Sport

The deadlift may or may not be the ultimate test of strength, but when Eddie Hall became the first man ever to deadlift 500 kilograms (1,102.31 pounds) officially in competition over the weekend, few had any reason to doubt his strength. That he broke his own deadlift world record again only solidified that fact. Burst blood vessels and nosebleeds were the price paid for victory and all part of Hall’s half ton deadlift. Eddie Hall, also known as “The Beast” is currently considered England’s strongest man. A title he was held since 2011. The 28-year-old Englishman is also currently ranked the fourth strongest man in the world. Speaking to the Yorkshire Post about his record-breaking 500kg deadlift, Hall offered up the following: “That nearly killed me. The pressure on my body was surreal. I passed out after. I had nose bleeds. It’s not healthy doing something like that. “But I’ve ...

Professional matador, 29-year-old Victor Barrio, was killed in a bullfight in Teruel, in Spain. The event was filmed on live television, as part of the festival Feria del Ángel. The bull, known as Maños and weighing some 529 kilograms, flipped Barrio over with its horns, before goring him further as it drove him into the ground. Festival participants came to the matador’s aid, though Victor Barrio’s injuries were severe and he later died in hospital with doctors unable to save him. A warning that the following video contains graphic images. Bullfighting in Spain is considered part of the Spanish heritage and culture; there are also those who are strongly opposed to bullfighting. Barrio’s death is said to be the first death of a matador in a bullfight in Spain this century, and the first human death in the bullring death since 1987. The deaths of the bulls, however, are virtually ...

Cricketer Chris Gayle’s comment in an interview on Monday night with journalist Mel McLaughlin has sparked considerable controversy. “I wanted to come and have an interview with you as well. That’s the reason why I’m here, just to see your eyes for the first time,” Gayle said. “Hopefully we can win this game and we can have a drink later. Don’t blush, baby.” “I’m not blushing,” replied McLaughlin. Gayle was subsequently fined $10,000 by his Big Bash League (BBL) team the Melbourne Renegades, and apologies were offered to the reporter. Money from the fine will be donated to the McGrath Foundation. Feature Image Credit: NAPARAZZI

Of late Adam Goodes seems to be the source of more division than half a maths class, and like most good stories it has been several years in the making. Where exactly the story begins is a bit unclear. Few question the sporting talent of Adam Goodes. That he has two Brownlow Medals to his name is testament to that. But then there’s the other stuff. If people want a simple starting point, probably going back to the year 2013 when Julia, a 13-year-old girl, called Adam Goodes an “ape” at an AFL match may be the logical origin. Following a media storm, with little by way of context or question, the comment became viewed by many as a definite racial slur. The child was forced to apologise, and the man Adam Goodes subsequently became Australian of the Year in 2014, and the “Racism. It Stops With Me” campaign was ...

Amidst the claims of corruption and scandal plaguing FIFA, it seems others are trying to stoke the flames of another controversy with FIFA. This time, it relates to the testing of women in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, to ensure that they are in fact female. If that seems like somewhat of a non-issue, the potential perceived controversy is because the rules as stipulated by FIFA call for gender verification of all players, but records of male players being tested are apparently non-existent. The same cannot be said of females. Existing since 2011, FIFA requires the teams of players are “of an appropriate gender” with a signed declaration. With FIFA’s rules stipulating that each participating member association is to: “ensure the correct gender of all players by actively investigating any perceived deviation in secondary sex characteristic.” Verification in the past has included physical exams, and hormones and chromosomes testing. ...

Adam Goodes, as sportsman he courts greatness in AFL. Outside of sport, he’s both famous and infamous. Depending on who is asked, and about what topic. It was during the first game of the AFL’s Indigenous Round, when Adam Goodes of the Sydney Swans engaged in a war dance, or war cry, in front of Carlton Blues fans at the SCG. He had just kicked a goal, putting the Swans at 57 versus 10 for the Blues. Blues fans were none-too-impressed by Goodes’ war dance and war cry. Responding with a series of boos and jeers. Amongst other things. Some of which were taken to social media. Some of the less profanity laden tweets can be read here. Speaking after the match, Goodes said there was nothing untoward about it. Nor towards the Blues fans. That the war cry was to celebrate his Indigenous heritage, saying he was “proud to ...

It’s happening again. Anthony Mundine is claiming he’s Australia’s greatest all-round athlete. He’s at it again because it’s not the first time he has made such a claim. Or boast, if preferred. It probably won’t be the last time either. After effectively ruining the phrase of being “the man” for at least one generation, the former rugby league player and now current world title holding boxer, the WBC Silver Super Welterweight Champion, Anthony “The Man” Mundine is talking up his prowess. “There’s no man that has done what I’ve done and crossed over sports like I have,” says the 39-year-old Mundine. To his credit, he has successfully crossed from rugby league to be a world class boxer. It’s not like he’s a John Hopoate here. Although given Mundine’s mouth, where he can also go put his finger may not be that different for some boxing fans. For a boxer to ...

Grid girls are to be banned from the 2015 season of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). Short shorts and other such things are out the door, and it’s going to be about racing and motorsport only. Gentlefolk, start or stop your engines. It’s up to you. One commentator on The Roar believes this a progressive move in the right direction for motorsport. Although raising some decent points, the comments are of course opinion; and also biased, as opinions are prone to be. The telling thing, is the inference of the following statement: “The AFL, for example, moved away from dancing cheer girls years ago. Part of its wider appeal in terms of crowds and television ratings is its openness to all. Thirty-five per cent of AFL club members are women and families are drawn to AFL games more so than any other code in Australia, judging by their record crowd figures.” ...

Every dog has its day. So the saying goes. Yet for some greyhounds, what that day has involved has not exactly been pleasant. Following in the wake of the ABC’s Four Corners exposé in February of the greyhound live baiting scandal, which saw rabbits, possums, and even piglets being used as lures on training tracks for the greyhounds to chase and kill, positions in the official greyhound industry have met a similar fate. The board of Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) was dismissed by the NSW State Government; standing down 10 trainers and suspending 28 dogs. Racing Queensland has acted similarly, 36 greyhound trainers have been suspended, six of which have been banned for life. Two Queensland men were charged over the live baiting incident. Were the live baiting scandal not enough, this was followed shortly by the discovery of a mass grave of 55 greyhounds near Bundaberg, Queensland. Like dominoes ...

It’s bold, could be in the faces of others, and maybe it’s even a little intimidating. It’s the haka. Traditionally a dance by the Maori people of New Zealand, it has been used as a war dance or challenge. Though in various forms it has also been used as a greeting or ceremonial acknowledgment. The haka is not one thing, but many of a particular form. Used in sport by both the New Zealand rugby league team, currently the Warriors, and the New Zealand rugby union team, the All Blacks; it’s a tradition which dates back to 1888 and 1905 respectively for the football codes. The haka, although coming in various forms, when used on the sporting field is more akin to its war dance and challenge origins. Acts of stomping, slapping, yelling, poking the tongue out, and showing wide open the whites of the eyes, all have primal physiological ...