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Aussie Vietnam vet reunited with lost war medals just in time

A Vietnam veteran has been reunited with his lost war medals that were missing for a year, just in time for Remembrance Day. When attending a Remembrance Day event in New Zealand last year, Townsville veteran Malcolm Edmiston lost his medals somewhere along the journey to Christchurch from Brisbane. The medals were left sitting unclaimed in Brisbane Airport's lost and found after being found in an airport terminal, before airport staff launched a social media campaign to find their owner. After seeing a post on Facebook, Edmiston was finally reunited with his precious medals just in time for this year's Remembrance Day events. "It's very good to have them back, great to have them back, I thought they were gone and gone for good," Malcolm told <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/today/lost-war-medals-returned-to-vietnam-veteran-in-time-for-remembrance-day/b03bf4df-0d3c-440b-9783-1e6c7ac73a11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Today</a>. "The zip was opened on my case and somehow they fell out, so it's a good reminder for us to take extra care when we pack." Malcolm was not the only one in his family to serve the country, sharing how his father served in the Royal Navy, he had uncles in the Royal Australian Air Force and and the Royal Air Force and a brother who served in Naval Reserve. His son also served in the Navy and with so many of his fellow Vietnam veteran soldiers no longer alive, having his medals back today is something special. "Remembrance Day is a very important day for me," he said. Brisbane Airport's media manager Peter Doherty added that he was thrilled to see the medals return to their rightful owner. He said, "For Malcolm's lifetime of service, the least we could do was the door-to-door service to get the medals back to him." Image credits: Today

Retirement Life

Aussie icon has all four Olympic medals stolen in brazen robbery

Four-time Olympic champion Drew Ginn has had his medals stolen in a bold robbery. Three gold medals and a silver medal were taken from the rower's Land Rover on Thursday night. Ginn, 49, won medals at four games, one from Atlanta in 1996, Athens in 2004, Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012. The theft occurred between 9pm on Thursday September 6, and 5am Friday September 7, at Docklands in Melbourne's CBD, and police have asked the public to keep an eye out for the medals at pawn shops and online marketplaces. “Mr Ginn’s Olympic medals had been left in his car due to a speaking engagement at a school,” police said. The thief also took a Rip Curl wetsuit, a Go Pro camera, and Sony headphones. Melbourne crime investigation unit Detective Sergeant Timothy Reiher said the medals were “unbelievably rare items with significant sentimental value”. “Olympic medals are awarded to the best of the best and are priceless to their recipients.” “We ask that people look out for these medals in pawn shops and online selling platforms.” Police have released an image of the four medals, and anyone with information has been encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers or make an online report. Image: news.com.au/ Nic Bothma/EPA/ Shutterstock Editorial

Legal

Disbelief as Aussie Paralympian stripped of medal

Australian athlete Jaryd Clifford has been disqualified and stripped of his medal after officials stepped in at the end of the mens 5000m event in Paris. The 25-year-old runner crossed the line in third place, claiming a bronze medal and was celebrating with his team when the news came in of his disqualification. Paralympic officials claim the Aussie had dropped the tether which ties him to his guide moments before he had crossed the line in the men’s T13 final. Vision-impaired runners must hold onto the tether until they’ve finished the race in its entirety. Clifford, who was the only runner in the field to use a guide, was left visibly distraught after learning he had been disqualified and stripped of his bronze medal. “I went and saw mum and dad and my girlfriend and broke down,” Clifford said. “I had my little cry on the side of the track. If you talk about reacting to results as grief, I had my grieving moment." “Out on the track, I was a little bit numb, I’m still a bit numb … I am pretty shattered, to be honest, if I’m frank about it, we went in with the aim of winning gold.” He later wrote on social media, “I’m absolutely gutted that we made such a critical mistake today. Remaining tethered is a fundamental rule of guiding and I’m shattered that I lost my mind in those final metres. I’ve got so much more to give, I promise to bring everything for the 1500m on Tuesday.” Fans watching on couldn’t believe the Aussie had been stripped of the medal in a moment that had no impact on the final outcome of the race, as one person on X wrote: “So you run 4999 metres tethered and one not? That wouldn't affect the result of the race so the race rules are s**t.” Image credits: Ulrik Pedersen/CSM/Shutterstock Editorial

Legal

"I am a woman": Boxer launches legal action after gold medal win

Imane Khelif has filed an official complaint over online bullying and harassment she has been subject to throughout the course of the Paris Olympics. The Algerian boxer, who took home the gold medal in the women's competition, has been at the centre of a wave of abuse over her gender, with misinformation circulating over her gender. According to Khelif's lawyer Nabil Boudi, the gold medallist has filed a legal complaint in France for online harassment. “The boxer Imane Khelif has decided to begin a new fight, a fight for justice, dignity and honour,” Boudi said in a statement, saying Khelif had filed the complaint for “aggravated online harassment … to Paris prosecutors”. He added, “The investigation will determine who was behind this misogynist, racist and sexist campaign, but will also have to concern itself with those who fed the online lynching.” The “iniquitous harassment” the boxing champion had been subjected to would remain “the biggest stain on these Olympic Games”, said Boudi. On Saturday, Khelif emerged victorious in the women’s 66kg final against China’s Yang Liu in a unanimous points decision, having been the focus of intense scrutiny in the French capital for the duration of the Games. After her victory, Khelif said the gold medal she had won was the best response to her critics. Asked by reporters about the row over her eligibility, she said, “I am fully qualified to take part, I am a woman like any other. I was born a woman, lived a woman and competed as a woman.” Image credits: Ulrik Pedersen/CSM/Shutterstock Editorial

Legal

Country boycotts Paris Games after being stripped of medal

The prime minister of Romania has vowed to boycott the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics over what he described as “flagrant injustice” to two of the country’s gymnasts. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has called out the "scandalous situation" surrounding Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Voinea, who both missed out on medals after the women's floor routines. Barbosu was initially believed to have won bronze and was beginning to celebrate the win, when the judges then adjusted the difficulty of American gymnast Jordan Chiles' routine, bumping her up into third place and sending the Romanian gymnasts into fourth and fifth position. The president of the country’s gymnastics federation Carmencita Constantin told AFP she would file two complaints to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after both Romanian gymnasts left the competition in tears. Voinea, 17, who filed an unsuccessful appeal of her own, complained she had been unfairly penalised. Fellow Romanian gymnastics legend Nadia Comaneci chimed in on the controversy, urging a review of Voinea’s routine, after she claimed the athlete didn’t step outside the floor surface, an act she had been punished for. It comes as heartbreaking new footage of Barbosu’s medal being taken away emerged, after the final scores were updated and resulted in her coming in fourth place. As a result, the Romanian gymnastics team, who qualified for the first time in 12 years, left Paris without a medal after coming in seventh in the team competition. Prime Minister Ciolacu shared his upset over the loss, saying the athletes were treated "dishonourably" and would be boycotting the closing ceremony in protest. “I have decided not to attend the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics after the scandalous situation in gymnastics, where our athletes were treated in an absolutely dishonourable way,” he wrote on Facebook. Romania also sent a letter of protest to the International Gymnastics Federation, after it was revealed that Voinea has now quit gymnastics after the dramatic Olympics loss. Image credits: Daniela Porcelli/SPP/Shutterstock Editorial <p style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">

Travel Trouble

Aussie cancer survivor bags Olympic medal

Australian cyclist Matthew Glaetzer has won his first ever medal at his fourth and final Olympic games. After overcoming injury, heartbreak and even thyroid cancer, the 31-year-old, dubbed by many as cycling's unluckiest man, has finally won a bronze medal. Two years before the Tokyo Olympics, the athlete received a thyroid cancer diagnosis, surgery and treatment. He was then hit by a series of injuries including a torn calf, oblique complaint and bulging disc in his back, but that didn't stop him from competing in Tokyo. While he didn't win any medals, he refused to let a career of near-misses define him and finally achieved bronze in the team sprint alongside Leigh Hoffman and Matt Richardson this year. “It was elation — I was so pumped when I saw that ‘three’ ... on the scoreboard,” Glaetzer said after the race. “It’s very special to finally win an Olympic medal. We were definitely aiming for better — we felt like we could have been in the gold (ride-off).” In the lead-up to the Games, he said that his wife Nikki helped ensure he did not make a rash decision after Tokyo. “I wouldn’t be here without her — I was actually pretty close to giving the sport away after Tokyo,” he said. “For us to be a team together and figure out we have some unfinished business, to push to Paris, has been a feat. “I’m pretty proud to be here.” Image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com/ Shutterstock Editorial

Caring

Jessica Fox reacts to her sister's gold medal victory

The Fox sisters are now both Olympic gold medallists after Noemie Fox claimed her victory in the women's kayak cross. Noemie, who is the younger sister of three-time Olympic champion Jessica Fox, beat out silver medallist Angèle Hug from France, and the UK's Kimberley Woods in bronze. Following Noemie's win, Jess and their mother Myriam quickly jumped into the water to celebrate her victory at bottom of the slalom course. Jess then spoke candidly to Nine about her sister's win, hailing the "fairytale ending" to an almost unbelievably perfect Fox family Olympics. "I'm just full of emotion," Jess said, voice trembling, just moments after climbing out of the water at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium. "And I'm so proud of her, and I'm just – I'm drenched, I jumped into the water. There's so much emotion in this moment. It's amazing. "I was just screaming. We were both screaming," Jess said. "She was like 'what is going on? What the hell' but she did it." "She is just so – I'm so happy for her, so happy for her." There were but three kayak gold medals up for grabs for women at Paris 2024 and the sisters are taking the whole set back with them to Sydney. As well as coaching her daughters to success, Myriam has an Olympic bronze medal to her name and dad Richard, who briefly bailed on his broadcast duties to celebrate with his two girls, won 10 world championships and finished fourth in the K1 at Barcelona 1992. "It means that poor dad is the only one without an Olympic medal," Jess joked. "What a moment for our family. What a moment for these games. You know, for the whole team, we've come away with three gold medals, and that's so special." Image credits: Instagram/Morgan Treacy/INPHO/Shutterstock Editorial

International Travel

“Outrageous”: Silver medal stripped after illegal act

The women's 5,000m final has ended in controversy after the second place holder was stripped of her medal and disqualified. Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet took out first place in the final, while her fellow countrywoman Faith Kipyegon crossed the line second. The two Kenyan champions were seen celebrating with their country's flag after the race concluded, but their celebrations were cut short when news of Kipyegon's disqualification came through. Replays show that with two laps of the race to go, Kipyegon became entangled in a close proximity battle with Ethiopian rival Gudaf Tsegay as they raced for the first place. Kipyegon appeared to pull on the arm of Tsegay who reacted angrily by fending off the Kenyan. A Eurosport commentator was in disbelief over the display and couldn’t quite believe Kipyegon had been disqualified over the act. “That was outrageous I’m afraid. I am astonished,” he said on the global broadcast. “That was dreadful. She was not in front of her and shouldn’t have moved into her space. She wasn’t remotely far enough in front of her. There’s a rule you cannot [enter] into the space of an athlete where their feet are landing. Tsegay there was very out of order." “I think Tsegay was pushing into Kipyegon. Kipyegon just tried to protect her area, her zone so to speak." “If anything from those pictures what I’ve witnessed so far, and we need to get more information, I think Tsegay should have been disqualified. I am utterly flabbergasted. I cannot believe it. If anything they’ve got it completely wrong.” Because of the disqualification, Dutchwoman Sifansaw Hassan moved into the silver medal position, while Italy’s Nadia Battocletti took bronze. The Kenyan team officials, however, were determined to fight the disqualification, as they swiftly filed an appeal, arguing that the contact between the two athletes was incidental and did not warrant being stripped of her medal. After a thorough review of the incident, the appeal panel agreed with the Kenyan team’s assessment, concluding that the contact was part of the natural dynamics of a highly competitive race. As a result, Kipyegon's silver medal was reinstated. Image credits: Dave Shopland/Shutterstock Editorial <p style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">

Legal

"Oh my god!": Natalya Diehm wins Australia's first women's BMX medal

Natalya Diehm has become the first Australian woman to win an Olympic medal in BMX Freestyle. Fans witnessed the moment the 26-year-old found out that she had won the Bronze medal, as she was filming a live story on Instagram. Diehm was sharing footage of fellow BMX competitor, Hannah Roberts on the track, when Paris 2024 officials made the announcement that she had scored higher. "Oh my god! oh my god!" the Olympian screamed as her teammates embraced her in the moments that followed. She placed third with a final score of 88.80. "I have dreamt of this moment for so long and I felt it all week, I was like 'I know I'm third, I know I'm going to make it on that podium," Diehm told Nine. "I wanted this so bad, I don't know else to say, I can't believe it. This is the first medal I have ever got in an international competition and what better way to do it than at the Paris 2024 Olympics." After her Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games, the athlete has suffered with a few injuries over the past few years, with her having to undergo six ACL surgeries and two shoulder surgeries. Following her win she has encouraged any aspiring athletes who may be struggling physically or mentally, to not give up on their dreams. "There is always light at the end of the tunnel, when you feel like there is not, keep pushing," she said. "I had full belief in myself and as long as you have that, you have hope and the world is going to keep on spinning, every day it will keep on going and you will keep getting better. "Have the belief and trust in yourself and you can get anything done." Images: Instagram

Shocking new emails reignite push for Matildas' Olympic bronze medal

The Matildas have a case to argue that why were robbed of a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, with damning new emails coming to light that may help their argument. The scandal began when Canadian football coach Bev Priestman was removed from the team during the ongoing Paris games after Canada Soccer found evidence of drone spying ahead of the nation’s opening match against New Zealand. Canada claimed a 2-1 win over New Zealand in their opening match, but multiple reports of drones flying over New Zealand’s practice threatened to destabilise their gold medal defence. The drone was found to be operated by an accredited Canadian team analyst, who was taken into police custody in what he described as "the worst day of my life". The Canadian team was stripped of six points and Priestman was sent home for the remainder of the Olympics. Now, damning new emails have come to light about alleged previous cheating scandals after Canada protested the removal of their points. The global sports integrity court became involved after Canada's attempt to have their points penalty reduced or lifted, which appears to have backfired as historic evidence shown in the hearing has raised suspicion the spy operation could stretch back all the way to the beginning of Priestman’s reign as coach in 2020. This would mean that their spy tactics could have been used back in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where Canada emerged with a gold medal, as the Matildas just missed out on the podium by placing in fourth. There has since been a push to have Canada stripped of its gold medals, which would see the Matildas elevated to the bronze medal position. A series of damning emails have not helped Canada's position, as one exposing thread from an unnamed analyst to Priestman detailed how the analyst was not comfortable with spying. “Moving forward I will have a discussion ... and reach out to the wider tech team with regards to how we could potentially look for other solutions,” the analyst wrote. “But just wanted to confirm that you will not be asking me to fulfil the role of ‘spying’ in the upcoming camp and future camps. I am sure you will respect my reasoning and thank you for your understanding.” The Canadian coach appeared to react to the email by looking for a workaround. “Seeking your advice and input here regarding this formal email on spying,” she wrote to the redacted recipient. “It’s something the analyst has always done and I know there is a whole operation on the Men’s side with regards to it (we had **** in with us recently and he was outstanding in this area). “Yesterday in a meeting when discussing it, I asked to propose an alternative solution as for scouting it can be the difference between winning and losing and all top 10 teams do it." Priestman’s comment that “spying” is something her analyst “has always done” is the most telling in backing suspicion the behaviour stretches back to Tokyo. She issued a letter of apology on Sunday in which she admitted to being “absolutely heartbroken” and promised to cooperate with an investigation into the affair. Image credits: Pete Dovgan/Speed Media/Shutterstock Editorial

Legal

Iconic Aussie singer returns Order of Australia Medal after Voice result

Legendary Australian singer-songwriter Shane Howard has made headlines by returning his Order of Australia medal, a gesture that speaks volumes about his deep sense of sadness and disappointment following the Voice to Parliament referendum. Howard, the renowned frontman of the iconic band Goanna, first captured the hearts of music enthusiasts 41 years ago with the anthemic hit "Solid Rock," a song that passionately decried the colonisation and Indigenous dispossession of Australia. In a heartfelt letter addressed to the Australian Governor-General, Howard openly expresses his profound sorrow in the wake of the rejected referendum vote. He wrote: "At this point in history, I can't be proud of my nation and feel honour-bound to return my Order of Australia medal." This poignant decision resonates with the deep-seated desire Howard had when he penned "Solid Rock, Sacred Ground" four decades ago. “When I wrote the song, 'Solid Rock, Sacred Ground', 40 years ago, I wanted us to address the fundamental lie at the heart of our national story," he continued in the letter. "I dreamt of a country respectful of our ancient history and honest about our modern history. I wanted to be proud of my country.” Howard, whose great-grandfather was famously arrested at the Eureka Stockade, was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2016, honouring his significant contributions to the Australian music landscape. However, he now believes that the democratic principles his family fought for generations ago are facing an imminent threat. In a recent interview with <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-18/goanna-shane-howard-returns-oam-referendum-result/102989978" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC Victorian Mornings</a>, Howard discussed the motivations behind his decision to return his medal. He emphasised that he felt compelled to make his voice heard in a world rife with disinformation and divisive politics. In his own words, "What else can I do, I'm an artist." Howard went on to share the distressing experiences he faced, noting that he encountered an alarming amount of abuse and racism on social media. "I copped an enormous amount of abuse that was very intimidating and at times, some stuff that was very, very racist through social media. "I would say it’s the first time we saw the Brexit or Trump style politics at play in the Australian political landscape." <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CyapVUCS0xd/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CyapVUCS0xd/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Shane Howard (@goannafella)</a> </div> </blockquote> Howard's heartfelt letter to the Governor-General underscores his respect for the democratic process that led to the referendum's outcome. However, he is deeply concerned that Australians may have missed "an important historical moment of destiny." His letter states that while he respects the democratic result, he fears Australians have missed "an important historical moment of destiny". "I love my birth country deeply but until we lose our colonial shackles, engage in Treaty-making with our First Peoples, commit to truth-telling about our history and embrace a post-colonial republic, I cannot be proud of my nation,” he said. Images: Instagram

Music

Olympian who beat bone cancer sells medal to save toddler

Olympic medallist Maria Andrejczyk has decided to auction off her silver medal for a very worthwhile cause. The Polish athlete, who won the silver medal for her outstanding performance in javelin, is auctioning off the medal to help fun a toddler's life-saving heart surgery. After beating bone cancer herself, the Olympian wants to help the young boy and his family pay for the operation, which comes with a hefty cost of $246,000. The 25-year-old athlete took to her Facebook page to call for her fans to help her. She said, “Miloszek has a serious heart defect. He needs an operation." “He already has a head start from Kubus — a boy who didn’t make it in time but whose amazing parents decided to pass on the funds they collected." “And in this way, I also want to help. It’s for him that I am auctioning my Olympic silver medal.” Maria missed out on an Olympic medal at Rio in 2016, before having to sit out the following year for a shoulder injury, which later led to her cancer diagnosis in 2018. After making it to the podium in Japan, she explained why she will be using her medal to help those in need. On a Polish television show, she said, “The true value of a medal always remains in the heart. A medal is only an object, but it can be of great value to others." “This silver can save lives, instead of collecting dust in a closet. That is why I decided to auction it to help sick children.” Maria's personal best of 71.4 metres is the third longest ever thrown by a woman in javelin, but her kind action will go much further. Image credit: Getty Images

Caring

China re-jigs Olympic medal tally to place itself first

Sections of the Chinese media have been caught out changing the 2021 Olympics medal tally by placing China at the top of the list, ahead of the USA. This year's Olympics in Tokyo saw the USA finish first with 39 gold medals with China coming in a close second with 38 gold medals and the host nation, Japan, finished third with 27 golds. But China Central Television (CCTV), which is a state-controlled broadcaster run by the Chinese Communist Party, has been caught out listing China as having won 42 gold medals and winning the overall medal tally. This re-jigged tally came to light after it was seen on the Chinese social media platform - Weibo. From this platform, the graphic appeared all over mainstream social media with people on Twitter seeing the rejigged tally. Some have said the new tally is because the CCTV found a way to boost their medals by including Taiwan and Hong Kong in their overall tally. But even with these two nations’ medals, this only adds three gold medals to China’s overall tally, so it’s unclear where the 42 gold medals comes from. Hong Kong earned just one gold medal at the Games, while Taiwan, which competes as 'Chinese Taipei', earned two gold medals. Image: Getty and Twitter

Legal

War medal reunited with family almost 100 years later

A war medal lost on a Melbourne beach in Australia, almost more than 100 years ago, has finally been returned to the family of a World War I digger. Just in time for ANZAC Day, Private R.S.G. Smith’s lost WWI British Victory Medal lost on Chelsea Beach in 1925 has been returned – over 61 years since his death. The medal was found in 1980, about 10km away at Beaumaris Beach. Although there were attempts for the medal to be returned to its rightful owner, it was not until it was passed on to Lilydale police Sergeant Vaughan Artherton that the mystery was solved. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840880/gold-medal.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/7753df1a9bab45f18cd4609ea3fc4678" /> It was revealed that the man who found the medal 40 years ago was married at the time but later passed away. His wife later remarried and came into contact with Sergeant Atherton at their local Upwey Belgrave RSL Club. Sergeant Atherton found Private Smith’s details by combing through the National Archives of Australia, and it was there where he found Robert Stanley Gordon Smith who was born in Fitzroy in 1891. Mr Smith was enlisted at Broadmeadows on the August 7, 1915 and formed a part of the 13th Reinforcements, 5th Battalion of the Australian Imperial Force. He later would go on to serve in France where he was wounded in action twice. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840879/gold-medal-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/6bbbe9673e5e4ec693c7c62ccfb80faa" /> The veteran would return to Australia after the war, and it was there he met and married Ada Grace Nicholl. He is memorialised at the Coburg cemetery in the north of Melbourne. Sergeant Atherton found information in his service record a statutory declaration where he requested to replace a “bade” that he had lost at Chelsea beach back in 1925. Private Smith’s nephew Alan Norster admitted he was overjoyed when Sergeant Atherton located him to return the war medal. “I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to have this medal put on display at Upwey- Belgrave RSL museum,” he said. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840878/gold-medal-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/bb4b6b1c057846f2a29f1f1e499cfe16" /> “I am sure Private Smith’s medal will be treasured by all present and future RSL members”. “I am glad that I have been successful on this occasion in reuniting the medal with the recipient’s relatives”. The successful reunion comes just in time for Anzac Day on Sunday to commemorate the 106th anniversary of the 1915 Gallipoli landing. Images: Channel 9

Retirement Life

"Try not to think about it": Dawn Fraser reveals horrific family tragedy

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> Olympic swimming legend Dawn Fraser has revealed the worst day of her life, saying that she was behind the wheel when her mother was killed in a car accident. The 83-year-old four-time Olympic gold medallist told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/dawn-fraser-from-olympic-hero-to-personal-tragedy/news-story/6c7e964f26e96dc5dba23b8d947ee286" target="_blank">The Courier Mail</a> about the secret she'd kept inside for decades. "I burst out that I was driving the car that killed my mother," Fraser explained, saying that the incident happened at a training camp in South Australia in 2019. "Everyone burst into tears and I cried with them. "It got me over some sort of hurdle. I'd just locked it up inside of me." The accident happened in 1964 when Fraser was 26. In the accident, Fraser suffered from fractured vertebrae and torn ligaments in her knees, but her mother was pronounced dead at the hospital. She also opened up about surviving two separate sexual assault incidents in her 20s. "That was one of the most horrific times of my life," she said. "So horrific I put it in the back of my mind and try not to think about it… It's in the past and I don't live in the past." Fraser is often regarded as Australia's greatest Olympic athletes as she's won four gold medals and four silver medals in the games. She's also won seven gold medals and a silver at the Commonwealth Games. </div> </div> </div>

News

Don't take our medals: War veterans launch petition after Afghanistan enquiry

A former Special Forces officer says the decision to strip diggers of their medals after last week’s damning report on alleged war crimes in Afghanistan would risk punishing thousands of veterans without conviction. A four-year investigation by Justice Paul Brereton found there was credible evidence of 23 incidents in which 39 Afghan nationals were unlawfully killed, mostly between 2009 and 2013. As a result, Australian Defence Force Chief Angus Campbell said: “I have accepted the Inspector General’s recommendation and will write to the Governor-General, requesting he revoke the meritious unit citation.” This would result in over 3000 veterans who served in the Special Operations Task Force between 2007 and 2013 having their medals stripped. Heston Russell, a former Major in the 2nd Commando Regiment, said the move would punish many for the alleged crimes of a few. “He’s decided to reprimand and punish over 3000 people including 20 fallen heroes before any proof has been provided of the criminal allegations,” he told Sunrise. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Disgraceful that the ADF is treating our Special Forces like this... <a href="https://t.co/olKOpctROw">https://t.co/olKOpctROw</a> — Samantha Armytage (@sam_armytage) <a href="https://twitter.com/sam_armytage/status/1330965598872817665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2020</a></blockquote> Russell said the decision had “dug up” the “pain and agony” for veterans and the families of those who died in combat. “As a veteran community we feel like we are under attack, you know, painted with this brush of being convicted without any trial.” Russell is asking Australians to “show your support for common sense and help us stop this persecution of ‘the many’ who served with honour” by singing the petition on the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.voiceofaveteran.org/" target="_blank">Voice Of A Veteran website</a>. “The response from the Australian public has been absolutely incredible.” “I’ve been dumbfounded at just how much support there is out there and it’s great to see commonsense coming through,” he said. The Governor-General has the power to reject the request made by the Chief of the Defence Force, but that is extremely rare.

Legal

A hero no more? Why princess Anne's kidnapping saviour must give up his medal

The man who aided in helping Princess Anne from being kidnapped has been forced to give up a medal he received in recognition of his incredible bravery over 46 years ago. The Queen’s daughter was only 23 at the time and on her way to Buckingham Palace after s charity event when her car was suddenly cut off in the middle of the road by another vehicle. Jumping out of a car, stepped Ian Ball, gun in hand, who proceeded to shoot the royal's chauffeur and security officer before telling Princess Anne she had to go with him. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8OG-MBHe1U/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8OG-MBHe1U/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Dix Noonan Webb (@dixnoonanwebb)</a> on Feb 6, 2020 at 1:30am PST </div> </blockquote> In a 1980s interview about the kidnapping attempt, the Royal Princess revealed she took a surprisingly no-nonsense approach with her attacker. "He opened the door, and we had a sort of discussion, hah, about where or where not we were going to go," she admitted calmly in the interview as she recalled details. "He said I had to go with him, can't remember why. I said I didn't think I wanted to go. I was scrupulously polite, because I thought 'it's silly to be too rude'. "We had a fairly low-key discussion about the fact that I wasn't going to go anywhere, and wouldn't it be much better if he moved away and we'd all forget about it?" Interestingly enough, Princess Anne was not rude until Ball accidentally tore her gown when she was stepping out of the vehicle and Anne got angry. However, he was not forced to face the wrath of the royal as out of nowhere, 6'4 former boxer Ronald Russell took a swing at the back of Ball's head and distracted him. Ball took off running as more police arrived and was later arrested in part thanks to Russell's well-timed punch. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8OYRRAnDll/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8OYRRAnDll/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Dix Noonan Webb (@dixnoonanwebb)</a> on Feb 6, 2020 at 4:01am PST </div> </blockquote> Princess Anne left the incident without a scratch on her and Russell was later awarded the George Medal from bravery by the Queen, who was beyond grateful that her daughter was safe. "The medal is from the Queen, but I want to thank you as Anne's mother," Her Majesty told Russell as she presented him with the medal. Sadly, 46 years later Russell is being forced to let go of the medal, something he said he “would never ever do”. Following years of declining health, the 72-year-old has decided to sell the royal memento, which could go for as much as $38,000. However, he has a simple request for the person who buys the keepsake. "What I would like is whoever does eventually buy the medal, I would hope they might invite me somewhere to tell them about what happened on the night," he told the BBC. Russell recalled Princess Anne remained calm and collected when Ball confronted the royal with a gun, telling her assailant: "Just go away and don't be such a silly man." Moments later Russell made a move to protect the princess, and squared up against Ball despite the danger he’d be putting himself in. "Ball stood there glaring at me with the gun and I hit him," Russell said. "I hit him as hard as I could, and he was flat on the floor face down."

Retirement Life

Olympian Michael Diamond sells gold medal ahead of heart operation

Olympic shooter Michael Diamond is selling his gold medal from the 1996 Atlanta Games after suffering from a heart failure. The 47-year-old said he is currently awaiting a heart transplant at a Newcastle hospital following a “bizarre and alarming” diagnosis. “This is the greatest fight of my life,” he told <a href="https://www.newidea.com.au/olympian-michael-diamond-fights-for-life-after-shock-arrest">New Idea</a>. Diamond said he started noticing his health problems a month ago after suffering shortness of breath. An ultrasound at Gosford Hospital revealed that Diamond’s heart was functioning at just 15 per cent. “They told me I’m actually in line for a heart transplant,” he said. “I thought, I’m too young for that.” Diamond missed the selection for the 2016 Rio Olympics after he was charged with high-range drink driving, firearm offences and domestic violence offences. The conviction saw him banned from holding a firearm’s licence until 2017, when he successfully appealed against the conviction in Newcastle District Court. In the same year, the former champion sold his gold medal from the 2000 Sydney Olympics to pay for the legal bills for $72,000. Auction house Leonard Joel announced on Monday that Diamond’s Atlanta medal would be auctioned on December 5. It is estimated to bring between $50,000 and $70,000. “I still have bills and I’ve still got to survive,” Diamond said. “It’s a pretty sobering feeling to have your heart fail on you … It puts things into check. “I do want to hang around. I want to see my kids get older and get married and I want to have grandchildren. I’d be very grateful for life.”

News

How Carrie Bickmore lost her Order of Australia medal less than an hour after receiving it

It was a proud moment for Carrie Bickmore as she received her hard-earned Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for services to broadcast media and brain cancer awareness from the Queen in June. However, what was meant to be a momentous event quickly turned into one of chaos. The Project and Hit Network radio presenter told co-host Tommy Little about what happened after Bickmore realised that she had lost her OAM. “I got one where they give you a little pin that clips on to your top, and I was wearing mine very proudly,” she recalled of the Victoria Government House ceremony today. “My mum and dad had come and Oli had come out of school and Chris was there, and we thought ‘Why don’t we go and get a coffee together afterwards?’” It was here when things started to get a bit dicey. “About five minutes before we left at the end of the coffee my mum said “Did you take your medal off?” and I said “No” and looked down and I had lost my medal,” she said through hysterical laughter. “I hadn’t had it for an hour and I lost it already!” “So then we started looking under all the chairs (at the cafe), at one point I was bending down in the gutter … We had to drive all the way back to Government House where we got it where we were looking under all the cars. “Then a lady comes out and says “are you looking for this?” and I said yes and she said ‘I was hoping it was important enough for you to come back and get it!’” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B2gH_IfnpTq/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B2gH_IfnpTq/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">What a special day. Met some incredible Australians while waiting to receive my award. Feel so honoured. #OrderOfAustralia (Will try and forget the 30 mins where I lost my new medal 😩- went for coffee with my family after and discovered my medal had fallen off! Then in a panic had to look under chairs, cars, along gutters until I drove back to Government House and a lovely lady ran up to me to say they found it in the carpark 🤦‍♀️ the pin must have come undone. Never been so relieved.🙏...this one is going straight to the poolroom 😊</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/bickmorecarrie/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Carrie Bickmore</a> (@bickmorecarrie) on Sep 16, 2019 at 11:17pm PDT </div> </blockquote> Bickmore said she was “so embarrassed” that the lady gave it back to her. “She’s probably thinking I don’t care and I’ve driven off without it … It was found in the carpark, it must have popped off.” “It was an emotional rollercoaster … Anyway I found it and I won’t be wearing it around anymore.” She shared the story with her Instagram followers, saying that the medal had been found and it was going “straight to the poolroom”.

$7 Aldi shiraz beats $350 bottle of wine to win gold medal

Wine isn’t always a case of the more you spend the better the bottle, and nowhere is this more the case than with Aldi’s offering of cheap, award-winning drops. The latest Aldi wine to beat out its more expensive competitors is the One Road South Australian Heathcote Shiraz 2016, which scored a Gold Medal at the 2017 Great Australian Shiraz Challenge. And the best part? It only costs $7. <img width="500" height="484" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/45637/aldi-in-text_500x484.jpg" alt="Aldi -in -text"/> The award-winning wine. Image credit: Aldi Aldi’s impressive drop is by far the cheapest award winner at the event, with the next cheapest wine to win a gold medal coming in at almost twice the cost at $14.99. Amazingly, Aldi’s $7 vino scored higher than silver medallist Bird in Hand 2013 MAC Shiraz. Which, in case you’re wondering, normally retails for around about $350 a bottle. Have you ever tried Aldi wines? What did you think?

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$7 Aldi shiraz beats $350 bottle of wine to win gold medal

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