Four NSW athletes to make International debut

24 April 2024

Four NSW athletes to make International debut

In the last 24 hours the teams for the World Relays were announced along with the first Paralympic Games selections. Nine NSW athletes have been selected including three teenagers. Four NSW athletes will make their historic Australian team debut. The Paralympic Games is the pinnacle event for Para-athletes, while the World Relays is the key pathway for Olympic qualification with 14 of the 16 teams invited to Paris decided in the Bahamas in 10 days.

UTS Norths teenager Mali Lovell was NSW’s only selection in the initial eight athletes announced for the Paris Paralympics Games. Mali was a surprise silver medallists last year at the World Para-Athletics Championships in the T36 200m and this summer her performances, under coaches Katie Edwards and Melinda Gainsford-Taylor, have gone to a new level.

World Relay Teams named

Eight NSW athletes will line-up on Australia’s four relay teams for the World Relays where Olympic Games places are on the line. 14 of the 16 Olympic teams in each event will be decided in the Bahamas on May 4 and 5.

Of the eight NSW athletes, four are making their Australian debut – teenagers pair Jemma Pollard and Sebastian Sultana, along with Jackson Rowe and Luke van Ratingen will wear the green and gold for the first time.

Men 4x100m

NSW dominate this team with four of the six from our State and that does not included Rohan Browning, not named in this team.

Joshua Azzopardi (CAM), Chris Ius (SYU), Jackson Rowe (CBT) and Sebastian Sultana (CBT) are joined by Tasmania’s Jacob Despard and Queensland’s Calab Law.

Men 4x400m

The men’s 4x400m relay is missing the injured Queenslander Reece Holder, who has an Olympic qualifier. After an amazing two years progression, UTS Norths’ Luke van Ratingen makes his Australian debut.

Women 4x100m

Our adopted Ella Connolly lines up on the 4x100m team, the same team which broke the Australian record at the Sydney Track Classic. We also recognise two former NSW athletes now based in Queensland - Kristie Edwards and Bree Masters.

There are 30 of a possible 32 teams lining up in the Bahamas in this event.

Women 4x400m

Two NSW athletes are on the 5-member 4x400m relay team that faces 27 out of a possible 32 teams at the World Relays. Newcastle teenager Jemma Pollard makes her well-deserved international debut after a stellar two years being competitive with Australia’s best quarter-milers on the National circuit. Olympic half-miler qualifier Bendere Oboya is welcomed back to the team over the distance she made her Olympic debut in Tokyo. In her season opener in 2024 she ran the second fastest 400m time by an Aussie this season.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW
Image: Jemma Pollard (image courtesy of Fred Etter)