There’s just one thing I want to say about the commentary, which is that I do not ever again want to hear an ‘expert’ earnestly informing me that the Commonwealth Games are NOT THE OLYMPIC GAMES. Here’s a hint fellers (earnest experts are invariably male): the clue is in the name.
What a week.
First cricket, and a ball-tampering scandal which has now resulted in the Australian captain, vice-captain and a hapless junior player facing suspensions and the coach resigning. Second, amidst all the cricket turmoil, came the raising by a senior government minister of the prospect – quickly shut down,...
Briefly, we all became multi-event fans last weekend, what with Ashley Moloney, Cedric Dubler and Celeste Mucci competing in the Austrian town of Gotzis, long-time host to the top non-championship meeting in the world for those who take their competitions seven or 10 events at a time.
Gotzis piqued our interest. And our interest peaked after each made a great start on day one. After five events, book-ended by a personal best 10.41 in the 100 and near-personal best 46.97 in the 400, world U20 champion Moloney was in second place to Canada’s Damian Warner with an impressive 4436 points.
If someone said they’d had a ‘b’ of a week, you would normally think it hadn’t been too good. The Australian and Indian men’s cricket teams, for example.
In assigning that descriptor to the past seven days (5-11 July), however, I’ve got other things in mind. OK, maybe Hagos Gebrhiwet,...
A column by Len Johnson - Runner's Tribe
It’s official. Steve Moneghetti is a legend.
News this week that Mona is one of two inaugural inductees into the Berlin Marathon’s Hall of Fame. Already a Ballarat legend, Moneghetti has gradually branched out until now he is a world legend (Ballarat folk,...
The recent announcement that there would be no road events at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games was poignant enough for Australian athletics followers. As Commonwealth marathon champions ‘Deek’, ‘Monner’, Kerryn, Lisa, Michael and Jess are on first-name terms as far as most of us are concerned.
Dreams fulfilled on field
A column by Len Johnson - Reporting from the Gold Coast
It might be stretching things too far to call Carrara Stadium a field of dreams – the so-far-hapless Gold Coast Suns might object, for a start.
But it has been on the field that Australian dreams have...
By Len Johnson - Runner's Tribe
As the clock ticks remorselessly down towards midnight on 23 July, the qualification deadline for the world championships, there are still many athletes chasing the magical entry standards.
Not just scrubbers either. Circumstances, and the narrower qualifying window (1 October, 2016, for most events), can...
When a runner makes a breakaway move in a marathon, one of the psychological advantages they seek is to disappear. To build enough of a lead that whenever the road crests a hill, turns a corner or rounds a blind bend, the leader cannot be seen by the pursuers....
Traveling in a fried-out Kombi
On a hippie trail, head full of zombie
- Down Under, Men at Work, 1981
What do you do when you're trekking around and in need of transport?
Well, if it’s the 1970s and you are Australians in Europe, you get yourself a Kombi van. Many young Aussies...
