Denny awarded Betty Cuthbert medal after record-setting throw

Matthew Denny has an Australian record and a new athletics medal to celebrate but the Allora-born thrower is not satisfied.Read about the Olympian’s next big goal here.

Matthew Denny warms up for the men’s discus throw during the 2024 Australian Athletics Championships. Picture: Reed/Getty Images

With his name already etched into the Australian athletics record books again - Matthew Denny found another reason to celebrate at the weekend.

After setting a national record to win his seventh Australian discus title, the Allora thrower was awarded the Betty Cuthbert Medal for the Most Outstanding Single Performance of the Chemist Warehouse Australian Athletics Championships.

“At the moment, our household is Olympics-filled and we’ve been watching a lot of documentaries about the Olympics,” Denny told Athletics Australia.

“There was one a few weeks ago about Betty Cuthbert and her gold medals.

“To see just what that meant back then and even now, and that her legacy lives on, I’m particularly proud to receive this award.

“We’re coming into a position in Australian athletics where it’s just becoming so competitive and it’s great to be part of it at this time.

“It’s great competing at major championships and at meets overseas, but to be able to throw those big distances at home in front of a crowd means so much.

“I’m so proud to receive this award, and I’m grateful for the support of my family, friends, my wife and my coach (Dale Stevenson).”

Denny beat his previous record by more than a metre to secure the win with a 69.35m throw in Adelaide on Saturday, April 13.

The 27-year-old said the throw “all right” as it left his hand.

“When the disc left my hands, I thought that was all right but when I saw it hit its apex, I thought, actually that is way further than I thought it would go,” he said.

“It had good flight and good float.

“The motivation to go further and win that gold is never lacking for me.

“I’m so keen and so driven for this year. I’ve always been very driven knowing that this year is just a bit different with the experience that I have, how old I am and the opportunity that I have in front of me.”