Memories of Cathy Freeman sparked Jessica Thornton’s Olympic dream

AUSTRALIA’S youngest track and field member was just two years old at the 2000 Games but Jessica Thornton still harbours fond memories from the Sydney Olympics.

Jessica Thornton trains with the Australian athletics team in Bradenton. Picture: Adam Head

JESSICA Thornton doesn’t remember the Sydney Olympics but she has a photo which showed she was in the Games spirit.

Australia’s youngest track and field team member for Rio was just two years old when her hometown hosted the biggest sporting event in the world.

“I have a photo of me holding the torch so there are all those memories but I wasn’t actually there to watch it,” Thornton said.

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Jessica Thornton trains with the Australian athletics team in Bradenton. Picture: Adam Head

“I was with my brother and sister near the beach volleyball and a friend had it (torch) so we were all holding it. I had a broken arm because my sister Stephanie had bounced me off the trampoline so that wasn’t good.”

In the coming years as Thornton discovered running was her passion, she regularly looked back at replays of Sydney 2000 and Cathy Freeman’s heroics given the 400m was also her specialised event.

“I haven’t (met her) yet which is a bit annoying as I thought I would have by now,” Thornton said.

“She is such an inspiration to a lot of people and definitely to me. The fact that she never gave up in her running, that is what I aspire to be like.”

Thornton in action during the IAAF World U20 Championships.

Freeman started her career as a relay runner and that’s what Thornton will be doing in Rio as she missed the cut-off for an individual berth after going under the qualifying time at last month’s World U/20 Championships in Poland.

The 18-year-old finished fourth in the final, clocking a personal best 52.05sec which is the third fastest time on the U/20 Australian all-time list behind two former greats – Freeman and two-time world hurdles champion Jana Pittman.

“I guess it’s in the back of any athlete’s mind, it was eight days too late but I am 18 and just to be on this team in the 4x400m is incredible enough for me and I guess it is my first Olympics of hopefully many more to come,” she said.

Originally published as Memories of Cathy Freeman sparked Jessica Thornton’s Olympic dream