Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games
TRANSCRIPT
Date: 12 August, 2024
Mr KENNEDY (Cook): What a historic Olympics for Australia, with a record 18 gold medals. It's fantastic to watch Australia punch above its weight, but it's also fantastic to watch my electorate of Cook punch above its weight. Cook accounts for just 0.4 per cent of Australia's population but counts for almost three per cent of Australia's Olympic athletes. That's a sixfold increase. I'd like to recognise the 12 athletes and two coaches who hail from my home electorate of Cook.
Firstly, there is the Stingers water polo team, who picked up a stunning silver medal. I was in a packed Cronulla RSL on Saturday night to watch the Stingers's gold medal match. There was yelling, screaming, a few drinks and a lot of local pride. I'd like to recognise two players and their coach. The first one is Danijela Jackovich. She is originally from Chicago and a talented basketballer and biomedical engineer who now calls Cronulla home. She's a scorer for the Cronulla Sharks and was competing in her first Olympics. Congratulations, Dani. Keesja Gofers is a Sydney-born water polo player who lives in Dolls Point and who is competing in her third Olympics. She also won silver and bronze medals in the World Aquatics Championships. Congrats, Keesja. Lastly, Australia's head coach and Cronulla Sharks stalwart is Rebecca 'Bec' Rippon. She did an amazing job coaching the girls and is a former bronze medal winner herself.
Next is the men's water polo team, the Aussie Sharks, who made it to the quarter finals and lost a nailbiting penalty shootout to the US. I'd like to recognise five athletes who made their Olympic debut and their coach. Angus Lambie was born and raised in the Sutherland shire and started water polo at age 11. A winner of multiple AWPL titles, Angus played in his first major international tournament in 2023. Chaz Poot began his aquatic journey winning state gold medals in nippers and transitioned to water polo at 14. He debuted through the Sutherland Shire Water Polo Association. Matthew Byrnes, also from Cronulla, debuted internationally at 18 years old, representing Australia in the junior water polo water championships, and made his senior debut in 2022. Marcus Berehulak, who plays for the Cronulla Sharks as well, made his international debut in 2022. Born in Serbia, Milos Maksimovic played water polo at just age 10 and moved to Australia in 2022, joining the Cronulla Sharks. Vedran Cirkovic is our national coach for the men and has made Cronulla and Australia his home for the last seven years, after immigrating from Serbia.
Next I'd like to acknowledge the women's rugby sevens. Cook has the largest number of female rugby and rugby league players in New South Wales, and two exceptional players represented Australia in the rugby sevens. Tia 'Dolly' Hinds grew up in Sydney playing for Maroubra Magic. She participated in the Tokyo Olympics and won gold in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Bridget Clark plays for the Burraneer Women's Rugby Club. Bridget impressed in the 2024 Hong Kong sevens in the bronze medal match against France. These women performed extremely well, with a heartbreaking defeat to the USA in the bronze medal match, losing in the dying seconds. I know they may be disappointed, but they did Australia and Cook incredibly proud.
Next is the men's rugby sevens. Born in Caringbah, Nathan Lawson debuted for Australia in the Tokyo Olympics and has since become a key player for the national sevens team. Nathan was a huge contributor, scoring an amazing breakaway 50-metre try in the bronze medal match. In the men's 1,500 metres, we had Olli Hoare, an exceptional and accomplished athlete, having won the 1,500-metre final at the Commonwealth Games. It certainly is worth shouting out Olli's mental health advocacy, which I find very inspiring. Olli finished fifth at the Olympics this year. Congratulations, Ollie.
In gymnastics we had Breanna Scott, inspiring to all gymnasts in Cook. Breanna was a key member of the Australian team that won silver in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. In Paris the Australian gymnastics team finished in 10th place. The team missed out on qualifications for the finals by the smallest of margins—only 0.533 points. Well done to Breanna and the team.
To the 12 athletes and two coaches from Cook, we are incredibly proud of you and we look forward to welcoming you home very soon.