Even in ordinary times, getting to the Olympics is no mean feat. For the vast majority of sports, the quadrennial Games are the pinnacle of competition – which means the bar for qualification is extremely high. Athletes who have represented Australia at a Games rave about the experience – almost universally they say it is the best moment of their careers. That so many Olympians subsequently get the multi-coloured rings tattooed on their torsos suggests they never want to forget it.
Before the pandemic, it would have been hard to imagine the qualification process could become more trying. But ahead of the Tokyo Games, which begin in three weeks, the difficulty has been consistently ratcheted up.
A small contingent of Australia’s athletes had the good fortune of qualifying for Tokyo before the Games were postponed last year. For the rest, Covid-19 has been a major headache. Many athletes had to seek exemptions to travel internationally to compete at qualification tournaments; Australia’s baseball team withdrew from qualification due to “insurmountable” logistical challenges. For those that did travel, hotel quarantine on return – two weeks without training – has been a disruptive experience.
Even athletes who did not leave Australia’s shores have struggled. Calls to the Australian Institute of Sport’s mental health referral network have surged. Olympic hopefuls have had to relocate at the drop of a hat, keeping their bags packed at all times to dodge lockdowns and skirt domestic border closures. A veteran coach recently grumbled: “How am I supposed to live like this?”. High performance sport is normally about marginal gains. For Tokyo, just turning up has proven the biggest challenge.
But turn up they will. On Monday, the Australian Olympic Committee will hold a press conference to celebrate the finalised Olympic delegation. Ordinarily, the moment would be celebrated with a gathering of athletes and oversized Qantas tickets; with Sydney in lockdown, it will take place via Zoom. But the virtual format is unlikely to detract from the event’s symbolic significance. The Olympics are really happening. And Australia’s athletes are heading to the Games to win.
As of Friday, 388 Australian athletes were confirmed for Tokyo. Between 70 and 90 athletes will be added to that list throughout Saturday. The largest Olympic delegation Australia has ever sent overseas was the 482-athlete strong team for the 2004 Games in Athens. While it is unlikely the team for Tokyo will surpass that number, it will come exceedingly close. Given the challenges of the past year, that in itself is a remarkable achievement.
After success in Sydney and Athens (where Australia ranked fourth on the medal tally), the past three Games have been a downwards spiral. Australia ranked sixth in Beijing, with 14 gold medals, eighth in London, with eight golds, and 10th in Rio, with another eight. But despite the obstacles posed by Covid, there are indications that Australia’s Olympians could return from Tokyo with a bountiful medal haul – perhaps the biggest since 2008.
In the pool, Australian swimming is ascendant, despite ongoing concerns about culture and mistreatment. Australia’s swimmers are typically responsible for the lion’s share of the nation’s medals; after impressive performances at last month’s trials, young guns Ariarne Titmus and Kaylee McKeown look set for their breakthrough Olympics. Medals are also likely in cycling – on the track, road and in BMX freestyle, a new Olympic sport, where Australia’s Logan Martin is the reigning world champion.
Australian athletics, meanwhile, is at the dawn of a new golden era – javelin thrower Kelsey-Lee Barber, high jumper Nicola McDermott and the country’s middle and long distance runners all have medal potential. Sally Fitzgibbons and Steph Gilmore will be aiming high as surfing makes its Olympic debut, while Ashleigh Barty heads to Tokyo from Wimbledon as world No 1. Among the team sports, women’s rugby sevens side will be looking to defend their Rio gold and the Opals, Australia’s female basketballers, are hoping to return to the podium after two Games without a medal.
While the Games are rapidly approaching – Australia’s softballers will be among the first in action, against home team Japan, in 18 days’ time – some uncertainty remains. The Japanese government continues to deliberate on whether local spectators will be allowed; in June it was announced that venues will operate at up to 50% capacity, but on Thursday Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga hinted that a no-fan Games was still on the cards. The hotel quarantine plans for team Australia on the way home are as yet unannounced (and may be impacted by the reduction in the travel cap on Friday). Unanswered questions linger about Covid testing and the possibility that athletes will be removed from competition due to contact with a positive case.
But after a year of uncertainty and speculation, Australia’s Olympians are ready for the first Covid Games. The Olympics are going ahead and Australia has high hopes. For Australian athletes in Japan and fans back home, the Tokyo Games will be unforgettable – tattoo or not.
