WEEKEND WRAP: Boxers punch Tokyo tickets, a Peel Crystal Globe and historic milestones in Olympic sport

Submitted by admin on Mon, 03/09/2020 - 12:48
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Boxers fight their way to Tokyo, Matildas high five has them halfway to the Games, a full winter podium as Aussie women take on World Cups and historic milestones in Hockey and Rugby 7s headline this weekend in Olympic sport.

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Boxing: Aokuso, Parker and Huni book tickets to Tokyo

Paolo Aokuso, Caitlin Parker and Justis Huni fought their way to Tokyo 2020 quotas at the Asia/Oceania Boxing Qualifying Tournament in Amman, Jordan overnight.

Paolo Aokuso unanimously defeated Vietnam’s Manh Nguyen to lock in a tournament semi-final birth and a Tokyo 2020 quota, after knocking off 2019 World Championship silver medallist Dilshod Ruzmetov of Uzbekistan in the previous round.

2014 Youth Olympian Caitlin Parker also won in emphatic fashion, provisionally qualifying for her Olympic debut in Tokyo after beating Suyeon Seong of South Korea in a unanimous decision.

Heavyweight Justis Huni also defeated New Zealand’s Leuila Mau’u in a unanimous decision to book his spot.

 


The boxers’ provisional qualification to Tokyo 2020 is pending nomination by Boxing Australia and selection by the Australian Olympic Committee in line with the selection criteria, expected later this year.

Harry Garside, Skye Nicolson, Anja Stridsman and Alex Winwood can all win their way to Tokyo in their bouts tonight (AEDT). Find out more HERE.
 

Football: Matildas 5-0 win has Tokyo in sight

The Matildas are just one game away from booking their place at Tokyo after dominating Vietnam 5-0 in Newcastle in the first of their two-leg Olympic playoff.

A double to captain Sam Kerr and goals to Chloe Logarzo, Emily van Egmond and Clare Polkinghorne secured the win.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

This team.

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The team will take on Vietnam in Quang Ninh on Wednesday, with the aggregate winner across the two legs securing their Tokyo 2020 quota.

Find out more HERE.
 

Winter Sport: Full podium as Peel, Anthony and Brockhoff medal

Laura Peel capped off an incredible aerials season, winning gold in the season’s final event in Krasnoyarsk, Russia to also seal the Crystal Globe as overall World Cup champion for the year.

The 30-year-old dual Olympian becomes the first Australian to claim the aerials Crystal Globe since Lydia Lassila in 2009.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Mogul skier Jakara Anthony claimed silver in Krasnoyarsk behind Perine Laffont of France, her fourth medal of the season moving her into second place in the season rankings with two events to go.

Snowboard cross athlete Belle Brockhoff finished bronze in Sierra Nevada, Spain.

It was redemption for the 27-year-old to win bronze the first time back to the course since she ruptured her ACL at the same event three years earlier.

Brockhoff sits second on the overall season rankings with just one event to go.

Find out more HERE.

Rugby 7s: Aussie men win silver in Canada

The men’s Rugby 7’s team won silver in the Vancouver 7s, going down in a nailbiting final 17-14 to New Zealand.

The final was the Aussies’ only defeat of a superb tournament, which included a semi-final victory over hosts Canada and impressive wins against England, USA, Samoa and Scotland.

The Vancouver silver is their second tournament medal of the season and sees the team jump into fourth on the season standings behind New Zealand, South Africa and Fiji.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

THAT DUMMY THOUGH 😍 👌 Tag a mate below who dummies like @lewiholland ⬇️ #Aussie7s #TeamRugby #Canada7s

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The tournament also saw vice-captain Lewis Holland become the most capped Australian player, his 52nd tournament appearance seeing him overtake former captain Ed Jenkins.

Find out more HERE

Hockey: Ockenden becomes most capped Kooka in win over Argentina

Eddie Ockenden surpassed the great Jamie Dwyer to become the most capped player in Kookaburras history, celebrating his 366th game with a 5-1 victory over Rio Olympic champions Argentina in their FIH Pro League matchup in Perth.

“Having the whole squad and my family here was special, including my partner Louie, but also seeing a video before the game with lots of ex-teammates and old Kookas who made it here has made it more special,” Ockenden said.


The win was well-earned after going down to Argentina 3-1 in a penalty shootout after being locked at 3-3 at full time in Friday’s first match of their doubleheader.

The Hockeyroos went down 2-0 to world number three Argentina in both matches of their doubleheader, leaving the Australians fourth on the table.

Find out more HERE

Shooting: Selection trials with Olympic nomination on the line

Australian shooters vying for Tokyo selection battled it out at the third round of selection trials with two events held over two days in Brisbane.

In the 10m Air Pistol, Bailey Groves made up ground on leader Dan Repacholi, with Groves winning Sunday’s trial event by just 0.1, after Repacholi took out Saturday’s event.

Elena Galiabovitch cemented her lead in the women’s 25m Air Pistol, claiming wins in both Saturday and Sunday’s events, making it her third successive victory across the nomination trials.

Triple Olympian Dina Aspandiyarova also improved her lead with a win in the 10m Air Pistol,  while Sergei Evglevski won the men’s 25m pistol event.

The final nomination event takes place in Sydney later this month.

Find out more HERE

Tennis: Aussies Davis Cup finals-bound after victory over Brazil

John Millman staged a remarkable comeback to beat Thiago Monteiro 6-7 (6) 7-6 (3) 7-6 (3) to seal a 3-1 Davis Cup victory over Brazil in Adelaide.

The win capped off the victory after Millman and teammate Jordan Thompson scored singles victories on day one, with James Duckworth and John Peers going down 5-7 7-5 6-7 (6) to Marcelo Demoliner and Felipe Meligeni in the doubles tie.

Australia has now secured a spot in the Davis Cup Finals in Madrid in November.


Find out more HERE

Skateboard: Wilson and Fynn take out Street National titles

Hayley Wilson and Tommy Fynn have won the 2020 National Street crowns, earning valuable Tokyo 2020 ranking points in the process. 18-year-old Wilson took the crown ahead of Chloe Covell and Hayley Powell, Tommy Fynn won the national title ahead of Rome Collyer and Dave Saunders.

 

Surfing: Wilson wins in Newy while Fitzgibbons on fire at Manly

Julian Wilson won an incredibly close Surfest Newcastle Pro over compatriot Ryan Callinan, with Wilson winning on countback after the pair were locked on 14.27 in their final.

Wilson took the win with the highest scoring individual wave of the final, his 8.50 enough to take the crown.

With Callinan born and raised in Newcastle and Wilson relocating there with his family two years ago, the all-local final was warmly welcomed by the big crowds at Merewether Beach.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The Sydney Surf Pro kicked off in Manly with Sally Fitzgibbons, Tyler Wright and reigning World champion Carissa Moore of the USA all progressing smoothly through to the third round.

Competition continues this week, with the men’s competition starting today.

Find out more HERE

Boxers Aokuso, Parker and Huni win Tokyo 2020 quotas

Submitted by admin on Mon, 03/09/2020 - 11:01
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Boxers Aokuso, Parker and Huni win Tokyo 2020 quotas
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Paolo Aokuso, Caitlin Parker and Justis Huni fought their way to Tokyo 2020 quotas at the Asia/Oceania Boxing Qualifying Tournament in Amman, Jordan overnight.

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Paolo Aokuso unanimously defeated Vietnam’s Manh Nguyen to lock in a tournament semi-final birth and a Tokyo 2020 quota, after knocking off 2019 World Championship silver medallist Dilshod Ruzmetov of Uzbekistan in the previous round. 

Caitlin Parker also won in emphatic fashion, beating Suyeon Seong of South Korea in a unanimous decision, while Justis Huni defeated New Zealand’s Leuila Mau’u to book his spot.



The boxers’ provisional qualification to Tokyo 2020 is pending nomination by Boxing Australia and selection by the Australian Olympic Committee in line with the selection criteria, expected later this year.


Harry Garside, Skye Nicolson, Anja Stridsman and Alex Winwood can all win their way to Tokyo in their bouts tonight (AEDT).

Matildas defeat Vietnam 5-0 in home leg of Tokyo 2020 qualifiers

Submitted by admin on Mon, 03/09/2020 - 10:32
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Australia will take a five-goal advantage to Quảng Ninh Province for Wednesday's second leg after defeating Vietnam 5-0 in Newcastle on Friday.

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First-half goals from Sam Kerr, Chloe Logarzo and Emily van Egmond helped the Matildas establish a commanding three-goal lead. 

It was a happy homecoming for Novocastrian van Egmond, who returned to her home town to score the third goal before Clare Polkinghorne scored a fourth and Kerr a fifth from the penalty spot to secure a confident home leg victory.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

@samanthakerr20 absolutely SMASHES home this penalty 👊#WeAreMatildas 🎥: @foxfootballaus

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In what was the team's first match in Newcastle since November 13, 2018, Ante Milicic's side proved too strong for the nation ranked no. 32 in the world and are now 90 minutes away from booking a ticket to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

The squad flew out to Vietnam on Saturday to prepare for the second leg at Cẩm Phả Stadium in the Quảng Ninh Province, knowing that a similar performance on Wednesday, 11 March 2020 will secure the Matildas’ fourth-ever appearance in the Olympic Games women's football tournament, but Polkinghorne – a veteran of four previous Olympic Qualifying campaigns – says she is certainly is not looking beyond the second play-off leg just yet.

“We’ll get there first, then we’ll take the next few months as they come,” Polkinghorne told reporters prior to departing for Vietnam.

She added: “It’s always nice to get a victory and a clean sheet. I think half the job is done, we’ve got to ensure we recover and prepare well for the next game.

“The way that Vietnam play sometimes it can be hard to break down, but I thought we were really patient and found some good solutions, and had a little bit of variety in there as well.

“That’s something we’ve been working on and hopefully we can continue to improve on that.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

You love to see it

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The Matildas last played in Vietnam at the 2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup, where the team defeated Vietnam 2-0 on their way to the tournament final.

Midfielder Elise Kellond-Knight explained the team will draw on their prior experiences of playing in south-east Asia and are confident they will get the job done.

“It’s always a challenge playing in Asia, we haven’t been over there for a number of years now,” she explained.

“The conditions are extremely different, the grass, the surface is always a lot different, it’s like buffalo thick grass.

“It will be interesting to get over there and get situated, we’ve only got a couple of days to prepare.”

Should Australia qualify, they will join host nation Japan and the winner of the other AFC play-off between Korea Republic and China PR at the Games in July and August.

Match Details

Vietnam v Australia (Away Leg)

Date: Wednesday, 11 March 2020
Kick-off: 6 pm local, 10 pm AEDT
Venue: Cẩm Phả Stadium, Cẩm Phả, Quảng Ninh Province, Vietnam

Matildas.com.au

Peel takes out Aerials Crystal Globe, silver and bronze for Anthony and Brockhoff

Submitted by admin on Mon, 03/09/2020 - 09:25
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Aerial Skier Laura Peel has finished 2020 on top after winning gold at the Krasnoyarsk World Cup, taking home the overall Crystal Globe, while Jakara Anthony and Belle Brockhoff won world cup silver and bronze in their events respectively.

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It was the first time an Australian has won a aerial skiing Crystal Globe in over a decade, the last being five-time Olympian and Vancouver 2010 Olympic Champion, Lydia Lassila in 2009.

In Krasnoyarsk, the new World No.1 scored 96.99 to place her ahead of China's Xi Sicun and America's Ashley Caldwell and secured the Canberra native her first Crystal Globe.

The two-time Olympian's most recent world cup gold was her second of the season, adding to her silver and bronze already won earlier in the season.

“It’s hard to put it into words at the moment, I honestly couldn’t be happier right now," Peel said of finishing her season as World No.1

“It’s my first globe and it’s been almost 10 years working towards it. I have a great team around me and I’m super stoked with the result today.”

In winning gold, the performance marks the 13th World Cup podium of the 30-year-old athlete's career (4 gold, 4 silver, 5 bronze).

The Aussies continued to dominate the podium, with Jakara Anthony winning dual moguls silver in Russia and snowboard cross athlete, Belle Brockhoff claiming bronze in Sierra Nevada, Spain.

For Anthony, the podium result is her fourth medal of the season and she is ranked second on the World Cup standings with two events remaining.

“It was incredible to claim another world cup silver medal tonight in Russia,” Anthony commented after the race.

“It was the coldest weather we’ve had all season so that definitely made it challenging, but the course was in good shape and I was able to make some good progress in some areas I've been struggling with."


Brockhoff also claimed her fourth podium appearance of the season, after an impressive return from injury this season. She is also currently ranked second on the World Cup standings, with one event remaining.

“I am super happy with the result here in Spain” Brockhoff said after landing on the podium.

“Last time l was here three years ago I ruptured my ACL for the first time, so this is a big win for me regardless of the medal colour.”


“I’ve had my best season ever and I’ve worked so hard for it these last two years. I’m very excited to see what I can do next year and I’m looking forward to more hard work after this season."

OWIA/olympics.com.au

David Barnes: Targeting Tokyo 2020

Submitted by admin on Sun, 03/08/2020 - 14:30
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This weekend, Archer David Barnes was announced as part of Australia’s Tokyo 2020 team, but his selection comes 16 years after he made his Olympic debut, equalling the second-longest Australian Olympic break.

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It was Athens 2004 where the fresh-faced 18-year-old competed at his first Olympic Games alongside Olympic Champion Simon Fairweather and bronze medallist Tim Cuddihy.

Barnes placed 36th individually and sixth in the team event which he considered a disappointing result after going in ranked third in the world individually and first in the world for team.

 

Three years later the then 21-year-old put away his bow, wanting to experience a ‘normal life.’ Barnes got married, had two children, began a successful business and didn’t shoot an arrow for a decade.

At a business function in 2017, Barnes realised his love of the sport still remained and he picked up his bow for the first time since 2007, but it wasn’t just a return to the sport that Barnes wanted, he had his sights on the pinnacle, targeting Tokyo 2020.

“I was part of an entrepreneur’s organisation which was a business peer-to-peer learning group that involved goal setting,” Barnes explained.

“I made a passing comment about when the next Olympics would be and worked backwards to figure out how old I would be, and it turned out I would be 34 for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“I always knew inside that I would go back to Archery at some stage, but it wasn’t something I was consciously thinking about until that moment,” he continued.

 

“I had this realisation that being 34 is not a competitive disadvantage. I looked back at Simon [Fairweather] who was 32 at Athens 2004 and was still a hyper-competitive Archer.

“I thought to myself, now is the time to get back into it and Tokyo 2020 was the goal.”

Fairweather would play a significant role in Barnes’ return to the sport but this time, as his coach.
“After I finished the sport, Simon went on to become the National Coach,” the South Australian said.

“When I got back into Archery, I didn’t have any connections but found out that Simon was living in Adelaide, so we caught up and decided to start working together.

“It just felt like all the stars were aligning. Simon has got a lot of valuable knowledge both from being an elite athlete, a previous teammate of mine and also being the National Coach.”

Barnes made his return to the Australian National Team the following year and counts his new coach as one of his greatest inspirations.

 

“Seeing him win the Sydney 2000 Olympic gold medal was a huge moment for me but more so for Australia and for the sport of Archery.

“Simon went to five Games overall and won multiple World Championships throughout his career, so I’ve always had a lot of respect for what he's done for the sport. 

“Even as a teammate 16 years ago, I learnt a lot from him.”

Although, Barnes says times have changed, with a bit of role reversal between himself and his coach. 
“It's interesting. I look back on Athens where I would have been 18, Simon was 32 and my other teammate Tim would have been 17. 

“I think to myself, ‘Man, he must have been so patient with some of our daily teenage antics,’ Barnes laughed.

“He was a lot more serious and focused back then and now I feel like that’s almost a little bit reversed.

“Simon is a lot more relaxed now and likes to have a bit of fun, whereas I’m that older bloke who is a lot more serious and just hyper-focused on what needs to be done, so it’s been an interesting contrast between then and now.

 

“We work very well together, and I feel that we've definitely met in the middle and found some common ground that has got us to where we are today.”

Barnes said that the actual mastery of the sport was one of the easier aspects of making his return. The more difficult areas have been around lack of time when working and raising a young family.

“I was pretty happy with how quickly things came back. I hadn’t shot an arrow in ten years, but I feel like that first 60% came back relatively quickly and I was competitive at a state level within a couple of months,” he explained.

“Then it took about a year to improve another 20% and I’m still continuing to improve going into Tokyo, but the biggest adjustment has been time. The availability, allocation and prioritization of time.

“Elite athletes are very selfish in the fact that sport just consumes so much time and it's that time away from your family and away from your kids, which puts an extra load on my wife. 

“I feel that pursuing sport to an elite level, is a very selfish endeavour, but I'm also very lucky that my wife is so supportive and understanding of it as well, and so are my kids.

“I spoke to my little girl yesterday, who asked what I was doing and when I told her I was training she said, ‘Shoot tens Daddy, shoot lots of Xs!’


“That's been the biggest adjustment along with having to scale back my work commitments to try and pursue another Olympics.”

Barnes likes to keep his kids as involved as possible, even letting them name his bows.
“I have two bows that my kids have named, ‘Raptor’ and ‘Dishwasher’,” Barnes laughed.

“Raptor is the orange one, and she’s been really good to me, so people will most likely see her at Tokyo.”
Barnes said that after being away from the sport for over a decade, the standard has improved dramatically.

“The standard of Archery across the world has increased a lot. 

“Back when I was shooting, the world record from memory was 680-690 out of 720 and now it's 791 so the standard across the world just keeps on pushing, which means that I can’t get complacent. 

“I need to keep raising the bar and looking at what's happening around the world to keep pushing that ceiling.”

As for his aspirations for Tokyo 2020, Barnes says he is using his disappointment from Athens 2004 as motivation, and relishing going into the Games as the underdog.

“Going into Athens ranked so highly and coming home empty-handed definitely hurt, but I can take that with me as fuel for 2020,” he shared.

“This time around I'm going to slide under the radar because I'm ranked 128th individually and (currently) seventh in teams. It's a good spot where you don’t have to worry about having a target on your back.

“I'm definitely using that as motivation to knuckle down, there aren’t many days left, so for me, it's about making the most of every day and knowing that whatever happens, I’ll walk away with no regrets.”

Liana Buratti

Rio medallists and Athens comeback on target for Tokyo 2020 Archery

Submitted by admin on Fri, 03/06/2020 - 09:59
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Rio bronze medallists Ryan Tyack and Taylor Worth, with David Barnes - making his Olympic return 16 years after debuting at Athens 2004 - are on target for Tokyo after being selected to the Australian Olympic Team in Archery

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The archers qualified Australia for the Tokyo 2020 men’s Team quota in a tiebreak shootoff against Turkey at the 2019 World Championships and earned their individual selection through the gruelling 4-part Archery Australia selection trials.

The trio will take on 11 other nations in the three-person Teams event, where Australia is the defending Olympic bronze medallist, and will shoot for solo glory in the 64-strong individual competition. 

Barnes’ return to the Olympic Team 16 years after his Athens debut equals the second-longest break between Australian Olympic appearances, bested only by Equestrian rider Scott Keach’s 28 years from Seoul to Rio.

 

Australian Chef de Mission for Tokyo 2020 Ian Chesterman welcomed the sharpshooters to the Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo.

“Congratulations to David, Ryan and Taylor on making their return to the Olympics,” Mr Chesterman said.

“For Taylor to make his third Games and Ryan and David to make their second, particularly given David’s 16-year break, is a remarkable achievement.

“These athletes have demonstrated that they are world-class, medalling at Olympic Games and World Cups, and I look forward to seeing them in action for Australia in Tokyo.

“This is a day to celebrate for the three athletes selected and to acknowledge the incredible support from Archery Australia, their sporting institutes, coaches, family, friends and supporters that helped them reach this milestone.”

34-year-old Barnes enters his second Games a world away from his debut appearance as an 18-year-old in Athens.


“It’s an amazing feeling to be back at the Olympics,” Barnes said. “In Athens I was a teenager with nothing to lose and no real responsibilities. Fast forward to today and I’m a dad of two, running my own business, and just at a completely different stage of my life.

“I’m a lot more focused and efficient with my time now, to juggle training with everything else in my life. Knowing my two kids (aged 4 and 6) will be able to see their dad compete at an Olympics is a great motivator.

“Archery is a brutally honest sport, there’s nowhere to hide and it’s all about the effort you put in to training – I’m excited to get back to the Olympic stage and show the world what we can do.”

The South Australian shot his first arrow in over a decade in 2017 after a well-timed business motivation session.

“I was on a business retreat with other entrepreneurs and we had a goal-setting session - I always knew I wanted to go back to Archery at some point in my life, but hadn’t shot an arrow in over 10 years.

“In the goal-setting session I knew I wanted to make Tokyo 2020 – I worked backwards to when I would need to be back in form to qualify and realised I had to start shooting straight away.

“I always felt like I had unfinished business in Archery. Being part of a Team with Ryan and Taylor who have been shooting so well for years and the defending bronze medallists is fantastic, I’m excited to see what we can do together.”

 

Hitting a 12cm bullseye from 70 metres under intense pressure is all in a day’s work for 29-year-old Taylor Worth, who has Team and Individual medals across World Cups and World Championships to go with his Rio Team bronze.

“I love Archery because it’s the constant pursuit of perfection,” Worth said. “We are chasing that dead centre of the target, again and again and again.

“Even after hitting it time and time again it just drives you to show the world what you can do.

“Going into my third Olympics, I still need to treat it like any other competition. It might be the biggest stage but at the end of the day, we’re just shooting arrows, and hopefully reflecting everything we’ve done to get us to this moment.”

Archery Australia CEO Rick Hastie was proud to see Taylor, Ryan and David selected to the Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo. 

“The team have been working incredibly hard over the last three years, producing some very promising results, which is testament to a lot of hard work and dedication by the athletes, our National Coach Ya Ping Shih and our High Performance Team led by Graeme Rose.  

“We understand the huge sacrifices that all our athletes, support teams and their families make to get to this point and we are fully behind them in preparation for what is set to be an exciting couple of months in the lead up to Tokyo 2020.

We cannot wait to see David, Ryan and Taylor in action along with the rest of the Australian Team.”

Archery runs from 24 July to 1 August in Tokyo’s Yumenoshima Park, and consists of Teams and Individual events for men and women and a mixed Teams event making its Olympic debut.

Australia’s female archers have not yet earned a Tokyo 2020 quota but can earn an individual quota at the Oceania Championships in Fiji in April. If an Australian athlete earns an individual quota, that would also make Australia eligible to compete in the mixed Teams event, with the top 16 nations from the combined score of one male and one female archer in Tokyo’s ranking round proceeding to the mixed Teams event. 

Olympics Unleashed: Tokyo - Daniel Watkins

Submitted by admin on Wed, 03/04/2020 - 12:58
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Canoe Slalom athlete Daniel Watkins is Australia's most recently selected Olympic debutante, joining teammates Rio 2016's Lucien Delfour and Olympic bronze and silver medallist Jessica Fox at Tokyo 2020.
 

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This week on Olympics Unleashed - Tokyo, Presented by Optus, the Tasmanian chats to David Culbert about his journey to Tokyo 2020 and where his nickname 'Dan the Van Man,' came from.

You can listen to more Olympics Unleashed - Tokyo, Presented by Optus podcasts HERE

Tokyo 2020 hopefuls dedicate time to Clean Up Australia Day 30th anniversary

Submitted by admin on Tue, 03/03/2020 - 09:03
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With just under 150 days to go before the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games kick off, Olympians and Olympic hopefuls today stepped up to help Clean Up Australia Day activities at Rodd Point.

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Clean Up Australia Day is the largest community-based environmental event in Australia and this year celebrates its 30-year anniversary.

Dual Olympic water polo Aidan Roach together with teammate Blake Edwards were joined by 17-year-old diver and Tokyo 2020 hopeful Sam Fricker, to support the local communities in Sydney Clean Up.

Roach, a London and Rio Olympian, recognised the importance of supporting local community environmental efforts in a time when the environment is in desperate need for positive action and commended Clean Up Australia Day for 30 years. 

“How good, 30 years, it’s amazing.  We are very lucky to grow up in such a beautiful country and every Australian I think just wants to try and give back a little,” Roach said.


“We get a lot of support from the Government and Canada Bay (Council) and at the end of the day it’s not about giving up time, it’s just good to be down here and part of the community and helping clean up.

“There is a fair bit (of rubbish), it’s a bit surprising because it's such a beautiful area and when you get down here you see how much rubbish there is, and in particular a lot of plastic which isn’t good for the local wildlife around,” he said.

For year 12 student and diving sensation Sam Fricker, he’s not only eyeing off finishing high school but also qualifying for his first Olympic Games. 

The youngster from Cronulla said Clean Up Australia Day is a cause close to his heart after he co-founded TSARIAN, which creates sustainable solutions to single-use plastics.

“Clean Up Australia Day is something very personal to me. I travel the world and see the effects of plastics all over the globe… I’m so passionate about the environment that I started a company developing eco-friendly straws to help minimise plastic straws which are a huge problem,” Fricker said. 

“I’m excited to be here to do my part. The fact that it's (Clean Up Australia Day) been running for 30 years is huge and it's great to see all the generations taking part today,” he said.


This initiative is supported by the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) who are committed to providing opportunities for athletes to engage with and contribute back to the community.  

AIS Director Athlete Wellbeing and Engagement Matti Clements, said it was fantastic to have two of the Kookaburras joining their local community for a worthy cause.

“Australian high-performance athletes are great role models for our local communities and we are thrilled to have two of Hockey Australia’s Kookaburra players putting their hand up to help a great cause like Clean Up Australia Day,” Clements said.

“The values of our athletes make them great all-round citizens and is the reason so many Australians can connect with our high-performance athletes.

“Working with Water Polo Australia and Diving Australia we are pleased to see that Aidan, Blake and Sam have given up their time to help Clean Up Australia mark a significant milestone of 30 years of making positive change in local communities.  

"We hope our athletes too will inspire the next generation to make their mark,” she said.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

#stepuptocleanup #CleanUpAustralia @divingaus @cleanupaustralia @theais_

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Roach commended the AIS for their support of such an initiative, recognising the importance it plays for athlete wellbeing. 

“It’s really good for athletes, as sometimes we can get caught up with the day-to-day routine of training but it’s important to take time out, reflect and show a bit of gratitude to the community that supports you,” Roach said. 

Welcoming Australian high-performance athletes’ participation to the event, Clean Up Australia Chairman Pip Kiernan explained:

“What started thirty years ago by my father has grown into a powerful grassroots movement and we’re excited to continue to inspire and empower individuals and communities to take positive steps that make a difference – not just on Clean Up Australia Day but all year round”.

Chiller recognised by IOC for sport gender equality

Submitted by admin on Tue, 03/03/2020 - 08:26
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GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 07: Kitty Chiller, CEO of Gymnastics Australia looks on prior to the medal ceremony for the Women's Individual All-Around Final during Gymnastics on day three of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games at Coomera Indoor Sports
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Gymnastics Australia Chief Executive Officer Kitty Chiller AM has been awarded the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Women and Sport Award for Oceania. 

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The award is in recognition of her efforts to advance gender equality in sport as an athlete and sports administrator.

In bestowing the honour upon Ms. Chiller, the IOC paid tribute to “her work as a trailblazer for women’s leadership in sport in Oceania.”

“To receive this award is an exceptional honour and very unexpected,” Ms. Chiller said. 

“I have been involved in sport at some level all my life. I understand the value of sport and the important role it plays in our society, especially in Oceania, where I have seen firsthand how the benefits of sport transcend the field of play into health, education and community development. 

“I am extremely passionate about ensuring that everyone has access to sport and physical activity and to also show the increasing number of females working in sports administration that it is possible to play an important role in the future of their sport at a local or global level.”

 

GA President Sam McKay praised Ms. Chiller’s efforts.

“On behalf of the GA board and staff, it is my pleasure to congratulate Kitty on the significant honour she has received from the IOC,” Mr McKay said. 

“Kitty works tirelessly to advance the opportunities and representation for women across all sectors of sport, and at all levels from grassroots participation to high-performance. I could not think of a worthier recipient.”

Aside from her role as the GA CEO, Ms. Chiller holds a long list of Australian, Oceania and international sporting roles, all of which add to her significant contribution to gender equality in sport development and administration in the region. 

Ms Chiller is the current President of the Oceania Gymnastics Union, Executive Committee Member of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), President of Modern Pentathlon Australia and Modern Pentathlon Oceania as well as an Executive Board Member of the International Modern Pentathlon Union (UPIM).  

She is also a member of the AOC Executive Committee and the IOC’s Athlete’s Entourage Commission.

 

“Kitty has a unique place in Australian sport. She’s a role model and this award from the IOC reflects her outstanding contribution,” said AOC President, John Coates AC. 

“She’s the first and only woman to lead an Australian team to an Olympic Games as Chef de Mission.

An Olympic coach, then competitor, team manager, and ultimately the Chef de Mission in Rio, a role she carried out with great distinction.

“I can’t think of any other Australian who, like Kitty, sits on the International Executives of two Olympic sports as she does with Gymnastics and Modern Pentathlon. 

“Kitty continues to contribute to this day as an Executive Member of the AOC, the IOC’s Athlete’s Entourage Commission and of course guiding Gymnastics Australia as CEO.”

Ms. Chiller will receive the award at a ceremony in New York on 11 March during the sixty-fourth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the headquarters of the United Nations.

Australian Opals announce Tokyo 2020 Olympic squad

Submitted by admin on Tue, 03/03/2020 - 07:58
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Liz Cambage, Bec Allen, Leilani Mitchell and Jenna O’Hea headline a star-studded Australian Opals squad of 19 players announced today ahead of their first camp of 2020 on the Gold Coast from 29th March – 5th April.

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The Opals, currently ranked number 2 in the world by FIBA, will have big expectations placed on their shoulders after a quarter-final exit in Rio saw an incredible run of five-straight Olympic medals come to an end.

Of the 19 players heading into camp, only 12 will go on to compete in Tokyo, with the final team selected in late June.

"We are excited to have secured our spot for Tokyo and look forward to working hard over the next five months to ensure we are ready to play our best basketball,” Opals Head Coach Sandy Brondello said, who will be coaching her first Olympics after attending three as a player.

“With that in mind, we are thrilled to name our Olympic Squad, which we believe to be very strong with great versatility, depth and size.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

In it together 💪 #GoOpals #WeAreReady #RoadtoTokyo

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"The first step of our preparation will begin next month with a camp on the Gold Coast. The coaches and I are anticipating some tough decisions in naming the final team.”

Included in the roster are five current WNBA players: Allen, Cambage, Leilani Mitchell, Alanna Smith and Sami Whitcomb.

Allen, who has now played five seasons in the WNBA, had a massive season in 2019 with the New York Liberty, having a career-high 28-point game, and averaging 42.6% from beyond the perimeter.

Also having a big year is Cambage, who was named to the All-WNBA Second Team for 2019 and has ranked 10th in the WNBA in scoring, seventh in rebounding, 11th in field goal percentage and sixth in blocked shots.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

🇦🇺86-72🇧🇷 LEEEET’S GOOOOO!!!

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15 WNBL players will feature on the squad, including Deakin Melbourne Boomers player Ezi Magbegor who was just awarded the WNBL Betty Watson Australian Youth Player of the Year.

Other big names from the WNBL include the likes of, Jenna O’Hea and Katie-Rae Ebzery who were named in the WNBL All Star First-Team, as well as Cayla George, Rebecca Cole and Stephanie Talbot who were named in the All Star Second-Team.

“Australian Olympic squad selection is a significant achievement for any athlete and the depth of talent in this group is outstanding,” Jan Stirling, GM of High Performance said.  

“It reflects the diligent work, commitment and support that their WNBL clubs provide them as they aspire to earn the right to wear green & gold.”

You can find the full squad HERE

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