Revealed: Qld’s magnificent Olympic and Paralympic seven
A golden generation of Queensland athletes are emerging ahead of our home Olympic and Paralympic Games, here are seven of our best.
Brisbane Olympics 2032
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When the sporting world turns its attention to southeast Queensland in 2032 all eyes will be on one man – Gout Gout.
When the sporting world turns its attention to southeast Queensland in 2032 all eyes will be on one man – Gout Gout.
In his own backyard of Brisbane, the sprint sensation will carry the hopes of a state and a nation on the track, certainly in the 200m and quite possibly the marquee 100m, where he could face fellow Queensland sprint sensation Lachlan Kennedy.
Already drawing comparisons to Olympic athletics legend Usain Bolt, 17-year-old Gout is maturing into his frame and showing incredible potential on the world stage.
He set a new Australian record for the 200m with a scorching run in his professional international debut at the Golden Spike meet in June.
The Ipswich Grammar School student stopped the clock at 20.02 seconds to blitz an impressive field in the Czech Republic.
And in his mind, wins like these are the first steps in a journey to greatness.
“Winning the Olympics and world championships,” he said on Fox Sports’ The Back Page when asked about his goals.
“And, honestly, dominating like Bolt did. That’s the limit that’s reachable for me.”
Torrie Lewis (Athletics)
Another Brisbane track product, Torrie Lewis has already worn the green and gold for Australia at an Olympic Games, having been chosen as a member of the 4x100m relay team and in the 200m for Paris 2024.
She placed seventh in her semi-final of the 200m in a time of 22.92 to stamp herself as a runner of international class.
She is Australia’s fastest woman with an amazing time of 11.10 seconds for the 100m but it is the 200m that appears to be her focus for the long-term.
The 20-year-old would be a team leader for our Athletics contingent in 2032 but make no mistake about it, being a part of that Games in Brisbane is something she has wanted for some time.
“That is the ultimate goal,” she told the Courier-Mail ahead of the Paris Games.
“It is possible. It would be great if it all panned out. A hometown Olympics, that is all anybody hopes for.”
Emerson Jones (Tennis)
Australia’s next big thing when it comes to women’s tennis. Emerson Jones, 17, has held the world No. 1 ranking for juniors during the past year and made her Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open.
Earlier this year was named the “orange girl” for Aussie great Sam Stosur’s Billie Jean King Cup team. Unlike the name suggests, this is the surest sign that the Australian tennis hierarchy view Jones as an incredible talent who can carry our nation’s tennis hopes for years to come, and that includes as a potential Olympian in 2032.
“She is a bit of a pocket rocket. I think some people look at her stature and her height and (think) ‘What could she really do?’ and then you see her go out there and she hits the ball just as big as anyone else and goes for it and is fearless and is a really great competitor,” Stosur told Code Sports about her fellow Gold Coast product.
And in the likely scenario that she does take the court for her country in 2032, she will join her mother, Triathlon legend Loretta Harrop, as an Aussie Olympian.
If she can bring home a silver medal like her mum did in Athens in 2004 that would be one amazing Australian sporting story.
Rocco Zikarsky (Basketball)
Rocco Zikarsky is taking his first giant steps in the NBA but, as the 221cm Queensland phenom hits Summer League in Las Vegas, Aussie hoops fans can’t help but envision how the teenager might one day be the key to a Boomers Olympic medal.
Zikarsky, the 45th pick in this year’s NBA draft, is locked in on a two-year, two-way deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves and looms as a key pillar of Australia’s assault on his home Olympics in Brisbane, 2032, Basketball Australia’s high performance boss Jason Smith said.
“Rocco is one of the most exciting young talents in Australian basketball,” Smith said.
“His size, skill set, and work ethic make him a genuine Boomer to watch as we build towards the Olympic Games in LA and Brisbane.”
The 19-year-old has long had an eye on wearing the green and gold in Brisbane.
“With 2032 being a home Olympics, that’s the one I really want to be cemented as a Boomers core player (for),” Zikarsky previously told Fox Sports.
The Sunshine Coast product has been gifted the athletic genes to be great – father Bjorn stands an imposing 208cm won bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics as part of the German 4x100m freestyle (alongside twin brother Bengt) while mother Kylie, at 185cm, is a former ironwoman who competed in elite triathlon and surf life saving events.
Koa Stotz (swimming)
If there’s one name in swimming to keep an eye on in the coming years, it is 14-year-old Gold Coaster Koa Stotz.
Already standing at 2m tall, the emerging breaststroke and freestyle star is making a name for himself in the world of swimming to already amass a junior record that includes eight national titles, two Australian records and 27 Queensland titles.
At the Australian Age titles earlier in 2025, Stotz set new national records for his age group in the 50m and 100m breaststroke and won the 50m freestyle title.
Training under Chris Urquhart at Somerset, Stotz has lofty ambitions in the pool with the mindset and stature to become a serious competitor.
“Every day I’m working to get faster, strong and better in every way,” Stotz wrote on his own website.
“I’ve already achieved some exciting milestones and this is just the beginning.
“My goal isn’t only to make it to the Olympics but also to change the sport forever.
“This is just the start of my journey, and I’m excited to see where it leads.”
Sierra Kerr (surfing)
World junior surfing champion Sierra Kerr is the daughter of former WSL top 10 aerial superstar Josh Kerr and already one of the most promising names ripping the waves for Australia.
Kerr, 18, is currently attempting to qualify for her first full year on the World Surf League tour after taking five months off to recover from a virus that kept her out of the water and forced her to basically learn to surf again.
But the Coolangatta-born multisport star, she’s a gun on a skateboard and at golf, is now back in the water, won a contest in Japan last May and vowed she won’t give up til she is back to her absolute best.
“I’m getting stronger and healthier every day,” she wrote on Instagram.
“I’m about 60% now, but I’m confident I’ll make a full recovery and be back to feeling like me. I won’t give up till I do.”
While Australia boasts some elite surfing talent like Molly Picklam, Tyler Wright and Isabella Nicholls, there is no doubt Kerr will be primed for a shot at Olympic glory when the Games roll into Queensland in seven years.
Holly Warn (Para-swimming)
Australia’s youngest Paralympian at the Paris Games last year aged just 15, swimmer Holly Warn is another athlete from the Gold Coast that has enormous potential in the countdown to Brisbane 2032.
Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at just four months of age, hydrotherapy is what led Warn to a life of swimming and a sporting pursuit that ultimately earned her selection for the Paris Paralympics.
“To get my first gold cap with my last name on it was such a memorable experience,” she said.
Warn competes in the S7 classification and in Paris she finished seventh in the 400m freestyle and just missed the finals in the 100m freestyle.
Her father John, the CEO of Experience Gold Coast, says swimming has “given Holly purpose”.
With a looming home Paralympics just seven years away, there’s no doubt Holly Warn’s passion and determination will lead her towards a potential podium in her home Games.
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