FIVE WA ATHLETES CONFIRMED FOR PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS

The Australian Olympic Committee have confirmed a powerhouse team of Australian athletes set to represent the country at the Paris 2024 Olympics, with four additional WA athletes announced to join 800m runner Peter Bol. 

The 75-strong athletics team is the largest ever sent to an away Olympics and will include an enviable collection of Olympic, World Championship and Commonwealth Games medallists. WA boasts five formidable athletes with 2023 World Champion Nina Kennedy, World Championship medallist Kurtis Marschall, Commonwealth Games medallist Declan Tingay, Tokyo 2020 finalist Peter Bol and debutant Alanah Yukich all confirmed.

Nina Kennedy will headline arguably one of the countries strongest ever teams and look to claim her maiden Olympic title in the Women's Pole Vault. Finishing 2023 with the world lead of 4.91m, Kennedy said the lead-in to Paris is completely different to Tokyo 2020.

“I’m a completely different athlete, meaning the goals and expectations are also completely different,” she said. “I’m feeling really good about my preparation and I’m genuinely excited for the competition,"

"The women’s pole vault field is incredible. An Olympic year is so special because everyone brings their very best. Gold is the goal, however it’s important to differentiate the different between goals and expectations. Goals are uncontrollable, but what I can control are the expectations I have of myself and my team."

“Of course I’ve visualised winning gold. The mental aspect of training is just as important as the physically. I have a very clear definition of what success means to me, and that is being able to walk away from the Olympic final knowing I’ve done everything I possibly could have. If that wins a gold medal, amazing, and if it doesn’t then I can walk away with no regrets.”

Training partner and fellow 2023 World Championship medallist Kurtis Marschall will join the team fresh off a solid showing in the Men’s Pole Vault at the Paris Diamond League. Bouncing back from an injury sustained at the Australian Athletics Championships, Marschall's clearance of 5.75m is a positive step towards a return to the podium. 

WA race walker Declan Tingay returns to the Australian Olympic Team and will launch the country's Paris 2024 campaign with a start in the Men's 20km Race Walk bound for the streets of Paris. Tingay has also been named in the Marathon Race Walk Mixed Relay event. A new addition to the Olympic schedule, the event is held in the relay format with teams, composed of one male and one female athlete, covering the full marathon distance of 42km. 

Tokyo 2020 hero and Australian favourite Peter Bol was previously announced in the team in April 2024. Having claimed top 8 performances at the Olympic Games and World Championships, as well as the silver medal at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Bol will undoubtedly aim to inspire the nation once again when he lines up in the Men’s 800m. 

WA's sole debutant will be 400m Hurdler Alanah Yukich who has burst on to the scene with an incredible collection of runs at the end of the qualifying period to confirm her selection. Yukich’s herculean efforts to run three 400m hurdles races in three days, across three countries, is nothing short of exceptional. 

Kennedy, Marschall, Tingay and Yukich join previously announced Bol to take the overall Australian Olympic team to a final tally of 460. Peter Bol and Kurtis Marschall return for their third Olympic Games, while Kennedy and Tingay return for their second after debuting in Tokyo.

The complete roster of athletes bound for the Paris 2024 Olympics can be found HERE.

The Athletics competition will be held from 1-11 August. Track and Field events run 2-10 August in the Stade de France in Paris-Saint-Denis. Race walking and marathon will be held in the heart of Paris - The race walks at Trocadéro on 1 and 7 August, while the marathons men’s (10 August) and women’s (11 August) at Hôtel de Ville (Start) and Invalides (Finish).

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By David Smith (Athletics West)

Additional media by the Australian Olympic Committee and Athletics Australia. 

Posted 8 July 2024