballard from yesterday?

Not remove.

Sam Carter wins bronze in a superb race, led out hard by Canada’s Josh Cassidy, then Danny Sidbury of England made his move around the halfway mark, blowing Cassidy away.

Carter closed the gap, but brought him Englishman Nathan Maguire, who powered past Carter’s outside shoulder, then passed teammate Sidbury on the final straight to win gold.

Jake Lapin was fourth, five seconds behind Carter

By Jon Healey

Key Event

Diving: Aussies in the hunt in men’s 10m synchro

Domonic Bedggood and Cassiel Rousseau are in the bronze medal spot with two dives left.

England’s Matthew Lee and Noah Williams, and Canadian pair Rylan Wiens and Nathan Zsombor-Murray just look streets ahead.

They’ll duke it out for gold, while the Aussies try to hold off the other English pair of Ben Cutmore and Kyle Kothari.

By Simon Smale

Athletics: 400m semi-finals

England’s Victoria Ohuruogu has qualified fastest for the women’s 400m final after running a 51-flat in the first semi final.

She’ll be joined by compatriot Ama Pipi and Jodie Williams, but they’ll be hard up to beat World Championship bronze medalist Sada Williams, who looked very comfortable in cruising to victory in the second semi in a time of 51.59.

By Simon Smale

Hockey: England awaits in the final

A scene from a hockey match as England attacks the New Zealand goal
Getty Images

England have just beaten New Zealand 2-0 in a penalty shoot out after a tight and tense 0-0 draw at the University Hockey Centre.

New Zealand players peer out from inside the goal
Getty Images

That means the hosts are in the final, where they await the winner of the second semi final between the Hockeyros and India.

That match is due to start at 5:15am AEST, so about half an hour or so.

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Saturday Horse Racing Tips & Best Bets [Flemington, Randwick & more]

Check out our tips and best bets for racing at Flemington, Randwick, Doomben, Murray Bridge and Belmont for the action on Saturday, August 6.

READ: Weekend war chest – Latest news and punting intel
READ: Insights from Bjorn Baker, Paul Snowden and more

READ: Insights from Tommy Berry, Billy Egan

BEST BETS

Flemington R1 No.4 Berkeley Square

It’s hard to go around the favorite Berkeley Square (4) after his eye-catching debut. He did n’t help himself at the start there and his momentum was also halted at a critical stage at the business end. He’s drawn to advantage in barrier 3 and Craig Williams should give him every favor in the run. The only knock for me is he may be over bet due to the blackbook hype.

Berkeley Square

Craig Williams (59kg)
Dan O’Sullivan
3yoG (b) Territories x Bahamas

Randwick R4 No.13 Conqueror

Keen on Conqueror (13), with the three-year-old taking on the older horses here early in the season. He’s had just the one start, in a midweek maiden on the Kenso, but it proved to be a strong maiden. He won by 0.43L over Seven Veils with Dashing Legend in third. Those two ran the quinella in the G2 Reisling at their next start. Meanwhile, She’s Extreme was in fourth, going on to win at G1 level later in the autumn. Conqueror has trialled very nicely heading into his return from him.

Conqueror

William Pike (53kg)
Chris Waller
3yoC (br) Churchill x Dixie Chick

Doomben R5 No.4 Ocean Treaty

I blackbooked Ocean Treaty (4) last start after her narrow defeat here in a Benchmark 85 when resuming. She has trialled since and last preparation won second-up here over this trip beating Stardome. Ben Thompson rode her on that occasion and only needs to do something similar here to get the prize.

Ocean Treaty

Ben Thompson (56kg)
Steven O’Dea & Matthew Hoysted
6yoM (b) Ocean Park x Striker

Murray Bridge R5 No.2 Reckoning

Been knocking on the door in stronger races across the border and looks perfectly placed here. Drawn well and claim helps.

Reckoning

Ben Price (59.5kg)
Nick Ryan
6yoG (b/br) Domesday x New Sensation


BEST VALUE

Flemington R6 No. 1 – Countofmontecristo

Veteran Singaporean import Countofmontecristo (1) hasn’t won for a long time but there’s been some encouraging signs in recent runs. He’s drawn ideally, he gets in well after Logan McNeil’s 3kg claim and SA trainer Travis Doudle has had some success in recent raids. If he can settle a little closer I think he could run into the finish and Flemington should suit.

countofmontecristo

Logan McNeil (61kg)
Travis Doudle
9yoG (b) Echoes of Heaven x Replicate

Randwick R9 No. 7 – Soffika

Import Soffika (7) should be ready to show her best third-up at a mile after two runs over seven furlongs. She was beaten 3.49L last start at W’Farm on a Heavy 10, but hit the line pretty well under 61kg.

sofia

Tim Clark (55kg)
Richard & Will Freeman
5yoM (b) Zoffany x Rosika

Doomben R8 No.10 Boomtown Lass

Chris Anderson has found the right race for BOOMTOWN LASS (10) which was cluttered up at Eagle Farm and always goes better at Doomben. From a good gate Steph Thornton can pick her position from her and be hard to get past in the straight.

Boomtown Lass

Mrs Stephanie Thornton (53kg)
Chris Anderson
7yoM (b) Spirit of Boom x Boomalicious

Murray Bridge Race 1 No.14 Pretty Reliable @ $13

Debutant for the Alexander stable with Vorster booked, and showed enough in a jump-out last month to warrant being up to this race.

Pretty Reliable

Barend Vorster (55.5kg)
Gary & Dean Alexander
3yoF (b/br) Reliable Man x Avec Joie

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NBA 2022: LeBron James, Bronny James, NBL, where will Bronny play? Los Angeles Lakers

The NBL welcomed the Ball show, and now could have a realistic shot at the Bronny show.

According to a report from The Athletic, LeBron James’ eldest son, Bronny, will choose between college, the G League Ignite, and Australia’s NBL for the 2023 season after high school.

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While LeBron plots the final few years of his career, eligible for an extension in Los Angeles, the one thing that’s become clear is that the future Hall of Famer wants — more than anything — to play with his son in the NBA.

Bronny, 17, will become draft eligible in 2024, leaving the door open to be drafted by whichever team LeBron is playing on, or a brave franchise willing to go against the King’s wishes.

In discussing LeBron’s future, The Athletic’s Joe Vardon referenced Bronny’s options, including the NBL in a sneaky nugget that will have Australian basketball fans excited.

“Bronny, in the fall of 2023, will either be in college, with G League Ignite or in Australia … or wherever Rich Paul places him,” Vardon wrote.

Bronny is a 6’3 point guard, ranked 39th on ESPN’s top 100 recruitment rankings.

“There’s only one city that’s big enough for LeBron and Bronny, and that’s Sydney,” Sydney Kings owner Paul Smith told the Sydney Morning Herald in March.

“We’d fill 18,000 seats every week.”

With LaMelo Ball and Josh Giddey, among others, proving Australia can provide the perfect platform for the NBA, the NBL will likely be mapping out a plan to convince Bronny and LeBron that it’s the right move in his development.

James, who is entering the final year of his contract with the Lakers, met with team vice president and general manager Rob Pelinka to discuss his future with Los Angeles, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

The two sides had what was ended as a productive discussion, James’ agent and CEO of Klutch Sports Rich Paul told ESPN. A new deal has yet to be reached, however.

— with the New York Post.

Originally published as NBL a shock option for Bronny James in LeBron master plan

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AFL world reacts after Collingwood defeats Melbourne, smashes Ed Langdon

Collingwood has done the unthinkable, winning their 11th game straight in yet another thriller at the MCG.

The 15.6 (96) to 13.11 (89) result was yet another nailbiter for the 2022 Magpies, who have become the masters of the heart-stopping victory. The Pies have gone undefeated since round 9 and claimed eight of the streak for less than 10 points.

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The streak is the longest since the club’s 14-game run in 2011 but an absolute shock after a horrible season in 2021 – 17th-placed finish that saw Nathan Buckley’s tenure as coach end and significant boardroom upheaval.

What a difference a year makes.

Despite the close results, it’s clear it’s no fluke as the Magpies have firmed into premiership contention and now sit second on the AFL ladder, behind only Geelong on percentage — although the Cats play St Kilda on Saturday night for a chance to move a win ahead in the minor premiership race.

Speaking after the result, the Fox Footy team were blown away.

Demons great Garry Lyon said: “This football club, what they’re doing here now, it’s one for the ages, I can’t remember anything like it.”

Lions champion Jonathan Brown added: “The belief now, it’s become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The belief they’ve grown out of these close games, it’s no luck now. They train themselves and they believe in themselves in those situations late.”

Lyon said the result “doesn’t make sense”, as the Magpies were behind on disposals (409-316), contested possessions (161-139), clearances (52-32) and inside 50s (65-41) and yet still claimed the victory.

Fans were blown away by the result.

The Guardian’s Antoun Issa posted: “We are not pretenders. We’re the real deal.”

Presenter Nat Edwards wrote: “What a quacking final quarter of football from the Pies. Pressure out of this world.”

Radio presenter Andy Maher said: “You just gotta laugh, dip your lid and embrace the utter madness of it all.”

Nine’s Paddy Sweeney added: “This is off the charts. And if it’s a slice of what’s in store come finals, bring on September.”

Footy great Jude Bolton commented: “Sensational game of footy. Dug so deep once again the Pies. Huge win against the reigning Premiers. 11 in a row.”

Broadcaster Daniel Garb noted: “Collingwood’s pressure has been incredible. Seven of their last eight wins before tonight may have been narrow victories against bottom eight sides but they built up the most valuable thing in sport in that run – momentum.”

Journalist Jack Hudson added: “Heart, pressure and just raw hunger. Collingwood unbelievably impressive.”

Former footy star Robert Shaw posted: “Next level footy… Feet into 2nd spot.”

There was no shortage of spite during or after the match either as fans revealed in comments from Demons star Ed Langdon.

“They’re sort of all duck, no dinner in a sense. If they’re playing fast footy on their terms they’re a very hard team to stop,” Langdon said earlier in the week.

“They’re a bit of a one-trick pony at times, so hopefully we can dampen the way they want to play and off the back of that go out and offensively play the way we want to play.”

Ducks were all over the tweets after the game, while the players made sure they let Langdon know they’d heard his comments.

Pies came from everywhere after Brayden Maynard smashed Langdon early in the game.

“There’s his duck dinner right there,” commentator Luke Hodge said.

“They’ll come at him all night,” Brian Taylor added.

“It’ll be interesting to see how Langdon deals with that. He’s normally out on the wing… he’s going to be looking over his shoulder, ”Hodge said.

Speaking to Maynard after the match, he revealed the Pies had made it personal.

“We did use it as a source to look back on because I feel like Ed Langdon sometimes speaks in the media and doesn’t realize what he’s actually saying,” Maynard said. “When I got that first tackle on him, I let him know about it.”

This does not seem to be a Collingwood side you want to get on your bad side.

Read related topics:melbourne

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Tennis news 2022: Unvaccinated Novak Djokovic officially out of Montreal ATP event ahead of US Open, Nick Kyrgios

Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic, whose refusal to be vaccinated against Covid-19 makes him unable to enter Canada, has officially withdrawn from the ATP hardcourt tournament in Montreal, organizers said on Thursday.

The Serbian star’s unvaccinated status made it unlikely he would play in the prestigious ATP Masters tournament, just as it means he will probably miss the US Open starting later in August as the United States also requires visitors to the country to show proof of vaccination.

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Earlier this month, Montreal Masters tournament director Eugene Lepierre said he did not expect Djokovic to play.

“Either the Canadian government is going to change the rules regarding vaccination or he is going to roll up his sleeves and get the vaccine. But I don’t think any of those scenarios are realistic,” Lepierre said.

Germany’s Oscar Otte has also withdrawn from the tournament which starts on Monday with Benjamin Bonzi of France and Australia’s Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios moving into the main draw, Tennis Canada said.

In addition, three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray was handed a wildcard on Thursday, along with Belgian David Goffin and Canadians Vasek Pospisil and Alexis Galarneau.

Britain’s Murray, a former world number one who won the Canadian title in 2009, 2010 and 2015, has been rising in the rankings this season from 134th to 50th.

He reached finals in Sydney in January and Stuttgart in June, but fell in the first round in Washington earlier this week to Sweden’s Mikael Ymer.

Despite that disappointment, Murray said on Monday he believes he can get his ranking high enough to earn a seeding at the US Open, which he won a decade ago.

“It’s still possible,” he said. “I would just need to have a good run in Canada or Cincinnati really. It’s pretty straightforward if I was to make a quarter-final or a semi-final, which right now – after a loss like that – doesn’t seem realistic.

“I do feel like if I play very well that I could do that. But I’ll certainly need to play better than I did today.”

Meanwhile, Kyrgios has continued his preparation for the last grand slam of the year with a strong win over Tommy Paul at the Washington Open on Thursday (AEST).

The Australian was challenged in just his second singles match since Wimbledon and had to play his best tennis to defeat Paul 6-3 6-4.

Kyrgios was locked in, firing off 15 aces including one rocket at 218km/h.

He was superb in the clutch moments — saving all four break points he faced and converting three out of four of his own break point opportunities.

Kyrgios was up to his usual antics when he got stuck into the umpire after he was given a code violation for ball abuse.

But the Washington crowd was in his corner and he showed his soft side in the first set, when an elderly fan was hit in the face by a ball that took a wayward bounce into the stands.

Kyrgios went over and handed the spectator one of his towels.

He is chasing his second title in Washington and will next face fourth seed Reilly Opelka in the round of 16 on Friday.

– with Matthew Sullivan and AFP

Read related topics:Nick Kyrgios

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Michelle Jenneke hurdles result, schedule, shoe storm after world championships

Michelle Jenneke is ready to move on from the shoe furore that has swirled in recent weeks, but the court of public opinion doesn’t seem ready to move on just yet.

Jenneke ran a career-saving personal best time at the World Championships in Oregon last month in an event that has had the athletics world raising its eyebrows.

Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan broke the world record in the women’s 100m hurdles at the Oregon meet and the fact she did it wearing new shoes was not missed.

Jenneke ran her personal best of 12.66 wearing traditional track spikes while Amusan produced her lightning times wearing Adidas Adizero Avanti shoes — designed for runners who compete in 5-10 km races.

Jenneke’s time wasn’t even enough for her to sneak into the final as Amusan obliterated her personal best time by almost 0.3 seconds to set the new world record at 12.12. She also produced at 12.06 in the final, but it was scratched from the record books because it was a wind-assisted time.

Michelle Jenneke after setting her PB. Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images for World Athletics.Source: Getty Images

The times were so quick in Oregon that sprinting icon Michael Johnson thought the timing system was broken.

“I don’t believe the 100th times are correct,” he wrote on Twitter.

“All athletes looked shocked.”

From an Australian perspective, we can be safe in the knowledge that Jenneke’s comeback was all down to her performance.

Amusan hit out at the speculation that surrounded her record and said she switched shoes because of an ongoing heel condition,

“My abilities are not centered around spikes,” she said.

“I had patella fasciitis at the beginning of the season so that set me back for a while. I spoke to Adidas and requested if I could get spikes with a softer sole. They recommended a lot of stuff and I feel comfortable in these, so I was using them basically the entire time.”

Tobi Amusan and her fancy feet. Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images.Source: Getty Images
Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan celebrates setting a world record. Photo by Jewel SAMAD / AFP.Source: AFP

Adidas originally promoted the product as shoes that “provide a snappy, propulsive ride with high traction and reduce fatigue, so you finish 5km and 10km races with a kick”.

Jenneke said before her program starts on Friday evening (AEST) that the shoe technology debate has been blown out of context.

She is much more focused on her own performance—and that sweet personal best she set in Oregon which made her the second-quickest women’s 100m hurdler Australia has ever produced, behind only Sally Pearson.

“It was unbelievable. I still can’t believe I ran that fast,” she said.

“I keep going back looking at footage of the race and just going, ‘Oh my gosh, did I actually do that?’”

When speaking to reporters she went on to say: “I ran quite a PB in that race and ran in the same shoes that I have been running in for the last five years.

“I know I can’t attribute my PB to the shoes because it’s the same shoe, the same model of shoe. I have tried some of the newer spikes that they have coming out, the technology is amazing, and I’m sure people are faster but at the same time if you go back 10, 20 years, look at the shoes people were wearing, they were entirely different to what we were wearing five years ago. The technology is forever evolving.

The jiggle returns. Photo by Ben Stansall / AFP.Source: AFP
Michelle Jenneke at the 2018 Games. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images.Source: Getty Images

“I don’t think we are seeing anything that is causing that much of a change that it needs to be questioned.

“World Athletics is constantly reviewing this, they do have a compliance list for the shoes, and they have to be checked. I don’t think there is a huge story personally and in terms of me there is definitely not.”

Her return to form makes her an outside medal threat in Birmingham.

She is also promising to produce her trademark pre-race jiggle routine.

The 29-year-old went viral with the pre-race shake at the 2012 World Junior Championships and it ultimately led to her being one of the highest-profile stars of the 2016 Rio Olympics, even though some thought the notoriety didn’t match her performances on the track.

Jenneke was once a household name who attracted global attention — and major endorsement deals from some of the world’s biggest companies. She was sponsored by Coca-Cola at the Rio Games and her face was plastered across billboards in the Brazilian city.

But she copped fierce criticism for a disappointing showing at those Games, finishing a kilometer in her 100m hurdles heat.

Australian track and field coach at the time, Craig Hilliard, accused Jenneke of arriving in Rio out of shape and questioned whether distractions away from the track contributed to her lackluster showing. Athletics Australia then cut her funding from her.

She rebounded for a strong performance at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and narrowly missed out on a bronze medal.

Four injury-riddled years later and Jenneke will be hoping to make Australia fall in love with her all over again in Birmingham.

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Eleonar Patterson and Nicola Olyslagers start head-to-head high jump clash

“It is actually a funny thing with high jump, if you jump too high over the bar you will actually hit it off with your feet so I was like none of that, not showing off, just do your job, be humble, be strong and get back out there for the end,” Olyslagers said.

The final will be in an unusual morning time slot in Birmingham on Saturday starting at 10.17am locally (7.17pm in Melbourne).

“It’s very strange for major in a final, but I’m not mad about it. We had a morning end at the world indoors and I train in the mornings every day. I’m a morning person, so I can wake up and be prepped and ready to go whatever time it is,” Patterson said.

In the 1500m Stewart McSweyn was a late withdrawal with a flu, but Australia’s Ollie Hoare was superb in winning his heat and making the final in what will be one of the strongest fields in any event or race at the Commonwealth Games.

Hoare beat reigning world champion and the Olympic silver medalist Timothy Cheruiyot from Kenya in his heat, running the quickest time of the day in 3:37:57.

“Honestly I didn’t know what to expect, that field is extremely tough,” Hoare said.

The 1500m in Birmingham will have the three men who ran second, third and fourth at the Olympics, and Jake Wightman who just won the world championship gold in the US.

And of that quality field Hoare qualified quicker than any of them in what was a hard heat with runners knowing only the first five in each heat and then the next two quickest runners would advance.

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Meanwhile, dual world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber is still testing positive to COVID and has felt unwell but has insisted she will be on the start line to back up her recent world championship with a Commonwealth gold.

The Commonwealth Games Authority and Australian team have cleared Barber to be able to compete in Sunday’s event despite the positive tests.

“I haven’t quite been symptom free but definitely not as sick as a lot of people you hear about I definitely feel pretty normal now but I was not quite right,” Barber said late this week from the team village where she is being kept away from other athletes.

“In the last couple of days I have been feeling better. I am still testing positive.”

“I have not been bed ridden but I have not been quite right. I have been able to train and everyone has done everything they can to help but I have had to manage it, coming from Eugene and being jet-lagged and getting COVID I just had to be careful. I’ve just been trying to listen to my body.

“I will be on the start line.”

Get all the latest news from the Birmingham Commonwealth Games here. We’ll be live blogging the action from 4pm-10am daily.

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McLaren set to end Ricciardo’s 2023 F1 deal to make way for Piastri

McLaren is believed to have signed Piastri initially on a reserve driver deal for 2023, one that it intends to upgrade to a race seat, assuming that a plan for Ricciardo’s early exit is eventually agreed.

Ricciardo has a signed McLaren contract for next season as part of the original three-year deal that he signed in early 2020, while still at Renault.

Ricciardo and the team will now have to agree to a settlement involving a substantial pay-off in order for him to walk away at the end of this season.

He is understood to have no interest in moving sideways into the team’s Formula E programme, and is determined to find another seat in F1.

The Woking-based team is confident that it can hang on to Piastri despite Alpine’s claim that it has a valid contract with the youngster for 2023.

The Enstone team made an announcement to that effect on Tuesday that was subsequently challenged by Piastri on social media.

It’s believed that Piastri’s ability to walk away from Alpine is based on a claim that his 2023 deal with the team was never properly signed. The 31st July date – widely believed to be related to an option the team had on him – is understood to have no special relevance.

The dispute looks set to go to the Contract Recognition Board, although there is also some question of whether Alpine actually lodged a contract with the CRB that covered 2023.

Oscar Piastri, Reserve Driver, Alpine F1 Team

Oscar Piastri, Reserve Driver, Alpine F1 Team

Photo by: Motorsport Images

It has emerged that McLaren began to explore the possibility of hiring Piastri several weeks ago as it looked for possible replacements for Ricciardo.

McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl is close to Piastri’s manager Mark Webber, having worked with him with Porsche in the World Endurance Championship.

At that time Piastri looked set to go to Williams on a loan deal that would see him return to Alpine in 2024 or 2025.

However, after McLaren showed an interest, it emerged that Piastri could be a free agent for 2023 after all, and with the Woking outfit seen as a step up from Williams, negotiations became more serious.

Ricciardo meanwhile is clearly high on the list of possible replacements for Fernando Alonso at Alpine, although he upset the Renault top management when he agreed his McLaren move, and that hurdle will have to be overcome.

ReadAlso:

Haas could also be an option if as expected Mick Schumacher leaves, although in theory Ferrari has a claim on who takes the seat.

Sometimes pay-off deals like the one Ricciardo is set to receive can be impacted by the driver concerned subsequently finding a seat elsewhere. When Kimi Raikkonen was dropped by Ferrari at the end of 2009 he spent two years out of F1 in part so he could retain the full amount.

However, it’s understood that given the sums involved required to satisfy Ricciardo’s original deal, one scenario is that even if he lands a drive elsewhere he may end up still being paid by McLaren not to race for the team in 2023.

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Commonwealth Games 2022: Michelle Jenneke final of 110m hurdles, star looks ripped

Aussie star Michelle Jenneke has run the fastest time of her life to thunder into the final of the 100m hurdles at the Commonwealth Games.

The 29-year-old was looking absolutely shredded as she stood on the starter’s blocks before her heat and it turns out there is no secret behind the physical shape she is in which has her running the best times in her entire career. She told Channel 7 after the race she is in “the shape of my life”.

Jenneke finished second in Heat 3 at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham and moves into the final with the second-quickest overall time, behind only world record holder Tobi Amusan of Nigeria.

Jenneke’s time of 12.63 will not count as a new personal best because the time was wind-assisted.

However, the form is undeniably there.

Her run on Friday night (AEST) would suggest she is a red-hot medal chance, but she is toning down expectations for the final on Sunday night where five of the eight runners were also in the final of the World Championships in Oregon last month .

“This is a very strong field,” she said.

“It’s a very strong field here. I don’t know if I’ll quite be good enough for a medal, but hopefully I can run a personal best and we’ll see where that puts me.”

It is clear she deserves her place alongside the fastest runners in the world.

“Even when I was young at my first world champs I was never really intimidated by anyone,” she said.

“I feel like for me, when I go out there I’m just trying to put my best foot forward and they’re doing the same thing and if they beat me, they beat me. As long as I’m doing my best then that’s all I really care about.

“I’m not too worried about what the other athletes do, except for using them to try and get faster time.”

She said her peak physical condition is simply the result of finally being able to have a stretch without injuries where she could get in an extended training block.

“I haven’t really changed things. It’s just one of those things where I’ve been able to string together some training where I haven’t been injured,” she said.

“So I’ve actually been able to get every session done. When you do that things seem to come together. That’s really all it is. Nothing too special.”

Jenneke ran a career-saving personal best time of 12.66 at the World Championships.

Jenneke’s time wasn’t even enough for her to sneak into the final as Amusan obliterated her personal best time by almost 0.3 seconds to set the new world record at 12.12.

Jenneke’s time in Oregon made her the second-quickest women’s 100m hurdler Australia has ever produced, behind only Sally Pearson.

Jenneke famously went viral with her trademark pre-race shake at the 2012 World Junior Championships and it ultimately led to her being one of the highest-profile stars of the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Jenneke was once a household name who attracted global attention — and major endorsement deals from some of the world’s biggest companies. She was sponsored by Coca-Cola at the Rio Games and her face was plastered across billboards in the Brazilian city.

But she copped fierce criticism for a disappointing showing at those Games, finishing a kilometer in her 100m hurdles heat.

Australian track and field coach at the time, Craig Hilliard, accused Jenneke of arriving in Rio out of shape and questioned whether distractions away from the track contributed to her lackluster showing. Athletics Australia then cut her funding from her.

She rebounded for a strong performance at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and narrowly missed out on a bronze medal.

Four injury-riddled years later and Jenneke is doing plenty to make Australia fall in love with her again.

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