Rio reverse air conditioning call

Tariq Panja   Organisers of Rio de Janeiro's 2016 Olympics have changed course and will now provide air conditioning in 10,500 athlete bedrooms after initially planning to ask for payment as part of cost-cutting measures aimed at reducing a $520 million budget overrun.

Kobe wants to go to Rio

Kobe Bryant, who is retiring after 20 years with the Los Angeles Lakers at the end of the NBA season, would be very happy to give an encore performance at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Rogers says Tallent's 'special moment' could take a long time

David Polkinghorne    Canberra cyclist provides insight into what it's like getting an Olympic medal upgrade.

No need for AC, says AOC

Daniel Cherny   The Australian Olympic Committee has sought to alleviate concerns about athletes needing to pay for air conditioning at the Rio Olympic village, noting that every room comes with a fan.

Rio to be the no-frills Olympics

Tariq Panja and Eben Novy-Williams   Athletes will be asked to pay for the air conditioning in their dorm rooms. Stadium backdrops will be stripped to their bare essentials. Fancy cars and gourmet food for VIPs are out.

Hidden cruelty of 1972 Munich Olympic attack

SAM BORDEN   Warning: Graphic content. In September 1992, two Israeli widows went to the home of their lawyer. When the women arrived, the lawyer told them that he had received some photographs during his recent trip to Munich but that he did not think they should view them.

Ashwood makes record-breaking return

London Olympian Jessica Ashwood has made a record-breaking return home, setting an Australian and Australian all-comers record in the 1500 metres on the opening night of the Australian Short Course Championships in Sydney.

Next 12 weeks to decide Jackson's career

Roy Ward   Lauren Jackson says she is resolved to give her knee one last chance to recover from injury and allow her to play at the Rio Olympics.

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Watts lets fists do talking by beating Stridsman

Commonwealth Games gold medallist Shelley Watts has successfully defended her 60kg Australian Boxing title on the Gold Coast.

How horse and pole dancing has Seebohm focused on Rio Games

Daniel Lane   A showjumping horse named Platinum - allied with a pole dancing exercise routine -  are playing important roles in helping prime backstroker Emily Seebohm to slice through the water at Rio de Janeiro's Olympic Aquatics Stadium next year.

Opals coach faces tough call on naturalised stars

Roy Ward   Kelsey Griffin and Leilani Mitchell are now both in contention for an Opals spot at the Rio Olympics, but coach Brendan Joyce can pick only one naturalised player in his side.

Sevens door remains open as ARU talks to Cooper

Phil Lutton   Australia has finally made it to the Olympic Sevens in Rio. The question is which big names - if any - will make the final cut?

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Watts determined to break drought

Phil Lutton   The Commonwealth Games champ wants more gold and the scalp of one of the world's best fighters

Sheens offers trial to bobsledder spotted on The NRL Rookie

Brad Walter   A member of the Great Britain bobsleigh team has been offered a Super League trial

Athletics

Tallent missed out on Olympic pot of gold: Markson

David Polkinghorne   Marketability changes with the colour of your Olympic medal.

Swimming officials on watch as Russian doping scandal threatens to spread

Phil Lutton   Australian swimming officials are watching the Russian doping scandal as a former coach says Rio 2016 could be the dirtiest Games ever.

IOC suspends Diack, urges action on dopers

The IOC has provisionally suspended former IAAF president Lamine Diack and urged the ruling body of athletics to open disciplinary procedures against those found to have violated doping rules.

Don't let Rio be sabotaged like London

Michael Gleeson   If Jared Tallent ran not walked quickly the searing injustice of his London Olympics gold robbery would have already been a national outrage.

Life's a beach for Olympic cricket

David Polkinghorne   Let the fun and games begin in selecting Olympic sports.

Japan ace heads to Reds for Super Rugby campaign

Phil Lutton   The Queensland Reds have signed Japan's Rugby World Cup hero Ayumu Goromaru for the 2016 Super Rugby season.

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Fear the beard: Big man Damon Kelly throwing his weight towards Rio 2016

Phil Lutton   Australia's biggest Olympian, Damon Kelly, is hoping to lift his way back onto the global stage at Rio 2016.

Games gender equality draws nearer

Samantha Lane   The 2020 Olympics have been earmarked as the summer games where female athletes will have equal opportunity for the first time.

Rio 2016, the refugees' Games

Top refugee athletes with no home country to represent will be allowed to compete at the 2016 Rio Games, International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said on Monday at the United Nations General Assembly.

Aussie female gymnasts in Olympic trouble

Australia's female gymnasts are in danger of missing their first Olympics since 1988 after producing their worst performance at an artistic world championships in more than 25 years.

Baynes faces reality of first NBA season

Roy Ward   Aron Baynes can't wait to begin the new chapter of his NBA career with Detroit Pistons as the NBA season starts on Wednesday.

Wylie poised to get two-year for extension

Samantha Lane   A two-year extension of John Wylie's tenure as Australian Sports Commission chair is all but formalised, guaranteeing critical stability in the sector's administrative hierarchy beyond the Rio Olympics.

Trengove wins Melbourne marathon

Distance running star Jess Trengove will set sail for the Rio Olympics chock-full of confidence after smashing her personal best to claim a commanding victory in the Melbourne marathon.

Aussies Belcher, Ryan win sailing world title

Three sailing world championship wins in a row in the 470 class have Australians Mat Belcher and Will Ryan feeling ready for Rio.

Anna Meares keeping Rio goals to herself after tough London 2012 Olympics

Tom Decent   Eleven-time world champion Anna Meares has two goals for the Rio Olympics next year, but she will not make them public because of the emotional toll her rivalry with Victoria Pendleton had on her during London 2012 in a period she said she "would not like to experience ever again".

Prison would deter cheats, says WADA boss

Samantha Lane   World Anti-Doping Agency boss, David Howman, says imprisonment could be the most effective way to get rid of doping in sport.

Boomers, Opals get better view of Olympic rivals

Roy Ward   All continental champions have been decided for next year's Rio Olympics with only the final few spots to be decided next July.

AOC boss John Coates demands investigation into prescription drug use in wake of Souths scandal

Andrew Webster   Leading Olympics official also proposes players should be searched for medications.

Virus scare leads to FINA calls for water testing

Swimming's governing body FINA has called for virus testing in water which will be used at next year's Olympics - including the world famous Copacabana beach - following fears for athletes' health.

Spurs star Mills embraces bigger role with his NBA club

Roy Ward   Patty Mills has had to fight to stay in the NBA, now he is ready for the biggest year of his career.

Tapping into a unique double

Linda Pearce   Milly Tapper is the nation's third-ranked woman table tennis player; her sights, like so many, focused on next year's Olympic Games in Rio.

Rio hopes fade for Aussie rowing eights

Australia's Rio Olympics rowing team look set to head to Brazil next year without either a men's or women's eight after missing qualification in France on Wednesday.

Olympics: Water will be clean in time for Games - Rio 2016 chief

The water quality at the Olympic sailing venue in Rio de Janeiro is a serious issue but will be resolved by the time the Games begin next year, Rio Organising Committee president Carlos Nuzman said on Tuesday.

Wells disqualified in 400m hurdles

Australian Lauren Wells has lodged an appeal after being disqualified in the opening round of the women's 400m hurdles at the world athletics championships in Beijing.

Olympic sailing events could be moved

The head of sailing's governing body threatened Saturday to move all Olympic sailing events out of polluted Guanabara Bay unless the water is cleaner and floating rubbish is removed for next year's Rio Games.

From clearing Murali to helping Roberts clear more ground

David Polkinghorne   What is Canberra javelin thrower Kelsey-Lee Roberts' secret weapon?

Life experience as important as medals: chef de mission Kitty Chiller

Daniel Lane   While New Zealand has been praised for an Olympic programme focussed on funding a handful of medal-winning sports, Australia's Chef de Mission Kittty Chiller has stood by the 'holistic' approach to team selection.

Canberra could have Rios of gold

David Polkinghorne   With less than a year to Rio, who are Canberra's gold medal hopes?

Hockeyroos great Madonna Blyth wants to take burden off Olympic swimmers

Daniel Lane   Hockeyroos captain Madonna Blyth didn't need to hear Kitty Chiller, Australia's Chef de Mission for next year's Rio Olympics, declare it wasn't fair for the nation's swimmers to be expected to yet again win the majority of the team's medals in Brazil.

Second fiddle no more, Bronte Campbell shakes up race for Olympic sprint gold

Phil Lutton    The Rio Olympic Games just became very interesting for the Clan Campbell. Medals look assured.

Double gold sees Dolphins go backwards to move forward

Phil Lutton   Emily Seebohm has learnt to deal with pressure just as the AOC urges other sports to take the heat off Australia's swimmers in Rio.

Cut Aussie swimmers some slack: Olympic team boss

Samantha Lane   The new boss of Australia's Olympic team has used the year-to-go milestone before the Rio games to call for an easing of pressure on the nation's top swimmers.

Samantha Lane

Australian Olympians in line for $700,000 kick

Samantha Lane   The Australian Olympic Committee hopes athletes bound for the Rio Games will receive a $700,000 boost at the marking of the year-to-go countdown.

Frisbee recognised as sport by Olympics

Ultimate frisbee could bid to become an Olympic sport after the International Olympic Committee officially recognised the World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF).

Tigers recruit turns back on Olympics to pursue NRL dream

Brad Walter   Wallabies stars set to dominate Australian Rugby Sevens team for Olympics in Rio so Jesse Parahi switches to Wests Tigers.

Coates quiet on Campbell Olympic gold push

Michael Gleeson   The Australian Olympic Committee has refused to comment or offer support as yet for the push to correct past Olympic wrongs and for Australian athletes to be awarded medals.

US drops Boston's Olympic bid

The US Olympic Committee on Monday rescinded Boston's bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games after the mayor said his city's taxpayers could not afford to host the large-scale event.

Pragnell still harbours hopes to go to Rio

Elliot Williams   The chance to row at an Olympic Games is the burning desire for Queanbeyan rower Fergus Pragnell.

Glenn Turner's Kookaburras reprieve builds Olympic Games hopes

Elliot Williams   Olympic gold medallist Nathan Eglington insists there is no such thing as an Olympics curse on the Kookaburras.

Much to Crow about ahead of rowing world championships

David Polkinghorne   Dual Olympic medallist Kim Crow has continued her strong build-up to this year's World Rowing Championships in France.

Flanagan, Bone insist Hockeyroos can turn tables on Dutch in Rio

Jon Tuxworth   Canberra Hockeyroos Anna Flanagan and Edwina Bone insist the 'Roovolution' won't be complete unless they win gold in Rio.

Duke of Canberra strives for Olympic glory

Tom Kazias   Duke Didier is leaving no stone unturned in his bid to qualify for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

Rio 2016: Pentathlon duo first Australians to qualify for Olympics

Owen Roberts   Siblings Chloe and Max Esposito have become the first Australians to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games being selected to represent the nation in Modern Pentathlon.

Palmer could still make Rio Olympic Games despite drug charge

Samantha Lane and Phil Lutton   Olympic gold medallist Kylie Palmer, suddenly sidelined after being confronted by a re-opened drugs case, may still be selected by the Australian Olympic Committee to compete at next year's Rio games even if she is sanctioned for doping.

Kylie Palmer denies doping as swim bosses lose hope of quick hearing

Phil Lutton   Swimming Australia is not holding its breath for a fast-tracked hearing for Kylie Palmer

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Samantha Lane

Cricket, swimming take hit in sports-funding overhaul

Samantha Lane   Cricket, gymnastics and swimming will take funding hits, while rugby league and basketball will enjoy noteworthy boosts, in a complete overhaul of annual participation distributions that sports receive from Australian taxpayers.

An extraordinary ride to Rio 2016

Georgina Connery   Canberra "weekend warrior" Katie Kelly was classified legally blind in January. Now she's aiming for Rio 2016

ASC missing its own female board representation target

Samantha Lane   The Australian Sports Commission finds itself in the unfortunate position - even if temporarily - of failing to meet the same women-on- boards target it has mandated for national sports bodies.

Male group promotes women leaders in sport

Samantha Lane   An elite sport male champions of change group is blowing the whistle on gender inequality in sport.

Joint major city bid idea rejected by IOC head

Samantha Lane   International Olympic Committee president, Thomas Bach, has dismissed outright the possibility of any joint bid from major cities winning Games hosting rights.

Olympic ticket requests open to Aussies

Australian sport fans keen to head to Rio next year and watch the Olympic Games can now start requesting their tickets.

IOC chief to discuss Queensland bid

Samantha Lane   The International Olympic Committee's president, in a fleeting to visit to Australia, will meet Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Wednesday to discuss Queensland's push to host the 2028 Games.

Stay focused in Rio, AOC warns athletes

With ambitious aims of a top-five finish and mindful of Brazil's high crime rate, the AOC is warning Australia's Olympic hopefuls they'll be in Rio de Janeiro for business not pleasure next year.

Olyroos cruise but Aurelio Vidmar knows Rio test still to come

Sebastian Hassett   Olyroos coach Aurelio Vidmar admits his side "still has some work to do" to qualify for the 2016 Olympics despite cruising through their pre-qualification group.

Ghosts of past failure driving Olyroos 2016 hopes

Sebastian Hassett   WIth their disasterous qualifiying campaign for the 2012 London Olympics now a distant memory, Olyroos coach Aurelio Vidmar is hoping his side won't repeat the same mistakes as they begin their qualificaiton journey for next year's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Team boss raises fears over water pollution at Rio Games

Samantha Lane, Olympics   2016 Olympic host city Rio is under mounting pressure to ensure the safety of athletes competing in open water competitions.

Rio water won't be clean, but sailing will go ahead: Mayor

Rio de Janeiro's inability to clean the waters where Olympic sailing events will take place next year is a lost opportunity for the city but it will not affect the smooth running of the races, mayor Eduardo Paes said.

Antonis and Yeboah ruled out of Olyroos' qualifiers

Sebastian Hassett   A last-minute plea from Sydney FC coach Graham Arnold to have Terry Antonis withdrawn from Olyroos duty this week has been successful.

IOC plans to retest Beijing doping samples

The IOC plans to retest hundreds of doping samples from the 2008 Beijing Olympics in a bid to catch any drug cheats who escaped detection at the time.

Micro-dosing makes catching drug cheats even harder

Samantha Lane   The anti-doping expert who helped revolutionise world sport's approach to catching cheats says micro-dosing of banned substances remains the hardest illegal practice to detect, but she disputes a claim that 90 per cent of cycling's professional peloton still dopes.

Buchanan to release 'scathing' Athletics Australia report

Samantha Lane   A series of unflattering findings from a forensic review of Athletics Australia by former national cricket coach John Buchanan will be made public on Friday.

Bobridge and the story behind the nasal septum piercing

Samantha Lane   What is up with Jack Bobridge's nose? Or, perhaps more to the point, what is up it? The question was raised during the broadcast of the track world cycling championships in Paris when the three-time track world champion lined up with his team of Australian male pursuiters.

Cycling world record to Australia

Samantha Lane   Australian track cycling quartet Melissa Hoskins, Annette Edmonson, Amy Cure and Ashlee Ankudinoff have set a new 4000m team pursuit world record.

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Aussies snare bronze at world championships

Samantha Lane   A freak setback in an attempted world title defence by Australia's male team pursuit outfit has been sweetened by a bronze medal win from Anna Meares and Kaarle McCulloch, and a new national record by the female pursuiters.

Olympics: 'Lose-lose' if 2022 World Cup and Games clash, says Bach

It would be a lose-lose situation for the Olympics and soccer if FIFA moves the 2022 World Cup to January to February and overlaps with the Winter Games, IOC president Thomas Bach has warned.

Road to Rio proving bumpy for Brazil, Australian athletes told

Samantha Lane   From no air-conditioning in village accommodation, to satellite lodgings that are still not booked, Australian Olympians are learning about significant quirks awaiting them in Rio.

Rio 2016 says clean up target for sail bay still holds

A pledge to clean Rio de Janeiro's bay where sailing will be held in 2016 still stands despite the state's top environment official suggesting the target was unattainable, said the Olympic organising committee.

Samantha Lane, Olympics Reporter

Tallent furious doping Russians get to keep Olympic gold

Samantha Lane   Champion Australian walker Jared Tallent has called for a blanket ban to be imposed on all Russian athletic team members in light of a slew of doping suspensions that contentiously have left London Olympics results unchanged.

Sports yet to meet stricter anti-doping requirements

Samantha Lane   The Australian Olympic Committee has highlighted five national sports federations – hockey, handball, wrestling, synchronised swimming and taekwondo – that are yet to meet stricter World Anti-Doping Agency requirements despite a public urging three months ago.

Take a walk, Olympics events told

Michael Gleeson   Key Olympic events in which Australia is traditionally strong such as some swimming events and race walking are under threat after new rules were agreed by the IOC.

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IOC could review Pyeongchang 2018

The International Olympic Committee will instantly review the Pyeongchang 2018 winter Olympics and the Tokyo 2020 summer Games if changes are approved at the session next week.

IOC to dip toe in waters of change

Christopher Clarey   Sebastian Coe, who ran world records and then ran the successful London Olympics, has announced his candidacy for the presidency of track and field's world governing body.

Bidding for Olympics to become easier and cheaper

Karolos Grohmann   Bidding for the Olympics is set to become cheaper, easier and more attractive for cities while sports will enter the Games quicker, the IOC said on Tuesday, presenting 40 recommendations for changes in the way the Games are run.

Bans placed on athletes at Youth Olympics over Ebola fears

The International Olympic Committee has banned athletes from west African countries affected by the deadly Ebola virus from competing in some events at the Youth Olympics in China.

Foul weather forecast forces events re-think

Michael Gleeson   Severe weather forecast causes Games organisers to consider moving events.

Olympics

Who was Baron Pierre de Coubertin?

Harry Gordon   Baron Pierre de Coubertin was a very small man (1.62 metres) with a large handlebar moustache and a huge dream.

Olympics

What would the baron think?

Harry Gordon   Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic Games, probably wouldn't recognise his distant offspring today. If he did, it is uncertain that he would approve. Since 1894, when Coubertin outlined his vision for a revival of the ancient Greek Olympics to a group of disciples in Paris, the essential element hasn't changed: nations around the world still send elite athletes to nominated cities to compete against each other in a variety of sports.

Olympics

The history of Olympic committee brawling over 50 years

Harry Gordon   It was during the 2012 London Games, when Australia’s situation was looking desperate - it had won one gold medal and 12 silvers, and was languishing in 24th place on the medal table - that Australia’s two senior IOC members had a very public disagreement. Kevan Gosper declared in a radio interview that money was “the difference between gold and silver”. He was complaining about lack of funding. He was also aware that Australia had suffered an exodus of high-performance coaches enticed overseas by big salaries and bonuses, some rumoured to be in excess of $250,000.

Olympics

The coach did it: disgraced shot-putter had food 'dusted' with steroids

Stacey Kirk   Disgraced Belarusian shot putter Nadzeya Ostapchuk has handed back her Olympic Gold medal as her former coach admits to doping her food without her knowledge.

They don't come any tougher than marathon man Kurt Fearnley

Peter Fitzsimons   ROLLING thunder, pouring rain, he's coming on like a … hurricane.

Pistorius rages at 'unfair' race

Stathi Paxinos   LONDON: Oscar Pistorius lost his first competitive 200 metres race on Sunday and then lit another controversy for officials when he questioned the fairness of the prosthetics worn by his conqueror.

Paralympics

Fearnley keeps focus after fighting way to silver

Stathi Paxinos   LONDON: Australian wheelchair racing star Kurt Fearnley has declared that while his performance in Sunday's much anticipated 5000 metres (T54) showdown with British champion David Weir may have left him beaten, he is convinced he is in the best possible shape to keep his marathon title.

Cowdrey secures perfect 10 in relay

Stathi Paxinos   LONDON: Swimming star Matt Cowdrey has become the nation's equal most decorated Paralympian after he anchored home the men's 4 x 100m freestyle relay in London.

Triumph, tragedy: Games dream turns full circle

Sandra Laville   The Olympic dream for Martine Wright was one shared by thousands the moment London was announced as the host of the 2012 Games: a chance to be in the stadium when the world's top athletes stepped on to the track.