Canberra Raiders prop Josh Papalii has reportedly pledged his allegiance to Samoa for the upcoming Rugby League World Cup held in England later this year.
Papalii has dabbled in the Samoan and Kangaroos camps in the past with four games with Samoa and 11 with the Kangaroos.
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The Maroons veteran is the latest Australian eligible player to commit to a Pacific Island nation, joining Panthers duo Jarome Luai and Brian To’o.
“As an older player, I feel like it’s a movement I just don’t want to be missing out on,” Papalii said.
“Just seeing the likes of a few of the Penrith boys coming out and I’ve had few text messages from other players who haven’t come out yet saying they’ve put their hand up for Samoa.
“I have put my hand up to play for Samoa. Mal Meninga knows that and I’ve had a coffee with Mal as well to speak about what I’m planning to do… but that’s a long way from here, anything can happen in the next hopefully eight weeks.”
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This year’s Rugby League World Cup will be Papalii’s second for Samoa. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Papalii represented Samoa at the 2017 World Cup but has since pulled on the green and gold of Australia.
“I guess probably my last World Cup wasn’t the best, I sort of treated it as a little vacation and probably drank a bit too often, ate more than I should have,” he admitted.
“I’m looking to just play a bit of World Cup for the Motherland and represent my wife and my kids and especially my parents as well and just make Samoa proud.”
This year’s Rugby League World Cup will be hosted in the United Kingdom, making it Papalii’s third appearance in the major tournament, being his second with his native country of Samoa.
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LIVE: It’s Day 6 of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and it’s set to be another cracker for the Aussies.
After 11 golds and 32 medals total on Day 5, Australia will be targeting more success – with a packed schedule in the Athletics, plus the final action in the pool.
Follow all the action in our live blog below and check back for regular updates!
Superstar Peter Bol opened his campaign in style, cruising into the end of the 800m after crossing the line in his heat in first place. While sprint star Rohan Browning is back in action in the 100m semis – and hopefully the final at 6.30am AEST.
In the pool, Ariarne Titmus hunts gold in the 400m, while Se-Bom Lee hits the water in the 200m individual medley.
There’s also plenty of other action on offer, with the Kookaburras back on the hockey field after the Hockeyroos’ comfortable victory early on day six, plus our Aussie women’s cricket who are on top against Pakistan.
That’s not to mention beach volleyball, table tennis, lawn bowls, or mountain biking and so on …
LIVE MEDAL TALLY: Keep up with the Aussie charge to the top!
EVERY AUSSIE MEDAL: Read the day-by-day recap of the Comm Games
Aussie heartbreak! Poms steal GOLD in OT | 00:25
DAY FIVE NEWS
WRAP: McKeon makes history after epic upset as Aussies surge with ELEVEN gold
‘Clunky’ Diamonds get job done as focus shifts to massive battle with Jamaica
English swimming star apologizes after backlash to ‘arrogant’ interview
Cody Simpson has blown us all away at the Commonwealth Games
Aussie cult hero goes bang at Commonwealth Games after ‘humiliation’
‘Blood in the water’: The ambush we should have seen coming as next Aussie superstar emerges
CHALMERS, AUSSIES FALL SHORT IN MASSIVE BOILOVER
Despite a sizzling anchor leg from Kyle Chalmers, Australia failed to win the men’s 4 x 100m medley relay as England caused a major upset to snare the gold.
England finished with a time of 3:31:80 while Australia touched the wall at 3:31:88.
Chalmers swam a split of 46.86 as it looked for all money that he would catch up to English swimmer Tom Dean, but it wasn’t enough.
TITMUS BEATS TEEN SENSATION TO WIN FOURTH GOLD
Ariarne Titmus has set a new Commonwealth Games record after winning the women’s 400m freestyle.
Titmus – the world record holder, defending Commonwealth Games champion, and the Olympic champion – beat 15-year-old Canadian sensation Summer McIntosh who ultimately came second in the race while Aussie Kiah Melverton took home the bronze.
Titmus touched the wall at 3:58:06, a few seconds off her personal best, but it did the job as she won her fourth medal in Birmingham.
STARC BATTLES SERIOUS INJURY AMID MEDAL TILT
Brandon Starc doesn’t look comfortable, grimacing as he deals with a reported foot injury in the men’s high jump final.
The 2018 Commonwealth Games champion needed two attempts to clear 2.15m then missed his first two efforts at 2.19m.
“That was not displaying much purpose. He did not get up off the ground, the foot injury no doubt playing on his mind, ”Channel 7’s David Culbert said.
Starc is battling a foot injury. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“With the troubles he has had you can see the body language is a bit of concern, does not look like the sort of athlete up and about feeling 100 per cent.”
Starc recovered with his third and final jump at 2.19m to stay alive, giving a little smile after nailing the height. Seven’s Matt Hill said: “Really good facial expression in contrast to what we saw a few moments ago.”
He then went on to clear 2.25m to throw down the gauntlet to the rest of the competition.
– via James Matthey, news.com.au
AUSSIE STAR SECURE GOLD IN EPIC BATTLE OF ENDURANCE
Sam Short has won the gold medal in the men’s 1500m freestyle in a physically grievous battle.
Short, who is just 18 years of age, touched the wall at 14:48:54, at a time that smashed his previous personal best by 10 seconds.
Speaking after the race, Short couldn’t hide his beaming smile as he can count himself among the elites of Australian swimming like Kieren Perkins and Grant Hackett.
“All those names are incredible to me,” Short said.
“Standing here today, I didn’t think I would be in the same sentence as them. Four years ago I watched this event and didn’t know I would be in the same position.”
Ariane Titmus won gold in the women’s 800 meter freestyle and backed it up with a strong swim in the 400m to qualify in third spot for the final. Picture: Michael KleinSource: News Corp Australia
Lani Pallister and Kiah Melverton made it a one-two-three for Australia in the heat.
FAVORITE BOWL FOR 800M FINAL
Peter Bol is once again turning heads, having flown into the men’s 800 final.
After a disappointing finish at the world championships, Bol returned to the form that made him a household name at the Tokyo Olympics and blitzed the field in the second heat, posting a time of 1:47:01.
“It’s great to be here,” Bol told Channel 7. “Unbelievable crowd as well. It’s an awesome feeling.
“Two championships in a row. It’s almost like it’s a second chance. I ran exactly how I wanted, and now four days off and back for the final.”
Australia’s Peter Bol (R) reacts after finishing in first place during the second heat of the men’s 800m at the Alexander Stadium, in Birmingham. Photo: AFPSource: AFP
The news wasn’t so good for fellow Australian Charlie Hunter, who missed out on the final after posting a time of 1:49:94.
Meanwhile, Steve Solomon has qualified for the semi-finals of the men’s 400m. The 29-year-old finished second in the opening heat of the event.
“I’m really happy with today’s run,” he said.
“I’ve had a challenging season to put it lightly. I’m really looking forward to coming back Friday night.
“I just wasn’t able to get the body right for (the world’s) and I’m proud of how I’ve refocused. It’s exciting times.”
STAR DUO SMOKE PAKISTAN
Australia remains unbeaten in cricket, after a clinical 44-run win over Pakistan.
Early on though and a big victory seemed a long way off.
The world champions slumped to 2-19 after the early exits of Alyssa Healy (4) and captain Meg Lanning (4), before opener Beth Mooney (70* off 49) and Tahlia McGrath (78* off 51) put Australia in the driver’s seat with their 141-run unbeaten third-wicket stand. In the end Australia finished 2-160 to set an imposing target.
Pakistan never really were in it, losing wickets regularly and finished 8-116.
McGrath took 3-13 and a run out to go along with her fabulous half-century, while Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown, Jessica Jonassen and Alan King each took a wicket.
Tahlia McGrath and Beth Mooney hit half-centuries during Australia’s big win over Pakistan. Photo: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
FLYING HOCKEYROOS
The Hockeyroos’ perfect start continued, as Katrina Powell’s side had a comfortable 2-0 win over Scotland.
The victory sealed top spot in Pool B for the Hockeyroos and a place in the final four.
Grace Stewart celebrates with teammates after scoring their side’s first goal against Scotland on day six of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Photo: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
While Powell’s side dominated much of the game, they had to wait until late in the second term to find the back of the goals as Grace Stewart finished nicely to put Australia in front.
Shanea Tonkin then doubled Australia’s lead to confirm a comfortable victory.
SELECTED SCHEDULE (MORE TO COME)
ATHLETICS
Men’s 100m – 6:30am (Thursday)
HOCKEY
Men’s Group Matches – Australia v South Africa (6am)
LAWN BOWLS
Tons of action from 5.30pm AEST, culminating in theFor Women’s Pairs B6-B8 Gold Medal match – Australia v Scotland (midnight)
You don’t win gold in the qualifying rounds — and now teen star Muzala Samukonga knows it better than anyone.
The Zambian runner smoked the field in the heats of the men’s 400m at Alexander Stadium on Wednesday night (AEST), powering all the way to the finish line to shave 0.13 seconds off his personal best.
However, he collapsed on the ground after crossing the line and appeared to be in distress as officials attended to him.
The 19-year-old won Heat 5 by more than 10m from his nearest competitor and went through to the semi-finals with the fastest time of 44.89 seconds — the first time he has ever gone under the 45 second mark.
However, he might have paid a hefty price for running the personal best and he was seen clutching at his left hamstring after crossing the line. In a confronting sight, he was also seen to be punching his upper leg as he grimaced on the ground.
After attempting to get to his feet, Samukonga fell back to the ground before a wheelchair was brought out to carry him out of the stadium.
It appeared to be a case of severe cramp and Aussie athletics great Tamsyn Manou said she suspects Samukonga was suffering from “lactic acid pain”.
“He’s in liquor there. Definite all sorts,” the former Olympian told Channel 7.
“That’s just lactic acid pain pulsating through those legs.”
When asked what that feels like, Manou responded: “It’s horrendous. He’s got it that badly. He’s got it really bad. He’s going to take a while to recover from that.
“He’s going to need an ice bath for a while.”
His participation in the semi-finals on Saturday morning (AEST) has not been confirmed.
Former British middle-distance runner Tim Hutchings told the Commonwealth Games host broadcasting service Samukonga brought it on himself.
“Maybe he thought I may never get a chance to run sub-45 (seconds) again,” Hutchings said.
“I think most coaches would say, ‘it’s great to run a personal best, but actually this is just extravagant and you will pay for it’.
“That’s a 10m winning margin — and more by the time he hits the line.
“Really, really unnecessary. No one else goes under 46 seconds.
“He runs 44.89 seconds and dare I say, he’s the word naive.
“An incredible run, but I hope that’s not the last we see of him in Birmingham.”
Aussie Steve Solomon also moved through to the semi-finals as the sixth-quickest overall qualifier after finishing second in his heat with a time of 45.98 seconds.
You don’t win gold in the qualifying rounds — and now teen star Muzala Samukonga knows it better than anyone.
The Zambian runner smoked the field in the heats of the men’s 400m at Alexander Stadium on Wednesday night (AEST), powering all the way to the finish line to shave 0.13 seconds off his personal best.
However, he collapsed on the ground after crossing the line and appeared to be in distress as officials attended to him.
The 19-year-old won Heat 5 by more than 10m from his nearest competitor and went through to the semi-finals with the fastest time of 44.89 seconds — the first time he has ever gone under the 45 second mark.
However, he might have paid a hefty price for running the personal best and he was seen clutching at his left hamstring after crossing the line. In a confronting sight, he was also seen to be punching his upper leg as he grimaced on the ground.
After attempting to get to his feet, Samukonga fell back to the ground before a wheelchair was brought out to carry him out of the stadium.
It appeared to be a case of severe cramp and Aussie athletics great Tamsyn Manou said she suspects Samukonga was suffering from “lactic acid pain”.
“He’s in liquor there. Definite all sorts,” the former Olympian told Channel 7.
“That’s just lactic acid pain pulsating through those legs.”
When asked what that feels like, Manou responded: “It’s horrendous. He’s got it that badly. He’s got it really bad. He’s going to take a while to recover from that.
“He’s going to need an ice bath for a while.”
His participation in the semi-finals on Saturday morning (AEST) has not been confirmed.
Former British middle-distance runner Tim Hutchings told the Commonwealth Games host broadcasting service Samukonga brought it on himself.
“Maybe he thought I may never get a chance to run sub-45 (seconds) again,” Hutchings said.
“I think most coaches would say, ‘it’s great to run a personal best, but actually this is just extravagant and you will pay for it’.
“That’s a 10m winning margin — and more by the time he hits the line.
“Really, really unnecessary. No one else goes under 46 seconds.
“He runs 44.89 seconds and dare I say, he’s the word naive.
“An incredible run, but I hope that’s not the last we see of him in Birmingham.”
Aussie Steve Solomon also moved through to the semi-finals as the sixth-quickest overall qualifier after finishing second in his heat with a time of 45.98 seconds.
Canberra Raiders prop Josh Papalii has reportedly pledged his allegiance to Samoa for the upcoming Rugby League World Cup held in England later this year.
Papalii has dabbled in the Samoan and Kangaroos camps in the past with four games with Samoa and 11 with the Kangaroos.
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The Maroons veteran is the latest Australian eligible player to commit to a Pacific Island nation, joining Panthers duo Jarome Luai and Brian To’o.
“As an older player, I feel like it’s a movement I just don’t want to be missing out on,” Papalii said.
“Just seeing the likes of a few of the Penrith boys coming out and I’ve had few text messages from other players who haven’t come out yet saying they’ve put their hand up for Samoa.
“I have put my hand up to play for Samoa. Mal Meninga knows that and I’ve had a coffee with Mal as well to speak about what I’m planning to do… but that’s a long way from here, anything can happen in the next hopefully eight weeks.”
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This year’s Rugby League World Cup will be Papalii’s second for Samoa. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Papalii represented Samoa at the 2017 World Cup but has since pulled on the green and gold of Australia.
“I guess probably my last World Cup wasn’t the best, I sort of treated it as a little vacation and probably drank a bit too often, ate more than I should have,” he admitted.
“I’m looking to just play a bit of World Cup for the Motherland and represent my wife and my kids and especially my parents as well and just make Samoa proud.”
This year’s Rugby League World Cup will be hosted in the United Kingdom, making it Papalii’s third appearance in the major tournament, being his second with his native country of Samoa.
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Rohan Browning has produced his best run of the year to send a message at the Commonwealth Games.
The 24-year-old won his heat in a time of 10.10 in a spectacular turnaround from the World Championships in Oregon last month where he was unable to get out of the heats.
The cult hero, popularly referred to as ‘The Flying Mullet’, said he even has more power in the tank to go quicker in Birmingham.
Browning, who famously ran 10.01 to win his heat at the Tokyo Olympics last year, looks like he is the real deal once again.
His time sees him go through to the semi-finals as the equal-fourth fastest runner, but the fact that he did it while easing up at the back end says everything.
“The gun went and he reacted well and he stayed relaxed through those middle phases. Even at the back end, he looked like he switched off a little bit and looked to his side of him and said ‘I’ve got this’.
“This is very similar to his heat at Tokyo. He opens up that leg stride. I have got
a nice forward lean. You can still tell he is looking across and he has got a bit more. Look at that face. He is so relaxed. That is exactly what you want to see from a sprinter running at top pace. He will be very happy with that.”
He was.
It’s a sign that the magical 10.0 second mark could finally fall for him.
“I always planned on running this round hard, at this level you have to treat every round with respect, but there’s two more rounds to come,” he said.
“I don’t want a repeat of Tokyo where I was out in the semis. I want to keep a bit of powder dry for the finals.”
He said part of his bounce back from the world championships is the “humiliating” factor of failing to reach the semi-finals.
“I try not to take it to heart,” he said.
“There’s always that humiliation element when you get run out in the heats, but just trying to bounce back from it and not take it to heart and just trust that the form is there, it’s just in the execution. I think I’ve tapped into a good vein of form.”
Jake Doran, Australia’s second-fastest man, also qualified for the 100m semi-finals, finishing second in his heat with a time of in 10.39 seconds.
Browning’s time was just 0.04 seconds short of being the fastest in the heats.
Team Australia dominated the Commonwealth Games medal tally in Birmingham in the opening four days, sitting comfortably in front – thanks largely to more dominance in the pool.
Australia claimed a stunning eight gold medals on day one, including five of a possible seven in the pool! On day two, Australia added five more golds.
The gold rush continued with nine on day three, highlighted by Emma McKeon making history with a record-breaking 11th Commonwealth Games gold medal when she took out the Women’s 50m freestyle final.
Australia has dominated again on day four with another NINE gold medals, coming in judo, lawn bowls, cycling and gymnastics — along with the usual big haul in the pool.
Australia has opened day five with a 72nd medal of the Games, this time a bronze in the men’s vault in artistic gymnastics.
DAY 5 LIVE: Athletics begins as Browning opens 100m campaign; McKeon and Simpson eye final swim day
DAY 4 WRAP: Aussies win NINE golds in wild Games medal blitz; Chalmers win ‘hard to enjoy’
Read on for more details and the full medal tally.
Australia sit on top of the medal tally with 31 gold, 20 silver and 21 bronze (71 total!), ahead of England and New Zealand.
The Aussies topped the tally with 198 medals — including 80 gold — in the Gold Coast four years ago.
You can track the live medal tally for every country here, with key Aussie wins and updates as they happen.
Click here for a full list of EVERY Aussie medal winner!
Commonwealth Games kick off in style | 00:34
SCHEDULE: Sport-by-sport guide to every day
AUSSIES: Our top hopes to watch
INTERNATIONALS: The big names set to light up the Games
COMMONWEALTH GAMES MEDALS TALLY (AS OF 5:30AM WEDNESDAY)
RANK/COUNTRY/GOLD/SILVER/BRONZE/TOTAL
1. Australia — 37, 28, 30, 95
2.England—28, 30, 17, 75
3.New Zealand—13, 7, 5, 25
4. Canada — 10, 14, 19, 43
5. South Africa—6, 5, 5, 16
6. India — 5, 4, 3, 12
7.Scotland—3, 8, 15, 26
8. Wales—3, 2, 8, 13
9. Malaysia — 2, 2, 3, 7
10. Nigeria — 2, 1, 4, 7
See the full live medal tally here.
DAY-BY-DAY MEDAL LIST
DAY FIVE
James Bacuetti claimed Australia’s first men’s gymnastics medal of these Games, winning bronze in the men’s vault. 20-year-old English sensation Jake Jarman won gold – his FOURTH of the Games – ahead of Fellow Englishman Giarnni Regini-Moran.
Aofie Coughlan took home the gold medal in the women’s 70kg judo final while Eileen Cikamatana set a new Games Record en route to a gold medal in the women’s 87kg weightlifting final.
in the swimming, Mollie O’Callaghan produced a stunning upset to win the gold in the womens’ 100m freestyle as Elizabeth Deckers won the women’s 200m butterfly.
nina kennedy secured the gold in the women’s pole vault.
DAY 5 LIVE: Athletics begins as Browning opens 100m campaign; McKeon and Simpson eye more gold
DAY FOUR
Australia ended day four with 31 gold, 20 silver and 21 bronze (71 total!), ahead of England and New Zealand.
Georgia Goodwin narrowly won gold in the women’s vault over Canada’s Laurie Denommee, while at the track, matthew glaetzer won gold in the men’s 1,000m time trial. Ellen Ryan won gold in the women’s lawn bowls singles and Tinka Easton caused an upset by claiming gold in judo.
in the pool, Kyle Chalmer won the 100m freestyle, Kaylee McKeown won the 200m backstroke and matthew levy claimed gold in the men’s 50m freestyle S7. Emma McKeon then narrowly clinched gold in the 50m breaststroke to extend her Games record to 12 golds, while the Aussies ended the night with victory in the men’s 4x200m freestyle.
Aussie weightlifter robbed of Gold?! | 00:26
Elsewhere, 49-year-old legend Jian Fang Lay has led the Aussie team to bronze in the women’s table tennis team event.
It began with victory in doubles alongside Yangzi Liu, who won her own singles game before Jian Fang Lay sealed the 3-0 over Wales with a singles victory of her own.
Kyle Bruce claimed silver in the men’s 81kg weightlifting after a heartbreaking jury decision overruled his final, gold-winning lift.
The Aussie men’s triples claimed silver in the lawn bowls, fighting back from 12-1 down in the final to level the score at 12-12 against England before falling 14-12.
DAY 4 WRAP: Aussies win NINE golds in wild Games medal blitz; Chalmers win ‘hard to enjoy’
GOLDEN HEARTBREAK: ‘Devastated’ Aussie in tears after gold ‘stolen away’
CHALMERS GOES ALL IN: Legends not surprised by last-minute withdrawal
BIG BLOW: Diamonds’ dream run soured as star sidelined with calf injury
Jian Fang Lay led the Aussies to bronze in table tennis!Source: Getty Images
DAY THREE
Australians Sam Harding and Jonathan Gorlach kicked off the day with superb silver and bronze medals in the men’s PTVI triathlon final.
Emma McKeon and Kaylee McKeown then added two more gold in the pool taking out the Women’s 50m freestyle and the 100m backstroke respectively.
McKeon led home meg harris in silver with Shayna Jack (24.36) finishing third.
In the men’s 50m breaststroke, Zac Stubblety-Cook (59.52) took home bronze.
The Women’s 4x200m freestyle relay team then completed a dominant campaign in the pool by breaking the world record.
Georgia Godwin won the all-round rhythmic gymnastics women’s final.
Australia’s Women’s 7s rugby side then put the pain of Tokyo behind them to claim gold in the final against Fiji.
In track cycling, matthew richardson won the men’s final sprint.
Kristina Clonan took home gold in the 500m time trial.
Georgia Baker won the women’s 25km points race, while Jessica Gallagher picked up her second gold medal of the Games in the Women’s tandem 1000m time trial with pilot Caitlyn Ward.
Day 3 WRAP: ‘Extraordinary’ Aussies break world record, McKeon makes history
‘It is shocking’: Thorpe stunned as England World record holder toppled in ‘unbelievable’ boilover
SHOCK CRASH: Cyclist catapults into crowd in horror scenes after Comm Games crash
‘Lost my s***’: Boxall goes bonkers AGAIN as Aussie coach celebrates WR win
‘Took all my courage and energy to swim’: Chalmers stuns in raw, emotional interview
DAY TWO
madison de rosario took out the women’s T53/54 marathon in style, dominating the field to win with a Commonwealth Games record time of 1:56:00.
Jess Stenson won the women’s marathon with an incredible run, going better than her two bronze medals in Glasgow and the Gold Coast.
It was another ripping day in the pool, with katja dedekind winning a gold meal in the women’s 50m freestyle S13 while both the men’s and women’s 4 x 100m freestyle relay finished first.
There were silver medals for maeve plouffe in the women’s 3000m individual pursuit, Brendon Smith in the men’s 400m IM, Emma McKeon in the women’s 100m butterfly and the artistic gymnastics team.
DAY 2 NEWS
WRAP: McKeon makes history amid swim gold rush; rugby stars win thriller
‘A load of s***’: Chalmers explodes at media for ‘ruining it all’ over love triangle claims
‘Dream big’: ‘Extraordinary’ journey behind ‘one of the great’ Aussie athletics triumphs
‘I was just guessing’: New Aussie cult hero’s shock reveal after ‘epic’ career-best run
DAY ONE
matt hauser had the honor of being the first Australian to win a medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, taking home the silver medal in the Men’s Triathlon Sprint Distance Final.
Ariarne Titmus won gold in the women’s 200m freestyle, 18-year-old Aussie Mollie O’Callaghan claimed silver in an unbelievable late charge, ahead of Madison Wilson.
Elijah Winnington won gold in the men’s 400m freestyle, ahead of fellow Aussies Sam Short and Mack Horton. Zac Stubblety-Cook won gold in the men’s 200m breaststroke while Kiah Melverton took silver in the women’s 400m Individual Medley.
In the final race of night one, Australia won gold in the mixed 4x100m relay.
Princess Charlotte was all smiles as she watched the Commonwealth Games with her mum and dad.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took Charlotte, seven, to see the swimming at the Sandwell Aquatics Center in Birmingham, The Sun reports.
William and Kate arrived on Tuesday shortly after the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their children, Lady Louise and James.
Before the duke and duchess’s arrival, Edward, who is vice patron of the Commonwealth Games, shared a joke with former prime minister Theresa May as he entered during the men’s 1500m freestyle heats.
The duke and duchess arrived shortly after with Princess Charlotte, dressed in a striped dress and her hair done up in pigtails.
Kate, dressed in a white blazer and trousers, embraced Edward, Sophie and their children before taking her seat next to Charlotte.
The duchess was pointing and explaining things to her daughter, while William held one of the official programs.
The royals were cheering and applauding alongside the crowd for England 1500m freestyle hopeful Luke Turley.
After rolling her eyes following a comment from her father, Charlotte then cracked a smile as Turley’s heat came to close.
It’s been a very sporty week for Charlotte, who also roared her support for the England Lionesses alongside Prince William ahead of Sunday’s Euro final.
She beamed as she wished the team good luck as they prepared to take on Germany at Wembley.
Wearing a short-sleeved polka dot top, Charlotte said: “Good luck, I hope you win. Bye.”
Charlotte is currently on her school summer holidays from her $34,000-a-year Thomas’s Battersea school.
This summer may also be particularly busy for the family who are reportedly preparing to move to a house on the Queen’s Windsor estate.
This article was originally published by The Sun and reproduced with permission
English swimming goliath Adam Peaty has apologized over an “arrogant” interview that followed his incredible collapse at the Commonwealth Games on Monday.
Peaty’s defeat in the event he has owned for 10 years left Aussie legend Ian Thorpe staggered. It was a result almost nobody saw coming.
The world record holder had been undefeated in the 100m breaststroke at major meets since 2014. He had qualified fastest for the final and led the event with 25m to go. However, English teammate James Wilby pushed ahead of him to take the gold.
DAY 5 LIVE: Browning up next in 100m heat after teammate’s ultra-tight stunner
The magnitude of the boilover was written all over Wilby’s stunned face as he looked up to the big screen to see that he had won. With Aussies Zac Stubblety-Cook and Sam Williamson exploding at the death, Peaty suddenly went from the gold medal position to missing out on the podium completely.
It has been an explosive fall-out to the result with the 27-year-old declaring he won’t be coming back to the Commonwealth Games in four years’ time. It followed a social media backlash over comments that have been branded “arrogant” by fans.
Peaty spoke to the BBC on the pooldeck after finishing outside the medals and said losing in the Commonwealth Games meant little to him after already scooping up three Olympic gold medals.
“It doesn’t feel amazing, but it doesn’t feel bad either,” Peaty said.
LIVE MEDAL TALLY: Keep up with the Aussie charge to the top!
EVERY AUSSIE MEDAL: Read the day-by-day recap of the Comm Games
Adam Peaty speaking on the BBC.Source: Supplied
“It’ll probably be my last attempt tomorrow, but I’m not bothered about it. The Commonwealths to me, in the grand scheme of things… it’s about two years time (the Olympics).
“That’s no disrespect. I’m still four weeks into my program, I can’t put that expectation on myself.”
Retired English swimmer Mark Foster responded to Peaty’s comments, saying: “I think he’s trying to say it doesn’t matter, but it does matter.
“It’s the Commonwealth Games, it’s a multi-sport event and I think when he was growing up, the Commonwealth Games would have been a big deal.
“But the fact that he’s won lots of Worlds and Olympic Games, maybe he’s trying to play it down to himself that it doesn’t matter.”
The Birmingham Mail reported fans on social media said Peaty’s comments were “arrogant” and “disrespectful”.
“Adam peaty is disrespectful to every other athlete at the Commonwealth Games Acting like he doesn’t care While all the other athletes are trying they best to win medals,” one Twitter user wrote.
Another posted: “Adam Peaty, I think you need to take a deep breath, have a word with yourself and take a look at the para swimmers. Used to really respect you and what you were trying to achieve but feel let down by tonight’s comments.”
World record-holder Peaty qualified second-fastest for the 50m breaststroke final, scheduled for Wednesday morning, behind Australia’s Sam Williamson.
After moving through to the end, Peaty appeared to apologize for his comments.
He wrote on Twitter: “Thankful for all the supportful messages I’m getting at the moment. It has been an incredibly hard time the past few months, but mostly the last few days.
“Sometimes in the heat of the moment my emotions better me and I can’t speak with a clear mind.
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James Wilby was stunned. Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.Source: Getty ImagesEngland’s James Wilby celebrates winning. Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP.Source: AFP
“These championships mean a lot to me being a home games but I have to think bigger picture to keep my spirits high. It really, really isn’t easy. My last Commonwealth Games race will be tomorrow.”
Peaty said he simply hasn’t had the time to return to his best shape as a result of a lengthy rehabilitation from several foot injuries. He said he didn’t have the aerobic fitness to challenge for the 100m breaststroke and even said he needs to lose 4kg before competing at the Olympics in Paris in 2024.
He said he has a long way to go before Paris.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Peaty said.
“I don’t see the point in doing something I wouldn’t do that well at, at the moment. We’ll see.
“I don’t know what went wrong. With 25m to go I had nothing in the tank. Maybe that’s overexposure on the foot. Sometimes you just have a bad race, I can’t pinpoint where I went wrong. There’s a lot of debriefing to do. I need a full reset now.
“It was a slow ending, I can’t remember the last time I went that slow. It just didn’t go right. Of course, I’m disappointed, but that’s what makes you go faster next time.
“I’ve kind of lost that spark, whether it’s with my foot, but I’ll be looking to find that over the next months and into the next two years.”
Rohan Browning has produced his best run of the year to send a message at the Commonwealth Games.
The 24-year-old won his heat in a time of 10.10 in a spectacular turnaround from the World Championships in Oregon last month where he was unable to get out of the heats.
The cult hero, popularly referred to as ‘The Flying Mullet’, said he even has more power in the tank to go quicker in Birmingham.
Browning, who famously ran 10.01 to win his heat at the Tokyo Olympics last year, looks like he is the real deal once again.
His time sees him go through to the semi-finals as the equal-fourth fastest runner, but the fact that he did it while easing up at the back end says everything.
“The gun went and he reacted well and he stayed relaxed through those middle phases. Even at the back end, he looked like he switched off a little bit and looked to his side of him and said ‘I’ve got this’.
“This is very similar to his heat at Tokyo. He opens up that leg stride. I have got
a nice forward lean. You can still tell he is looking across and he has got a bit more. Look at that face. He is so relaxed. That is exactly what you want to see from a sprinter running at top pace. He will be very happy with that.”
He was.
It’s a sign that the magical 10.0 second mark could finally fall for him.
“I always planned on running this round hard, at this level you have to treat every round with respect, but there’s two more rounds to come,” he said.
“I don’t want a repeat of Tokyo where I was out in the semis. I want to keep a bit of powder dry for the finals.”
He said part of his bounce back from the world championships is the “humiliating” factor of failing to reach the semi-finals.
“I try not to take it to heart,” he said.
“There’s always that humiliation element when you get run out in the heats, but just trying to bounce back from it and not take it to heart and just trust that the form is there, it’s just in the execution. I think I’ve tapped into a good vein of form.”
Jake Doran, Australia’s second-fastest man, also qualified for the 100m semi-finals, finishing second in his heat with a time of in 10.39 seconds.
Browning’s time was just 0.04 seconds short of being the fastest in the heats.
