The Hockeyroos picked a bad time to start granting goals.
The Aussies have been denied gold at the Commonwealth Games after England came out firing in the final on Monday morning (AEST).
The tough loss extends the Hockeyroos’ eight-year drought in major championships.
The Hockeyroos have not won a Commonwealth Games, Olympic Games or World Cup since the Glasgow Games in 2014.
It is back-to-back silver medals for the Aussies after New Zealand also stunned them in the final four years ago.
It was a heartbreaking result for the Hockeyroos, who fought so bravely against a wild home crowd in Birmingham.
In the end, they were left to rue a second quarter where England scored two crucial goals. That was enough for England to win 2-1, relegating the Aussies to the silver medal.
It was the first time England has ever won hockey gold at the Commonwealth Games.
Former Hockeyroos star Georgie Parker said Australia just didn’t have the firepower up front to get back into the contest after they fell behind.
“Australia were just a little bit off it today,” she said in commentary on Channel 7.
“Besides our first opening matches it has been hard for us to score. We’ve had just four goals in the last three matches. And that was the thing that’s happened here. Australia not able to get the win today, but it was not without effort.”
The Hockeyroos were on the back foot in the first quarter and had to defend three consecutive corners to keep the scores locked at 0-0 at quarter-time.
However, the Aussies finally conceded — for the first time in the entire tournament — when Holly Hunt popped up unmarked in the circle and tapped in a goal.
England had a second just a few minutes later when Tess Howard deflected a shot at close range. The goal came after Penny Squibb failed to track an England runner, allowing the opposition to get inside the circle.
It was very nearly game over in the third quarter when England hit the post from a penalty corner, but Australia still had a heartbeat heading into the fourth quarter trailing 2-0.
The Hockeyroos’ moment arrived with five minutes to go when they earned a penalty corner, but there was simply no getting past England keeper Madeleine Hinch.
They were doing everything they could and started improvising attacking moves to try and unsettle the English defence. Nothing worked.
“It’s chaos. Absolute chaos,” Parker said.
“I like that they are doing a variation there. Straight penalties haven’t gone to plan. They just have not been able to score them. They’re working around and it looks like a bunch of tired girls there.”
Australia scored a late consolation goal through Rosie Malone with 19 seconds remaining, but it was not enough to make England nervous before the final whistle was blown.
The Aussies had moved through to the final after a blockbuster semi-final win over India that exploded in controversy.
Rita Ora’s fiance Taika Waititi has sparked rumors they couple have married after the filmmaker was seen wearing what appeared to be a wedding band.
Taika, 46, was seen wearing a piece of jewelery on his left finger while lapping up the rays and having a drink, in a picture snapped by Rita’s sister Elena, The Sun reports.
Ora started dating the Thor: Ragnarök Director Taika 18 months ago.
She opted to share the photo too, but decided to cover Waititi’s ring finger with a caption that read: “Perfect day for a bev @avaline Thank you @camerondiaz.”
Taika could be seen sporting a white patterned shirt and white sunglasses as he lapped up the sun and poured a glass of wine.
The ring snap follows reports that Ora and Waititi are preparing a low-key ceremony before a glitzy celebration later in the summer.
a pal awning The Sun that: “This isn’t about them doing a big showy thing and crowding about it beforehand. It’s just about them being in love and deciding the time is right to formalize their relationship.
“They couldn’t be happier.”
The pair moved back to the UK and into a very impressive London mansion.
Ora has spent much of the past two years in Los Angeles and Australia and wore a black sports top and overcoat in snaps as she lugged bottles of water, while New Zealander Waititi was in a denim jacket, baseball cap and shades.
They later held hands while strolling to a pub near the North London property Ora bought for £8 million (A$11.5 million) last year.
An onlooker said: “It’s unusual to see Rita in the neighborhood these days – she bought the house but left the country almost immediately afterwards and has barely spent any time there.
“But they were shopping for things and loading bits in and it’s obvious this is going to be where they call home, at least for a while.
“They’re a very jetsetting couple, and have homes all over the place, but it felt as though this was quite a permanent move watching their behaviour.”
This article originally appeared on The Sun and was republished with permission
Aussie teen star Callum Peters has been “robbed” of gold after another farcical judging decision at the Commonwealth Games.
The Aussie, competing in his first senior tournament, showed nothing but class after the judges scores were announced with Scotland’s Sam Hickey being awarded the victory by the narrowest of margins.
The rollercoaster middleweight final was arguably the best fight of the entire Games.
However, it was overshadowed by the controversial finish which ended in a split decision 29-28 x3, 28-29 x2.
The greatest shock was the decision from judge No. 5 Mazlan Amzah to award Hickey the final round when all the other judges gave it to Peters. Peters had dominated the final round, repeatedly landing clean shots in the final minutes. That perplexing decision to award Hickey the final round ultimately decided the fight.
Peters just had to settle for silver.
Aussie sport commentators could not believe their eyes.
Sports reporter Phil Lutton posted on Twitter Peters had been “burgled”.
“That doesn’t look right at all to me,” I posted.
“Callum Peters gets the final round on four of the five cards but it’s not enough.”
He also posted: “Fair play to Sam Hickey, very tough Scot, but Callum Peters just burgled of gold there. One point the difference in the end, Peters absolutely dominant in that final round and one of the five judges gives it to the Hickey. Boxing delivers again.”
Hickey celebrated Scotland’s first boxing gold medal since 2014.
Fox Sports reporter Alex Conrad wrote on Twitter: “Sorry, WTF? Callum Peters robbed in that final boxing. Absolutely robbed. That is mind-boggling”.
The BBC’s Thomas Duncan also said the fight could have gone either way.
“There was a hug of mutual respect in the ring between Sam Hickey and Callum Peters in the ring there. What a fight that was, and it could have gone either way,” he said.
“But Hickey of Scotland is the Commonwealth champion. He puts his hands over his face, he ca n’t believe it. The crowd go wild.”
Australia took home a stunning nine gold medals on Saturday and there are plenty more chances to add to the tally on Day 10 of the Commonwealth Games.
Foxsports.com.au has you covered with live updates from all the key events, which you can follow below!
DAY 9 WRAP: Aussies claim nine gold in staggering Commonwealth Games blitz
MEDAL TALLY: Aussies’ gold rush after Poms turn up heat in Comm Games race
Hoare bags SENSATIONAL 1500m Gold! | 00:32
AUSSIE WINS SILVER IN FIRST-EVER GAMES
In his first Commonwealth Games, Lin Ma has secured a silver medal for Australia in the men’s table tennis singles Classes 8-10.
Ma sadly lost to Wales’ Joshua Stacey, who won by three sets to two.
BAKER WINS GOLD!
Georgia Baker has won Australia’s first gold medal of the day after taking out the women’s road race in cycling.
It was a grueling race that pushed the six-strong Australian contingent to the brink, but Baker finished first over the line in what was her third gold medal in Birmingham.
Baker is joined on the podium by fellow Aussie Sarah Roy, who came third.
JUMPING JENNEKE JUST SHY OF PB IN HURDLES FINAL
Michelle Jenneke was unfortunately outclassed in the women’s 100m hurdles final, as Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan took home the gold medal.
Jenneke was right in the mix at the very start, but the heavy hitters eventually pulled away.
However, the Aussie was still all smiles after the race after finishing fifth with a time of 12.68.
Gold medal winner Amusan crossed the line at 12.30, setting a new Commonwealth Games record.
Celeste Mucci, the other Australian competing in the race, came second-last but gave everything she had in the final.
HEARTBREAK AS AUSSIE STAR HOSPITALISED
Australian cycling star Rohan Dennis has unfortunately been forced to withdraw from the men’s road race, joining Caleb Ewan on the sidelines.
An Aus Cycling statement read: “Rohan Dennis will take no further part in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games following medical advice.
Dennis, who took gold in the Men’s Individual Time Trial on Thursday, woke up on Saturday morning in discomfort and was taken to a local hospital to undergo tests and observations.
As a precaution, Dennis was advised to withdraw from today’s road race, but remains comfortable and under observation.”
Australia’s six-man team for the event is now down to four, with Luke Durbridge, Luke Plapp, Miles Scotson and Sam Fox set to compete.
Australian Michelle Jenneke came fifth in the 100m hurdles final. Picture: Michael KleinSource: News Corp Australia
ATHLETICS
It all kicks off on the track with the men’s triple jump final, with Julian Konle competing at around 7.15pm.
Elsewhere, after Jemima Montag’s heroics in the women’s 10km race walk, fellow Australians Rhydian Cowley, Kyle Swan and Declan Tingay will also be going for gold in the men’s event at 8.20pm.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medalist Kelsey-Lee Barber will then be competing in the women’s javelin final at around 8.35pm (AEST).
Barber won bronze in the 2014 Commonwealth Games and silver in 2018, aiming to go one better this time around and claim gold.
She is in fine form, coming off a historic defense of her javelin world championships title in Eugene, Oregon.
Fellow Australian Mackenzie Little will also be competing for a medal in the final.
The men’s 4×100 relay final may have ended in heartbreak for Australia but the women will have a shot at a medal when they take to the track at 9.54pm.
Browning FALLS, relay goes begging! | 00:28
Of course, there will be plenty of support for peter bol too, who is competing in the men’s 800m final at around 4.35am.
Jessica Hull is also a strong chance at a medal when she competes in the women’s 1500m final alongside fellow Australians Abbey Caldwell and Linden Hall.
Caldwell and Hall progressed to the final after finishing inside the top four of their race with times of 4:13.59 and 4:14.08 respectively while Hull had a time of 4:16.13.
CRICKET
Australia won a thriller in the opening pool game against India but will they be able to get past their fierce rivals when it matters most?
The two will face off for the gold medal in the T20 final, with that game scheduled around 2 am.
Hot favorites Australia toppled New Zealand by five wickets in their semi-final while India edged England by four runs in a thrilling contest.
Ash Gardner was the hero when these two sides met in the pool stages, striking an unbeaten 52 from 35 balls to help the gold medal favorites chase down a 155-run target.
Australia struggled early in that game, with Indian seamer Renuka Singh recording 4-18 in just four overs as the top-order fell apart before Gardner’s heroics saved the day.
Hoare bags SENSATIONAL 1500m Gold! | 00:32
netball
It all comes down to this for our Aussie Diamonds, who will take on Jamaica in the gold medal match at 5.30am.
Australia gave up a six-goal lead in a stunning 57-55 loss to Jamaica in the pool stages, with international superstar Jhaniele Fowler starring in the upset win.
The West Coast Fever sensation scored 47 goals and backed it up with a perfect 54 from just as many attempts as a perfect shooting night saw Jamaica take down the Silver Ferns in the semis.
Australia booked its spot in the final with a 60-51 win over England in a spiteful game in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Gretel Bueta was the standout in that victory, with 43 goals at 98 per cent accuracy.
Gretel Bueta in action. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
HOCKEYROOS
And as if the cricket and netball finals were not enough, the Hockeyroos will also be in action against England in the women’s gold medal match.
That final is scheduled for midnight, with Australia booking its spot in the decider after defeating New Zealand and India.
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
There are two chances for Australia to claim gold in beach volleyball, with the first final at 1 am ace Paul Burnett and Chris McHugh take on Canada.
Later in the early hours of the morning, attention will turn towards the women’s doubles final. Mariafe Artacho of the Solar and Taliqua Clancy took home silver for Australia at Tokyo and will be looking to make it gold at Birmingham when they face defending champions Canada at 6 am.
CYCLING
Four men will be representing Australia in the men’s road race at 9:30pm.
BADMINTON & TABLE TENNIS
Hsuan-Yu Wendy Chen and Gronya Somerville will be looking to progress through to the gold medal match when they play England in the women’s doubles semi-final.
In the table tennis, Lin Ma will have a shot at gold when he competes in the men’s singles class 8-10 final at 7.10pm.
Meanwhile, Yangzi Liu will be going for bronze in the women’s singles table tennis at 8.05pm before Finn Luu and Nicholas Lum do the same in the men’s doubles event at 10.05pm.
Gronya Somerville of Team Australia celebrates winning a point. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
BOXING
There are plenty of chances for gold in the ring too, with kaye scott and Callum Peters both in action in finals at 8.15pm and 8.45pm respectively.
Edgardo Coumi, Caitlin Anne Parker and Tina Rahimi all lost their semi-finals on Saturday.
DIVING
14-year-old starlet Charlie Petrov and veteran Melissa Wu took gold in the women’s 10m synchronized dive and there are more opportunities for medals on Sunday.
All eyes will be on Brittany O’Brien, Madison Keeney and Georgia Shehan as they compete for a medal in the women’s 3m springboard prelims at 8.44pm.
Follow all the action live below! Can’t see the updates? Click here!
Michelle Jenneke has missed out on a bronze medal but just 0.09 seconds as she finished fifth in the final of the 100m hurdles at the Commonwealth Games.
The 29-year-old was just 0.02 seconds off her personal best with a negative wind blowing in her face and it still wasn’t enough for a medal as she fell away in the final 40m.
Defending champion, world champion and world record holder Tobi Amusan won the gold in a Games record time of 12.30 seconds.
Jenneke’s time — 12.68 seconds — was just 0.03 seconds off the previous Games record, but in a lightning race all three of the best runners smashed that previous record.
Aussie athletics great Tamsyn Manou said on Channel 7 after the race that Jenneke would be happy with the result and will be filled with confidence as she begins her preparation for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
It was another brutal end for Jenneke after she also missed out on a bronze medal at the 2018 Gold Coast Games by just 0.01 seconds.
The difference this time is that the field was red hot, with five of the runners also featuring in the World Championships final last month in Oregon.
“I would have liked another PB, but it wasn’t to be today,” Jenneke told Channel 7 after the race.
“To back up my run from worlds, go fast with a slight headwind there… so really happy with that performance. It’s just tough when you’re racing a field of that quality.
“That’s the fastest race there has ever been at the Commonwealth Games.”
She went on to say how happy she is that she has resurrected her career after so many injuries set backs in recent years.
“I had a pretty rough two years. There were times people in my inner circle were saying to me, ‘Are you sure you want to be doing this?’ And I was just saying back to them, ‘I’ve got more in me’. It shows that I have and I’m really glad I could show the world what I’m capable of,” she said.
Fellow Aussie Celeste Mucci also ran an impressive race to finish seventh.
Jenneke had run the fastest time of her life — 12.63 seconds — two days earlier to thunder into the final, but the time did not count as a new personal best because it was wind-assisted.
Jenneke also ranked a career-saving personal best time of 12.66 at the World Championships.
Jenneke’s time in Oregon made her the second-quickest women’s 100m hurdler Australia has ever produced, behind only Sally Pearson.
She said after the semi-final that she was in “the shape of my life”.
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 had finished fourth at the 2018 Games on the Gold Coast, but she did it in a time of 13.07 seconds.
When Michael Hooper withdrew less than 48 hours before the Wallabies’ Rugby Championship opener in Argentina, it shocked the world.
An outpouring of support was issued across the globe from Will Carling to Karmichael Hunt, as it was revealed that Hooper’s “mindset” was not right and he would miss the Test and fly home.
Yet for those closer to the situation, it was not as surprising.
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Wallabies bag late, late bonus point try | 00:43
Hooper has been pushed to the point of breaking for some time, with few others afforded time in the saddle in his position despite the emergence of talented players like Fraser McReight.
Instead, with precious victories and coaching living by results, the Wallabies – and Super Rugby franchises, perhaps with the exception of the Brumbies and recently the Waratahs – have rolled out their premier players for fear of failure.
A talismanic leader, Hooper had not only been holding the Wallabies together on and off the field for years, he had been putting his head in few places dare go.
The second youngest Wallabies captain of all time, Hooper was the youngest player of all time to play 100 Tests.
Last year, he surpassed George Gregan’s (59) record of Tests captained last year, and he is just 18 shy of the 1999 World Cup-winner’s national record of 139.
Michael Hooper withdrew less than 48 hours before the Wallabies’ Rugby Championship opener. (Photo by May Bailey/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
All this at the tender age of 30, where he has been handed the captaincy by the past three Wallabies coaches after first being capped by another, Robbie Deans, in 2012.
At some point, age, or at least the sheer minutes he had spent on the playing field, he was going to catch up with him.
Of Hooper’s 121 Tests, he has started in 115 of them and gone the full distance in 95 of those Tests. He has missed just 11 Tests, including the weekend’s 41-26 victory over Michael Cheika’s Argentina, since his debut against Scotland off the bench in Newcastle.
By comparison, Richie McCaw, who started in 141 of his 148 Tests, missed 37 Tests during his decorated career.
Interestingly, in the four years before he retired following the World Cup final in 2015, McCaw started 44 of 45 Tests during the period but only played the full 80 minutes in 33 of those Tests.
But, as age, his durability and the weight of captaining the All Blacks for so many years caught up to him, he missed nine Tests during that golden period.
New Zealand Rugby also afforded him a sabbatical in late 2012 and saw him make his comeback in mid-2013. He didn’t play, but rather cooled his heels.
In May, Hooper laughed off suggestions he could make it through to the home World Cup in 2027 by saying he was more likely to be having a “beer” in the stands at that point.
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But it’s not just the home World Cup that feels like an eternity away for Hooper, it’s the 2025 British and Irish Lions series and, indeed, next year’s World Cup too.
It’s believed after years bouncing back up on a Sunday, the heavy knocks are starting to take their toll.
Recently, Hooper played in Brisbane against England despite being struck down by the flu during the week.
When he copped an early hit after being bounced by Ellis Genge, there was an element of concern around whether he had taken another head knock.
A week later, with the Wallabies’ injury toll stretching to double figures, he backed up for the series decider despite having a crook back.
Earlier in the year, Hooper copped a high tackle from a replacement Crusaders forward, which drew a red card, and he spent two weeks on the sidelines.
Privately the Waratahs and Australian officials were filthy because the culprit, Hamish Dalzell, had also been penalized for a high shot moments earlier that didn’t earn any further punishment.
Concussion is something Hooper is particularly cognizant of.
It’s also understood the Wallabies are being belted on the training field.
It is unclear when Hooper will next play. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Numerous sources, including at Rugby Australia, have also raised questions about the strength and conditioning methods being used under Dean Benton.
Questions have arisen after a number of players have suffered injuries at training in recent months.
There is a belief that the current group needs to be whipped into shape because they are not up to Test match standards.
For now Hooper, who arrived back in Australia on Sunday, is expected to rest and spend time with his family.
No timeframe has been given when the No.7 will next play.
Sources believe he will miss the home Tests against the Springboks.
Fortunately the Wallabies have discovered they can play without Hooper and succeed.
But they might have learned too that humans are not machines.
Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios, seeking his first title in three years, advanced to the men’s final at the ATP and WTA Washington Open with a tight victory over Sweden’s Mikael Ymer.
Australia’s 63rd-ranked Kyrgios edged 115th-ranked Ymer 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 and will play for the crown Sunday against the later winner between top seed Andrey Rublev and Japan’s 96th-ranked Yoshihito Nishioka.
Kyrgios, who won the most recent of his six ATP titles at Washington in 2019, has a 2-1 career mark against Rublev and a 3-0 record against Nishioka.
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Nick Kyrgios celebrates victory. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“I didn’t get to sleep until 4.50am, I just had so much adrenaline after (the Tiafoe win),” Kyrgios said.
“I got some treatment and my body was just so sore after last night. It was an epic battle.
“I didn’t really do much today but I felt like my energy was a little flat early on today and it’s understandable, I’m only human.
“My adrenaline for the final is going to be right there and I’m super excited for it. I’ve got doubles tonight, work on my returns a little bit. I returned pretty poorly tonight I’m not going to lie, so hopefully I can turn it up a little tonight.”
Kyrgios then backed it up to book a spot in the final doubles shortly after alongside American Jack Sock, making it two victories in the space of around five hours.
Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi, trying to end a nine-year WTA title drought at age 37, and 60th-ranked Liudmila Samsonova will meet in the women’s final at the US Open tuneup.
World number 37 Kanepi eliminated Australia’s Daria Saville 6-3, 6-1 in 73 minutes while Samsonova routed China’s Wang Xiyu 6-1, 6-1 in 67 minutes.
Kyrgios won the last three points in the first-set tiebreaker, Ymer sending a forehand long to end an intense rally before Kyrgios added a service winner and overhead smash.
Ymer, who lost his only ATP final last August in Winston-Salem, botched a forehand volley in the third game of the second set to miss a chance to grab a break point.
Kyrgios earned the first break points of the match in the eighth game and took advantage on his third chance with a passing forehand winner to break for a 5-3 edge, then held to claim the match after 94 minutes on his 10th ace.
The Aussie fired 28 winners with only 15 unforced errors and dropped only four points on his second serve.
Nick Kyrgios returns a shot. Patrick Smith/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP
Rublev seeks his 12th career crown and fourth title of the season after Marseille, Dubai and Belgrade, hoping to match Spaniards Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz for the most ATP trophies this year.
Nishioka, in his first ATP semi-final since 2020 at Delray Beach, won his only ATP title in 2018 at Shenzhen.
Nishioka and Rublev split two prior meetings, Nishioka winning at Sydney in 2019 and Rublev at last year’s ATP Cup.
Kanepi seeks her fifth career WTA title but her first since the 2013 Brussels Open. She won her only WTA hardcourt title at Brisbane in 2012.
Into her first WTA final since a 2021 Australian Open tuneup at Melbourne, Kanepi dominated Saville’s first WTA semi-final since 2018 at Acapulco.
“I played my best match,” Kanepi said. “Everything was very smooth for me. I hit a lot of lines.”
Kyrgios wins hearts with gift for fan | 00:37
Kanepi reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final since 2017 at this year’s Australian Open and credited that for a confidence boost crucial to her success this year.
“It was amazing,” she said. “I never thought I would make quarters in Australia. I thought it’s not just my place. But I played really well, and then I continued playing well. I didn’t actually put any pressure on myself to achieve something special.”
Samsonova, 23, won her only meeting with Kanepi in last year’s first round at Wimbledon. Samsonova is into her first WTA hardcourt final, having won her only prior tour final at last year’s German Open.
Eleanor Patterson admitted it was a “bittersweet” feeling after she ended up setting for silver in the women’s high jump final at the Commonwealth Games.
The term ‘setting’ is not usually the right one when it comes to silver medals but even Patterson herself conceded it was a disappointing result when speaking with Channel 7 post race.
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Australia’s Eleanor Patterson reacts after the women’s high jump final athletics event. (Photo by Ben Stansall / AFP)Source: AFP
“It’s bittersweet. I didn’t perform,” she said.
“Lamara (Distin) was the best athlete on the day. I’m really impressed by her and proud of her.
“But I am just quite frustrated with myself. I did not come here today and perform how I know I can and how I usually do.”
Patterson was the raging favorite after stunning the world by becoming the first Australian to win the women’s high jump gold at the World Athletics Championship.
Her chances of taking home gold in Birmingham only received another boost when fellow Australian and Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Nicola Olyslagers pulled out with a calf injury.
Browning FALLS, relay goes begging! | 00:28
Jamaican Lamara Distin had other ideas though, setting the tone with a first-round clearance at 1.95m that Patterson could not match with three attempts.
That mark was seven centimeters less than Patterson’s stunning effort at the World Athletics Championship, which made it harder to take for the Australian.
“I’ve had a bit of a sore ankle but that’s no excuse,” she added.
“I was struggling to get my rhythm a little bit and wasn’t switched on enough, I don’t know. It’s frustrating.
Ollie Hoare has come from the clouds in the final stages to claim Commonwealth Games gold in the 1500m.
Hoare blitzed the field in the home straight as he stormed past Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot in the last 10 meters to cross the line in a games record time of 3:30.13 – edging the Kenyan by .09 of a second.
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The Aussie stalked Cheruiyot, the world champion and defending Commonwealth Games champion, as they came around the final bend and turned on the gas at the perfect moment.
“Hoare lifting here, lifting with a big run,” Bruce McAvaney said.
“He’s coming with a mighty run, the Aussie’s a chance. Cheruiyot goes up … here comes Ollie Hoare with a flashing run I reckon he’s going to get there.”
“And it is!” Tamsyn Lewis-Manou shouted as Hoare crossed the line.
“It’s an extraordinary moment in Australian sport. It’s one of those that we will etch in the history books forever and how lucky we are to have been here and for you to have watched it,” McAvaney said as Hoare slumped over in disbelief on the ground. “The last 100m is the stuff of legends.”
“Take your hat off, that was just brilliant and a new Games record,” Lewis-Manou said.
“He has just beat a sensational field. I have waited until the exit route, got out and that finish was brilliant.”
“He takes down two world champions in the home stretch, it’s just magical. It’s what you dream about,” McAvaney added.
Hoare, 25, spoke about the gold medal moment after completing a lap of victory around the stadium.
“That last lap I just wanted to stay relaxed and I knew that my time would come. It’s hard to believe when you have guys there that are absolute class. But I was able to get out and I just had the kicker at the end and it was spectacular,” Hoare said.
Hoare got emotional during the interview as he dedicated the run to his late grandfather.
“I’d like to dedicate that race to my pop he was a life member at Southern Districts athletics club and he was a World War 2 veteran, Sargaent Fred Hoare.
“He passed away just after the World Champs and it was a very difficult time for me because of how bad I’d just raced and to hear that news of a guy who would have a stopwatch at every race when I was growing up going through the sport, to not have him there to watch was tough but I’d like to dedicate that race to my pop because he is the reason why my family loves this sport and the reason why I am here today.
“So Pop, I know you’re watching. I’ll have a glass of red for ya mate. That was a good one.”
Australian viewers couldn’t believe what they’d just witnessed with Hoare’s run one we’ll remember for years and years.
The Herald Sun’s Jon Ralph wrote: “Here comes Ollie Hoare with a flashing run. Bloody hell. Some kind of guts to run down two world champions. Just wow.”
Former Boomers coach Brendan Joyce wrote: “Wow Australia we have a new champion to be proud of! What a run in the 1500! Ollie Hoare you were incredible!”
ABC journalist Peter Gunders wrote: “Ollie Hoare! What a race. My heart is racing, we nearly lost our voices cheering, and I think we just woke up the whole street.”
Former AFL star Kane Cornes wrote: “World class run, how tough is he. Bruce is a genius.”
The Kookaburras are through to the final at the Commonwealth Games after surviving a nail-biting thriller against England.
Controversy exploded in a rollercoaster fourth quarter as the Aussies pulled off an incredible comeback win.
Australia was down 2-0 and it looked like an enormous upset was on the cards, before the Kookaburras launched a brave fightback to win 3-2 and keep their perfect record of never missing a Commonwealth Games final, and never surrendering the Commonwealth crown they have worn since the sport was introduced to the Games.
In the end it was the Aussies desperately trying to hold on in the final minutes as England couldn’t find a way to break the Aussie defense despite a barrage of penalty corners.
The Kookaburras got their crucial third goal in controversial circumstances with England calling for a review leading up to the moment where Daniel Beale tapped on the winning goal.
Australia was looking to re-start play quickly after the referee pulled England up for touching the ball with their feet.
England challenged that Australia did not let the ball be stationary before resuming play.
Replays showed it was questionable that the ball had been stationary at any point.
Former Hockeyroos star Georgie Parker said the goal should have been technically disallowed, despite saying the goal should stand because the quick re-start was “in the spirit of the game”.
She said if she was the official video review she would have taken the goal off Australia.
“This is very much a ‘letter of the law’ thing,” she said on Channel 7.
“You are meant to stop the ball before you take the free hit.”
She went on to say: “It basically stopped for me. I would hate if this (review) went through.
“It didn’t stop, but I would hate it if they disallowed it for that. Teams are doing that fifty per cent of the time, including England.
“I will be so disappointed, but look, I mean, technically, that is the rule, you are supposed to stop it or make an effort to stop it.
“I would be so disappointed. For the sake of what is in the spirit, I think England are clutching at straws, but technically (it should be disallowed).
“Every team does that, and you want to be playing a fast-paced game of hockey, that is why that rule was brought in.
“Technically, maybe that was the wrong decision.”
The goal stood, despite England players continuing to protest with the on-field referee.
The drama only increased from there as the Kookaburras were also hard done by when they reviewed a call that awarded England a penalty corner for the ball jumping up and almost-touching the leg of an Aussie defender. Despite the ball clearly not touching the Aussie, the call was not overruled by the official review.
There was also another call that went against Australia with Jeremy Hayward getting struck in the torso off an England penalty corner with the referee awarding England another penalty corner despite the Aussie appearing to be inside the 5m distance from when the shot was taken.
Aussie commentators Georgie Parker and Alister Nicholson on Channel 7 both judged that Heywood had got inside the 5m mark after bolting from the goal mouth at the start of the penalty corner.
England had a flurry of penalty corners in the final minutes, but simply could not find a way past the Aussie defense and keeper Andrew Charter.
England even had a penalty corner with 25 seconds to play with the game coming down to the final second of the match before the siren finally sounded.
The key difference was the quality in the final third with Australia scoring one goal from its three penalty corners, while England was unable to score once from its 14 penalty corners.
England scored after just four minutes when Charter made a rare mistake when trying to save a fairly straightforward shot from wide of the goals.
England made it 2-0 when they capitalized on Australia being given a yellow card.
Blake Govers scored from a penalty corner just four minutes before half time to give Australia hope.
Jacob Anderson then leveled it up at 2-2 with a sweet backhand shot on the run that beat the keeper just moments before the end of the third quarter. England had been holding on for the entire quarter with two players off the field as a result of yellow cards.
In the end, all that matters is that the Kookaburras are through to the end.
Earlier, India defeated South Africa in the other semi-final.
The gold medal game is scheduled for 9.30pm on Monday (AEST).
It comes after the Hockeyroos on Saturday morning won their semi-final in a blockbuster against India to set up a gold medal showdown with England at 12am on Monday morning.
