Geelong-raised rower Angus Widdicombe could win a medal in his first Olympics after he and the Australian men’s eight team scraped into today’s final.
The former Newtown local and his Australian comrades started slowly in the second-chance repechage on Wednesday, spending much of the race in fifth (last) place.
But the Aussies fought back valiantly to edge out the Romanians by just over two seconds to place fourth and qualify for the final.
Widdicombe grew up rowing on the Barwon River and joined Barwon Rowing Club after graduating Geelong College, before moving onto the Mercantile Rowing Club and later relocating to Canberra.
The 26-year-old already has three world championship silver medals to his name.
At the 2017 World Rowing Championships, Widdicombe won silver alongside Darcy Wruck and James Rook in the men’s coxed pair.
In 2018 he was part of the men’s eight team that came second in both the World Rowing Championships and World Rowing Cup 3.
In the men’s eight repechage at the Olympics he rowed in the stroke seat, which is located closest to the stern.
The stroke seat is generally reserved for the best rower in the boat, who helps set the rhythm for the rest of the crew along with the coxswain.
The Australians are scheduled to take on powerhouse teams from the US, New Zealand, Germany, the Netherlands and Great Britain in the final at 11.25am AEST today.
Striker Kyra Cooney-Cross, who attended high school in Torquay, and the Matildas will take on Great Britain in the quarter finals tonight at 7pm, after holding the top-ranked US team for a 0-0 draw on Tuesday night.
The 19-year-old is playing in her debut Olympics for the Australian women’s soccer team.
The Matildas, ninth in the world in the FIFA rankings, go in as slight underdogs against Great Britain for a chance at the semi-finals.
The Great Britain side consists mostly of English players, with the England women’s team ranked sixth in the world.
Bellarine horse rider and oldest member of the Australian team at the Tokyo Olympics, Mary Hanna, placed 40th in the individual dressage and 13th in the team event this week.
The 66-year-old is competing in an incredible sixth Olympics after making her debut in Atlanta in 1996.
Aireys Inlet long-distance runner Ellie Pashley is set to make her Olympic debut in the women’s marathon next Saturday, August 7.
