Aussie Glory

The Possibility of the Paris Olympics

X. W. Aloisio

1896, ATHENS. THE PINNACLE OF ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE. From the first ever Summer Games, Australia has proven a force to be reckoned with. The Paris Olympics is shaping up to be a rollercoaster ride of upsets, Olympic records and a flurry of Aussie gold.

Australia is a country ridden with athletic pride, often gathering gold over the myriad of summer events. Despite predictions from sports analysts such as ‘SI’ and the ‘New York Times’, predicting Australia at 5th on the medal tally, Australia is prepared to march into Paris with a classic “no worries” attitude, preparing to win both the fans and the trophies… and maybe a few baguettes along the way. Just under two weeks in, Australia is making their statement, ranking 3rd on Gold Medals with 35 pieces of silverware added to the cabinet.

Despite profound success in the beginning, Australia must keep its head in the game, not worrying about the uncomfortability of a cardboard bed, or where to purchase the best local authentic French fondue.

Some near success has been displayed, specifically in the women’s rowing scull. One of our own, attending her early years of education just a walk down the road to Loreto Kirribilli, Tara Rigney, has proven peak performance, smoking her competition in the heats and the quarter finals on the 30/07/24, coming 1st in both. She’s a proven winner, with an impressive 7:30.71 in the heats, completely outdoing Virginia Diaz Rivas, rowing 7 seconds slower. However, she narrowly missed out on a medal in the final in a close call.

potential for gold. He shone through in the heats, beating some of the favourites to cement himself in contention. He edged over John John Florence (USA) achieving an outstanding 13.94 score compared to John John’s 9.07. Furthermore, Jack was able to win against Gabriel Medina (the favorite for gold) in the semis, guaranteeing himself gold or silver.

So the question is… Can Australia keep up their winning streak and bring glory down under? Or will the heavyweights of the USA and China chase them down and leave them in the dust?