Tag: Commonwealth Games

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Hockeyroos into gold medal match against England at Commonwealth Games after controversial penalty shootout

Australia players run forward with their arms in the air and smiles on their faces

Hockeyroos forward Rosie Malone suspects she’s public enemy number one in India right now, after the Hockeyroos penalty shootout win over India in the women’s hockey semi-finals at the Commonwealth Games.

Not that it bothers her.

Malone was the first penalty taker in the one on ones, after the teams finished at 1-1 at full time.

She was never in control of her attempt, and for the first time in her international career, she missed.

But there was an unexpected let-off when she was called back to re-take the shot, because the eight second countdown on the scoreboard hadn’t started.

“I was just thanking the universe for a second chance,” Malone said.

“I knew all of India would hate me if I put it in. But I was just trying to think about my team, and that final.

“I just said to myself, if I get a second chance, I’m not missing it.”

Malone’s successful do-over set the tone for the rest of the Australians, as they secured an easy 3-0 shootout win.

Australian hockey players hug after a goal in the Commonwealth Games semi-final against India.
Rebecca Greiner had opened the scoring for the Hockeyroos before India hit back.(Getty: Robert Cianflone)

And it also characterized the difference between the revitalized 2022 Hockeyroos, and the 2021 outfit that dealt with a host of off-field issues, and lost to India in the Tokyo Olympics quarterfinals.

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Watch Michelle Jenneke’s viral dance just seconds before she smashes the 100m hurdles heat at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham

Watch Michelle Jenneke's viral dance just seconds before she smashes the 100m hurdles heat at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham

Anyone who thinks Michelle Jenneke’s pre-race ritual distracts her, just watch how she breezed through her heat in the Women’s 100m hurdles at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The 29-year-old Aussie has been known as ‘The Dancing Hurdler’ ever since her pre-race warm-up went global.

See the dance – and Michelle Jenneke smash her heat – in the video player above

Stream Seven’s coverage of the Commonwealth Games 2022 for free on 7plus >>

On Friday, she cut a very relaxed figure despite being laned right next to Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan – the current world record holder at the event.

There were lots of dancing, and smiles all round. She was introduced to the crowd over the speakers as ‘The Dancing Australian’.

She waved with grin from ear to ear. It was a special moment for Jenneke.

Michelle Jenneke cut a very relaxed figure despite being laned right next to Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan – the current world record holder at the event. Credit: Seven

She’s in the best form of her career, coming off an exceptional performance at the world championships in the US earlier in July.

Jenneke knew she would likely have to again go close to her new PB of 12.66 seconds, just to make it through to the final.

And boy, didn’t she deliver.

Amusan, who won gold in the event at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018, flew home to win the heat in a time of 12.40 – a new Commonwealth Games record.

Jenneke, crossed the line in second to qualify for the final in a time of 12.63 – that’s the fastest she’s ever run.

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – AUGUST 05: Michelle Jenneke of Team Australia reacts after qualifying in the Women’s 100m Hurdles Round 1 heats on day eight of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games at Alexander Stadium on August 05, 2022 on the Birmingham, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images) Credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images

“She will be very happy with how she executed that race,” Aussie athletics legend and Channel 7 Tamsyn Manou said after the race.

“Michelle wasn’t overwhelmed by being in the same race as Amusan. She had a clean run. She has just really used her speed and her technical ability over those hurdles.

“She’s an incredible hurdler and she’s in great shape.

“She’s had so many issues with injuries that it’s been really hard for her to get a block of training done. Ella she comes into these championships with a block of training.”

See the original pre-race warm-up that made Michelle Jenneke a household name in the video player below

Michelle Jenneke at the Junior World Championships.

Michelle Jenneke at the Junior World Championships.

After the race, Jenneke told Seven’s Jason Richardson she is racing the best she ever has.

I’m in the shape of my life,” she said.

“It’s really exciting. I still feel like I’ve got a little more in the tank, so we’ll see how we go in a couple of days.”

Jenneke is now in with a great shot to hit the podium at the Commonwealth Games. And Manou won’t mind seeing the pre-race warm-up dance again.

“I think sometimes people forget just how talented she is as an athlete,” Manou said.

“Athletes come in and they know what works for their psyche. For Michelle, it’s about relaxing and enjoying herself and that’s how she gets the most about herself.”

After the race, Jenneke told Seven’s Jason Richardson she is racing the best she ever has.

Credit: Seven

Jenneke maintained that nothing is changing any time soon.

“Honestly, I feel like I run the best when I’m happy and relaxed and just soaking it all up,” she said.

“That’s what works for me, so that’s what I do.”

Australia’s Celeste Mucci will also race in the final after qualifying eighth fastest in her heat.

The 22-year-old equaled her personal best in a very clean run at her second Commonwealth Games..

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Daniel Golubovic and Cedric Dubler win silver and bronze in Commonwealth Games decathlon

Daniel Golubovic holds up his hands

Australian Daniel Golubovic has come within three seconds of winning a gold medal in the decathlon at the Commonwealth Games.

Golubovic finished with silver, and countryman Cedric Dubler nabbed bronze, after a sensational 1,500m race wrapped up the 10-event competition.

Coming into the final event sitting in third place behind Dubler and defending champion Lindon Victor, Golubovic needed to win the 1,500m by a whopping 23 seconds to claim gold.

The 28-year-old gave himself every chance, setting a furious pace for three and three-quarter lapses, but fell agonizingly short, establishing a 20.62-second gap.

Just 12 days after competing in the World Championship in Eugene, all the decathletes looked absolutely spent during the final lap, with Dubler and Victor in particular both tiring badly in the final stages.

However, both just held on to win gold and bronze respectively.

Dan Golubovic and Cedric Dubler hold the flag
Australia secured two medals in the decathlon.(Getty Images: Michael Steele)

“I had a dig for that gold,” Golubovic, who finished 14th in last month’s World Championships, told Channel 7 after the race.

“But it’s cold out here [and] there was just nothing in the legs.

“Two decaths in 12 days total, 10 days rest, I don’t recommend it.”

The thrilling finale provided a fitting conclusion to what was a superb contest over two days at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.

Victor, who came fifth to Dubler’s eighth in Eugene, led at the halfway stage from Dubler.

The pair alternated the lead throughout the second day, with the Aussie’s superior sprint hurling and pole vault countered by the Grenadian’s discus and javelin prowess.

Cedric Dubler raises both hands after the pole vault in the decathlon at the Commonwealth Games.
Cedric Dubler won bronze in the decathlon in 2018.(AP: Alastair Grant)

Golubovic was always there or thereabouts though, steadily improving his position from fifth at the end of day one before leaping into medal contention on day two.

“I think it just comes down to consistency,” Golubovic said, before paying tribute to the Australian backroom team.

“It’s been a wild few years and it’s a long, long process to get here but, oh man, it feels so good to be on this stage right now.”

Fellow Aussie Alec Diamond finished in fifth spot overall.

Australia’s Olympic bronze medalist, Ash Moloney, missed the Games through illness.

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

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

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

Michelle Jenneke and Tobi Amusan’s famous kicks. Photo: Getty.

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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Commonwealth Games 2022: Candice Warner questions why Kyle Chalmers made ‘love triangle’ comments

Commonwealth Games 2022: Candice Warner questions why Kyle Chalmers made 'love triangle' comments

Candice Warner has ventured into the murky waters of the Commonwealth Games’ swimming “love triangle”, offering up some blunt criticism for Kyle Chalmers.

She revealed her surprise about how badly he handled the headlines after a “media frenzy” over his relationship with ex and Commonwealth Games golden girl Emma McKeon and her new boyfriend, pop star-turned fellow swimmer Cody Simpson.

Acknowledging “alpha male” Chalmers’ ego “would be burnt a little bit” by McKeon’s new relationship, Warner said she expected someone who had dealt with media scrutiny since 2016 — when he won the gold medal for the 100m freestyle at the Rio Olympics — to manage his interactions with the media far better.

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Commonwealth Games 2022: Fans cruelled by semi-final scheduling, New Zealand vs Australia start time, cricket news

Commonwealth Games 2022: Fans cruelled by semi-final scheduling, New Zealand vs Australia start time, cricket news

The Australian women’s cricket team will face New Zealand in the Commonwealth Games semi-finals this weekend, but most Aussie supporters won’t be awake for the must-win contest in Birmingham.

The semi-final fixtures were unveiled on Friday morning AEST, with hosts England scheduled to take on powerhouse nation India on Saturday at 11am local time.

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Meanwhile, world champions Australia will battle their trans-Tasman rivals in the evening timeslot, meaning fans back home hoping to cheer on Meg Lanning’s side will need to set an alarm for 3am AEST on Sunday morning.

Kiwi viewers have been treated to a slightly less painful 5am start time.

Swapping the fixtures would have given three of the competing nations a prime broadcast timeslot for their respective audiences, but accommodating India’s massive fanbase has seemingly been prioritized.

Australia was undefeated in the group stage, defeating India, Barbados and Pakistan to cruise through the knockouts.

New Zealand, meanwhile, suffered a horror collapse in their final group stage match against England on Thursday, managing just 9/71 from their 20 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat first at Edgbaston.

Maddy Green top-scored for the Kiwis with 19 as veteran seamer Katherine Brunt rattled the New Zealanders with a classy spell of 2/4 from three overs in the Powerplay.

“We were well below par and it wasn’t through lack of effort or lack of planning or anything like that, I think you just get days like that,” New Zealand captain Sophie Devine said.

“It’s never nice to be a part of but we’ve got to flush it down the dunny pretty quickly and move on to something that’s actually really exciting for us, playing in a semi-final against Australia at a Commonwealth Games.”

England chased the 72-run target with more than eight overs to spare and seven wickets in hand.

Regardless, Australia remain firm favorites to return home with the coveted gold medal around their necks, having not lost a 20-over match since March 2021.

“I think a lot of the pressure is going to be on Australia,” Devine said.

“They’ve certainly come into this competition as favorites and hopeful of taking that gold medal whereas a lot of people didn’t think we’d maybe make the semi-finals.

“We can really take that on board and just play with a bit of freedom and take it to the Aussies. We obviously know them really well, so I think our plans are going to be pretty spot on and likewise they know us really well too. It’s always just a great battle against the Australians.”

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Candice Warner drops brutal Kyle Chalmers truth

Kyle Chalmers has been the talk of the Commonwealth Games.

The swimming is officially over at the Commonwealth Games and while Australia dominated with a towering medal tally, there was plenty of attention on the Dolphins over what was happening outside the pool.

Kyle Chalmers slammed the media for delving into a reported “love triangle” between himself, Emma McKeon and Cody Simpson, saying all the attention and “clickbait” focused on his personal life might drive him out of the sport.

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Chalmers was romantically involved with McKeon before she started dating Simpson, whose incredible comeback to swimming from his music career has been one of the biggest storylines in Birmingham.

The swimmers involved have repeatedly denied there’s any bad blood between them, while Chalmers went on the offensive and ripped into the media. His father Brett did the same, blasting the national obsession with Simpson as he complained not enough credit was being directed to other swimmers and their achievements in Birmingham.

Kyle Chalmers’ outstanding results were overshadowed by his angst with the media. Picture: Glyn KIRK / AFPSource: AFP

Candice drops truth bombs on Kyle

Ex-Aussie swimmer turned popular TV presenter Johanna Griggs said earlier in the week Chalmers was “feeding” the media frenzy by constantly engaging with it, and former Ironwoman Candice Warner is on the same page.

Warner said she was “really surprised” by how Chalmers handled the headlines, saying she expected someone who dealt with the attention thrust upon him in 2016 when he won gold in the 100m freestyle at the Rio Olympics to be better prepared for the media barrage.

“He knows how to deal with the pressure. Why is he allowing the media to make these comments?” Warner told Fox Sports program The Back Page this week.

“Why hasn’t he put a self-imposed media ban (on himself) until the Games are over? I’m just really a little bit confused by the situation and why he’s engaging with the media.

“He’s not in the wrong, but he also has the power and ability to stop it and also just to focus on his swim events.

“Should I know how to deal with this pressure? Should I know how to deal with this completely?”

Reports of possible friction between Chalmers and Simpson first emerged at this year’s national championships in Adelaide, leading Warner to question why the 24-year-old wasn’t more prepared for the questions he’d face in Birmingham.

“Would there not have been a strategy put into place before these Games? We haven’t just started talking about this now, we’ve been speaking about this love triangle before the Commonwealth Games,” Warner said.

She adding Chalmers’ team and Swimming Australia should have “put some sort of strategy into place knowing this could have been a possibility”.

Warner also said Chalmers — who she described as an “alpha male” — would understandably be affected by McKeon’s relationship with Simpson given their history, suggesting “his ego would be burnt a little bit”.

Candice Warner believes Chalmers needed to come into the Commonwealth Games with a smarter strategy. Picture: Michael Errey/AFPSource: AFP

‘He likes the attention but not the scrutiny’

Chalmers has been irked by attention being lavished on Simpson and his personal life at the expense of other swimmers whose feats also deserve praise. Courier Mail chief sports writer Robert Craddock suggested Chalmers craves positive headlines about himself but can’t handle it when coverage isn’t so rosy.

“It appears to me as if he likes the attention but not the scrutiny — and there is just a fine line between them and they often overlap,” Craddock told The Back Page.

“I think he’s one of those guys who can’t live with it and can’t live without it and finds it very awkward.

“He’s on Instagram, he’s out there, he’s happy to put himself front and center but like a lot of swimmers, when it’s big time, when it’s Games time, the force of the coverage hits them hard.”

Australian swimming legend Susie O’Neill had a different take on how the situation has affected the national team in Birmingham.

O’Neill — who was in Tokyo for last year’s Olympics — was adamant there is no rift among the Dolphins and said it’s harder for athletes these days to block out negative publicity because of social media and the insatiable news cycle.

“I think what they’re struggling with is, if you think about swimmers, they spend 30-40 hours a week trying to improve one one-hundredth of a second — such specific, objective goals,” she told The Back Page.

“So when they get asked subjective questions not even to do with their sport, you know, reality TV stuff, they’re confused and I think get offended by that.”

The sprint king wanted to silence his critics. Picture: Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

Why Chalmers is kicking up a stink

Meanwhile, SEN boss Craig Hutchison believes Chalmers is struggling in adjusting to the added scrutiny because he’s been so used to positive coverage for the majority of his career.

“He has had a charmed run as a young man with the media. That rarely happens to the bulk of society and you get a disproportionate comfort that you are … a figure that gets a lot of adulation,” Hutchison said on his media podcast The Sounding Board.

“So when things go wrong, you’re not emotionally equipped to necessarily handle the negativity.

“Then it often sways the other way because you overreact, or react to a certain way.”

Journalist Damian Barrett told The Sounding Board: “What he (Chalmers) doesn’t get… you can’t control media. No matter who you are and what run you’ve got.”

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Categories
Sports

Alex Winwood boxing loss, referee, video, highlights, reaction

Alex Winwood reacts following defeat in the men’s 48kg-51kg (Flyweight) Quarter-Final fight at NEC Arena on August 04, 2022 in Birmingham. Photo: Getty Images

Alex Winwood has been left shocked and devastated, after his boxing quarter-final was stopped early in the second round against Zambia’s Patrick Chinyemba.

After four of the five judges awarded Winwood the first round, the Australian was floored by a right-shot from his opponent. Winwood got up moments later, but his bout was waved off despite the 25-year-old appearing stable and his eyes still.

“I find that impossible to believe, absolutely impossible to believe. That fight should not have been stopped. That’s not a stop page. That’s an outrage,” Jon Harker said in commentary for Channel 7.

Harry Garside, who took bronze during last year’s Olympics in the boxing, agreed.

“That’s heartbreaking for Alex. No way that’s a stoppage,” Garside said.

Alex Winwood reacts following defeat in the men's 48kg-51kg (Flyweight) Quarter-Final fight at NEC Arena on August 04, 2022 in Birmingham. Photo: Getty Images
Alex Winwood reacts following defeat in the men’s 48kg-51kg (Flyweight) Quarter-Final fight at NEC Arena on August 04, 2022 in Birmingham. Photo: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

Winwood was close to tears as he wrapped up his interview, believing the fight was called off too quickly.

“It was a pretty fast call. I won the first round, and I thought I won it pretty easily,” he said.

Garside reflected the fight was called off too early, but Winwood had left the decision open as he looked away after getting up off the ground.

“He wasn’t hurt, he did turn his back which gives the referee some empathy, but you’ve got to wait for the person to get up and give them eight seconds,” he said.

“She waved it off way too soon.”

Patrick Chinyemba punches Alex Winwood on day seven of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games at NEC Arena on August 04, 2022. Photo: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

Social media agreed, with many raising their eyebrows at the early stoppage.

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