Bronzed Aussies elevated to podium in athletics relay at Birmingham 2022

Australian athletics is celebrating a belated bronze medal today, with the women’s 4x100m relay team elevated to the podium after the disqualification of Nigeria due to an anti-doping violation.

Delivering maiden Commonwealth Games medals to Ella Connolly, Bree Masters, Naa Anang and Jacina Beecher, as well as heat runner Mia Gross, the performance marks the first women’s 4x100m relay medal for the green and gold since cruising to third place at Melbourne 2006.

The result sees Australia’s total medal count from Birmingham grow to 179, 55 of them now bronze, with England winning an extra gold and Jamaica an additional silver medal.

Connolly, who is ‘extremely grateful’ to have been recognised for the achievement, was quick to acknowledge her fellow runners following confirmation of the result.

“I am incredibly proud to have represented Australia and achieved a bronze medal alongside some of my best mates,” Connolly said.

Gross and Beecher echoed the sentiments of Connolly, feeling overwhelmed and blessed at receiving the news.

“I am grateful that we are able to get recognised as bronze medallists,” Gross said.

“I’m extremely proud and look forward to standing alongside my teammates when we receive the bronze. Our team is talented and committed, and I know we will all work hard to make sure we’re on the podium again in 2026,” Beecher said.

Commenting on the first people they would tell of their success, all immediately pointed to their families, noting the pride and delight they are likely to share.

“I think they will react with some big smiles with some shock, it’s not every day you get told you are going to be a Commonwealth Games bronze medallist,” Gross said.

Masters ran in both the qualifying heat and final that saw Australia originally come fourth and is ‘incredibly excited’ to share the news.

“My family, my partner and my coaches will be the among the first people I tell. They will be thrilled to hear the news and I think they will be super excited for all of us,” Masters said.

Anang, who noted how surreal it felt to receive a medal, was quick to specifically call out one person she would tell.

“I’m looking forward to telling my Dad, because after the race he told me I needed to run faster,” Anang laughed.

Commonwealth Games Australia will look to recognise the achievement and awarding of the medal at an appropriate time and congratulates the team on their recognition and achievement.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) confirmed that the violation was regarding an in-competition sample from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games that returned an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) of substances banned on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2022 Prohibited List.

Commonwealth Games Australia and the CGF have a zero-tolerance policy to doping in sport.

They seek to maintain the integrity of the Commonwealth Games by running a comprehensive anti-doping programme that focuses equally on education, prevention, and testing.

By Commonwealth Games Australia
Posted: 14/7/2023