Good evening!

On this day 36 years ago, tennis star Steffi Graf won the women’s singles at the Seoul 1988 Olympics.

After having won all four grand slams in 1988, her gold medal completed the first and only ‘Golden Slam’ in tennis history.

Will it ever happen again?

I’m not sure and it seems unlikely but I’ll let you know if it does.

I’ve got 10 seconds

Stat of the day

12
The number of teams in the Major League Baseball playoffs, which begin in the U.S. today. Six teams from each of the two leagues, the American and National League, will play off to decide a winner. The winners of both league championships will advance to the World Series in late October. 

Quote of the day

"I've struggled with mental health through my life, depression from a very early age when I was, like, 13 ... when I was in my twenties I had some really difficult phases."
Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton in an interview with UK news outlet The Times. The seven-time Formula One champion attributed his long-term struggles with mental health to the pressure of racing and being bullied at school. Hamilton, who is now 39, said he enjoys running as a way “of getting in touch with myself, my inner feelings, understanding what I can do.”

Random fact of the day

Canadian soccer player Christine Sinclair holds the record for scoring the most goals for a national team of any player, male or female. The 41-year-old, who is retiring at the end of the Portland Thorns 2024 season, scored 190 goals in 331 appearances for Canada. The most goals scored by a man is Cristiano Ronaldo’s 132 goals for Portugal.

I’ve got 30 seconds

In case you missed it…

🏉 Former NSW State of Origin coach Michael Maguire will begin a new role as the coach of the Brisbane Broncos. Maguire has been hired on a three-year contract and will join the Broncos for the 2025 preseason this November. Maguire’s appointment comes after the Broncos, who finished 12th this season, announced the departure of Kevin Walters last week. 

🏎️ Formula One team Alpine has announced it will stop racing with Renault engines after the 2025 season. The team is owned by French carmaker Renault. Alpine announced on Monday that the factory in France that produces its engines would transition to become a ‘Hypertech’ centre of engineering. It is not uncommon for teams to race with engines built by other manufacturers, for example, McLaren, Williams, and Aston Martin — who all use Mercedes’ engines. 

🏉 The West Coast Eagles have named Adam McQualter as the club’s new head coach after Adam Simpson left the role in July. The 38-year-old, who played 94 AFL games with St Kilda and the Gold Coast Suns, has signed a three-year contract. The Eagles have won ten games in the past three seasons, finishing 16th, 18th, and 17th.

🏉 North Melbourne Kangaroos captain Emma Kearney will miss up to six weeks with a high-grade hamstring injury. The 35-year-old left the field during the first quarter of the Kangaroos’ 35-17 triumph over Richmond on Sunday. It is a blow to North Melbourne who are on top of the table with five games remaining before finals. 

I’ve got 1 minute

Storm prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona to miss NRL grand final

Melbourne Storm star Nelson Asofa-Solomona will become just the fifth player in NRL history to miss a grand final due to suspension. It comes after he failed to overturn a four-game ban for a high tackle at the NRL judiciary on Monday night.

What happened 

Asofa-Solomona was sent off for ten minutes and put on report for a dangerous tackle on Roosters prop Lindsay Collins. The incident happened within the first minute of Friday’s preliminary final between the two sides. Collins did not return to the field due to the NRL’s concussion protocols. 

Following the game, the 28-year-old was handed a four-match ban for a grade-three careless high tackle. Asofa-Solomona sought to have the charge downgraded, to avoid being ruled out of Sunday’s grand final against Penrith. However, within 15 minutes, the judiciary panel ruled to uphold the charge.

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.

I’ve got 2 minutes

NBA Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo dies aged 58

NBA Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo has died, aged 58. While Mutombo was known for his on-court defensive heroics, he used his platform to make a significant humanitarian impact off the court.

Basketball career

Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mutombo moved to Washington D.C. to pursue college basketball at Georgetown University.

In 1991, the Denver Nuggets drafted the 2.18m tall centre into the NBA. It was the start of an NBA career that spanned 18 years and six franchises. During that time, Mutombo became known as one of the top defensive players in the league. Mutombo was an eight-time all-star and was named  Defensive Player of the Year on four occasions. He recorded 3,289 blocks during his career, a figure beaten only by record-holder Hakeem Olajuwon. Mutumbo was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2015 and both the Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks retired his No.55 jersey.

Humanitarian Work

Mutombo founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997. The foundation aims to improve the quality of life for people in the DRC. That year, he donated $US15 million to open a hospital in Congo’s capital city of Kinshasa. More recently, the foundation opened an institute for science and entrepreneurship in the DRC. He was named the NBA’s first global ambassador in 2009, and helped launch  NBA Africa —

A basketball development and educational program for aspiring African players. 

What they said 

In a statement overnight, the NBA confirmed Mutombo died “surrounded by his family,” on Monday. The 58-year-old began treatment for a brain tumour in 2022. 

Current NBA player and 76ers star Joel Embiid said, “It’s a sad day, especially for us Africans and really the whole world, because other than what (he) accomplished on the basketball court, I think he was even better off the court,” 

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver described Mutombo as “a humanitarian at his core.” “He loved what the game of basketball could do to make a positive impact on communities, especially in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo and across the continent of Africa” 

A statement from Mutombo’s former team, the Denver Nuggets, described him as “one of the most unique and beloved players to ever step foot on a basketball court”.

A message from our sponsor

Do you know where a sport science degree can take you?

From elite, professional sporting clubs to rehabilitation clinics and hospitals, a sport science degree can open the door to a range of exciting careers in the sport and health fields!

At the #1 Sport Science School in the world, Deakin looks at factors that influence physical activity, performance, and a person’s overall health through the study of anatomy and physiology, technology, behaviour, and best practices.

Our Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science could lead to a career as a performance analyst, accredited sport scientist, or personal trainer – plus you can tailor it to your career goals by specialising in areas such as sports nutrition, strength and conditioning, or exercise physiology.

With Deakin University’s nationally accredited exercise and sport science degree, the ball is in your court.

Think Beyond The Field. Study Sport at Deakin.

Looking forward…(All times are AEST)

TDA asks