The World Athletics Championships will begin in Tokyo on September 13, and our local Olympic silver medallist Jess Hull warmed up with a stunning 1500m performance in the final of the Diamond League meet in Zurich this week. Read the full story below. Also from our region, joining Jess in Tokyo will be 400m hurdler Sarah Carli and 18-year-old Delta Amidzovski who is making her senior debut in the long jump.
 

Staying with the sport theme, the Illawarra Hawks Basketball team this week unveiled its star signing for the impending NBL season, 213-centimetre (7-foot) three-time NBA champion JaVale McGee. McGee flew into Australia on Monday after recovering from a bout of pneumonia that prevented him from participating in the recent NBL pre-season tournament. He spoke with ABC Illawarra Breakfast presenter Melinda James (pictured above) about his 16-year career in the NBA where he won three titles, two with the Golden State Warriors and one with the Los Angeles Lakers.
 

Have a great week, and remember, if you have a story idea drop an email to 973@your.abc.net.au.
 

Rory Macdonald,
 

ABC Illawarra editor.

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Jess Hull has a tough finale to her bid to win a Diamond League title, miscalculating her 1,500m final charge to get pipped on the line.

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A colony of seals on the New South Wales Far South Coast has been fitted with tracking devices as researchers work to find out more about them and the environment.

Wesley Mission is calling for urgent action as new figures show the state's poker-machine players are losing more than $1 million an hour.