Philip Torney

[IRA.Hayes @IndianIraHayes]

@braddavo Brad,U used to provide interesting, constructive content. Now u have become another that pushes their own business/agenda and u appear to care more about yourself and less about the sport that has provided made you. You have become, what you once despised.Thought you were better.

[Philip Torney @philtorney]

@IndianIraHayes @braddavo 👏👏👏

[Tom Morris @tommorris32]

Unbelievable stuff

[Philip Torney @philtorney]

@braddavo Hopefully they only followed that tip and not the other 8 who lost… false advertising at its finest sprouking the tipping business with no integrity

[Philip Torney @philtorney]

@braddavo Calm down Davo 2/10 at Rosehill so many members and sky racing viewers gave it all back and some

[Charlotte Clymer 🇺🇦 @cmclymer]

It annoys me that so many people are under the impression that this guy, Steven Bradbury, is some subpar goober who lucked his way into gold.

That could not be further from the truth.

This is one of the most satisfying victories in the history of the Olympics if you know the full backstory.

This medal final was during his fourth Olympics, in Salt Lake City in 2002.

Earlier in his career, he was among the best athletes in the world in this specific event, the 1000 meter short-track men's speed skate.

But despite his talent, he just had some of the shittiest luck in the sport. We're talking a decade of shit luck.

In the '94 Winter Olympics, he was considered the odds-on favorite to take gold, but he fell in his heat after getting illegally pushed by an opponent (who was later disqualified). He didn't get a re-do. That was it. He got shoved by some asshole, and his Olympics was over.

Then in the '98 Winter Olympics, he was a favorite to at least medal in the same event but got caught up in a collision that wasn't his fault and failed to advance.

In 1994, he got his thigh sliced open by a competitor's skate during a race, which required 111 stitches and 18 months of recovery time.

In 2000, he broke his neck during training because a skater in front of him fell and tripped him up. That required a bunch of screws and plates being inserted into his skull and back and chest.

And doctors told him that he should stop skating. But he didn't wanna give up. It meant too much to him.

So, there he was in Salt Lake City in 2002, past his prime, a walking erector set, going up against opponents who were faster and younger and in their prime.

He manages to win his heat and advance to the quarterfinal but then has the shit luck (yet again) of having to go up against the best two athletes in the quarterfinal and only the top two advance.

He finishes third and thinks: "Damn, I gave it my best shot." But then, the second place finisher is disqualified, so Bradbury gets to advance to the semifinal.

Now, at this point, he's thinking: Well, shit, I'm not as fast as these younger guys, and I got a bad habit of getting taken out by crashes that aren't my fault.

So, he consults with the Australian national coach, Ann Zhang, and they decide that he should hang back from the pack and hope the pack crashes.

That is a perfectly valid strategy. If you crash, you lose, but speed skaters risk crashing to gain an advantage in order to win.

It may not feel exciting, but it is a valid strategy and just as risky: avoid crashes entirely and hope that pays off.

It paid off in the semifinal: the pack, including the defending Olympic champion, jostled too much and crashed. Bradbury wins and advances.

So, he's improbably in the final and takes the same approach, and it works: the entire pack jostles too much and crashes, and Bradbury's risk of hanging back pays off.

This victory was not some un-athletic schlub lucking his way into gold.

It was a journeyman athlete who never gave up and played smart after a career of shitty luck and finally got his due after it being snatched away from him so many times.

Hands down, one of my favorite Olympics stories.

[Fan Account Richard Kettlebourogh @RichKettle07]

🚨 PAKISTAN'S USMAN TARIQ IN BIG TROUBLE 🚨

- Cricket Australia is set to file an official complaint with the ICC about Usman Tariq's illegal bowling action 😯

- Today, Cameron Green seemed unhappy with Usman Tariq's action 🧐

- What's your take 🤔
https://t.co/B9bMk0tWHc

[OldMonkofCricket @OldMonkOfCric]

😭😭😭😭

[Cricketopia @CricketopiaCom]

The Funniest Cricketing Video of All Time? 🤣🤣

[Mr. Athar🏏 @cricdrugs]

In my 30 years of following cricket.

Haven't seen anything like this🫡🫡

[Philip Torney @philtorney]

@braddavo So we have gone from it’s the pitches fault to the batsman and then the selectors in the space of the last session….no excuses we were outplayed by a bowling attack who had set themselves for this test and carried it out

[Philip Torney @philtorney]

@braddavo I thought you said it was the pitch now it’s the batsman which one is it? next you will start banging on about bringing Bancroft back

[Philip Torney @philtorney]

@braddavo You are kidding yourself.. nothing wrong with the wicket not sure what test you are watching but the wicket got better through the day as test pitches tend to do. The poms bowled brilliantly and a lot quicker that’s the difference not the pitch

[Michael Vaughan @MichaelVaughan]

Love this ..

[Philip Torney @philtorney]

@braddavo Well done at Flem 👋although for transparency was 2/10 at Randwick with the two winners $1.70 and $2.20 better to give an overall picture

[Philip Torney @philtorney]

@braddavo Immm usually when it’s the jockeys fault Brad wasn’t on the winner

[Philip Torney @philtorney]

@braddavo And 0/6 Randwick to balance the ledger

[Philip Torney @philtorney]

@braddavo Was this a recommended bet and part of the members results ? or purely 1 of 20 plus tips so used only for gloating purposes

[Philip Torney @philtorney]

@bet365_aus Race 3 no 9 quickas #roughie365

[Philip Torney @philtorney]

@bet365_aus Race 3 no 9 Quickaz #365roughie