Meeting the young Aussie sleeping giant of world athletics capable of winning an Olympic Games gold

Meet a young Queenslander regarded as a sleeping giant of world athletics who is capable of not only winning a place on the Australian Olympic Games athletics team, but also claiming a gold medal.

Ashley Moloney is a name known within world athletic circles but little known to the general sporting enthusiast – but that might all change if the young decathlete stays fit and performs to his potential this year.

Indeed veteran athletics coach Eric Brown, who mentors Moloney, has labelled him not only a future Olympian, but a potential world No.1.

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“He is the complete decathlete, one of the most talented I have ever seen in the world. Over all the years of coaching, he has the lot,’’ Brown said.

Ashley Moloney with his coach at UQ Athletics, Eric Brown.

Brown’s statement carries even more weight considering he coaches Rio Olympian and 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist decathlete Cedric Dubler, along with Tokyo Olympic prospect Tori West (heptathlon) at UQ Athletics.

WHEN ASHLEY MOLONEY MET SOPHIE BINGHAM

“As an athlete he has the potential to win an Olympic gold medal,’’ Brown said.

The world has already glimpsed Moloney’s ability when he easily won the world junior championship (under 20) decathlon in 2018.

He amassed a world class number of points (8190) and broke three under 20 world records – 100m, high jump and 400m – as well as Dubler’s junior decathlon record.

Logan product Ashley Moloney has enormous potential. (Photo by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images for IAAF)

He progressed in 2019, at one stage pole vaulting his personal best from 4.60m to 5m.

At the end of last year he was then named Oceania Congress Athlete of the Year.

MOLONEY THE OCEANIA CONGRESS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Moloney, a Jimboomba Little Athletics junior who did his secondary schooling at Brisbane Boys College, had his progress halted earlier this year by a strained tendon in his foot but was set to come back at the state titles starting next week.

In his return from injury, Moloney will compete in two or three individual events at the states and three or four individual events at the national championships to be staged in Sydney in late March.

Providing he comes through fit, Brown expected he would be invited to the Multi Star event in Italy and then a IAAF world championship meet in Austria at the end of May where Brown expects him to produce an Olympic Games A qualifier at least one of those events.