🗞 What a time to be alive

July 29, 2021

G'day sports fans,

Classic quote: I was really enjoying my ride and just thinking how beautiful it was here and the next minute I was picking gravel out of my head" - Megan Jones, Equestrian 2008

In today's edition of Sport Journal

😷 Aussies cleared

🗣 Random Rassie

📺 BUMPER weekend Sport guide

Olympics

✅ Australia’s athletics team has been allowed to return to normal routine after a Covid scare sent them into a shock lockdown and isolation on the eve of competition. (Fox)

😷 United States pole vaulter Sam Kendricks says he has had four negative coronavirus tests, including one after the the positive result that briefly sent members of the Australian team into isolation.

Kendricks is out of the Tokyo Olympics after returning a positive test, a harsh reminder of the realities of these Games.

Australia’s swimming and rowing stars equalled our nation’s all-time record with three gold medals in a day on Wednesday before the medal rush continued on Thursday.

🥇 Zac Stubblety-Cook gave Australia an early gold medal before Kyle Chalmers and the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay team added a silver and bronze to the medal tally respectively.

🥇 And then Jess Fox capped off what has been a golden 24 hours for Australia with the gold that the whole country was holding their breath for. Her nine-year hunt for an Olympic gold medal is over.

🏑 It will not ease the pain from five years ago, but the Hockeyroos extracted some revenge for their Rio quarter-final exit on Thursday night to seal top spot in Pool B, as the highest seed.

🎾Ashleigh Barty and John Peers sent World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari crashing out of the mixed doubles, with the Australian pair moving onto the semi-final.

🏉 Seven's: Australia's Women play the USA this morning, with a quarterfinal spot already booked for the evening.

⛵️ Aussie duo Mathew Belcher and William Ryan have sailed into first place of the overall rankings in the men’s 470, finishing Race 2, 3 and 4 with a second place finish and two first place finishes respectively.

🇦🇺 AFL

✅ Geelong skipper Joel Selwood appears likely to be on deck for the clash against North Melbourne this weekend. (AFL)

💪🏼 'He's in the best shape that I've seen at the club': Zorko on Cockatoo Lions captain Dayne Zorko says he's keen to see Nakia Cockatoo get his chance. (AFL)

🦶Greater Western Sydney captain Stephen Coniglio faces an uphill battle to play again this season as complications with a rebuilt toe have ruled him out again this week.

Coniglio required surgery earlier this year to repair his ankle and reconstruct the big toe on the same foot after both were injured in a tackle in round three. (AFL)

🏉 NRL

✍🏼 The Storm have reportedly secured the signature of star fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen on a mega three-year contract extension worth $2 million. (Fox)

🏆 A number of NRL stars (incl. Fifita & the Foxx), have spoken glowingly over the prospect of an Indigenous team to compete in the Rugby League World Cup later this year. (Fox)

❌ Tigers centre James Roberts was ‘shattered’ to be the latest NRL player to be sanctioned for breaching the league’s Covid-19 protocols. Roberts was sanctioned and fined $15,000, for going out onto his balcony.

After 195 NRL matches and 20 tests for New Zealand, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's time in rugby league has come to an end. NRL.com looks back at the best of his career, from his debut in 2012 for the Sydney Roosters through until his departure as the New Zealand Warriors captain

🌍 World Sport

🏀 NBA DRAFT (10am today): 7-foot-1, Cade Cunningham is the clear-cut No. 1 pick.

The 19-year-old averaged just over 20 points a game in his freshman year at Oklahoma State where he was a first-team All American and the Big 12 Player of the Year.

The Rockets have a few options available to them at No. 2, but I’d be surprised if they passed on Jalen Green.

#3 - In terms of all-rounders, it doesn’t get much better than Evan Mobley.

The 7-foot centre out of USC was voted the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in his freshman season – making him the first player since Anthony Davis to claim all three major awards in the conference.

📺 South Africa boss Rassie Erasmus has piled further pressure (gone off the deep end) on match officials for the British and Irish Lions Tests with an extraordinary hour-long video monologue railing against the refereeing in last weekend's series opener. (PlanetRugby)

💰 Arsenal will need to bid at least £70m to stand a chance of signing 24-year-old Leicester City playmaker James Maddison, with the England international under contract with the Foxes until 2024. (Sky Sports)

🐴 Racing

The Racing League Owner Report: Flying Artie X Laylia has had a great 11 days in the Anderson Racing stables and will now go out for a well deserved 4-6 week spell. Chris wants to see him grow into himself a bit more and improve in his front end and he's sure we will see the improvement in him next preparation. Chris loves what he sees so far and can't wait to get him back into the stables for his next preparation!

🗞 Share Sport Journal

🐥 Share on Twitter HERE

🙂 Share on Facebook HERE

📲 Share on WhatsApp HERE

🧑🏻‍💻 Share link with a friend to sign up HERE

📺 Live sport 👇🏼

09:00 - 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Day 7 (7mate, 7Plus or Channel 7)

09:00 - ATP Atlanta Open, Round 2, Night 4 (BeIN Sports 2)

09:05 - MLB - Pittsburgh Pirates v Milwaukee Brewers (Sky Sports 3)

10:00 -NBA Draft (ESPN)

11:00 - Men's Hockey - Australia v Spain (7mate or 7Plus)

11:30 - Women's Rugby 7s - Australia v United States (7mate or 7Plus)

11:30 - Swimming Finals, Day 7 (7Plus or Channel 7)

12:10 - MLB - San Diego Padres v Colorado Rockies (Sky Sports 3)

14:40 - Women's BasketballUnited States v Japan (7Plus)

18:00 - NRL - Wests Tigers v Warriors (Fox League)

18:05 - Formula 3 Hungary Practice, Round 4 (Kayo Sports)

18:30 - Women's Rugby 7s, Quarter-Finals, Night 2 (7Plus)

19:00 - J1 League - Consadole Sapporo v Gamba Osaka (Optus Sport or Optus Sport App)

19:30 - Formula 1 Hungary Practice 1, Round 11 (Fox Sports)

19:50 - AFL - St. Kilda Saints v Carlton Blues (Fox Footy)

20:00 - Swimming Heats, Night 7 (7Plus or Channel 7)

20:05 - NRL - Brisbane Broncos v North Queensland Cowboys (Fox League or Channel 9)

20:30 - ATP Generali Open, Semi-Final 1, Day 5 (BeIN Sports 1)

21:00 - European Tour, World Invitational, Round 2 (Fox Sports)

22:00 - Women's Basketball - Australia v China (7mate or 7Plus)

22:30 - ATP Generali Open, Semi-Final 2, Day 5 (BeIN Sports 1)

00:00 - The Hundred Women's - Southern Brave Women v Birmingham Phoenix Women (Fox Cricket)

SATURDAY

09:00 - 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Day 8 (7mate, 7Plus or Channel 7)

09:05 - MLB - Washington Nationals v Chicago Cubs (Sky Sports 3)

09:10 - MLB - Tampa Bay Rays v Boston Red Sox (ESPN 2)

11:30 - Swimming Finals, Day 8 (7Plus or Channel 7)

11:45 - MLB - San Francisco Giants v Houston Astros (Sky Sports 3)

12:00 - MLS - LA Galaxy v Portland Timbers (ESPN)

12:00 - Women's Rugby 7s, Semi-Finals, Day 3 (7Plus)

12:20 - AFL - Western Bulldogs v Adelaide Crows (Fox Footy)

12:45 - Women's Hockey - Australia v Argentina (7mate or 7Plus)

13:15 - AFL - North Melb. Kangaroos v Geelong Cats (Fox Footy)

15:00 - NRL - St. George Illawarra Dragons v South Sydney Rabbitohs (Fox League)

15:10 - AFL Gold Coast Suns v Melbourne Demons (Fox Sports)

16:15 - AFL - Collingwood Magpies v West Coast Eagles (Fox Footy)

17:30 - NRL - Newcastle Knights v Canberra Raiders (Fox League)

18:00 - Men's Football, Quarter-Final (7Plus)

18:00 - Women's Football, Quarter-Final (7Plus)

18:00 - Women's Tennis, Gold Medal Match (7Plus)

18:20 - Men's Basketball - Australia v Germany (7mate or 7Plus)

18:35 - Formula 3 Hungary Race 1, Round 4 (Fox Sports)

19:00 - Women's Rugby 7s, Gold Medal Match, Night 3 (7Plus or Channel 7)

19:00 - Men's Football, Quarter-Final (7Plus)

19:00 - Women's Football, Quarter-Final (7Plus)

19:35 - NRL - Melbourne Storm v Penrith Panthers (Fox League)

19:40AFL - Essendon Bombers v Sydney Swans (Fox Footy)

19:42Group 3 Pacers, Club Menangle Winter Championship Final (Sky Racing 1)

20:00 - Formula 1 Hungary Practice 3, Round 11 (Fox Sports)

20:00 - The Hundred Women's - Welsh Fire Women v Manchester Originals Women (Fox Cricket)

20:00 - Men's Football, Quarter-Final (7Plus)

20:00 - FootballWomen's Football, Quarter-Final (7Plus)

21:00 - European Tour, World Invitational, Round 3 (Fox Sports)

21:00 - Men's Football, Quarter-Final7Plus21:00FootballWomen's Football, Quarter-Final (7Plus)

22:00 - Men's Basketball - United States v Czech Republic (7mate or 7Plus)

22:30 - Currie Cup - Sharks v Griquas (Stan Sport)

23:00 - Formula 1 Hungary Qualifying, Round 11 (Fox Sports )

23:30 - The Hundred - Welsh Fire v Manchester Originals (Fox Cricket)

23:30 - The Hundred Women's - Northern Superchargers Women v Oval Invincibles Women (Fox Sports)

SUNDAY

08:00 - UFC Fight Night Prelims (ESPN)

09:00 - 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Day 9 (7mate, 7Plus or Channel 7)

10:30 - Men's Hockey, Quarter-Final (7Plus)

10:40 - MLB - San Diego Padres v Colorado Rockies (Sky Sports 3)

11:00 - UFC Fight Night Main Card - Uriah Hall v Sean Strickland (ESPN)

11:30 - Swimming Finals, Day 9 (7Plus or Channel 7)

13:00 - Men's Hockey, Quarter-Final (7Plus)

14:00 - NRL - Canterbury Bulldogs v Gold Coast Titans (Fox League)

14:10 - AFL - Hawthorn Hawks v Brisbane Lions (Fox Footy)

15:10 - AFL - GWS Giants v Port Adelaide Power (Fox Sports)

16:05 - NRL - Cronulla Sharks v Manly Sea Eagles (Fox League or Channel 9)

17:10 - AFL - Fremantle Dockers v Richmond Tigers (Fox Footy)

18:45 - Formula 3 Hungary Race 3, Round 4 (Fox Sports)

19:30 - Men's Hockey, Quarter-Final (7Plus)

20:00 - The Hundred Women's - Birmingham Phoenix Women v Trent Rockets Women (Fox Cricket)

21:00 - European Tour, World Invitational, Round 4 (Fox Sports)

22:00 - Men's Hockey, Quarter-Final (7Plus)

22:50 - Athletics, Men's 100m Final (7Plus or Channel 7)

23:00 - Formula 1 Hungary Race, Round 11 (Fox Sports)

23:30 - The Hundred - Birmingham Phoenix v Trent Rockets (Fox Cricket)