Martin's Stawell Gift win 'had hallmarks of a sting': Culbert

Michael Gleeson   Talia Martin is only 15, but the way she won the Stawell Gift – and took home the $40,000 winner's cheque – had all the hallmarks of a sting from her grandparents' era, according to long-time Stawell Gift organiser David Culbert.

Teen wins women's Gift amid controversy

Michael Gleeson   Ballarat teenager Talia Martin controversially wins the women's Stawell Gift but is fined $2000.

Sprinter wins Gift after thinking he'd blown his chances

Michael Gleeson   Two years ago, Isaac Dunmall made the final of the Stawell Gift and his body let him down. His calves cramped up before the race and he ran a stinker. He thought his one big chance to win the Gift had come and gone in the tweak of a calf.

It's on for young and bold in the Stawell

Michael Gleeson   The crowd wants Jack Hale to win. The punters have long wanted Stuart Rooke to win. For either to win the Stawell Gift they are going to have to go past the other in the first semi-final on Monday just to make the final.

ATHLETICS

Breen confident of making Olympic mark

David Polkinghorne   Canberra sprint queen is using the Stawell Gift carnival to prepare for her national title defence.

Hale storms to gift heat win

Michael Gleeson   Jack Hale storms to a win in his heat for the Stawell Gift.

Athletics

Wells supports 'hard-line stance' for drug cheats

Jon Tuxworth   Canberra hurdler Lauren Wells believes bans of up to four years for drug cheats isn't a big enough deterrent.

Athletics

Tallent says Russian athletes competing at the Rio Olympics would be a 'disgrace'

David Polkinghorne   Australian race walker Jared Tallent hopes to have his gold medal ceremony in Australia.

Tallent finally gets Olympic gold

Michael Gleeson   Australia has a new Olympic gold medalist. Three-and-a-half years after being beaten over the line by a Russian drug cheat walker, Jared Tallent is now the Olympic champion.

Watt still in frame for Olympic trials

Australian head coach Craig Hilliard remains hopeful that 2012 Olympic long jump silver medallist Mitchell Watt will be fit to contest the upcoming Rio Games trials.

Melbourne Cup winner brings Kenyans to Stawell

Michael Gleeson   Last year's Melbourne Cup winning owner Sandy McGregor has brought two talented Kenyan runners to Australia to race in the mile at the Stawell Gift.

Bolt to make Rio his last Olympics

World record holder Usain Bolt has confirmed the Rio Olympics will be his last.

Four Russian track-and-field athletes test positive for meldonium

Jack Stubbs   Four Russian track-and-field athletes have tested positive for the banned drug meldonium, Russia's athletics chief said on Monday, a disclosure that further undermines Moscow's efforts to overturn a doping ban in time for the Olympic Games.

IAAF promises to fight Nestle ending agreement to save kids programme

Gene Cherry   The IAAF will not let Nestle walk away from an agreement that benefits millions of young people and trainers without a fight, athletics chief Sebastian Coe has said.

Fab's fabulous leap to silver

Michael Gleeson   Fabrice Lapierre has added an indoor silver world champions medal to the outdoor one he won last year in Beijing setting, the Australian up to hopefully go one better in Rio.

Pole-vault star escapes serious injury

John Salvado   Australian pole vault star Alana Boyd has escaped serious injury despite being carried from the arena in a wheelchair after damaging her ankle in the warm-up at the world indoor athletics championships.

Study finds right-leg amputees have a Paralympic edge

Larissa Nicholson   Paralympic sprinters who are missing their right leg have an edge over those who compete without a left limb, new research has found.

Champion runner tests positive to meldonium

The Ukraine's former European indoor 800m champion Nataliya Lupu will miss this week's world indoor championships after she tested positive for meldonium.