Aran, I appreciate the results didn’t go the Kookaburras’ way at Rio 2016, but it still must have been an incredibly proud moment to step out for your first match at an Olympic competition. To represent your country at the Olympic Games, arguably the world’s biggest sporting stage, must mean a great deal both of you. For us, to narrow our focus, and how close the Olympics are now, it certainly feels much more real for me and a lot of the guys.” That has still been difficult, being here in Australia, due to the amount of isolation we have and our strict boarder requirements. Last year there was a lot more uncertainty about what we might be doing and how the schedule looked in terms of the amount of matches we might play in the build-up to the Olympics. For us, this year has been a fair bit easier, as we’ve been able to narrow our focus towards Tokyo. Jane Claxton: “As you said, I guess it has been a year of contemplation and hope that it would go ahead, so to get confirmation earlier this year that we are actually going to an Olympic Games, fulfilling a lot of childhood dreams, I think the group by and large are just very excited.”Īnd you, Aran – how are Kookaburras feeling about the that it is getting so close.Īran Zalewski: “I certainly echo Jane’s words. With everything that has happened over the past 18 months and covid delaying the Games by one year, are you excited about the prospect of competing at Tokyo 2020? We’ll start with you, Jane. Jane Claxton, Aran Zalewski, thank you so much for talking to us about the upcoming Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The interview was recorded in May, before the Australia’s Olympic squads were finalised. Jane Claxton and Aran Zalewski, both long time servants of the Australian national teams who will be in the heart of the action in Tokyo, tell us about how the preparations are going in their respective quests for gold. Both McSweyn and Edwards are on the Aussie team bus to Tokyo Hoare’s selection is still up in the air and his Olympic dreams are in the hands of Athletics Australia.Īll the above aside, the performance of the meet belonged to the bubbly, ebullient Nicola McDermott.In the latest of our Olympic Spotlight series, we focus on the men’s and women’s teams of Australia, two sides that will very much fancy their chances of achieving glory at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Lurking in the wings overseas, having not contested this race was Oli Hoare, the Caringbah boy who ran a stunning 3:32.36 to qualify for the Games too. It was an amazing race - the best and most intriguing at the meet.Īt the moment, Edwards is ranked 15th in the world.
I’d never raced him before but I knew he ran his races from the front and I was surprised I got past him to be honest.” “If I had been 10m or so behind him at the bell I doubt I would have been able to run him down. I am so glad that I chose to run with him because it dragged a PB out of me,” said Edwards who roared past McSweyn, the raging hot favourite, and the current national record holder. “When Stewart took off I was immediately in two minds, do I let him go or try and run with him.
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