Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

While the Tokyo Olympic Games have sadly come to an end, we can relish in the success of our athletes and the welcome distraction their performance provided from the pandemic. Australian athletes claimed a total of 46 medals, making it one of our most successful games in history, with 17 gold, seven silver and 22 bronze.

I believe I can speak for all Tasmanians when I say we are extremely proud of our local athletes, with a total of 12 sportsmen and sportswomen competing as part of the Australian Olympic team across sports including swimming, running, basketball and hockey. Four of these athletes medalled in their events. Tasmania's newest legend, Ariarne Titmus, claimed four Olympic medals during the games, including gold in both the women's 200-metre freestyle and 400-metre freestyle. The humble Launceston-born swimmer is only the third Australian to win gold in both of these events at a single Olympic Games, joining Shane Gould and Ian Thorpe in the history books. Eddie Ockenden and Josh Beltz did us proud by winning silver as part of the Kookaburras outfit, which faced off against Belgium in a nailbiter gold-medal match, and Tasmanian-born basketballer Chris Goulding claimed bronze playing with the Boomers basketball team, the first time our men's team has won an Olympic medal.

Congratulations as well to Stewart McSweyn, Daniel Watkins, Georgia Baker, Richie Porte, Jacob Birtwhistle, Sarah Hawe, Ciona Wilson and Nathaniel Atkinson for their magnificent efforts in the games. You did us all very proud.

Our Tasmanian athletes continue to inspire on the international stage. I'm certain that their performance will serve to encourage the next generation of Australian athletes to get involved in sport.