Catch up on all the happenings in Commonwealth Sport as we approach the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

GOLDEN RUN HOME FOR MATT HAUSER AND A DREAM COME TRUE FOR SOPHIE LINN AS BIRMINGHAM BECKONS

The Gold Coast’s Tokyo Olympian Matt Hauser and 27-year-old rookie Sophie Linn have today secured automatic nominations to the Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA) for this year’s Birmingham Games.

Hauser, on the day of his 24th birthday, is poised for his second Commonwealth Games while for Linn – who only started her triathlon career in 2018, produced a day that dreams are made of.

The Gold Coast Triathlon, with the first nominations the lure for Australia’s leading triathletes, threw up contrasting stories that could well bring the men’s and women’s victors together on the Australian team after a stunning day out on Southport’s Broadwater Parklands.

Green2Gold2Great – Bowls Australia – Jackaroos camp

Commonwealth Games Australia recently supported Bowls Australia with hosting a camp for Australia’s elite bowlers, helping them begin their preparations towards the upcoming Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The Green2Gold2Great funding is part of the $13 million funding package announced by Commonwealth Games Australia in April 2019, to assist with preparations for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S CRICKET TEAM WINS 2022 ICC WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

 

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BUSY YEAR ON SEVERAL FRONTS FOR MCDERMOTT

With the world championships and Birmingham Commonwealth Games looming large on the horizon, it’s shaping as a hectic year for Australia’s track and field stars.

And none more so than Tokyo Olympics high jump silver medallist and Gold Coast 2018 bronze medallist Nicola McDermott, who has also had to find time to fit in her impending wedding.

The 25-year-old returned to competition for the first time in six months at the national championships in Sydney on Saturday.

AUSTRALIA AND USA CROWNED CHAMPIONS OF INAUGURAL VOLLEYBALL WORLD BEACH PRO TOUR FUTURES EVENT

Australia and USA have been crowned inaugural champions of the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures event on the Gold Coast yesterday, after a thrilling afternoon of finals.

The Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour has brought 50 teams from 15 nations to Coolangatta Beach, for the third of four events in the Gold Coast 2022 Volleyslam – Australia’s largest Beach Volleyball festival with almost 450 teams competing over 11 days.

CEDRIC DUBLER SMASHES DECATHLON PB

An emotional Cedric Dubler feared he had nothing left to give when he stepped up to the start-line for the concluding 1500m event in the decathlon at the Australian championships.

But with world championships and Commonwealth Games qualification on the line and a personal best in the offing on Saturday night, the Gold Coast 2018 bronze medallist dug deep.

A gutsy second-placed finish in four minutes 37.48 seconds was enough for Dubler, whose overall winning tally of 8393 points bettered his previous personal best of 8367.

Rachael Grinham honoured at the British Open, her 23rd appearance at the tournament

 

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MITREVSKI LEAPS FOR GOLD AT NATIONALS

One centimetre. One lousy centimetre.

For long jumper Chris Mitrevski, it was a mix of elation and frustration after going agonisingly close to guaranteeing his spot in the Australian team for the world championships and Commonwealth Games.

The 25-year-old Victorian produced the best series of jumps of his career at Sydney Olympic Park on Saturday to claim a third national title and a first since 2018.

EMOTIONAL DORAN WINS AUSTRALIAN 100M TITLE

Flying Queenslander Jake Doran has followed in the footsteps of Rohan Browning by scorching to victory in the men’s 100m at the Australian track and field championships.

Now the 21-year-old may get the chance to replicate the Tokyo Olympics star by showcasing his talents on the global stage.

BENCH PRESS DRAMA FOR DISCUS STAR DENNY

It takes a fair bit to scare Australian discus powerhouse Matt Denny.

But dropping a 160kg weight onto your chest would put the fear of god into just about anyone.

SPRINT STARS DEFY TRICKY CONDITIONS

Rising star Ella Connolly has defied difficult conditions to make a flying start to her bid for a prestigious sprint double at the Australian track and field championships.

The 21-year-old dominated her 100m heat on a cold, windy Thursday evening at Sydney Olympic Park athletics centre, stopping the clock at 11.38 seconds.

‘THE MOMENTS OF PURE JOY HAVE COME VERY SCARCELY IN MY CAREER, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THEM’: EMOTIONAL CLONAN SETS MILESTONE TIME

An emotional Kristina Clonan fought back tears of happiness in the aftermath of winning the women’s 500m time trial national championship, after breaking the 33-seconds barrier for the first time in her career.

Clonan’s gold medal-winning time of 32.985 was a championship and all-comers record on Wednesday morning and moves her closer to Anna Meares’ national record of 32.826, set at the notoriously fast Aguascalientes track in Mexico back in 2013.

DOLPHINS SELECT LEADERS FOR BIRMINGHAM AND PARIS CAMPAIGNS

Swimming Australia has announced the new Athlete Leadership Group set to guide the Australian Dolphins through to the Paris Olympic Games including at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Madison Wilson OAM, Zac Stubblety-Cook OAM, Tamsin Cook, Jenna Strauch and Open Water swimmer Bailey Armstrong will lead their teammates across the shortened Olympic campaign cycle to Paris.

MONTAG AND SWAN ARE BIRMINGHAM BOUND

Gold Coast 2018 gold medallist Jemima Montag and Tokyo Olympian Kyle Swan have all but booked their tickets to Birmingham after securing automatic nomination for the Commonwealth Games team at the 2022 Chemist Warehouse Australian Track and Field Championships.

Montag won the Australian women’s 10,000m race walk title in a swift 43:02.97 – comfortably under the qualifying standard for Birmingham and is now set to defend her gold medal this August.

‘THIS IS JUST THE START FOR US’: GALLAGHER MAKES SUCCESSFUL TANDEM RETURN AT #TRACKNATS22

Two-time Gold Coast 2018 silver medallist Jessica Gallagher has made a triumphant return to track cycling at the 2022 AusCycling Track National Championships, setting a Commonwealth Games qualifying time during the Para-cycling tandem 1000m time trials.

Piloted by former Australian Cycling Team sprinter Caitlin Ward, Gallagher showed signs of a promising year ahead, with her focal point being the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

HIGH JUMPER PATTERSON IN RED-HOT FORM

Glasgow 2014 gold medallist Eleanor Patterson will bring career-best form and sky-high confidence into the latest instalment of Australian track and field’s best rivalry this weekend in Sydney.

Fresh from joining Olympic women’s high jump silver medallist and Gold Coast 2018 bronze medallist Nicola McDermott as the only Australian members of the exclusive two-metre club.

MOLONEY LOOKS TO DOUBLE DECATHLON DUTY IN 2022

Olympic decathlon bronze medallist Ash Moloney has confirmed he has his sights set on gruelling world championships and Commonwealth Games double this July and August.

The superbly talented 22-year-old captured Australia’s attention when urged on by teammate and Gold Coast Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Cedric Dubler at the Tokyo Olympics.

LEAHY BREAKS 11-YEAR-OLD NATIONAL RECORD TO ACHIEVE INDIVIDUAL PURSUIT THREE-PEAT

Western Australian Conor Leahy became the new holder of the national record for the individual pursuit and a three-time national champion on #TrackNats22, knocking over the 11-year-old record during qualifying at Anna Meares Velodrome.

THE FAMILY & FANS TOUR TO THE BIRMINGHAM 2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will take place from 28 July to 8 August 2022.

To be in the stands in Birmingham supporting the Australian Team, for the first time Australian families and fans will be able to access group tickets for all events at the Commonwealth Games.

The Family & Fans Tour ensures Australian families and fans can sit and cheer together, stay together and play together at the Birmingham Games.

Tour packages are available; however, numbers are limited.

Bookings are now open, learn more about the Family & Fans Tour below.