The Wrap Pole Vaulter Nina Kennedy Wins Diamond League Gold Just Days Before The Olympics

Welcome to The Wrap, a weekly podcast covering women's sports news.

Bez, what have we got around the grounds this week?

It is finals time in Super Netball.

That's exciting.

In athletics, Diamond League, Aussies are still kicking you know what.

And the VFLW Grand Final was won by North Melbourne on the weekend.

It was indeed.

For our key story, we'll chat about France's principle of laïcité,

loosely translated as secularism, and what this means for their female athletes in Paris.

My name is Chloe Dalton.

I'm joined every week on the show by my co-host, Bez.

We're recording on Gadigal land.

Did you have something you'd like to say there?

I just interrupted because we're a bit rusty.

We've had a couple of weeks off.

How was your little break?

Yeah, good.

It kind of doesn't feel like we've really had a break.

I had a break from The Wrap, but a lot of very exciting

Olympics.

We've had a lot of Olympic prep going on.

Heaps of Olympic prep.

We launched our new merch range.

We're both sporting our 3AM Club hoodies today.

We've got our mugs.

And it has been popular.

Sorry if you missed out.

We're doing our best to get a restock.

It went fast.

It went.

The 3AM crews sold out really fast, didn't they?

And the whole concept is that we're all obviously going to be awake at that time,

watching our Aussie athletes kill it over there.

And you can sit on your couch, repping your merch.

We'll keep you up to date.

Across our social channels in particular, there'll be heaps of content going out.

There'll be daily schedules.

It'll go up on our website and stories.

If you haven't yet, join.

If you're on Instagram, join our broadcast channel called The 3AM Club.

We'll keep you up to date on there too.

There's a lot going on.

So much.

It's so exciting.

It's very exciting.

Let's take a look around the grounds.

In Super Netball Finals.

So it is finals time and the competition has been heating up.

Reigning premiers Adelaide Thunderbirds have booked,

booked a spot in their second consecutive grand final

after downing the Melbourne Vixens 68 to 43 in Adelaide.

The Thunderbirds never looked in doubt as they recorded their biggest ever win

against the Vixens, leaving them pretty shell-shocked

and probably scrambling for answers if they do meet them again in the GF.

The T-Birds' Shamera Sterling-Humphrey also became the first netball player

to reach 300 intercepts.

Oh, that's cool.

I didn't watch the whole game.

I did watch the highlights and she was huge for them.

In defence, very long, which is handy.

Long and handy.

Also, Epic, the Thunderbirds have not lost a game in Adelaide this season,

so it'll make them very hard to beat at home come big dance time.

Thunderbirds coach Tanya Obst was ecstatic after the win.

We need to enjoy the moment.

We've had some really lean years here and it's been a lot of blood,

sweat and tears to get ourselves into this situation.

I won't be getting ahead of myself.

There's still another 60-minute game to play and we will do the work,

but we'll also sit back and enjoy.

What we've put out this year to get us the opportunity to go back-to-back.

In the other semi-final, it was a much closer game.

The West Coast Fever withstood Sunshine Coast Lightning's challenges

to eventually take the match 72-62.

They made pretty heavy work of the victory.

It wasn't until late in the third quarter that Fever finally established

a match-winning lead.

The Fever dominated all stats, converting 81% of their centre passes

and 40% of their missed goals compared to Lightning's miserable 9%.

The Islanders.

The Islanders will now see the Fever face the Vixens next weekend

to battle out for a spot in the grand final.

So a little cool stat here.

So before the finals were even played, the Super Netball League smashed

their record for the biggest season crowd in the Women's Domestic League

in Australia with 331,841 fans in stadiums across the season.

So they've smashed the record.

Did they beat the A-League?

Because the A-League took that record, didn't they?

I guess so, yeah.

Yeah.

I think they've potentially now taken it back, the Netball.

For a Women's Domestic League.

So great.

That's awesome.

And that's for four finals.

Yeah, that's very cool.

In athletics, in the last Diamond League meet before Paris,

our Aussie athletic stars have kept shining.

Royal North Shore Hospital registrar Mackenzie Little,

she's a doctor and just throwing javelin at the Olympics.

She's a boss.

How do we think that work-life balance kind of translates

to her doctor skills?

Do you think she's got a strong...

I think she's got a strong...

Injecting needles.

...cannular injection situation going on?

Excuse me, Dr. Little, we've got a hard cannular injection over here.

Can you please come help us?

And she just launches it.

That's terrible.

That's really bad.

Continuing.

Mackenzie sailed the javelin to 66.27 metres on her first attempt

en route to securing gold and a new personal best.

How good is that?

A new PB in gold just before the Olympics.

Do you know what?

Do you know what?

I always think of when we talk meterage like that around that kind of time,

I think of an Olympic pool.

So that's like 16.27 metres longer.

I actually really like that comparison.

Than a pool.

Because sometimes you don't get the idea in your eyes.

Yeah, so do you think imagine standing on the block

down at North Narrabeen Rock Pool and being able to throw it

16 metres past the other end?

Is North Narrabeen Rock Pool 50?

I thought it would be 25.

It's 50.

Is it?

It sure is.

Wow.

For anyone who doesn't know, it's a beautiful pool

on the northern beaches of Sydney.

Mackenzie Little told the media,

I'm thrilled at my performance,

but there's definitely that unsettled feeling knowing that athletes

like the reigning world champ, Haruka, Adriana and Victoria

will be there with fires absolutely burning inside with lots to prove.

I think the event will be really dynamic and open,

but I now need to keep everything in check and use the nerves

and expectations as fuel for some explosive technical throws in Paris.

How good.

Running into the history books with their third,

Oceania record this year, the Australian women's four

by 100 metre relay team passed the baton around the track

in a time of 42.48 seconds.

The quartet of Ella Connolly, Brie Masters, Christy Edwards

and Tori Lewis finished fourth behind new world leaders,

Great Britain, France, as well as GB's second team.

That's hectic.

They're fast if they've got eight people who can beat.

That's pretty impressive.

Whoa.

I'm assuming Jamaica and America weren't there.

Is that a fair enough assumption?

I'd say so.

Yeah.

Okay.

Still pretty good.

Yeah.

We're still a chance of a medal there because anything can happen in a relay.

Anything can happen.

Drop the stick.

You're in the, you know what?

I think Monday night.

So by the time this episode goes out, it will have already happened,

but I imagine you can watch it on replay on nine now,

but there's an incredible doco that's been following this four by 100 metre team

and just keep your eyes peeled.

You might see a bit of TFAF in there.

How good.

So good.

World pole vault champion.

Nina Kennedy has won her fifth consecutive competition this year.

She is on fire.

Yeah.

I might have to change my prediction on my little.

On your spreadsheet.

On my spreadsheet.

A 4.85 metre performance cemented her place as a true contender.

I'd say true contenders for Paris gold.

She's gone from an outside chance to a proper yes medal chance.

She is not an outside chance.

I think she had a few iffy jumps earlier in the season.

Right.

We'll go with that.

That's what based my prediction.

Only Kennedy and Canadian Alicia Newman could clear 4.75 metres.

And while both were unable to clear 4.85 on their first attempt,

Kennedy locked in first place on her second jump while Newman failed all three attempts.

In some footy news,

the VFLW grand finals played over the weekend.

North Melbourne Kangaroos defeated the Western Bulldogs 68 to 48.

It was despite a spirited comeback from the doggies,

which leveled things at the final break to be 42 all.

It was the Kangaroos who stormed home with the victory,

scoring 26.

points in the final quarter.

That's a huge final quarter, isn't it?

That's a solid final quarter.

And AFLW season is coming in hot.

Really soon.

So exciting.

Six weeks, less than.

So exciting.

Amazing.

In some basketball news,

the WNBA's next national media rights package has come into shape.

The league is set to receive roughly $2.2 billion.

So very good.

Invest in women's sport.

Over the next 11 years in rights fees in its new deals,

an average of $200 million a year.

We're talking U.S. dollars here, I believe,

with an opening to earn more over that period,

according to league sources briefed on the contracts.

The NBA's board of governors approved these media rights deals on Tuesdays,

on Tuesday,

but they're not yet official since Warner Brothers Discovery,

the parent company of TNT,

maintains that it has matching rights for an NBA rights package,

but has not yet decided whether to exercise them.

It's an interesting kind of,

kind of issue here is that there's all these different kind of connections with the NBA package.

Just WNBA really have an opportunity to go it alone and sell it separately.

Yeah.

And this is worth noting as well.

So the men's equivalent,

the NBA has agreed to terms on its new media deals,

a record 11 year agreement worth $76 billion.

A little bit more.

So when we say 2.2 billion for the women,

it sounds like a lot of money.

And then you see 76 billion for the men.

And noting the growth potential in the women's game.

That's a huge gap.

There's been some mixed responses to the deal.

Cheryl Miller,

Bez,

who coached the WNBA all-stars against the US women's Olympic basketball team over the weekend,

ripped the deal while talking to reporters on Friday.

She said,

I'm not great with numbers.

Low ball.

That's a low ball.

Not enough.

Not even close.

Now,

I'm not trying to inflate it a whole lot,

but a two is nice.

An eight would be better.

She's a,

Cheryl Miller is,

a goat.

I'm so here for that.

She would,

she's just,

I think she's obviously at the point of her,

in her career and her life where she's just going to say what she feels.

She doesn't care about the consequences and I'm here for it.

Yeah.

Wouldn't that be a beautiful place to be?

You'll get there one day.

One day.

You will.

After world domination.

Terry Jackson,

executive director of the WNBA players union,

also expressed concern with the deal.

We've wondered for months how the NBA would value the WNBA and its media rights deal.

With a reportedly $75 billion deal on the table,

the league is in control of its own destiny.

More precisely,

the NBA controls the destiny of the WNBA.

Again,

I just think that it's time for them to go alone because I think there's so much more,

as you said,

upside to the WNBA that they need to exploit.

In some volleyball news,

the board of volleyball Australia has issued an apology to former players who suffered through an environment of fear,

coercive control,

physical and psychological abuse.

The apology was issued to the players in the Australian women's indoor team who were based at the AIS,

the Australian Institute of Sport,

between 1997 and 2005,

and some were as young as 14 during that time.

Devastating.

Here's an excerpt from the apology.

Volleyball Australia has listened to athletes from this period.

We've heard that you experienced an environment of fear,

unacceptable and punitive training practices,

a lack of coach accountability,

coaches disregarding advice from medical and performance support staff,

limited access,

athlete support,

and inadequate complaint handling mechanisms.

We're deeply sorry for the ongoing effects these experiences have had on your life and on your relationship with the sport of volleyball and with volleyball Australia.

We unreservedly apologize for that harm.

We understand that your experiences amounted to coercive control,

which included using training as a method of punishment,

verbal and physical abuse,

favoritism,

ostracism,

excessive punishments,

and body shaming.

It's just really horrible to hear.

And I think the big thing that's come out of this is like,

obviously,

it's great that there's been an apology,

but the fact that it's come two years after,

because Sports Integrity Australia,

SIA,

they did a confidential review of the program between 1997 and 2005.

That was completed in 2022.

So it's taken two years to even get to this apology.

And from my understanding,

some of the players have spoken about the fact that they had to push so hard to even get this apology.

So to even hear the words that they're unreservedly apologizing.

And I believe,

again,

from what I've read,

that there are still some people that were around during that period involved with Volleyball Australia.

It's the kind of thing where if Sports Integrity Australia give you an outcome like this from what was obviously a very thorough review,

you've got a clean house,

don't you?

Yeah,

for sure.

Like you've got to have a fresh start.

You have to apologize immediately and take action.

And I feel like that Volleyball Australia might be a little bit half pregnant in that case.

In football.

Angel City FC in the United States is set to become the most valuable professional women's sports team in the world.

I just can't deal with the fact that it's going to be owned by Disney.

If there's not Mickey Mouse,

Donald Duck all over the place,

I'm not here for it.

It's pretty cool.

It's so cool.

They've inked,

we're talking Australian dollars here,

a $373 million dollar landmark ownership deal.

He's got it.

Let's be real.

Yeah,

it's he's got some cash.

So Willow Bay and her husband,

Bob,

I got who's the Disney CEO announced their purchase of the US Women's Soccer League,

the NWSL team on Thursday.

A E S T the statement confirmed the pair had purchased the club for an undisclosed amount with an additional 74 million Australian dollars set to be invested in the team's future development.

According to the NWSL bylaws,

controlling owners must own at least 35% of the team,

therefore confirming that I go and they have signed a minimum agreement of 130,000 dollars.

So just obviously speculating based on what it would need to be for them to be in control in a statement based said as fans and friends of ACFC,

we are thrilled to join this team as owners at this historic moment in sports.

ACFC and these incredible athletes had already had a tremendous impact on the NWSL women's soccer and the Los Angeles community with this investment of resources and capital.

We hope to accelerate the growth of the club and the NWSL bit of,

um,

push back on our social channels about this concept of rich people buying off rich people for a sports club and the fact that women's sports should not go in the same direction of what the men has.

I just think I disagree with that.

Do you think that do you?

I think that it's not,

I,

I just don't think it's,

it should be seen as a negative thing for women's sport to be seen as a business and as a great commercial investment in this future fund,

which is really important.

But these athletes deserve,

to be earning good money.

They don't need to be paid hundreds of millions of dollars like your LeBron James.

But are we saying like in saying that it shouldn't follow the men's league?

Are we just saying all female athletes should just be capped at $70,000 a year?

Like I don't,

I don't understand where the argument lies with that.

I just play for the love.

No,

I,

I,

maybe that women,

I think women's sports should just be grateful for the love of the game.

But I,

I hear what you're saying in there.

There has been some commentary around,

you know,

let's not make the same mistakes.

Men's game is made.

And I get that there is,

yes,

there's lessons to be learned from how the men's sport has grown.

And I'm sure that the people in charge of these amazing clubs will take those lessons on board.

But at the end of the day,

this is about lifting these women,

you know,

their opportunities,

the conditions they play in,

what they're being paid to perform at their best level,

to allow them to perform at their best level.

And I'm here for it.

Totally agree.

And these kinds of things,

the bigger the sport gets,

the wider it,

it's out there in the market,

the more that young girls can play,

see their heroes.

Like it's,

it's just a no brainer.

I just,

that argument to me just doesn't sit at all.

Pay,

pay the women.

Let's take a look at the key story.

We are very,

very excited about the upcoming Olympics and Paralympics games.

And in what to watch,

we're going to give you a couple of our predictions,

Bez,

would we say?

Yep.

Lock it in.

The sure things.

But I think it's also important that we discuss a really big issue that we,

we posted on our social media on Sunday night.

And it's looking at France's rules around the,

the combination of religion and sport.

So France's principle of Lysite loosely translated as secularism means no

excessive crosses or kippers or Islamic head coverings can be worn by staff,

students,

and players in public schools,

hospitals,

courts,

and sports fields.

The visitors and spectators can at the 2024 Olympic games.

The host country,

France has banned,

banned Muslim women from wearing a sports hijab or any other form of religious

headgear when they compete for France.

Such a ban is imposed in several sports in France,

including football,

basketball,

and volleyball in competitions at all levels,

including youth and amateur ones.

In a new report published ahead of the Paris Olympic games,

Amnesty International says the ban on French women athletes who wear head

scarves from competing at the Olympic games breaches international human rights

laws and exposes a discriminatory,

discriminatory,

discriminatory,

discriminatory.

Thank you.

Hypocrisy of French authorities and the craven weaknesses of the international Olympic

committee.

Raven weaknesses.

That's tough.

The report titled,

we can't breathe anymore.

Even sports.

We can't do them anymore.

Violations of Muslim women's and girls human rights through hijab bands in sports

in France details the impact that hijab bands are having on Muslim women and girls

at all levels of French sport.

Anna Bluess,

Amnesty International's women rights researcher in Europe says banning French athletes from

competing with sports hijabs at the Olympics and Paralympics games makes a mockery of claims

that Paris 2020 2024 is the first gender equal Olympics and lays bare the racist gender discrimination

that underpins access to sport in France.

On 11th of June,

members of the Sport and Rights Alliance and Basket Portouts published a letter written to the International

Olympic Committee demanding that they publicly call on sporting authorities in France to overturn all bans on athletes wearing the hijab in French sports.

Both at Paris 2024 and at all times and all levels of sport.

On the 18th of June,

the IOC responded to the organizations in response to a letter from a coalition of organizations urging it to take action.

The IOC claimed that France's prohibition on sports hijabs was outside the remit of the Olympic movement,

claiming that freedom of religion is interpreted in many different ways by different states.

The IOC's response did not mention other rights violated by the ban,

such as freedom of expression,

and,

and access to health.

France's bans on sports headgear contradict the clothing rules of the international sports bodies,

such as FIFA,

FIBA,

the Basketball Federation,

FIVB,

volleyball.

Amnesty International looked at rules in 38 European countries and found that France is the only one that has enshrined bans on religious headwear,

either on the level of national laws or individual sports regulations.

Even though there is no national law prohibiting women from wearing religious headgear,

some federations in France have introduced bans on religious clothing in competitions.

This means that as well as being excluded from participating in sports,

some Muslim women and girls will never be able to qualify for the Olympic Games because the bans prevent them from training and competition opportunities from a young age.

Helen Barr,

a French basketball player,

told Amnesty International that the Olympics hijab ban is a clear violation of the Olympic Charter values and provisions and an infringement on our fundamental rights and freedoms.

I think it's going to be a shameful moment for France.

Mentally,

it is also hard because you really feel excluded,

especially if you go to the bench and the referee tells you to go to the stands.

Everyone sees you.

It's a walk of shame.

According to Amnesty International,

under international law,

state neutrality or secularism are not legitimate reasons for imposing restrictions on freedom of expression and or freedom of religion.

Puan Duara,

co-president of the football collective Hijab Oasis,

told Amnesty International,

our fight is not political or religious,

but centered on our human right to participate in sports.

Diab Kanate,

a French basketball player who was born and raised in France,

is now playing NCAA college basketball in the US.

She's a former member of the French youth national team,

and she would love to play for the French team,

but it's not an option for her.

Diab has said in an open letter to the French Basketball Federation signed by 80 plus athletes and allies on the 8th of March 2024,

I love basketball,

my family,

and my faith.

It would break my heart.

It would break my heart to give up any one of those.

And yet this is what the current French Federation of Basketball Guidelines are forcing me to do.

Amnesty International described the hijab bans as an own goal for France,

depriving the country of talented athletes who they should be celebrating,

which is a really good point.

And I think if we look at this overall,

it's not something that is just impacting the Olympics.

This is this is something that impacts the country as a whole at all levels of sport,

it looks like,

but it's something that disproportionately impacts women.

And Muslim women at that.

And that's something I think to take away from this is,

as we said,

there's over the course of time,

there's been a lot of things that have been brought in that do affect women more than men.

And this is just another one because obviously Muslim man does not have to wear a hijab.

So I can continue to compete in sport at every level in France.

Let's take a look at what to watch.

All right.

It's Olympics time.

It's very exciting.

Here we go.

You want to get pumped up.

Do watch Simone Biles Rising on Netflix.

Wow.

Do watch it.

Do watch.

Do watch.

She is amazing.

She's incredible.

And her vulnerability and her honesty telling her story about the twisties.

I kind of actually felt bad that we had made jokes about cheese twisties on the podcast

while talking about it because it was a pretty traumatic time for her.

It's horrific.

But like you said,

she's really upfront,

very open.

My only negative is two episodes pre-Olympics.

And apparently the next two episodes post-Olympics.

They're following your own parents.

They're going to take ages to edit it.

Guys.

Annoying.

Give us more.

Let's go live.

Yeah.

I'd love that.

Give us more, Simone.

Super Netball prelim final.

Just two weeks remain in this year's Suncorp Super Netball.

And with Adelaide Thunderbirds already booking their place in the grand final, it's between

the West Coast Fever and the Melbourne Vixens to be their opponent.

The last time the Vixens and Fever faced off, only one point could separate them.

So let's hope this final is just as much of a thriller.

All the action begins this Saturday at 5 p.m.

AEST.

Catch it live on Fox Netball and KO Freebies.

NRLW is back.

I can't believe it's back in Olympics week.

Weird decision.

Not great.

I guess you can't really change it.

It's a year-to-year competition.

Very true.

And at the end of the day, it's in a not so much 3 a.m. club time.

Great point.

So the reigning premiers, the Newcastle Knights, will take on hot contenders, the Sydney Roosters,

this Thursday.

The match and the season kicks off at 7.45 p.m.

AEST.

And you can watch the whole season of NRLW, including this match, live and free.

On the Nine Network.

How good's that?

Can't wait.

Olympics time.

Bez is just laughing with excitement.

What?

Okay.

I cannot wait.

Give me your sure thing.

I hadn't thought about my sure thing.

Didn't you want to do this segment?

Yeah.

My wish.

I had my wish very firmly implanted in my mind.

Okay.

Let's start with wish.

My wish.

I'm desperate to see the Opals win gold.

You are desperate and I will back that up.

I just want to see LJ standing on top of that.

Olympic guys.

It would be beautiful, wouldn't it?

It would.

She deserves it.

My wish is Jess Hull.

Ooh.

She's been killing it lately.

And I know Faith Kip Yeagon is hard to run with.

Like, good luck to anyone running against her.

But I don't know.

Anything could happen.

Just the way, like, Jess Hull is running at the moment.

PB's world records.

Like, she's on fire.

I'd love to see her playing gold.

Okay.

My sure thing?

Yes.

This is lame because it's absolutely sure thing, but I'm here for it.

The 4x200 freestyle.

4x200 freestyle relay.

Boring.

We're going to win by 1,000.

1,000.

I don't want to add extra pressure, but I'm going to go Jess Fox.

Yes.

Minimum one gold.

And is she going to carry the flag?

That's got to be a sure thing, doesn't it?

How good.

Yeah.

Check out all our content on socials, broadcast channel, website.

The 3AM Club will be in full force when the Tillys take on Germany this Friday at 3AM AEST.

Live and free on the night.

rolling.AI network The swimming kicks off 7p.m.

What a beautiful time that is.

Heats.

I know, but still.

On Saturday, beginning with the women's 100 meter butterfly heats.

We've got Aussie favorites.

Emma McKean and Alexandra Perkins.

Any relation to Kieran?

No.

Great.

And the paddle gold, gold.

The paddle gold gold.

That was a Freudian slip.

Oh, the paddle gold.

Will be in full force late on Saturday night, 11.50 p.m.

I can't talk anymore.

It's been a long episode.

When the women's kayak single heat again.

Again, and also big good luck to Jess's sister, Noemi,

at her first Olympics too.

So exciting.

I cannot wait.

That's the wrap.

That is the wrap.

See you next week.

Enjoy the Olympics content, people.

Get around it.

Get around it.

Bye.

Bye.

Go the Aussies.