Rio Olympics 2016: Caroline Buchahan back on track, golf in the news and Aussie actor in sport movie

AN old sport scandal goes Hollywood, sailors back on track, athletes star and golf makes headlines. All in this week’s RACING TO RIO.

Reports Margot Robbie to be in movie about one of sports strangest stories,

• ANZ Championship Rd 1: What we learned
• Australia’s best paid sports women
• Swifts on alert for magic tricks
• ANZ Championship Guide: It's game on

AN Australian looks set to be in the limelight in a new sporting movie.

There’s a carrot being dangled in front of Olympic golfers.

A young fencer is chasing some history.

Top gun sailors are back on the podium in Europe.

And we’ve got another boxer heading to the Olympics in August.

All this and more in this weeks Racing to Rio.

SPORTING SCANDAL BACK IN THE HEADLINES

There’s word about that Australian actor Margot Robbie will play one of the most controversial figures in world sport.

Reports suggest the Suicide Squad and Wolf of Wall Street actor is reportedly about to lace on her skates to play US Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding in a scripted biopic “I, Tonya”.

Ice skater Tonya Harding (l) and Nancy Kerrigan.

In 1994 before the Lillehammer Winter Games, Harding’s Olympic teammate Nancy Kerrigan was clubbed on the leg by a hitman hired by Harding’s ex-husband in Detroit.

Kerrigan missed the event but recovered in time to make the Olympics where she won silver.

HOCKEYROOS INTO SEMIS

A Georgie Parker’s double and and an Ashleigh Nelson conversion off a penalty corner on Thursday delivered the Hockeyroos a 3-0 win over Ireland and a place in the semi final at the Hawke’s Bay Cup in Hastings.

The Hockeyroos will will fmeet either hosts New Zealand Black Sticks or Korea as they chasen a third consecutive appearance in the event’s grand final.

“Today, against a more accomplished opponent, to win 3-0 was satisfying, particularly in the pressure situation of a quarter final,’’ said coach Adam Commens.

BUCHANAN IN THE HOT SEAT

BMX racer Caroline Buchanan is back in action this weekend as she chases victory in the second round of the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup.

Caroline Buchanan back on her bike. Pic; Tim Hunter.

The venue is a happy hunting ground for Buchahan who is aiming for her third consecutive win on the Manchester indoor track.

Buchanan is using the racing as vital reparation for her title at gold at the Rio Olympics later this year.

Also racing in manchester is Sam Willoughby who is keen to put his world cup campaign back on track after a disappointing opening round.

IT’S GETTING EXCITING

Athletics has been in the news all week with 28 new athletes making it onto the team heading to Rio.

By mid-July the Athletics Section of the Team could be 50 athletes — the largest of any sport wearing the green and gold in Rio.

Eleanor Patterson in the high jump final at the Australian championships.

Some of the athletes to crack a spot on the team are decathlete Cedric Dubler, who did a personal best to achieve the Olympic qualifier, Commonwealth high jump champion Eleanor Patterson and 3000m steeplechaser Victoria Mitchell who is the elder of four 33-year-olds.

Of the 28 new additions to the Team selected 17 will make their Olympic debut, seven are at their second Games and four (Alana Boyd, Benn Harradine, Sally Pearson, Dani Samuels) are off to their third.

SAILORS BACK ON COURSE

One of Australia’s hottest contenders for gold in Rio — sailors Mat Be, Cher and Will Ryan — are back where they belong in the winners circle.

After a hiccup at the worlds where they finished third, the 470 duo have won the first major leg of the European season, the Princess Sofia Cup.

In another encouraging sign for the sport, Olympic champions Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen finished second in the 49er skiff class.

Mat Belcher heading to his second Olympics.

WHATELEY HEADING TO RIO

Hot on the heels of Shelley Watts securing a spot in Rio, Victoria’s Jason Whateley has also qualified for Rio after wining bronze at the Asian Oceania Olympic qualifiers in China.

The 24-year-old Whateley beat India’s Jakhon Qurbonov in a points decision in the 91kg division.

He now joins Watts and Daniel Lewis as qualifiers for Rio.

Fellow Australia female boxers Caitlyn Parker and Kristy Harris have the chance to qualify at the women’s World Championships in Kazakhstan next month while the men will get a final chance to book their Olympic ticket in Azerbaijan in June.

Jason Whately with boxers at Murphy's Boxing Gym.

BONUS FOR GOLFERS

The men’s gold medal winner in Rio where golf will make its return to the Summer Games for the first time in more than a century, will get an invitation to the 2017 Masters.

The Royal and Ancient and Ladies Golf Union will offer similar one-year exemptions to the men’s and women’s British Opens while the PGA of America and United States Golf Association followed suit with their two flagship events.

With the LPGA Tour giving the women’s gold medal winner in Rio an automatic exemption into the 2016 Evian Championship and the 2017 ANA Inspiration, all nine majors (four for men and five for women) will be supporting the initiative.

Billy Payne with Jordan Spieth during a practice round for the Masters golf,

“We believe our game’s visibility will be dramatically elevated by the global platform that only the Olympics offer,” said Augusta National chairman Billy Payne.

YOUNG GUN CHASING HISTORY

Fencers heading to the Asia-Oceania Zone qualifier in China range in age from 42 to just 16 with the youngest chasing a bit of history.

If Brisbane teenager Alicia Kwah excels at the event she will be the youngest ever Olympic fencer to represent Australia at an Olympic Games.

The zone qualifying events is the final opportunity for Australian fencers to qualify for the Rio Olympics.

In order to qualify for the Olympics, our fencers must either win the competition (mens foil, mens épée, womens épée & womens sabre) or finish in the top three places (womens foil & mens sabre).

Originally published as Rio Olympics 2016: Caroline Buchahan back on track, golf in the news and Aussie actor in sport movie