Australian athletes set for Gold Coast 2018

“I’m very excited to be on my first Commonwealth Games team."

Five Para athletes, including four current world champions, have been named amongst a first group of track and field stars to represent Australia at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

One of the most experienced team members is three-time Paralympian Evan O’Hanlon, a winner of five Paralympic and eight world titles. The 29-year-old will line up in the men’s 100m T38, a distance he is the world champion in.

Also competing over 100m will be T35 athlete Isis Holt. Aged 16, Holt is already a four-time world champion who won two silvers and one bronze medal at Rio 2016, her first Paralympic Games.

“I’m very excited to be on my first Commonwealth Games team. I’ve been fortunate enough to win a couple of world titles but representing Australia at a Commonwealth Games will be very special,” said Holt.

After a sensational 2017 in which she won 5,000m T54 world gold, as well as 800m T53 silver and 1,500m T54 bronze, Madison De Rozario will line-up in the 1,500m T54 at the Commonwealth Games. In 2008, aged 14 De Rozario was the youngest Australian athlete to compete at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.

In the field, world champion Cameron Crombie will compete in the shot put F38 while Erin Cleaver will compete in the long jump T38, an event she won silver in at the London 2017 World Para Athletics Championships.

The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games will take place between 4-15 April.

The first 14 athletes to be named by Commonwealth Games Australia are as follows:

• Erin Cleaver – Long jump T38

• Cameron Crombie – Shot put F38

• Madison De Rozario – 1,500m T54

• Chris Hamer – Marathon

• Isis Holt – 100m T35

• Stewart McSweyn – 10,000m

• Virginia Moloney – Marathon

• Evan O’Hanlon – 100m T38

• Michael Shelley – Marathon

• Celia Sullohern – 10,000m

• Patrick Tiernan – 10,000m

• Jessica Trengove – Marathon

• Lisa Weightman – Marathon