SportsHounds Editor at Large Louise Evans previews the key medal events for the Australians on Day 9 of 16 at the Paris Olympics.
Sunday August 4 – potential Australian medals = 4 | Athletics 1 | Swimming 3 |
Congratulations on making it halfway through the 16-day Olympic competition program.
Today marks both the start of the serious business in the track and field and the last day of the swimming.
The high jump is the best medal event for Australia in the Athletics with two high flyers Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson in action. There won’t be any Australians in the men’s 100m final but it’s a must watch.
The last day in the pool offers Australia three medal chances starting with Shayna Jack in the 50m (dive in don’t breathe) freestyle. The swimming concludes with two medley relays where literally anything can happen. The combinations will be key.
19:50 (03:50 AEST) Athletics High Jump – Nicola Olyslagers & Eleanor Patterson
In the Olympic stadium on July 7 at the Paris Diamond League world champion high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh took down one of the longest-standing world records in athletics, clearing a dazzling 2.10m to win the high jump. The Ukrainian high flyer was challenged by Australia’s world No2 Nicola Olyaslagers, who had matched Mahuchikh at 2.01m but was unable to follow her over 2.03m Mahuchikh then moved the bar up to 2.07m and then 2.10m – one centimetre higher than the world record set by Stefka Kostadinova at the 1987 World Championships – and cleared it on her first try. Whether the 22-year-old can repeat this feat at the Olympics is the big X-factor. For sure Olyaslagers, the world No2 with 2.03m, will be pushing her again as will fellow Australian Eleanor Patterson. Since clearing 1.95m at the Australian national championships in April, Patterson has had a consistent but quiet overseas preparation jumping between 1.90m – 1.95m at five international competitions.
Nicola Olyslagers’s path to Paris
Eleanor Patterson’s path to Paris
21:55 (05:55 AEST) Athletics 100m Men – No Australian
Australia isn’t going to figure in the final of course but you don’t want to miss the biggest event on the Olympic program right? Strap yourself in for the best 10 seconds of the Games. It’ll be USA v Jamaica. Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, 22 had not raced all year before the Jamaican Olympic Trials on June 28 when he won the 100m in 09.77, slowing down as he crossed the finish line with his dreadlocks flying. It makes him the ninth fastest man in history and the fourth quickest Jamaican behind Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake and Asafa Powell. It is also the best time in the world since 2022. America’s No1 sprint king Noah Lyles 09.83s calls the 100m his wife and the 200m his mistress. Let’s see how faithful Lyles will be to his marriage in Paris.
18:30 (02:30 AEST) Swimming 50m Freestyle Shayna Jack
Jack 25, coach Dean Boxhall, 23.99 world No4, world championship fourth
Major rivals: The world top three ahead of Shayna Jack, 25, are the three medallists from the 2024 world championships – Sarah Sjoestroem, 30, (SWE) 23.69 world No1 and world champion; Kate Douglas, 22, (USA) 23.91 world No2 and world silver medallist. Katarzyna Wasick, 31, 23.95s world No3 and world bronze medallist. Jack’s best time of 23.99s makes her the world No4. She’s in the form of her life and attacks the 50m freestyle after having swam the 100m relay on the first night (July 27) and the 100m individual freestyle on July 31.
19:12 (03:12 AEST Monday) 4x100m medley relay men
Based on form at the trials the team could be Isaac Cooper backstroke, Sam Williamson breaststroke, Matt Temple butterfly and Kyle Chalmers freestyle. But selections will depend on results both within the Australian team and across the program over the past eight days.
19:35 (03:35 AEST Monday) 4x100m medley relay women
Mollie O’Callaghan and Kaylee McKeown should be back in action in the final event on the final night. Who they’ll be joined by will be determined by results from the previous eight days of competition.
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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