Team Australia ready to take on the City of Athletics

When the Australian Athletics Team walk into the Olympic Village this week, they will do so with pride, purpose and poise following a successful staging camp in the South of France this fortnight.

The first wave of athletes, coaches and staff are due to travel to Paris from Montpellier over the next 24 hours, ready to continue the country’s momentum on the global athletics scene.

With many of Australia’s major medal contenders training at CREPS de Montpellier including reigning world champion Nina Kennedy (pole vault) and Diamond League winner Matthew Denny (discus), athletes have made their time count before taking on the world at the Olympic Games.

“Australian athletics has gone from strength to strength since the Tokyo Games, and it’s not hard to feel the excitement building in camp as the countdown continues until August 1, when the athletics program begins,” Athletics Australia General Manager – High Performance, Andrew Faichney said.

“We’re in a really good place, with our athletes looking particularly impressive as we go into what we hope is an historic Olympics for this team. We have many medal capable athletes on this team along with top-8 and top-16 hopefuls, and the energy is high as our athletes work with their coaches and support staff in these final days before competition.

“Our thanks goes to CREPS de Montpellier for the use of their facilities. the City of Montpellier and the Occitane region for hosting us. They’ve played a huge role in our Olympic campaign and with their support, we’re looking forward to doing Australia proud.”

Team co-captain and two-time Olympian Linden Hall said the camp has allowed the team to create a supportive culture that will buoy the team at the pinnacle event.

“Camp has been really important in setting the team up for success. Everyone has been busy putting the finishing touches on their preparations and it’s great to see everyone supporting each other out at the track each day,” Hall said.

“The opportunity to spend time together away from the track is just as valuable, especially with so many debutants on the team. The casual chats over coffee or a game of (highly competitive) cards are so valuable, and it’s allowing us to know each other beyond athletics.”

At the Tokyo Olympic Games, the Australian Athletics Team claimed three medals including one silver and two bronze, and has since built upon their success with six medals at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest last year.

“I’m excited for us to get into the Village and join the wider Australian team. We made a big jump in Tokyo with the number of athletes making finals, and I’m looking forward to seeing this team build on that success,” Hall said.

The Athletics program begins on August 1, with Australian viewers able to tune in live and free on Channel 9, 9Now and Stan Sport. 

By Sascha Ryner, Athletics Australia and Australian Olympic Committee
Posted 29/07/2024