SPORTS

My thoughts went back 20 years when I was younger and less wise but in the prime of my life. It was the VI FINA World Championships in Perth, Australia.

Richard Weinberger of Canada stunned a field of world champions to win the London 10km Marathon Swimming International - Test Event for the Olympic Games - by a margin of more than 26 seconds.

Pippa Middleton, whose relationship with cricketer Alex Loudon seemed a bit shaky, confirmed to the public that they are definitely back together after a PDA session at the sidelines of Loudon's game.

Victoria's Patrick Shaw (Genesys Wealth) claimed a slender lead after stage 3 in the Eastern Oak Tour of Geelong, the fifth event in the Cycling Australia 2011 National Road Series.

2011 National Road Series: EOS Tour of Geelong, August 10-14, 2011.

Jack Bobridge, Cameron Meyer and Travis Meyer are the names most commonly mentioned as the rising stars of Australian cycling and all three are the first riders to join GreenEDGE Cycling, the new Australian team aiming to join the UCI World Tour next year.

The Australian mountain bike series has been revamped with two new formats introduced to favour riders and spectators alike.

Australia's BMX riders have retained their high position on the world rankings in the latest update released in the wake of the UCI BMX World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Canberra's Nathan Haas claimed the Lakes Oil Tour of Gippsland today defeating West Australian teenager Bradley Linfield (Plan B) by 18 seconds, with Queenslander Michael Cupitt (Budget Forklifts) a further 20 seconds back in third place.

Canberra's Nathan Haas claimed the Lakes Oil Tour of Gippsland today defeating West Australian teenager Bradley Linfield (Plan B) by 18 seconds, with Queenslander Michael Cupitt (Budget Forklifts) a further 20 seconds back in third place.

Italy has returned to the top tier of men's world water polo, wresting the FINA World Championship crown from the Balkans in a spectacular gold-medal final at the Natatorium on Saturday.

Throughout 2011 and early 2012, construction on the London 2012 Olympic Park will come to an end and venues will be handed over to LOCOG in order to prepare for the Games.

In a teenagers’ final, Melissa (“Missy”) Franklin (USA) got her fourth medal in these championships, the gold, in the women’s 200m backstroke (2:05.10). In Shanghai, she had previously assured the title in the 4x200m free relay, obtained the silver in the 4x100m free relay and earned bronze in the 50m backstroke.

Yang touched home in 14:34.14, bettering Hackett's mark by 0.42 and getting the second World Record of this competition, after Lochte's effort in the 200m individual medley. It was the fourth medal in front of his fans for Yang (19 years old), after the gold in the 800m free, the silver in the 400m free and the bronze in the 4x200m free relay.

Tiger Woods tweeted Thursday that he is geared up for an invitation tournament next week, expressing his excitement to make some grounds following earlier reports that the former World No.1 has hit another low in the golf rankings.

Genesys Wealth member Nathan Haas moved into the overall lead after stage four of the Lakes Oil Tour of Gippsland held in Warragul on Thursday.

In another thrilling duel Ryan Lochte/Michael Phelps, the 14-time gold medallist lost again, this time in the men's 200m individual medley. Lochte, the world record holder in this event (he had clocked 1:54.10 when he won the world title in Rome 2009), improved his own best work mark and touched home in 1:54.00, setting the first World Record of these championships.

World champion Serbia needed extra time to beat Olympic champion Hungary 15-14 in the first semifinal of the men's water polo competition at the FINA World Championships.

Robbie McEwen claimed his first victory of the season by beating Alexander Kristoff and Yauheni Hutarovich in a bunch sprint in the fourth stage of the Tour de Wallonie.

FINA will crown a new women's water polo champion on Friday. Greece and China will play for gold in the FINA World Championship competition at the Natatorium on Friday.

The Russian divers Ilya Zakharov and Evgeny Kuznetsov surprised the audience with their silver and bronze medals.

In a Press Conference before the start of the Swimming competition of the 14th FINA World Championships Shanghai 2011, the FINA President Dr. Julio C. Maglione expressed his satisfaction by the level of performances achieved during the first week of FINA’s major event. “Our athletes are in great shape and are very well prepared, and the competition is of high level,” said Dr. Maglione.

Over the years, the men’s 200m free has become one of the most awaited races of the swimming programme at both the FINA World Championships and Olympic Games.

The script has gone as expected in the FINA World Championship men's water polo competition with the top four teams in the world making the semifinals.

The former undisputed No. 1 golfer in the world, Tiger Woods has reached his 14-year low after ranking 21st in Official World Golf Rankings in July.

On two previous occasions, Australian Cadel Evans nearly pocketed cycling’s greatest competition yet after his sterling performance on Saturday’s individual time trial, where he narrowly beat Andy Schleck, the Tour de France 2011 title is finally his.

Commonwealth Games gold medalist Geoff Huegill announces Thursday that he is preparing to participate in the 2012 Olympic Games, even challenging American Superstar Michael Phelps in major swimming events.

Cadel Evans has become the first Australian winner of the Tour de France after completing the traditional final stage along the Champs Elysee in Paris.

Shara Gillow's star continues to rise with the Queenslander claiming a podium finish in the Thuringen Rundfahrt women's tour in Germany at the weekend.