Today marks 25 years since the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympics. If you have a memory from the games that you’d like to share, please reply to this email, and I can highlight it in tomorrow’s intro. 

I’d love to say I remember it all vividly, but I was two-years-old, and my saying I have even a remote memory of anything at that time would be an outright lie. 

That being said, I am angling to make Brisbane 2032 a memorable Olympics.

Then, in 2057, I can reply to TDA Sport’s journalist regaling the time I saw an Aussie athlete win a gold medal in Brisbane. (I have my predictions, but I’m afraid of the commentator’s curse.) 

11.08 seconds
The new Australian record for the women’s 100m, set by 20-year-old sprint sensation Torrie Lewis at the athletics world championships over the weekend. Lewis ran 11.08 in the heat to advance to the semi-final, where she finished fifth. She will compete in the women’s 200m and 4x100m at the championships, which continue this week.

"I'm a goal-scorer, that's what I love doing, and those 100 goals represent a lot of hard work, dedication and sacrifices to get there."
Australian football star Sam Kerr after scoring her 100th goal for Women’s Super League club Chelsea. Kerr scored a goal in her first match back since injuring her ACL in January 2024, coming off the bench as Chelsea beat Aston Villa 3-1.

At the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, South Africa’s Ken McArthur won the men’s marathon. At 77 kg and 1.88 m, he is the heaviest men’s Olympic marathon champion on record (based on available data). The race was run in hot conditions, and only 36 of 68 starters finished. McArthur pulled clear when teammate Christian Gitsham paused for water. 

🏏 Australia’s women’s cricket team defeated India by eight wickets in the first of three ODIs on Sunday in Chandigarh. Phoebe Litchfield and Beth Mooney led the run chase with scores of 88 and 77, respectively. Australia reached the target of 282 with 35 balls to spare. The run chase was the fourth-highest in the history of women's 50-over internationals. The second ODI will be played in Mullanpur on Wednesday. The series is serving as a warm-up for both sides for the ODI World Cup, which begins later this month.

⛵ Great Britain’s SailGP team cruised to victory at the France SailGP in Saint-Tropez after racing was halted by bad weather. With three days of racing scheduled, crews were limited to just one because of storms in the south of France. The Flying Roos, Australia’s sail team, finished fifth.  With three events remaining, New Zealand’s Black Foils lead the season championship on 70 points, with Great Britain in second on 68 points and the Flying Roos in third on 67 points. 

🏉 Argentina edged out the Wallabies 28-26 in front of a sell-out crowd of 41,912 at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium on Saturday. Pumas fly-half Santiago Carreras kicked seven penalties, which proved decisive as Argentina held on after a late flurry of tries from Australia. Later on Saturday, South Africa turned the tables on the All Blacks with a record 43-10 win in Wellington to retain the Freedom Cup. It marked the heaviest test defeat in New Zealand’s history. With two rounds left in the Rugby Championship, Australia leads the table on 11 points, followed by South Africa and New Zealand with 10 each, while Argentina lie fourth on nine points.

🏉 The Brisbane Lions smashed the Gold Coast Suns 100-47 at the Gabba on Saturday night, ending the Suns’ first-ever finals campaign and booking Brisbane’s spot in the preliminary final. Meanwhile, at Adelaide Oval on Friday, Hawthorn thumped the Adelaide Crows 101-67, sending the minor premiers out in straight sets. It’s the first time that a minor premiership-winning side has not won a single finals game in 42 years. Next week’s preliminary finals matchups will see Hawthorn take on Geelong on Friday night, while the Lions face Collingwood on Saturday. In other AFL news today, the league confirmed that State of Origin will return next season, with a one-off match to be played between Western Australia and Victoria in Perth on 14 February next year. 

🏉 Canada ended the Wallaroos’ Rugby World Cup campaign with a dominant 46-5 win in the quarter final in Bristol. Australia briefly drew level when Desiree Miller crossed after an early Canada try, but the world number two soon took control of the match. The result closes the chapter on Jo Yapp’s tenure as Wallaroos coach. Canada now progresses to face New Zealand in the semifinals, while the other semi-final will be played between England and France. France’s 18-13 victory over Ireland was marred after match officials cited France back-row Axelle Berthoumieu for allegedly biting her opposite number. 

🚨 A 39-year-old man has received a lifetime ban from the AFL and been charged by police after allegedly performing a Nazi salute at Saturday’s finals fixture between the Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast Suns. According to a statement from Queensland Police, “officers in attendance at the event quickly responded and took the man into custody”. He was charged with one count of public display of performing a Nazi salute and is due to appear in court on 29 September.

Did you know: your immune system plays a crucial role in sports 

Whether you’re out on the field or training for a final, putting your immune health first will make all the difference. 

A balanced diet, regular exercise, and a consistent sleep schedule play an important role in keeping your immune system in check. But for those wanting an extra top up, Blackmores’ Immune Rapi-Melts are the perfect solution.

Designed to support immune system health and relieve fatigue when dietary intake is inadequate, these melt on your tongue supplements are perfect for on-the-go moments. 

Always read the label and follow the directions for use. 

Danish cyclist Jonas Vingegaard has clinched the 2025 Vuelta a España title, his third Grand Tour win and first in Spain. 

The final stage in Madrid ended 60 kilometres early as pro-Palestine protests continued to disrupt the race. 

Here’s what to know. 

Vingegaard, a two-time Tour de France champion, secured the red jersey decisively in the penultimate stage at Bola del Mundo. Portuguese rider João Almeida finished second, with Britain’s Tom Pidcock in third. 

The highest-placed Australian was Jai Hindley, who finished fourth. Fellow Aussie Jay Vine also had a stellar tour, winning two stages, narrowly finishing second in two, and finishing the race on top of the King of the Mountains classification. 

Over the three-week race, pro-Palestine protests repeatedly disrupted proceedings, leading to shortened finishes and increased police surveillance along the course. 

The Israel-Premier Tech team, a joint Canadian and Israeli venture, was the subject of the protests. 

Before the final stage, The Guardian reported Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said: “We would like to express our gratitude and absolute respect for the athletes but also our admiration for the Spanish people who mobilise for just causes, such as Palestine.”

In response, Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Saar accused Sánchez of encouraging protesters. “The sporting event that has always been a source of pride for Spain has been cancelled,” he added.

Vingegaard told Danish media last week: “People do it for a reason. It’s horrible what’s happening currently and I think those protesting do so here, because they need a forum to be heard.”

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.

The weekend in rugby league saw the first week of the NRL Finals and the last round of the NRLW regular season. Here’s what to know. 

The opening weekend of the NRL Finals delivered high drama across four matches. On Friday night, the Melbourne Storm proved too strong for the Canterbury Bulldogs, winning 26-18 at AAMI Park. The Bulldogs were left to rue star centre and captain Stephen Crichton’s ankle injury, ending his  season.

In the two elimination finals on Saturday, the Penrith Panthers kept their premiership defence alive with a 24-8 win over the New Zealand Warriors, and the Cronulla Sharks ended the Roosters’ 2025 campaign with a gritty 20-10 victory.

On Sunday, the Brisbane Broncos staged a remarkable comeback to defeat the Canberra Raiders 29-28 in golden point. Trailing by 16 points midway through the second half, Brisbane fought back through the brilliance of Reece Walsh before Ben Hunt nailed a field goal in the 94th minute.

Broncos skipper Pat Carrigan is facing a one-match suspension for a high tackle which saw him sent to the sin bin in the second half. Meanwhile, Broncos fullback Reece Walsh was lucky to only be facing a $3,000 fine after he was sent off for headbutting the Raiders’ Hudson Young. 

Melbourne and Brisbane’s victories mean they progress straight to the Preliminary Finals in a fortnight, gaining a week’s rest. 

The two Semi-Finals this weekend will see the Raiders host the Sharks in Canberra on Saturday, and Penrith take on the Bulldogs at Accor Stadium in Sydney on Sunday. The two winners of those clashes will advance to meet the Storm and Broncos, respectively. 

After 11 rounds of the NRLW regular season, the 2025 finals are set. They will kick off this weekend with two elimination finals. The Newcastle Knights, who clinched third place in the final round, will host the Gold Coast Titans on Saturday afternoon. Later that day, the North Queensland Cowboys will play their first-ever home final when they face the Cronulla Sharks in Townsville.

After an undefeated regular season, the Sydney Roosters claimed the Minor Premiership and earn a direct route to the Preliminary Finals, joined by the second-placed Brisbane Broncos. The top two clubs get a week off while the rest battle for survival.

It’s the first season with a six-team finals system in the NRLW, and it went down to the wire. The Titans grabbed sixth place with a golden point field goal in the final round to beat the Raiders 17-16 and knock the Parramatta Eels out of finals contention.