It was another successful weekend in Australian sport, with Tokyo 2020 places secured, Aussie-first world championships won and world cup podium apperances aplenty.
ROWING
Australia’s Women’s Four were crowned World Champions in Linz-Ottensheim, Austria, wrapping up an incredible 2019 World Championships.
The team of Lucy Stephan, Sarah Hawe, Katrina Werry and Olympia Aldersey went undefeated throughout the regatta, with their win also securing a boat berth for Tokyo 2020.
Three silver medals were also claimed by the Aussies in the Women’s Pair, Women’s Eight and Men’s Eight, which also qualified their boats a Tokyo berth, along with the Men’s Pair who won bronze.
The Men’s Quadruple Scull who finished in fourth and the Men’s Four who finished sixth also earned their boats an Olympic qualifier.
Australian Boats qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Men’s Eight | Women’s Eight |
Men’s Four | Women’s Four |
Men’s Pair | Women’s Pair |
Men’s Quadruple Scull | Women’s Double Scull |
Medals won by Australia at the 2019 World Rowing Championships
Gold | Silver | Bronze |
Women’s Four | Women’s Pair | Lightweight Men’s Single Scull |
| Women’s Eight | Men’s Pair |
MOUNTAIN BIKE
Aussie mountain biker Bec McConnell won Australia’s first ever UCI MTB World Championship elite women’s cross-country medal in Mont Sainte-Anne, Canada on Saturday. The multiple national champion produced a storming display to claim the bronze medal, one minute behind Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (FRA) and Jolanda Neff (SWI).
McConnell lead for three of the six laps before the 2015 World Champion in Ferrand-Prévot made her move with two to go and stormed way to claim her second rainbow jersey.
It has been a momumental return to form for the Primaflora Mondraker rider, after sitting out the majority of the 2018 season.
CANOE
Dual Olympian and defending world champion Jessica Fox added another two medals to her World Cup cabinet, clinching K1 silver and C1 bronze at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup in Markkleeberg, Germany, while fellow Aussie, Lucien Delfour also recorded his best result all season, claiming silver in the men’s K1.
Paddle Australia teammates also posted some solid results which can be found HERE
SAILING
The medals kept coming for Australia’s sailors as they tested the waters at Tokyo. Mat Belcher and Will Ryan claimed another 470 class gold in the World Cup Series at Enoshima, taking their impressive tally to three wins in four weeks.
The Women’s 470 crew of Nia Jerwood and Monique de Vries kept the Aussies on the podium, claiming silver along with Matt Wearn who also won silver in the Laser class.
ATHLETICS
Jessica Hull ran a massive 34 second PB in the 5000m at the 2019 ISTAF in Berlin, taking her to 3rd fastest Australian of all time.
Hull’s time of 15:00.32 is a Doha World Championships and Tokyo 2020 qualifying time, and the fastest by an Australian in 13 years.
SURFING
Owen Wright claimed his first World Surf League title of the year at the Tahiti Pro Teahupo'o.
Wright scored an incredible perfect 10 in the quarterfinal, before dropping a 9.17 and 7.90 in the dying stages of the final to beat reigning World Champion Gabriel Medina who scored 7.83 and 7.10.
SHOOTING
Australia’s rifle shooters earned their first Olympic quota spot with Dane Sampson placing fourth in the 10m Air Rifle event at the ISSF Shooting World Cup, while Jack Rossiter finished 22nd.
Sergei Evglevski and Dina Aspandiyarova are also currently participating in the Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol and Women’s 10m Air Pistol, respectively.
Full results can be found HERE
BASKETBALL
After their historic first-ever win over the USA last week, the Boomers have maintained their impressive form, defeating Canada 108-92 in their first match of the FIBA Basketball World Cup in China.
Matthew Dellavedova who took matters into his own hands when the Boomers were initially down 12 points in the first half.
The dual-Olympian contributed 24 points to Australia’s bounce back into the game, with Patty Mills scoring 15, Joe Ingles 13, Andrew Bogut 12 and newcomer Jock Landale 8.
The Boomers will take on Senegal next, on Tuesday 3 September at 5:30 pm (AEST).
GOLF
Young gun and rising star Hannah Green added her second LPGA title to her resume after taking out the Cambia Portland Classic.
The 22-year-old from Perth first made waves in June of this year, when she took out the KPMG Women’s PGA.
This time around, she came from three shots back, with four holes to play and clinched the title with a final round of 67.
TENNIS
Australia’s tennis stars have all bowed out of the US Open, with final man and woman standing, Alex De Minaur and Ash Barty going down in Round Four of the singles competition on Sunday.
Current world No.2, Barty is still pushing for US Open victory, with her sights set on retaining her US Open doubles title. It wasn’t all doom and gloom for 20-year-old De Minaur either, who exited the competition with the best result of his career, after defeating world No.7, Kei Nishikori and reaching his first fourth-round appearance at a major tournament.
TRIATHLON
The ITU World Triathlon Grand Final took place in Lausanne, Switzerland with Aaron Royle, Ryan Fisher and Ryan Bailie all finishing in the top 20.
Royle, Fisher and Bailie finished in 16th, 17th and 18th respectively while Jake Birtwhistle finished 26th.
For the women, Ashleigh Gentle, Jaz Hedgeland, Natalie Van Coevorden and Charlotte McShane finished in 22nd, 25th, 40th and 42nd respectively.
Meanwhile, back on home soil, Olympic gold medallist Emma Snowsill was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, being called one of the “fiercest competitors of triathlon, a pocket-rocket who possessed a disarming smile under which hid a fierce determination.”
JUDO
Australia’s Judo athletes wrapped up their Judo World Championships in Tokyo with Joshua Katz (-60 kg) making it as far as the Round of 16.
Brother, Nathan Katz (-66 kg) and Aussie teammates Calvin Knoester (-73 kg), Eoin Coughlan (-81 kg), Harrison Cassar (-90 kg), Liam Park (+100 kg), Tinka Easton (-52 kg), Maeve Coughlan (-63 kg), Katharina Haecker and Aoife Coughlan (-70 kg) did not proceed past the pool rounds.
