Celeste Mucci (athletics) equalled her PB in her heat (12.96) and placed seventh in the final of the women’s 100m hurdles at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. It was her second Games appearance, having finished fourth in the heptathlon as an 18-year-old on the Gold Coast four years earlier before making the transition to sprints and hurdles.

In the lead-up to Birmingham, Mucci had recorded some stellar times, including a second placed finish and PB 12.96 at the Australian championships and a neat 100m win at the Melbourne Track Classic (11.49). Unfortunately, she hit a hurdle at the Eugene 2022 world championships, her first global meet, and was disqualified.

Celeste, who was born in Florence, Italy, followed her older brother into Little Athletics aged 10 and was soon spotted by now coach Darren Clark at a primary school athletics carnival. Junior highlights included appearances at the world juniors in 2016 and 2018 as well as breaking the national junior heptathlon record which had stood for 27 years in December 2017 with a tally of 5870 points. She also completed a rare national double at the 2019 Australian championships – winning both the 100m hurdles and heptathlon.

Having overcome injury issues that resulted in her missing out on the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, she competed in the hurdles at both the Eugene 2022 world championships and Birmingham Commonwealth Games. She had her best season to date in 2023 – including a 12.84 PB in Sydney in March. Her great form continued into her second world championships in Budapest – clocking 12.90 in her heat and 12.97 in the semi-final. After overcoming a nasty hamstring injury in February 2024, she qualified for her Olympic debut in Paris.

Celeste is also a two-time Oceania champion in the 100m hurdles (2019, 2022) and a 2019 World University Games silver medallist in the 4x100m.

Outside of athletics, Mucci studies interior design at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.