Rugby 7s

The women’s Aussies Sevens side have added the World Cup to their trophy cabinet in South Africa, going undefeated in their campaign and edging out New Zealand 24-22 in the final.

Maddison Levi was the hat-trick hero against the Kiwis, in a game with both sides scoring four tries.

Goal kicking gave Australia the scoreboard advantage as Sharni Williams converted two tries to New Zealand’s one.

The women’s World Cup now belongs to Australia for the first time since 2009 and comes off the back of the team becoming Commonwealth and World Champions this year, the first team ever to achieve the trifecta.

They also took the time to help out the women’s Madagascar Sevens side, who were self-funded to make their World Cup debut, by donating their Australian alternate training jerseys.

For the Aussie men, they ran into a formidable Fiji in the semi-finals and a 38-14 loss relegated the Aussies to the bronze medal match against Ireland.

A 14-0 lead was built in the bronze medal match, but Ireland put on a mighty comeback to hand the Aussies a 19-14 defeat.

Read more here.

Tennis

Tokyo 2020 Olympians Storm Sanders and John Peers rallied from a set down to beat Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) and Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) 4-6 6-4 (10-7) in the US Open mixed doubles final.

For Storm it marks the first time she’s become a Grand Slam champion, while for John it joins the Australian Open men’s doubles title he won in 2017.

They are the first Aussie pair to win the US Open mixed doubles title since Todd Woodbridge and Rennae Stubbs in 2001.

Read more here.

Athletics

The Diamond League had its 13th and final event of 2022 over the weekend in Zurich, Switzerland in which Nina Kennedy became a Diamond League champion.

The pole vaulter won the final by clearing 4.81m, a season best, five centimetres higher than runner up Sandi Morris (USA). She now has a guaranteed spot at the World Championships next year and is Australia’s fifth ever Diamond League champion.

It’s another achievement in what has been a highly successful 2022, which includes a Commonwealth Games gold medal and bronze at the world championships.

Podium finishes in Zurich were also earned by Kelsey-Lee Barber in javelin, Oliver Hoare in the 1500m and Nicola Olyslagers in high jump.

Kelsey-Lee claimed the silver medal with a 63.72m throw to only sit behind Kara Winger’s (USA) 64.98m effort.

Oliver produced the second-fastest run of his career, 3:30.59, to secure a bronze medal. While Nicola pushed through a calf injury to clear 1.94m for bronze.

Read more here.

Road Cycling

Grace Brown has won stage three of the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta in Spain.

The Tokyo 2020 road cyclist made her move to the front with approximately 25km to go in the stage, and then out duelled Elise Chabbey (SUI) in the final moments.

It’s a timely stage win for the Aussie, who is set to compete in the UCI Road Cycling World Championships in Wollongong, NSW which gets underway on Sunday 18 September.

Find out more about the world championships here.

Triathlon

Matt Hauser got the better of tough conditions in Munich, Germany to win round two of the Super League Triathlon overnight.

Matt was among the top performers in the first round in London last week, but a false start penalty on the swimming leg proved costly as he finished second behind Hayden Wilde (NZL).

With the third round heading to Malibu, USA Matt holds a one-point lead on the rest of the individual field in the elite men championship series.