🗞 Matildas complete 'extraordinary comeback' in 11-goal thriller

AUSSIE SPORTS
Fantastic Fox

⚽️ The Matildas staged a remarkable second-half comeback to defeat Zambia 6-5 and keep their Olympic dreams alive. Trailing 5-2 after Zambia’s captain Barbra Banda scored a hat-trick in the first half, Australia rallied with four unanswered goals after the break.

Zambia, ranked 64th in the world, had dominated early, but the Matildas turned the tide with an own goal, a penalty, a goalkeeping error, and a dramatic 90th-minute winner. Despite missing several chances and making defensive mistakes, Australia secured the win in a thrilling finish.

With their first loss to Germany behind them, the Matildas' fate now rests on their final group match against the USA and other results.

🛶 Jess Fox has collected the one Olympic gold medal that had eluded her grasp, winning the women's K1 slalom with an incredible run through the whitewater in Paris.

After a nervy run in the semi-finals that had seen her reach the final as only the eighth-fastest qualifier, the Australian obliterated the rest of the field to post a time of 96.08 when it mattered.

That was three seconds faster than anyone managed in the semi-finals, and good enough to claim her second Olympic gold, and first in the K1.

🏄🏻‍♂️ Almost 16,000 kilometres away from Paris, the furthest an Olympic event has ever been from a host city, the opening heats at famous surf break Teahupo’o are now completed.

While Australians Ethan Ewing and Tyler Wright have made a promising winning start, our top-ranked male and female surfers, Jack Robinson and Molly Picklum, will fight early this morning (Australian time) to get their Olympic campaign back on track in their respective elimination Round 2 heats.

🏉 Australia is looking every bit gold medal fancies in the women's rugby sevens after Maddison Levi led the team to two commanding wins (bt SA 34-5 & 36-4 against Team GB) on the opening day of competition.

🎾 icymi: Alex de Minaur withdrew from his Olympic singles first round clash with German Jan-Lennard Struff, opting to focus on doubles as he manages his hip injury.

NRL NEWS
Punches Thrown

📄 The Canberra Raiders ensured skipper Elliott Whitehead would celebrate his 200th game in style by downing the Rabbitohs 32-12 at GIO Stadium.

🚨 South Sydney veteran Alex Johnston suffered a suspected Achilles injury in South Sydney's heavy loss to Canberra, which could cruel his chances of breaking the NRL's try-scoring record. 

📄 A triple treat from superstar No.7 Nathan Cleary steered the Panthers to a 46-10 win over the Dragons at WIN Stadium.

📄 The Gold Coast Titans produced a stunning comeback from 14 points down to beat the Dolphins 21-14 at Suncorp Stadium.

👊🏻 Broncos star Annetta Nu’uausala is facing a four-game ban after she was sent to the sin bin for a hip-drop tackle on Reuben Cherrington and then punched Kennedy Cherrington in the face as Parramatta pulled off a massive upset (22-10) at Suncorp Stadium.

AFL NEWS
Career Best

📄 Nick Daicos produced another stunning individual performance as Collingwood kept its troubled premiership defence alive with a 26-point win over Richmond.

Daicos was outstanding in helping the Magpies snap a four-match losing streak with a vital 14.9 (93) to 9.13 (67) victory at the MCG.

📄 Jamarra Ugle-Hagan steered the Western Bulldogs to a stunning 39-point win over Sydney at the SCG.

With their third straight win over a top-four contender, the Bulldogs recorded the 12.15 (87) to 7.6 (48) victory off the back of pure workrate, handing the Swans their biggest loss since round six last year.

📄 Hawthorn’s unlikely charge towards a first finals berth in six years continues to gather steam after an emphatic 66-point win over Adelaide.

Sam Mitchell's charges had a 0-5 start to the season but are now 11-8 and just percentage outside the top eight after their 19.10 (124) to 8.10 (58) win at the Adelaide Oval. 

AUSSIE OLYMPIC SCHEDULE
DAY 3 (Monday July 29)

Basketball (Women’s) - 7pm: Nigeria vs AUSTRALIA

Hockey (Men’s) - 6pm: Ireland vs AUSTRALIA

Rugby Sevens (Women’s) - 10:30pm AUSTRALIA vs Ireland

Swimming (Heats) - From 7pm

• Women’s 400m Individual Medley (Ella Ramsay, Jenna Forrester)

• Women’s 100m Backstroke (Kaylee McKeown, Iona Anderson)

• Men’s 800m Freestyle (Sam Short, Elijah Winnington)

into Tuesday…

Hockey (Women’s) - 1am Great Britain vs AUSTRALIA

Surfing

• 03:00 Men’s Round 3

• 07:48 Women’s Round 3

Swimming (finals)

• 04:30 Women’s 400m Individual Medley Final [Medal Event] (Ella Ramsay, Jenna Forrester)

• 04:43 Men’s 200m Freestyle Final [Medal Event] (Max Giuliani, Tommy Neill)

• 05:00 Women’s 100m Backstroke Semifinals (Kaylee McKeown, Iona Anderson)

• 05:22 Men’s 100m Backstroke Final [Medal Event] (Isaac Cooper, Brad Woodward)

• 05:32 Women’s 100m Breaststroke Final [Medal Event] (Jenna Strauch)

• 05:48 Women’s 200m Freestyle Final [Medal Event] (Ariarne Titmus, Mollie O’Callaghan)

OLYMPIC WRAP
Razzle Dazzle

🤸🏾 Simone Biles dazzled on her Olympics return as the world's most decorated gymnast showed she was back to her best three years after suffering the 'twisties'.

She scored a total of 59.566 to top the all-around standings with three sub-divisions still to go.

Sub-division two of women's gymnastics qualifying was the hottest ticket in town, with rapper Snoop Dogg, actor Tom Cruise, Vogue editor Anna Wintour and singer Ariana Grande among those at the arena to watch Biles.

🤢 Triathletes swimming (training) in the River Seine had to be cancelled.

Tests showed the recent rain had resulted in the water quality dropping below an acceptable standard, despite the French government spending €1.4bn on improving the water quality.

Given the improved weather, organisers said they are "confident" the Seine will be deemed clean enough before the start of the triathlon competitions on Tuesday.

🎾 Rafael Nadal set up a tantalising second-round contest with old foe Novak Djokovic at Paris 2024 after coming through his opening Olympics singles match.

But the 2008 gold medallist had enough to see off Fucsovics in a 6-1 4-6 6-4 win.

🎾 Andy Murray delayed his retirement as a scarcely believable escape act saw the British tennis great and Dan Evans save five match points to win their Olympics men's doubles opener.

🏊🏼 France's Leon Marchand delighted a raucous home crowd by setting a new Olympic record to dominate the 400m individual medley and win gold at his home Games.

WORLD NEWS
Hamilton Handed Win

🏎️ Mercedes driver George Russell was disqualified and stripped of his Belgium Grand Prix victory after his car was found to be underweight post-race.

Russell thought he had led a Mercedes first and second at the famous Spa-Francorchamps, heading teammate Lewis Hamilton home in a thrilling race.

Australian Oscar Piastri, fresh off his maiden F1 win in Hungary, crossed the line in third.

But Hamilton was upgraded to race winner, his second of the season, after his teammate's car was found to be underweight. Piastri upgraded to 2nd.

In the official F1 Technical Delegates Report on Russell's car, it was found the car weighed 796.5kg, under the 798kg minimum limit.

🏏 Mark Wood took five wickets in a devastating spell of fast bowling as England wrapped up a 3-0 series victory over West Indies with an emphatic 10-wicket win in the third Test.

⚽️ Aston Villa are aiming to bring in Barcelona and Brazil forward Raphinha, 27, this summer

Liverpool and Tottenham have joined Arsenal in the race to sign Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres, 26, from Sporting Lisbon.

⛳️ Jon Rahm prevailed at LIV Golf U.K., beating Tyrrell Hatton, Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann at JCB Golf & Country Club. He shot a 4-under 67 on Sunday to win by one at 13 under when Hatton, playing alongside in the final group, missed a 6-foot par putt that would have forced a playoff.

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