Fri. Nov 22nd, 2024
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Nineteen-year-old Claudia Hollingsworth enjoyed her “best ever day” as the breakout track star claimed both a national title and a spot in Australia’s Olympics team within a few hours.

Hollingsworth was one of 14 athletes selected for Australia’s Olympic team, with Chef de Mission Anna Meares on hand in Adelaide to officially punch their ticket to Paris.

The list also included Matt Denny (discus), Michelle Jenneke (hurdles), Jessica Hull (1,500m), Nicola Olyslagers (high jump), Eleanor Patterson (high jump), Peter Bol (800m), Lauren Ryan (5,000m), Abbey Caldwell (800m) and Chris Mitrevski (long jump).

A quartet of race walkers were also selected, headlined by Jemima Montag but also featuring Rebecca Henderson, Kyle Swan and Rhydian Cowley.

This announcement marks the first of three waves of selections for Australia’s leading athletes, with final teams not to be determined until July, just weeks before the Olympics begin.

Nicola Olyslagers runs during a national championship race
Claudia Hollingsworth took out the 800m national title on Sunday.(AAP: Matt Turner)

Hollingsworth provided one of the highlights of the meet with an incredible run to win the women’s 800m final, recording a personal best time of 1:58.40 and letting a dream become reality.

“It’s a dream and a goal for so many people, so it was always in the back of my mind as something I wanted to do,” Hollingsworth said.

“So I thought about it for a little bit, but I didn’t want to have that pressure. So I only really thought of it once I crossed that finish line.

“It’s definitely my best ever day. Having my family and friends and teammates and my coach here, it’s just crazy.

“I’ve sort of hit the pinnacle of what I can do in Australia, so let’s see what I can do overseas.”

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