Good evening!

On Saturday, 25,000 people will hit the pavement in the annual Sydney Marathon.

The World Marathon Majors (WMM) series currently consists of six races (Berlin, New York, Chicago, Boston, London, Tokyo) and is looking to increase the number of races. Sydney is one of the top candidates with a decision expected to be made in October.

Sunday’s race won’t just be a test for all the athletes who brave the 42.2km, but also for race director Wayne Larden and his entire team of event organisers to make sure the race meets the WMM criteria.

Best of luck to all involved!

I’ve got 10 seconds

Stat of the day

941
The number of points Las Vegas Aces player A’ja Wilson has scored in the 2024 WNBA season. Wilson beat the previous record of 939 points in a single season in the Aces 86-75 win over the Indiana Fever this morning (AEST).

Quote of the day

“The biggest thing that was taken from me was the recognition of who I was. Not just my sport, but the person I am.”
American gymnast Jordan Chiles at the Forbes Power Women’s Summit on Wednesday. Chiles won a bronze medal in the women’s floor routine at the Paris Olympics following a successful appeal of the judge’s scores, but the decision was reversed and she was subsequently stripped of the medal.

Random fact of the day

Two clubs in the AFL can trace their origins back to another state. The Sydney Swans were originally the South Melbourne Football Club before they migrated north of the border in 1983. The Fitzroy Football Club merged with the Brisbane Bears to form the Brisbane Lions in 1996.

I’ve got 30 seconds

In case you missed it…

⚽ China’s Football Association has issued life bans to 38 players and five club officials for match-fixing and gambling. A two-year investigation found that 120 games of football involving 41 different clubs had been fixed. Of the players banned, three had played for China’s national team and one had represented South Korea.

🏀 The commissioner of the WNBA (the U.S. top women’s basketball league), Cathy Engelbert, has been criticised for failing to address racism and misogyny from fans on social media in her response to a question on a talk show. Engelbert did not explicitly condemn hateful comments from fans directed towards one of the sport's biggest stars, Angel Reese, when she and fellow star Caitlin Clark had a rivalry as college players.

🏉 The Sydney Swans will be without captain Callum Mills in next Friday’s preliminary final after he strained his hamstring in training this week. The Swans will play the winner of tomorrow’s semi-final between Hawthorn and Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval. 

⛳ The Solheim Cup, a golf tournament that sees the 12 best women’s golfers from Europe take on the 12 best from the U.S., begins tomorrow at 6:00am. The Cup has been played every two years since 1990, and the U.S. holds a 10-8 advantage. This year’s competition is being played at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia.

I’ve got 1 minute

Travis Head leads Australia to victory over England

Australia's men’s T20 cricket side beat England by 28 runs at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, England on Wednesday evening. It was the first of three matches between the two sides.

What happened

England won the toss and elected to field. Australia set a solid run total of 179, with batsman Travis Head starring for the visitors and being named Player of the Match. Head reached his half-century in only 19 balls, the fastest ever against England and two balls slower than the all-time Australian record of 17. Hequalled (Marcus Stoinis v Sri Lanka 2022) against Scotland last week.

Australia then bowled England out for 151 runs with four balls remaining. Aussie spinner Adam Zampa was especially good with the ball, taking two wickets for 20 runs.

What they said

Australia’s captain Mitch Marsh said: "It's pretty exciting watching Heady go about his work and Shorty [Matt Short]. I thought they both started amazingly. Heady's a special talent."

Help us grow!

Enjoying the newsletter?

If you are, why not share the love with your friends? We’d love your help in getting the word out there.

Send them this link to sign up:
https://sport.thedailyaus.com.au/?utm_campaign=sport-newsletter&utm_source=referral&utm_medium=email

I’ve got 2 minutes

Formula One: Azerbaijan GP Preview

The 17th Formula One race of the season is this weekend in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan.

The course

The Baku City Circuit is a street circuit, taking place on existing roads within the city with very narrow sections. It has been part of the Formula One calendar since 2016. The drivers will do 51 laps of the 6km circuit, racing a total of 306km. The winner of last year’s Azerbaijan GP was Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has claimed the last three pole positions in Baku.

Storylines

Ferrari will see this week as an exciting opportunity given Leclerc has a strong record at this course. The team has some momentum following its win at Monza in Italy two weeks ago.

However, McLaren (Lando Norris and Aussie Oscar Piastri) is the form team at the moment with Red Bull’s early season momentum continuing to wane. McLaren sits eight points behind Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship standings (the team trophy) and will be hoping to seize the lead this weekend.

In the individual Drivers’ Championship, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen still has a healthy lead of 62 points over Norris, but that doesn’t mean the contest between the two drivers and their respective teams will be any less fierce.

Schedule

Practice 1 - Friday 13 September from 7:30pm

Practice 2 - Friday 13 September from 11:00pm

Practice 3 - Saturday 14 September from 6:30pm

Qualifying - Saturday 14 September from 10:00pm

Race - Sunday 15 September at 9:00pm

How to watch

You can watch Formula One on Kayo Sports or Foxtel.

A message from our sponsor

In a recent article, Dr. Dominique Condo, Senior Lecturer in Sport Nutrition at Deakin, discusses the AFL's decision to stop body composition and skinfold testing for players under 18. It comes soon after the AFL put an end to publishing player’s weights.

The move to ban skinfold testing on junior players has sparked debate among prominent figures in the AFL who argue that these measures are important for performance and fitness. Ex-player and coach, Paul Roos said, “This is just farcical … they [skinfold tests] are such a minor thing, to take them away seems ludicrous.”

But by keeping weights private, the league aims to reduce the pressure on players to meet certain body standards, which can lead to body image issues and unhealthy behaviours.

Skinfold testing, which measures body fat, has long been used to help track an athlete’s fitness but also risks causing anxiety about body image, especially in young players. The AFL’s new policy reflects a growing understanding that athlete health is more holistic than just physical metrics. The change is part of a broader, global trend in sport to support athletes' mental well-being and promote a healthier approach to body image.

Think Beyond The Field. Study sport at Deakin.

Looking back…

Looking forward…(All times are AEST)

TDA asks