The Kookaburras continued their winning ways against the world’s no.5 ranked team, national athletics champions were crowned in Adelaide and more from the weekend action in Olympic sport.
Athletics – Aussie Athletics Championships delivers big-time performances and Paris 2024 Team selections
The Australian Athletics Championships came to an impressive climax in Adelaide, with 14 track, field and racewalking athletes selected to the Paris 2024 Australian Olympic Team on Sunday night.
Dual Olympian Matt Denny, one of the 14 selected, took out the Betty Cuthbert Medal for the most outstanding single performance at the championships.
The Queenslander launched his way into the history books on Saturday with a new Australian record of 69.35m in the men’s discus, laying down an emphatic statement ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
“At the moment, our household is Olympics-filled and we’ve been watching a lot of documentaries about the Olympics. There was one a few weeks ago about Betty Cuthbert and her gold medals. To see just what that meant back then and even now, and that her legacy lives on, I’m particularly proud to receive this award,” Matt said.
Producing the effort in the fifth round amid a world-class sequence, Matt added more than one-metre to his previous record, highlighting that his maiden global medal is firmly in reach in Paris.
Eleanor Patterson (women’s high jump), Peter Bol (men’s 800m) and Rhydian Cowley (men’s 20km race walk) were also selected to their third Olympic Team. Nicola Olyslagers (women’s high jump), Jessica Hull (women’s 1500m) and Michelle Jenneke (women’s 100m hurdles) all won their events at the Australian Championships and were picked to make their second Olympic Games appearance in Paris.
Four athletes are set to make their Olympic debut - teenager Claudia Hollingsworth (women’s 800m), Abbey Caldwell (women’s 800m), Chris Mitrevski (men’s long jump) and Lauren Ryan (women’s 10,000m) - after strong showings at national championships.
Read more about the Australian Championships here.
Hockey – Kookaburras complete clean sweep of India
Hockey fans in Perth were treated to a Kookaburras clean sweep of India, winning all five matches against the world’s no.5 ranked team.
Striker Ky Willmot, who scored Australia’s second goal in their final 3-2 win on Saturday night, was thrilled the team was able to pull off another come-from-behind performance.
"We're never out of it until the last quarter," Ky said post-match.
"I think we're the fittest team in the world and I can say that confidently. We run over teams in the end, so it's very pleasing. Even when we go one-nil down, we stick together."
It comes after the Kookaburras recorded their 12th win from 13 matches this year.
Kookaburras v India | 5-0 Test Series win:
Game 1: 5-1
Game 2: 4-2
Game 3: 2-1
Game 4: 3-1
Game 5: 3-2
Their Olympic campaign continues in Europe next month where they take on Belgium, Great Britain, Argentina and Germany in the next round of the FIH Pro League.
The Perth International Festival of Hockey continues on Saturday 20 April when the Hockeyroos begin a Test Series with China and Japan.
Check out the Perth International Festival of Hockey here.
Cycling - Mountain Bike – Henderson lands podium finish to begin World Series
Bec Henderson has opened her UCI World Cup season with a silver podium finish at the Mountain Bike World Series in Mairipora, Brazil.
She claimed second place in the short track cross-country, seven seconds behind Great Britain’s Evie Richards, marking the 24th time the three-time Olympian has stood on a World Cup podium.
Golf – Smith and Davis top 12 at the Masters
Cam Smith and Cam Davis have positioned themselves among the world’s best golfers at this year’s Masters Tournament, finishing tied for 6th and 12th respectively at Augusta.
For Cam Smith, competiing at his eighth Masters, he finished at two-under on the scorecard, nine strokes back of the winner Scottie Scheffler (USA). The Aussie placed in the top-10 for the fifth time at the Masters.
It was a fourth-round struggle for Cam Davis, closing the last 18 holes 3-over-75 and 1-over on the leaderboard.
Min Woo Lee (T-22), Adam Scott (T-22) and Jason Day (T-30) also made the cut at Augusta.
Cam Smith and Cam Davis with their results have secured an invitation to the 2025 edition of the Masters.
Triathlon – Aussie double at Oceania Triathlon Championships
Australia's top-ranked traithlete is off to a winning start in 2024, with Matt Hauser taking out the Oceania Triathlon Championships in Taupo, New Zealand.
23-year-old Aussie Ellie Hoitink won the women's elite event.
It sets up an exciting World Triathlon Cup in Woollongong on Saturday 20 April, where Matt and Ellie are two of the 15 Aussies competing.
Tennis – Billie Jean King Cup finals appearance booked with defeat of Mexico in Brisbane
Daria Saville, Arina Rodionova, Taylah Preston and Ellen Perez haved led Australia to their first Billie Jean King (BJK) Cup tie sweep since 2017, taking down Mexico at Brisbane’s Pat Rafter Arena.
In winning the qualifier event, it ensures Australia a spot in the 12-nation BJK Cup Finals for a fourth consecutive year, with the 2024 finals to be played in Seville, Spain in November.
The team rallied after the withdrawal of Australia’s highest ranked women’s doubles player, Storm Hunter, who watched on from the stands after sustaining a ruptured achilles tendon last week.
"It was emotional seeing Storm get injured. For me, I was even more motivated, we all wanted to make Storm proud,” Daria said.
Perth teen Taylah Preston donned green and gold for the first time, defeating Marcela Zacarias (MEX) 6-1 6-1.
“It was very special to be able to win the tie for Australia and to qualify for the finals,” the world no.136 said.
“To wear green and gold is extremely special for me and hopefully I get to wear it many more times and play for Australia a lot more.”
At 18 years old Taylah is the first Australian teenager to win a debut singles match in the Billie Jean King Cup competition since 16-year-old Ash Barty in April 2013.
Arina needed three sets to beat Giuliana Olmos (MEX) 3-6 6-3 6-1 and Daria was swift in defeating Marcela Zacarias (MEX) 6-1 6-0.
Daria and Ellen teamed up to win the final doubles rubber, notching a 6-3 6-1 win over Jessica Hinojosa Gomez (MEX) and Maria Fernando Navarro (MEX).
Rowing - First World Cup of the season sees Aussies in the finals
Competing in the 2024 World Rowing Cup 1 in Varese, Italy over the weekend, young Aussies rowed on the international stage.
The best placed Australia team was the women’s lightweight double scull, placing fourth in the Final. Another close call in the men’s quadruple scull placed fifth, half a second behind the Swisse quad.
In the men’s double scull, the first Australian team placed sixth in the A Final with the second team placing fourth in the B Final.
The men’s and women’s four both raced in the B Final with the two women’s teams securing the first two places and the men’s four coming in second just behind Denmark.
Swimming - Stars descend on Gold Coast for Australian Open Championships
From Wednesday to Saturday more than 800 athletes will converge on Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, with Australia’s elite looking to build on their campaign for Olympic Team nomination.
The meet is part of the Dolphins runway into the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games but will also feature aspiring LA 2028 Olympians and Paralympians.
Opening session of the championships start 10am Wednesday and in the water will be world record holder Kaylee McKeown, Olympic gold medallist Zac Stubblety-Cook, world champions Sam Williamson, Isaac Cooper, Sam Short and Paris hopeful Cody Simpson.
Then just before midday, a cracking women’s 100m field includes some of the best female sprinters in the world with Emma McKeon, Mollie O’Callaghan, Cate and Bronte Campbell, Meg Harris, Ariarne Titmus and Shayna Jack on the blocks.
Event Coverage:
Watch live and free on Channel Nine and 9Now. Tickets available here.
Shooting - Rifle & Pistol Olympic Qualification Tournament
There are five rifle and 10 pistol athletes currently in Rio de Janeiro for the last Olympic qualifying event, which runs through Saturday 20 April.
Quotas are on offer for each Olympic shooting discipline with countries eligible to qualify a maximum of two athletes in individual events and two teams in the mixed team events. One quota spot is on offer for each rifle and pistol event on the programme, with the top ranked eligible finisher earning a quota for their country.
Event Coverage:
Keep up with Shooting Australia for results and updates.
Surfing – Championship Tour heats up at Margaret River Pro
The WSL World Championship Tour is on now in Western Australia for the Margaret River Pro.
Opening round heats are ongoing as of Monday afternoon with elimination rounds being determined. Australia is well represented with Molly Picklum, Tyler Wright, Sally Fitzgibbons, Isabella Nichols, Sophie McCulloch and India Robinson having all progressed to the final 16, while the men’s final 32 are still to be determined. The competition will continue through to Sunday 21 April.
Event Coverage:
Follow the Tour results and keep up with Surfing Australia.
