{"id":400678,"date":"2024-06-07T02:08:15","date_gmt":"2024-06-07T02:08:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=400678"},"modified":"2024-06-07T03:04:28","modified_gmt":"2024-06-07T03:04:28","slug":"dude-can-not-swim-karls-bet-with-league-legends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=400678","title":{"rendered":"'Dude can not swim': Karl's bet with league legends"},"content":{"rendered":"

Karl Stefanovic<\/a> has thrown down the challenge to a couple of rugby league<\/a> legends\ufeff ahead of next week's celebrity race in Brisbane.<\/p>\n

Stefanovic headlines a stack of media personalities and sporting greats who will take to the pool during the Australian trials for Paris 2024<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Today Show<\/em> host will skipper a team featuring Olympic gold medallists Kerri Pottharst and Susie O'Neill when the race takes place on Wednesday night, in the middle of the official trials.<\/p>\n

\ufeff<\/em>Watch Australia's Paris 2024 swimming trials on Nine and<\/strong><\/em> 9Now<\/strong><\/em><\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

"\ufeffI'm widely known in athletic circles as one of the great swimmers," he joked when speaking to Wide World of Sports<\/em> ahead of the race.<\/p>\n

"To get the chance before the Olympics to really show what I can do is a great opportunity.<\/p>\n

\"Karl<\/p>\n

"\ufeffI'm probably pound for pound the worst swimmer in the known universe," he corrected.<\/p>\n

"I don't know that I can make 50 metres. I can swim on my back with a pina colada, but 50 metres face down? I'm not sure I'm going to make it."<\/p>\n

Team Karlos will face stiff competition for the podium as a stack of Olympic medallists and Aussie sporting heroes \ufeffline up on the blocks.<\/p>\n

The likes of Melbourne Cup winning jockey Michelle Payne and Wallabies great Drew Mitchell will be in action.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> USA scores 'greatest upset in World Cup history'<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> The alarming stat that haunted Blues in narrow loss<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> Gauff in tears at 'awful' call during semi-final loss<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

But it is two of Queensland's State of Origin legends who Stefanovic has his eyes on – Sam Thaiday and Johnathan Thurston.\ufeff<\/p>\n

"We will definitely be at the podium," he said.<\/p>\n

"Because look at some of the other teams – I mean Johnathan Thurston, Sam Thaiday… I'm pretty sure they're not going to be able to make 10 metres let alone 50.<\/p>\n

"So the lifesavers are at the ready."<\/p>\n

Stefanovic confirmed Thurston is the man he's most keen on beating.\ufeff<\/p>\n

\ufeff"I just want to see JT come out of the pool all right," he said.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

"I'm a bit worried the big fella is going to drown. He's one of the great rugby league players of all time, but the dude can not swim.<\/p>\n

"I'll be keeping an eye out for him just in case he starts sinking."\ufeff<\/p>\n

Thaiday has promised to wear a pair of Budgie Smugglers during the swim but Stefanovic is opting for a full length speed suit that makes him "look like a massive seal".<\/p>\n

Payne – who is the only female jockey to ride a Melbourne Cup winner to date – is planning on raining on Karl's parade.\ufeff<\/p>\n

"I'll be adding another gold to sit with my Melbourne Cup trophy when I touch the wall first," she said.<\/p>\n

"I'm even bringing my secret weapon and biggest supporter, my brother, Stevie Payne to cheer me home."<\/p>\n

In commentary for Nine's Wide World of Sports will be Ian Thorpe, Giaan Rooney and Ellie Cole, alongside host James Bracey, race caller Mat Thompson and Roz Kelly poolside.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Karl Stefanovic has thrown down the challenge to a couple of rugby league legends\ufeff ahead of next week's celebrity race in Brisbane. Stefanovic headlines a […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":400680,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/400678"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=400678"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/400678\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":400683,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/400678\/revisions\/400683"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/400680"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=400678"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=400678"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=400678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}