Short and Sweet: Blues, Swifts, Firebirds win as young guns fire overseas

AUSTRALIA’S top sportswomen have been giving history lessons left, right and centre in the last week. Our wrap of women and sport in SHORT AND SWEET.

NSW's Rebecca Young smashing through the Origin defence to help the Blues to their Origin victory.

• Sally Fitzgibbons surfing for survival
• Nettball grand final guide: Who will win?
• Swifts recovery crucial for success
• Swifts motivation: We weren’t good enough
• Origin: We made history and then we cried

AUSTRALIA’S top sportswomen have been giving history lessons left, right and centre in the last week.

Big news included the Australian women’s rowing team getting a late call-up to the Games and Australia’s Summer Olympic team boasting more women than men for the first time in history.

But in other great feats Chloe Hoskings rode to history at La Course, the Blues created history in Origin and an equestrian will stake a place in history as Australia’s oldest female rookie at the Rio Games.

And in an encouraging sign for the future, our up-and-comers are ripping it up on the track and velodrome.

This weeks wrap of women and sport: SHORT AND SWEET.

HISTORY MADE AHEAD OF OLYMPICS

Sue Hearn is living proof you are never too old for a dream to come true.

Hearn will be our oldest ever female Olympic debutant at the Rio Olympics following a late change to the Equestrian dressage team.

The 60-year-old is just a year younger than our oldest ever debutant, 61-year-old sailor Harold Brooks, who competed at the 1960 Rome Olympics.

LAURIE DALEY: Coach backs Origin series for women

BLUES WIN FIRST EVER ORIGIN

We can’t let an opportunity go by without mentioning NSW’s fabulous result in the women’s Interstate Challenge on the weekend.

The Blue defeated Queensland 8-4 to win the annual Origin clash for the first time in 18 years.

That’s 18 years.

Nearly two decades.

Congrats to coach Ben Cross and his charges.

ALL AUSTRALIAN DECIDER

It’s going to be big.

The Swifts and the Firebirds will meet in a replay of last year’s grand final in Brisbane on Sunday after both sides toppled their New Zealand rivals in semi-finals on either side of the Tasman.

The Firebirds beat the Southern Steel on Sunday and 24 hours later the Swifts ended Magic’s hope of a second ANZ Championship crown.

One of the highlights of the match will be the battle at opposite ends of the court between two of the most prolific shooters in the game — Caitlin Thwaites from the Swifts and Romelda Aiken from the Firebirds.

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

You’d have to be buried under a rock to not know Chris Froome defended his Tour de France title on Monday morning.

But just a few hours before, Australian Chloe Hosking rode off with a piece of cycling history herself.

The Canberra rider became the first Australian winner of La Course, a women’s road race on the famous Paris circuit where the annual Tour de France concludes each year.

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PODIUM FOR AUSSIES

As the sport prepares for its Rio debut, a couple of Aussies made their mark at the world Para-triathlon championships in Rotterdam.

While France’s Manon Genest claimed gold, two Aussies followed her over he line in the P3 class.

Two-time world champion Sally Pilbeam finished second with compatriot Kerryn Harvey third.

HULLEY CONQUERS NERVES FOR SILVER FINISH

NSW teenager Alex Hulley has become the first Australian to medal in the women’s hammer throw at the IAAF World Under 20 Championships.

Hulley conquered a bout of nerves to throw 63.47m on her second attempt and win silver in her pet event.

“I just can’t believe I have won a silver medal,” said the 18-year-old.

“The first round I hit the ground again like in qualifying, just very nervous. My second throw I kind of just thought I had to get one out on this throw to be in the competition. I’m so glad I got that out and then my nerves where just calm.”

RIO LEAD-UP: Matildas loss a learning game

WATCH OUT ANNA MEARES

Anna Meares might be the queen of the track right now but her are plenty of youngsters who will soon be nipping at her heels.

This week Australia won the first ever women’s Madison at world level with Western Australian Jade Haines and Ruby Roseman-Gannon claiming victory in the exhibition event at the 2016 UCI Junior Track World Championships in Aigle, Switzerland.

Nicola Macdonald (NSW) and Kristina Clonan (QLD) made it two Australian teams on the podium with a third place.

“I couldn’t be happier to share the win with Jade and finish junior worlds on a high,” said Roseman-Gannon. “It’s so exciting that they have finally introduced the Madison into the women’s category at world level and I hope they continue to include it.”

Earlier in the event Haines claimed silver in the individual pursuit and Clonan added bronze in the scratch race.

TUCK SAIL ONTO PODIUM

Sydney sailor Wendy Tuck, the first Australian female skipper to compete in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, sailed to her second podium result of the global series with a third place in the latest leg.

Tuck and her The Da Nang — Viet Nam team arrived off Den Helder, The Netherlands, in third place in the second last leg of the 11 month race.

Tuck had earlier won the Sydney to Hobart leg of the round the world race.