By Tom Decent
Olympic Games always produce firsts, but Paris 2024 will be unique.
For the first time since Pierre de Coubertin founded the modern Olympic Games in 1896, there is only a three-year gap between Olympics, due to a COVID-19 delayed Games in Tokyo.
Wednesday marks one year until Paris 2024 and when athletes on boats cruise down the Seine on July 26, 2024 – it will be the first opening ceremony in history not held in a stadium – it will mark 100 years since Paris last hosted the Olympics.
Australia won three golds medals at those Olympics and a century on are certain to claim more.
At the last Olympics in Tokyo, Australia won 17 gold medals, which was the country’s equal highest tally.
There is every chance Australia, which will send about 460 athletes, could make Paris 2024 its most successful Games ever.
Australia’s men’s 4x100m freestyle relay gold medallists Jack Cartwright, Kai Taylor, Flynn Southam and Kyle Chalmers.Credit: Getty
The most gold medals will come from the swimmers, who are making a genuine case for being one of the country’s greatest ever teams – rivalling a time at the turn of the century when Ian Thorpe and his fellow swimmers put on a show at Sydney 2000.
Judging by early results at the world swimming championships in Japan, Australia could win as many as 10 gold medals in the pool.
Two-time Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus dominated her 400m freestyle final, minutes after 19-year-old Sam Short won the men’s event in a near world record time.
The likes of Emma McKeon and Kaylee McKeown are perfectly placed in their training cycle for more Olympic glory, while there is strong depth in the relays, as evidenced by two gold medals in the 4x100m freestyle on the opening night in Fukuoka on Sunday.
Ariarne Titmus reclaimed her women’s 400m freestyle record.Credit: Getty
Mollie O’Callaghan, a 100m and 200m specialist, could be a breakout star in Paris.
Meanwhile, Australia will field its strongest team in years at the world athletics championships next month in Budapest.
Peter Bol, who earlier this year was cleared of taking banned substance EPO, will be a big story next year when he competes in the 800m.
Australia’s fastest man, Rohan Browning, could become the second athlete in green and gold to break the magic 10-second mark in the most-watched event of the Olympics, the 100m sprint.
Australia’s 800m star Peter Bol.Credit: Getty
High jump stars Eleanor Patterson and Nicola Olyslagers could both make it to the podium, while Australia has middle distance talent, with Stewart McSweyn and Ollie Hoare both vying for medals.
Kelsey Lee Barber is the reigning world champion in the javelin and Ash Moloney picked up a surprise bronze medal in the decathlon in Tokyo.
Elsewhere, slalom canoeist Jess Fox will be looking to make it back-to-back golds, while Australia’s cyclists and rowers are tracking well.
One of Australia’s best medal prospects for shooting, Laetisha Scanlan, said preparing for her third Olympics was an incredible feeling.
“Being so close to a medal in Tokyo – missing my last target to miss out on a bronze was extremely disappointing, but it also kind of spurred me on to aim for Paris,” she said.
Asked how the lead-up to Paris felt in comparison to other years, the 33-year-old said: “One year out from Paris, I’d like to think I’m so different as a shooter and competitor ... I’ve developed so much in my career.”
The trap shooter added the Australian team has a better chance across the event as it won’t be impacted by the pandemic. In the 12 months leading up to the Tokyo Olympics, the shooting team could not compete in international competitions due to Australia’s tough border controls.
“That did contribute negatively to our performances, just because we weren’t exposed to international competitions, whereas a lot of the European countries had a lot more flexibility, and could attend world cups and things like that.”
Laetisha Scanlan is aiming to improve on her Tokyo 2020 performance in Paris next year.Credit: Joe Armao
Australia will also compete for medals in multiple teams sports, such as hockey, basketball, rugby sevens and water polo.
The addition of breakdancing to the program will catch people’s attention, as will the surfing competition that takes place in Tahiti, which is part of French Polynesia, some 15,000 kilometres away from Paris.
10 ATHLETES TO WATCH OUT FOR IN PARIS
- Ariarne Titmus
Pipped American swimming legend Katie Ledecky in the final of the women’s 400m freestyle in Tokyo and stamped her authority on the race last week with a crushing victory, in world record time, over rising Canadian star Summer McIntosh at the world swimming championships in Fukuoka.
- Sam Short
Pulled off the swim of his life to win gold in the 400m freestyle and came within a second of breaking Ian Thorpe’s 21-year old Australian record. Will also race the 800m and 1500m events.
- Rohan Browning
The man affectionately known as the ‘The Flying Mullet’ in Tokyo won his 100m heat before finishing fifth in a semi-final. Browning’s personal best is 10.01 seconds. Patrick Johnson is the only Australian to go under 10 seconds.
- Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson
The pair of high-jumpers will be attempting to win Australia’s first gold medal in the women’s event. Nicola Olyslagers picked up silver at the Tokyo Olympics, while Patterson is the reigning world champion.
- Tyson Bull
Made history in Tokyo by becoming the first Australian male gymnast to qualify for an artistic gymnastics final. Bull finished fifth in the horizontal bar event.
- Jess Fox
After coming close on a number of occasions, Fox won gold in the women’s C1 canoe slalom in Tokyo and hopes to add to her tally in Paris.
- Laetisha Scanlan
A dual Olympian and three-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Scanlan is one of Australia’s best medal chances in shooting. She is coached by six-time Olympian Russell Mark at the Victorian Institute of Sport.
- Madison Levi
Levi is Australia’s best player in the women’s seven rugby team and had a sensational Commonwealth Games campaign in Birmingham last year. Australia won a gold medal in 2016 but underperformed in Tokyo.
- Cassiel Rousseau
The 22-year-old created history in Japan last week by winning Australia’s first individual diving world championship gold medal in the men’s 10-metre platform. Will push for a medal in Paris against a strong field of Chinese divers.
- Josh Giddey
The 20-year-old from Melbourne is one of Australia’s greatest basketball talents. Plays in the NBA for Oklahoma City Thunder. Australia won bronze in Tokyo and will be hoping to assemble their strongest team, including Patty Mills, to make it a different colour medal.
with Carla Jaeger