Tokyo Olympics 2021: Rayna Buckle’s lucky break with artistic swimming call-up

She’s not even made it to Tokyo yet but this youngster is already one of the luckiest Australians on the Olympic team.

Rayna Buckle had given up any hope of competing at the Tokyo Olympics. Then her world turned upside down — in and out of the pool.

The 20-year-old from Sydney’s northern beaches is a late call-up to the artistic swimming team competing in Tokyo following the retirement of selected team member Hannah Cross due to ongoing concussion issues.

Her elevation from reserve to team member is the chance of a lifetime for Buckle, one of the youngest in a team on a mission in Tokyo to win over new fans to their often maligned sport while lifting their world ranking.

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Rayna Buckle is a late call-up to the Olympic team.

“It was very unexpected,” said Buckle, raised in Singapore but who moved to Sydney to study physiotherapy in 2020 and is now living with her aunt in Balgowlah.

“It was very sad for Hannah of course. She is amazing. For me this is like a dream come true.”

Buckle, whose father is Australian and mother Singaporean, steps into the team without causing waves having trained with them daily in Canberra despite missing the original Games election earlier this year.

Rayna Buckle and her new Olympic teammates.

“I was going to a Tokyo but I wouldn’t have been named as an Olympian,” she Buckle, who was the team reserve before her shock elevation.

“I have a real passion for this sport so to be honest, doing what I love every day wasn’t that hard for me.”

Buckle will be part of the team event in Tokyo where Australia will compete against 10 other countries.

Members of the Russian synchronised team in Rio.

Synchronised swimming was rebranded artistic swimming post the last Olympics by the sport’s international governing body FINA in a bid to align it with similar disciplines like gymnastics.

Australia is an improving nation and well out of the medal hunt in the all-female Games sport.

However the team has hopes of improving on their world ranking of 10 by beating closest rivals Egypt.

AUSTRALIAN ARTISTIC SWIM TEAM FOR TOKYO

Emily Rogers, Alessandra Ho, Amie Thompson, Kiera Gazzard, Hannah Burkhill, Rayna Buckle, Kirsten Kinash, Rachel Presser.

AMANDA LULHAM will be in Japan covering the Tokyo Olympics for News Corp.

Originally published as Tokyo Olympics 2021: Rayna Buckle’s lucky break with artistic swimming call-up