Latest news with #BruceMcAvaney
SBS Australia
21-07-2025
- Sport
- SBS Australia
SBS reveals expert commentary team for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September
Every session broadcast live and free on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand World champion Tamsyn Manou and renowned commentator David Basheer will join the doyen of sports commentators Bruce McAvaney as SBS's broadcast team for the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, which is shaping as a milestone event for an exceptional Australian team. Every session of the nine-day World Athletics Championships (14 sessions of arena and road events, September 13-21) will be broadcast live and free across SBS VICELAND, and the World Athletics Championships Hub via SBS On Demand, which will also feature daily extended highlights, short clips and full replays of each session. Lead commentator McAvaney said he was excited to be part of such a skilled and experienced commentary team guiding Australian audiences through this year's world championships, which is regarded as the third-biggest sports event in the world in global reach (over one billion) behind the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cupᵀᴹ. Triple Olympian Manou, the 2008 world indoor champion over 800m, was a member of the Australian athletics team for more than 15 years and brings to her role both an athlete's insight and deep knowledge of the sport. Since retiring as an athlete, she has taken that passion for the sport to the commentary box, working with McAvaney at both the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games and the 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games. She also worked as an expert commentator at last year's Olympic Games in Paris. Manou said: 'I'm delighted to be joining Bruce and David in the SBS commentary team for one of my favourite events on the sports calendar, at a really exciting time for Australian athletics. 'The World Athletics Championships is just pure athletics and as a fan you can really immerse yourself in the sport. I think this is going to be one of the most watched world championships we have had, because the fans can sense that there's something special happening with the Australian team. 'For me, the best thing about these championships is the journey that the athletes take from the heats to the semi-finals to the finals. By broadcasting every session live, SBS will take everyone on that journey from start to finish, and that will allow us to show how amazing these athletes are and to tell their stories. I can't wait for it to start. For 30 years Basheer has been commentating on international sporting events for SBS. His credits include five World Athletics Championships, 10 FIFA World Cups (men and women), UEFA Champions League finals, and track and road cycling world championships. For this year's World Athletics Championships, Basheer is excited to be calling field and multi events, where high jump world champions Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson, Olympic discus medallist Matt Denny, and world pole vault medallist Kurtis Marschall are certain to feature. 'It's a golden generation of Australian track and field athletes – I'm looking forward to telling some compelling stories and working with a fabulous team,'' Basheer said. McAvaney added: 'We'll be bringing the best in the world to an Australian audience, and highlighting our great Australian athletes. I've never been more excited by the prospects of the Australian athletics team, not even before the Sydney Olympics. This team has everything – established champions, great young sprinters and incredible middle distance talent. You might have heard me say this before, but this is going to be special.'' SBS Director of Sport Ken Shipp said: 'SBS has broadcast ten editions of the World Athletics Championships since 2001 and we've assembled an expert commentary team for Tokyo that can take our audience right inside the action and tell the stories of the athletes with unmatched depth and enthusiasm. Australian athletics fans won't miss a moment of one of the world's great sporting events on SBS.'' The quality of the likely Australian team for Tokyo, taking on the best from 200-plus nations at Japan's iconic 67,000-set National Stadium, will make this event compelling viewing for Australian sports fans. With seven medals (one gold, two silver, four bronze) won in Paris last year, the Australian athletics team is coming off its most successful Olympic Games since Melbourne in 1956, and appears to have found another level this year. The emergence of an exciting generation of sprinters, led by 17-year-old Gout Gout and 21-year-old Lachie Kennedy, who won Australia's first ever 60m medal (silver) at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in March, has added an extra layer of intrigue to what was already a highly successful group. They will join the likes of Olympic silver medallist Jess Hull, recent national 800m record-breaker Peter Bol, and teenaged middle distance tyros Cameron Myers and Claudia Hollingsworth in a national team that exudes class across the range of disciplines. See the full schedule for SBS's broadcast of the World Athletics Championships here. For a pdf of this media release, click here.
SBS Australia
22-04-2025
- Sport
- SBS Australia
McAvaney takes the lead for SBS' coverage of the 2025 World Athletics Championships
World Athletics Championships Legendary Australian sports commentator Bruce McAvaney (L) with 17-year-old sprint sensation Gout Gout (R). Source: Getty Watch every session of the 2025 World Athletics Championships live and free across SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand from September 13-21. McAvaney has been the voice of athletics in Australia for more than three decades, and has made some of the most revered calls of the sport in history, going back to the 1991 World Championships 100m final between Carl Lewis and Ben Johnson in Tokyo, and topped by his iconic call of Cathy Freeman's 400m triumph at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. His ability to put viewers in the stadium is legendary, the result of his unparalleled knowledge of the sport, famous attention to detail and unbridled enthusiasm for the performance of the athletes. Over the years he has brought major athletics competition, from Olympic and Commonwealth Games to world and national championships, vividly to life for generations of Australians. He said he was delighted to be guiding Australian audiences through this year's World Athletics Championships (September 13-21), which is regarded as the third-biggest sports event in the world in global reach behind the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup. 'It's a privilege and an honour to commentate on the World Championships and I'd like to thank SBS for giving me that opportunity, and the Seven Network for giving me a leave pass,'' McAvaney said. You might have heard me say this before, but this is going to be special. Bruce McAvaney 'We'll be bringing the best in the world to an Australian audience, and highlighting our great Australian athletes. "I've never been more excited by the prospects of the Australian athletics team, not even before the Sydney Olympics. "This team has everything – established champions, great young sprinters and incredible middle distance talent. 'And then there's Gout Gout – a generational talent who has become a global phenomenon in the last year. I can't wait to see how he goes, racing against the big boys of world sprinting for the first time. "He's just at the start of a fantastic journey, which seems destined to go all the way to the summit of his sport. I urge all Australians to get on board now and be part of what will be an amazing ride towards the Brisbane Olympics in 2032." SBS Director of Sport Ken Shipp said: 'SBS has broadcast ten editions of the World Athletics Championships since 2001 and we're thrilled to have a commentator of Bruce's stature join us for this year's historic championships in Tokyo." "We have a well-earned reputation for broadcasting outstanding global events, including the FIFA World Cup and the Tour de France, and we're looking forward to adding the McAvaney magic to our comprehensive coverage of this year's World Championships." Every session of the nine-day World Athletics Championships (14 sessions of arena and road events) will be broadcast live and free across SBS VICELAND , and the World Athletics Championships hub via SBS On Demand , which will also feature daily extended highlights, short clips and full replays of each session. The magnificent 67,000-seat Japan National Stadium, which was built for the pandemic-affected Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, will finally come alive with a full house for athletics, as originally planned before Covid-19 intervened. Such is the interest in the event internationally, that several of the evening sessions have already been sold out. The quality of the likely Australian team for Tokyo, taking on the best from 200-plus nations, will make this event compelling viewing for Australian sports fans. With seven medals (one gold, two silver, four bronze) won in Paris last year, the Australian athletics team is coming off its most successful Olympic Games since Melbourne in 1956, and appears to have found another level this year. The emergence of an exciting generation of sprinters, led by 17-year-old Gout and 21-year-old Lachie Kennedy, who won Australia's first ever 60m medal (silver) at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing last month, missing gold by just 0.01sec, has added an extra layer of intrigue to what was already a highly successful group. They will join the likes of Olympic pole vault champion Nina Kennedy, Olympic silver medallist Jess Hull, world indoor high jump champion Nicola Olyslagers, discus maestro Matt Denny, recent national 800m record-breaker Peter Bol and teenaged middle distance tyros Cameron Myers and Claudia Hollingsworth in a national team that exudes class across the range of disciplines. World Athletics Indoor Championships 2025 Watch now Share this with family and friends The SBS Cycling Podcast is a punchy podcast covering the world of professional cycling, coming to you during the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España.
SBS Australia
22-04-2025
- Sport
- SBS Australia
McAvaney takes the lead for SBS' Coverage of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September
The doyen of sports commentators Bruce McAvaney will lead SBS' broadcast of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, which is shaping as an historic event for an exceptional Australian athletics team. McAvaney has been the voice of athletics in Australia for more than three decades, and has made some of the most revered calls of the sport in history, going back to the 1991 World Championships 100m final in Tokyo when Carl Lewis broke the world record, and topped by his iconic call of Cathy Freeman's 400m triumph at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. His ability to put viewers in the stadium is legendary, the result of his unparalleled knowledge of the sport, famous attention to detail and unbridled enthusiasm for the performance of the athletes. Over the years he has brought major athletics competition, from Olympic and Commonwealth Games to world and national championships, vividly to life for generations of Australians. McAvaney said he was delighted to be guiding Australian audiences through this year's World Athletics Championships (September 13-21), which is regarded as the third-biggest sports event in the world in global reach (over one billion) behind the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cupᵀᴹ. 'We'll be bringing the best in the world to an Australian audience, and highlighting our great Australian athletes,'' McAvaney said. 'I've never been more excited by the prospects of the Australian athletics team, not even before the Sydney Olympics. This team has everything – established champions, great young sprinters and incredible middle distance talent. 'And then there's Gout Gout – a generational talent who has become a global phenomenon in the last year. I can't wait to see how he goes, racing against the big names of world sprinting for the first time. He's just at the start of a fantastic journey, which seems destined to go all the way to the summit of his sport. I urge all Australians to get on board now and be part of what will be an amazing ride towards the Brisbane Olympics in 2032.'' 'It's a privilege and an honour to commentate on the World Championships and I'd like to thank SBS for giving me that opportunity, and the Seven Network for their support. You might have heard me say this before, but this is going to be special.'' SBS Director of Sport Ken Shipp said: 'SBS has broadcast ten editions of the World Athletics Championships since 2001 and we're thrilled to have a commentator of Bruce's stature join us for this year's historic championships in Tokyo. We have a well-earned reputation for broadcasting outstanding global events, including the FIFA World Cupᵀᴹ and the Tour de France, and we're looking forward to adding the McAvaney magic to our comprehensive coverage of this year's World Championships.'' Every session of the nine-day World Athletics Championships (14 sessions of arena and road events) will be broadcast live and free across SBS VICELAND, and the World Athletics Championships Hub via SBS On Demand, which will also feature daily extended highlights, short clips and full replays of each session. There will also be extensive coverage across SBS' social media platforms. The magnificent 67,000-seat Japan National Stadium, which was built for the pandemic-affected Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, will finally come alive with a full house for athletics, as originally planned before Covid-19 intervened. Such is the interest in the event internationally, that several of the evening sessions have already sold out. The quality of the likely Australian team for Tokyo, taking on the best from 200-plus nations, will make this event compelling viewing for Australian sports fans. With seven medals (one gold, two silver, four bronze) won in Paris last year, the Australian athletics team is coming off its most successful Olympic Games since Melbourne in 1956, and appears to have found another level this year. The emergence of an exciting generation of sprinters, led by 17-year-old Gout and 21-year-old Lachie Kennedy, who won Australia's first ever 60m medal (silver) at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing last month, missing gold by just 0.01sec, has added an extra layer of intrigue to what was already a highly successful group. They will join the likes of Olympic pole vault champion Nina Kennedy, Olympic silver medallist Jess Hull, world indoor high jump champion Nicola Olyslagers, discus maestro Matt Denny, recent national 800m record-breaker Peter Bol and teenaged middle distance tyros Cameron Myers and Claudia Hollingsworth in a national team that exudes class across the range of disciplines. See the full schedule for SBS' broadcast of the World Athletics Championships here: For a pdf copy of this media release, click here.
