Our homegrown Olympians
by JAMES POYNER
4th August 2024
FOR PARIS 2024, over 460 athletes will represent Australia across 33 sports.
More than half of that contingent are women.
Australia is also expected to have approximately 160 athletes competing in 16 sports for the Paralympics (August 28 – September 8).
Of the 740+ Australians striving for gold this summer, a handful you may be able to call neighbours.
Across Manningham and Nillumbik, six athletes will compete in either the Olympics or Paralympics in Paris:
Abbey Caldwell: Warrandyte’s very own Abbey Caldwell is running in the Women’s 800-metre athletics event, and as we go to print she is toeing the line in the Semi-Final.
Abbey has had a stellar season so far and won bronze at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022.
Stephanie Ratcliffe: The 23-year-old from Doncaster East and part of Doncaster Athletics Club, Stephanie will be competing in the Hammer Throw.
Stephanie recalls the beginning of her journey into athletics:
“I remember Dad taking me to the Doncaster track one Saturday morning to watch little athletics, and straight away, I told him I wanted to try it.
I was very disappointed when he told me I had to wait another year before I could start because I was too young!
I started athletics when I was five at Doncaster Little Athletics Club.”
She decided to specialise in the Hammer Throw at 16, and in 2023, she broke the Australian record, set by Bronwyn Eagles in 2003, by nearly two metres – throwing 73.11 metres.
Laura Paeglis: Yan Yean local, Laura is a member of Diamond Valley Archers.
While Laura was knocked out in her elimination round on August 1, she first made headlines by setting the highest score (640) by an Australian woman since the current 72-arrow ranking round format began in 1996.
Laura said this about shooting in her Olympic debut:
“I had so much fun out there.
I improved throughout the day and I think that’s the thing to really focus on.
It’s totally different to anything I’ve ever shot in any shooting conditions.
So going out there and actually learning from mistakes was good.
Getting better towards the end was really great, and I’m pretty proud of that,”
Tim Anderson: From Eltham, competed in Canoe Slalom and, in his Olympic debut, finished 7th overall.
“I am really happy with the way I conduct myself.
My paddling was really nice.
I made a few mistakes, but it’s pretty rare that you don’t make a mistake at some point in your Olympic campaign, especially in the final.”
Mitchell Iles: From Hurstbridge, Mitchell competed in Shooting: Men’s Trap.
Mitchell finished 9th in his qualification round.
Looking ahead to the Paralympics At the Paris Paralympics, Lina Lei will again represent Australia in Table Tennis.
Lei is a bit of a medal magnet, claiming her first Paralympic gold medal in Athens in 2004 for China.
Born with a deficiency in her right lower leg, Lei kept her self-confessed sweet tooth at bay to remain a force in her sport between 2006 and 2014, winning every gold medal up for grabs at Paralympic level and at World Para Championships, a truly extraordinary run of success.
Following the 2016 Rio Paralympics, Lei moved to Australia and was selected to represent her new nation for the first time at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, winning gold for Australia and ending a 37-year gold medal drought for Australia.
In Archery, 31-year-old Patrick French of Diamond Valley Archers will make his Paralympic debut.
