
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has announced a 64-strong athletics team, including 34 Commonwealth Games Australia alumni, selected for the Australian Olympic Athletics Team for Tokyo.
Australia will field its third-largest athletics team in Olympic history after naming an additional 37 members to the 27 athletes already named completing the 64-strong squad which features 34 Commonwealth Games Australia alumni team members.
More than half the team will are Commonwealth Games Australia alumni team members, with 34 Commonwealth Games team members making to trip to Japan.
The Tokyo team only trails the Sydney 2000 (87) and Melbourne 1956 (75) home Olympics, which have had bigger Australian Olympic athletics teams.
The 36 athletes announced include Glasgow 2014 team member Jeff Riseley who has made his fourth Olympics, Gold Coast 2018 javelin gold medallist Kathryn Mitchell, two-time Commonwealth Games representatives Dave McNeill and Henry Frayne returning for their third Olympics, 10 athletes returning for their second Games and 22 Olympic debutants.
Riseley joins previously selected Tokyo teammates and Commonwealth Games medallists Dani Stevens and Lisa Weightman in equalling the most Olympics by Australian Athletics representatives, with seven other athletes including marathon legends Robert de Castella and Lisa Ondieki.
The athletics team features seven Commonwealth Games gold medallists, racewalkers Dane Bird-Smith and Jemima Montag, pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall, high jumpers Eleanor Patterson and Brandon Starc, discus thrower Stevens, javelin thrower Mitchell, who will be aiming for Olympic gold.
Gold Coast 2018 discus silver medallist Matt Denny returns for his second Olympics, securing his selection with a personal best throw.
“I was so happy to throw a PB so close to Tokyo especially considering we have a lot of freshening up to do to get into peak form, so I’m very excited about the form I potentially could get into,” Denny said.
“I’m really just looking forward to finally competing again. It’s been a long time between drinks when it comes to competing internationally, so I’m hanging out to get back in the ring. The past few years have had a lot of learning curves, but it’s nice to have learnt them ahead of Tokyo.”

RUNNING MUMS TO CREATE RECORDS AS MARATHONERS AND RACEWALKERS READY FOR THE ROADS IN SAPPORO
Six marathoners and a racewalker, headlined by Gold Coast 2018 silver medallist Lisa Weightman, have been added to the Australian Olympic Team for the Tokyo Olympics today.
READ MOREChef de Mission of the Australian Olympic Team Ian Chesterman congratulated the athletes on their selection.
“With athletes facing so many obstacles and challenging to qualification and competition throughout this Olympic cycle, it is fantastic to send our biggest ever athletics team to an away Games,” Mr Chesterman said.
“To have so many athletes qualify is a great reflection of their commitment and persistence. It also speaks volumes of the tremendous support from their coaches, families, friends and Athletics Australia. The depth and talent we have in Australian athletics is exciting.
“With 63 athletes this is the biggest section of the team and they will bring great energy to the group in the second week of the Games.
“Well done to all the athletes, I look forward to seeing you in Tokyo in just a few short weeks.”
Most Australian based Athletics team members will join a pre-Olympics training camp in Cairns from 10 July.
The Athletics competition will run from 30 July – 8 August Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium for track and field and Sapporo Odori Park for road events.
Australian Olympic Athletics Team
Name | Event | Age | State | Olympic Games Experience | Commonwealth Games Experience |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liam Adams | Marathon | 24 | VIC | 2nd (2016) | 2014 – Marathon - 7th; 2018 – Marathon - 5th |
Kelsey-Lee Barber | Javelin | 26 | ACT | 2nd (2016) | 2014 – Javelin - Bronze; 2018 – Javelin - Silver |
Hana Basic | 100m | 25 | VIC | Debut | |
Izzi Batt-Doyle | 5000m | 25 | SA | Debut | |
Alex Beck | 400m | 29 | QLD | Debut | 2014 – 4 x 400m Relay - 6th |
Ellie Beer | 4x400m Relay | 18 | QLD | Debut | |
Dane Bird-Smith | 20km Walk | 28 | QLD | 2nd (2016 - Bronze) | 2018 – 20km Walk - Gold |
Catriona Bisset | 800m | 27 | NSW | Debut | |
Angeline Blackburn | 4x400m Relay | 31 | ACT | Debut | |
Jenny Blundell | 5000m | 27 | NSW | 2nd (2016) | |
Peter Bol | 800m | 27 | VIC | 2nd (2016) | |
Rohan Browning | 100m | 23 | NSW | Debut | 2018 – 100m - Semi-Final; 4x100m Relay - 4th |
Ben Buckingham | 3000m Steeplechase | 29 | VIC | Debut | |
Sarah Carli | 400m Hurdles | 26 | NSW | Debut | |
Amy Cashin | 3000m Steeplechase | 26 | VIC | Debut | |
Matthew Clarke | 3000m Steeplechase | 26 | SA | Debut | |
Liz Clay | 100m hurdles | 25 | NSW | Debut | |
Rhydian Cowley | 50km walk | 30 | VIC | 2nd (2016) | 2018 – 20km Walk - 11th |
Rose Davies | 5000m | 21 | NSW | Debut | |
Riley Day | 200m | 21 | QLD | Debut | 2018 – 200m - Semi-Final; 4x100m Relay - DQ |
Matthew Denny | Discus Throw | 25 | QLD | 2nd (2016) | 2018 – Hammer - Silver, Discus - 4th |
Sinéad Diver | Marathon | 44 | VIC | Debut | |
Cedric Dubler | Decathlon | 26 | QLD | 2nd (2016) | 2018 – Decathlon - Bronze |
Jye Edwards | 1500m | 23 | NSW | Debut | |
Henry Frayne | Long Jump | 31 | QLD | 3rd (2012 & 2016) | 2014 – Long Jump; 2018 – Long Jump - Silver |
Genevieve Gregson | 3000m Steeplechase | 31 | QLD | 3rd (2012, 2016) | 2014 – 3000m Steeplechase - 5th; 2018 – 3000m Steeplechase - 5th |
Georgia Griffith | 1500m | 24 | VIC | Debut | 2018 – 1500m - 5th, 800m - Heats |
Linden Hall | 1500m | 29 | VIC | 2nd (2016) | 2018 – 1500m - 4th |
Katie Hayward | 20km Walk | 20 | QLD | Debut | |
Bec Henderson | 20km Walk | 19 | VIC | Debut | |
Ollie Hoare | 1500m | 24 | NSW | Debut | |
Nick Hough | 110m Hurdles | 27 | NSW | Debut | 2014 – 110m Hurdles - 4th; 2018 – 110m Hurdles - Bronze |
Kendra Hubbard | 4x400m relay | 31 | VIC | Debut | |
Jessica Hull | 5000m | 23 | NSW | Debut | |
Charlie Hunter | 800m | 24 | VIC | Debut | |
Nina Kennedy | Pole vault | 24 | WA | Debut | 2018 – Pole vault - Bronze |
Mackenzie Little | Javelin Throw | 24 | NSW | Debut | |
Kurtis Marschall | Pole vault | 23 | SA | Debut | 2018 – Pole vault - Gold |
Nicola McDermott | High jump | 24 | NSW | Debut | 2018 – High jump - Bronze |
Morgan McDonald | 5000m | 25 | NSW | Debut | 2018 – 5000m - 8th |
Dave McNeill | 5000m | 34 | VIC | 3rd (2012 & 2016) | 2010 – 5000m - 8th; 2018 – 5000m - 12th |
Stewart McSweyn | 5000m, 10000m | 23 | TAS | Debut | 2018 – 5000m - 5th; 10000m - 11th |
Kathryn Mitchell | Javelin Throw | 38 | VIC | 3rd (2012 & 2016) | 2006 – Javelin - 6th; 2010 – Javelin - 5th; 2014 – Javelin - 4th; 2018 – Javelin - Gold |
Morgan Mitchell | 800m | 26 | VIC | 2nd (2016) | 2014 – 400m - Semi-finals, 4x400m Relay - 4th; 2018 – 400m - Semi-finals, 4x400m Relay - 5th |
Ash Moloney | Decathlon | 21 | QLD | Debut | |
Jemima Montag | 20km walk | 22 | VIC | Debut | 2018 – 20km Walk - Gold |
Bendere Oboya | 400m | 21 | NSW | Debut | 2018 – 400m - Heats |
Elizaveta Parnova | Pole Vault | 27 | WA | 2nd (2016) | 2010 – Pole Vault - 11th; 2014 – Pole Vault; 2018 – Pole Vault - 5th |
Ellie Pashley | Marathon | 32 | VIC | Debut | |
Eleanor Patterson | High Jump | 25 | NSW | 2nd (2016) | 2014 – High Jump - Gold |
Jack Rayner | Marathon | 25 | VIC | Debut | |
Jeffrey Riseley | 800m | 34 | VIC | 4th (2008, 2012 & 2016) | 2014 – 1500m - 5th, 800m - 5th |
Brett Robinson | Marathon | 30 | VIC | 2nd (2016) | |
Anneliese Rubie-Renshaw | 4x400m relay | 29 | NSW | 2nd (2016) | |
Steven Solomon | 400m | 28 | NSW | 2nd (2016) | 2014 – 400m - Semi-final; 2018 – 400m - Semi-final, 4x400m Relay |
Brandon Starc | High Jump | 27 | NSW | 2nd (2016) | 2014 – High Jump - 8th; 2018 – High Jump - Gold |
Dani Stevens | Discus | 32 | NSW | 4th (2008, 2012, 2016) | 2006 – Discus - Bronze; 2014 – Discus - Gold; 2018 – Discus - Gold |
Brooke Stratton | Long jump | 27 | VIC | 2nd (2016) | 2018 – Long Jump - Silver |
Kyle Swan | 20km Walk | 22 | VIC | Debut | |
Patrick Tiernan | 5000m, 10,000m | 26 | QLD | 2nd (2016) | 2018 – 10000m |
Declan Tingay | 20km Walk | 22 | WA | Debut | |
Edward Trippas | 3000m Steeplechase | 22 | NSW | Debut | |
Lisa Weightman | Marathon | 42 | VIC | 4th (2008, 2012, 2016) | 2010 – Marathon - Bronze; 2018 – Marathon - Silver |
Georgia Winkcup | 3000m Steeplechase | 24 | NSW | Debut |
With thanks Australian Olympic Committee and Athletics Australia.