Jake Stevens for Commonwealth Games Australia
The Australian Athletics Team are ready to be #BoldInGold at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
With eight former Commonwealth champions, a further 12 returning medallists and a total of 22 able-bodied and para athletes listed in the top 3 in the Commonwealth, the Australian Athletics Team competing in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games is set to be one of the strongest and most promising teams yet.
A team of 83 includes 30 athletes making their Commonwealth Games debut while two athletes – Kathryn Mitchell (javelin) and Eloise Wellings (marathon) – are set to make a record-breaking fifth appearance at the Games.
Returning from the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, USA this past week, Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games high jump gold medallist and now world champion, Eleanor Patterson, will fly alongside Gold Coast 2018 bronze medallist and Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Nicola Olyslagers.
In the men’s high jump, Gold Coast 2018 champion Brandon Starc will give it his best shot despite a limited preparation due to a foot injury.
Two weeks after becoming the first ever female athlete to defend her Javelin world title, Kelsey-Lee Barber makes her third Commonwealth Games appearance in Birmingham. Kathryn Mitchell, who won gold on the Gold Coast, makes her record-equalling fifth appearance as Mackenzie Little, who finished fifth and only 5cm off the podium in Eugene, rounds out our Australian javelin trio.
After winning an incredible two golds at the 2018 Games as well as two Paralympic gold medals in Tokyo, wheelchair racer Madison de Rozario returns to the team looking to emulate her feats from Gold Coast by taking on both the 1500m T54 and Marathon T54. 1500m T54 bronze medallist from 2018, Jake Lappin, will also take on the 1500m/Marathon double.
2014 1500m T54 gold medallist Angela Ballard will make her fourth Commonwealth Games experience that stretches back to Melbourne 2006. She captured silver in the Gold Coast and will go up against de Rozario on the track in Birmingham. Veteran racer Christie Dawes will also line up in the event, an incredible 26 years after first appearing on the international scene at the 1996 Paralympic Games.
2018 Commonwealth champion Jemima Montag heads up a strong Aussie walkers contingent featuring dual Australian champion Katie Hayward and Rebecca Henderson. On the men’s side, Rhydian Cowley will join Kyle Swan and Declan Tingay as they race in the 10,000m walk on the track – an event set to make its Commonwealth Games debut in Birmingham.
Gold Coast 2018 pole vault bronze medallist Nina Kennedy enters the Games in top form, recently taking a bronze at the world championships. Her male counterpart Kurtis Marschall enters the Games looking for a place on the podium once again after claiming gold on the Gold Coast four years ago. Joining Marschall will be Angus Armstrong, who finished fifth in 2018.
Five-time Paralympic gold medallist, Evan O’Hanlon will line up in the green and gold once again looking to defend his 100m T38 Commonwealth title from the Gold Coast. Fellow para sprinter Rhiannon Clarke will also be looking to add to her collection, following her silver in the 100m T38 in 2018. Ella Pardy and 16-year-old Indiana Cooper join Clarke in the event. Also excitingly, Jaydon Page will make his Commonwealth debut as the number one ranked athlete in the 100m T47 event. He’ll be using his experience from Tokyo to drive him, and will be joined by Australian team debutant, and the youngest athlete on the Australian athletics team, Anthony Jordan.
The in-form Brooke Buschkuehl, who bettered her Australian long jump record last month and narrowly missed the Eugene podium by 2cm, will look to compliment her silver from the Gold Coast in Birmingham. 2022 Australian long jump champion Sam Dale will make her Games debut in Birmingham.
In the men’s long jump, Chris Mitrevski enters Birmingham ranked #1 in the Commonwealth. He will be joined by Gold Coast 2018 silver medallist Henry Frayne.
Australia’s distance running contingent includes two-time Commonwealth bronze medallist in the marathon Jess Stenson who will make her first major Games appearance since giving birth to her son Billy in 2019.
Experienced campaigner Eloise Wellings and Commonwealth Games debutant will also test themselves over the 42.2km distance as Liam Adams, and Andy Buchanan toe the line in the men’s race.
In the throws, Gold Coast Hammer Throw silver medallist Alex Hulley returns to the team as does Matt Denny who will be chasing discus glory after also earning a silver in the Hammer four years ago.
On the track, Gold Coast bronze medallist Nick Hough will race over the high hurdles in his third Commonwealth Games, as Michelle Jenneke and Celeste Mucci rep the green and gold for the women’s 100m hurdles.
Our world-class wheelchair racers on the squad include Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Robyn Lambird, London 2012 bronze medallist Rosemary Little and 18-year-old rising star Sarah Clifton-Bligh. They’ll race the 100m T34.
Australian 800m sensation Peter Bol will be racing to win alongside Games’ debutant Charlie Hunter. Three-time national champion Catriona Bisset and Georgia Griffith will both make the trip across from the Eugene world championships also.
In the metric mile, Stewart McSweyn and Oli Hoare come into the Games ranked #3 and #4 in the Commonwealth respectively. They’ll be joined by Games debutant Matt Ramsden. In the women’s race, Linden Hall, Jess Hull and Abbey Caldwell round out a stellar middle-distance line up.
Our Decathletes, Gold Coast 2018 bronze medallist Cedric Dubler, and Commonwealth Games debutants Dan Golubovic and Alec Diamond will all undergo their gruelling 10-event program just 12 days after the world championships in Eugene. Tanielle Crase will make her Commonwealth Games debut in the heptathlon.
Australia’s fastest man in the past 15 years, Rohan Browning will be looking for a place in the highly sought-after men’s 100m final alongside Jake Doran who’ll also contest the 200m. The pair will combine with squad members, Jack Hale, Jacob Despard and Joshua Azzopardi to complete the men’s 4x100m relay team.
Other bright Aussies to keep an eye on during the Games include Queensland’s sprinting quartet Ella Connolly, Naa Anang, Bree Masters and Jacinta Beecher. Along with Mucci and the newest member of the Commonwealth Games squad, Mia Gross, they’ll form the 4x100m relay team.
Six-time Australian 400m champion and team captain for the athletics team at Tokyo 2020, Steve Solomon, is set to line up in his third Commonwealth Games. Over the 400m hurdles, Sarah Carli goes from strength-to-strength as she makes her Games debut in Birmingham.
In the field events, Taryn Gollshewsky looks toward the podium after finishing 5th in the discus at the 2018 Games as 2022 Australian Javelin champion Cameron McEntyre travels from Eugene to Birmingham. West Australian Julian Konle makes his Games debut in the Triple Jump.
Julie Charlton will pull on the green and gold in the seated shot put F57 as 2020 Paralympic bronze-medallist Sarah Edmiston goes for gold in the discus F42-44.
Jack Rayner, Matt Ramsden and Ky Robinson will look to race the men’s 5000m on the penultimate day of competition, with Robinson also listed in the 10,000m earlier in the program.
Australia’s female distance crew includes two-time Australian 10,000m champion Rose Davies and South Australia’s Izzi Batt-Doyle. Davies and Batt-Doyle will look to double across the 5000m alongside Jess Hull and Victorian Natalie Rule.
Australia’s 2022 national championships gold and silver medallists Amy Cashin and Brielle Erbacher will compete in the 3000m Steeplechase as will Ben Buckingham and Ed Trippas.
The Australian Commonwealth Games Athletics Team:
Women:
100m: Naa Anang, Ella Connolly, Bree Masters
100m T34: Sarah Clifton Bligh, Robyn Lambird, Rosemary Little
100m T38: Rhiannon Clarke, Indiana Cooper, Ella Pardy
200m: Jacinta Beecher, Ella Connolly
800m: Catriona Bisset, Georgia Griffith
1500m: Abbey Caldwell, Linden Hall, Jessica Hull
1500m T54: Angela Ballard, Christie Dawes, Madison de Rozario
5000m: Rose Davies, Natalie Rule, Isobel Batt-Doyle
10,000m: Isobel Batt-Doyle, Rose Davies
Marathon: Sinead Diver, Jessica Stenson, Eloise Wellings
Marathon T54: Dawes, de Rozario
100m Hurdles: Michelle Jenneke, Celeste Mucci
400m Hurdles: Sarah Carli
3000m Steeplechase: Amy Cashin, Brielle Erbacher
4x100m Relay: Anang, Beecher, Connolly, Masters, Mucci, Mia Gross
10,000m Walk: Katie Hayward, Rebecca Henderson, Jemima Montag
High Jump: Nicola Olyslagers, Eleanor Patterson
Pole Vault: Nina Kennedy
Long Jump: Brooke Buschkuehl, Samantha Dale
Shot Put F57: Julie Charlton
Discus: Taryn Gollshewsky
Discus F42-F44: Sarah Edmiston
Hammer Throw: Alexandra Hulley
Javelin: Kelsey-Lee Barber, Mackenzie Little, Kathryn Mitchell
Heptathlon: Taneille Crase
Men:
100m: Rohan Browning, Jake Doran
100m T38: Evan O’Hanlon
100m T47: Anthony Jordan, Jaydon Page
200m: Jake Doran
400m: Steve Solomon
800m: Peter Bol, Charlie Hunter
1500m: Oliver Hoare, Stewart McSweyn, Matthew Ramsden
1500m T54: Samuel Carter, Jake Lappin
5000m: Jack Rayner, Matthew Ramsden, Ky Robinson
10,000m: Ky Robinson
Marathon: Liam Adams, Andrew Buchanan
Marathon T54: Jake Lappin
110m Hurdles: Nick Hough
3000m Steeplechase: Ben Buckingham, Ed Trippas
4x100m Relay: Joshua Azzopardi, Browning, Jacob Despard, Doran, Jack Hale T, Mitrevski
10,000m Walk: Rhydian Cowley, Kyle Swan, Declan Tingay
High Jump: Brandon Starc
Pole Vault: Angus Armstrong, Kurtis Marschall
Long Jump: Henry Frayne, Chris Mitrevski
Triple Jump: Julian Konle
Discus: Matthew Denny
Javelin: Cameron McEntyre
Decathlon: Cedric Dubler, Daniel Golubovic, Alec Diamond
Birmingham-bound athletes with previous Commonwealth Games Medals:
Gold Medallists 2018:
- Evan O’Hanlon (100m T38)
- Kurtis Marshall (Pole Vault)
- Kathryn Mitchell (Javelin Throw)
- Jemima Montag (10,000m Walk)
- Madi de Rozario (1500m T54 & Marathon T54)
- Brandon Starc (High Jump)
Gold Medallists 2014:
- Angela Ballard (1500m T54)
- Eleanor Patterson (High Jump)
Silver Medallists 2018:
- Kelsey-Lee Barber (Javelin)
- Brooke Buschkuehl (Long Jump)
- Rhiannon Clarke (100m T38)
- Matt Denny (Hammer Throw)
- Henry Frayne (Long Jump)
- Alex Hulley (Hammer Throw)
Bronze Medallists 2018:
- Cedric Dubler (Decathlon)
- Nina Kennedy (Pole Vault)
- Nick Hough (110m Hurdles)
- Jake Lappin (1500m T54
- Nicola Olyslagers (High Jump)
- Jess Stenson (Marathon)
Bronze Medallists 2014:
- Kelsey-Lee Barber (Javelin)
Jess Stenson (Marathon)
