Good morning!

There’s 58 days until the Paris Olympics. The cheapest Airbnb I can find for the night of the Opening Ceremony within about an hour of the ceremony is $900. If you haven’t booked now, you’re in trouble.

I’ve got 10 seconds

Stat of the day

1 in 5
The number of professional footballers in the UK, from a survey of about 650, who use snus or nicotine pouches, according to a research project carried out by Loughborough University and commissioned by the Professional Footballers’ Association. Snus and nicotine pouches are smokeless nicotine products which are placed between the upper lip and gum and have a stimulating effect. The players using the product reportedly do so to relax and socialise.

Quote of the day

“[Jess Stenson] could you please take down your background photo of my family. BTW, this was after one of the 7-1 all-time head to head wins by [Lisa Weightman].”

The husband of four-time Olympian Lisa Weightman in a since-deleted social media post. Weightman, a marathon runner, has been rejected from competing for Australia, despite having a faster time in the selection trials than Jess Stenson, who was selected. Stenson was reportedly selected ahead of Weightman based on other previous results and her proven record in major races. The header image on Stenson’s X account was of her and Weightman with their families. It has since been changed.

Random fact of the day

The longest non-stop run ever was completed by Dean Karnazes in 2005. Karnazes, an ultra-marathon runner from the U.S, ran 560km in 80 hours and 44 minutes without sleep.

I’ve got 1 minute

Penrith Panthers winger Taylan May pleaded not guilty to three domestic violence charges in court yesterday.

It’s alleged the 23-year-old punched his wife Jessica May in the face during an altercation on 8 April, and later stalked her.

NRL no-fault stand down policy

The NRL has a no-fault stand down policy. This means that any player who has been charged with criminal offences that carry a maximum sentence of 11 years or more is banned from playing.

The Panthers winger has been banned from playing since 23 May.

Panther’s Response

The Panthers said in a statement after May’s arrest they would "continue to provide support to all parties involved".

It has been reported that the Panthers will ask for their team’s salary cap to be amended in order to boost their roster while May is absent.

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I’ve got 2 minutes

Three starters for the Argentinian women’s football team left in protest on Monday. Julieta Cruz, Laurina Oliveros, and Lorena Benítez announced they would refuse to train with and play for their national team ahead of two friendlies against Costa Rica next month.

The players said they were told by the Argentine Football Association they would not be paid for the upcoming matches because they are taking place at home, in Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital.

Cruz took to Instagram to voice a series of complaints, including inadequate nutrition. She said players received a ham sandwich and banana for lunch during a national team training camp, and that their family members aren’t granted free admission to games.

What they said

Cruz said: “We reached a point in which we are tired of the injustices, of not being valued, not being heard and, even worse, being humiliated. We need improvements for Argentina’s women’s soccer national team, and I am not only talking about finances. I speak about training, having lunch, breakfast.”

The women’s decision has been supported by peers such as star player Estefanía Banini, who said it had “been a matter of time” before someone spoke out. Banini added: “Thanks for being willing to speak about it.”

Women’s pay in football

The dispute highlights the ongoing issue in women’s football of fair financial compensation. A survey of players from around the world ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup found two-thirds were taking paid or unpaid leave from their jobs to compete.

As the ANU has pointed out, working a second job leads to increased risk of burnout, which also leads to higher injury rates for female athletes compared to men.

Globally, one of the highest paid women’s soccer players is the US’ Alex Morgan, who receives $US800,000 ($AU1.2 million) from her club each year. The highest paid men’s player, Cristiano Ronaldo, receives a reported $US200 million ($AU300m) a year.

The pay gap is also reflected in World Cup prize money awarded by FIFA. In 2022 at the Men’s World Cup, $US440 million ($AU661m) was awarded throughout the tournament, while in 2023, at the Women’s World Cup, the prize money was $US110 million ($AU165m).

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