Australian Athletics: 12 months of momentum

From the streets of Paris to podiums across the globe, Australian athletics has delivered one of the most successful years in our history, with so much more still to come.

When the curtain lifted on the athletics program at the Paris Olympic Games in August 2024, few could have predicted the wave that was about to break for Australian athletics.

Over the next twelve months, Australia’s athletes would collect medals on almost every continent, shatter records that had stood for decades and announce a new generation ready to carry the baton.

From the heat of the Olympic and Paralympic finals to the pressure of world championship events, from teenagers in their first national singlet to veterans still rewriting history, it was a year that built with every step, throw, jump and roll.

Paris wasn’t just a purple patch. It was the start of a sustained, relentless run of success and one that’s left no doubt in the minds of the Australian public; athletics has arrived and it’s here to stay.

August 2024:

The Olympic fortnight lit the fuse. Seven medals – one gold, two silver, four bronze – and our best result since Melbourne 1956.

From Nina Kennedy’s soaring pole vault gold, to New South Wales Insitute of Sport (scholarship holder) Jessica Hull storming silver in the 1500m to award Australia its first Olympic middle distance medal in 56 years, the moments kept coming. Jemima Montag doubled up with bronze in the 20km Race Walk and the Mixed Marathon Relay alongside Rhydian Cowley, while NSWIS pair Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson made history as the first two Australian field athletes to share the podium with silver and bronze respectively in the high jump.

Of course there was also Matthew Denny who broke through for his maiden global medal, a bronze, before launching the discus to the second furthest throw the world has ever seen months later in April.

The 10 days of athletics reminded the world just how great Australia can be.

August 2024:

A week later, it was the next generation’s turn at the World Athletics Under 20 Championships in Lima, Peru.

Fourteen medals, including 2 gold, 7 silver and 5 bronze, along with 28 finalists, putting Australia second on the placing table.

NSWIS athlete Delta Amidzovski (pictured) claimed long jump gold and hurdles bronze, the Mixed 4x400m relay team of Jordan Gilbert, Bella Pascquali, Jack Deguara and Sophia Gregorevic charged to victory, and a teenager from Ipswich named Gout Gout had the athletics world talking.

September 2024:

The Paralympic team carried the momentum and delivered 11 medals — three gold, two silver, six bronze — plus two world records and an Australian record that rewrote the history books.

Vanessa Low flew 5.45m in the long jump T61 for gold and a world record. James Turner was unstoppable in the T36 sprints, taking gold in the 100m and 400m, with a world record in the latter. Madison de Rozario (NSWIS/pictured) claimed bronze in the 5000m T54, setting a new Australian record in the process before landing again on the podium in the wheelchair marathon with silver.

There was more to celebrate: podium breakthroughs for Mali Lovell (NSWIS/pictured) in the long jump T36, Dayna Crees in the javelin F34, Reece Langdon in the 1500m T38, and Rheed McCracken (NSWIS) in the 800m T34, each marking their place among the world’s best. Michael Roeger and Michal Burian too, both added to their list of accolades with silver in the 1500m T46 and javelin T64 respectively.

It was a campaign built on resilience, and the springboard for propelling Australia back to the heights of global para-athletics.

March 2025:

March brought history indoors, with Australia’s best ever medal haul at the World Athletics Indoor Championships with seven medals and second on the placing table.

Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson went 1-2 in the high-jump, both clearing 1.97m. The women’s 4x400m relay team consisting of Ellie Beer, Ella Connolly (NSWIS/pictured), Bella Pasquali and Jemma Pollard took bronze and our first indoor relay medal in 26 years.

Lachlan Kennedy announced himself on the world stage with silver on debut, setting up a season of triumphant peformances including a 9.98-second sprint for the history books that set tongues wagging.

May 2025:

With Gout Gout officially putting Australia on the map as a sprint nation in December 2024, it came as no surprise when the nation’s sprinting stocks stepped up to the challenge at the World Athletics Relay Championships.

Relay running has been part of Australia’s DNA for decades, and in Guangzhou, it was back in the spotlight.

The Mixed 4x400m relay powered to silver against a stacked field, showing both speed and composure under pressure. Beyond the medal, the meet delivered a major strategic win: four of five relay squads secured qualification for the Tokyo 2025 World Championships.

With depth across all events, our relay teams are once again poised to challenge the best in the world, and with true buy-in for the national relay program, there’s every reason to expect more podiums to come.

July 2025:

Ten medals — 5 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze — our best result ever at the World University Games. First on the placing table and first on the medal table.

NSWIS athlete Connor Murphy (triple jump/pictured), Ben Guse (decathlon), Georgia Harris (100m), Lizzy McMillen (20km walk with a FISU record) and the women’s 4x100m relay team of Harris, Kristie Edwards (NSWIS), Olivia Inkster and Jessica Milat all struck gold.

It was a fitting final chapter to a season that had barely taken a breath between triumphs.

Still To Come

The next 12 months will see this team take on Tokyo for the World Championships, New Delhi for the World Para Athletics Championships, and a run of global events that will test every event group.

If the last year has shown us anything, it’s that this isn’t just a good moment for Australian athletics. It’s momentum that is set to roll through to Brisbane 2032, and we’re not slowing down.

Sascha Ryner, Australian Athletics