How Bill Shorten helped Peter Bol on road to success

Joseph Deng, left, Bill Shorten and Peter Bol hit the track.

It’s safe to say Peter Bol wasn’t high in the public consciousness until this week, when he burst out of the blocks to become the first Aussie to make the 800m final since Ralph Doubell won gold at the Mexico 1968 Games. But did you know the Sudanese-born sprinter’s secret running mate is Bill Shorten? The pair first met at the traditional North Melbourne AFL grand final breakfast during Shorten’s era as opposition leader. “I’ve been lucky enough to know Peter and his friend and running mate Joe Deng these last three to four years,” jogger Shorten told Strewth. From their shared coffee shop Phat Milk in Travencore to training with Shorten’s 11-year-old daughter Clementine, the unlikely trio is often spotted around Melbourne’s inner northwest. If it wasn’t for Shorten, 27-year-old Bol might not have made it to Tokyo. In 2018, Bol and Deng were stuck couch surfing for months, when their rental applications were continuously rejected or ignored. It wasn’t hard to work out why they remained homeless; it was the height of Melbourne’s so-called Sudanese gang problem. Their manager, James Templeton, approached Athletics Australia president, former Labor faceless man Mark Arbib, and a few days later Shorten helped them secure a four-bedroom house in Niddrie. “Bol’s story is a powerful one, starting with his family moving to Australia after being born in Sudan and spending time in Egypt,” Shorten said. “But this storyline does not define him. In his own profound way, Bol often delves deeper into the narrative that we as Australians all go through – struggles no different to his and that we should ‘Get to know the person, instead of the assumptions’.” The Shorten clan were cheering from the couch on Wednesday night, knowing that no matter what happened, their friend had captured the hearts of the country.

Peter Bol, what a legend. It’s been a privilege to know him. First in his 800m semi final heat. Amazing. #TokyoOlympicspic.twitter.com/fhSkWR3kGc

— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) August 1, 2021

Canoe dig it

Here’s another Canberra-Tokyo connection. Stuart McIntosh, husband of Liberal MP Melissa McIntosh, was an early coach of canoe slalom champion Jessica Fox. The McIntoshes met in the lead-up to Sydney 2000 when British kayaker Stuart was training in western Sydney and Melissa was working as an aide to sports minister Jackie Kelly. In a romantic tale worthy of Mills and Boon, Stuart was forced to go back to England and had to compete for his country’s sole canoe slalom spot in order to return. Spoiler alert — Stuart landed at the AIS in Canberra, where Melissa had taken a job with John Howard. He finished eighth in the Olympic final but skipped his flight home, and an invitation to meet the Queen, to start a family down under.

Three-flag minimum

We’re a bit worried here at Strewth that Scott Morrison is so full of Team Australia hot air that he’s in danger of talking himself over the Tokyo pole vault. By our back of the coaster calculations, ScoMo dropped “Australia” or “Australian” at least 122 times on Tuesday … 71 at his model press conference, 37 in question time and 14 on 3AW — a figure that would make Tony Abbott blush!

Scott Morrison.

About time

Australia Post has agreed to pay Christine Holgate $1.1m, or to put it in terms she may understand, 220 Cartier watches. In other timely news, Gladys Berejiklian has decided to livestream her daily 11am update on the People’s Republic of TikTok, via NSW Health’s account. You know what they say: if you can’t vax them, join them! “The Delta strain is not just affecting older members of society but also younger people,” TikTok’s global public policy director Brent Thomas said. “This means you and me, our friends, our colleagues and the wider community all need to stay informed and listen to our trusted health experts to get through this.” As long as Brad Hazzard doesn’t dance.

In 1986 Australia Post felt it necessary to explain that its employees turned up for work each day and put things through people's letterboxes pic.twitter.com/rMD9HoBuFY

— australian kitsch 🐨 (@OzKitsch) August 4, 2021

Stork-raving mad

Clare O'Neil with sons Elvis and Louis, and dogs Clover and Blossom.

Congratulations are in order for Clare O’Neil, who has welcomed a new baby girl named Greta. It’s the third child for the Labor aged care spokeswoman and her partner, Brendan, who already share two sons (Elvis, 7, and Louis, 4) and two whippets (Clover and Blossom). O’Neil describes Greta, born during Melbourne’s latest lockdown, as her special Covid baby representing new life and renewal. “Greta will always be special to me for so many reasons — my first and only daughter for a start,” the 40-year-old said. “She was also born on a special day for my family. I lost my dad when I was 11, and Greta ended up being born on his birthday. For us, it means a day which was a bit melancholy and sad has now been filled with happiness. And it’s a sign in this really odd time for the world.” The dummy spits and tantrums have increased dramatically of late, thanks (in part) to the Canberra Bubble™ baby boom. More than a dozen political babies have arrived in the past year. “It’s a very virile caucus,” one comrade quipped to Strewth. “A case of deja baby poo!” another joked. Labor has welcomed true-believing tots from Alicia Payne, Kate Thwaites, Lisa Chesters, Matt Keogh, Marielle Smith and Patrick Gorman. Plus Anika Wells’s quarantwins Oshie and Dash. On the other side of the chamber, little blue bloods have been delivered by the wives of Liberal MPs Phil Thompson, Alex Hawke, Julian Simmonds and James Paterson. Which means the Prime Minister and Anthony Albanese will have plenty of CovidSafe babies to kiss on the election campaign trail.

Baby Grace.

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