GOLDEN POINT
THE STATE OF PLAY ...
THUMBS UP
ONE of the few upsides of the cuts to the Nutri-Grain series this year has been the spike in the number of ironmen deciding to tackle the Coolangatta Gold.
The race is one of the truly iconic events on the Australian sports calendar and deserves its place in the sun.
And with the Nutri-Grain series restricted to just three races over a single weekend in February this season, athletes have the chance to fully recover from the gruelling 41.8km Gold course before taking part in the elite series.
The men’s elite field of 24 competitors contains some serious depth.
While there’s definite talent in the women’s ranks with triple crown winner Courtney Hancock and two-time Australian ironwoman champ Rebecca Creedy taking part, a lack of numbers is disappointing.
The decision to increase the distance of the women’s course in 2013 to match the men’s distance made the Gold one of the world’s toughest endurance tests.
And it’s really disappointing to see just six women decide to attempt tomorrow’s race.
If surf lifesaving is losing ground to its summer rivals then it’s up to its athletes to take the opportunities on offer to ensure it holds its place as a truly iconic Australian sport. THUMBS DOWN WHY is Nick Kyrgios still playing tennis?
Aside from his continuous displays of petulant and unsportsmanlike behaviour, Kyrgios seems to have utter contempt for the sport he plays.
He trudges around the court in a manner that suggests he can’t stand being there, shows little respect for opponents, fans or officials and snipes at anyone who dares suggest he change his ways.
His latest slap on the wrist – a series of fines totalling $21,810 for a string of offences at the Shanghai Masters including tanking, verbal abuse and unsportsmanlike conduct – is likely to do little to curb his ways.
Those who continue to make excuses for him are doing him no favours.
Immense talent or not, Kyrgios must be on thin ice. The sport cannot afford his buffoonery. Another incident and he must be suspended from the next grand slam event.
LAST WORD LOVE him or hate him, Greg Bird is an outstanding footballer and will leave a void for the Titans on the field.
A polarising figure, Bird was a leader on the field and a man other players loved to follow.
The Titans need to add an on-field leader after offloading more than 1000 games of experience since the end of the season.