More than 1100 athletes are counting down to the State Capital Classic in Wellington next Sunday.

A fun fishing trip with mates turned into a thrilling man-versus-shark stand-off for a Tauranga yachtsman, who escaped his unexpected encounter with just a tiny scar.

Paralympic swimmer Sophie Pascoe likes to spend her summer holidays swimming, but instead of being surrounded by the walls and tiles of her usual swimming pool, she will be outside, under the sun, surrounded by sand.

As searchers tried desperately to find diver Robbie Farquhar, his two young children were on the beach watching and waiting for their dad to come home.

This will forever be remembered as the year in which a sporting legend was brought down. American Lance Armstrong, cancer survivor and multiple Tour de France winner, was crushed by an inquiry into doping.

New Zealand swimmer Lauren Boyle grabbed a bronze medal to go with her gold on the second day of finals at the world short course championships in Turkey this today.

New Zealand swimmer Lauren Boyle has won gold in the final of the 800m freestyle on the second day of the world short course championships in Turkey.

Conditions were challenging for all of the 1500 swimmers in the Auckland State Harbour Crossing, with winds of up to 30 knots making the water extremely choppy.