Discus king Denny awarded Athletics Australia's Betty Cuthbert Medal

In winning his seventh Australian discus title with a new national record to match, Diamond League winner and Olympic finalist Matthew Denny has been awarded the Betty Cuthbert Medal for the Most Outstanding Single Performance of the Chemist Warehouse Australian Athletics Championships.

Denny launched his way into the history books on Saturday, April 13 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.

Producing the effort in the fifth round amid a world-class sequence, Denny added over one-metre to his previous record, highlighting that his maiden global medal is firmly in reach in Paris, after a series of near misses at recent major championships.

“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 what it means now, and that her legacy lives on, I’m particularly proud to receive this award,” Denny said.

“We’re coming into a position in Australian athletics where it’s just becoming so competitive and it’s great to be part of it at this time. It’s great competing at major championships and at meets overseas, but to be able to throw those big distances at home in front of a crowd means so much.

“I’m so proud to receive this award, and I’m grateful for the support of my family, friends, my wife and my coach (Dale Stevenson).”

Reflecting on his record-breaking performance on Saturday, the Allora product said:

“When the disc left my hands, I thought that was alright but when I saw it hit its apex, I thought, actually that is way further than I thought it would go. It had good flight and good float.

“The motivation to go further and win that gold is never lacking for me. I’m so keen and so driven for this year. I’ve always been very driven knowing that this year is just a bit different with the experience that I have, how old I am and the opportunity that I have in front of me.”

Denny’s performance was one of five Olympic qualifiers at the Australian Open and Under 20 Championships over the weekend, alongside Claudia Hollingsworth and Abbey Caldwell in the Women’s 800m, Nicola Olyslagers in the Women’s High Jump and Chris Mitrevski in the Men’s Long Jump.

Each of these athletes were amongst the first 14 track and field athletes selected for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games overnight.

The Chemist Warehouse Australian Athletics Championships continue today with the junior championships, and continue until Friday, 19 April. Australian fans can watch live and free on Seven’s digital platform, 7plus.

By Sascha Ryner, Athletics Australia
Posted: 15/4/2024