By Jonty Ralphsmith
Australia’s female contingent in the pool and the Fox family have highlighted a sparkling first week of the Olympics for Australia, which sits third on the medal tally with 13 gold medals after day 11 of the games.
Spearheaded by Ariarne Titmus, the Dolphins bagged seven gold medals in the pool, while Jess Fox’s legend continued to grow with two slalom gold.
Jess’ sister, Noemie, also got the spotlight on day 11, winning gold in the Olympics’ inaugural kayak cross event.
Also in action across the past week have been Berwick walker Rebecca Henderson, Lysterfield’s Yarra Pistol Club shooter Sergei Evglevski, hockey pair Amy Lawton and Nathan Ephraums.
Henderson finished 31st in the 58-athlete 20-kilometre women’s race walk field with a time of 1:34:22 in a 45-athlete field.
It’s four minutes quicker than Henderson’s race in the Tokyo games three years ago where she finished 38th, though six minutes below her personal best which would have had her in top-10 calculations.
Evglevski would be similarly disappointed with his result in the 25-metre rapid fire pistol event which took place on Sunday.
The Berwick College alumni was well off his best in the first stage, placing 29th with a score of 283, 14 points off first spot.
He similarly struggled in stage 2, shooting a score of 573, well below his 584 personal best on the international circuit which would have qualified him for the final.
Amy Lawton’s Hockeroos were bounced in a controversial quarterfinal bout against China, going down 3-2 on day 11.
A win would have guaranteed that the Hockeyroos would play off for a medal, but Australia squandered its early lead by conceding the next three goals.
The third of those goals caused controversy and backlash, with the ball appearing to make contact with a Chinese player’s legs, but the goal stood after a video review.
A goal just before three-quarter-time kept Australia in the hunt and then green and gold had plenty of penalty corner opportunities late in the game but were unable to capitalise.
Emerald’s Lawton was a regular member of the lineup throughout the Olympics, with result disappointing given Australia went undefeated through the pool stage to finish top of its group.
The men’s hockey team suffered a similar fate, going down 2-0 in the quarterfinals to Netherlands on Day 10.
Keysborough’s Ephraums played in the first four games as an injury-replacement for regular starter Jacob Whetton, who replaced him for Australia’s last pool game and the quarter final.
Nyora skateboarder Keefer Wilson and Lyndhurst long jumper Brooke Buschkhuel both have their events on Tuesday evening.
Wilson is a teenaged debutante who will relish the experience against the world’s best, while Buschkhuel will look to build on back-to-back seventh placings at her third Olympics.
Among Australia’s remaining medal hopes are sufer Jack Robinson, sailor Matt Wearn, reigning Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning diver Maddison Keeney, Tokyo gold-medal winning skateboarder Keegan Palmer, Australia’s men’s and women’s water polo teams and Mariafe Artacho Del Solar and Taliqua Clancy in beach volleyball.
The games wrap up on 11 August, when all attention will shift to the Paralympics which get underway on 28 August.
Berwick paratriathlete Jack Howell, Gippsland wheelchair rugby player Beau Vernon and F34 Casey Cardinia Athletics Club javelin and shot putter Dayna Crees will spearhead the local contingent.
