Western Australia’s Tom Barns (wrestling) bounced back from an opening match defeat then came back through the repechage to claim bronze in the men’s 97kg freestyle at his Commonwealth Games debut in Birmingham. The youngest member of the wrestling team in Birmingham grew up playing Australian football, rugby union and rowing at Trinity College in Perth before turning to wrestling after attending an introductory class at Fremantle Police Citizens Youth Club. He loved it from the start and went on to represent Australia at the Cadet World Championships in 2016, 2017 and 2018, and was the only Australian wrestler selected for the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires where he finished 5th in the boys’ under 110kg. He also claimed junior Oceania titles in 2017 and 2018, and won the 97kg junior division and was runner – up in 97kg senior division in 2019. Barns went to the Africa and Oceania Olympic qualifiers in Tunisia in April 2021, where he finished 5th and claimed the 2022 Australian title in the 97kg weight division in May, paving the way for his Commonwealth Games debut in Birmingham.