Molly Picklum back in World Surf League yellow jersey as race to world title ramps Up
Picklum, 22, will take the yellow jersey to the next event on the World Surf League calendar at J-Bay in South Africa after advancing to the semi-finals in Brazil.
The heat is rising in the race for a spot in the final five who will contest the one-day world title event and Picklum is as well placed as she could be.
'That's the best news ever,' Picklum said.
'I feel like, for me, I got the yellow jersey early on in the year for the past few years. I obviously heard all the talk of all the girls that I'm right at the top with getting knocked out, and it's obviously a great opportunity for me.
'I felt all that for sure, but ultimately, I was just using it for good and to fire me up. I'm so happy, that's sick, especially towards the end of the year.
'I want to keep pushing for sure.'
Isabella Nichols is the only other Australian woman in the top five, for now, after two-time world champion Tyler Wright dropped to seventh following her quarter-final loss in Brazil.
Ethan Ewing is the only Australian man in the top five, with Jack Robinson falling to number six after failing to progress beyond the elimination rounds in Brazil.
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News.com.au
28 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins champions kids' literacy
No stranger to breaking records, Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins weighed in on the Prime Minister's Spelling Bee this week after the national spelling challenge broke all previous records for student, teacher and school registrations. With over 73,500 students now registered by over 3000 teachers at nearly 1400 schools, Cummins credited his teacher mum with instilling his own lifelong belief in the power of childhood literacy skills. When he and wife Becky welcomed their first child, son Albie in 2021, Cummins became a UNICEF Australia Ambassador because being a father 'changed everything'. 'Now as our family grows (with the birth of daughter Edith in February), so does my sense of responsibility to make sure we are building the right foundations for both of our children,' he said. The legendary fast bowler said challenges like the PM's Spelling Bee 'make learning exciting by turning it into a fun and fast-paced game'. 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'You can see their curiosity, they're building their confidence, and it also gives them a real sense of achievement.' UNICEF Australia head of policy and advocacy Katie Maskiell said it went further than reading and writing being the building blocks of education – they're every child's right. 'If a child can learn to read and write, they are allowed curiosity, confidence and a voice,' she said. 'Every minute spent learning brings a child closer to a brighter future, and every child deserves that chance, no matter what.' UNICEF currently works in 190 countries creating access to education in circumstances unimaginable to most children here in the Lucky Country. Elsewhere, millions of kids are living in poverty and war zones, amid floods and earthquakes, or in places where simply being a girl means no classroom access. 'UNICEF knows education is a beacon of hope for these children,' Ms Maskiell said. Run by free classroom literacy resource Kids News, registrations and the school round of the Prime Minister's Spelling Bee close at 5pm AEST on Friday 22 August. Visit ABOUT THE BEE â—� The Prime Minister's Spelling Bee is a free, online competition for students in Years 3-8. â—� Students compete at their school in three levels: Green level for Years 3-4, Orange level for Years 5-6 and Red level for Years 7-8. â—� They get 30 randomly selected words from their competition level and have 25 seconds to type each answer. The students with the most correct words in the fastest time progress to finals. â—� Teachers can register their students until August 22, when the school round ends. â—� State and territory finals will be held September 1-5 and the national finals on September 10-11. â—� The national champion in each age group wins a trip to Canberra to meet the Prime Minister, an iPad, HarperCollins book pack and a $1000 voucher for their school.


Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
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News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
‘Ridiculous': Harvey Norman CEO issues challenge to Aussie sport fans
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