Cycling – Australia secures road quotas for Tokyo

Australia has secured 12 road cycling quota spots for Tokyo 2020, with UCI confirming four road race and two individual time trial quotas for both women and men.

With the top five nations in UCI Nation ranking securing the maximum four quota spots, Australia’s ranking of five was enough to see them earn all four spots. The men, ranked ninth, earned four of a maximum five spots in the men’s road race.

In time trial, the global ranking ensured one quota place apiece for men and women, while September’s World Champion victory by Rohan Dennis and 11th from Amanda Spratt earned an additional spot to achieve the maximum two time trial quotas per gender.

Hockey – 2020 squads and pools

The Hockeyroos and Kookaburras announced their extended 2020 playing squads that will see them through the 2020 FIH Pro League and into Tokyo 2020. The 27-strong squads include national team veterans and debutants making the national squad for the first time.

The 27-strong squads will train and perform across 2020, including the 16-strong team that will be selected to represent Australia at Tokyo 2020. Find out more HERE

The teams’ first Tokyo opponents have also been revealed, with FIH announcing the Olympic pools over the weekend. 

World number 1 Kookaburras have been drawn alongside hosts Japan, Spain, Argentina, New Zealand and India, while world number 2 Hockeyroos will face off in pool play against Spain, Argentina, New Zealand, China and Japan.

Swimming – Atherton on fire at ISL

The London leg of the International Swimming League saw several Aussies in action, including more standout performances from teenager Minna Atherton. After breaking the 100m backstroke short course world record in Budapest last month, Atherton won the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke treble, coming within 0.02 of the 200m short course world record in 1.59.25.

Cate Campbell and Emma McKeon made it an Aussie 1-2 in the 100m Freestyle ahead of Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom. Campbell also took out the 50m freestyle, with McKeon claiming the win in the 100 butterfly. Alex Graham won the men’s 200m freestyle, with Travis Mahoney finishing third in the 200m backstroke.

Aussies awarded for stellar years

As 2019 draws to a close, remarkable performances from athletes in Olympic sports are being recognised around Australia.

Snowboard champion Scotty James won the Victorian Institute of Sport Athlete of the Year, while Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympian and current Hockeyroo Amy Lawton won the Rising Star award. 

World champion rowers Lucy Stephan, Sarah Hawe, Katrina Werry and Olympia Aldersey in the women’s four and Joshua Hicks and Sam Hardy in the men’s pair took out the Rowing Australia Crews of the Year awards, while internationally, Kim Brennan claimed the Thomas Keller Medal.

Ariarne Titmus cleaned up at the Swimming Australia awards, with her remarkable season capped off with Olympic Program Swimmer of the year and Shortcourse Swimmer of the Year.

Tennis – Davis Cup campaign halted by Canada

Australia’s Davis Cup campaign was ended by a determined Canadian Team in the quarter-finals in Madrid. After Alex de Minaur scored a fightback win to even the tie at 1-1 after John Millman went down in the first singles, the Canadian doubles pairing of Vasek Pospisil and Denis Shapovalov were too strong, defeating John Peers and Jordan Thompson 6-4 6-4 to take the quarter-final win. Find out more HERE

Golf - Su Oh finishes year as top-ranked Aussie

Su Oh has finished as the top-ranked Australian tied-sixth in the year-ending LPGA Tour championship in Florida.

Oh closed with a three-under par 69, her fourth top 10 finish of a stellar 2019 season.