Aussies eye top-five finish in Rio as they prepare to unleash biggest overseas Paralympic team

CHEF de mission Kate McLoughlin insists Australia remains on target for a top-five Paralympics result in Rio despite the loss of Matt Cowdrey and Jacqui Freney.

The Aussies will be hoping Ellie Cole performs in the pool in Rio.

CHEF de mission Kate McLoughlin insists Australia remains on target for a top-five Paralympics result in Rio despite the loss of London superstar swimmers Matt Cowdrey and Jacqui Freney.

Australia is preparing to send its biggest squad to an overseas Paralympics when it confirms a team expected to top 170 athletes for the Rio Games in September.

It is likely only the 285-athlete squad for the home Sydney Paralympics in 2000 would be bigger.

Australia finished first on the medal table when it hosted the Sydney Games, with 149 medals including 63 golds.

The Aussies have finished fifth overall in each of the three Paralympics since, in Athens, Beijing and London.

But Australia’s 2016 team has lost the 2012 Games’ most successful athlete, Freney, and the country’s most decorated Paralympian, Cowdrey, from its current talent pool.

Combined, the pair accounted for a whopping 40 per cent of Australia’s gold medal haul in London — 13 of 32 victories.

Freney’s eight golds included six individual and two relay wins, while four of Cowdrey’s five golds were in individual events.

But McLoughlin said the onus — and opportunity — was on this year’s group to fill the void.

“This swimming team is really young team this time but Ellie Cole is amazing and there’s also some younger athletes like Tiffany Thomas-Kane who broke world records at trials in Adelaide,” McLoughlin said.

“As well, there are two new sports on the program for this Games as well, with para-triathlon and para-canoe. While they’re new, we are one of the best countries in the world at those sports, which means that whatever slots are available we’re getting a really high number.

“Plus there’s people like wheelchair athlete Angie Ballard who have won world championships recently.

Tiffany Thomas Kane has excellent medal prospects in Rio.

“They’re on top of their games right now, which is a really good indication of how we can fill that gap from the people who won multiple medals in London.”

China remains a superpower in Paralympics competition, while Russia is expected to also dominate.

“But third to 10th is that group that includes Great Britain, USA, Ukraine, Germany, Brazil and us,” McLoughlin said.

“It can be one or two medals that is the difference between fifth and sixth place. We’re well and truly capable of getting that fifth position, but it’s going to be tough.”

To celebrate the 100-day countdown to the start of the Games on Monday, the Australian Paralympic Committee will unveil its 16-member cycling team in Adelaide.

This year’s team will be co-captained by three-time Paralympics gold medallist Kurt Fearnley and five-time Paralympian Daniela Di Toro.

Australia has not had the leadership roles since Athens but McLoughlin, a first-time chef de mission, said the pair’s recognition would help strengthen and inspire the 2016 unit.

Originally published as Aussies eye top-five finish in Rio as they prepare to unleash biggest overseas Paralympic team