By LUKE VOOGT
Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula will field seven athletes at the Rio 2016 Olympics, beginning tomorrow (Saturday).
Three will make their Olympic debut but Drysdale grandmother and equestrian champion Mary Hanna – the Australian team’s oldest member – will compete in her fifth games.
The 61-year-old will be the equal-second Olympian to reach the five-games milestone.
Hanna and horse Boogie Woogie were in fantastic spirits, she told the Indy over the phone from Rio.
“It’s very exciting when you’ve got the right horses and everything falls into place,” she said.
“The stables are brilliant and the transport systems here are great.”
Hannah said she was already planning ahead for Tokyo 2020.
“It (Rio) isn’t the end of my goals.
“(Boogie Woogie) shouldn’t get to his peak until Tokyo and then I’ve got another young one up and coming.”
Hanna will become Australia’s oldest ever Olympic equestrian, eclipsing Bill Roycroft’s record.
She will be 125 days older than Roycroft was when he represented Australia at the 1976 Olympics.
“I try not to think about the age so much,” she said.
“I focus on my sport and staying fit and healthy so I can do it as long as possible.”
Drysdale will also watch the progress of high jumper Joel Baden, who grew up in the town.
The 20-year-old will make his Olympic debut after clearing the automatic qualifying height of 2.29m in Cairns on 26 June.
Perseverance paid off for Baden, who had jumps of 2.25m and 2.24m this year but failed to clear 2.29m until days before the end of qualifying.
Geelong rower Jennifer Cleary and judo fighter Jake Bensted will strive for gold in their Olympic debuts.
Whittington-born Melbourne-based shot putter Damien Birkinhead will also compete in his first Olympics.
The 23-year-old will be a chance for a medal after finishing fourth in the Singapore Youth Olympics in 2010 and winning his third national title last year.
Rower Josh Dunkley-Smith will hope to top his silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics, again rowing as part of the men’s coxless fours.
Ocean Grove walker Chris Erickson will attend his third Olympics, aiming for a top-eight finish in the 50km walk after competing in the 20km at London and Beijing.
Geelong’s Richard Colman will compete at his fourth Paralympics next month after winning selection for Rio this week.
The Australian Paralympic Committee selected Colman for the T53 400m, T53 800m and T53/54 4×400 relay.
“I’d like to say thank you to you all for your amazing continued support and look forward to representing you all with pride in Rio and beyond,” he said.
Colman has won numerous Paralympic medals, including gold in the T53 800m at the 2004 Athens and 2012 London games.
