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Boomers, Alanah Boyd, Genevieve LaCaze headline Australia’s Day 14 Rio Olympic charge

The Australian Boomers take on Serbia in the semi-final of the men’s basketball competition in the major feature of Day 14 Rio Olympic action.

Eloise Wellings (left) and Genevieve Lacaze after their heat of the women’s 5000m.
Eloise Wellings (left) and Genevieve Lacaze after their heat of the women’s 5000m.

DIVING – 5am

Chandler diver Domonic Bedggood will make his Olympic Games debut in the men’s 10m platform in Rio on August 20 at 5am.

Bedggood, who took up the sport after he broke his bar in a high bar incident doing gymnastics and is now coached by Xiangning Chen, secured his spot on the Australian team with a dominant performance at the Australian Open Championships, which doubled as a Rio selection event.

Bedggood, who went to Belmont State School and Holland Park High, won gold in the 10m synchronised event with Matthew Mitcham at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Brock Motum (left) in action for the Boomers in their quarter-final.
Brock Motum (left) in action for the Boomers in their quarter-final.

AUSTRALIAN BOOMERS versus SERBIA - 8am (SEMI-FINAL)

THE Boomers can engrave their name in history if they can beat Serbia and earn a place in the gold medal match in Rio.

Australia will look to beat Serbia for the second time this tournament, after a 95-80 victory in the group stages, and secure the country’s first ever Olympic men’s basketball medal.

The Boomers might be without Cameron bairstow who is day-to-day after suffering a dislocated shoulder in the team’s last pool match.

Australia also feature Brisbane State High School duo Brock Motum and Chris Goulding.

Australia's Danielle Prince practices her routine for the rhythmic gymnastics.
Australia's Danielle Prince practices her routine for the rhythmic gymnastics.

RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

MANLY WEST product Danielle Prince will finally make her Olympic debut when she starts her rhytmic gymnastics competition tonight.

Prince, a Moreton Bay College graduate and Premier Gymnastics athlete, will compete in the four classification rounds starting at 11.20pm tonight and finishing at 5am tomorrow.

The final will be on Sunday from 4.20am.

Alana Boyd competes during the Women's Pole Vault Qualifying Round.
Alana Boyd competes during the Women's Pole Vault Qualifying Round.

ATHLETICS – 9.30am

Pole vaulter Alana Boyd will compete in the Olympic Games final in Rio on August 20 at 9.30am.

The dual Olympian and two-time Commonwealth Games champion, who comes from an athletically talented family, beat her own Australian record by 4cm when she cleared 4.81m in July.

The clearance, which came three weeks after her comeback from an ankle injury sustained at March’s world indoor championships, was 6cm higher than the gold medal-winning mark by American Jenn Suhr at the London 2012 Games.

Boyd jumped 4.55m in the qualifying round of the pole vault on Tuesday night.

When she made her Olympic debut in Beijing in 2008, the former Morningside resident became the first athlete to join both parents as an Olympian.

The University of Queensland graduate placed 16th in Beijing and 11th in London in 2012.

Her mum Denise (née Robertson) won ran in two Olympic finals (1976 and 1980) in the 200m, finishing 7th in both. Her dad and coach Ray Boyd was a dual Olympic pole vaulter.

Caitlin Sargent will make her Olympic debut.
Caitlin Sargent will make her Olympic debut.

ATHLETICS – 9.40am

Caitlin Sargent will make her Olympic Games debut in the women’s 4x400m relay in Rio on August 20 at 9.40am.

The University of Queensland Athletics club member, a physiotherapist, is coached by Eric Brown – as is Australian teammate Cedric Dubler.

If the Australian team do well, the 24-year-old, who went to Milton State School and Indooroopilly State High, will compete in the final on August 21 at 11am.

Genevieve Lacaze (right) will compete in the 5000m final.
Genevieve Lacaze (right) will compete in the 5000m final.

ATHLETICS – 10.40am

AUSTRALIAN athlete Genevieve LaCaze was one of three Australians to qualify for the 5km final on Tuesday night.

LaCaze, Eloise Wellings and Madeline Hills will all line up in the final on Saturday at 10.40am.

The 27-year-old former John Paul College student’s brother, Elliott, said she would use her success in the 3000m steeplechase to boost her 5km performance.

“I think she’ll look to use the high of the steeplechase to boost her in the 5km,” LaCaze said.

LaCaze made her first Olympic final this week, finishing ninth overall and running a personal best time of 9:21.21.

The national record is currently held by Donna MacFarlane with a time of 9:18.35 in 2008.

“(The final) was fantastic — everyone was so excited with how she went,” Mr LaCaze said.

“She was really happy to do a PB in the final — it was all she could ask for to happen.

“She wants the Australian record within the next few months — that’s her next goal.

“(Fellow Australian steeplechase athlete) Madeline Hills and Gen have got a friendly, competitive rivalry going now and I think they’re pushing each other to be better.”

LaCaze said he was “extremely proud” of his sister.

Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/boomers-alanah-boyd-genevieve-lacaze-headline-australias-day-14-rio-olympic-charge/news-story/e6e1db2c56f12051352a90c3ecc5bcd6