Australia Announces 2020 Olympic Team

The Australian artistic swimming team for the 2020 Olympic Games was announced on February 26 in Canberra. The team features four returning Olympians from 2016, and four newcomers to the Olympics.

The eight swimmers selected for Tokyo are:

  • Hannah Cross, 2016 Olympian
  • Jane Fruzynski
  • Kiera Gazzard
  • Kirsten Kinash
  • Rachel Presser
  • Emily Rogers, 2016 Olympian
  • Amber Rose Stackpole, 2016 Olympian
  • Amie Thompson, 2016 Olympian
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(L-R): Rachel Presser, Jane Fruzynski, Emily Rogers, Kiera Gazzard, Kirsten Kinash, Hannah Cross, Amie Thompson and Amber Rose Stackpole.

Hannah Burkhill was named the alternate. Stackpole and Thompson are also set to compete in the duet events just like at the world championships this past season.

Australia had clinched a team spot through the continental championship quota at the 2019 FINA World Championships in South Korea by placing above the team of New Zealand. The nation automatically qualified its duet to Tokyo as a result.

All nine athletes listed above were members of that 2019 world squad that helped qualify the nation. In addition to the four returning Olympians, the four “first-timers” to this Olympic team are no stranger to major international competitions, as they also all were members of the 2017 FINA World Championships team.

In Rio, the Australians finished eighth in team and 24th in duet. Since then, the quotas have changed, with now 10 teams and 22 duets set to compete in Tokyo.

Article by Christina Marmet

 

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