Cathy Freeman, Cadel Evans, to inspire Australia’s charge for Rugby Sevens gold at Paris Olympics

When putting together the motivational theme for his Australian Olympics squad, rugby sevens coach John Manenti only had to look across the gym to the 2016 Rio gold medal-winning pioneers.

Ben Dowling and the Australian rugby sevens team will be underdogs for gold at Paris, but they won’t have to look far for inspiration. Picture: Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Cathy Freeman’s 2000 Olympics race, Australia II’s 1983 America’s Cup win, Cadel Evans’ Tour de France triumph and their female sevens counterparts are all inspiring Australia’s men’s team for their Paris Olympics campaign.

Men’s sevens coach John Manenti has been using the theme “pioneers” to steer his team towards history in attempting to win gold in France, having failed to medal in the previous two Games.

“It’s about trying to be the first,” Manenti said.

And part of the motivation is the Australian women’s team’s gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, when Manenti was assistant coach to Tim Walsh.

Gold medallists Australia celebrate after the women’s rugby sevens medal ceremony during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Deodoro Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 8, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE LOPEZ

Now Manenti leads the men while Walsh is guiding the women towards a second Olympic gold, and the females will be held up as icons.

“There were lots of Australian stories which we used all the way through this season, now we’ll revisit the ones that really resonated with the boys to cement the idea, let’s be the first team to do something special at the Olympics from a rugby men’s sevens point of view,” Manenti told this masthead.

“I was lucky enough to be assistant coach of the Rio women’s group, had them afterwards, and when you ask the boys, a lot of their earliest Olympics memories are of the girls winning the gold medal in 2016.

“If they’re 20 now, they were 12 when that happened, they were at that age where they were impressed. I was surprised, but you forget how young they are.”

Manenti has used the “pioneers” theme throughout 2024, including having Americas Cup winning skipper John Bertrand speak to his team for two hours over Zoom.

The Australian Men's Rugby Sevens head coach John Manenti. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Cathy Freeman powers to gold in the 400m at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Picture: AFP

While the Aussie men will be underdogs to medal in Paris, with France, Fiji, New Zealand, South Africa and pool rivals Argentina all tipped to be the major contenders for gold, captain Nick Malouf said it will be an even playing field at Stade de France from July 24.

“If you look at our competition, there’s probably 12 teams that all of them can win, it’s extremely tight margins,” Malouf said.

“But I think what we’ve been able to do the last couple of years holds us in really good stead, winning the World Series for the first time two years ago was a great achievement.”

The inclusion of Wallabies World Cup winger Mark Nawaqanitawase and Brumbies flyer Corey Toole has given the team the “X-factor” they need to win gold, Malouf added.

Among those in the 2016 gold medal-winning women’s team are now three-time Olympians Charlotte Caslick and Sharni Smale.

Caslick captains the team, after Smale had led the 2016 side. The Aussie women are hungry for success after shockingly missing the final four in the previous Games in Tokyo, and head in as second favourites behind New Zealand.

Caslick believes they’re better placed for this campaign than 2016.

“I think in terms of the confidence within the group, it feels quite similar in a way, but it’s a completely different group of girls,” Caslick said.

“These girls have been playing rugby since 12, 13 years old, whereas we’d only just started when we went to Rio. So experience wise, they’re well ahead of where the Rio group was.

“And they’re just extremely athletic and talented. If we can focus on ourselves and limit distractions we will be in a really good place.”

Australian men’s sevens Olympics squad: Henry Hutchison, Ben Dowling, Corey Toole, Dietrich Roache, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Henry Paterson, Hayden Sargeant, James Turner, Matt Gonzalez, Nick Malouf (captain), Maurice Longbottom, Nathan Lawson. Travelling reserves: Michael Icely and Josh Turner.

The Australian Men's Rugby Sevens team for Paris. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Australian women’s sevens Olympics squad: Bienne Terita, Sharni Smale, Faith Nathan, Dominique Du Toit, Teagan Levi, Sariah Paki, Charlotte Caslick (captain), Kaitlin Shave, Tia Hinds, Isabella Nasser, Maddison Levi, Bridget Clark. Travelling reserves: Kahli Henwood and Sidney Taylor.

The Australian Women's Rugby Sevens team for Paris. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Originally published as Cathy Freeman, Cadel Evans, to inspire Australia’s charge for Rugby Sevens gold at Paris Olympics