Sports – Page 172 – Michmutters

Category: Sports

Categories
Sports

Brownlow Medalist calls out “over the top” reaction to Blues’ loss

Brownlow Medalist calls out “over the top” reaction to Blues' loss

1988 Brownlow Medalist Gerard Healy believes the reaction to Carlton’s Round 20 loss has been “over the top”.

The Blues lost to Adelaide by 29-points and were comprehensively outplayed by a tougher, harder Crows outfit at Adelaide Oval. Michael Voss’ men had their chance to cement a top eight spot with a win, but will now almost certainly need a triumph in their remaining three games if they are to play finals.

That may be easier said than done, given their opponents, Brisbane, Melbourne and Collingwood, are all ahead of them on the ladder.

However, Healy called on Blues supporters to stop the negativity, saying he’s still “glass three quarters full” on the club.

“Yes, it was a horrible loss by the Blues on the weekend, but the negative reaction to it has been over the top,” he said on sports day.

“It seems Blues fans, or many of them, want to death-march their team to ninth on the ladder, despite being so good for most of the year and doing so with a lot of injuries.

“I reckon the team is entitled to a mulligan and they got it on the weekend, and (they’re also entitled to) a bit more belief from those who have already written them off.

“It’s been a tough journey over the last 10 years for Blues fans and they’re getting used to disappointment too much, but I wouldn’t be writing them off just at the present time.”

The Blues have built a brand based on pressure, but the Crows winning the contested ball count was always going to leave the visitors up against it.

Healy believes the potential reintroduction of midfielder George Hewett will be a big benefit in Round 21 given he’s missed the last two games with back soreness.

The Sydney Hall of Famer also suggested Harry McKay – who’s kicked three goals across the last three weeks – needed to lift, while further labeling the decision to drop Jack Silvagni for the clash a failed experiment.

“The Blues’ best is still very much top end, but to achieve it they have to get back to winning the contest, and to that matter, get George Hewett back in the middle, (who was) sadly missed on the weekend,” Healy continued.

“Get Harry McKay back in form, and Harry needs to start taking more contested marks in one-on-one battles, which currently is running at about 1 in 20. For someone so big, athletic and gifted, that’s nowhere near good enough, but in other ways, it’s an area to get excited about, because he can get much, much better come the finals, in fact over the next few weeks.

“The rucks, well it’s an issue, and you’ll need more than one poor match to determine the outcome, but from what I’ve seen over the year, Silvagni’s impact in the forward line should not be dismissed lightly and I’m sure it hasn’t been Michael Voss and co.

“It was an experiment that didn’t work, it’s probably going to get another run or two, but I reckon Silvgani will play a big role in the final month of the year.

“So much to think about for Michael Voss, but at this stage, it’s still glass three quarters full for me for the Blues, not the totally empty schooner or pot too many Carlton fans appear to be drinking from this weekend.”

Richmond and St Kilda both kept their final chances alive with wins over the weekend, meaning there are still 10 clubs with genuine chances to be there in September.





.

Categories
Sports

AFL news 2022: David Koch unloads over prison bar jumper, Port Adelaide, Collingwood

AFL news 2022: David Koch unloads over prison bar jumper, Port Adelaide, Collingwood

Port Adelaide president David Koch has gone nuclear after his club was once again denied the opportunity to wear the famous prison bars.

Koch let rip after it was revealed the club’s request to wear the prison bar Guernsey’s for the round 23 showdown against Adelaide had been denied.

Watch every blockbuster AFL match this weekend Live & Ad-Break Free In-Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

The Power were famously denied the chance to wear their black and white stripes in 2021, and warned they could be stripped competition points if they went against the AFL’s wishes.

Instead they produced an act of elite-level trolling in the dressing rooms after the game when the club changed their jumpers to the club’s controversial black and white stripes Guernsey.

The heritage jumper has been at the center of one of football’s most petty feuds and it’s back in the limelight after Koch’s latest spray as he shut down suggestions the club was advised back in March their request would be denied.

“That is the greatest load of rot I’ve ever heard,” Koch said on FIVEaa radio.

“In fact, two weeks ago the Collingwood president Jeff Browne rang me out of the blue and said: ‘Kochie look mate, we’re taking your request really seriously, we understand how important it is to your members, we understand the history of it … I’ve been canvassing opinions both in Melbourne and South Australia and I’m putting it to my board (last week) and I don’t want to get your hopes up, but I’m quietly confident we could have good news for you.’

“So that was just two weeks ago the president of the Collingwood Football Club rang me out of the blue and told me this.”

Koch said they had been taken advantage of by Collingwood as the ugly saga drags over into another season.

“Remember Collingwood have always said: ‘We own black and white in the AFL/VFL. They are our colours’ – as if you can own two colours. Don’t get me started on that,” he said.

“On the weekend, Collingwood VFL played the Southport Sharks in the VFL who are black and white. So why can’t we play in our traditional prison bar guernsey, Showdown in Adelaide, that’s all. Not against Collingwood. Not for the rest of the year. I don’t think it’s unreasonable.

“I can’t help but feel that we’ve been played in this for being nice and a bit mislead by the club and also conversations I’ve had with the president.

“It just shows, dare I say, the pettiness of this which has got completely out of hand. I don’t know whether it’s a case of the big Victorian clubs once again going: ‘Hey, you just keep in your place you interstates, South Australian clubs. We run this competition, you do as we say.’”

Port Adelaide entered the AFL in 1997 with an agreement in place the prison bars could only be worn during heritage round. The league no longer has a dedicated heritage round with clubs holding their own celebrations each year.

“Yes, an agreement was signed when we came into the AFL – that’s 30 years ago. Times have changed and clubs are celebrating their heritage,” Koch said.

“Why can’t we declare a Showdown as celebrating our heritage?

“I’m fuming because we have done the right thing, we’ve just quietly gone about it, and I can’t help feel as though that good nature has been played.

“You look at virtually every AFL club being allowed to play in their heritage guernsey this year … but we’re not allowed to do the same.”

Read related topics:Adelaide

.

Categories
Sports

Annemiek van Vleuten – From illness to dream Tour de France Femmes ending

TOPSHOT Movistar Teams Dutch rider Annemiek Van Vleuten celebrates her overall leader yellow jersey on the podium at the end of the 8th and final stage of the new edition of the Womens Tour de France cycling race 1233 km between Lure and La Super Planche des Belles Filles on July 31 2022 Photo by Jeff PACHOUD AFP Photo by JEFF PACHOUDAFP via Getty Images

Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) was always the clear cut favorite to win the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift – fresh from a Giro d’Italia Donne victory and with a well-earned reputation for being virtually unbeatable on the long tough climbs – but earlier in the race it looked like that anticipated ending was about to be re-written.

Ill and being pushed along by teammates as she visibly struggled even on gradients where she normally wouldn’t appear to be drawing breath, the Dutch rider even contemplated abandoning the race she had made the big goal of the year. Recovery, however, came just in time.

Categories
Sports

Fernando Alonso leaves Alpine for Aston Martin, Oscar Piastri likely to debut

Formula 1 great Fernando Alonso has announced a surprise team switch that’s likely to open the door for Australian prodigy Oscar Piastri for his first seat in the top class.

The 41-year-old two-time world champion has announced a move to Aston Martin on a multi-year deal from next season.

Alonso will replace Sebastian Vettel, who announced his retirement from the sport just days ago.

EXCLUSIVE: Paul Gallen says NRL penalty inconsistencies are ‘laughable’

READMORE: Blunder ruining ‘poor’ million-dollar NRL star

READMORE: Emma McKeon surpasses swimming royalty for record

It means Piastri is likely to join Esteban Ocon as Alpine’s drivers for the 2023 world championship.

Piastri, 21, won F3 in 2020 and F2 in 2021. He is currently the reserve driver at Alpine.

The rising star, managed by Australian racing icon Mark Webber, was this year controversially beaten to a Formula 1 seat at Alpha Romeo by China’s Zhou Guanyu.

That was despite the fact Piastri had defeated Zhou by a comfortable margin in the 2021 F2 championship.

While Piastri is yet to make his Formula 1 debut, the Victorian has had several Formula 1 test drives.

Alonso will join Lance Stroll at Aston Martin for the 2023 world championship.

For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!

Incredible exhausts: The worst crashes in motorsport history

Categories
Sports

Penrith coach confident Nathan Cleary will hit ground running after suspension

Penrith Panthers coach Ivan Cleary (right) walks with halfback Nathan Cleary on the field after losing the 2020 NRL grand final.

History shows why Penrith coach Ivan Cleary can be confident about son Nathan returning for the NRL finals in top gear despite being suspended until the end of the regular season.

Cleary was hit with a five-game ban for a spear tackle on Parramatta’s Dylan Brown. He will be sidelined until week one of the finals.

It means the halfback will have only played one full game — a July 23 win over Cronulla — between State of Origin III and the Panthers’ first finals appearance.

But his father said on Monday he would hit the ground running when he returned from his lengthy suspension.

“There has been enough experience for Nathan out of the last few years, probably starting in 2018,” Cleary said.

“He missed eight weeks, came back and had a couple of good games and he made his Origin debut.

“He has always come back from time out pretty much firing, so I think he will be fine.”

Halves partner Jarome Luai remains sidelined with a knee injury for a similar time frame. However, Cleary was confident the duo would pick up where they left off.

“They’ve played together for six years, so that’s a help, and they’ll be training together once Romie (Luai) is up and about.

“I feel like that training should get us in a good enough position for those guys to click back together.”

Despite the lengthy ban, the halfback will join the rest of the squad on a mid-season camp to Kiama on the NSW South Coast before Saturday’s trip to Canberra.

Nathan Cleary tips Dylan Brown onto his head
Cleary was sent off for the first time in his career following an ugly spear tackle. (Getty Images: Joshua Davis)

Cleary said the Panthers had considered fighting the severity of his son’s grade-three charge but chose not to, given what was at stake.

If the NRL judiciary had upheld the grading, Cleary would have missed the first week of the finals campaign as well as the Panthers’ remaining five regular-season games.

“I definitely thought we had a case there but in the end the risk was too high for him to lose another week,” said Cleary, whose side finished the season with games against Canberra, Melbourne, South Sydney, the Warriors and North Queensland.

The challenge for the Panthers is now to wrap up a minor premiership with a relatively inexperienced halves pairing.

Sean O’Sullivan will be partnered with either utility Jaeman Salmon or two-game rookie Kurt Falls, although Cleary would not be drawn on who would get the nod to play the Raiders.

Cleary was unable to confirm if center Stephen Crichton would be back after suffering a laceration to his ear in the win over the Sharks.

AAP

.

Categories
Sports

Commonwealth Games 2022: hockey, cycling and Peaty back in the pool on day four – live! | Commonwealth Games

Key events

Badminton: It is Malaysian who have won the second mixed doubles game in the mixed team event, to level that 1-1 with England. That goes to a third and deciding game now.

women’s hockey: Scotland have eased up a bit against Kenyanonly adding one goal in the second quarter, so they lead 7-0 at the halfway point.

Gold in men’s 81kg weightlifting for England’s Chris Murray!

Men’s 81kg weightlifting: England‘s Chris Murray set a Commonwealth Games record of a combined 326kg to go into first place, then Kyle Bruce of Australia tried to beat it. It wasn’t the cleanest of lifts, and the judges wanted a replay – then it failed. Bruce appealed – unsuccessfully.

Nicolas Vachon of Canada then had the last lift – he put 7kg on the bar, when he only needed 6kg for gold. An inexplicable decision. He dropped the bar behind him after a wonderful lift, so it is no lift.

Gold for England! Silver for Australia! Bronze for Canada! Confusion for me!

England's Chris Murray celebrates after winning the final and setting a Commonwealth Games record.
England’s Chris Murray celebrates after winning the final and setting a Commonwealth Games record. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Reuters

(I also feel like Team England may have been casting sprays on my weightlifting expertise on Twitter.)

Anyone else have someone with them who is suddenly an expert in weightlifting!?

COME ON CHRIS MURRAY!!!#BringItHome

— Team England (@TeamEngland) August 1, 2022

Men’s 81kg weightlifting: This contest has got to the sharp end and in contention for the medals are Chris Murray of England, Kyle Bruce Australia, Ajay Singh of India and Nicolas Vachon of Canada. Singh is ahead on 319, Murray and Bruce are tied on 318.

women’s hockey: Scotland are leading Kenyan 6-0 at the end of the first quarter. The Kenyans have previously been beaten 16-0 by New Zealand and 8-0 by Australia at these games, so you fear for them here again.

Badminton: I’m going to confess I’m not a Badminton expert, but I do know that England have just won the opening game in the mixed doubles in the semi-final of the mixed team event against Malaysian. Marcus Ellis and Lauren Smith beat Chan Peng Soon and Cheah Yee See 21-12. They’ve started the second game now.

women’s hockey: Earlier in Pool A, wales‘ women won their first match of the group stages, with a 4-0 win over Ghana.

If you need a reminder of how it works, there are two pools of five teams in a round-robin format. The top two in each pool go through to semi-finals which are on Friday.

The Pool A standings are currently England and India tied on six points each after two matches, Canada and wales both have three points, but Wales have played a match more than the Canadians. Canada play Ghana tomorrow at 11am, while England and India will play at 2pm in a match likely to decide who wins the group.

Women’s hockey: Scotland are playing Kenyan and we are currently having a video referee referral. Scotland were already leading 1-0, when a goalbound shot was cleared off the line, but with the wrong side of the stick. The resulting penalty stroke has been converted, so Scotland now lead 2-0. And in fact Jennifer Eadie has just immediately made it 3-0 while I was typing that. There are nine minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Good morning, it is Martin Belam here. A curious beast, the Commonwealth Games, but one thing you can’t complain about is the sheer volume of sport going on. Give me a moment while I set up my 1,057 different iPlayer streams.

Thanks for joining me for the early stint. The good news for you is that Martin Belam is lined up to take you through the coming hours.

Peaty: “I didn’t even do a warm up, I wasn’t that bothered. I only had two hours sleep.

“I am going to have a strong winter, I haven’t had one in two years. I need to reset.

“People don’t appreciate it, why would they? Going through a five-year period as Olympic champion is pressure.”

Swimming: Peaty and Houlie finish in a dead heat. He looked in reasonable nick over the shorter difference but still plenty to do.

England's Adam Peaty and South Africa's Michael Houlie react after qualifying in their 50m breaststroke heat.
England’s Adam Peaty and South Africa’s Michael Houlie react after qualifying in their 50m breaststroke heat. Photograph: Tim Goode/PA

Swimming: Here comes the men’s 50m breaststroke heats. James Wilby, the 100m champion, takes second in the fourth heat. Australia’s Grayson Bell speeds through in first.

Surely the loser should buy the dog…

Men’s bowls: Wales and England shake hands. England looked in fine fettle and the Welsh could not keep up, resulting in a 15-5 victory.

A general view of the green during the Men's Triples semi-final match between Wales and England.
A Wales bowler (right) in action during the match. Photograph: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images

Some athletics news…

Men’s bowls: It is 14-5 to England against Wales in the treble semi-final. The standard is incredibly high and the English seem to be edging every end at the moment to extend their lead. We are 15 ends down, can Wales get back into this?

table tennis: Australia have seen off Wales in the women’s team bronze match opener 11-5 11-5 11-8.

Wales' Anna Hursey in action during her match against Australia's Yangzi Lu.
Wales’ Anna Hursey in action during her match against Australia’s Yangzi Lu. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Reuters

Beach volleyball: There might not be a beach in Birmingham but there will be some sand at Smithfield today and the teams will have the weather for it. It’ll be like the Copacabana eats 7pm.

Men’s bowls: It is 10-5 to England against Wales in the triples after 12 ends in their semi-final.

Swimming: Adam Peaty is back in the pool in the 50m breaststroke heats at 10.45am or so. He finished fourth in the 100m final yesterday so he will be hoping to do better today.

Men’s bowls: Tomlinson nails it with the final roll of the 10th end to earn three points for Wales to move the score on to 8-5. It’s a tense one.

Cycling: Some reaction to yesterday’s crash at VeloPark.

Men’s bowls: England are 7-2 up on Wales after eight ends in their treble semi-final. It is a pretty tight contest at Victoria Park in the sunshine.

Preamble

It is another action-packed day in Birmingham. We will have everything from hockey to weightlifting with a little bit of gymnastics thrown in for good measure.

There are medals up for grabs in all sorts of events, including bowls and cycling. Hopefully it will be a calmer day on the track after the dramatic crash which saw Matt Walls going over the side and into the crowd during a race, resulting in the curtailing of the session. Thankfully, he and everyone else seem to be all right.

Going into the evening we will have some pretty exciting swimming on our hands. We start with the 100m men’s freestyle final and conclude with the 4x200m relay of the same discipline, with plenty packed in between.

It should be another cracking day aided by some decent weather to boot in Birmingham.

Categories
Sports

GWS Giants, salary cap, Josh Kelly, Nick Haynes, Tim Taranto, Jacob Hopper, Tanner Bruhn, Lachie Whitfield, Tom Green, trade, whispers

GWS Giants, salary cap, Josh Kelly, Nick Haynes, Tim Taranto, Jacob Hopper, Tanner Bruhn, Lachie Whitfield, Tom Green, trade, whispers

GWS need to follow Collingwood’s lead and commit to a salary cap dump in a bid to rejuvenate a list that’s missing “an A-grader”, according to journalist Jon Ralph.

The Giants are languishing in 16th position with just five wins for 2022 – with coach Leon Cameron an early casualty.

Speaking on Fox Footy’s On The Couch, Ralph said the GWS salary cap reset was “officially on”, with a host of players set to be put up for trade.

Watch every blockbuster AFL match this weekend Live & Ad-Break Free In-Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

“I think rather than an exodus of players wanting to flee this club, I think it’s a really calculated decision by this club (that) we need to fix this salary cap issue once and for all,” he said.

“If you are going to do it, over three or four years, do it now with really tough decisions.

“Josh Kelly’s contract hits $1.2m at some stage – it’s back-ended, Nick Haynes next year is on over $800,000 – back-ended. That’s a decision the club’s made, but you can fix it right now.

“The inside mids will depart; Jacob Hopper, Tanner Bruhn, Bobby Hill as a small forward, I think to Collingwood.

“The Giants would love to keep Tim Taranto who can play as a medium forward, but he wants to play as an inside mid but they will not push him out.

“I think if someone wanted to pay Haynes’ salary, I think he’d be available.”

Super Swans clobber sub-par Giants | 01:02

Ralph said rumors of a Lachie Whitfield exit were incorrect, and said Tom Green would remain at the club too.

“Lachie Whitfield will not be part of a trade … he’s had an ankle that’s been so bad since Round 8 he’s needed surgery but he’s battled on,” he said.

“Tom Green, happy, contracted, part of those 14 players (called out by caretaker coach Mark McVeigh) and that brings the speculation that he won’t be there.

Collingwood missed the flag. Two years later, the salary cap exodus. I think it’s taken one more year but they are going to do something about it and it’s going to cause a ripple effect.

“Over a million bucks of cap space over next year and potentially years to come as well.”

GWS Giants press conference | 10:43

Ralph said the exits of Hopper, Bruhn, Hill and Taranto would still leave the Giants with the likes of Stephen Coniglio, Kelly, Green and Whitfield.

And it would free up some space to target an “A-grader” like Collingwood’s Brodie Grundy.

“They’ve got three ruckmen who are probably worth $1 million (combined) – none of them are A-graders,” Ralph said.

“Would you make strong decisions to bring in Brodie Grundy, pay him his $1 million and you’ve got A-graders, difference makers.

“You might create space for the key position forward. It’s not they’ve got too many stars, it’s they are an unbalanced list which is why they want to bring in a key position forward and maybe a ruckman.”

.

Categories
Sports

Pat Cummins marries Becky Boston in Byron Bay: Photos, attendees, cricket news

Pat Cummins marries Becky Boston in Byron Bay: Photos, attendees, cricket news

Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins has tied the knot with Becky Boston in front of a star-studded crowd in Byron Bay.

The couple walked down the aisle on Friday afternoon, but only shared the news with the world on social media on Monday evening.

Stream Over 50 Sports Live & On-Demand with Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >

Cummins, 29, and Boston, 31, held their glamorous reception at the Chatuea Du Soleil in Byron Bay.

The couple uploaded the same image to their social media accounts on Monday, showing them holding hands in a garden surrounded by white flowers.

A host of big names were in attendance at the ceremony with Andy Lee and his girlfriend Bec Harding.

Fellow cricket stars Travis Head, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon were also among the guests.

The news comes hot on the heels of Ash Barty marrying her long-term partner.

Cummins proposed to Boston back in 2020 after a banner 12 months which he capped off by dropping down to one knee.

Boston posted a photograph of the two having a picnic in a picturesque farm setting with the caption: “My forever person. I am the happiest girl in the world right now.”

Cummins also shared the news on social media and was widely congratulated by the cricket world.

“Big boy. Took you long enough haha ​​congrats guys!” wrote Peter Siddle.

“Congratulations guys. A champagne to settle the nerves,” added Mitchell Johnson.

Cummins went public with the Brit-born interior designer back in 2014 and she is regularly seen on his arm at red carpet events and cheering from the stands.

The couple welcomed their first child, Albie, in 2021.

.

Categories
Sports

Commonwealth Games 2022: ‘Two champagne bottles down’ rugby 7s mum Rachelle Levi’s hilarious Sunrise chat

Commonwealth Games 2022: 'Two champagne bottles down' rugby 7s mum Rachelle Levi's hilarious Sunrise chat

They’re calling her the new Dean Boxall.

Rachelle Levi — proud mum of sisters Teagan and Maddi who were part of Australia’s Commonwealth Games gold-medal winning women’s rugby 7s side — was “two champagne bottles down” and could not contain her excitement when she was interviewed by Sam Mac on Sunrise on Monday morning.

“Oh my god, I’ve been up all night and I’m the most excited mother in the whole world. I absolutely love my daughters and I love the Aussie girls, they are the best!” she said.

“Woohoo, two champagne bottles down already, yesss!” she excitedly told Mac, who responded: ”At the Olympics it was all about (swimming coach) Dean Boxall, right, as the most passionate supporter, well I see your Dean Boxall and I raise you Rachelle, over here. Are you ok?”

Sam Mac caught up with Rachelle, the proud mum of sisters Teagan and Maddi Levi who took out the rugby 7 gold medal win at the Commonwealth Games.
Camera IconSam Mac caught up with Rachelle, the proud mum of sisters Teagan and Maddi Levi who were part of the rugby 7s team that took out the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. Credit: Sunrise/supplied

Dean Boxall became an instant social media hit for his reaction in the immediate aftermath of Ariarne Titmus’ victory over her American arch rival at the Olympics.

Throwing his head back and rattling the safety barrier in wild scenes he later explained he was paying homage to 1980s and 90s wrestling star The Ultimate Warrior, who he described as “my favourite”.

Nat Barr and David Koch were in stitches over Rachelle’s interview, with co-host Edwina Bartholomew questioning how her daughters might feel about their mother’s outing on national TV.

“Imagine winning a gold medal and waking up the next morning with messages ‘Your mum’s on TV, she’s had two bottles of champagne, she’s a riot!’”

SEE THE HILARIOUS INTERVIEW IN THE PLAYER ABOVE

Rachelle Levi admits she was “two champagne bottles down” during the interview.
Camera IconRachelle Levi admits she was “two champagne bottles down” during the interview. Credit: Sunrise

But it seems her daughters were well aware of what their mother might get up to.

.

Categories
Sports

Kyle Chalmers needs time out from pool to find himself

Kyle Chalmers needs time out from pool to find himself

The first thing Chalmers needs to know is: that’s completely fine. And in swimming, sadly, almost a new normality. His great rival and friend Dressel has been open with his mental health concerns about him, speaking of them before Tokyo and then withdrawing just days into the recent FINA World Championships.

The Olympics were a watershed for athletes dealing with crushing pressure and expectation. Simone Biles, one of the faces of the American Games team, drew her from competition to focus on her mental health. Swimming’s winning machine, Katie Ledecky, showed rare glimpses of emotion as the toll she carried became clear.

loading

Chalmers need look no further than the face on the other side of the Channel Seven microphone for a reminder of how swimming can grind down even the brightest of souls. Cate Campbell, poolside for the broadcaster in Birmingham, revealed her own depression battle late last year after she was diagnosed four weeks before the Tokyo Games.

The whole scenario raises questions about the treatment of athletes, especially those who float in and out of the spotlight and don’t have the support scaffolding in place like those in the protective bubble of a wealthy football or cricket team.

Professionals must have a degree of resilience in terms of weathering the occasional media storm or robust line of questioning. But it wasn’t only Chalmers who felt the line had been crossed when he spent his entire post-race interview talking not about a gold medal or a Games record but allegations of petulance and division.

It may be hard for him to see through the present mist but his lowest moment also presents a golden opportunity. Having been bold enough to call out what he felt was inappropriate and inaccurate coverage, Chalmers now has the chance to step back, reconnect with the important people in his life and ponder what he wants out of the sport, if anything, and how to engage with those within its wider ecosystem.

loading

What is apparent is that he could do with a fresh set of eyes when it comes to taking back control of his own narrative, because it’s a good one, potentially with a great legacy, and worth telling. If that means picking his battles from him more carefully and having some more discipline around his prolific social media output, he needs to be open to those conversations.

But first, he shouldn’t fear stepping back and if needed, checking out completely for an extended time. Travel the world, learn the drums, feed the snakes… all worthy adventures if they lead to him finding his self-worth and purpose beyond a set of Speedos.

Once he does, as so many have done before, he will return to the pool with a renewed vigour, drive and love for the water. What he comes to define as success, as a person and an athlete, will go a long way to determining what sort of man will emerge from the other side.

Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.