Latest news with #McAvaney
Daily Mail
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Aussie sport icon Bruce McAvaney makes an unexpected career move aged 71
Legendary sports presenter Bruce McAvaney is set to join up with SBS to lead the network's coverage of the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. The 71-year-old, who has worked on 12 summer Olympic Games and multiple World Athletics Championships, began working in television back in 1978, before heading to Moscow to call his first summer games. During his distinguished career, McAvaney would call some epic moments in sporting history, including Carl Lewis' record-breaking 100m final run at the 1991 World Championships, as well as Cathy Freeman's 400m triumph in Sydney in 2000. After working as the chief sports presenter for Seven News in Adelaide he would go on to join Channel Ten, where Mcavaney worked on track and field events at the 1984 Olympics. McAvaney, who hails from Adelaide, would return to work for Seven in 1989, where he would go on to call cricket, AFL, the Australian Open and Rugby World Cup matches. It comes after the presenter struck up a deal to return to Channel Seven 's AFL coverage for the 2025 season, and is showing no sign of slowing down. The broadcaster admitted his delight at the news that he'll be working on September's World Athletics Championships adding that he was grateful to SBS for giving him the opportunity to call the event. 'We'll be bringing the best in the world to an Australian audience, and highlighting our great Australian athletes,' McAvaney said. 'I've never been more excited by the prospects of the Australian athletics team, not even before the Sydney Olympics. This team has everything – established champions, great young sprinters and incredible middle-distance talent. 'And then there's Gout Gout – a generational talent who has become a global phenomenon in the last year. I can't wait to see how he goes, racing against the big names of world sprinting for the first time. 'He's just at the start of a fantastic journey, which seems destined to go all the way to the summit of his sport. I urge all Australians to get on board now and be part of what will be an amazing ride towards the Brisbane Olympics in 2032. 'It's a privilege and an honour to commentate on the World Championships and I'd like to thank SBS for giving me that opportunity, and the Seven Network for their support. You might have heard me say this before, but this is going to be special.' SBS are set to broadcast every session of the nine-day event via SBS VIELAND and the World Athletics Championships Hub through SBS On Demand. It comes at an exciting time for Australian athletics, with several rising stars coming through the ranks just in time for the event. Seventeen-year-old sensation Gout Gout has caught the eye of many with his rapid sprint times. While Lachlan Kennedy starred at last month's World Athletics indoor Championships in Nanjing, picking up silver in the 60m sprint. Meanwhile, pole vaulting sensation Nina Kennedy, who won gold in Paris, Jess Hull who took silver at the 2024 Olympics in the 1500m and world indoor high jump champion Nicola Olyslagers are all set to return to action this September. 'SBS has broadcast 10 editions of the World Athletics Championships since 2001 and we're thrilled to have a commentator of Bruce's stature join us for this year's historic championships in Tokyo,' SBS director of sport Ken Shipp said. 'We have a well-earned reputation for broadcasting outstanding global events, including the FIFA World Cup and the Tour de France, and we're looking forward to adding the McAvaney magic to our comprehensive coverage of this year's World Championships.'
SBS Australia
22-04-2025
- Sport
- SBS Australia
McAvaney takes the lead for SBS' coverage of the 2025 World Athletics Championships
World Athletics Championships Legendary Australian sports commentator Bruce McAvaney (L) with 17-year-old sprint sensation Gout Gout (R). Source: Getty Watch every session of the 2025 World Athletics Championships live and free across SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand from September 13-21. McAvaney has been the voice of athletics in Australia for more than three decades, and has made some of the most revered calls of the sport in history, going back to the 1991 World Championships 100m final between Carl Lewis and Ben Johnson in Tokyo, and topped by his iconic call of Cathy Freeman's 400m triumph at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. His ability to put viewers in the stadium is legendary, the result of his unparalleled knowledge of the sport, famous attention to detail and unbridled enthusiasm for the performance of the athletes. Over the years he has brought major athletics competition, from Olympic and Commonwealth Games to world and national championships, vividly to life for generations of Australians. He said he was delighted to be guiding Australian audiences through this year's World Athletics Championships (September 13-21), which is regarded as the third-biggest sports event in the world in global reach behind the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup. 'It's a privilege and an honour to commentate on the World Championships and I'd like to thank SBS for giving me that opportunity, and the Seven Network for giving me a leave pass,'' McAvaney said. You might have heard me say this before, but this is going to be special. Bruce McAvaney 'We'll be bringing the best in the world to an Australian audience, and highlighting our great Australian athletes. "I've never been more excited by the prospects of the Australian athletics team, not even before the Sydney Olympics. "This team has everything – established champions, great young sprinters and incredible middle distance talent. 'And then there's Gout Gout – a generational talent who has become a global phenomenon in the last year. I can't wait to see how he goes, racing against the big boys of world sprinting for the first time. "He's just at the start of a fantastic journey, which seems destined to go all the way to the summit of his sport. I urge all Australians to get on board now and be part of what will be an amazing ride towards the Brisbane Olympics in 2032." SBS Director of Sport Ken Shipp said: 'SBS has broadcast ten editions of the World Athletics Championships since 2001 and we're thrilled to have a commentator of Bruce's stature join us for this year's historic championships in Tokyo." "We have a well-earned reputation for broadcasting outstanding global events, including the FIFA World Cup and the Tour de France, and we're looking forward to adding the McAvaney magic to our comprehensive coverage of this year's World Championships." Every session of the nine-day World Athletics Championships (14 sessions of arena and road events) will be broadcast live and free across SBS VICELAND , and the World Athletics Championships hub via SBS On Demand , which will also feature daily extended highlights, short clips and full replays of each session. The magnificent 67,000-seat Japan National Stadium, which was built for the pandemic-affected Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, will finally come alive with a full house for athletics, as originally planned before Covid-19 intervened. Such is the interest in the event internationally, that several of the evening sessions have already been sold out. The quality of the likely Australian team for Tokyo, taking on the best from 200-plus nations, will make this event compelling viewing for Australian sports fans. With seven medals (one gold, two silver, four bronze) won in Paris last year, the Australian athletics team is coming off its most successful Olympic Games since Melbourne in 1956, and appears to have found another level this year. The emergence of an exciting generation of sprinters, led by 17-year-old Gout and 21-year-old Lachie Kennedy, who won Australia's first ever 60m medal (silver) at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing last month, missing gold by just 0.01sec, has added an extra layer of intrigue to what was already a highly successful group. They will join the likes of Olympic pole vault champion Nina Kennedy, Olympic silver medallist Jess Hull, world indoor high jump champion Nicola Olyslagers, discus maestro Matt Denny, recent national 800m record-breaker Peter Bol and teenaged middle distance tyros Cameron Myers and Claudia Hollingsworth in a national team that exudes class across the range of disciplines. World Athletics Indoor Championships 2025 Watch now Share this with family and friends The SBS Cycling Podcast is a punchy podcast covering the world of professional cycling, coming to you during the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España.
SBS Australia
22-04-2025
- Sport
- SBS Australia
McAvaney takes the lead for SBS' Coverage of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September
The doyen of sports commentators Bruce McAvaney will lead SBS' broadcast of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, which is shaping as an historic event for an exceptional Australian athletics team. McAvaney has been the voice of athletics in Australia for more than three decades, and has made some of the most revered calls of the sport in history, going back to the 1991 World Championships 100m final in Tokyo when Carl Lewis broke the world record, and topped by his iconic call of Cathy Freeman's 400m triumph at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. His ability to put viewers in the stadium is legendary, the result of his unparalleled knowledge of the sport, famous attention to detail and unbridled enthusiasm for the performance of the athletes. Over the years he has brought major athletics competition, from Olympic and Commonwealth Games to world and national championships, vividly to life for generations of Australians. McAvaney said he was delighted to be guiding Australian audiences through this year's World Athletics Championships (September 13-21), which is regarded as the third-biggest sports event in the world in global reach (over one billion) behind the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cupᵀᴹ. 'We'll be bringing the best in the world to an Australian audience, and highlighting our great Australian athletes,'' McAvaney said. 'I've never been more excited by the prospects of the Australian athletics team, not even before the Sydney Olympics. This team has everything – established champions, great young sprinters and incredible middle distance talent. 'And then there's Gout Gout – a generational talent who has become a global phenomenon in the last year. I can't wait to see how he goes, racing against the big names of world sprinting for the first time. He's just at the start of a fantastic journey, which seems destined to go all the way to the summit of his sport. I urge all Australians to get on board now and be part of what will be an amazing ride towards the Brisbane Olympics in 2032.'' 'It's a privilege and an honour to commentate on the World Championships and I'd like to thank SBS for giving me that opportunity, and the Seven Network for their support. You might have heard me say this before, but this is going to be special.'' SBS Director of Sport Ken Shipp said: 'SBS has broadcast ten editions of the World Athletics Championships since 2001 and we're thrilled to have a commentator of Bruce's stature join us for this year's historic championships in Tokyo. We have a well-earned reputation for broadcasting outstanding global events, including the FIFA World Cupᵀᴹ and the Tour de France, and we're looking forward to adding the McAvaney magic to our comprehensive coverage of this year's World Championships.'' Every session of the nine-day World Athletics Championships (14 sessions of arena and road events) will be broadcast live and free across SBS VICELAND, and the World Athletics Championships Hub via SBS On Demand, which will also feature daily extended highlights, short clips and full replays of each session. There will also be extensive coverage across SBS' social media platforms. The magnificent 67,000-seat Japan National Stadium, which was built for the pandemic-affected Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, will finally come alive with a full house for athletics, as originally planned before Covid-19 intervened. Such is the interest in the event internationally, that several of the evening sessions have already sold out. The quality of the likely Australian team for Tokyo, taking on the best from 200-plus nations, will make this event compelling viewing for Australian sports fans. With seven medals (one gold, two silver, four bronze) won in Paris last year, the Australian athletics team is coming off its most successful Olympic Games since Melbourne in 1956, and appears to have found another level this year. The emergence of an exciting generation of sprinters, led by 17-year-old Gout and 21-year-old Lachie Kennedy, who won Australia's first ever 60m medal (silver) at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing last month, missing gold by just 0.01sec, has added an extra layer of intrigue to what was already a highly successful group. They will join the likes of Olympic pole vault champion Nina Kennedy, Olympic silver medallist Jess Hull, world indoor high jump champion Nicola Olyslagers, discus maestro Matt Denny, recent national 800m record-breaker Peter Bol and teenaged middle distance tyros Cameron Myers and Claudia Hollingsworth in a national team that exudes class across the range of disciplines. See the full schedule for SBS' broadcast of the World Athletics Championships here: For a pdf copy of this media release, click here.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
AFL world responds after news about Daisy Pearce and Bruce McAvaney comes to light
AFL fans are expressing their excitement after Channel 7 revealed on Thursday that Bruce McAvaney and Daisy Pearce will be back on TV screens in coming weeks during national broadcasts. McAvaney will host the final match of Gather Round (starting April 10), while Pearce will be part of the broadcasts on Friday night in Round 5 and Sunday afternoon in Round 6. McAvaney made his return to AFL commentary during last year's finals series after previously scaling back his role in the footy media in 2021. As for Pearce, she became a popular commentator and analyst in 2023 before she had to step away after landing the head-coaching role for the West Coast AFLW team. Pearce has been doing some work for Seven during Sunday afternoon games in Western Australia, but that's only been for the local WA audience. On Friday night in Round 5 and Sunday in Round 6 she'll be back on the national broadcast. 'After joining Seven's local WA AFL broadcast team, I'm absolutely thrilled to be back behind the Seven mic for the national broadcast over the next two weeks," she said in a statement. "And what better way to kick things off than at Gather Round at a packed Adelaide Oval? 'There's something truly exhilarating about live broadcasting – being right there in the moment, capturing the energy of the game, and working alongside some of the brightest minds in footy. It's a unique challenge that keeps you on your toes, and there's nothing quite like the buzz of bringing the action to fans at home. Being back in the broadcast seat is always something special, and I can't wait to share the excitement of Friday Night and Sunday afternoon footy with the team once again.' RELATED: Hawthorn stars linked to West Coast as Oscar Allen comes clean AFL world rallies around Neale Daniher after 'amazing' development Pearce has joined forces with Ben Cousins for the local WA calls, which feature voices more familiar to the Perth audience. 'WA footy fans will finally hear the voices they know and trust with a parochial call on the teams we love so much," Seven West Media's WA chief executive Maryna Fewster said last month. 'This is a game-changer for fans, who can enjoy Perth games, called in Perth.' Pearce will be part of the call for Collingwood v Sydney in Round 5, as well as Sydney v Port Adelaide in Round 6. McAvaney previously spruiked his return to AFL commentary after dipping his toe in the water during the finals series last year. 'I've always had a deep passion for the game, but returning to the 7AFL team for the 2024 finals series reminded me just how much I love being part of it,' the iconic caller said. 'I can't wait to be back alongside Seven's outstanding football team in a hosting role for the 2025 season. Some of my fondest memories have been in Seven's AFL commentary box, and I can't wait to witness more unforgettable moments during the 2025 season.' Fans took to social media in response to the news about Pearce and McAvaney. Both commentators tend to divide opinion, but the majority were happy to hear they'll be back on TV screens.
