Last hurrah for four megastars of the track
THE megastars who’ve held track and field together in recent times while the sport has crumbled around them are preparing for a final goodbye in Rio
Athletics
Cathy’s beautiful letter to Rio team
CATHY Freeman has told the Australian track and field team to be “free, strong, brave and bold,” in an inspirational letter to athletes in Rio.
Another gold for Jared Tallent
JARED Tallent has received another gold medal after the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed an appeal by disgraced Italian walker Alex Schwazer.
US athletes sidestep doping issue
THE US track and field team introduced a new sport to the Olympic program at its first media call in Rio. The sidestep.
Who will stand up as our next track star?
THERE was a sweetness and a shallowness to the arrival of Australia’s athletics team in Rio.
‘The winner might not be known for 10 years’
DISCUS thrower Dani Samuels reckons no matter who stands on the Olympic dais next week the real winner of her event might not be known for 10 years.
‘Superhuman’ leaves world in awe
SHE’S just 19, but Simone Biles is the most dominant athlete in Rio. Everyone else, no matter how talented, can only watch her in awe.
Bolt slammed for not speaking out
GERMANY’S Olympic discus champion Robert Harting has criticised Usain Bolt for not speaking out more in the fight to clean up athletics.
Brave Hoskins back on bike after horror fall
EXCLUSIVE: Melissa Hoskins proves that her Rio Olympics are not over. Despite needing crutches to walk she has climbed back on her bike 48 hours after a horror training crash.
Athletes back Mack’s drug cheat stance
AUSTRALIA’s athletics team have strongly backed their swimmers drug crusade, branding it a bold step forward for sport.
Where is everyone? Bolt turns ticket salesman
RIO is playing host to some of the world’s greatest athletes, yet some stands at the venues are virtually empty. Usain Bolt as posted a plea to help change that.
‘Great’ Britain? Stuttering Poms go quiet in Rio
RUBBING the nose of a famous old rival in the dirt is normally considered extremely poor sportsmanship. But when it comes to the struggling Poms, normal doesn’t apply …
US gold medallist takes shot at Gatlin
US SWIMMER Lilly King, inspired by Mack Horton to “call out” Russian drug cheat Yuliya Efimova, has declared that compatriot and world champion sprinter Justin Gatlin should not be competing in Rio.
Bolt’s brilliant Rio press conference
THE Usain Bolt brigade has rolled into Rio, and judging by his latest press conference, he is determined to make his last Olympics one to remember.
‘She’s nice, but never thought: I’m a sexy thing’
YOU’VE all watched Michelle ‘Jiggling’ Jenneke in action. But there’s plenty about her you don’t know as she arrives in Rio for her first Olympics.
Pistorius taken to hospital
OSCAR Pistorius was treated for minor wrist injuries at a hospital and has been returned to the South African jail where the Olympian is serving a six-year sentence.
Olympic daily wrap: Aussies strike gold and go top!
A one stop round up of what went down on day 1 of the Games: Aussie medals in the pool and shooting range, a NSFW injury and robbers who messed with the wrong guys …
Patterson bans media ahead of Olympic debut
THE intrigue around Eleanor Patterson continues to grow with the high-jumper becoming the only team member to enforce a media ban in the lead-up to her Olympic debut.
Tallent competing in ‘cleanest’ race of career
OLYMPIC champion Jared Tallent believes he will be competing in the “cleanest” race of his career when he defends his 50km title in Rio.
LaCaze reminisces about crazy stage bomb
WHEN the Olympic Games party gets underway at the opening ceremony, one Aussie athlete will be happily tucked away and inevitably fighting the urge to break into samba.
Medal blow as Tallent withdraws from 20km
AUSTRALIA’S medal hopes have taken an early hit with Jared Tallent forced out of the 20km walk due to a niggling hamstring injury.
Lightning Bolt must strike to save these Games
RIO might be home to Christ the Redeemer but right now Olympic officials are putting their faith in Bolt the Saviour. For the sake of sport he has to deliver.
Love the driving force on road to Rio
AFTER spending three years eating, sleeping and running together, you would think Genevieve LaCaze and Ryan Gregson would have killed each other. Not so.
Russia has smallest team in more than 100 years
THE International Olympic Committee has approved 271 Russian athletes to take part in the Rio Games after a major doping review eliminated 118 competitors.
Dani is happy and ready to peak
DANI Samuels was 21 when she scaled the highest mountain in discus. Seven years on the 11-time national champion feels she’s finally ready to start climbing again.
Olympic rivals reunite 32 years on
MARY Decker blamed her rival for the collision that ended her Olympic dreams in 1984 but here’s what they think now.
Is this Olympian Australia’s biggest competition?
CASTER Semenya won’t get out of second gear in winning gold. That’s the scary prediction of Aussie coach Nic Bideau.
‘She can run ordinary and win’
CASTER Semenya won’t get out of second gear in winning Olympic gold. That’s the scary prediction of Aussie coach Nic Bideau.
Sydney torch, Freeman sparked Olympic dream
AUSTRALIA’S youngest track and field member was just two years old at the 2000 Games but Jessica Thornton still harbours fond memories from the Sydney Olympics.
Dancing Jenneke the face of Rio
SHE’S never made it past a semi final of a major championships but Michelle Jenneke is unmissable in the Olympic city of Rio.
Usain has some explaining to do
USAIN Bolt’s most shocking shortcoming has been exposed by his own agent. The world’s fastest man really is a one-trick pony.
Supermodel is Russia’s only Olympic hope
RUSSIA’S only track and field athlete to be competing in Rio is training at the same facility as Australia’s team in Florida.
‘I’m going out there to win’
LONG-jumper Fabrice Lapierre has vowed to step up and take over from injured hurdler Sally Pearson as Australia’s best chance to claim athletics gold.
Bruce’s 50 must-see Rio moments
WORRIED you might miss the Rio Olympic moments we’ll be talking about for years? Fear not, Channel 7’s Bruce McAvaney is here to mark your card …
Russia track and field ban plays into our hands
TRACK and field head coach Craig Hilliard believes the Russian team ban in Rio has put fear through the ranks which could benefit Australia’s athletes.
Brooke belongs and is ready to rein
A LOOK at the IAAF world list for women’s long jump tells the story. Brooke Stratton belongs on the world’s biggest stage and is among Australia’s main medal chances in Rio.
Jess running down familiar road
JESS Trengove remains confident of improving on her London Olympics performance despite an injury-interrupted build-up to Rio.
Australia’s fastest man out of Rio games
AFTER struggling with a hamstring injury all year, Australia’s lone 100m sprinter Josh Clarke is out of the Rio Olympics.
Rio richlist: Top 10 cashed up Olympians
WHEN the IOC allowed professional athletes to compete in the Olympics it opened the doors to some of the biggest names — and biggest pay-packets — in world sport. So who are the richest in Rio?
Dubler has always dared to be different
NOT since 2000 has Australia been represented in the decathlon. But Cedric Dubler likes to buck trends, and is hoping to catch his unsuspecting opponents out at the Rio Olympics.
‘I would still go to Rio to pursue my dreams’
DESPITE the health and safety fears in Rio, former USA sprinter and Sydney Olympian Coby Miller says nothing would stop him from going.
Chelsea’s inspiring leap of faith
AFTER injuries and crippling anxiety forced Chelsea Jaensch into premature retirement, the Rio-bound long jumper hopes her story will help inspire other women.
108 Russian athletes banned from Rio
NINETEEN more Russian rowers have been banned from the Olympics, taking the toll of the nation’s athletes suspended from Rio to 108.
Lapierre’s confident warning to his rivals
WITH defending Olympic hurdles champion Sally Pearson out of Rio, the hopes of the track and field team rest with Fabrice Lapierre, and he’s confident.
10 unmissable events at the Rio Olympics
THE OLYMPICS always deliver a selection of magical memories. And there are also the not-to-be-missed winners, the contests that will have you on the edge of your seat. Here’s our top 10 picks.
Rio is a magical metropolis, but can it deliver?
WITH the Zika virus, water purity problems, incomplete venues, an crippled economy and an impeached president, Rio has faced more hurdles than Sally Pearson. So are they ready asks Robert Craddock?
Australia’s top 10 gold medal hopes
AUSTRALIA may have laboured in London but with these 10 stars we will bounce back in Brazil, writes Robert Craddock. TOP MEDAL HOPES.
Tallent: ‘IOC have head in the sand’
AUSTRALIAN Olympic gold medallist Jared Tallent says he has lost faith in the Olympic movement following the IOC’s decision not to apply a blanket ban on Russian athletes in Rio.
How are ‘rotten Russia’ allowed to compete?
FIVE weeks ago IOC vice-president John Coates tore into Russia as he handed Jared Tallent his gold medal from London 2012. So the IOC deciding not to ban all athletes was staggering on many levels.
How animal cruelty transformed Rio campaign
WHEN Morgan Mitchell’s boyfriend played a documentary about animal cruelty it changed her life forever and caused some furrowed brows among athletics types.
Olympic drama aside, the show must go on!
AS SOON as swimmers start swimming, runners start running and medals start getting handed out, nothing else seems to matter. No matter how shaky the lead-up to the Olympics, they always go on.
Wait — you broke the world record
THIS sprinter had no idea she had smashed an historic record, until she got a tap on the shoulder. Her reaction was perfect.
Sex Olympics: Will Aussie couples abstain?
WITH so many Australian athletes pairing up in the Olympic team for Rio, the age-old issue of sex and sport has resurfaced, writes Amy Harris.
![HOLD FOR HERALD SUN DO NOT USE BEFORE CONTACTING HERALD SUN PIC DESK---Rosie [Rowena] Webster heads up the women's Water Polo team on their way to Rio Olympics, training at the Victorian Institute of sport in Albert Park. Picture: Alex Coppel.](https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/bac0fec517130028b878632f3f90b123?width=650)
Our 409 Rio athletes deserve the spotlight
I’M done with the bad energy. Let’s leave Russia, Kitty Chiller, Zika and crime at the Rio door and focus on what the Olympics is really about – the athletes.
Bolt: Russia ban will scare a lot of cheats
USAIN Bolt says Russia’s track and field team being banned from the Olympics sends a powerful message that should scare other cheats.
Pressure on IOC to ban Russia from Rio
RUSSIA’s track and field athletes have been banned from the Olympics and the entire Russian squad could swiftly follow. The pressure is now on the IOC after the landmark CAS decision.
Medal hope Stratton favours Russia ban
HER idol was robbed by the Russians and long-jumper Brooke Stratton doesn’t want to suffer the same fate in Rio.
Russian star’s great response to Rio ban
THEY’VE still got their sense of humour. One Russian athlete knows exactly what he’ll do if he can’t go to the Olympics.
Decision that could decide Russia’s Rio fate
THE Olympic Charter may provide a path to eject Russia from Rio but will officials have the courage to make the call? Or will the decision be easier made for them?
Russia’s doping black hole
IT’S the 10cm ‘mouse hole’ that has shattered the integrity of world sport and has exposed Russia’s drug rats responsible for the greatest doping scandal in history.
Aussie athletes safe after Nice attack
THREE Australian athletes are safe and accounted for after Thursday’s devastating attack in Nice.
New Rio nightmare for our biggest stars
HERE’S a sneak peek at where Aussie athletes will be forced to sleep at the Rio Olympics, and it is making our biggest stars more than a little bit nervous.
Russia’s plea on Rio Olympics ban
RUSSIA has mysteriously emailed Australian journalists as part of a desperate worldwide charm offensive to fight the threat of being kicked out of Rio.
LaCaze is in the box seat for Rio
Australian steeplechaser Genevieve LaCaze is peaking at just the right time, and a month out from when she takes the track at the Rio Olympic Games she says everything is falling into place.
Aussies sparkle at Diamond League meet
POLE vault star Alana Boyd has an injury scare, but the news was better for the other Australians at the Monaco Diamond League meet.
Brother has Mitch jumping for joy
AUSSIE cricketer Mitchell Starc will have more than Sri Lanka’s batsmen on his mind during the third Test in August. His younger brother will be competing in the high jump in Rio.
Unluckiest man in Australian sport
DESPITE qualifying for Rio, this Aussie athlete has tragically missed out on realising his Olympic dream by the smallest margin.
Chiller: We’ll double the golds we got in London
After announcing the last of Australia’s 410 Olympians going to Rio, team boss Kitty Chiller admits they face a tough task to fulfil their aim of a top-five finish on the medal table.
Long jumper Frayne winning battle with body
BRISBANE’S Olympic long jump medal chaser Henry Frayne does not necessarily like the feel of cotton wool.
Record depth to biggest team since Sydney 2000
EIGHTEEN new addition to the track and field team heading to the rio Olympics means Australia is fielding its biggest track and field team since Sydney 2000.
London 400m hero misses Rio by 0.2sec
TWO tenths of a second has cost Steve Solomon in his final attempt to qualify for the Rio Games, while Australian 800m record holder Alex Rowe also failed to make the cut.
Aussies march out of opening ceremony
AS few as one in three Australian Olympic athletes will march behind golden girl Anna Meares at next month’s Rio opening ceremony.
Balancing motherhood and Olympic training
Eloise Wellings is a mother first, and an Olympian second, and she talks exclusively with Swoop about juggling her family and training commitments.
Dubler embraces power of social media
NOT every elite sportsman is keen to tell the public of the day in make-or-break competition that he cried four times. But Cedric Dubler embraces the reaction he gets from social media.
Champ misses history bid by tiniest margin
THE brutal competitiveness of the US Olympic trials was in clear focus as Olympic 200m champion Allyson Felix failed to make the team for Rio and a chance at double sprint glory.
Patterson raising the bar on her path to Rio
RISING high jump star Eleanor Patterson is trading the tranquillity of country Victoria for the bright lights of London as she ramps up her Olympic campaign.
It’s Belgium or bust for Solomon
FOUR years of planning has come down to one race in a small town in Belgium for Steve Solomon.
Boyd to ‘dial-in’ on Rio rivals in Europe
AUSTRALIAN pole vaulter Alana Boyd says she will do homework on her Olympic rivals while competing in Europe this month.
Tallent to lead Aussie aths in Rio
WALKER Jared Tallent has replaced fellow gold medallist Sally Pearson as captain of the Australian athletics team for the Rio Olympics.
Young star leaping toward Olympic success
SHE’S the high jumper about to emerge from her country cocoon in Rio. In our series on athletes to watch, meet the intriguing Eleanor Patterson.
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