HYROX ATHLETE APOLOGISES AFTER CONTINUING DESPITE SO8LING HERSELF AT EVENT, CONFIRMS FORFEITURE OF WIN

A Hyrox competitor who soiled herself during a competition in Beijing has apologised for continuing the race, and confirmed that she has retrospectively forfeited her win and the points from the event.

Joanna Wietrzyk took part in Saturday's Hryox Elite 15 event with faeces visible on her leg, as photos and videos of the event from the Chinese capital were widely circulated on social media.

The incident led Hyrox to give race directors the power to withdraw an athlete if blood, vomit, urine or faeces creates a welfare or contamination risk to them or other competitors. Any athlete removed in those circumstances will be recorded as not finishing the race.

Australian athlete Wietrzyk went on to win the women's pro race on Saturday in a time of 1 hour, 1 minute and 23 seconds.

Joanna Wietrzyk apologised for continuing to race at the Hyrox event in Beijing. Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images

In a statement posted on Instagram, she issued an apology for continuing and that she would withdraw the points earned.

"I want to offer my sincere apology to the people of China, my fellow competitors, the spectators and the HYROX organizers for what happened during the race in Beijing," she wrote.

"I felt completely fit and healthy at the start of the race, with no reason to expect any illness. Looking back, I regret the decision to not have stepped off the track.

"I recognize that I should have made a different choice. I take responsibility for my decision to continue and am deeply sorry for the discomfort and disruption it caused.

"I know my actions had an impact beyond myself, and I am genuinely sorry to everyone who was affected.

"I am learning from this experience and will carry those lessons with me, including remembering that there is more to life than racing and knowing when it is right to step away. On reflection, I have decided to retroactively withdraw from the race and forfeit the points I earned."

Hyrox China said areas affected during Saturday's competition were isolated and disinfected, while contaminated communal equipment and carpets were removed and replaced for racing the next day

Hyrox is a rapidly growing fitness-racing format, founded in Germany in 2017 and has surged in popularity since the pandemic.

It sees competitors alternate between workout stations, including skiing and rowing machines, and eight legs of 1km runs.

- ESPN

NICK KYRGIOS ACCEPTS ONE-MONTH TENNIS SUSPENSION FOR 'SOCIAL' COCAINE USE

Kyrgios has agreed to attend a treatment programme after the ITIA found he had use cocaine ‘during a night out’, which was therefore considered to be outside of competition

Nick Kyrgios has served a one-month ban, but is now free to return to tennis (Reuters)

Nick Kyrgios has accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for cocaine, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said.

The Australian, 31, failed a drugs test during an ATP Tour event in Mallorca in June 2026. The former Wimbledon finalist was provisionally suspended last month.

The ITIA said Kyrgios had agreed to attend a treatment programme approved by the ITIA, which has lowered Kyrgios’ suspension from three months to one month.

As a result, Kyrgios’ suspension is already over, as the ITIA said his provisional ban began on 4 August 2026 and ended on 3 September 2026.

The ITIA said Kyrgios’ explanatation that he had used cocaine “socially during a night out” was “consistent with the level of cocaine found in his sample”.

As a result, the ITIA accepted his use of cocaine was outside of competition and subject to a lighter penalty.

After his provisional suspension was announced last month, Kyrgios said he had made “a huge mistake”.

He wrote on Instagram: “I wanted you to hear this from me first. I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine.

“I made a huge mistake and I take full responsibility for it. I’m sorry to my fans, my family, my sponsors and everyone close to me. Above all, I’m sorry to the kids who follow me.

“I know the example this sets and I’m deeply disappointed in myself.”

His first-round loss to fellow Australian Adam Walton in Majorca was his last competitive singles outing and one of only four singles matches he has played this season.

Kyrgios’ career has been blighted by knee and wrist problems since his run to the Wimbledon showpiece in 2022 and his ranking has slipped to 919 in the world.

He said he would not make “excuses” for the positive test but cited the toll of his physical issues.

“My body hasn’t been able to do what my mind expects it do, and coming to terms with being near the end of my career has been harder than I ever imagined,” he said.

“At times I’ve felt hopeless and alone. However, the good news is that this has given me a wake-up call.”

Kyrgios added he would be taking a 28-day break from social media to focus on “getting myself right”, concluding: “I’m sorry, I’ll come back better.”

Britain’s Dan Evans was banned for a year for taking cocaine out of competition in 2017 but the rules changed in 2021, with the penalties reduced.

Includes reporting from PA

- 

HUGE MISTAKE, SAYS NICK KYRGIOS AFTER TESTING POSITIVE FOR COCAINE

The ITIA confirmed on Wednesday that Kyrgios was suspended on August 4

Nick Kyrgios
AFP

Veteran Australian tennis star and former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for cocaine.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirmed on Wednesday that Kyrgios was suspended on August 4 after a sample he provided at an ATP 250 tournament in Mallorca in June tested positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine.

Cocaine is classified as a prohibited substance in competition. Under the provisional suspension, Kyrgios is barred from participating in or attending ATP, WTA, Grand Slam and other sanctioned events until the case is resolved by an independent tribunal.

Kyrgios, 31, has admitted to the offence, describing it as a “huge mistake” and taking full responsibility for his actions.

Take full responsibility

In a lengthy statement shared social media, the Australian apologised to his fans, family, sponsors and young followers.

“I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine. I made a huge mistake and I take full responsibility for it,” Kyrgios said.

He also opened up about the physical and mental toll of persistent injuries and the difficulty of coming to terms with the possibility that his tennis career could be nearing its end.

“The last couple of years of injuries have taken a huge toll on me, both physically and mentally,” he said. “My body hasn’t been able to do what my mind expects it to do, and coming to terms with being near the end of my career has been harder than I ever imagined.”

Kyrgios stressed that his struggles did not excuse his actions but said the positive test had served as a wake-up call.

“I’m not going to make excuses,” he added. “None of that excuses what I did.”

The Australian said he will now step away from social media and public life for 28 days to focus on his wellbeing and asked for privacy for himself and his family.

“I’m sorry. I’ll do the work and come back better,” Kyrgios concluded.

- Jai Rai

SERENA WILLIAMS TO FACE MAYA JOINT ON GRAND SLAM RETURN AT WIMBLEDON

 The 23-time grand slam champion will play her first singles match in nearly four years.

Serena Williams during a practice session at Wimbledon (John Walton/PA) (PA Wire)

Serena Williams will make her return to grand slam tennis with a first-round match against Australian Maya Joint at Wimbledon.

Having launched a comeback thistle month in doubles at the age of 44, it was announced last weekend that Williams had taken the final wild card into the women’s singles.

The 23-time grand slam singles champion last played a singles match nearly four years ago at the US Open in what had appeared to be her farewell to the sport.

Serena Williams last won the Wimbledon women’s singles title in 2016 (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Archive)

Emma Raducanu is due to open her campaign against Croatian Antonia Ruzic but fitness doubts surround the 30th seed, who could again meet Aryna Sabalenka in the third round in a repeat of last year.

Raducanu did not turn up for her scheduled practice session on Thursday having reportedly been seen wearing a protective boot the previous evening.

The British number one’s team confirmed she is managing a niggle and concerns grew when she did not appear on the practice schedule for Friday.

Raducanu is due to speak to the media at a press conference on Saturday.

- Eleanor Crooks

YOUNGEST AUSTRALIAN GOAL SCORER HAILS FROM TANZANIA | FIFA WORLD CUP 2026

 

OLGA DANLOVIC VS. VENUS WILLIAMS | AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2026 | HIGHLIGHTS

 

PIASTRI: MCLAREN CAR 'VERY STRONG' BUT STILL 'UNPREDICTABLE' ON THE LIMIT

©McLaren

Ahead of this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, championship leader Oscar Piastri insists McLaren still has a “very strong car” that it can rely on but admits the team’s MCL39 remains “a little bit unpredictable when you get to the limit".

The Australian heads to the tight streets of Monte Carlo holding a 13-point advantage over his McLaren teammate Lando Norris, having taken four wins from the opening seven rounds of the 2025 season.

Despite that form, Piastri had to settle for third in Imola behind Max Verstappen and Norris, raising questions about McLaren's consistency in race conditions – even after Piastri secured his third pole position of the year.

Challenging the Limit

As usual, Saturday’s all-important qualifying session in Monaco will prove pivotal due to the near-impossibility of overtaking in Sunday’s 78-lap race.

But the one-lap exercise in the Principality is typically a high-stakes tightrope walk – where brushing the barriers can mean glory, but overstepping by millimetres ends in disaster.

In that context, Piastri opened up on the fine margins required to master McLaren’s 2025 machine.

"I think we've slowly learnt how to tame it better and better," Piastri admitted. "I think at Imola the car was feeling really good on Saturday."

But as the Aussie explained, things get less predictable on the edge.

"It is a bit difficult, a little bit unpredictable when you get to the limit I would say. It clearly has a lot of pace there but it's not always the easiest to extract just from not being able to fully predict what's going to happen."

The MCL39’s raw pace has helped deliver consistent front-row starts, but Piastri acknowledged the challenge remains in managing its behavior under extreme pressure.

"Every now and again it is better than what is has been at other races but when you get right to the limit, sometimes it can do slightly unexpected things but overall it's still a very strong car."

One new element that could alleviate some of the stress from qualifying is the introduction of a mandatory two-stop race this weekend, part of Formula 1’s effort to add more strategy and excitement to the notoriously processional Monaco GP.

Piastri believes this could be a game-changer: "A very different race" is how the 23-year-old described what fans might expect on Sunday.

Norris: "We Still Have Things to Improve"

While McLaren has emerged as the standout team of 2025 so far, teammate Lando Norris echoed Piastri’s sentiments that there is still work to be done if the team wants to stay ahead of Red Bull and Verstappen – who is now just 22 points off the top of the standings after his Imola win.

"It still shows that we are vulnerable in certain areas. We still have things to improve on, even though we've had some great weekends where we've looked dominant and we have been dominant," said Norris, reflecting on McLaren’s defeat last weekend in Italy.

"Clearly we still have some weaknesses so it's focusing on the good stuff but try and work on those weaknesses and improve. That's F1, that's life every day in F1."

Norris, who triumphed in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix but has yet to return to the top step since, and who has never won in the glitzy Principality, underlined the emotional value of success in Monaco.

"Winning here is a dream for everyone," he said, confident that McLaren will once again be competitive around the Principality's iconic corners.

The stage is now set for another thrilling chapter in the 2025 championship battle – one that could hinge on who can master the quirks of a car that remains fast, but not always forgiving.

- Phillip van Osten

TWO-TIME GRAND SLAM WINNER ADMITS TO DOPING AS TENNIS IS ROCKED BY ANOTHER DRUG SCANDAL

AP Photo

• Max Purcell has admitted to breaching tennis' anti-doping regulations 
• The two-time Grand Slam winner admitted he was 'devastated' by the news 

Australian tennis player Max Purcell has elected to enter a voluntary provisional suspension after admitting to breaching the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP).

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced that the 26-year-old had contravened Article 2.2 of the Tennis Anti-Doping Program, which relates to the 'use of a Prohibited Method'.

The ITIA said that his provisional suspension came into effect on December 12, 2024, but did not stipulate how long the ban would go on for.

Purcell, a two-time doubles Grand Slam winner, has also taken to Instagram to admit he was 'devastated' by the news and revealed that the breach occurred when he had 'unknowingly' received a transfusion of vitamins that was above the 'allowable limit of 100ml'.

He added that he had told the medical agency that he was an athlete and needed the IV to be below 100ml.

As announced by the ITIA today, I have voluntarily accepted a provisional suspension since I unknowingly received an IV infusion of vitamins above the allowable limit of 100ml,' Purcell wrote on Instagram.

'Until last week when I received medical records from a clinic showing that the amount of an IV I had received was above 100ml, I was fully convinced I had done everything to ensure that I had followed the WADA regulations and methods.

'But the records show that the IV was over that 100ml limit, even though I told the medical clinic that I was a professional athlete and needed the IV to be below 100ml.

'This news was devastating to me because I pride myself on being an athlete who always makes sure that everything is WADA safe. I volunteered this information to the ITIA and have been as transparent as possible in trying to put this whole situation behind me. I look forward to being back on the court soon.'

Purcell will now be banned for coaching or playing at any authorised or sanctioned event by the ITIA during his provisional suspension.

The ITIA wrote in a statement: 'The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) today confirms that Australian tennis player Max Purcell has elected to enter into a voluntary provisional suspension under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP).

'Twenty-six-year-old Purcell, currently ranked world number 12 in doubles, has admitted to a breach of Article 2.2 of the TADP relating to the use of a Prohibited Method, and requested to enter into a provisional suspension on 10 December 2024. 

'The suspension came into effect on 12 December 2024, and time served under provisional suspension will be credited against any future sanction.'

Purcell partnered with Jordan Thompson this year to reach the doubles final at Wimbledon, before going on to clinch the men's doubles title at the US Open, defeating Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow.

 He had previously partnered with Matt Ebden to win the men's doubles at Wimbledon in 2022, beating Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic in the final. 

The 26-year-old is one of multiple players to have been embroiled in controversy with anti-doping authorities this year, after Iga Swiatek accepted a one-month ban for testing positive for a banned substance in November. 

The ITIA had accepted that Swiatek's positive tests came through contamination of non-prescription medication melatonin.

Jannik Sinner, who won this year's men's singles title at the Australian Open and the US Open, is another to have made headlines in March after he tested positive twice for the banned steroid clostebol. 

He was subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing by the ITIA, who claimed that there was 'no fault or negligence' from the Italian. 

Shortly after the announcement, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over the decision. The case is not likely to be heard until March 2025.

 - ED CARRUTHERS FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

CYCLING STAR TADEJ POGACAR WINS MEN'S ROAD RACE AT WORLDS

Tadej Pogačar continued his dominant 2024 by winning the men's road race at the world championships Sunday. AP Photo/Peter Dejong

ZURICH -- Tadej Pogačar cemented his status as cycling's biggest star with a devastating solo attack to win the men's road race at the world championships Sunday.

The three-time Tour de France champion surged ahead just over 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the end. The 26-year-old Slovenian appeared to be in tears after crossing the line in Zurich, putting his hand on his mouth then covering his face with both hands before pumping his arms in the air.

He crossed the line 34 seconds ahead of Australian Ben O'Connor and 58 clear of defending champion Mathieu van der Poel of the Netherlands, who finished third in a sprint to the line ahead of Latvian Toms Skujins and Belgian contender Remco Evenepoel in fifth place.

"I put a lot of pressure on myself for today. The race unfolded pretty quickly," Pogačar said. "I never gave up. It was an incredible day. I cannot believe what just happened."

Pogačar achieved the rare treble of winning the worlds, the Tour and the Giro d'Italia in the same year. He also won the prestigious Liège-Bastogne-Liège classic and the Strade Bianche, both with similar solo attacks.

"After many years fighting for the Tour de France and other races, I never had the world championship as a clear goal, but this year everything went smoothly," Pogačar said. "After the perfect season, it was a really big goal to win the world championship, and I can't believe it happened."

On Sunday, he had a prestigious teammate on the road: Primož Roglič, the record-equaling four-time Spanish Vuelta champion.

But he didn't need him, and it was Pavel Sivakov of France who joined Pogačar as he made a breakaway 100 kilometers (62 miles) out.

"I don't know what I was thinking," Pogačar said. "But I went with the flow, and luckily I made it."

The peloton, led by a determined Van der Poel, tried to counter them with about 70 kilometers left.

The front two maintained their lead of around 40 seconds, with Van der Poel now joined by Evenepoel, the 2022 world champion and reigning Olympic champion. But Evenepoel, who won last weekend's time trial, had no teammates with him.

After Pogačar dropped Sivakov, he rolled through the countryside leading to Zurich and the title after finishing third last year.

He completed the 274-kilometer (170-mile) route, which started from Winterthur and had elevation gains of 4,470 meters, in 6 hours, 27 minutes, 30 seconds.

Two-time world champion Julian Alaphilippe of France went out of the race early on. The Soudal Quick-Step rider was caught in a crash and hurt his left shoulder.

- Associated Press

AUSTRALIA'S MAXWELL OUT OF ENGLAND GAME WITH CONCUSSION AFTER GOLF ACCIDENT

Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell will miss their World Cup match with England due to concussion after falling off a golf cart this week, but head coach Andrew McDonald said on Wednesday he expects the player to make a full recovery.

Maxwell was riding on the buggy following playing a round of golf ahead of their contest against the defending champions in Ahmedabad on Saturday, when he fell off the back.

Cricket Australia's concussion protocols mean that Maxwell's condition will be monitored for a few days.

"He's doing fine, he'll start some light exercises today and we feel as though it will be a reasonably straightforward return to play protocol," McDonald told reporters.

"I suppose the fortunate part was there was no other injury sustained which could have been a lot worse than it is. I think it rattled everyone to be fair once it came to the conclusion there was a concussion and he was going to miss a game.

"There was nothing untoward in the behaviour throughout the day, it was a clear-cut accident. Unfortunately it's compromised what we are doing as a team."

Maxwell broke his leg in a freak accident at a birthday party in Melbourne last November and had also missed Australia's recent tour of South Africa with an ankle issue.

Maxwell has been in superb form in the tournament and hit a 40-ball hundred against the Netherlands.

"There's no doubt it leaves us a fraction exposed at the back end in terms of how Glenn's been performing," McDonald added. "But Marcus Stoinis does become available, all things going well at training today."

Australia will take on Afghanistan and Bangladesh after the game against England.

- 

TENNIS: NICK KYRGIOS BANNED FOR HIS RECENT COURT ANTICS

Australian great, Nick Kyrgios, has become the Aussie joke because now he has been banned by the ATP World Tour and was told to consult  psychologist after his court outbursts and antics...

SHANGHAI MASTERS: NICK KYRGIOS BOOED OFF COURT

Australian tennis loud boy got booed off the court...He lost the Shanghai Masters match by being beaten all sets 6-3 6-1  by Mischa Zverev...