Basketball – Opals path to Tokyo 2020 revealed

The Opals path to Tokyo 2020 is clear with the 2020 FIBA Qualification Tournament pools announced last week.

Australia will face France, Brazil and Puerto Rico in France next February 6-9. The Opals need to finish as one of the top three teams of this group of four to book their place at Tokyo 2020.

Athletics – 50km Racewalkers tough it out in Melbourne

The Australian 50km Racewalking championships saw Victorian Rhydian Cowley take the 50km crown in his first ever attempt at the distance, while Tracey Feiner won the women’s.

In the women’s 20km invitational, Beki Smith took the win ahead of Jemima Montag and Rachael Tallent.

Find out more  HERE.

In other Athletics news, champion discus thrower Dani Stevens threw a Tokyo qualifying distance of 65.93, moving her closer to potential selection for her fourth Olympics.

Awards – Queensland and ACT recognise elite athletes

Olympians and Tokyo 2020 hopefuls featured heavily at the Queensland and ACT Sport Awards. Kelsey barber was crowned ACT Athlete of the Year, capping off an incredible year where she won the javelin World Championships.

Ash Barty and Ariarne Titmus shared the major awards in Queensland, taking out Sports Star of the Year and Award for Sporting Excellence respectively.

Tokyo 2020 – National Stadium finished

Tokyo’s National Stadium was officially completed and handed to the operator Japan Sports Council on Saturday.

The stadium will host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies as well as Athletics and Football, with a capacity of 60 000.

Gymnastics – Trampoline World Championships

Australia’s trampolinists took on the world’s best in Tokyo at the Trampoline World Championships.

In the Olympic discipline of individual trampoline, Dominic Clarke was the best placed male in 14th with Blake Rutherford 18th, while 2018 Youth Olympic silver medallist Jess Pickering finished in 24th.

The competition was the first event in the recently finished Ariake Stadium, which will host Volleyball at the Tokyo Olympics.

Surfing – Tour’s final event underway in Hawaii

The final event of the women’s World Surf League Championship Tour kicked off today in Maui.

Australians Sally Fitzgibbons, Steph Gilmore, Macy Callaghan, Nikki Van Dijk and Bronte Macaulay all finished top two in their opening round heat to progress straight to the round of 16. Tyler Wright, in her first tournament back in almost 18 months after battling illness and injury, fought back from an opening seeding round defeat to win her elimination heat to progress through to the final 16.

Fitzgibbons won the round of 16 matchup to move cleanly into the quarter finals, with round of 16 competition continuing throughout today.

Sailing - Oceania Championships good warmup for Worlds

Australian 49er, 49er FX and Nacra 17 sailors took to Auckland waters against some of the best crews in the world for the Oceania Championships, ahead of this week's World Championships at the same venue.

Rio 2016 silver medallists Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin finished just off the podium in fourth in the Nacra competition, behind Great Britain, France and Austria.

Tessa Parkinson and Ella Clark were the best placed Australian 49er FX crew in eighth, while Jim Colley and Shaun Connor were the top Australian men finishing 12th in the 49er class.

The crews will take to the water in Auckland again this week for the World Championships, with a Tokyo 2020 quota spot on the line in the 49er class, after Australia's quota already secured in both Nacra and 49er FX.

Swimming – Australia Swimming to Tokyo

Swimming Australia launched the 2020 Australia Swims campaign on the first day of summer.

The initiative encourages all Australians to celebrate their love of the water and commit the distance they plan to swim in January – whether it’s 50 metres or 50 kilometres – to a nation-wide challenge.

Building towards the excitement for Tokyo 2020, each state and territory will be competing in a virtual race to swim the distance to Tokyo.

Find out more and get involved  HERE.