SportsHounds Editor at Large Louise Evans previews the key medal events for the Australians on Day 6 of 16 at the Paris Olympics.
Thursday August 1 – potential Australian medals = 4 | Athletics 20km Walk 1 | Rowing 1 | Swimming 2 |
We start the day with a scenic tour of the most famous landmarks in Paris as 20km Walk medal contender Jemima Montag powers past the Louvre Pyramid, Grand Palais, Château de Versailles and the Eiffel Tower enroute to the finish line.
Australia has six strong medal chances in the rowing finals with one in action today – the new look men’s Oarsome Foursome.
At the pool young Eizabeth Dekkers will be following in the historic wake of Australia’s Olympic champions Susie O’Neill and Petria Thomas in the 200m butterfly. The women’s 200m freestyle relay rounds out the medal hopes on day six with Ariarne Titmus and Mollie O’Callaghan going up against American Amazon Katie Ledecky and Co.
09:20-11:00 (17:20-19:00 AEST) Athletics 20km Walk – Jemima Montag
Victoria’s Jemima Montag, 26, credits her Holocaust survivor grandparents for her work ethic and resilience which helped her win world championship silver in the 20km walk last year in Budapest. “When a training session or race feels tough, the feeling of Nana’s bracelet around my wrist reminds me that stoicism and resilience are in my blood,” she said. Montag, who finished sixth at the Tokyo Olympics, is ranked world No3 after she shaved seven seconds off her own national record in Adelaide with a 1hr27min.09 victory. When not race walking Montag is doing a postgraduate medical degree to enable her to work in the preventative health and wellbeing sector.
12:10 (20:10 AEST) Rowing Coxless Four – Alex Hill, Fergus Hamilton, Jack Robertson, Tim Masters
The enduring legacy of the Oarsome Foursome is powering Australia’s new-look coxless four in their quest for more yet gold at the Paris Olympics. Consecutive gold medals at the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Olympics made the Oarsome Foursome a household name and created a dependable medal-winning brand. Over the last three decades the men’s coxless four has come home with an Olympic medal from seven Games. Towering South Australian rower Alex Hill, 31, was a member of the boat that won gold again at the Tokyo Olympics, plus he helped secure silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Not surprisingly given his elite CV, Hill has been selected to lead the next generation seeking yet more fame and glory in Paris. Hill will be joined by Fergus Hamilton, 24, Jack Robertson, 26, and Tim Masters, 32. “We’ll treat everyone with respect but just worry about what we are doing and try to get our bow in front and hopefully finish on the top of that dais,” Hill said. The six Australian rowing medal contenders are: women’s single sculls | women’s pair | women’s double sculls | men’s coxless four | women’s eight | men’s eight.
Men’s Coxless Four path to Paris
20:30 (04:30 AEST) Swimming 200m Butterfly – Elizabeth Dekkers
Eizabeth Dekkers is following in the historic wake of Olympic champions Susie O’Neill and Petria Thomas by becoming a medal contender in the 200m butterfly. Missing the Tokyo Olympic team as a teenager by just 0.14 seconds three years ago proved a pivotal turning point for Dekkers.“It’s one of the toughest things I’ve been through,’’ the 20-year-old Bachelor of Advanced Science student said. “Knowing that I could have done better, and I should have done better, is the hardest thing. It’s driven me hugely to be able to perform when I need to.” Dekkers was the 2023 world championship silver medallist behind Canadian wunderkind Summer McIntosh, who will again be her major rival in Paris. Her personal best time of 2min05.20 makes her the world No3 behind No1 McIntosh (2:04.33) and American Olympic silver medallist No2 Regan Smith (2:04.80). Her natural affinity with butterfly and her endurance makes her a fitting heir in an event that has a rich Australian tradition that includes Olympic medal winners Michelle Ford (1980), Karen Phillips (1984), Susie O’Neill (1992, 1996 and 2000), Petria Thomas (1996 and 2000) and Jess Schippers (2008). “I love that Australia has such amazing 200m flyers – it definitely makes me want to go faster.’’
21:48 (05:48 AEST) Swimming 4x200m relay – Ariarne Titmus, Mollie O’Callaghan, Lani Pallister, Brianna Throssell, Shayna Jack and Jamie Perkins.
Australia won bronze in Tokyo behind China’s gold and USA silver. Already gold medallists, Titmus and O’Callaghan should be hard to beat this time round. However, American Amazon Katie Ledecky, who won four freestyle events at the US trials (200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m), will skip the individual 200m in Paris to focus on the 4x200m freestyle relay.
Louise Evans is an award-winning journalist who has worked around Australia and the world as a reporter, foreign correspondent, editor and media executive for media platforms including The Sydney Morning Herald (eight years), The Australian (11 years) and Australian Associated Press (six years in London, Beijing and Sydney).
A women sports’ pioneer, Louise was the first female sports journalist employed by The Sydney Morning Herald and the first female sports editor at The Australian. Louise went on to work at six Olympic Games, six Commonwealth Games and numerous world sporting championships and grand slam tennis events.
Louise is the Founding Editor of AAP FactCheck, the Creator of #WISPAA – Women in Sport Photo Action Awards and national touring Exhibition and the author and producer of the Passage to Pusan book, documentary and exhibition.
In 2019 she was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) Queen’s Honour for services to the media and sport and named an Australian Financial Review Top 100 Woman of Influence for services to the arts, culture and sport.
In 2020 she won a NSW Volunteer of the Year Award plus the NSW Government Community Service Award for her women-in-sport advocacy work.
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