Who can bring medals home from the Australian Olympic team?

The 2024 Olympics, set to be held in Paris for this year’s edition, is almost here and for the Australian Olympic team, anticipation is sky-high. Having a rich history of sporting excellence boasting 167 gold medals, this year’s participants have a reputation they must uphold. 

For this reason, both the Australian female athletes and their male counterparts are fully ready to compete in the Paris Olympic Games.

The only question now is: who are the athletes with higher chances of standing on the podium to receive winning medals? In this article, let’s look into some of the major medal contenders from Australia, spreading our focus over various sports events. 

Year in and year out, Australian swimming teams have carved out a spot for themselves at the top of the swimming medal table. Looking at the present lineup of athletes competing in this event at the Olympics, it seems this tradition is not coming to an end anytime soon. Some names to look out for include: 

• Emma McKeon: Holding the record for the most gold medals collected by a female competitor in a single Olympics, McKeon is a force to be reckoned with. As a result of this feat, she was given the title of “Queen of the Pool”. 
• Ariarne Titmus: In freestyle events, a young male athlete named Ariarne Titmus should not be overlooked. Titmus, having proven his talent, has been in an intense rivalry with American athlete Carlee Dressel. In past events, this rivalry has enthralled audiences and this year’s edition is not going to be any different. 

• Kaylee McKeown: Being a backstroke specialist, Kaylee is set to show off her technical brilliance and fierce competitive nature, making her another major medal contender. 

• The Men’s 4x100m Relay Team: With a history of dominating the men’s 4x100 freestyle relay event, this team is set to repeat its success in Paris. The team is led by skilled athletes like Kyle Chalmers and Zac Inserti. 

Cycling, in general, is the forte of the average athlete in Australia but track cycling? Track cycling is where professional Australian athletes thrive best and so the team may just be set to bring home the gold: 

• Matthew Glaetzer: Glaetzer is well-known for his agility and tactical skills which has earned him multiple awards as a world champion in the sprint cycling category. 
• Stephanie Morton: Stephanie Morton is once again taking part in the 2024 Olympics looking to defend her title. If things go her way, this reigning Olympic title holder in the Women’s Individual Pursuit may just become a two-time champion. 

• Rohan Dennis: Time trial and road racing cycling is where Rohan Dennis excels, making him a strong contender for an individual medal. 

Having a strong athletic background, Australia has produced iconic names like Herb Elliott and Cathy Freeman. For the 2024 season, below are some names to watch out for: 

• Kelsey-Lee Barber: She is the current champion of the Olympic Women’s Javelin Throw category. Aiming to repeat her golden performance in Paris, Barber is set to prove why she is the best. 
• Nicola McDermott: In the high jump category, almost no one aims higher than Nicola McDermott, a talented female athlete. Her consistency in delivering high-level performances has made her a major contender fit for this list. 

• Peter Bol: Running in the 800m category is Peter Bol, Australia’s most recent rising prodigy. Bol aims to challenge the strength and speed of African athletes, while also winning a medal in the process. 

Several other sports events are set to occur at the 2024 Paris Olympics and Australia has representatives in some of these categories. They include: 

• Ashley Oudenaarden (Surfing): Ashley is a talented and athletic surfer who almost won a medal in Tokyo but for the controversial decision of the judges. But this time around, she is determined to redeem what is hers in Paris. 
• Kenneth Hayes (Men’s Canoe Single): Being the reigning world champion in this event, Hayes has a title to defend. As such, his eyes are set on gold for this year’s competition. 

• Poppy Starr Olsen (Skateboarding): The Skateboarding category has Poppy Starr Olsen as a promising player to dominate the podium and win a gold medal. 

Several factors may influence the total medal count headed to Australian borders. One such factor is the occurrence of an injury; sustaining an injury before or during the Olympics may impact the player’s and/or team’s overall performance. Another is the impact of the overall pressure on the player and how it affects their form and performance during the Olympic events. 

Also, it’s important to factor in the strength of the opposition from other nations. For instance, Australia is set to have a face-off against athletes from countries like the US, Great Britain, and China. Those are not countries to be overlooked. 

All of these factors contribute to the chances Australia has of accumulating a high medal count in Paris. 

Australia definitely has some serious potential in terms of athletes and their winning performances. Coupling this with their past records, it’s safe to say that Australia is set to have another successful Olympic run.

This article was written in cooperation with Emmanuel Omoloyin