WA Athletes to watch day eight: Matt Eben goes for gold plus Kurtis Marschall, Min Woo Lee, Brianna Throssell
Matt Ebden (doubles tennis)
Perth’s Matt Ebden will be gunning for Doubles gold at Roland-Garros with partner John Peers.
The pair came into the Olympics as Australia’s hot tennis medal hope and have proven the high hopes were justified, with silver the worst result they can record.
They will face fierce American veterans Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek, who sunk fellow Aussies Alex De Minaur and Alexei Popyrn earlier in the tournament.
Ben O’Connor (Cycling, road race)
Ben O’Connor has been called up as Luke Plapp’s replacement in the road race team after he crashed out and ended up in hospital after the time trial on day one of the competition.
But the WA boy has a fine resume on Olympics debut having finished fourth in this year’s Giro d’Italia with a stage victory.
He and the field face a stern and mountainous test along the 273km road race that gets underway from 5pm AWST.
Kurtis Marschall (Pole Vault)
With most of the focus rightly being on the pool during week one, our track and field competitors will finally get their time to shine, with Kurtis Marshall hoping to start strong in the men’s pole vault qualification rounds.
The two-time Commonwealth Games champion is searching for redemption after a “traumatic” Tokyo, which saw him record a no heighter, failing to clear a single bar.
But since then, he’s gone from strength to strength, including recording a personal best vault of 5.95m in the past year and finishing 5th at the world indoor championships.
Vaults will begin at 4:10pm.
Camera IconKurtis Marschall of Australia in action during his bronze medal performance in the Men’s Pole Vault Final during the World Athletics Championships in 2023. Credit: Tim Clayton – Corbis/Corbis via Getty ImagesMin Woo Lee (Golf)
After a ‘horrid’ and ‘embarrassing’ first round which saw the Perth product dead last after day one at Le Golf National Min Woo Lee rediscovered his touch to record a six under 65 to storm up the leaderboard to finish day two at one under in a tie for 35th.
Can ‘Chef Woozy’ keep cooking up a storm to push for a top 10 finish and perhaps more?
Find out from 3pm.
Karri Somerville & Penny Squibb (Hockey)
The Hockeyroos are already through to the knockout stages, having remained undefeated in their first four games after a last-second goal allowed them to escape with a draw against Argentina.
Squibb, on a long-awaited Olympic debut, has not looked overawed by the occasion, while Sommerville has been part of a rock-solid defence that only let a single goal through until the Argentina match.
The Aussies will be hoping to finish their pool stage unbeaten and in top spot as they face Spain at 6:45pm
Giorgia Patten, Bronwyn Cox, Jacqui Swick & Josh Hicks (Rowing)
Australia’s rowing performances at these Olympics so far have been well below par with just one medal going the way of the women’s coxless pair crew, featuring WA’s Annabelle McIntyre, who took bronze.
If the Aussies are to turn around their fortunes, it will once again be left up to more WA talent, with the trio of Giorgia Patten, Bronwyn Cox & Jacqui Swick part of the women’s eight team.
They will be up against it, having scraped into the final via the repechage with the slowest time, but will know anything can happen in the pressure of the final at 4:50pm.
Once the women have run, Josh Hicks will be part of the men’s eight boat, which also only scraped through to the men’s A final.
Having sacrificed their gold medal-winning fours crew in Tokyo to target the eights in Paris, the Aussies will be desperate to salvage something from a poor campaign at 5:10pm.
Camera IconAnnabelle McIntyre and Giorgia Patten. Credit: Justin Benson-Cooper/The West AustralianMatt Wearn, Nia Jerwood, Conor Nicholas & Zoe Thomson (Sailing)
It’s been a tough time for all the sailers in France with bad weather forcing multiple race delays and cancellations.
However, in the brief moments when racing has been completed, Matt Wearn recovered from a poor start in race one to move to the top of the dinghy standings after four races including a win in race three.
He will look to continue his strong from 6:15pm.
Elsewhere in the mixed 470 dinghy, event making its Olympic debut in Paris, Nia Jerwood and Conor Nicholas have plenty of ground to make up after a disqualification in their second race.
But with the lowest scores cancelled out there’s still a chance to come back with racing set for 11:05pm.
Zoe Thomson is up against it in the women’s dinghy, which resumes at 8:25pm; however, with storms threatening overnight, we may see more delays across all sailing.
Brianna Throssell (4×100 Medley)
Already having one gold after being part of Australia’s barnstorming 4x200m freestyle triumph, Brianna Throssell will be back in action for the final time at the Olympics.
Following winning the gold Throssell dropped the bombshell that she would be retiring at the end of the games.
It means her part in the 4x100m mixed medley team will be her final Olympic action.
Heats start from 5pm with the medal final scheduled for 3:34am should Australia get through.
John Hedges & Luke Pavillard (Water Polo)
The Sharks have put the world on notice after back-to-back upsets taking down hosts France in a 9-8 thriller following their stunning take down of the World No.1 Serbia.
Their opponents don’t get any easier, however, as they now take on Tokyo bronze medalist Hungary, who also have a 2-1 record in Group B.
Pavillard scored a key goal in their upset over France, and the Sharks will effectively seal their place in the knockouts if they can take down the former nine-time Olympic champions at 9pm.
#Athletes #watch #day #Matt #Eben #gold #Kurtis #Marschall #Min #Woo #Lee #Brianna #Throssell