Largest Australian gymnastics team ever named for Paris Olympics

More Australian gymnasts than ever before are headed to the Olympics, with a massive 11 first-timers and a teen trampoline star.

Emily Whitehead is part of a huge Australian Olympic team. Picture: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

The biggest Australian gymnastics team ever sent to the Olympics will include a teenage trampoline star who will be the youngest ever to compete at the Games.

Australia will send a record 13 gymnasts to the Paris Olympics, with a record 11 women and 11 debutants confirmed at the MCG on Tuesday morning.

It’s the biggest team since Australia sent 12 gymnasts to the Tokyo Olympics in 1964.

A shocking achilles injury to star gymnast Georgia Godwin, who became just the fifth Australian to have an original move named in her honour and included in the global scoring system, robbed her of chance to go to a second Games.

But Brock Batty, 17, will become the youngest male from any nation to ever contest Olympic trampoline when he makes his debut in Paris.

“It’s something I’ve honestly thought about every single day since the Olympic dream was born when I started gymnastics,” he said.

“It’s crazy to think about that it’s actually happening, and I’ll be competing at an Olympics.”

Australia's largest Olympic Gymnastics Team is set to hit the floor at #Paris2024!#AllezAUS | @GymAustraliapic.twitter.com/dMexl6r5AA

— AUS Olympic Team (@AUSOlympicTeam) June 18, 2024

Among the other team members, Emily Whitehead returns for her second Games, while Emma Nedov, Kate McDonald, Ruby Pass, Breanna Scott and Jesse Moore will make their Olympic debuts.

Tokyo Olympian Lidiia Iakovleva returns, while Saskia Broedelet, Phoebe Learmont, Emmanouela Frroku and Jessica Weintraub are also headed to the Games for the first time.

Iakovleva is set to make history as the first Australian to compete both individually and as part of a group in rhythmic gymnastics.

Frroku, aged 17 years eight days on day one of the rhythmic gymnastics competition, will be the second youngest Australian in rhythmic gymnastics, while Nedov, 28, earnt selection after narrowly missing out in 2016 and 2020.

“I wanted to give it one last go to make my Olympic dream a reality,” Nedov said.

“I am over the moon to have made the team and I am so excited to share the experience with Emily, Kate, Ruby and Breanna and the rest of the Australian team.

“We are going to give it our all and make every Australian proud.”

Emily Whitehead is part of Australia’s massive Paris Olympic team. Picture: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Gymnastics Australia interim chief executive and high-performance director Chris O’Brien was proud to see the record-setting team announced.

“Assembling our biggest ever squad for an Olympic Games is an incredible achievement that everyone in the gymnastics community is immensely proud of,” he said.

“The 13 athletes selected are a testament to the athlete-centred approach and investment in leadership development by Gymnastics Australia in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Sport, the Australian Olympic Committee and Commonwealth Games Australia.

“Our team contains an exciting mix of youth and experience from 17-year-old national champions Ruby Pass and Brock Batty to 28-year-old Oceania champion Emma Nedov and we cannot wait to see them shine in front of the rest of the world.”

Originally published as Largest Australian gymnastics team ever named for Paris Olympics