Australia’s female contingent leading the charge to Rio
CHEF de mission Kitty Chiller says the Rio Olympics marks a proud breakthrough for Australia with women making up more than half of the national team.
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NEXT week’s Rio Olympics will be the girlpower Games, with the last minute call-up of our women’s rowing eight meaning more than half the Australian team are female.
It’s a proud breakthrough for team boss Kitty Chiller — herself the first female Aussie chef de mission — with women taking up 212 places on the 419-strong team.
“It’s about time that the female athletes were given the credit and the recognition and the accolades that they so richly deserve,” Chiller said in Rio.
Former middle distance runner Tamsyn Lewis described the makeup of the team as “extremely special”.
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“When I have spoken to a lot of the girls in the current Australian team, so many of them have said that it was after watching Cathy Freeman compete in 2000 that they started to dream that they might be able to make it this far,” said the former Olympian, who will be in Rio calling track and field for Channel Seven.
Diver Loudy Wiggins said the team make-up proved “an Olympic medal is equal for men and for women”.
“I know women in some sports struggle in terms of being funded and getting different support.
“For me the Olympics was never a place where I felt that the men were better and getting more attention and support.
“It’s an even playing field and that’s what I love about the Olympics.”
Former Olympian John Konrads, who took home a freestyle gold in 1960 alongside old mate Dawn Fraser, said he was pleasantly surprised Aussie women had exceeded equal representation at Rio.
“When you think about it, Dawn didn’t have the chance for an extra medal because for women the 200m wasn’t up for grabs and she probably would have won it if it had been an Olympic event,” he said.
Among the women on the 2016 team are several gold medal contenders, including cyclist Anna Meares, swimming sisters Cate and Bronte Campbell, backstroker Emily Seebohm and canoe kayak champion Jessica Fox.
Fox, who won silver at London in 2012, said she couldn’t wait to take her place in the athlete’s village among so many fellow female competitors.
“Women’s sport in Australia is really taking off and females athletes have really had more recognition in the last couple of years I think it’s really growing,” Fox said.
“To see all the female athletes who will be here in Rio going for gold, going to represent their country the best they can and proud to be at the Olympics and obviously we are all here to do our best and I know we are going to be great role models.”
The women’s rowing eight were called into the Australian team on Tuesday after rowing’s world body dumped the previously chosen Russian rowing team over doping concerns.
Originally published as Australia’s female contingent leading the charge to Rio
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