Off the back of two convincing wins over their Olympic opponents France and Great Britain, the Opals have arrived in London and are ready to win gold.
BASKETBALL: Off the back of two convincing wins over France and Great Britain, the Opals have arrived in London confident in their hunt for gold.
With the French and British teams both in Australia’s Olympic pool, the hit-outs were a perfect gauge of what to expect at the Games.
“We had a great couple of games and I was really pleased with how the girls played,” head coach Carrie Graf said of the tournament in Sheffield.
“Tom Maher has done a great job with GB and they are going to give us a good run on the first night.
“Liz [Cambage] played some really great basketball and is going to be a tough competitor during the Games. I’m really happy with the progress she has made.”
Cambage, the tallest female athlete on the Australian Team at 203cm, was the highest point scorer in the pre-Games matches and will be a key playmaker when the Olympic competition kicks off.
“It was really good for us to play those matches and see how we’re going against the other teams,” Cambage said. “I felt really good out there and I just can’t wait now for the Olympics to start so I can get on the court and play.”
Cambage is one of six Olympic debutants on the side and arriving into the Olympic Village has been an exciting and emotional experience for the 20-year-old Victorian.
“I think I’m going to get the Village this afternoon and just cry - I’m that excited!” Cambage said. “I’ve had a quick look at the rooms and the dining hall and it is all really cool.”
The team will spend the next few days in the Village getting accustomed to their new surroundings, before heading down to Lille to play an invitational with France as well as China and Brazil on the weekend.
“It’s going to be great to have one last look at the team and size up the competition,” Graf said.
Australia’s first match in the Olympic tournament will be against home-side Great Britain who make their first Olympic appearance. The GB team have gone from strength to strength since bringing on Australian coach Tom Maher and will give the Opals a good run-around to kick start the Games.
“They [Great Britain] have come a long way,” Graf said. “Tom has done a great job with them and they are really going to give us some work to do.”
The Opals start competition on the first day of the Games, Saturday 28 July.
Alice Wheeler in London
Olympics.com.au
