As I write, the first few AFL practice matches are underway - giving us a first look at high-profile recruit Bailey Smith in his new Geelong colours. Bring on footy (all kinds, we love it all!) season.

3
The number of consecutive NBA All-Star Slam Dunk contents won by G-League player Mac McClung, after he took out the annual competition over the weekend. McClung becomes the first person ever to do so, scoring three perfect 50/50 dunks - including this dunk over a car.

"I started very strong in the first two kilometres to get away from my rivals. As the kilometres passed and I saw that I was going at record pace, I told myself that I had to maintain that pace no matter what it took."
Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, after he became the first person ever to run a half marathon under 57 minutes. Kiplimo beat the previous world record by 48 seconds in Barcelona on Sunday.

The baseballs used in Major League Baseball have an ‘error tolerance’ - a diameter variance which means official balls can vary in width by 0.25 inches. As long as it’s not larger than 9.25 inches, it’s play ball.  

⛳ Chilean golfer Joaquin Niemann has won the LIV Golf tournament in Adelaide, taking home $US4 million ($AU6.27 million). The tournament, attended by over 100,000 people, will stay in South Australia until 2031. Marc Leishman was the top-ranked Australian in 21st place.

🏉 The AFL Indigenous All Stars beat Fremantle by 43 points in front of almost 38,000 fans at Perth Stadium on Saturday, with North Melbourne co-captain Jy Simpkin awarded the player of the match. The Indigenous All Stars game has not been held since 2015, where it was played at a smaller stadium in front of a sell-out crowd of 10,000.

🏈 The NRLW Indigenous All Stars beat the Maori All Stars 20-18 in Sydney on Saturday, thanks to a last-minute penalty successfully converted by the home side. Before the game, the NZ side paid tribute to former player Kath Wharton, who died in November at 41. A number of injuries to star players, including Kirra Dibb and Bobbi Law, has put the beginnings of their NRLW seasons in doubt.

🏃‍♂️Australian sprinting prodigy Gout Gout has set yet another impressive record in the 400m sprint, recording the fastest time by an Australian under 18 in 35 years and beating Noah Lyles’ personal best for the first time. Gout’s time of 46.20 is still about three seconds behind the time American Quincy Hall ran to win the gold medal in the event at the 2024 Olympics.

Matildas’ star Mary Fowler has become the first player in Women’s Super League history to record at least two goal involvements (scoring or assisting in the scoring of a goal) four games in a row. The Manchester City forward set up two goals in her side’s 4-0 win against Liverpool overnight to set the record, with her coach crediting her as a vital element in her side’s prospects this season.

All WSL teams have played 14 of their 22 regular season games, with Sam Kerr’s Chelsea three wins ahead of the pack on 13 wins from 14 matches. Manchester United, Arsenal, and Manchester City round out the top four. Fowler is both the top-scoring Australian (six goals so far) and highest-ranked in terms of assists (four so far).

Last night, Arsenal and Tottenham faced off in the highly-anticipated North London derby, with Arsenal winning 5-0. Steph Catley, Kyra Cooney-Cross, and Caitlin Foord lined up for Arsenal, and Hayley Raso, Charli Grant, and Clare Hunt took the field for Tottenham.

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Over the weekend, world No. 1 male tennis player Jannik Sinner accepted a three-month ban after he failed a doping test nearly 12 months ago. 

The suspension means Sinner will still be free to play in the next grand slam, the French Open, at the end of May. 

The suspension has caused controversy in the tennis world, with Nick Kyrgios among critics who say the ban does not demonstrate fairness in tennis. 

In August 2024, the International Tennis Integrity Association (ITIA) announced Sinner had recorded two positive tests for a banned substance at the Indian Wells tournament last March.

It said an independent tribunal had since ruled Sinner was not at fault.

Sinner tested positive for clostebol, a steroid derivative of testosterone. It’s banned due to its anabolic qualities, which can improve muscle growth.

In a statement on Sinner’s Instagram in August, his team claimed the prohibited substance unknowingly entered his body after his physiotherapist cut his finger, used a spray containing the substance, and then gave Sinner a massage. 

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), who are responsible for deciding the penalty in such cases, accepted this explanation. It originally sought a one-year ban, but reached this separate agreement with Sinner before any further proceedings happened.

On Saturday, WADA confirmed Sinner had accepted a three-month ban. It maintained that Sinner “did not intend to cheat, and that his exposure to clostebol did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit”. Despite this, it said “an athlete bears responsibility for the entourage’s negligence”. 

Sinner also issued a statement, stating: “I have always accepted that I am responsible for my team... On that basis I have accepted WADA’s offer to resolve these proceedings on the basis of a 3-month sanction.”

Australian tennis player Nick Krygios expressed his disappointment with the timing of the ban, writing on Instagram: “To the future generation tennis players - after today, you can dope, just ‘without knowing’.... Test positive, play through all the investigation, then settle on a convenient 3 month ban, not get stripped of any money or titles and carry on.”

Former AO champion Stan Wawrinka also posted on social media, saying: “I don’t believe in a clean sport any more.” Former World No. 1 men’s player Andy Roddick said the penalty was the same as a student “getting suspended during Spring Break”. 

The Professional Tennis Players Association criticised the “case-by-case discretion”, saying “it’s not just the different results for different players. It’s the lack of transparency. The lack of process. The lack of consistency.” 

The Association, founded by Novak Djokovic in 2019, represents the top 500 male and female singles players. It said the penalty handed to Sinner “is unacceptable for all athletes and shows a deep disrespect for every sport and its fans. It’s time for change. And we will change it.” 

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