Post by Cam on Jul 31, 2016 20:21:07 GMT -8
Four hundred and eighteen athletes will represent and compete for Australia at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. The nation's representation is the 5th largest Olympic Team to date, while including more female athletes than males for the first time in Australia's Summer Olympic history. The Roster also comprises 271 rookies.
Two-time Olympic Cycling Champion, Anna Meares, will lead Australia as the flagbearer and team captain at the Opening Ceremony.
Courtesy foxsports.com.au,The following is an overall list of athletes by sport, as well as summaries and projections for the respective teams.
Archery
Australia qualified a three-member men’s team for Rio after a strong performance at last year’s world championships. Alec Potts and Ryan Tyack will make their Olympic debuts, joining London Olympian Taylor Worth in the team. An individual spot in the women’s competition is still be decided.
Selected athletes: Alec Potts, Alic Ingley, Ryan Track, Taylor Worth
Australia has won two Olympics medals in archery — Simon Fairweather’s Sydney 2000 gold and Tim Cuddihy’s bronze in Athens four years later. Challenging for another in Rio will be tough in a sport dominated by South Korea in recent times.
Athletics (Track and Field)
Australia’s selection is among the largest ever squad for an away Olympics. Late spots may come up via an IAAF roll-down qualification process.
There is great depth to the team with 11 events set to have the maximum three competitors.
Selected athletes: Liam Adams, Joel Baden, Dane Bird-Smith, Damien Birkinhead, Jenny Blundell, Peter Bol, Alana Boyd, Melissa Breen, Monica Brennan, Zoe Buckman, Joshua Clarke, Milly Clark, Rhydian Cowley, Matt Denny, Cedric Dubler, Chris Erickson, Henry Frayne, Ryan Gregson, Linden Hall, Benn Harradine, Alex Hartmann, Madeline Hills, Tanya Holliday, Chelsea Jaensch, Michelle Jenneke, Selma Kajan, Genevieve LaCaze, Regan Lamble, Fabrice Lapierre, Kurtis Marschall, Luke Mathews, Sam McEntee, David McNeil, Kim Mickle, Victoria Mitchell, Morgan Mitchell, Kathryn Mitchell, Ella Nelson, Eleanor Patterson, Hamish Peacock, Brendon Reading, Jeff Riseley, Kelsey-Lee Roberts, Brett Robinson, Josh Robinson, Anneliese Rubie, Ben St Lawrence, Deni Samuels, Caitlin Sargent, Michael Shelley, Brandon Starc, Brooke Stratton, Rachel Tallent, Jared Tallent, Jessica Thorton, Patrick Tiernan, Jess Trengove, Lisa Weightman, Eloise Wellings, Lauren Wells, Scott Westcott.
Long jumper Fabrice Lapierre won silver medals at last year’s world championships and this year’s world indoors, showing a great recovery after his motivation dipped following a 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medal. Sally Pearson, who won gold in London, is a big miss but there are several other medal hopes in the squad.
Badminton
Three men and two women were announced in the badminton section.
Australia has never won an Olympic medal in badminton and it’s again unlikely they’ll be able to challenge the powerful Asian and European nations, with the best 172 competitors in the world in action in Rio.
Selected athletes: Men: Matthew Chau, Robin Middleton, Sawan Serasinghe. Women: Hsuan Yu Wendy Chen, Leanne Choo.
Basketball
Both the Boomers (men) and Opals (women) have qualified for Rio.
The men’s squad of 12 has been finalised with Andrew Bogut given a berth despite suffering an injury in the NBA finals series.
The Boomers will be without top NBA draft prospect Ben Simmons, who announced last month he would not be available.
A Boomers team loaded with six NBA players including Bogut, Patty Mills and Matthew Dellavedova is considered a realistic chance of contending for its first ever medal.
Australia’s women have won a medals at the past five Games and should be in the mix again, though they must overcome the loss of retired legend Lauren Jackson.
Selected athletes: Men: David Andersen, Cameron Bairstow, Aron Baynes, Andrew Bogut, Ryan Broekhoff, Matthew Dellavedova, Chris Goulding, Joe Ingles, Kevin Lisch, Damian Martin, Patty Mills, Brock Motum.
Women: Nat Burton, Elizabeth Cambage, Katie-Rae Ebzery, Cayla George, Laura Hodges, Rachel Jarry, Tessa Lavey, Leilani Mitchell, Erin Phillips, Stephanie Talbot, Penny Taylor, Marianna Tolo.
Boxing
Three Australian boxers — Shelley Watts, Daniel Lewis and Jason Whateley — booked their tickets to Rio at the Asia/Oceania qualifiers in China. Rio 2016 marks a new era in Olympic boxing with rule changes allowing professionals to compete.
Selected athletes: Daniel Lewis, Shelley Watts, Jason Whateley.
Australia hasn’t won an Olympic boxing medal since Grahame Cheney’s silver at Seoul 1988 and Glasgow Commonwealth Games gold medallist Watts looms as the best chance to break the drought.
Canoe/Kayak
Three athletes have been selected in slalom — Jessica Fox, Ian Borrows, Lucien Delfour — while 13 paddlers have been picked to compete in the sprint events across the K4, K2 and K1 1000m.
Selected athletes: Slalom: Jessica Fox, Ian Borrows, Lucien Delfour. Sprint: Stephen Bird, Daniel Bowker, Alyssa Bull, Alyce Burnett, Jacob Clear, Riley Fitzsimmons, Naomi Flood, Martin Marinov, Murray Stewart, Ferenc Szekszardi, Lachlan Tame, Ken Wallace, Jordan Wood
Strong. Australia’s men’s K4 1000m team won gold in London and could challenge for top honours again. Beijing K1 champion Ken Wallace and London silver medallist Jessica Fox are top individual hopes in a squad chasing its best Olympic result.
Cycling
A strong cycling team has been announced for track, road, BMX and mountain bike disciplines with more to beadded by the deadline.
Selected athletes: Track: Anna Meares, Stephanie Morton, Patrick Constable, Matthew Glaetzer, Nathan Hart, Ashlee Ankudinoff, Georgia Baker, Amy Cure, Annette Edmondson, Melissa Hoskins, Jack Borbridge, Alex Edmondson, Michael Hepburn, Glenn O’Shea, Callum Scotson, Sam Welsford. Road: Men: Richie Porte, Simon Gerrans, Rohan Dennis. Women: Gracie Elvin, Katrin Garfoot, Rachel Neylan, Amanda Spratt. BMX: Caroline Buchanan, Anthony Dean, Lauren Reynolds, Bodi Turner, Sam Willoughby. Mountain biking: Scott Bowden, Rebecca Henderson, Daniel McConnell.
Australia are always a force in Olympic cycling and look to be building nicely towards Rio. The many strong medal prospects include Anna Meares (keirin), Annette Edmondson (omnium), the men’s and women’s team pursuit on the track, and Caroline Buchanan and Sam Willoughby in BMX.
Diving
Australia has a nine-strong Rio team featuring veteran Melissa Wu, London platform silver medallist Brittany Broben and five rookies.
Selected athletes: Brittany Broben, Maddison Keeney, Esther Qin, Anabelle Smith, Melissa Wu, Domonuc Bedggood, Kevin Chavez, James Connor, Grant Nel.
An Australian squad captained by veteran Melissa Wu should be competitive, particularly in synchro events where it jagged two bronze at last year’s world championships.
London platform silver medallist Brittany Broben looms will aim to go one better if she can rediscover her best form following a horror shoulder injury in 2014.
Equestrian
Australia has qualified teams in the dressage, eventing, and jumping, with horse and athlete combinations to be finalised by early July.
Dressage rider Mary Hanna, 61, will become Australia’s oldest competing Olympian and just the third Australian woman to compete at five Games.
Selected athletes: Showjumping: James Paterson-Robinson (Amarillo), Edwina Tops-Alexander (Carentia de Joter) and Scott Keach (Fedor), Matthew Williams (Valinski S). Dressage: Mary Hanna (Boogie Woogie 6), Kelly Layne (Udon P), Kristy Oatley (Du Soleil), Lyndal Oatley (Sandro Boy). Eventing: Chris Burton (Santano II), Sam Griffiths (Paulank Brockagh), Shane Rose (CP Qualified), Stuart Tinney (Pluto Mio).
Australia didn’t win an equestrian medal in London four years ago but the nation has a proud Olympic history in the sport including six gold medals and is capable of bouncing back in Rio.
Football (Soccer)
Australia’s men’s team, the Olyroos, failed to qualify for the second straight Games after a dismal qualifying campaign but the women’s team, the Matildas, impressed in Asian qualifying to book an Olympic spot for the first time in 12 years.
Selected athletes: Matildas squad: Laura Alleway, Mackenzie Arnold, Tameka Butt, Eliie Carpenter, Stephanie Catley, Larissa Crummer, Lisa De Vanna, Caitlin Foord, Katrina Gorry, Michelle Hayman, Elise Kellong-Knight, Alanna Kennedy, Samantha Kerr, Chloe Logarzo, Clare Polkinghorne, Kyah Simon, Emily van Egmond, Lydia Williams
The Matildas have landed in a tricky group featuring Germany and Canada but, as the world’s fifth-ranked side, and quarter-finalists at last year’s World Cup, they are genuine medal contenders.
Golf
Australia will have two representatives in each of the 60-strong men’s and women’s field in Rio, but superstars Jason Day and Adam Scott won’t be among them after opting out due to health and scheduling concerns.
With Marc Leishman also ruling himself out, Scott Hend and Marcus Fraser will tee up in the men’s event. starts, with the team to be finalised soon.
Minjee Lee locked up the top spot for the two female slots and Su Oh edged out veteran Karrie Webb for the other.
Day’s withdrawal robs Australia of gold medal favouritism for the first Olympic golf event in 114 years, but the nation can certainly still contend for medals in what shapes up as a wide-open contest.
Selected athletes: Men: Scott Hend, Marcus Fraser. Women Minjhee Lee, Su Oh.
Gymnastics
Australia will not send a women’s artistic gymnastics team to the Olympics for the first time in almost 30 years, after falling just short of qualifying at the Rio test event. Australia has qualified one individual to compete - Larissa Miller claiming that honour ahead of Emily Little and Lauren Mitchell.
The others confirmed on the three-person team are three-time rhythmic national champion Danielle Prince and trampolinist Blake Gaudry.
With just one Olympic medal in gymnastics — Ji Wallace’s Sydney 2000 trampolining silver — and a small team in Rio, it seems unlikely Australia will be in the medals mix. Gaudry, now 24, was 13th in London and holds hopes of getting into contention.
Selected athletes: Larissa Miller (artistic), Danielle Prince (rhythmic) and Blake Gaudry (tramoline).
Field Hockey
Both the Kookaburras (men) and Hockeyroos (women) have qualified for Rio 2016 and named their squads.
Selected athletes: Men: Andrew Charter, Blake Govers, Christopher Ciriello, Daniel Beale, Eddie Ockenden, Fergus Kavanagh, Glenn Turner, Jacob Whetton, Jamie Dwyer, Mark Knowles, Matt Gohdes, Matthew Dawson, Matthew Swann, Simon Orchard, Timothy Deavin, Tristan White.
Women: Brooke Peris, Casey Sablowski, Edwina Bone, Emily Smith, Gabrielle Nance, Georgie Parker, Georgina Morgan, Grace Stewart, Jane-Anne Claxton, Jodie Kenry, Karri McMahon, Kathryn Slattery, Kirstin Dwyer, Madonna Blyth, Mariah Williams, Rachael Lynch.
Perennial medal contenders in field hockey, both of Australia’s national teams are expected to be in the gold medal mix. The Kookaburras are equal favourites with the Netherlands with the Hockeyroos rated second behind a powerful Dutch women’s squad.
Judo
Australia will take its youngest ever judo team to Rio, with the squad boasting an average age of just 22.
The team features two teenagers — 18-year-old Josh Katz, who joins older brother Nathan in the squad, and 19-year-old Queenslander Chloe Rayner.
Selected athletes: Jake Bensted, Eoin Coughlan, Miranda Giambelli, Katharina Haecker, Josh Katz, Nathan Katz, Chloe Rayner.
Australia has only two Olympic judo medals; bronze in 1964 and 2000. A team coached by four-time Olympian turned UFC fighter Dan Kelly should be competitive but will likely be much strong at Tokyo 2022.
Modern Pentathlon
Brother and sister duo Chloe and Max Exposito earned the honour of becoming the first athletes picked for the Australian Olympic team when they qualified at last year’s Asia/Oceania qualifiers.
Selected athletes: Chloe Exposito, Max Exposito
Australia has never won a medal in more than a century of Olympic modern pentathlon but has an outside chance of breaking the drought in Rio, with Chloe Exposito finishing seventh in London four years ago.
Rowing
Australia’s rowing squad has been announced with dual world champion Kim Brennan labelling it one of the nation’s strongest ever. Australia will have eight boats competing — five men’s events; single, double, and quadruple sculls, coxless fours and men’s pair, as well as three women’s boats: single, double and quadruple sculls.
Selected athletes: Rhys Grant, Alexander Lloyd, Spencer Turrin, David Watts, Chris Morgan, Alexander Hill, Joshua Dunkley-Smith, Joshua Booth, William Lockwood, Alexander Belonogoff, Cameron Girdlestone, James McRae, Karsten Forsterling, Kimberley Brennan, Genevieve Horton, Sally Kehoe, Jennifer Cleary, Jessica Hall, Kerry HoreMadeleine Edmunds.
Australia should again be a rowing force in Rio. After claiming five minor medals in London, they’ll look to add to their all-time haul of ten gold with Brennan (women’s single sculls), the men’s fours (rowing) ans the men’s quadruple sculls (rowing) among the top prospects.
Rugby
Both the Australian men’s and women’s sevens teams have qualified for Rio 2016, with the final squads to be named on July 14.
Australia’s women’s team is the early tournament favourite and tipped to battle New Zealand for gold. The men’s team is rated behind powerful New Zealand, South Africa and Fiji but capable of improving to get in the medals mix.
Sailing
Australia last month named seven sailors and have since added four Olympic debutants — Jaime Ryan, Ashley Stoddart, Carrie Smith and Jake Lilley. Jaime Ryan’s selection sees her join brother Will on the sailing team and they become the sixth set of siblings selected on the Australian Olympic team for Rio so far.
Selected athletes: Mathew Belcher, Tom Burton, Lisa Darmanin, Iain Jensen, Jake Lilley, Nathan Outteridge, Jaime Ryan, Will Ryan, Carrie Smith, Ashley Stoddart, Jason Waterhouse.
Australia was on top of the sailing world at London 2012, winning three gold and one silver. Continued good form suggests Australia will be strong on the water again in Rio.
Shooting
Selectors have finalised the shooting squad. With Olympic veteran Michael Diamond ruled out for disciplinary reasons, trap shooters Adam Vella and 16-year-old Mitchell Iles were this week added to the team.
Selected athletes: Paul Adams, Blake Blackburn, David Chapman, Keith Ferguson, Elena Galiabovitch, Will Godward, Jennifer Hens, Mitchell Iles, Aislin Jones, Warren Potent, Daniel Repacholi, Jack Rossiter, Dane Sampson, Laetisha Scanlan, Catherine Skinner, Adam Vella, James Willett, Lalita Yauhleuskaya
Australia’s shooters missed an Olympic medal for the first time in four Games at London 2012. A team blending youth and experience looks well placed for an improved showing.
Swimming
Australia named a 34-strong swim team following the completion of selection trials in Adelaide earlier this month. Sprinters James Magnussen, James Roberts and Matt Abood have since been officially added as relay swimmers, with Australia’s qualification for the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay confirmed by FINA. In addition, London Olympian Jarrod Poort and debutant Chelsea Gubecka will take to the waters of Copacabana for the 10km marathon swim.
Selected athletes: Matt Abood, Jessica Ashwood, Bronte Barratt, Joshua Beaver, Georgia Bohl, Bronte Campbell, Cate Campbell, Kyle Chalmers, Tamsin Cook, Alicia Coutts, Brittany Elmslie, Blair Evans, Thomas Fraser-Holmes, Madeline Groves, Chelsea Gubecka, Jacob Hansford, Belinda Hocking, Mack Horton, Grant Irvine, Mitch Larkin, James Magnussen, Travis Mahoney, Cameron McEvoy, David McKeon, Emma McKeon, Taylor McKeown, Jack McLoughlin, Keryn McMaster, David Morgan, Leah Neale, Kotuku Ngawati, Jake Packard, Joshua Palmer, Jarrod Poort, James Roberts, Emily Seebohm, Daniel Smith, Brianna Throssell, Madison Wilson.
After a disastrous showing in the pool in London four years ago, the Dolphins are poised to bounce back big time in Rio. With young stars including Cameron McEvoy, Mitch Larkin, Mack Horton and the Campbell sisters holding world-leading times, and Australia’s “toxic” London team culture long forgotten, this is a team on the rise.
Synchronised Swimming
Australia sealed qualification for Rio in the team and duet events by outperforming New Zealand at least year’s world championships. A squad of nine athletes has been named with London Olympian Bianca Hammett leading the way as captain.
Australia has never won an medal in synchronised swimming and will again struggle to get a look-in among the might of Russia and China.
Selected athletes: Hannah Cross, Bianca Hammett, Danielle Kettlewell, Nikita Pablo, Emily Rogers, Cristina Sheehan, Amber Rose Stackpole, Amie Thompson, Deborah Tsai.
Table Tennis
Australia will compete in all four events (men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s team, women’s team) in Rio with a selected squad of six including four-time Olympic Jian Fang Lay and 2012 Paralympian Melissa Tapper.
Selected athletes: Heming Hu, Jian Fang Lay, Dave Powell, Melissa Tapper, Chris Yan, Sally Zhang
China has 24 of 28 gold medals offered since Olympic table tennis’ inception in 1988 and should dominate again but an Australian team with plenty of experience will give a good account of itself.
Tae Kwon Do
With no Australian athlete qualifying through the Olympic ranking system, Australia booked two men and two women’s quota spots through the Oceania qualification tournament.
Selected athletes: Safwan Khalil, Caroline Marton, Carmen Marton, Heyder Shkara
Since winning two medals at Sydney 2000, Australia hasn’t been able to add to its tally in taekwondo and it’ll be hard to do so in Rio.
Tennis
Unfortunately the nations two best men - Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios - have ruled themselves out but a strong tennis squad will represent Australia in Rio.
Athletes selected: Sam Stosur (singles and women’s doubles), Daria Gavrilova (singles and women’s doubles), Thanaski Kokkinakis (singles), John Millman (singles), John Peers (men’s doubles), Chris Guccione (men’s doubles)
With a grand-slam quality field expected, superstars Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams will be gold medal favourites in singles but Australia’s doubles teams are capable of challenging for medals..
Triathlon
A six strong team will represent Australia in Rio.
In the men's event early qualifiers Aaron Royle and Ryan Bailie were joined by Ryan Fisher,
Beijing bronze medallist Emma Moffatt and Erin Densham have been picked on their third Olympic teams and are joined in the women's event by Ashleigh Gentle.
Selected athletes: Aaron Roye, Ryan Bailie, Ryan Fisher, Emma Moffatt, Erin Densham, Ashleigh Gentle.
Australia is the second most successful nation in Olympic triathlon — winning a medal in every women’s event since 2000 — behind Switzerland and is sure to be competitive again.
Volleyball
Australia’s indoor volleyball teams both missed out on qualification to Rio but the nation has qualified two women’s beach volleyball teams.
Louise Bawden and Taliqua Clancy were the first named with Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Nicole Laird announced this week as the second team.
Selected athletes: Beach volleyball: Mariafe Artacho del Solar, Louise Bawden, Taliqua Clancy, Nicole Laird,
Clancy, 23, will become Australia’s first Indigenous Olympian in the sport and Bawden, 34, is off to her third Games, 16 years after her first. The pair joined forces after the London Olympics and have continued to improve and now consistently challenge the top teams in the world.
Water Polo
Australia’s men’s and women’s water polo teams have qualified for Rio. The women’s squad was named in June with the men’s to be finalised later this week.
Australia’s women have won bronze at the past two Olympics and are expected to challenge the US for gold, while the ever-improving men’s team is capable of getting into medal calculations for the first time.
Selected athletes: Women’s squad: Zoe Arancini, Gemma Beadsworth, Isobel Bishop, Hannah Buckling, Keesja Gofers, Bronwen Knox, Holly Lincoln Smith, Glencora McGhie, Ashleigh Southern, Kelsey Wakefield, Rowie Webster, Lea Yanitsas, Nicola Zagame.
Weightlifting
Two Olympic debutants have been selected. Tia-Clair Toomey, 22, from Queensland - who finished second in a world's fittest woman competition - will contest the 58kg division. Cameroon-born male competitor Simplice Ribouem, 33, will lift in the 94kg division.
Athletes selected: Tia-Clair Toomey (women's 58kg), Simplice Ribouem (men's 94kg).
Australia hasn’t won an Olympic medal in weightlifting since Los Angeles 1984 (Dean Lukin gold, Robert Kabbas silver) and will find it hard to add to the tally in Rio.
Wrestling
Australia has selected two competitors in each of the freestyle and Greco-Roman events, with more places on offer at the international qualification tournaments next month.
Athletes selected: Freestyle: Talgat Ilyasov, Sahit Prizreni. Greco-Roman: Vinod Kumar, Ivan Popov
While it would be unlikely to see Australia challenge for medals in Rio, having four athletes qualified is a strong representation.
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Graphic courtesy of David.