Australia’s Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy want to create their own golden legacy on the sand to inspire generation next – just like Natalie Cook and Kerri Pottharst did for them.
Artacho del Solar and Clancy will take on Americans April Ross and Alix Klineman in Friday women’s beach volleyball gold medal match at the Tokyo Olympics, hoping to win Australia’s second gold in the sport.
The first was won by Cook and Pottharst on Bondi Beach 21 years ago, and it was the spark that ignited the flame for Australia’s latest combination.
“It means a huge amount, we want to get our sport back on the international stage. In Australia we want to inspire the next generation,” Artacho del Solar said.
“This is where my dream started by watching them (Cook and Pottharst) … that’s how simple these moments can be.”
For Clancy, an indigenous athlete from rural Queensland, the Sydney Olympics provided a different yet equally poignant motivator.
“I’m so proud of who I am. And I want to let all my people feel the same way,” Clancy said.
“My journey started from watching Cathy Freeman and the Sydney Olympics. As an eight-year-old, that was me.
“When we get to have these opportunities, we hope we inspire the future to become Olympic athletes.”
One more gold medal would make this Australia’s most successful Games, and they will have a triple threat in the women’s javelin final with reigning world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber, 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Kathryn Mitchell and MacKenzie Little all involved.
It is the first time in Olympic history that Australia will have a full complement of three athletes in any throwing final.
The green and gold will also be well represented in the women’s 1500m title race by Jessica Hull and Linden Hall, who have taken it in turns to hold the national record over the past couple of years.
The record currently sits with Hull, who took it back from Hall with a time of three minutes 58.81 seconds in the semi-finals on Wednesday.
Already guaranteed a medal, Harry Garside will take on Cuban Andy Cruz in the men’s lightweight semi-final for the right to fight in the gold medal bout.
Australia has never won boxing gold at Olympic level, the best result being Grahame ‘Spike’ Cheney’s silver in 1988.
Hannah Green and Minjee Lee remain in contention heading into the third round of the women’s golf, Sam Fricker and Cassiel Rousseau will begin their campaign on the 10m diving platform, while Marina Carrier is mid-field heading into the last day of the modern pentathlon.
AAP
