Seventeen-year-old David Popovici of Romania became the youngest swimmer to break the world swimming record in the men’s 100-meter freestyle on Saturday, beating the mark set more than 13 years ago in the same pool.
Popovici touched in 46.86 seconds at the European championships to top the time of 46.91 set by Brazil’s César Cielo at the 2009 world championships, which also were held at Rome’s historic Foro Italico.
Cielo established his record on July 30, 2009, at the last major international meet to allow rubberised suits. It stood longer than any record in the event’s history, going back to 1905.
Now, it belongs to one of the sport’s budding stars.
“There was no rush and I had to be extremely patient about the world record,” Popovici said.
“It has hurt but it’s always worth it and I feel fine right now. It felt great and it’s very special to break this record which was set here in 2009 by César Cielo.”
When Brazil’s César Cielo set the existing men’s 100m freestyle world record in 2009, ‘super suits’ were still legal.(Getty Images: Clive Rose)
Cielo still holds the record in the 50 free, which is among eight men’s long-course standards that remain from the rubber-suit era. Five of those were set at those supercharged 2009 worlds.
Popovici went out in 22.74 and set the record by going 24.12 on the return lap to easily beat Hungarian butterfly specialist Kristóf Milák by 0.61. Italy’s Alessandro Miressi claimed the bronze in 47.63.
“This was a brilliant race, a joy to swim next to David,” Milák said.
“David is a fantastic swimmer, I think the same crazy genius of the freestyle that I am in the butterfly. It’s great that his name will hit the headlines for long, long years.”
Romania’s David Popovici swam the fastest 100m freestyle in history, stopping the clock in 46.86 seconds.(AP: Andrew Medichini)
Popovici’s emergence sets up a potentially huge showdown at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where American star Caeleb Dressel — winner of five gold medals at last summer’s Tokyo Games — will come in as the reigning gold medalist in the 100m free.
Popovic had his coming-out at this year’s worlds in Budapest, sweeping golds in the 100m and 200m free. He didn’t get a chance to swim the 100m against Dressel, who dropped out of the event for health reasons before the final.
Milák, world record-holder in the 200m fly, hopes to also be part of the freestyle mix in Paris.
“My goal is very clear,” the Hungarian said. “I just want to reach a level in this event to arrive to Paris 2024 with the capability of swimming at a time somewhere very close to 47 seconds.”
West Coast coach Adam Simpson has declared key defender Tom Barrass deserves to be selected in the All-Australian team after another outstanding display in a losing team.
Barrass received votes from all three Glendinning-Allan Medal voters for his performance at full-back, where he had 14 intercept possessions and three of his 12 marks were contested.
Having led a backline that has been under siege all season, Simpson said he deserves recognition.
“I’m campaigning now officially for Barrass to be All-Australian because he’s not just winning his position, he’s dominating it as a full-back. I think he was the highest-ranked player today again,” Simpson said.
“He’s just in the prime of his career. He’s a leader, he plays the game the right way and he’s got the balance between defending and going for his marks from him. All credit to him.
“He’s playing on the best forward in the opposition team every week and he’s not just holding his own, he is dominating. His leadership from him has been exceptional.
“We could have folded a lot worse than we are at the moment. There was that five or six-week period when we were down on personnel and we were getting touched up and I think he’s been part of the resolve that we’ve shown.”
Tom Barrass has dominated despite being under siege in defense. Credit: Jackson Flindell/The West Australian
Simpson said it was clear his team played with spirit and applied pressure, and he felt they played as well as they could.
He pointed to the club’s lengthy injury list which had Jamaine Jones (back) added to it during the game. Simpson admitted star ruckman Nic Naitanui faces a challenge to be available against Geelong after playing under duress in the latter stage of the season.
Fremantle ruckman Sean Darcy was best on ground after winning 56 hit-outs by himself, compared to West Coast’s combined 28. Simpson said Naitanui needed a break.
“He’s playing because the club needs him, so we’ve got to be careful and don’t put any unnecessary risk on his career or next year,” Simpson said.
Nic Naitanui is far from certain to play against Geelong in the last game. Credit: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos/AFL Photos via Getty Images
“He needs a good break, a good pre-season and he can come back next year ready to go. We’ve got to look at it (not playing him). We’ve tried to respect the season as best as we could.
“There’s been opportunities to maybe rest or shut down players. But to be honest, we’ve got probably 15 injuries at the moment. Some players are playing sore. I’m not whinging. It’s just the way it is.”
A shambolic Manchester United side conceded four goals in the opening 35 minutes in a 4-0 drubbing at Brentford on Saturday as their woeful start to the Premier League season continued.
United’s seventh successive away league defeat was assured long before the interval as Brentford took ruthless advantage of a catalog of errors by the visitors.
The route began in the 10th minute when United keeper David de Gea allowed a weak shot by Josh Dasilva to slip past him.
Things got worse for United eight minutes later when De Gea played the ball out to former Brentford player Christian Eriksen, who was caught in possession and Mathias Jensen slotted home.
When United’s defense failed to deal with a corner and Ben Mee glanced in a close-range header to make it 3-0, the Brentford fans were ecstatic while United’s new manager Erik ten Hag looked ashen-faced in his technical area.
Brentford’s fourth was a gem as Ivan Toney delivered a diagonal ball to Bryan Mbeumo from a counter-attack and Mbeumo calmly beat De Gea.
Ten Hag made three substitutions at half-time with Raphael Varane, Tyrell Malacia and Scott McTominay coming on, but despite a slight improvement United offered little fight.
Brentford’s fans serenaded their players with “Hey Jude” at the final whistle while United’s players looked crestfallen as they trudged off rock bottom of the table, having also lost their opener at home to Brighton & Hove Albion.
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It was the first time since 1960 that United have conceded at least six goals in their first two matches of a top-flight season and the first time they have lost their opening two matches since 1992 — when they went on to win the title.
This side, however, looks woefully inadequate to mount any kind of challenge and Ten Hag, who was taunted by the Brentford fans, appears to have a huge job on his hands.
The Dutchman is the first Manchester United manager to lose his first two games in charge since John Chapman in 1921.
“It’s easy to dismantle this United side, just be organized and fight and you’re there,” said former United player and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville.
For Brentford, whose starting line-up cost in the region of 55 million pounds ($93.75 million) compared to the more than 400 million pounds ($681.5 million) of United’s, have picked up four points in their first two games.
Fans continued to protest against club owners the Glazers as Manchester United lost 4-0 to Brentford.(Getty Images: Offside/Mark Leech)
The crushing defeat will do nothing to soothe the feelings of Manchester United fans, already angry at club owners the Glazer family.
Poor results and a perceived failure to sign the right players to revamp the team in the off-season had left fans continuing long-standing calls for the Glazers to sell the club.
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United fans on social media are trying to organize a boycott of next week’s home game against long-time rivals Liverpool, using the hashtag Empty Old Trafford.
In other Premier League action, defending champions Manchester City swept to the top of the table, thumping newly-promoted Bournemouth 4-0 to emphasize the gulf between them and neighbors United.
City under manager Pep Guardiola have scored six times and are yet to concede in two games this campaign, as they bid for a fifth Premier League title in six seasons.
Arsenal are the big improvers so far this season, sitting second to City on goal difference after their 4-2 win over Leicester City.
New signing Gabriel Jesus marked his home debut with a brilliant performance, scoring twice and setting up two more.
Southampton and Leeds ended 0-0, as did Fulham and Wolves and Brighton’s match against Newcastle, while Everton lost 2-1 to Aston Villa.
David Mundy has returned to an almost empty Optus Stadium nearly an hour after his final western derby to have a kick with his three children.
The retiring Fremantle great was given a rousing reception by more than 53,000 home fans in his last ever regular season game in Perth.
He spent time in the rooms with teammates before returning to the western end of the ground, kicking a ball with his children and wife Sally.
Extended family and friends, who had watched the game from a box on level four, then joined them on the ground for a group photo.
The Dockers held on to beat the Eagles by 24 points and win a third-straight western derby, before Mundy completed a lap of the playing surface and was given a guard of honor by West Coast players.
David Mundy on his lap of honour. Credit: Jackson Flindell/The West Australian
Mundy will retire at the end of the season, with the Dockers to play Greater Western Sydney in Canberra next week, while the win over the Eagles secured Fremantle a final at home in either the first, second or third week of September.
In the 16th minute of the first quarter, Dockers fans stood and applauded Mundy as part of the moving tributes.
The games record holder recognized the adulation with a subtle thumbs up before a center bounce, which came just moments after the two teams were split from a spiteful melee.
Rhea Papadopoulos had just started at the Australian National University in Canberra when a third-year student at her college told her about Inward Bound (IB) — a mixed-gender ultramarathon orienteering race.
Drawn in by the stories of adventure and the training runs up Black Mountain, Rhea was initially excited to take part in Inward Bound, before becoming frustrated by rules stating teams needed a minimum of seven women out of 28 runners.
Despite her excitement, Rhea never felt like the sport was inclusive of women and gender-diverse people who wanted to be involved.
“Having that low quota of only seven [female runners], it was this constant struggle where you’re like, ‘am I one of the best seven girls?’ rather than ‘am I one of the best 28 runners?’ And I think that’s something that all girls could say they felt,” Rhea said.
Women haven’t always felt welcome in Inward Bound.(ABC Sport: Julia Faragher)
“It’s this kind of weird impostor syndrome, which is such an awful feeling and it’s not what IB should be about.”
Rhea, now a 23-year-old political science and arts student, discovered the barriers that women were facing in the Inward Bound training program during her two years running the race for her residential college in Division 5 and later becoming a coach.
“In 2019, I was the only [female] coach out of seven [coaches] and even though I loved all my colleagues and we all had the best time and I never felt tokenistic by any means, it was really hard being the one who was in charge of pastoral care because I was the [woman],” she said.
“If a team member had problems they’d come to me and not one of the boys.”
Rhea wanted to do something about it.
“I didn’t want another girl to have to go through that again. It was such a bad feeling.”
What is Inward Bound?
Inward Bound sees runners in teams of four navigate their way through the Australian bush.(ABC Sport: Julia Faragher)
Inward Bound is an ultramarathon orienteering race where ANU students compete in teams of four runners representing their colleges.
Runners are blindfolded and driven in circles before getting dropped off at a random location in the bush, usually somewhere in rural NSW, and given the coordinates of an endpoint that they must run to.
For runners in Division 1, this will involve approximately 100km. The divisions range down to runners in Division 7 which involves approximately 40km.
Students never know the course before they begin the race.(ABC Sport: Julia Faragher)
The exact distance run by each team depends on their ability to navigate the Australian bush and whether they get lost.
Across the seven divisions, each college puts forward a team of 28 runners, and a total of 280 students run in the race each year.
There is a winning team for each division, as well as an overall winner decided by adding up the results of all the divisions
‘I was told no, you can’t do it’
Erin Ronge was previously the 2021 equity officer and is currently the 2022 co-race director on the IB organizing committee.(ABC Sport: Julia Faragher)
Erin Ronge, a 22-year-old law and science student, had similar experiences to Rhea when she ran for her college twice in Divisions 6 and 7.
Erin noticed that women weren’t being offered the same leadership opportunities as men and when she tried to volunteer, she said she was shut down.
There have been changes to Inward Bound’s rules to ensure there are more female navigators in teams.(ABC Sport: Julia Faragher)
“I wanted to [navigate]. I was told no, you can’t do it. I wanted to coach. I was told no, you can’t do it,” Erin said.
Each IB team of four consists of two navigators and two scouts. As the navigators set the route, they usually also act as the leaders of the team.
“Female-identifying runners weren’t encouraged to come on the maps. If anything, male-identifying runners were hand-selected by coaches to be on the maps,” Erin said.
Eventually, Erin’s persistence paid off and she was taught how to read the maps.
But she knew that it shouldn’t have to take that much effort on her part and that other female runners shared her struggles.
Responsibility to bring about change
Erin and Rhea became the equity officers on the 2021 Inward Bound organizing committee to have an active role in making it as inclusive as possible.
“On a personal level, I felt it was important because I had many experiences in IB where I felt overlooked or that I unjustly had to advocate for myself and my abilities and skills where I was uncomfortable in certain contexts and I feel like that was to do with my gender,” Erin said.
This year’s Inward Bound race is set to feature the greatest number of female runners in its 60-year history at the ANU.
The Inward Bound organizing committee is made up of students from across the participating halls and colleges.(ABC Sport: Julia Faragher)
It’s the result of Erin and Rhea’s work to create a new 50:50 gender policy in consultation with other students.
Together with co-race director James Holley, they were inspired by the lack of substantial difference in performance between men and women in ultramarathons and the fact that Inward Bound is a mixed-gender event just like ultramarathons at the professional level.
“I felt as if that was an opportunity more than anything else. I really thought we had a responsibility to bring in that change,” James said.
In their roles as equity officers, Erin and Rhea spent a large portion of 2021 consulting with students from each of the 10 participating ANU colleges and halls to determine how they could introduce the 50:50 policy.
Erin found that everyone supported the policy in principle, but there was resistance to implementing it immediately rather than over a longer period.
“It made no sense to do it over a process of four years. It was delaying the inevitable and it just seemed tokenistic,” Erin said.
While the policy is colloquially referred to as the 50:50 policy, it uses gender-inclusive language.
Instead of instituting a quota for female runners, as has been the case in the past, halls and colleges now must pick a team where no more than 50 per cent of their runners identify as the same gender.
ANU students are looking forward to the return of Inward Bound in 2022 after COVID-19 forced the cancellation of both the 2020 and 2021 races.(ABC Sport: Julia Faragher)
Erin and Rhea spoke to queer officers from the halls and colleges to make sure that the policy included all students, such as non-binary and transgender people.
“We wanted our sport to also be representative of the community that it came from,” James said.
Inward Bound is for everyone
Erin, Rhea, and the rest of the organizing committee wanted the policy to be the first step in creating long-lasting cultural change.
One of their hopes is that the policy will encourage colleges and halls to think about female runners from the very beginning of their training program and implement the support that they need.
The 50:50 policy has helped make significant changes in a short space of time.(ABC Sport: Julia Faragher)
“Colleges and halls shouldn’t be panicking in September thinking ‘oh, we don’t have enough female-identifying runners. What should we do now?'” Erin said.
“It should be one of the first thoughts at the very start of the program: ‘How can we be as inclusive as possible to all people who want to run this program?’ Which I don’t think it has historically been.”
In fact, the 50:50 policy not only targets runners, but also sets out rules for coaches and navigators as well to tackle gender equality in all parts of Inward Bound.
Erin and Rhea never doubted the importance of what they were doing.
“It’s not only just a running race, it’s an experience that you’ll hold or carry with you for the rest of your life,” Erin said.
“It changed my life. It’s the best thing I have ever done, especially at university. I think it has so many flow-on effects in terms of confidence, resilience and perseverance,” Rhea said.
This year’s Inward Bound race is scheduled to go ahead on October 7–8 for the first time since the pandemic began in 2020, with Erin at the helm as one of this year’s co-race directors.
Julia Faragher is an artist and writer living in Canberra and is an intern with ABC Sport.
Fremantle have secured a home final after overcoming a bad case of the goalkicking wobbles to post a 24-point win over West Coast in a spiteful western derby.
All-in melees and individual tit-for-tats were common throughout Saturday night’s rain-affected match at Optus Stadium but Fremantle booted 4.11 to 2.3 after halftime to secure the 9.17 (71) to 7.5 (47) win in front of 53,816 fans.
The result means Fremantle can’t finish lower than sixth, and they can still secure a prized top-four berth if they beat GWS next week and other results fall their way.
Dockers ruckman Sean Darcy won the Glendinning-Allan medal as best field for his 16-disposal, 57 hit-out effort.
Fremantle legend David Mundy does a walk around the ground with his family after the win. Credit: Will Russell/AFL Pictures
Blake Acres (29 disposals, one goal), Will Brodie (28 possessions, seven clearances), and David Mundy (25 disposals, eight clearances) dominated in the midfield courtesy of Darcy’s dominance.
But despite snaring the win, doubts still remain about Fremantle’s ability to thrive in the wet.
The Dockers entered the match having lost to Gold Coast, Collingwood and Melbourne in slippery conditions this year and they were unable to put West Coast to the sword despite the Eagles missing 10 first-choice players.
Fremantle’s wayward goalkicking ensured West Coast remained within striking distance for most of the match.
But it was the defensive duo of Tom Barrass and Shannon Hurn that truly epitomized West Coast’s fighting spirit.
Barrass (20 disposals, 12 marks) restricted Rory Lobb to just 0.1 from seven disposals, while Hurn racked up 28 touches and nine rebound 50s.
Fremantle fans were over the moon about the win. Credit: Will Russell/AFL Pictures
Lobb was subbed out late in the match after aggravating his right shoulder injury in the third quarter.
The match was a willing contest befitting a derby with a huge melee breaking out in the opening quarter in what will no doubt result in a flurry of ends.
Caleb Serong was target No.1 early on, with Jack Redden doing his best to ruffle the feathers of the Fremantle star.
The tactic worked a treat, with Serong the core culprit when Fremantle gave away a 50m penalty that led to a goal on the line to Redden.
Redden gave away a 50m penalty of his own late in the opening term to gift a goal to Andrew Brayshaw.
Jackson Nelson targeted Brayshaw at every opportunity, with the Brownlow medal fancy visibly frustrated at times.
An early downpour ensured the first half was played in slippery conditions and the Dockers led by four points at the long break.
Fremantle dominated the third term but their return of 2.8 meant the 17-point margin was still within reach for West Coast.
However, with Darcy dominating the ruck, the Eagles couldn’t work their way back into the match despite fighting right until the end.
Sarah Hunter puts her hands on her hips, looks down at the penalty spot and takes a deep breath.
Whistles ring around the Estadio Nacional stadium in Costa Rica as 25,000 local fans try to distract, intimidate, overwhelm — anything to put the young midfielder off.
And with good reason. The home nation are 1-0 ahead, thanks to a thunderous strike by Costa Rica captain, Alexandra Pinell, which came largely against the run of play. They’d not qualified for an U-20 Women’s World Cup before, and now they were in the lead.
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However, a goal from Hunter could change things. Not only would it bring the Young Matildas back level to 1-1, it would also be Australia’s first goal at this tournament in almost two decades.
Seconds crawl by, as though flattened by the weight of the moment.
The referee gestures sternly towards the players around the top of the 18-yard area, ensuring not even a shoelace is poking over the white paint.
And the jeers from the crowd grow louder as the video assistant in a distant room checks and re-checks the decision.
Still Hunter waits, breathing steadily.
You get the sense that she could have happily stood there forever because, for the 18-year-old Sydney FC player, even just being on a football field after what she has been through is a bit of a blessing.
“From when I was 10, until about 16, I missed pretty much most football,” Hunter told ABC.
“I had two hip surgeries that put me out for over six months each. I had a broken ankle. I had an ACL reconstruction — all in about six years. So that put me out for majority of that period.
“I missed all the Junior Matildas tours, which was upsetting as a young, aspiring footballer.
“So, being back on the pitch over the [past] two years, it’s just been the most amazing thing. I’m always so grateful to be on the pitch because I’ve missed so much in the past.
“Now, looking back, I’m just so grateful to be where I am. I’m grateful for all the hard work and knowing that I never gave up.
“I’ve always had this dream and I’ve never strayed from that. This is what I love. Ultimately, I don’t think anything was going to stop me.”
After several years’ worth of injuries, Sarah Hunter is finally making a splash on the national team scene.(Supplied: Football Australia/Ann Odong)
This injury-addled history explains why Hunter’s name has been largely absent from conversations around the future of the Matildas over the past few years, and explains her late arrival onto the A-League Women scene.
Indeed, having missed out on the formative football periods and pathways that many of her Young Matildas team-mates have followed, it feels rather miraculous that she’s ended up here at all.
It’s no surprise to head coach Leah Blayney, though.
In fact, when Hunter made her debut for Western Sydney Wanderers in the A-League Women in 2020, Blayney was already keeping a close eye on this emerging star of Australia’s midfield.
Three games in to her first professional season, Hunter scored twice in a 2-2 draw against Adelaide.
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In the stands that day was her loyal band of family and friends — affectionately known as The Sarah Hunter Cheer Squad — with hand-drawn posters, shirts and delighted chants that were captured on the pitch-side microphones.
Blayney was in the stands that day, too. I remember, because she turned to me and said: “This kid’s something special.”
She was right. Ella’s future in the Young Matildas was all but secured after an even-more-impressive season with Sydney FC, where she helped the Sky Blues lift the Premiers Plate, appearing in all 16 games and dazzling during the final.
Hunter earned her first national team call-up less than a month later and has only continued to blossom.
She was a stand-out performer in a two-game friendly series against New Zealand back in April and scored in all but one game during Australia’s World Cup preparations in Mexico, including bagging a brace in a 3-3 draw against the hosts.
With just two A-League Women’s seasons under her belt, Sarah Hunter has already become one of the league’s most exciting midfielders.(Getty Images: NurPhoto/Izhar Khan)
With a keen eye for space, an assurance with the ball at her feet, and a 360-degree vision that rivals some senior midfielders, one wonders where this teenager could be now, had her body allowed her to get there.
Indeed, after being on the cusp of physical failure for so long, it seems as though Hunter is now doing all she can to catch up to where she was always supposed to be.
“I missed a lot of games in that period, so each game is an opportunity for me to get better,” she said.
“I’m always grateful to be able to learn and get better because that’s ultimately the journey. Footballers want to get better each day and, when you’re not playing games, it’s hard to do that.
“Just being at a World Cup right now is honestly such a great learning experience. And, for all these girls, as well, going into the future, hopefully this group learn so much and we can all step into that senior level and we’ I already have so much experience.”
However, the setbacks have been as much a part of making her into the player and person she is as much as her acceleration over the past two years.
“You’ve come through a lot of things,” she said softly.
“You’ve put in a lot of work. Lots of ups and downs. Getting through lots of injuries, missing out on tournaments and games. You’ve missed out on a lot.
“I’m just super proud of you. You never stop working, you never stop believing in yourself. I’m always looking back at pictures of myself and seeing the love you have for the game: That always pushes me to keep going whenever I feel like stopping.”
It was the well of resilience she dipped into when Australia went 1-0 down to Costa Rica on Thursday.
But, as Hunter said afterwards, she wasn’t rattled. None of them were.
Alexandra Pinell’s shot flew past Young Matildas goalkeeper Sally James in the 19th minute, but Australia didn’t give up.(Getty Images: FIFA/Hector Vivas)
“Obviously, when you’ve got 22,000 people screaming for the other team when they just scored, it’s a bit daunting,” she said.
“But our group is so strong, and when you’re in that mentality of, ‘We’re going to win this game’, nothing can face you. We were all on that journey together in that game.
“The setback just made us stronger.”
And now that mentality — that strength in setbacks — has brought her here, as Australia’s designated penalty-taker, standing on the cusp of something she has been wanting her whole life.
The jeers from the crowd fade as the referee lifts the whistle to her mouth.
Hunter looks down at the ball, takes one final breath, and strides forward, driven by all that has come before her and all that is yet to arrive.
Sarah Hunter scored the first goal for Australia in their 3-1 win over Costa Rica in the first group game on Thursday.(Getty Images: FIFA/Buddha Mendes)
Sam Kerr’s stellar year for club and country has been recognized by international football with a fourth consecutive nomination for the game’s most prestigious award, the Ballon d’Or.
Key points:
Sam Kerr is one of just four players to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or in every edition since its inception in 2018
The Matildas skipper finished third in the last edition, which was won by Spain captain Alexia Putellas
Her nomination comes after yet another Golden Boot-winning season with Chelsea as well as becoming Australia’s all-time leading goal scorer
The Matildas captain was announced as part of the 20-person short-list on Saturday alongside names such as Dutch striker Vivianne Miedema, English winger Beth Mead, German veteran Alexandra Popp, inaugural winner Ada Hegerberg, and current holder Alexia Putellas.
The nomination comes after yet another stand-out campaign for Chelsea where Kerr finished the 2021/22 Women’s Super League season as the top scorer for a second consecutive year, scoring 20 goals for the Blues on their way to retaining the league title.
The 28-year-old also scored two crucial goals — including an extra-time winner — against Manchester City at Wembley in May to win back-to-back FA Cups.
His performances in the league saw Kerr become the first Australian to win England’s PFA Players’ Player of the Year in June, alongside being named the WSL Player of the Season and voted the Football Writers’ Association’s Footballer of the Year.
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Kerr had a record-breaking year in the green-and-gold, too, becoming Australia’s all-time leading goal-scorer in February when she surpassed Tim Cahill’s record of 50 during the Asian Cup. She won that tournament’s Golden Boot with seven goals , with her current tally sitting at 59 in 110 games.
The striker is one of just four players to have been nominated in every edition of the Women’s Ballon d’Or, which began in 2018, ranking fifth, seventh, and third respectively.
Kerr is also the only player from the Asian Football Confederation to be short-listed for the 2022 award, with the list largely dominated by European players who starred at the recent Women’s European Championships.
Fourteen of the 20 nominated players come from the UEFA confederation, while Africa (Asisat Oshoala) and South America (Christiane Endler) have one each. The United States has four nominees, including the youngest in 20-year-old Trinity Rodman.
In the men’s category, seven-time winner Lionel Messi missed out completely for the first time since 2005, as did his Paris Saint-Germain team-mate, Neymar.
Instead, France striker Karim Benzema leads the short-list after winning the La Liga and Champions League double with Real Madrid, finishing as top scorer in Spain with 27 goals.
He’s joined on the 30-player list by Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah, England striker Harry Kane, Belgium midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, new Barcelona recruit Robert Lewandowski, and new Manchester City signing Erling Haaland.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony on October 17.
Tyson Fury has once again announced his retirement from boxing, despite revealing plans to return to the ring only four days ago.
The Gypsy King has fluctuated in and out of retirement he first announced following his stunning knockout victory over British rival Dillian Whyte in April.
Only as recently as Monday did Fury publicly announce his intention to return as he called out fellow heavyweight Derek Chisora, later stating long-term friend Isaac Lowe will replace SugarHill Steward as his new coach.
Tyson Fury has once again announced his decision to retire from boxing, on his 34th birthday
Fury first revealed his decision to retire after emphatically stopping Dillian Whyte (left) in April
Fury also publicly called out strongman Hafthor Bjornsson ahead of a proposed exhibition bout on Thursday, having flown out to Iceland to confront the 33-year-old in person – only to end up at the pub after finding out he was in a different country.
The Briton, on his 34th birthday, has performed a sudden U-turn, however, now revealing he will never return to the ring.
‘Massive thanks to everyone who had an input in my career over the years and after long hard conversations I’ve finally decided to walk away and on my 34th birthday I say bon voyage,’ he posted on his social media platforms.
Fury also thanked a number of those close to him for their help throughout his career, including promoter Frank Warren, his father John, trainers SugarHill Steward and Ben Davison, and wife Paris.
The Gypsy King – who has both claimed it would take £500million to return and that he wants to fight Anthony Joshua for free – gave no mention to the WBC belt he still owns, with president Mauricio Sulaiman previously insisting the world champion would be provided ample time to come to an official decision.
Fury revealed his latest update on social media as he thanked a number of those close to him
It comes after promoter Frank Warren (right) insisted Fury is itching to return to the ring
Fury’s announcement, which has been met by fierce scrutiny on social media, also comes just days after Warren insisted his fighter has ‘itchy feet’ and will likely return to the ring soon.
Warren admitted the outcome of the highly-anticipated August 20 rematch between Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk would impact his decision, with Fury widely expected to face the winner next in an historic undisputed showdown.
‘I think what’s going to happen is, see what happens on 20 [August] and the outcome of that, and that’ll determine what he intends to do in the future,’ Warren told talkSPORT.
‘My opinion – this is not from him, it’s from me: I think he will [return], because he’s a fighting man and he misses it. That’s what he does, he wants to fight.’
Warren insists Fury is awaiting the outcome of the rematch between Anthony Joshua (right) and Oleksandr Usyk (left) on August 20
Fury, who made his debut back in 2008, has claimed memorable victories over Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wilder, with his record currently standing at 32 wins, one draw and no defeats.
The champion has over the years been criticized for the lack of elite names on his resume, however, and the failure to secure an undisputed showdown against either Joshua or Usyk would not help his case.
Few believed Fury’s initial retirement claim, and few will believe his latest update, however, with US promoter Bob Arum earlier this week insisting the Gypsy King should not be taken seriously.
‘The truth is that he gets up in the morning and he figures how he can best stir up s*** and that’s what he does,’ Arum told Fight Freaks Unite.
‘You think Isaac [Lowe] take it seriously? Of course not, for Christ’s sake. [Fury] is just having fun. It’s his idea of fun. He’s getting a little antsy as we all are because we’re waiting.
‘If Usyk wins then there’s one path to take because then everybody is close and friendly and if Joshua wins then we’ve got to deal with (Joshua promoter) Eddie [Hearn] and all that stuff.’
With just two rounds to go in the 2022 AFL season, West Coast have one eye on finishing the year and one eye on remodeling the nest for the tough years ahead.
With an important draft looming in the off-season, the Eagles will need to make room on their list to be able to bring in the young talent the club so desperately needs for its rebuild.
Following the retirement of spearhead Josh Kennedy, attention quickly turns to the other veterans on the list: Nic Naitanui, Shannon Hurn, jack redden and captain luke shuey.
The West Australian understands that Redden has reached his contract trigger, having played 19 games this season, and has earned a one-year contract extension, which he is keen to honour.
Hurn, who will turn 35 next month, is also expected to earn a new deal for 2023 on the back of solid form this season and is seen as an important figure in the club’s rebuild.
Three-time All-Australian Naitanui has played seven games this year but is in talks for a contract extension, while Shuey is also set to feature next year after managing 15 games this season.
Unfortunately for West Coast’s younger out-of-contract players, this shrinks the available space the club has on offer.
Connor West and jamine jones are both Category A rookies after signing one-year deals at the end of the 2021 season but remain without new contracts for next year.
Connor West. Credit: Mark Brake/Getty Images
West has played 14 games this season but has been hampered by injury throughout. His latest setback from him, a wrist injury sustained against Gold Coast, has ruled him out for the remaining two games of the AFL season.
Jones has played 16 games this year, including the last eight matches and is thriving in a new role off the half-back flank. Both are unlikely to be deleted.
Meanwhile, ruckman Bailey Williams you have fallen out of favor at the wrong point of the season.
Bailey Williams. Credit: Paul Kane/via AFL Photos
The 22-year-old, who has managed 16 games this season – many as the No.1 ruck in Naitanui’s absence – was dropped ahead of the western derby on Saturday.
His omission comes despite Callum Jamieson’s season-ending groin injury, with Josh Rotham brought into the side as Naitanui’s back-up ruck option.
Among the out-of-contract Eagles promoted to the 22 this week are jackson nelson and Hugh Dixon.
Nelson has been stuck playing in the twos, having not featured at the top level since reaching his 100-game milestone for the club against Geelong in round 14 – his 11th game for the season.
Dixon, the former Docker who signed with the club in the pre-season as a supplemental selection period player, has been brought in to cover the loss of Kennedy.
The 23-year-old has managed eight games this season but has been in and out of the side, playing five games in the WAFL.
patrick naishanother SSP selection for the club, played the first 10 games of the season but has only featured once since – against Adelaide in round 13. He’s listed as an emergency against the Dockers.
Tom Joycethe Eagles’ final SSP player, is on the inactive list after suffering a serious ankle injury before round one and will not feature this season.
The situation appears more dire for West Coast defender Alex Whiterden and small forward Isiah Winder.
Alex Whiterden. Credit: Daniel Carson/AFL Pictures
Witherden has played 13 games this season, coming in and out of the side and featured as late as round 19 against St Kilda.
But with West Coast appearing to favor other small defenders, Witherden could be one of the most vulnerable out-of-contract Eagles.
Meanwhile, Winder, 20, has only kicked three goals across six games this season, all in one match against Greater Western Sydney.
A decision on his contract may come down to premiership forward willie rioliwho is understood to be weighing up his future.
West Coast has reportedly offered the 27-year-old a two-year deal, which Rioli is yet to sign.
