Pickleball takeover: Olympian gets behind the action as Gold Coast gears up to host 2024 Australian Pickleball Championships
The craze has reached Gold Coast shores! National honours are up for grabs when the Australian Pickleball Championships get underway in Carrara October 2-7, with an Aussie Olympian getting behind the action. Find out what he has to say about this new adventure:
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The 2024 Trilogy Funds Australian Pickleball Championships will get underway Wednesday October 2 at KDV Sport Complex in Carrara, Gold Coast, with the tournament attracting high-calibre athletes near and far.
Three-time Olympic swimmer Mitch Larkin has thrown his support behind the growing pickleball craze, swapping his speedos for a paddle to feature in a friendly opening-match on the eve of competition.
More than 1300 players are set to battle it out across six days of competition starting next week
Recently retired from the pool, Mitch said he heard about the growth of pickleball and decided to try his hand at a new sport.
“After hanging up the togs some months ago, I thought it would be some time before I stepped back into sport, but as they say, it’s hard to ignore those competitive juices,” Mr Larkin said.
“I had heard of a new sport called pickleball being Australia’s fastest growing sport and decided to see what the fuss was about and give it a go.
“I’ve entered the mixed doubles competition and I’m excited to compete against Australia’s best amateur pickleball players next week at the 2024 Trilogy Funds Australian Pickleball Championships.”
Pickleball Australia Association Chair Jen Ramamurthy said she was excited to see an Olympian getting behind the sport.
“It is great to have Mitch competing next week and we’ve had lots of fun in a warmup match with some of our best players,” Ramamurthy said.
“The greatest thing about these championships and pickleball is that it brings together players of all ages, skills and abilities, and we have big spectator grandstands so would love to see locals coming to watch.
“The championships are the largest gathering of pickleball players in the southern hemisphere, and includes singles, doubles and mixed competitions for all age groups from juniors all the way to 80-plus, as well as inclusive opportunities for players with disabilities with hybrid, ParaStanding and ParaChair events.”
Details on how and where to watch the championships can be found here.
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Originally published as Pickleball takeover: Olympian gets behind the action as Gold Coast gears up to host 2024 Australian Pickleball Championships
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