On this day in 1981 Australian runner Robert de Castella set the world marathon record at the Fukuoka marathon in Japan with a time of 2:08:18.

At the time, it was thought that the world marathon best was actually five seconds faster. However, Alberto Salazar’s time of 2:08:13 at the 1981 New York Marathon was discounted because the course was found to be 500m shorter than the required distance.

Could De Castella be one of Australia’s more underrated athletes? 

And yes, the second Test is on. Mitchell Starc got Australia off to a perfect start with a wicket in the first ball of the test, dismissing promising Indian batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal for a golden duck (when a batsman gets out on the first ball they face). A wicket on the first ball of the match is also sometimes referred to as a royal duck. 

1 year
The length of the suspension issued to British equestrian athlete Charlotte Dujardin, after footage of her “excessively whipping” a horse emerged in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics. The suspension was handed down by governing body the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), and backdated to begin in July this year. Dujardin, who withdrew from the Olympics, was also fined 10,000 Swiss francs  ($AU17,700). The FEI said: “We believe this outcome reaffirms [our] commitment to equine welfare”.

"They are disappointed, rightly so. They gave me some direct feedback which I guess is taken on board… I didn't like what was being said because I'm a human being, but you've got to cop it.
Tottenham Hotspurs coach Ange Postecoglou following his side’s 1-0 loss to Bournemouth in the English Premier League (EPL). The Australian confronted booing fans after the match. The Spurs, one of the league’s most successful clubs, sit in 10th on the ladder, having lost six of their 14 EPL fixtures. Their next match is against Chelsea, who have won their last three games and are second on the league table.

The granite used to make the stones for curling, a Winter Olympic sport, are sourced from only two places on earth: the Trefor Granite Quarry in Wales and an uninhabited island off the coast of Scotland called Ailsa Craig. Curling was invented by the Scottish in the 16th century.

⚽ Sydney FC won their final group stage match of Asian Champions League Two, defeating Filipino club Kaya Iloilo FC 3-1 last night. The win means the club will advance to the Round of 16, having won four of their six group stage matches. Captain Adrian Segecic opened the scoring just before half-time. Sydney scored another two unanswered goals courtesy of Patrick Wood and Jaiden Kurchaski to put the game out of reach for the visitors. Kaya Iloilo scored a consolation goal with five minutes remaining. 

🏏 Two of Afghanistan’s most prominent men’s cricket players, Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, have spoken out against the Taliban’s decision to ban women from receiving an education in medicine. Both players took to social media on Thursday to condemn the order. Khan, who captains the side, said: “It is essential for our sisters and mothers to have access to care provided by medical professionals who truly understand their needs. Providing education to all is not just a societal responsibility but a moral obligation deeply rooted in our faith and values.”

🏉 The Sydney Roosters have signed fullback James Tedesco on to stay at the club until the end of 2026. The decorated 31-year-old, who has played for the Roosters since 2018, will provide some much-needed experience to the club, which saw many of its older players depart at the conclusion of last season. It comes after halfback Sam Walker signed with the club until the end of 2027. Tedesco said: "The Roosters have been my home for the past seven years, and I'm excited to continue playing for this incredible club".

🏀 Defending NBL champions the Tasmania JackJumpers have handed the Cairns Taipans their 10th consecutive loss, beating them 99-90. Will Magnay starred for the Tasmanians with 18 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. In the other matchup of the night, Melbourne United dominated the New Zealand Breakers with a 27-point win. Rob Loe was United’s top scorer with 25 points.

Australia’s women’s cricket side has taken the early advantage in their three-match One-Day International series against India, winning the opening match by five wickets at Allan Border Field in Queensland. The teams will meet for the second game of the series at the same venue on Sunday.

India batted first and were bowled out for 100 runs, the sides’ lowest ODI total since 2012. Australia’s Megan Schutt starred for the hosts with the ball taking five wickets and conceding just 19 runs.

Australia lived up to their world number-one ranking by successfully chasing India’s total in just 17 overs. Debutant Georgia Voll steered the Aussies to victory with a top score of 46 runs off 42 balls.

Schutt told ABC Sport: "I've bowled much better than that and taken far fewer wickets. [Kim Garth] was doing all the hard yards at the other end, poor girl. Not getting any reward till the mid-phase of the game. So, pretty happy to get wickets at the other end, but I think Kimmy G set it up perfectly there."

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The 2024 Formula One season is set for a thrilling finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has already claimed the individual Driver’s Championship but the Team title, the Constructors’ Championship, still hangs in the balance.

The Abu Dhabi GP is held on the 5.281km Yas Marina circuit. The drivers will complete 58 laps and cover just over 306km.

Verstappen has started in pole position and won this race every year since 2020.

McLaren, (Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri), holds a narrow 21-point lead over Ferrari in the two-horse race for the prestigious team title.

That being said, Ferrari will have to race exceedingly well and McLaren will have to underperform for the former to win, as not even a one-two finish from Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz combined with a bonus point for the fastest lap would be enough for them to win the title. Both teams are looking to break lengthy title droughts, with McLaren last winning in 1998 and Ferrari in 2009.

Despite Verstappen’s individual brilliance, Red Bull is 38 points behind Ferrari and can’t win the title.

In the lead-up to this race, there have been some fiery exchanges between Verstappen and Mercedes’ George Russell. The tension comes after Russell made a successful appeal to officials which saw Verstappen stripped of pole position and placed in P2 behind the British driver. Verstappen said after the race he had lost all respect for Russell, who responded on Thursday by telling reporters: "He said to me he's going to purposely go out of his way to crash into me.” Russell added in a separate interview: “Someone needs to stand up to a bully like this — and so far people are letting him get away with murder".

Australian fans will keep a close eye on Jack Doohan, who is making his official Formula One debut for British team Alpine this weekend. Former Alpine driver Esteban Ocon, who will race with Haas in 2025, has been released from his contract early to allow Doohan to gain some F1 race experience before he begins as a full-time driver with Alpine next season.

The race will begin at 12:00am on Monday (AEDT). You can watch Formula 1 on Foxtel or Kayo.

ICYMI: TDA Sport has a new game on Instagram called Blurdle. IYKYK.
Today’s answer: Novak Djokovic
Useless clue: Funny guy

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