Hawe takes important step towards Olympic dream

Hobart rower Sarah Hawe’s Olympic hopes are well and truly alive after she featured in a winning crew at an important lead-up event. Read how Tasmanian athletes’ selection chances are tracking here.

Tasmania’s Sarah Hawe, pictured competing at Tokyo, is looking to qualify for a second Olympics. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

A week after two Tasmania swimmers booked their tickets to the Olympics, rower Sarah Hawe gave her hopes a shot in the arm by saluting at the World Rowing Cup III in Poland.

The Huon rower was part of Australia’s women’s eights crew which won, one of six Australian crews to stand atop the podium in Poznan.

The 36-year-old is looking to make her second Olympics after she was part of the women’s eights crew which came home fifth at Tokyo in 2021.

“We executed a good start. It’s just bringing all the pieces together,” Hawe’s crewmate Bronwyn Cox told Rowing Australia.

“We were lucky enough to have another Australian Eight (which won silver in the race), so we could have a bit more of a ding-dong battle at the end and really see how we perform under pressure.”

The dual world championship gold medallist looms as the only Tasmania rower in contention for Paris after fellow Hobart rower Anneka Reardon fell just short of qualification.

Needing a top two finish to book an Olympic spot, Reardon and New South Welshman Georgia Miansarow finished third in the women’s lightweight sculls at last month’s Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta in Switzerland.

Freestyle queen Ariarne Titmus and Max Giuliai became the first Tasmanians to officially seal an Olympic berth at last week’s selection trials.

A handful of hockey players are also in contention for the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras.

Maddison Brooks is looking to make a women’s squad keen to add to the three gold medals it won in 1988, 1996 and 2000 during a golden era.

The Kookaburras are one of the favourites for the gold after they were beaten by Belgium in a heartbreaking penalty shootout in the gold medal match in Tokyo.

Eddie Ockenden, Josh Beltz, Hayden Beltz and Jack Welch are right in the selection frame.

Launceston duo Josh Duffy and Georgia Baker are considered Tasmania’s best hopes in cycling.

Jacob Despard is seeking a spot in Australia’s 4x100m relay team after recently helping them quality at the World Relays in the Bahamas, while King Island middle distance runner Stewart McSweyn is also in the mix.

Basketballer Chris Goulding is part of a 17-man Boomers squad which will soon be trimmed to 12 for Paris.