You don’t know what you’ve acquired til it’s gone.
A photograph on the Australian Grand Prix stopped me in my tracks on the weekend.
At first look, it’s a healthful and beautiful picture — two of Australia’s nice sporting champions Daniel Ricciardo and Ash Barty arm in arm with large grins on their faces.
However I used to be struck by a right away sense of disappointment that Ricciardo and Barty are now not competing on the highest degree, the place they’d such success showcasing their Aussie dedication and aptitude.
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Ricciardo is having fun with being away from the basket case that’s McLaren, and whereas he says he desires to be again on the F1 grid subsequent yr, it can require a minor miracle for him to drive for a high group. His F1 profession is most definitely over.
The 33-year-old is credited with F1’s booming recognition within the US and his million-dollar smile and cheeky character is a golden exilir for followers and entrepreneurs alike.
However the lust for Ricciardo’s enthusiasm is tinged with disappointment as he wastes a yr on the sidelines when there might be lots nonetheless left within the tank.
A part of the explanation why there’s a lot hypothesis about Ricciardo’s future is as a result of followers so desperately need him to succeed to allow them to cheer for him.
Barty retired within the prime of her profession aged 25 and is now anticipating her first baby whereas forging a life away from the lonely grind of the tennis tour.
And hats off to her — not many athletes get to retire on the high of their sport. However whereas it’s her life to guide nevertheless she desires, long-suffering Aussie tennis followers would possibly really feel robbed of 10 extra Barty grand slams victories contemplating solely Sam Stosur’s 2011 US Open win broke up a 39 yr drought between Evonne Goolagong Cawley’s 1980 Wimbledon triumph and Barty’s 2019 French Open success.
When she hung up her racquet, her budding rivalry with Poland’s Iga Swiatek was solely simply getting began and promised lots extra.
And wouldn’t you’ve gotten beloved to see Barty backhand-slice her method to wins over powerhitting gamers like Australian Open finalists Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina?
It’s in all probability no coincidence that Ricciardo and Barty are actually each employed by Optus because the telco’s Chiefs of Inspiration and Optimism, respectively.
And whereas the pair deserve each ambassadorial greenback that comes their manner, a part of me needs they had been nonetheless inspiring and sparking optimism on the racetrack and on the courtroom.
The photograph of the duo on the sidelines of the Grand Prix in Melbourne begs the query — who’s now Australia’s most beloved sporting star that the nation can get behind?
Who can we be pleased with for the way they conduct themselves on and off the sporting battlefield?
Sam Kerr is the plain reply. She is dominating week in, week out for Chelsea and is already Australia’s biggest ever aim scorer.
The ladies’s FIFA World Cup later this yr will probably be large, and the Matildas will probably be hoping to go as deep into the knockout phases as they will on dwelling soil.
The controversial reply might be Nick Kyrgios. His matches at grand slams have grow to be must-watch sporting leisure and love him or hate him, he’s the most important sporting drawcard we now have to supply.
However the brutal reality is regardless of his 220km/h serves and breaking-the-mould model, Kyrgios’ legacy will stay unfulfilled if he doesn’t win a grand slam.
One other contender is golfer Cameron Smith, who captured our hearts when he placed on a placing exhibition along with his flowing mullet to assert his maiden main title at The Open in Scotland final yr.
However his defection to the insurgent Saudi-backed LIV Tour, run by Greg Norman (one other problematic Aussie sporting legend), has considerably tarnished his fame.
How will we really feel if Smith wins the Masters at Augusta subsequent week? Will all be forgiven if he will get to don the well-known inexperienced jacket?
There’s extra to play out within the battle between PGA and LIV however there might quickly come a time when Smith is banned from competing on the 4 majors. What a catastrophe that may be.
There’s nothing like seeing an Aussie sportsperson punch above their weight on the worldwide stage. However the query stays, the place’s our subsequent beloved celebrity coming from?
Patty Mills led the Boomers to a droughtbreaking medal in Tokyo, however he’s within the twilight of his profession and struggling to get minutes for the Brooklyn Nets.
Basketballer Lauren Jackson and eight-time browsing world champion Stephanie Gilmore are all-time Australian greats however they’re reaching the tip of their run.
It’s powerful for athletes in Olympic sports activities, like swimmer Ariarne Titmus and canoe slalom celebrity Jessica Fox, to be within the dialog as a result of they don’t compete on a weekly foundation.
Aussies Jack Robinson and Molly Picklum might be the following large issues in world browsing.
Oscar Piastri has been pegged as a future F1 world champion, however judging by the McLaren tractor he’s driving in his debut season, that might be a very long time coming.
Josh Giddey is notching up triple-doubles for enjoyable and has the world at his toes within the NBA enjoying for the enhancing Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, however his American twang is getting stronger by the day.
So if Pat Cummins might please tear by means of England’s batting line-up within the Ashes this winter, that may do us a world of fine.
And Ash and Daniel, we nonetheless love you.
