Why Olympic icon Dawn Fraser broke down in uncontrollable tears at Australian swimming trials
In a touching moment, Fraser - who famously won gold in the 100m freestyle at three successive Summer Games between 1956 and 1964 - was seen poolside embracing Pallister after she created her own slice of sporting history.
On the fourth day of competition, Pallister, 23, smashed Ariarne Titmus 's Australian women's 800m freestyle record which she set at last year's Paris Olympics.
Pallister's slick time of 8:10.64 was also five seconds under her previous personal best - and the third-fastest swim of the year globally over the distance.
American superstar Katie Ledecky (8:04.12) and Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh (8:05.07) are the two swimmers Pallister is chasing.
'I'm pretty happy with that time,' she said post race.
It comes after Pallister earlier this year moved to the famed St Peters squad in Queensland under Titmus's coach, Dean Boxall.
She was previously trained by her mother Janelle Elford.
Meanwhile, Fraser, 87, recently revealed she lost 22kg following a fall on her driveway in December last year - and that she could have died following subsequent surgery.
'The pain was excruciating,' she told News Corp when reflecting on the incident at her Noosa home on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.
'I'd never felt pain like that before. I've never sort of fallen or broken anything in my life and it was a shock to me.'
And the cause of the fall? Fraser was trying to open a case of soft drink when she slipped on a small ledge and fell onto hard concrete.
Fraser's hospital X-rays were grim - they revealed a broken hip, four cracked ribs and potential internal bleeding.
Given her age, the anaesthetist warned 'Dawny' she may not survive the operation.
'When the anaesthetist came in and said I could die, that was frightening,' she said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
6 minutes ago
- The Independent
Rowers revel in beach sprints in the run-up to LA's 2028 Olympics
It's a beach run, a coastal row and a music party rolled into one, and it's about to become an Olympic event. On a sunny Southern California morning, nearly two dozen athletes gathered to try their hand at beach sprints at a camp run by USRowing in Long Beach, not far from where the inaugural Olympic races will be held in 2028. Many were long-time flatwater rowers who wanted to take a shot at something new. Others were already hooked on the quick-paced and unpredictable race format and have been training with an eye on LA28. Two at a time, athletes run to the waterline, hop in a boat, row a slalom course, then turn around and return to shore to jump out and dash across the sand to hit a finish-line buzzer — all in about three minutes. "You don't just have to be a good rower — you also have to be a good athlete, and what that means is you've got to be able to be dynamic and adapt to whatever Mother Nature throws at you," said Maurice Scott, a long-time rower from Philadelphia who moved to Long Beach to prepare for the Olympics. The next summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles and nearby cities. Interest in beach sprints has risen since the International Olympic Committee announced its inclusion, especially since the games will no longer feature a lightweight rowing category popular among smaller athletes. Rowing officials developed the beach sprint format a little over a decade ago hoping to engage spectators in a sport that's otherwise removed from people watching from the shore. A standard 2,000 meter-flatwater race is typically only visible closer to the finish line. In beach sprints, athletes compete close to the crowds in a dynamic and much shorter race that fans can easily track from the sand. Guin Batten, chair of World Rowing's coastal commission, said the vision is to have a fun, lively event on the beach where spectators can listen to good music, be close to the action and follow their favorite athletes. The entire event runs just an hour. 'It's knockout. It's chaotic,' said Batten, an Olympic rower who helped develop the format. 'Until you cross a finish line, anyone can win that race.' Many traditional flatwater rowers accustomed to steady strokes on calm waterways have no interest in the ups and downs of wind and waves. But other long-time rowers are hooked. Christine Cavallo, a beach sprinter on the U.S. national team, said she loves the unpredictability of the waves, which can humble even the most incredible athletes. 'You could be the best rower in the world and get flipped by the wave," Cavallo said. Coastal rowing has long been popular throughout the world but different cultures have used different boats and rules. Part of the appeal of beach sprints is the boat has been standardized and is provided at competitions, which makes it easier for more athletes to try it. The first major international beach sprints competition was at the 2015 Mediterranean Beach Games in Italy. Head of the Charles, known for its yearly October flatwater regatta in Massachusetts, hosted its first beach sprints event in July. About 100 rowers, twice as many as expected, participated, said Brendan Mulvey, race director. Since the Olympic announcement, Tom Pattichis, British Rowing's head coach for beach sprints, said he now has athletes training full-time in the event. Meanwhile, Marc Oria, the USA Beach Sprint head coach, said camps in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Long Beach aim to bring the race to long-time rowers and others who haven't tried it. Athletes find it exhilarating because it requires them to be agile and adaptive as well as superb rowers, he said. 'It's growing exponentially in the last four years all around the world,' Oria said. 'Our goal for U.S. rowing is to create more events, more opportunities, and to create a good pipeline for 2028.' At the camp in Long Beach, competitors included a teacher, an Olympic rower, a marketing professional who began rowing a few weeks earlier and a high school senior. 'I tried it and I really loved it, so I came back,' said Bridgette Hanson, a 17-year-old rower from Arizona who raced in beach sprints for the first time this year in Florida. 'It requires a lot more brute force.' John Wojtkiewicz, coach of the Long Beach Coastal Team, called out to racers to help guide them through the course. He said he's eager to see how the Olympic venue is set up and hopes spectators can get a good view like they do at surfing events. 'What is great about the beach sprint — and this may have helped its development — is you can watch the entire race,' Wojtkiewicz said. "Anything can happen.'
Daily Mail
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Footy superstar Payne Haas leaves fans divided as he makes shock defection that will rock the sport
Broncos superstar Payne Haas has sensationally decided to defect from Australia and switch his international allegiance to Samoa, with some fans blasting the move while others said it will strengthen the game worldwide. Reports on Thursday linked the NRL 's best prop with a change in eligibility, with 25-year-old Haas set to begin putting his Samoan roots above the Kangaroos in future international fixtures. It comes after months of speculation that Haas could join the likes of Brian To'o, Stephen Crichton and Jarome Luai as superstar players to have chosen Samoa over Australia in recent years. Per International Rugby League rules, a player eligible for a tier-one nation like Australia and a tier-two nation such as Samoa can change allegiance provided they do not represent both teams in the same calendar year. Brisbane behemoth Haas' decision would clear him to be available for the post-season Pacific Championships, also ruling him out of Australia's Ashes tour. The move is a significant boost for Samoa, who underlined their status as a new powerhouse of international rugby league by making the World Cup final in 2022. The Brisbane star (pictured with partner Leilani) is arguably the best prop in rugby league Having Haas on deck for the 2026 edition of the tournament would strengthen Samoa's case for a first World Cup trophy. 'It's fantastic news if you're Samoa, they're setting up for the World Cup,' Mal Meninga told SEN. 'The attraction for going to Samoa is they believe they will be the first Samoan side to win the World Cup. 'If you're wanting to see more competitive games in the international space then it's really good.' The news looms as a blow for new Kangaroos coach Kevin Walters, who had previously indicated his hopes of convincing Haas, Jeremiah Nanai and Tino Fa'asuamaleaui to stay put in the Australian set-up. 'It's disappointing for the green and gold as he's grown up in our system,' said Meninga, who stepped down as Kangaroos coach earlier this year. '(Walters) will be disappointed.' Footy fans have been left divided by the news. 'So many leading players seem to discover their heritage after they have big NRL deal,' posted one X user. 'Hard to take it all seriously when players can change countries depending on how they feel. Are we meant to guess which players in the jersey are actually passionate about it?' replied another. Others saw the bombshell move as a good development for the game. 'That's great for Samoa. Australia will be fine,' wrote one fan.
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Australia's Owen out of rest of white-ball series after Rabada blow
MELBOURNE, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Australia all-rounder Mitchell Owen has been ruled out for the remainder of the white-ball series against South Africa due to a concussion after being struck on the helmet by Kagiso Rabada. Cricket Australia (CA) said on Thursday the Tasmanian passed a sideline assessment during the 53-run defeat in the second T20I in Darwin on Tuesday but later reported concussion symptoms. His mandatory 12-day stand-down period will see him miss the series decider in Cairns on Saturday and also a potential debut in the following ODI series. Batter Matt Short and fast bowler Lance Morris will also miss the ODI series with side and back injuries respectively. They were replaced in the squad by all-rounder Aaron Hardie and slow bowler Matthew Kuhnemann. Morris reported lower back soreness and has returned to Perth for further assessment, CA said. The T20I series is tied at 1-1, with Australia winning the first match in Darwin by 17 runs.
