20 NSW athletes named in Tokyo Olympic Team

Published Sat 03 Jul 2021

3 July 2021

20 NSW athletes named in Tokyo Olympic Team

The wait for NSW athletes is over today with the announcement of the final members of the Australian athletics team to compete at the postponed Tokyo Olympics. The 20 NSW athletes selected have secured an impressive 32% of the national team with a feature the number of distance runners named – nine, nearly half the NSW members announced.

For Gold Coast-based discus thrower Dani Stevens it is her fourth Games appearance, as she joins a select group of 10 track and field athletes to represent at four.

Some athletes left it to the last minute to secure places in the team, like steeplechasers Ed Trippas and Georgia Winkcup. Trippas qualified on the last possible day in Spain, becoming the third fastest in Australian history. Winkcup, who made a breakthrough in 2019, made her senior international debut that year at the Doha world championships, but has largely been injured since. Some good performance last month secured her the nod from the selectors ahead of NSW athlete Paige Campbell.

In the 5000m, Rose Davies secured a qualifier in Europe last month, while Jenny Blundell ran a fast important time days before the selection window closed.

Always with sufficient points for selection, equal national high jump record holder Brandon Starc achieved a qualifier last month in Europe. His training partner Eleanor Patterson, who was injury in 2020 and early 2021, was back in form last month in Europe clearing 1.96m.

US-based Oregon student Charlie Hunter has set Australian indoor records in the last two years, but his position was not secured until he ran an 800m qualifier last month. He is part of a very strong trio of sub-1:45 half milers going to Tokyo.

NSW has numerous top-6/medal prospects. High jumpers Patterson and world number two in 2021 Nicola McDermott should push for a podium finish. Also in the field, Starc, who had an inconsistent leadup to the world championships in 2019, rallied in Doha to placed sixth. In Tokyo he will be more of threat.

In Rio, former Wollongong distance runner Ryan Gregson became the first athlete in 40 years to make the 12-person 1500m final. NSW pair Jye Edwards and Ollie Hoare, along with Tasmanian Stewart McSweyn could do something very special in the same event Tokyo.

Sydney University with six athletes and Bankstown with four are well represented.

NSW members of the Australian athletics for the 2020 Olympic Games:

WOMEN (11)

400m Bendere Oboya (UTS, John Quinn)

1500m Jessica Hull (BAN, Pete Julian)

5000m Rose Davies (NRR, Scott Westcott), Jenny Blundell (SYU, James Fitzgerald)

400m Hurdles Sarah Carli (KEJ, Melissa Logan)

3000m Steeplechase Georgia Winkcup (UTN, Ben Liddy)

4x400m Relay Oboya, Anneliese Rubie-Renshaw (SYU, Peter Fortune),

High Jump Nicola McDermott (SYU Matthew Horsnell), Eleanor Patterson (BAN, Alex Stewart)

Discus Throw Dani Stevens (WES, Denis Knowles)

Javelin Throw Mackenzie Little (SYU, Angus McEntyre)