Paris Olympics: Heath Thorpe, the defending national champion, fights for his Games dream

Chasing his Olympic dream cost gymnast Heath Thorpe $19,000 in legal fees, his mental health and almost pushed him out of the sport for good. But he hasn’t given up yet.

Heath Thorpe on Parallel Bars at FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in 2022. Picture: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Chasing his Olympic dream cost gymnast Heath Thorpe $19,000 in legal fees, his mental health and almost pushed him out of the sport for good.

But he’s back in one last push for Paris that will pit him against national teammates in a cutthroat battle for just one men’s Olympic spot.

Thorpe heads into the national titles on the Gold Coast this weekend as the defending all-around champion.

But that was not good enough to win him a spot on the Australian team for the world championships last year, a decision he appealed in a costly and emotionally draining process that tested his love of the sport.

Thorpe spent $19,000 assembling a legal team to argue that Gymnastics Australia (GA) had erred in leaving him off the five-member men’s artistic gymnastics team for the world championships in Belgium.

In a case before the National Sports Tribunal (NST) in which the five selected athletes and one reserve participated as “interested parties”, Thorpe’s appeal was partially upheld, with the tribunal directing GA to further consider its selection.

Heath Thorpe represented Team Australia at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in 2022. Picture: Getty Images

After further consideration, GA maintained its originally selected team and while Thorpe could have also appealed that decision, he decided to put the put the issue behind him.

“It was a lot - and it all happened very quickly,” Thorpe said.

“The way that the appeal processes work only allow a very, very short window.

“And it’s very expensive. I think it cost me $19,000 in total just because we wanted to get a legal team on to it.

“After the first part, my case was partially upheld and it was told to go back to Gymnastics Australia and be re-evaluated, however, they did just make the same decision.

“I had a choice to go back to that NST but at that point I was just so exhausted, I was just like, I want to put this behind me.

“I wouldn’t do it again.

“It’s just quite unfortunate that the process has to move so quickly - understandably because of time frames for teams - but it’s definitely a difficult one for athletes.”

Heath Thorpe heads into the national titles on the Gold Coast this weekend as the defending all-around champion. Picture: Getty Images

With Australia not qualifying a male team, all around individual or event specialist at last year’s world championships, the country’s last hope to have a men’s artistic gymnast in Paris comes at the Oceania championships in New Zealand in a fortnight.

The winner of the all around competition will take the single spot and with New Zealand’s top athlete Misha Koudinov out of action after a shoulder reconstruction, it is likely to come down to a battle of the Australians, pitting Thorpe against the teammates whose selection he appealed last year.

The 23-year-old conceded that had been a tough part of the battle but his fellow athletes understood his appeal was not personal and they remained on good terms.

“I made sure that I reached out to them throughout the process and made it very clear that it wasn’t anything against them and we were all in contact at the time,” he said.

“It was definitely awkward and a bit hard to get through, especially from their and as well - it’s a bit anxiety inducing, not knowing if your spot’s about to be taken away - so it was hard.

“I think it’s even more of a reason why I am seeking a bit more clarity on selection policies moving forward just to not put athletes in these positions.

Heath Thorpe hasn’t allowed his Olympics dream to fade. Picture: Getty Images

“We’ve all worked through it, we have a lot of mutual respect for one another, so we’re happy to be competing again together, but it was tough one.”

Thorpe said he didn’t receive closure from the appeal process but was glad he had stuck to his values and morals and defended himself.

The process took its toll though, with Thorpe working with a sports psychologist earlier this year after realising the pressure he was putting on himself to achieve the Olympic dream he has been harbouring since starting gymnastics as a seven-year-old.

“I’m trying to not put my self worth to an Olympics.

“I think there’s so many great athletes that either get unlucky, like we’re looking at Georgia right now,” he said of friend and teammate Georgia Godwin who revealed earlier this week her Paris dream was over after tearing her achilles tendon in a freak training accident.

“It doesn’t devalue them as an athlete or their ability.

“It’d be amazing and it’d be such a gift to me if I could get there but I’m not going to feel any worse about myself if I’m not (in Paris).

“I know I have a lot to offer to the gymnastics world without an Olympics attached to my name.”

Originally published as Paris Olympics: Heath Thorpe, the defending national champion, fights for his Games dream