Microchips, ninja obstacle courses and other ‘modern’ tweaks are being made by sports vying for a coveted spot on the Olympic program in Australia

Australia’s teenage race walker Isaac Beacroft won gold at the Commonwealth Games this year, propelling him into contention for a medal at the home Brisbane Olympics in six years’ time. There is just one problem.

The International Olympic Committee is considering culling events like his – as well as surfing, skateboarding and climbing, in which Australia also has strong podium chances – in secretive deliberations under way in Switzerland that are set to transform the Olympic program.

• Tom Trbojevic scores hat-trick in Kangaroos’ unconvincing 36-22 win

• Semi Valemei also scores three as Fiji run in four tries in Brisbane

The naysayers have questioned this increasingly provincial sport and its sometimes laughable and often one-sided, so-called World Cup. But against the favourites and hosts Australia, the Fiji Bati showed – from the tears on the players cheeks during their anthem, their wondrous pre-match hymn, right through 80 minutes of fearless effort in attack and defence – why this tournament is worth persisting with.

The inspiring Fijians appeared to have answers to every criticism, a response to every question, except three. The quality on the Australian bench, the class of James Tedesco and the finishing of triple try-scorer Tom Trbojevic finally took down the likeable underdogs, in front of a healthy Sunday night crowd in Brisbane and no doubt millions watching on prime time television.

Athletes’ scramble to control – and monetise – their digital identities at the cutting edge of AI rights deals

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The Socceroos star stares at the camera as he strides through an enormous atrium, the sound of his football boots on polished concrete echoing around him. Suddenly, he spawns four digital clones that peel off out of view to re-emerge in different settings around the world.

This scene from a social media video is fake and generated by artificial intelligence. But it has been authorised by the very real 22-year-old footballer, Cristian Volpato, the latest professional athlete to licence and monetise his AI likeness.

• Australia 21-43 New Zealand at Accor Stadium

• Concerns mount for Les Kiss’s side with World Cup on horizon

The ruthless All Blacks embarrassed the Wallabies in their final home Test of the year, brushing aside the golden pretenders 43-21 in Sydney, a second thrashing in a week that makes a mockery of the hosts’ ambitions for next year’s World Cup.

The All Blacks were too fast at the breakdown, the ball hardly slowing as the New Zealanders appeared to advance it at will. They spoiled all but three Wallaby attacking forays, aided by errors and execution failures.

• Kieren Perkins expresses concern over some traditional sports

• Door is open to likes of cricket and netball for Games in Australia

Former gold-medal winning swimmer and Australia’s most senior sport executive, Kieren Perkins, has called on the IOC to modernise the sporting program for Brisbane 2032, arguing that some current Olympic sports “have no modern relevance whatsoever”.

The IOC has indicated it wishes to curb a long-term trend of a rise in the number of sports at the Games. Sydney 2000 featured 28 sports, while Los Angeles 2028 is set to feature 36, including many with more than one discipline – for example road and track cycling – that require multiple venues.

Australia are leaning on the knowledge of their assistant coach, who never missed a penalty during his international playing career, ahead of the last-32 clash with Egypt

As the Socceroos turn their minds to the possibility of a penalty shootout against Egypt, they have a powerful presence in their corner: Mile Jedinak. Australia’s assistant coach boasts a remarkable record – he never missed a penalty for the Socceroos during his career as a player, and found the back of the net from the spot three times at World Cups.

Asked about his record this week as the Australian team prepare for the last-32 match in Dallas, Jedinak initially tried to deflect. “You know the answer to that,” he said. “We’re not here to talk about me.”

Despite a softening of his cutting edge and an international career defined by near misses, the forward is expected to cause problems for Australia

It was fitting that it was Mo Salah who scored to put Egypt ahead in their World Cup match against New Zealand a little over a week ago. The Pharaohs, for all their achievements in Africa, had never won a World Cup match. Fighting back from 1-0 down to the All Whites, Salah helped engineer a long-awaited victory, at the same time moving to within one of Egypt’s record goalscorer Hossam Hassan, also the team’s coach at this tournament.

“In years to come, we will remember that this was one of the achievements in history,” Salah said after the match, which finished 3-1 and all but secured the nation’s progression to the last 32.

It was not a match of high distinction, but all the Socceroos needed was a pass against Paraguay, and their 0-0 in San Francisco Bay Area stadium booked a place in the World Cup knock-out rounds for the third time in their history.

A much-changed Australia side controlled large parts of the match, but with both teams knowing that a draw would be enough to qualify for the last 32, there were long stretches without impetus.

• Miguel Almirón sent off against Turkey for covering mouth

• Socceroos face South Americans in crucial last Group D match

Socceroo Jackson Irvine has backed the decision by Fifa to send players off for covering their mouths when they speak, after Paraguay winger Miguel Almirón was given a historic red card against Turkey.

The Socceroos and Paraguay face a showdown for second place in the group at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on Thursday (Friday AEST). If either team lose they will face a torturous wait to find out if they will progress as one of the eight third-placed teams across the 12 groups.

• German official Felix Zwayer faces criticism for perceived injustices

• Tony Popovic encouraged by much improved second-half performance

Referee Felix Zwayer has come in for criticism from the Socceroos, who labelled the German’s performance a “stinker” after what they believed was a series of injustices in their 2-0 defeat to the USA in the World Cup match in Seattle.

The co-hosts’ second goal was awarded by the video referee, and it was contentious given what appeared to be an offside player in the proximity of goalkeeper Patrick Beach when he tried to recover from a misdirected shot.

Nestory Irankunda ran to the corner flag like Tim Cahill, punching and ducking and weaving, after sending the Socceroos on their way to a stunning 2-0 upset victory over Turkey in Vancouver. The one act pulled past and future together on a night when Australia’s next generation delivered one of their best World Cup victories, to start their 2026 campaign in style.

They can thank a trio of young stars, all of whom were considered unlikely to start the match. Irankunda finished a brilliant end-to-end attack with a goal in the 27th minute, assisted by midfielder Paul Okon-Engstler. Young goalkeeper Patrick Beach – thrust into the starting side in a pre-match selection shock – pulled off a series of dazzling parries, including one in the first half that will be a contender for save of the tournament.

• Former Iranian women’s team players ‘overwhelmed’ by support

• Ramezanisadeh and Pasandideh have trained with Brisbane Roar

The two members of the Iran football team who remained in Australia after the Women’s Asian Cup are beginning their new lives away from the spotlight, even if their dream is to return to elite football.

Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh issued a statement on Friday saying they “respectfully ask” for “privacy and space”.

The sprint sensation was pushed to new heights in the 200m final by an unlikely opponent at the Australian Athletics Championships

It didn’t look good for Gout Gout. He had started the 200m final at the Australian Athletics Championships relatively well, and was positioned just off the lead at the start of the straight.

But, there – who was that? The man wearing all black, two lanes on the inside. An athlete who appeared to match the global phenomenon step by step just when Gout was expected to pull away.

The minnows just need to win a playoff against Turkey at home to complete a qualification campaign that has become a rallying cry for national pride

They are a World Cup fairytale, a footballing nation barely a decade old with fewer people than the state of South Australia. A Balkan West Virginia, but with a fraction of the area, and a chequered past.

Minnows Kosovo are one game away from their first appearance at a World Cup, and a place beckons in Group D alongside Australia, Paraguay and co-hosts the United States.

• Teen sensation has finished school and now trains as full-time athlete

• 18-year-old to renew rivalry with Lachlan Kennedy at Maurie Plant

Dazzling in his sponsor’s tracksuit, and sparkling with an earring and two glimmering chains, sprint sensation Gout Gout told his first press conference in Melbourne his confidence is growing.

The teenager spoke to a swarm of cameras on Thursday, ahead of the Maurie Plant Meet on Saturday. The major attraction of the marquee night in Australian athletics is a rematch of the 200m race against Lachie Kennedy last year, when Gout was upstaged.

• At least one player reportedly refused to board plane home

• Team’s departure for Malaysia ends Asian Cup saga

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Two more members of the Iranian women’s football team have reportedly sought asylum in Australia after at least one refused to board a flight back to their home country after competing in the Women’s Asian Cup.

A plane left Sydney airport on Tuesday night local time for Malaysia, reports said, with players and staff, ending a dramatic two days when five players were granted asylum after refusing to return home.

There are urgent calls for Australia to take action before the team return to Iran but with no word from the players themselves the situation is fraught and uncertain

Their forward was once suspended when her head scarf slipped off during a goal celebration. Their youngest player is just 18. Another once worked as a personal trainer overseas. These are the women of the Iran football team, who are at the centre of an international diplomatic incident, even as the US and Israel rain missiles down on their family back home.

The team remains in a hotel on the Gold Coast, where they played their third and final match of the Women’s Asian Cup on Sunday. Their departure from Australia is imminent, even if it’s not clear whether they want to go.

• Flight disruptions force F1 teams into new arrangements

• But all drivers expected to reach Melbourne for first race

As many as one thousand members of the Formula One circus have been forced into last-minute travel changes to get to Melbourne’s opening round in the wake of the escalating crisis in the Middle East, and some are set to miss the start of the season entirely.

However, a larger logistical headache has been narrowly avoided, after the cars and supporting equipment were already shipped from last month’s testing in Bahrain – one of the countries drawn into the conflict – prior to this week’s widespread aviation disruptions.

To the sound of a lone bird chirping, the crash-bang wallop ultimately belonged to the underdog in a blockbuster Australian Open final

The sprinkling rain at Melbourne Park meant the roof stayed closed on centre court for the Australian Open women’s final, turning Rod Laver Arena into a concert hall charged with the music of tennis. But there was one noise that wasn’t quite right. In the sacred moments before each player’s serving motion, the crowd generally obeyed the protocol demanding silence. However, a single bird – perched somewhere high in the rafters – was less compliant.

It must not have been able to escape before the roof shut on Saturday afternoon, and so there it stayed. Tweet-tweet. An unusual accompaniment to a grand slam final. No one could see the critter, though long they tried, as dozens of the 15,000-strong crowd craned their necks in curiosity. Even the umpire kept glancing up, only to recognise the limit of even his broad powers. Tweet-tweet.

• Zverev served to reach Australian Open final in fifth set

• Spaniard holds out in epic 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-7 (4) 7-5

• As it happened: look back at an epic semi-final clash

Murmurs around Melbourne Park had been building. That the men’s Australian Open draw had not met expectations. That matches had been one-sided, and lacking memorable moments. That so-called SinCaraz was a foregone conclusion. That ­tennis had lost its touch.

Murmur no more. In the first match this year on Rod Laver Arena to go five sets, Carlos Alcaraz leapt off the canvas to outlast Alexander Zverev 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-7 (4), 7-5 over five hours and 27 minutes – the third longest match in Australian Open history.