Supermum overcomes dramatic few weeks to make fourth Australian marathon Olympic team

After getting caught up in a dramatic appeal process, Jess Stenson is set compete at her fourth Olympics as a star trio of mums headline the Australian marathon team bound for Paris.

SUPERMUM Jess Stenson says her two young children helped her deal with the drama around an appeal over her marathon selection for the Paris Olympics.

The athletics community has been divided about the make-up of the women’s marathon team after Stenson was awarded the third spot ahead of four-time Olympian Lisa Weightman.

Six women went under the Olympic qualifying time with Weightman the third-fastest behind Australian record holder Sinead Diver and former steeplechaser Genevieve Gregson. Stenson recorded the fifth-fastest time in Daegu just seven months after giving birth to her second child.

But selectors used their discretion to go with Stenson, the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, which caused uproar on social media and was fuelled by a post by Weightman’s husband.

Jessica Stenson has faced scrunity for her Olympic team selection and says her two young children helped her overcome the drama. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

An appeal by Weightman was unsuccessful which cleared the way for Stenson, Diver and Gregson to officially receive their tickets to Paris from Chef de Mission Anna Meares in Melbourne on Monday morning.

“I have found it difficult but I have had my kids at home to focus on and a big race to prepare for,” Stenson, 36, said.

“Stress isn’t helpful, you need to be getting good sleep, you need your body to be in its best form to absorb the training so I have had to find strategies just to focus on the process and what matters most.

“It’s certainly been a strengthening process for sure. I actually haven’t engaged much with what has been happening and that has really helped me. I just decided to step back and stick to focusing on training and my family.

“I know there has been some commentary out there but I don’t actually know the specifics of it so that I think to some extent has really helped me.”

Sinead Diver, Genevieve Gregson and Jessica Stenson have each made ‘supermum’ comebacks to the track. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

She described coming back after her second child as like having a “superpower”.

Gregson, who is becoming just the sixth Australian female track and field athlete to compete in four Olympic Games, said she would have appealed if she’d been in Weightman’s position.

“It was going to be heart-breaking no matter what,” she said. “Going through the process the last few weeks was new to everyone and I never felt safe, more just because I respect my opposition.

“No-one necessarily was a stand-out over the other so I thought the appeal would kind of open up the floor for any of us to be switched out, that’s why it’s been pretty stressful.”

She described the social media uproar as a “lapse in judgement”.

“I don’t think any of the girls are out there to tear each other down,” she said.

Gregson, who turns 35 just before the Paris race, wasn’t sure if she’d be returning to the Olympics after tearing her achilles during the steeplechase final at the 2021 Tokyo Games.

Instead she gave birth to her first child Archer in 2022 and has come back a stronger and better athlete since switching up to the marathon.

Five Australian Marathon athletes have been named for Paris. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Diver, 47, who also has two children, returns for her second Games after her 10th place in Tokyo was the best Olympic finish by an Australian woman in more than thirty years.

“With every marathon you learn something new,” Diver said. “There are always lots of learnings and with this course in Paris we know there is a tough section in the middle, it is very hilly and I’ve been training hard to get ready for it.”

Australia also named two male marathon runners with Brett Robinson to compete at his third Olympics while Pat Tiernan will be making his Olympic marathon debut in Paris.

Originally published as Supermum overcomes dramatic few weeks to make fourth Australian marathon Olympic team