Commonwealth Games glory: How you can cheer on every South Aussie athlete competing at Birmingham
From household names like Kyle Chalmers to a 16-year-old making her Games debut, 41 South Aussies have their eyes set on gold in Birmingham. Mark your calendars!
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As the clock ticks down to the start of the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, here is your ultimate guide to follow every South Australian athlete competing at the event. From swimming to table tennis, cycling to gymnastics – don’t miss any of the action.
ATHLETICS
ISOBEL BATT-DOYLE, 26
Women’s 10,000m (and 5,000m reserve)
Games debut
Born into a family of runners and starting Little Athletics at the age of eight, “Izzi”, ran her first 6km City-Bay Fun Run aged only nine.
She made her Olympic debut in Tokyo last year in the 5000m (placing 15th with a time of 15:21.65), and has turned her attention to the 10,000m, running up to 150km every week in training.
Schedule: 10,000m final, August 4, from 3am
HENRY FRAYNE, 32
Men’s long jump
Third Games appearance (Glasgow 2014 – 12th; Gold Coast 2018 – Silver)
He might have retired from the sport following his Tokyo Olympics appearance, but a five-month hiatus made him realise he wasn’t done yet. He’s already had two wins on the European circuit this year, jumping 8.10m at a meet in Geneva in June. Jump aboard the “Frayne Train”.
Schedule: Qualifying rounds: August 2, from 6.30pm; final: August 5, from 3am
KURTIS MARSCHALL, 25
Men’s pole vault
Second Games appearance (Gold Coast 2018 – Gold)
The reigning Comm Games pole vault champion and two-time Olympian is looking to emulate his childhood hero – Steve Hooker – and become the third Australian man to win back-to-back gold medals. Marschall attempted his first pole vault at the age of 12 when he jumped 2m, and was jumping over 5m by the time he was 16. He was also a talented junior footballer and a part of West Adelaide’s junior squad, before his love of athletics took over.
Schedule: Final, August 7, from 3am
JESSICA STENSON, 34
Women’s marathon
Third Games appearance, (Glasgow 2014 – Bronze: Women’s Marathon; 2018 – Bronze: Women’s Marathon)
Stenson (nee Trengove) is primed for a big Comm Games campaign after setting a new personal best of 2:25.13 at the Perth Marathon in October last year – a 46-second improvement. That run in Perth was the fourth-fastest marathon time by an Australian woman and the fastest marathon time by an Australian woman on home soil.
Schedule: July 30, 3.30pm
BASKETBALL
LAUREN MANSFIELD, 32
3x3 Basketball
Games debut
Born in Elizabeth Vale, basketball has taken Mansfield across the globe, from Iowa State to Perth.
The point guard was sidelined for the end of this year’s WNBL season – where she co-captained the Sydney Uni Flames – with a tear in her calf tendon. But she has recovered and is ready to play for gold!
Schedule:
Aus v Scotland, July 30, 12.25am
Aus v Kenya, July 30, 6.05am
Aus v Sri Lanka, August 1, 12am
Finals to follow
ALEX WILSON, 28
3x3 Basketball
Games debut
The Murray Bridge-born basketballer was signed by the Adelaide Lightning as a development player in 2010 and by 2014 had been named the WNBL’s Rookie of the Year. She went on to win championships with both Townsville and Sydney Uni. She’s currently playing with the Norwood Flames in the NBL1 this year.
Schedule:
Aus v Scotland, July 30, 12.25am
Aus v Kenya, July 30, 6.05am
Aus v Sri Lanka, August 1, 12am
Finals to follow
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
CHRIS McHUGH, 35
Men’s beach volleyball
Second Games appearance (Gold Coast 2018 – Gold: Men’s Beach Volleyball)
Legend has it that the NSW-born, SA-based athlete and Comm Games champion first got into beach volleyball so he could avoid clarinet lessons. It’s paid off, with the Tokyo Olympian now vying for a second Comm Games gold medal. The five-time Asian Beach Volleyball Champion goes into Birmingham with a new partner in Paul Burnett.
Schedule:
Aus v Maldives, July 31, 3.30am
Aus v South Africa, August 1, 11pm
Aus v Rwanda, August 3, 11pm
Finals to follow
PAUL BURNETT, 24
Men’s beach volleyball
Games debut
Teaming up with veteran Chris McHugh about a year ago, the pair has had a successful start, most recently winning the Cobram Barooga Classic. According to the Australian Comm Games website, Canadian-born Burnett has a Bachelor of Dental Surgery from the University of Adelaide and worked as a dentist during the Covid-19 global pandemic when sports around the world were paused.
Schedule:
Aus v Maldives, July 31, 3.30am
Aus v South Africa, August 1, 11pm
Aus v Rwanda, August 3, 11pm
Finals to follow
BOXING
EDGARDO COUMI, 26
Men’s 81kg
Games debut
Coached by his father, Charlie, Coumi narrowly missed out on selection for the Tokyo Olympics, but three wins in the heavyweight (92kg) division at the selection trials in February saw him achieve his Games debut. At 26, he is the oldest boxer on the men’s team.
Schedule: Preliminary rounds: from July 29, 8.30pm; quarter-finals: from August 3, 8.30pm; semi-finals: from August 6, 7pm; final: August 7, from 7pm
CALLUM PETERS, 19
Men’s 75kg
Games debut
Middleweight boxer Peters is the youngest member of the Aussie boxing squad at Birmingham. He is one of nine children, and is said to have taken up boxing as a way to improve his fitness. He’s coached by his father, Bradley, at a gym in Kapunda. Despite his young age, he already has 50 amateur fights to his name and in 2019 was crowned Australian Youth Champion.
Schedule: Preliminary rounds: from July 29, 8.30pm; quarter-finals: from August 3, 8.30pm; semi-finals: from August 6, 7pm; final: August 7, from 3.30am
CRICKET
DARCIE BROWN, 19
Women’s T20 Cricket
Games debut
One of the rising stars of the world-conquering Australian Women’s Cricket Team, Brown is one of the game’s fastest bowlers. Making her international debut against New Zealand in March, 2021, she already has successful Ashes, 50-over World Cup and Rose Bowl campaigns under her belt, having taken 21 international wickets across all formats.
Schedule:
Aus v Ind, July 29, 7.30pm
Aus v Barbados, July 31, 2.30am
Aus v Pakistan, August 3, 7.30pm
Finals to follow
TAHLIA McGRATH, 26
Women’s T20 Cricket
Games debut
One of Australia’s key players, McGrath has established herself as one of the side’s most consistent and impressive all-rounders after being recalled to the green and gold in 2020.
At T20 level, she has an enviable strike-rate of 156.
Schedule:
Aus v Ind, July 29, 7.30pm
Aus v Barbados, July 31, 2.30am
Aus v Pakistan, August 3, 7.30pm
Finals to follow
MEGAN SCHUTT, 29
Women’s T20 Cricket
Games debut
A veteran of women’s international cricket, Schutt’s signature in-swing has been fooling batters since she made her debut in the green and gold in 2012. Earlier this month, Schutt took her 100th T20I wicket and would no doubt be hoping to add to her wicket tally as women’s cricket makes its Commonwealth Games debut.
Schedule:
Aus v Ind, July 29, 7.30pm
Aus v Barbados, July 31, 2.30am
Aus v Pakistan, August 3, 7.30pm
Finals to follow
AMANDA-JADE WELLINGTON, 25
Women’s T20 Cricket
Games debut
Thanks to hard work both on and off the pitch, the prodigious legspinner has fought her way back into the Aussie team after falling out of selectors’ favour for four years. She set a new Women’s Big Bash bowling record late last year, taking incredible figures of 5/8, playing for the Adelaide Strikers.
Schedule:
Aus v Ind, July 29, 7.30pm
Aus v Barbados, July 31, 2.30am
Aus v Pakistan, August 3, 7.30pm
Finals to follow
CYCLING
ROHAN DENNIS, 32
Men’s Road Cycling
Third Games appearance (Delhi 2010 – 6th: Men’s Individual Time Trial; 2014 – Silver: Men’s Individual Time Trial)
A Tour Down Under champion, Tour de France yellow-jersey wearer and three-time Olympian, Dennis is competing in his third Games, having won bronze in the Tokyo Olympics last year. He has established himself as a world-class road cyclist after a successful track career, which included a world champion stint with the men’s team pursuit.
Schedule: Road race final: August 7, 4.30pm
SOPHIE EDWARDS, 22
Women’s Track Cycling – Endurance
Games debut
A bronze medallist in the individual pursuit at the 2018 World Junior Championships, Edwards was elevated to the Aussie endurance squad in 2022 allowing her to make her Games debut. She has loved cycling since childhood, when she was identified as a potential elite athlete by the South Australian Sports Institute.
Schedule: Qualification rounds, July 30, from 4.30am
MATTHEW GLAETZER, 29
Men’s Track Cycling – Sprint
Third Games appearance (Glasgow 2014 – Gold: Men’s Keirin, Bronze: Men’s Team Sprint; Gold Coast 2018 – Gold: Men’s Keiren and 1000m Time Trial, Bronze: Men’s Team Sprint)
Glaetzer has headed to Birmingham aiming to become only the third track cyclist to win three consecutive gold medals in the same Commonwealth Games event. Also a three-time Olympian, Glaetzer is one of the most experienced riders in the Aussie team. He overcame thyroid cancer in 2019, spending only one-month sidelined after surgery.
Schedule: Team sprint: (qualifying) July 29, from 6.30pm; (final) July 30, from 4.30am
BREANNA HARGRAVE, 39
Women’s Track Cycling – Sprint
Second Games appearance (2014 – Bronze: Women’s Tandem 1000m Time Trial (Pilot) & Women’s Tandem Sprint (Pilot))
The former high jumper and heptathlete has seen her cycling career boom during Covid, when lockdowns affected her physiotherapy practice, giving her more time on the bike. At 39, this is Hargrave’s first major championship as part of the Australian sprint squad. Her first Games appearance was eight years ago, where she won two bronze medals as the pilot for Brandie O’Connor in the para-track events.
Schedule: Qualifying: July 29, from 6.30pm; (final) July 30, from 4.30am
LEIGH HOFFMAN, 22
Men’s Track Cycling – Endurance
Games debut
Whyalla-born Hoffman is following up his Olympics debut last year, with a Comm Games debut this year. He has already enjoyed a successful start to 2022, when he was part of Australia’s men’s team sprint at the UCI Track Nations Cup in Glasgow, Scotland.
Schedule: Qualification rounds: from July 29, 6.30pm
ALEXANDRA MANLY, 26
Women’s Road Cycling
Second Games appearance (Gold Coast 2018 – Gold: Women’s 4000m Team Pursuit)
Having been scouted from WA by the South Australian Sports Institute’s cycling program when she was 14, Manly comes into Birmingham hoping to become the first rider since Kathy Watt to win Comm Games gold in both track and road cycling events. She has started 2022 well, winning the Thuringen Ladies Tour in Germany in May, with Team BikeExchange-Jayco.
Schedule: August 7, 4.30pm
CHLOE MORAN, 23
Women’s Track Cycling – Endurance
Game debut
Growing up in North Adelaide, Moran played hockey and loved surf lifesaving until a South Australian Sports Institute talent identification program picked up that she would make either a good kayaker or cyclist. Cycling it was, and in 2021 she won two national cycling titles.
Schedule: Qualification rounds, July 30, from 4.30am
MAEVE PLOUFFE, 23
Women’s Track Cycling – Endurance
Games debut
Plouffe always wanted to be a rower, so as a 13-year-old she signed up for a sports institute talent identification program … but it told her she’d make an even better cyclist. It proved correct; by 2017 she was competing in the World Junior Track Cycling World Championships. After making her Olympic debut last year, she heads to Birmingham with impressive results in 2022, becoming only the third woman in history to break the 3min20sec barrier at the Nations Cup title in Milton, Ontario.
Schedule: Qualification rounds, July 30, from 4.30am
RUBY ROSEMAN-GANNON, 23
Women’s Road Cycling
Games debut
The Victorian now calls SA home as part of the Australian Cycling track program. When she’s not in Adelaide, she’s in Europe racing for Team BikeExchange – Jayco. Roseman-Gannon also won this year’s women’s stage of the Festival of Cycling – the event which has replaced the Tour Down Under during the Covid pandemic.
Schedule: August 7, 4.30pm
MILES SCOTSON, 28
Men’s Road Cycling
Second Games appearance (Glasgow 2014 – 7th: Men’s Points Race)
The Trinity College product returns to the Comm Games having made appearances in the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Tour Down Under since he first competed at Glasgow. He is a junior team pursuit world titleholder (2012).
Schedule: August 7, 4.30pm
BEAU WOOTTON, 23
Men’s Para-Track Cycling
Games debut
Wootton was born with optic atrophy, which interferes with messages from the eye to the brain, and has enjoyed quick success since taking up tandem cycling. The Adelaide-born cyclist was named as part of the Para-cycling group for AusCycling Podium Potential Academy earlier this year and won gold in the tandem time trial and silver in the sprint at this year’s track nationals.
Schedule: Qualification rounds: from July 29, 8.30pm
GYMNASTICS
Men’s Artistic Gymnastics
Games debut
Having been identified as a significant talent as a five-year-old, Mason Stephens has overcome significant injuries to make his Comm Games debut. Not only has be come back from three torn anterior cruciate ligaments in his knees, but he only has one pectoral muscle in his chest. This year has been a big year for him so far – not only did he graduate from the University of Illinois, but he finished second in the All-Around at the 2022 Australian Championships and finished fourth in the high bar.
Schedule: Qualification rounds, July 30, from 3.30am
JESSE MOORE, 19
Men’s Artistic Gymnastics
Games debut
At only 19, Moore is the youngest member of the Australian artistic gymnastics team, but age hasn’t stopped his success. Earlier this year he was crowned the men’s All-Around Australian Gymnastics champion. He started gymnastics at the age of six, and soon found himself in Gymnastics South Australia’s high-performance program GymJets. From 2015-2019 Moore won five straight All-Around age title national championships. He made his international debut in 2018.
Schedule: Qualification rounds, July 30, from 3.30am
HOCKEY
JANE CLAXTON, 29
Women’s hockey
Third Games appearance (Glasgow 2014 – Gold; Gold Coast 2018 – Silver)
Claxton comes into this Games as the Hockeyroos’ co-captain and the side’s most-capped player, nearing 200 international appearances. Those international games include two Olympic campaigns and World Cup and Champions Trophy tournaments. He began playing hockey as a six-year-old.
Schedule:
Aus v Kenya, July 30, 10.30pm
Aus v South Africa, August 1, 3.30am
Aus v New Zealand, August 2, 5.30pm
Aus v Scotland, August 3, 5.30am
Finals to follow
LAWN BOWLS
CHRIS FLAVEL, 38
Men’s Pairs B6-B8
Games debut
Port Pirie-born Flavel has notched up more than 50 international appearances for Australia after taking up lawn bowls aged 10, drawn to the game by his grandfather. In 2007, Flavel was diagnosed with the genetic disorder facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, which leads to a progressive degeneration of the face, shoulder blades and upper arm muscles, which has no cure. The 2015 Australian Multi-Disability champion will make his Games debut alongside Damien Delagdo in the men’s pairs.
Schedule: Sectional play, from July 29, 4pm; semi-finals, from August 1, 4pm; medal matches: August 3, from 3.45am
MATTHEW NORTHCOTT, 29
Mixed Pairs B2-B3 (Director)
Games debut
The head coach at the Holdfast Bay Bowls and Croquet Club will act as director for Jake Fehlberg as his charge seeks to become the first Para-lawn bowls player to successfully defend a title at the Commonwealth Games. Northcott started playing bowls as a 10 year old, after his family relocated to a small rural town and his father wanted him to make new friends. He’s held numerous roles including as operations manager at Bowls SA.
Schedule: Sectional play, from July 31, 11.30pm
NETBALL
SARAH KLAU, 27
Netball
Games debut
Making her international debut for the Diamonds at the 2019 Netball World Cup, 190cm Klau is one of the country’s best defensive rebounders. A former Adelaide Thunderbird-turned Sydney Swift, she is ranked in Super Netball’s Top 10 for defensive rebounds, gains, intercepts and deflections.
Schedule:
Aus v Barbados, July 29, 8.30pm
Aus v Scotland, July 30, 8.30pm
Aus v Wales, August 2, 8.30pm
Aus v Jamaica, August 4, 5.30pm
Finals to follow
SQUASH
ALEX HAYDON, 21
Women’s Doubles
Games debut
The youngest member of the Australian squash team, Haydon grew up in the Clare Valley and played the sport from a young age, moving to the Gold Coast after finishing school in 2019 to train at the National Squash Centre. She has enjoyed a successful start to 2022, winning both the Australian Women’s Open Doubles and the singles title at the prestigious Gold Coast Open PSA. She has teamed up with Jess Turnbull for the Games doubles.
Schedule: Group matches, from July 29, 5.30pm
SWIMMING
KYLE CHALMERS, 24
50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 50m butterfly
Second Games appearance (Gold Coast 2018, Gold: 200m Freestyle, 4x100m Freestyle, 4x100m Medley, 4x200m Freestyle; Silver: 100m Freestyle)
Already an Olympic and Commonwealth Games champion, Chalmers has overcome recent shoulder surgery to return to the pool in time for his second Comm Games appearance, now looking to add butterfly to his medal-winning ways. He remains one of the top-rated chances for gold in his pet freestyle events.
Schedule: 50m freestyle: (heats) August 2, from 9pm, (final) August 4, from 3.30am; 100m freestyle: (heats) July 31, from 9pm, (final) August 2, from 3.30am; 50m butterfly: (heats) July 29, from 7pm, (final) July 31, from 3.30am
ZAC INCERTI, 26
100m, 200m freestyle
Training partner – plus housemate and good mate – of Kyle Chalmers, the WA-born product has relocated to Adelaide to work under coach Peter Bishop, taking up competitive swimming at the age of 18. The sprint specialist made his Olympic debut in Tokyo, taking home two bronze medals in replay categories.
Schedule: 100m freestyle: (heats) July 31, from 7pm; 200m freestyle: (heats) July 30, from 7pm
MEG HARRIS, 20
100m freestyle
Games debut
Another recent arrival to work under swim coach Peter Bishop, the Victorian-born Harris was encouraged into the sport by her swim-teacher mum. At the age of 19, Harris made her first Olympic team and on debut in Tokyo, won a gold medal and set a new world record as part of the Women’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay.
Schedule: 100m freestyle: (heats) August 1, from 7pm
MATTHEW TEMPLE, 23
Games debut
Having won two bronze medals at the Tokyo Olympics (Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay and Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay), Victorian-born Temple relocated to SA to join successful coach Peter Bishop at the South Australian Sports Institute program at Marion. Last year he also swam for the New York Breakers in the International Swimming League.
Schedule: 50m butterfly: (heats) July 29, from 7pm; 100m butterfly: (heats) August 1, from 7pm
ISABELLA VINCENT, 16
Women’s 100m Backstroke S8
Games debut
Isabella was born with sacral agenesis regression syndrome, which affects the development of the lower spine. After being encouraged by her hydrotherapist to take up swimming, she joined the ENable program at Norwood Swimming Club. By 2018 she was swimming competitively and in 2021 at the Australian Age Swimming Championships, she won five gold medals, three silver and one bronze, and earned Tokyo Paralympic honours where she won a silver (women’s 4x100m freestyle relay) and bronze (women’s 4x100m medley relay).
Schedule: Heats: July 31, from 7pm; final: August 1, from 3.30am
MADI WILSON, 28
Women’s 200m Freestyle
Second Games appearance (Glasgow 2014 – 6th: 200m Backstroke, 7th: 100m Backstroke, 8th: 50m Backstroke)
Perhaps Wilson didn’t have much choice, but to get into swimming … after all, her grandparents owned a swimming centre in Queensland and after she broke her arm three times playing netball, the water won out. The two-time Olympian has relocated to Adelaide to work under coach Peter Bishop and has enjoyed recent success, including winning gold and setting a new world record in the mixed 4x100m relay in last month’s World Championships.
Schedule: 200m freestyle: (heats) July 29, from 7pm
TABLE TENNIS
AMANDA TSCHARKE, 40
Women’s Singles Classes 3-5
Games debut
A junior athletics state representative for SA, Tscharke was 15 when she was injured in a motorbike accident in 1997, which dislocated her spine and left her in a wheelchair. She used exercise as a way to recover both mentally and physically from her injuries – and the dozen surgeries – but it wasn’t until 2013 when a former teacher encouraged her into para-sport.
Schedule: Qualifying rounds: from August 3, 6pm; semi-finals and finals to follow
TRIATHLON
SOPHIE LINN, 27
Women’s Individual
Games debut
The United States-based Linn shocked her competitors back in April when she won the Gold Coast Triathlon and gained an automatic nomination for her debut Games appearance. It was impressive given the rookie and former long-distance runner only took up triathlon in 2018 and overcame a ruptured achilles tendon eight months before the big race.
Schedule: August 29, 6pm
WEIGHTLIFTING
Kiana Elliott, 24
Women’s 71kg
Games debut
Tokyo Olympian Elliot recently produced a powerful performance at the 2022 Singapore Weightlifting International to record six out of six lifts and a new personal best of 220kg (100kg snatch and 120kg C & J). Normally a 64kg lifter, Elliott moved up to the 71kg weight class to better her chances of 2022 Commonwealth Games selection, which has paid off.
Was born in NSW, but now calls Adelaide home as her training base.
Schedule: August 2, 3am
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