It may be a year late, but the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are finally here and the timing couldn’t be better. It’s the perfect way to keep yourself entertained during lockdown, and with so much amazing local talent to watch, there’s plenty of opportunity for cheering our North Shore Olympic Heroes! Check out some of our Tokyo Olympians from the North Shore!
We can be proud of all the local talent we have right here on the North Shore representing Australian at the Tokyo Olympics. Use the quicklinks to learn more about each Olympic Hero and get ready to cheer them on!
- Abbey Harkin, Swimming
- Aidan Roach, Water Polo
- Edward Fernon, Pentathlon
- Edwina Tops-Alexander, Equestrian
- Elle Armit, Water Polo
- Ellen Roberts, Thali Moore, Michelle Cox & Rachel Lack, Softball
- Genevieve Horton, Rowing
- Henry Hutchinson, Rugby Sevens
- Kiana Elliott, Weightlifting
- Liz Clay, Hurdles
- Mackenzie Little, Javelin
- Morgan McDonald, Athletics 5,000m
- Nicholas Kay, Basketball
- Sam Hardy, Rowing
- Shane Rose, Equestrian
- Tara Rigney, Rowing
- Will Ryan, Sailing
Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony
The Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games will be screening on Channel 7 this Friday 23 July from 8.30pm, with the very apt theme ‘United by Emotion’. Just like in previous years, the ceremony itself if a very closely guarded secret, focused around a number of different themes, all centred around hope and encouragement.
One of the most important parts of the Opening Ceremony is the Olympic oath. This has been significantly adapted to highlight the importance of solidarity, inclusion, non-discrimination and equality – something we can all support.
There’s no doubt that Tokyo 2020 will be unlike any Olympic Games in history, as it’s taking place in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is where the theme ‘United by Emotion’ comes from.
The world is made up of people who are different ages and nationalities and come from all walks of life, and now, due to the pandemic, we are physically separated. This is why, Tokyo 2020 wants everyone to experience the same excitement, joy, and at times disappointment, through the athletes’ competitive performances.
You can watch the our Tokyo Olympians from the North Shore live and free in Australia on Channel 7, 7mate, 7two and 7plus, with coverage beginning from 5.30am AEST on weekdays and 6am AEST on weekends.
Tokyo Olympians from the North Shore
We are lucky enough to have lots of local athletes competing in the Tokyo Olympics. Check out our Tokyo Olympians from the North Shore below and be sure to cheer them along!
Abbey Harkin, Swimming
Abbey Harkin (23 years old) has been selected as one of the 35 swimmers representing Australia at the Tokyo Olympics.
Originally from the Hunter Valley, Abbey shone at the 2021 Olympic Trials, touching the wall just behind gold medal winner Jenna Strauch to claim second in the 200m breaststroke with a time of 2:23.59, qualifying a spot on her first Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo 2021. She attended Pymble Ladies’ College, graduating in 2015.
Aidan Roach, Water Polo
Aidan Roach (30 years old) is representing Australia at the Tokyo Olympics in Water Polo.
Aidan Roach made his Australian Sharks debut in 2009 and has been a consistent member of the squad ever since. That same year he also claimed gold at the 2009 World University Games. He attended Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview (2008).
Read more about Aidan Roach here.
Edward Fernon, Pentathlon
Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview Aluma Edward Fernon (2005) has been selected to represent Australia at the Tokyo Olympics in the Pentathlon.
Having never tried fencing or shooting before, and with a fair amount of improving to do in the swim leg, Fernon set his mind to task while studying at Sydney University and gained selection for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Edwina Tops-Alexander, Equestrian
Edwina Tops-Alexander graduated from Pymble Ladies’ College in 1991, and has been selected for the Australian Equestrian Team for the Tokyo Olympics. This amazing achievement will be Edwina’s 4th Olympics. Edwina will head to Tokyo with the 13-year-old bay mare Identity Vitseroel, with whom she has been partnered with since 2019.
Edwina Tops-Alexander is known as one of Australia’s leading showjumpers and one of the highest ranked female riders in the world. Her journey into the equestrian world was sparked by her neighbours, they owned a barn and would ride their horses on the weekend. As a result this caught Edwina’s interest and by eight-years-old she was riding in her local Pony Club.
Elle Armit, Water Polo
Elle Armit
Elle Armit has been selected to represent Australia at the Tokyo Olympics in Water Polo.
She joined Townsville Water Polo club as a junior, then began her Australian national league Water Polo career with the Queensland Breakers in Brisbane and in 2013, Elle made her senior national team debut for the Aussie Stingers. Elle is originally from Townsville, but is a casual teacher at Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview.
Ellen Roberts, Thali Moore, Michelle Cox & Rachel Lack, Softball
Softball is returning to the Olympic program after a 12-year wait, but has again missed the cut for the Paris Olympics in 2024, which makes this opportunity that much more important. The Australian women’s softball squad has several North Shore women on the team. Yay!
- Ellen Roberts (Loreto Normanhurst, 2009) – Ellen was selected to her first NSW side in 2008, and has since become a permanent fixture in the setup and has won 10 national championship titles.
- Tahli Moore (Loreto Normanhurst, 2012) – Tahli made the junior British Team and was able to get a world cup berth under her belt, then at 17, she was awarded a college softball scholarship with James Madison University (JMU) in Virginia, US, and she set out to chase her dreams across the globe.
- Michelle Cox (Roseville College, 2009) – Michelle got into sport through her older brother who played baseball at seven-years-old, Michelle was then introduced to softball at school, making the switch when she was 12. She first joined the Davidson Club, but currently trains at the Manly Warringah Softball Association.
- Rachel Lack (Barker College, 2012) – Rachel was crowned the Softball Australia Junior Female Athlete of the Year in 2013, after leading Australian U-19 team at the ISF Junior Women’s World Championship. She was also named the Most Valuable Player after winning the 2013 U19 Women’s National Softball Championship.
Australia has a proud history at the Olympics in softball, winning a medal in every Games the sport has been included in, with a Silver medal in 2004, and Bronze in 1996, 2000 and 2008.
Read more about Ellen, Thali, Michelle & Rachel.
Genevieve Horton, Rowing
Genevieve Horton (26 years old) is another Pymble Ladies’ College alumni, and has been selected on the Rowing Australia team heading to Tokyo for the Olympics! Genevieve will be competing in the Women’s Eight and this is her second Olympics representing Australia.
Genevieve made her international debut for Australia in 2013. The Sydney University Boat Club athlete won gold in Australia’s Senior Women’s Eight at the 2013 World Rowing Cup in Sydney before going on to become the Junior World Champion alongside Jessie Allen in the Junior Women’s Pairs event later that year.
Read more about Genevieve here.
Henry Hutchinson, Rugby Sevens
Henry Hutchinson (24 years old) will make his second Olympic appearance in Tokyo with the Australia rugby sevens.
After graduating from Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview in 2014, Henry got a call-up the following year for the Australian side for the Rio 2016 Oceania qualifiers. He was one of the side’s best as the Aussies booked their tickets to Rio. Hutchison went on to score 27 tries in his debut World Series season, was named rookie of the year and secured a spot in the final twelve for Rio 2016.
Kiana Elliot, Weightlifting
Kiana Elliott (2014) has been selected to represent Australia at the Tokyo Olympics in Weightlifting.
Kiana was Abbotsleigh College’s 2014 Sportswoman of the Year in Year 12. Prior to taking up weightlifting, she was an elite gymnast, but switched codes after breaking her leg.
Liz Clay, Hurdles
Liz Clay (26 years old) has been selected to represent Australia at the Tokyo Olympics in hurdling. Liz has recently stepped into territory previously occupied by Australia’s top sprinter, Sally Pearson and has now achieved the automatic qualifying standard (12.84).
A keen dancer when she was very young, Liz Clay would go to athletics to watch her younger brother Harry compete. She got bored just watching him from the stands and decided to jump the fence and start her sporting journey at Hornsby Little Athletics in the under-10s. Over the next decade, her career evolved primarily as a hurdler, but constant injuries hampered her career. She attended Loreto Normanhurst, graduating in 2012.
Read more about Liz Clay here.
Mackenzie Little, Javelin
Mackenzie Little (24 years old) will be competing in the Women’s Javelin at the Tokyo Olympics.
Mackenzie started her athletics journey at Northern Suburbs Little Athletics in the Under-6s, but moved on to team sports like soccer, softball, water polo and hockey as she grew older. One rainy morning before school in Year 7 at Pymble Ladies College, she went to her first javelin training session after her hurdles competition was cancelled and the rest, as they say, is history.
In 2019, she commenced medicine at Sydney University and at the track, made a great start to her 2020/21 season throwing a personal best of 61.42m and cementing her position as the sixth-best in Australian history.
Read more about Mackenzie here.
Morgan McDonald, Athletics
Newington College Aluma Morgan McDonald (2013) has been selected to represent Australia at the Tokyo Olympics in Athletics.
A member of one of Australia’s oldest clubs, Randwick Botany Harriers, Morgan McDonald was a leading Australian junior distance runner competing at the 2013 World Cross Country Championships in the under-20 race.
Nicholas Kay, Basketball
Newington College Aluma Nicholas Kay (2010) has been selected to represent Australia at the Tokyo Olympics in Basketball.
Following the end of his college career, Nick returned to Australia to play for the Townsville Crocodiles in the NBL averaging 10.8 points and 6.7 rebounds in his debut season to be named Rookie of the Year.
Read more about Nicholas here.
Sam Hardy, Rowing
Sam Hardy (26 years old) has been selected to represent Australia at the Tokyo Olympics in Rowing.
Alongside fellow Harvard graduate Joshua Hicks, Sam Hardy eyes a strong debut Olympic campaign in the Men’s Pair event. He is a Newington College Aluma.
Shane Rose, Equestrian
Newington College Aluma Shane Rose (1991) has been selected to represent Australia at the Tokyo Olympics in Equestrian.
Shane made his start in the sport at the age of five at the Forest Hills Pony Club. At 21, he made his international debut when he competed with horse Mr Joe Cool for Australia at the Young Riders Trans-Tasman competition in 1994.
Tara Rigney, Women’s Rowing Double Sculls (2x)
Tara Rigney grew up in Sydney and rowed briefly at school, however her main focus was netball during her time at Loreto Kirribilli. She was a Northern Suburbs Netball representative. However, two ruptured ACLs, with 12 months of rehab each, meant Rigney decided to return to rowing 2018, and did so with great success.
The 22 year old is studying Commerce at the University of Sydney, has a dog named Ragnar, and made her first Under 23 National Team in 2019, racing in the Women’s Pair that finished 10th in the world.
Will Ryan, Sailing
Will Ryan (32 years old) is representing Australia at the Tokyo Olympics in Sailing.
Will competed in his first race with the Toronto Amateur Sailing Club and in his last year of schooling, he fully committed himself to the sport, competing in the Laser Radial class at the 2006 Youth World Sailing Championships. He attended Saint Ignatius’ College in Riverview, graduating in 2006.
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