2024 Paris Olympics

Congratulating the Efforts of Australia's Olympic Team at the 2024 Olympic Games

VIDEO

Like a lot of Australians, we've been up late and up early to watch the Paris Olympics across the last two weeks, and what a show we have seen! From archery to wrestling, we have watched the world's greatest sportspeople compete on what must be said was a magnificent stage in Paris and across France. We saw 14 days of human endeavour, pitching muscle, intellect, drive and teamwork to go higher, stronger and faster. And it would be remiss of me not to say out loud that on this side of the House we've had the member for Hunter's journey to inspire us into the Olympics—our very own Olympian, who also shared with us the trials and tribulations of trying to qualify to be one of those athletes to represent their country on the world's biggest stage.

It has been quite a fortnight, led by Australia, competing with the best in the world. And what an Olympics we have had: 18 gold, 19 silver, 16 bronze—53 medals in all, the best ever in our 'away' Olympics; it is extraordinary. Those medals were won across 14 sports. Whether in the pool, on the track, on the field, on the court, on the pitch, on the floor, in the velodrome, in the River Seine, in the streets of Paris, at the Marseille marina or at the Nautical Stadium, our Australians have done us incredibly proud. They've pitched themselves against the best in the world and done their country very proud—their families and themselves.

This year we sent 460 athletes to the Olympic Games: 256 females and 204 males, a 55.6 per cent female team. I know many members on this side of the House want to celebrate that. Our youngest athlete, Aria Trew, in the skateboarding, is 14, winning a gold medal in the park. And our eldest, Shane Rose, in the equestrian events, is 51. There were Australians competing at their fifth Olympics: Eddie Ockenden, Edwina Tops-Alexander, Joe Ingles, Patty Mills, Lauren Jackson and Melissa Wu, competing at the top of their game across five Olympics. What an extraordinary achievement.

And of course we in this country need to pay tribute to all those competitors, not just those who brought us home those beautiful coloured medals, particularly the gold ones, but all our athletes. I was up late last night watching the Opals, because those who know me well know team sports are where my passion runs deepest. To watch our Opals win the first medal since 2012 and bring home that bronze was extraordinary—to see Ezi Magbegor play the most magnificent game of basketball on the world stage. We had many, many heroes in Paris.

To finish this morning, the closing ceremony, with Jessica Fox elected to the IOC Athletes' Commission, was also an extraordinary thing to see. To see our Jessica, the most successful Australian Olympian ever, elected to represent athletes is also extraordinary.

At the 1924 Paris Olympics, Australia sent 34 athletes. They were all men. This year we sent, as I said, 460 athletes, and we competed across an enormous number of sports. So there are many things to celebrate, but for me some of the special moments worth mentioning were: Nina Kennedy winning gold in the pole vault; Mollie O'Callaghan winning three gold, one silver and one bronze in the pool—extraordinary; and Arisa Trew, who I mentioned. But Saya's gold in the BMX: what a moment for that young lady and a moment for her family, not to mention the Fox sisters and the Stingers. Who could miss the Stingers in the women's water polo? What troopers they are, bringing home the silver after an extraordinary Olympics. The women in the pool, the women on the track and the women in the field: an extraordinary performance by the Australian women, an extraordinary performance by the Australian team.