Well, here we are.
After two weeks of blood, sweat and tears, the Paris Games conclude on Sunday evening, bringing to an end the most successful overseas Olympic campaign in Australia’s history.
The Australians claimed 18 gold medals in the French capital, with a few more medals added to the national list on day 16.
Cyclists Matthew Glaetzer and Matthew Richardson (men’s keirin) both secured a podium finish, while Georgia Baker (women’s omnium) failed to medal.
Meanwhile, the Opals claimed their first Olympic medal since 2012 by beating Belgium in the women’s basketball bronze medal match.
That’s all before the Paris Olympic closing ceremony, which starts at 5am AEST on Monday morning.
Follow the latest updates from the key events below, and check out the full Day 16 schedule to see all the Australians in action!
AUSSIES WIN SILVER AND BRONZE AFTER THE ‘BRADBURY’ FINISH
After strong Games in the cycling track, Australians Matthews Richardson and Glaetzer are both medalists after finishing second and third respectively in the men’s keirin final.
Richardson and Glaetzer qualified first and second for the gold medal race, but it was Harrie Lavreysen, who beat Richardson for gold in the sprint and took first place on the podium.
Chaos ensued late in the race after a triple crash at the final corner helped Glaetzer to a medal, with Australian Olympic cyclist and commentator Scott McGrory declaring he had “done a Bradbury”.
“Three riders at the front went down and Glaetzer went ahead and took the bronze medal for third place,” McGrory said.
Elsewhere, Georgia Baker fell just short of a place on the podium in the women’s omnium, although her fifth place was Australia’s best result since 2015.
Baker placed third in the scratch race to start the four-stage omnium, took second place in the pace race to jump to second place overall and backed up a second-place finish in the elimination race.
In the final sprint, which was worth double figures, Baker could not score any points.
EARLY HEARTBREAK IN WOMEN’S MARATHON OPENS ‘PANDORA’S BOX’
Questions will be asked of Athletics Australia after one of three runners in the women’s marathon retired injured just 1.5 kilometers into Sunday’s race, reigniting a selection controversy that bubbled up ahead of the Olympics.
Sinead Diver, Genevieve Gregson and Jess Stenson were selected to race for Australia in the marathon, with Gregson and Stenson finishing 24th and 13th respectively.
‘Reconstruction’ Stingers take silver | 01:29
The biggest talking point to emerge from the race was the fitness of Diver, the Australian record holder who finished 10th at the last Olympics.
She was left in tears after her race was abandoned in what three-time Olympian and Commonwealth Games gold medalist Tamsyn Lewis-Manou described as a “heartbreaking” scene.
Athletics Australia said in a statement that Diver withdrew “after experiencing bilateral cramps in both quadriceps”.
“She is devastated and is being supported by team officials and medical staff,” the statement said.
“Despite managing plantar fasciitis on and off this year, there was no physical reason for Sinead not to compete today.”
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Gregson told Channel Nine that Diver had a “heavy preparation” but added: “She never made it about her”.
“She never complained to us,” Gregson said.
“She’s just one of the most supportive teammates I’ve ever had. We love her.”
“She was my roommate and with Sinead there… she’s just such a beautiful person,” Stenson added.
The withdrawal reignited the debate that took place in the athletics community before the Olympics had even started, after Lisa Weightman was overlooked for selection for the marathon.
Weightman ran the third fastest time (2:23:15) in the qualifying period, with her non-selection causing an uproar in the running community as Olympian Sally Pearson expressed her shock.
“This is about so much more than just hair [Weightman’s] omission from the team,” Pearson wrote in a column news.com.au.
“I am disappointed with the national selection panel, but I am more shocked by the integrity of Athletics Australia and how this has become a total farce.”
‘Reconstruction’ Stingers take silver | 01:29
Stenson, who won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, ran 2:24:01, although her time came just six months after the birth of her second child and in South Korea’s particularly challenging Daegu Marathon.
The selection drama caused quite a stir, with Weightman’s husband even angrily tweeting at Stenson and asking her to remove the header image on her Twitter account showing both families happy after a race.
Weightman expressed her disappointment with the decision in a statement at the time.
“I am obviously disappointed by the decision as I fought hard and honestly to achieve my qualifying time,” said Weightman.
“What I am most disappointed with, however, are AA’s own internal systems and procedures that enabled this outcome and which, unless corrected, will have a negative impact on future Australian athletes and their legitimate claims to represent Australia.”
Weightman, one of six women qualified to run in Paris, was Australia’s reserve for Sunday’s marathon.
“She (Weightman) is in good shape,” Lewis-Manou said in a commentary.
“You can see whatever happens in the race, we’re obviously going to be keeping a close eye on Gen Gregson and Jessica Stenson… there’s going to be a lot of talk in the community about running back home.”
Gerard Whateley, meanwhile, said Diver’s DNF would open a “Pandora’s box”.
“The fact that we had one runner who unfortunately didn’t make it through the first 1.5 kilometers raises so many questions that, to be honest, unless we get the right answer, it’s a question mark over what has been an incredible campaign for Australia ,” he says. said.
“There are questions about Sinead Diver’s participation in this event and what the alternatives might have been,” Whateley later added.
“There has been a flurry of information in the weeks leading up to this marathon raising concerns about her preparation for the race and the possibility of a foot injury. This all needs to be investigated, and it all needs to be confirmed or not, but there is clearly a level of accountability about it at this point.”
AUSSIES IN ACTION – HIGHLIGHTS OF DAY 16
All times AEST
4:00 PM – Athletics: Women’s Marathon (Sinead Diver, Genevieve Gregson and Jess Stenson)
7 p.m. – Cycling Track: Women’s Omnium, Scratch Race (Georgia Baker)
7.29pm – Cycling track: Keirin men’s quarter-finals (Matthew Glaetzer, Matthew Richardson)
7:30 PM — Women’s Basketball: Belgium vs. Australia, Bronze Medal Match (Opals)
7:57 PM — Cycling Track: Women’s Omnium, Tempo Race (Georgia Baker)
8.29pm – Cycling track: Keirin men’s semi-finals (Matthew Glaetzer, Matthew Richardson)
8:53 PM – Cycling Track: Women’s Omnium, Elimination Race (Georgia Baker)
9.31pm – Cycling track: Men’s Keirin final (Matthew Glaetzer, Matthew Richardson)
9:56 PM — Cycling track: Women’s Omnium, points race (Georgia Baker)
5:00 AM – Closing Ceremony
