Tom O’Neill-Thorne has his sights set on gold at Paris 2024

After lacklustre performances at Rio and Tokyo, the Australian Rollers are not just aiming for gold in Paris, but are seeking to re-establish themselves as the world beaters of yesteryear.

Tom O'Neill-Thorne of the Rollers reacts during the game between Australian Rollers and Team Japan at John Cain Arena on July 05, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images.

Tom O’Neill-Thorne will do whatever it takes to put the Australian Rollers back on top of the podium in Paris.

A once unstoppable force on the world stage, the national wheelchair basketball side has struggled to repeat the heroics of their glory days.

From winning gold in Atlanta and silver in Athens to gold in Beijing and silver again in London, the team has since failed to medal at the last two Paralympic Games.

O’Neill-Thorne experienced the Rio and Tokyo performances first-hand, and he’s over losing.

“We have underperformed,” he said.

“The Rollers are such a historic program in the Paralympic movement and we had a stretch of 20 years where no one could touch us.

“As we were one of the best in the world, it really put a massive target on our backs.

“From then on, every major tournament we’ve been to, every country wants to beat Australia, and they have.”

Tom O'Neill-Thorne is determined to win gold for Australia at the upcoming Paris Games. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images.

Eager to snap the medal drought and put the Rollers back in the limelight, O’Neill-Thorne believes if his team is to triumph, they must learn from their past mistakes.

And they’ll be put to the test, having drawn the Netherlands, Spain and defending champions America in the preliminary rounds of the tournament.

“It sounds very cliche, but our problem has been looking forward to the final rounds and not paying enough attention to the middle rounds,” he explained.

“We’ve gotten ahead of ourselves at times and forgotten how important group stage matches are.

“So for Paris, there is a larger focus than ever among the group to take it a game at a time.

“I do believe that we have the side to take out the top spot, but we need to earn it.”

Now one of the senior figures within the squad, the Darwin athlete is still just as excited to wear the green and gold as he was when he was a teenager, approaching the Games as if it were his debut.

“I was a bit young in Rio,” the 27-year-old said.

“I was only 19 (years old) and I don’t think I quite understood the occasion.

“And then in Tokyo, the pandemic made the whole thing completely bizarre and the games weren’t as good as they could have been.

“This time round it actually kind of feels like it’ll be my first real games, and I’m just as excited as I was back then.

“Having the pressure and eyeballs on you, nothing gets your blood pumping and adrenaline flowing quite the same.”