Rio Olympics 2016: Ellie Carpenter becomes Australia’s youngest Olympian after being named in Matildas squad

TEENAGER Ellie Carpenter has become the youngest athlete on the 400 plus Australian Olympic Team after being named in the Matildas squad.

Ellie Carpenter will be the youngest Australian athlete at the Rio Olympics. Picture: Adam Taylor

TEENAGER Ellie Carpenter is set to become the youngest athlete on the 400 plus Australian Olympic Team after being included in the Matildas squad.

The 16-year-old defender was named in the 18-woman squad on Monday, and will travel with the team to Brazil on Tuesday.

“I’m still pinching myself,” Carpenter told the Parramatta Advertiser on Monday.

“When I get on the plane I might realise how much I’ve achieved in such a short amount of time.”

Carpenter was still living in Cowra during the London Olympics in 2012 and only just 12 months ago signed her first W-League contract with the Western Sydney Wanderers.

Ellie Carpenter yesterday after being named in the Australian Matildas Soccer Olympic Team. Picture: Jonathan Ng

A breakout season with the Wanderers coach the attention of national selectors and earned an invite to her first Matildas training camp in November 2015.

She made her Matildas debut in March this year, playing in two games during Australia’s successful Olympic qualifiers tournament in Japan.

At only 15 during the tournament, Carpenter became the first player born this millennium to play senior international football for Australia.

“When I made my debut for the Matildas I knew I had a chance, so I worked really hard at the training camps and showed Staj (coach Alen Stajcic) what I can do,” she said.

Carpenter was integral in Australia’s undefeated run in the Olympics qualifying tournament in March. Picture: Koji Watanabe/Getty Images

Carpenter knows she still has a lot of work to do to earn some playing time during the Olympics and having her mum, dad and aunties in the stands will give her extra motivation to get on the field.

She’s thrilled that her parents are able to come, given her mum Belinda moved from the family farm in Cowra to Sydney four years ago to help her pursue her dreams of becoming a professional football player.

“Mum was very proud and excited when I told her,” she said.

“It is very exciting to have them come over to support me.”

Ellie Carpenter played for the Australian under-16s and under-20s teams in 2015 before being offered a W-League contract by the western Sydney Wanderers.

Watching the London Games in 2012 gave Carpenter the desire to become an Olympian and she can’t wait to be a part of the Matildas campaign.

“I was still in Cowra. I remember watching Sally Pearson winning gold and that inspired me to want to go to Olympics,” she said.

The Matildas begin their campaign against Canada on August 3, two days before the opening ceremony.

Australia will also take on Germany and Zimbabwe during the group stage.

After rising to fifth in world football rankings, the Matildas have a strong chance of winning a medal in Rio.

Carpenter was awarded the 2015 Parramatta AdvertiserJunior Sports Star award.

Ellie Carpenter was a key part of Western Sydney’s defence during the 2015-16 W-League season.