Well, here we are.
After two weeks of blood, sweat and tears, the Paris Games wrap up on Sunday evening, ending Australia’s most successful Olympic campaign in history.
The Australians have secured 18 golds in the French capital, with the potential for a couple more medals to be added to the nation’s tally on Day 16.
Cyclists Matthew Glaetzer, Matthew Richardson and Georgia Baker will be eyeing a podium finish at the velodrome, while Sinead Driver, Genevieve Gregson and Jess Stenson will represent the green and gold in the women’s marathon.
Meanwhile, the Opals will be hoping to win their first Olympic medal since 2012 when they face Belgium in the women’s basketball bronze medal match.
That’s all before the Paris Olympic Closing Ceremony, which kicks off Monday morning at 5am AEST.
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EARLY HEARTBREAK IN WOMEN’S MARATHON OPENS ‘PANDORA’S BOX’
The women’s marathon is underway with three Australians (Sinead Diver, Genevieve Gregson and Jess Stenson) in action, although one of our runners has already had to pull out.
Diver, the Australian record holder who finished 10th at the last Olympics, pulled up hurt less than two kilometres into the race in tears in what was described in commentary as a “heartbreaking” scene.
Two-time Australian Olympic Games long jumper David Culbert reported that he had been on the phone to the team to try get more information.
“They don’t have it yet, other than to say she’s had an interrupted preparation,” he said on Channel Nine’s coverage.
“I don’t know… it looked more than that. It looked like an instantaneous injury. Running and then stopping.”
While it was a crushing setback for the Australian team, Stenson has made a charge on the first significant hill of the course to take the lead after 18kms and the one-hour mark.
Gregson, meanwhile, is not far behind in the chase pack.
It was later confirmed Diver had in fact withdrawn from the race, although it is still unclear at this stage why that was the case.
The nature of the potential injury will be particularly important given the depth of marathon runners who could have replaced Diver if she was carrying an issue into the Games, including Lisa Weightman.
“She (Weightman) is in shape,” three-time Olympian and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Tamsyn Lewis-Manou said in commentary.
“You can tell no matter what is unfolding in the race, we’re obviously going to watch Gen Gregson and Jessica Stenson carefully… there’s going to be a lot said in the community of running back home.”
Gerard Whateley, meanwhile, said Diver’s DNF would open a “Pandora’s box”.
“The fact we had one runner unfortunately not make it past the first 1.5km is opening so many questions that, to be honest, unless we get the right answer, it’s got a question mark on what’s been an unbelievable campaign for Australia,” he said.
Weightman ran the third-fastest time (2:23:15) in the qualification period, with her non-selection causing a stir in the running community as Olympian Sally Pearson expressed her shock.
“This is about so much more than her [Weightman’s] omission from the team,” Pearson wrote in a column for news.com.au.
“I’m disappointed with the national selection panel, but I’m more shocked at the integrity of Athletics Australia and how this has become a total farce.”
Stenson, who won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, ran 2:24:01 although her time came just six months after giving birth to her second child and in the particularly challenging South Korean Daegu marathon.
The selection drama caused quite the stir, with Weightman’s husband even angrily tweeting at Stenson asking her to remove the header image on her Twitter account which saw both families happy after a race.
Weightman expressed her disappointment at the decision in a statement at the time.
“I am of course disappointed by the decision given that I fought hard and fair to gain my qualification time,” Weightman said.
“However, what I am most disappointed about is AA’s own internal systems and procedures that have allowed this outcome and which, unless corrected, will negatively impact future Australian athletes and their legitimate claims to represent Australia.”
AUSSIES IN ACTION — DAY 16 HIGHLIGHTS
All times AEST
4pm — Athletics: Women’s Marathon (Sinead Diver, Genevieve Gregson and Jess Stenson)
7pm — Cycling Track: Women’s Omnium, Scratch Race (Georgia Baker)
7.29pm — Cycling Track: Men’s Keirin Quarterfinals (Matthew Glaetzer, Matthew Richardson)
7.30pm — Women’s Basketball: Belgium vs Australia, Bronze Medal Match (Opals)
7.57pm — Cycling Track: Women’s Omnium, Tempo Race (Georgia Baker)
8.29pm — Cycling Track: Men’s Keirin Semifinals (Matthew Glaetzer, Matthew Richardson)
8.53pm — Cycling Track: Women’s Omnium, Elimination Race (Georgia Baker)
9.31pm — Cycling Track: Men’s Keirin Final (Matthew Glaetzer, Matthew Richardson)
9.56pm — Cycling Track: Women’s Omnium, Points Race (Georgia Baker)
5am — Closing Ceremony
Source Agencies
