Here’s a good little sports hypothetical: If you could time-travel to any period in human history to watch a sporting event, what would it be?

It could be anything from the first Olympic Games in 776BC to the last time St Kilda won a premiership in 1966.

I think I’d head back to May 1954 and watch ‘The Miracle Mile’, the mile-long running race at the Vancouver Commonwealth Games.

Britain’s Roger Bannister (3:58.8) and Australia’s John Landy (3:59.6) both finished under four minutes. It was the first race to have more than one runner break the elusive barrier.

Paul O’Neill wrote a brilliant article at the time. His opening line summarises the gruelling nature of the mile perfectly: “The art of running the mile consists, in essence, of reaching the threshold of unconsciousness at the instant of breasting the tape.”

Let me know where in time you’d travel to!

2
The number of goals scored by Sam Kerr for Chelsea in the English club’s 6-0 victory over Austria’s St. Pölten in the Women’s Champions League overnight. The match marked Kerr’s first start for Chelsea in 692 days after injuring her knee in January 2024. Kerr has scored a record 16 goals in the group stages of Women’s Champions League tournaments.

"Let's be honest, when I mean soon I mean probably one, two years. I'm enjoying the moment. But when I mean soon it's really soon, because I give everything for football. [I've been] in the game for the last 25 years, I did everything.”
Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo speaking to CNN about the end of his football career. The 40-year-old confirmed this week that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the last time he plays in the tournament. 

The Baltimore Ravens are named after Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem The Raven. Poe lived and died in Baltimore, and the team’s name was chosen to honour his legacy. When the franchise was founded in 1996, fans voted for “Ravens” in a public poll. The team later introduced three mascots named Edgar, Allan, and Poe.

🎾 Alex de Minaur remains winless at the ATP Finals after a tough three-set loss to Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti. The Aussie went down in three sets (7-5, 3-6, 7-5) in a match that lasted nearly three hours. De Minaur said: "If I really want to be serious about taking the next step in my career, these matches, I can't lose them. I just can't." He now needs a strong win over American Taylor Fritz in his final group game to reach the semi-finals. Earlier in the day, Carlos Alcaraz beat Fritz to move closer to a spot in the knockout stage.

🏀 The NBA’s Dallas Mavericks have fired general manager Nico Harrison, nine months after his controversial decision to trade Luka Dončić to the Lakers for Anthony Davis. The move was widely condemned by fans and pundits as one of the worst trades in NBA history, with Davis missing most of his games since joining Dallas. The Mavericks are just 3-8 this season and have struggled without Dončić, who has been dominant for Los Angeles. Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi will take over as interim co-general managers as the team looks to recover from a disastrous start.

🏏 The Melbourne Renegades beat the Sydney Thunder by four wickets, claiming their second straight win to begin their Women’s Big Bash League title defence. Stand-in captain Georgia Wareham produced another player of the match performance, scoring 58 from 32 balls and taking two wickets. It followed her superb bowling performance in the opener, where she took three wickets for just 12 runs against Brisbane. The Renegades have impressed despite missing skipper Sophie Molineux and star allrounder Hayley Matthews.

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With the Ashes set to begin on 21 November, there are a number of storylines that are taking shape. 

Here’s what’s been dominating the headlines.

While Australian selectors have already selected a squad of 15 players for the first Test against England, several questions remain about who will be in the final matchday team. A combination of Test match experience and current Sheffield Shield form will likely dictate those decisions.

Beau Webster and Matt Renshaw are two of the players who have boosted their Test hopes with standout performances in the Sheffield Shield this week. Webster took five wickets (5/50) for Tasmania against South Australia, reminding selectors of his value with the ball. 

Renshaw, who was left out of the 15-man squad, responded with a century (101 runs) for Queensland to keep his name in the mix for the four Tests after Perth. Renshaw’s teammate, Marnus Labuschagne, also continued his strong form with another 50 runs for Queensland.

Meanwhile, Australian captain Steve Smith hit a fluent 57 for New South Wales as he continues to tune up for the Ashes.

England batting coach Marcus Trescothick says Joe Root is ready to rewrite his record in Australia ahead of next week’s Ashes opener in Perth. Root, ranked world number one, has never scored a Test century in Australia, but Trescothick insists the 34-year-old is a different player under coach Brendon McCullum’s leadership. 

Trescothick also dismissed concerns over England’s preparation on Australian soil, which is limited to a three-day intra-squad match.

England haven’t won a Test in Australia since 2011, but Trescothick says this group is confident of changing that.

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Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer has officially trademarked his “shiver” goal celebration, also known as “Cold Palmer.” 

So, how does trademarking a celebration actually work? And has it been done before?

Here’s what to know.

Palmer registered his celebration with the UK’s Intellectual Property Office. This gives him exclusive rights to use the celebration for commercial purposes such as clothing, sponsorship, or advertising. Last month, the 23-year-old also trademarked his nickname, “Cold Palmer,” and his autograph.

Palmer included a video of himself doing the celebration in his application. He first used it after scoring in Chelsea’s 3-2 win over Luton Town in December 2023, crossing his arms and pretending to shiver to show how calm he was under pressure. The celebration quickly became one of the most recognisable in the Premier League.

The trademark only applies to business use. Other players can still copy the gesture during games, and fans can celebrate in the same way. However, companies that want to use the image or gesture to promote a product must get permission from Palmer. 

The registration will stay in place until November 2034 and can be renewed every ten years.

Trademarking signature celebrations is becoming more common among top athletes, especially footballers. It allows players to protect their image and create extra sources of income. Portuguese football icon Cristiano Ronaldo has trademarked “CR7” and his “Siuuu” celebration, while French footballer Kylian Mbappé owns the rights to his folded-arms pose and even a few of his well-known quotes. 

Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt is a prominent example of a non-footballer to have trademarked a celebration.