Eight WAIS athletics athletes selected for 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games

Gold Coast pole vault medallists Nina Kennedy and Kurtis Marschall headline the first eight WA athletics athletes selected for the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Para stars including Commonwealth and Paralympic Champion Madison de Rozario, Robyn Lambird and Sarah Edmiston will also look to add to their medal hauls.

Australian Record Holder Nina Kennedy will be aiming to find the top step of the podium after claiming a breakthrough bronze medal at the 2018 Games in the pole vault, her first at an international competition.

Kurtis Marschall heads in to his second Games as the defending champion in the pole vault and after jumping near his best this domestic season has his eyes firmly on gold.

Tokyo Olympics hero Peter Bol will contest his maiden Commonwealth Games in the 800m with his eye on a medal.

Paralympic Champion, Madison de Rozario will look to defend her 2018 gold medallist in the T54 1500m and marathon.

Discus thrower Sarah Edmiston will make her Commonwealth Games debut and will look to add a Commonwealth Games medal to her Paralympic and World Championship medals.

After claiming a medal at the Tokyo Paralympics, wheelchair racer Robyn Lambird will make her debut at a Commonwealth Games in the T34 100m.

Rhiannon Clarke will contest her second Games in the T38 100m, and will look to improve on silver from four years ago on the Gold Coast, where she was the youngest medallist at the Games.

Rounding out the WA selections is Ella Pardy, who will be representing Australia for a third time at a Commonwealth Games, and will be eyeing her first medal after narrowly missing the podium on the Gold Coast, with fourth in the T38 100m.

Birmingham 2022 Australian Team Chef de Mission Petria Thomas OAM commented on the strength of the athletics team so far named.

“This is an exciting group who are ready to be bold, brave and brilliant at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham,” Thomas said.

“Today’s selections of the first Athletics Team Members is a wonderful mixture of defending gold medal champions, experienced campaigners, and the next generation who are ready to establish themselves on the world stage.

“Australia has enjoyed a tremendous legacy in athletics at the Commonwealth Games, and I know the Team Members selected today are ready to add their names to that storied history.”