And Australia’s brightest stars are on the track and field again tonight at the world championships in Tokyo.

After impressing in last night’s heats, sprint prodigies Gout Gout (10:09pm) and Torrie Lewis (10:31pm) will race in the 200m semi-finals.

Top medal hopes Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson open their high jump campaigns at 8:15pm.

Cameron McEntyre will compete in his first global final in the javelin, and a stacked women’s middle-distance crew (which includes Jessica Hull, Abbey Caldwell, Claudia Hollingsworth, Rose Davies, Georgia Griffith and Linden Hall) hit the track in the 800m (from 8:58pm) and 5000m (from 8:05pm) heats.

Let’s go!

3
The consecutive number of women’s pole vault world championships that American Katie Moon has won. In the absence of Australian Olympic champion Nina Kennedy, Moon cleared 4.90m to beat fellow American Sandi Morris for the gold medal. The 34-year-old is the first woman to win three straight pole vault world championship titles. Kennedy, who shared gold with Moon at the 2023 world champs, withdrew from the event last week because of a leg injury. 

“I’ve just got to take the experience into the semi-finals. Hopefully I get a good start, and then I’m off like a butterfly.”
Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout after finishing third in his heat of the men’s 200m to advance to the semi-final. The 17-year-old stopped the clock at 20.23 seconds, finishing behind Jamaica’s Bryan Levell (19.84) and Zimbabwe’s Makanakaishe Charamba (20.06). In the semi-final, he will look to improve on his personal best of 20.02 as he goes up against five athletes with sub-20 personal bests. In the women’s 200m, Torrie Lewis also qualified for the semi-final after finishing second in her heat in a personal best time of 22.56.

The Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Championship, held annually in Edirne, Turkey, has been contested for 664 years and is one of the world's oldest ongoing sporting events. Competitors are doused in olive oil before wrestling in short leather pants called kıspet.

Ange Postecoglou has started his coaching campaign at Nottingham Forest with two straight losses after his side went down 3-2 to Swansea City overnight. The result, which saw Forest blow a two-goal lead, means that Postecoglou’s side has been knocked out of the EFL Cup. The Champions League also continued overnight. Reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain dominated Italian club Atalanta 4-0 and German club Bayern Munich defeated England’s Chelsea 3-1 in a heavyweight clash. 

Collingwood has ruled 2023 Norm Smith medallist Bobby Hill out of the team to take on the Brisbane Lions in a preliminary final on Saturday.  Dealing with personal issues, the small forward has only played one senior game since Round 15. Coach Craig McRae said: "It was really difficult. I told him before training based on a lot of little things. It's the reality with where he's at right now with his preparation.” Meanwhile, key forward Brody Mihocek is set to return after dislocating his toe against Adelaide in the qualifying final two weeks ago. Veteran defender Jeremy Howe, returning from a torn adductor in Round 24, also trained on Thursday morning, but the club has not decided as to whether or not he’ll play this weekend. 

South Sydney Rabbitohs star Brandon Smith has faced court today in Queensland, accused of drug supply and betting charges. The 29-year-old was issued a summons notice last month, with police alleging that Smith supplied drugs to former Roosters teammate Victor Radley and also disclosed inside knowledge for betting purposes. Smith did not enter a plea in court, and his matter has been adjourned until 9 October. Meanwhile, Radley has been urged by the Roosters to explore his playing options at other clubs, according to reports from the SMH. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Radley. Earlier this year, Roosters chairman Nick Politis told the Sunday Telegraph: “My view is if somebody’s caught doing cocaine or leaning over snorting something, we’re going to get rid of them.”

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. 

Australia’s Women’s World Cup build-up has been rocked after India inflicted the heaviest one-day defeat in Australian history. Here’s what to know.

Australia was beaten by 102 runs in New Chandigarh last night. The margin surpasses Australia’s previous record loss in an ODI from 1973, when they lost to England by 92 runs.

India’s innings was built on a century from Smriti Mandhana (117 from 91 balls), who helped power the home side to a total of 292 runs. India’s batting performance meant that Australia would have to complete its highest-ever ODI run chase to win the match. It was not out of the question, given Australia had chased down 282 runs in the opening match of the series.

Australia’s batting order, missing Phoebe Litchfield with a quad strain, failed to fire. Ellyse Perry (44) and Annabel Sutherland (45) offered resistance, yet the collapse around them meant the chase fell short at 190 runs.

Asked about her decision to bowl first after winning the toss, Captain Alyssa Healy told AAP: "It's good preparation for the World Cup, isn't it? You don't get to choose every time. So no regrets, not really. I just thought India were pretty good today in all facets of the game, and we probably got outplayed a little bit, but it's good to have these opportunities heading into do-or-die World Cup matches."

The ODI series between India and Australia is now level at 1-1. The decider is set to be played in Delhi on Saturday, and the World Cup will begin later this month.

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American Olympic medal-winning sprinter Fred Kerley has announced his decision to join the Enhanced Games. A week ago, Olympic silver-medallist swimmer Ben Proud announced his decision to join the controversial event. Here’s what to know.

The Enhanced Games is a competition where athletes are given access to performance-enhancing drugs under medical supervision to test the upper limits of human performance. It’s set to take place in Las Vegas next May and include swimming, athletics, and weightlifting. 

Athletes will only have access to drugs that are legally prescribed. 

Dr Aron D’Souza, President and Founder of the Enhanced Games, has previously said: “The Enhanced Games are not just a competition — they’re a movement. We’re embracing the full spectrum of human potential, and that begins with transparency, science, and choice.”

Kerley is a two-time Olympic medallist in the 100m sprint. He won silver in Tokyo and bronze last year in Paris. The 30-year-old is the first American and first track athlete to join the Enhanced Games. 

Kerley is not competing at the ongoing world championships in Tokyo because he was provisionally suspended last month by the Athletics Integrity Unit for missing three mandatory drug tests within a year. He has said he will challenge the suspension. 

Regarding his decision to join the Enhanced Games, Kerley said: “I’m looking forward to this new chapter… The world record has always been the ultimate goal of my career. This now gives me the opportunity to dedicate all my energy to pushing my limits and becoming the fastest human to ever live.”

While Kerley is the only track athlete on board so far, several star swimmers have already been recruited to the Enhanced Games. Australian James Magnussen is one of the event’s marquee athletes.

In May, when organisers announced that the event would be going ahead in Las Vegas in 2026, it was also revealed that Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev had already swum the 50m freestyle in ‘world record’ time as part of the performance-enhancing program. Gkolomeev received a $US1 million bonus for his 20.89-second swim. The legal record is 20.91 seconds, set by Brazilian swimmer César Cielo in 2009, while wearing a since-banned ‘supersuit’. 

Last week, British swimmer Ben Proud announced he was becoming an Enhanced Games athlete. He told BBC Sport: “I think realistically I’ve achieved everything I can, and now the Enhanced [Games] is giving me a new opportunity. I definitely don’t think that’s undermining a clean sport.”

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Aussie star Kyle Chalmers was approached by the organisers of the event and turned down as much as $3.8 million to remain a clean athlete. 

Aquatics GB, Great Britain’s governing body for swimming, released a statement saying it was “immensely disappointed” with Proud’s decision.

Earlier this year, Travis Tygart, CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, said: “It’s a dangerous clown show, not real sport”.

Sarah Benson, CEO of Sport Integrity Australia, previously said in a statement: “We work to ensure that sport is safe and fair for all. The Enhanced Games is promoting the complete opposite and poses a significant risk to athlete health and safety while undermining the fundamental values of sport in Australia.”