Laughing last
THE Kookaburras have continued their Olympic gold medal campaign after defeating Spain in the second preliminary round in London yesterday.
The team includes Peel Rebels-listed players Glenn Turner and Kieran Govers.
The Australian side were in complete control of the game with a 5-0 win over Spain including one goal by Turner.
Spain, ranked fifth in the world, made a valiant effort against the Australian side but was unable to make ends meet by the final siren.
It comes off the back of an outstanding win by the Australian team against South Africa in opening preliminary round on July 30.
The Kookaburras had a 6-0 victory in their Olympic opener which was dominated by three-goal effort from Jamie Dwyer.
South Africa put up a strong defensive performance in the first half of the game, boosted by goalkeeper Erasmus Pieterse who blocked several shots on goal by Australia, including two penalty corners from Govers.
However Australia came back firing as Christopher Ciriello scored a goal 10 minutes into the second half before a hat trick from Dwyer.
A final goal by Turner rounded out the impressive performance.
Australia will next play Argentina tomorrow at 3.30pm local time.
Naomi’s first bout
WORLD boxing champion Naomi-Lee Fischer-Rasmussen will take on Sweden’s Anna Laurell on August 5 in the Olympic debut of women’s boxing.
Naomi-Lee Fischer-Rasmussen became the 2011 world number champion in the 69kg division thanks to her accumulated points from her 2010 competing before moving up to the 75kg division to qualify for the Olympics.
Fischer-Rasmussen will compete in the middle weight division and could be in for a tough fight; Laurell is a former two-time world amateur champion and three-time European amateur champion.
Thirty-two-year-old Laurell also performed well at the 2012 World Amateur Boxing Championships, losing the semi-finals to Azerbaijan’s Elena Vystropova, 16-15 but still qualified for the London Games as a wild card.
If Fischer-Rasmussen wins her bout, she will face off against 17-year-old United States boxer Claressa Shields for the quarter-finals on August 6.
Shields caused a major upset at the Women’s Elite Continental Championships in Cornwall, Ontario this year by beating Olympic gold medal favourite and defending world amateur champion Mary Spencer.
Shields lost her second fight at the 2012 World Amateur Boxing Championships to Britain’s Savannah Marshall 8-14 but won her semi-final bout to qualify.
Kim aims ahead
FORMER Mandurah resident Kim Mickle will be putting her best foot forward in the javelin throw qualification on August 7 at 5pm local time.
The 27-year-old won silver at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and most recently finished sixth at the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.
If Mickle places, she will compete in the javelin throw final on August 9.