Jenna Strauch has claimed her first Olympic medal after winning silver for Australia in the 4x100m medley relay.
The Bond University alumna partnered with Kaylee McKeown, Emma McKeon and Mollie O’Callaghan to secure Australia’s final swimming medal of a record-breaking Olympic campaign.
The Dolphins finished second on the medal tally behind the USA with seven gold, eight silver and three bronze medals.
With a combined five medals it was an incredible week for Bond University’s Hancock Prospecting Swimming Excellence Scholarship athletes in the pool at the La Defense Arena.
Elijah Winnington and Flynn Southam also won two silver and two bronze medals.
Bachelor of Business student Winnington took home the silver medal in a gripping 400m freestyle final after turning on the jets in the final 50m, hitting the wall at 3:42.21.
In his first Olympics Southam also claimed silver in the men’s 4 X 100m freestyle relay, after a thrilling showdown between the victorious USA and Australia.
The pair then joined forces in the men’s 4 X 200m freestyle relay to finish with bronze behind Great Britan and the USA. They formed a team with Max Giuliani and Thomas Neil in which no swimmer was older than 24 years old.
Bond’s Director of Sport Mike Collins, a proud New Zealander, summed up the enormity of the achievement in the department’s weekly meeting when he revealed Bond University was ahead of New Zealand on the medal tally at that stage.
The triumphs didn’t end at the pool with alumna Bree Masters becoming the first Australian sprinter to qualify for the semi-finals of the 100m since Melinda Gainsford-Taylor at the Sydney Olympics 24 years ago.
The 29-year-old Australian who has only been training seriously in athletics since the end of 2019, was pleased she could back up her season best run of 11.26 seconds from the heat.
“I knew going out there I would have to run very, very fast, like much faster than my current PB of 11.23,” Bree said.
“Unfortunately, we didn't get a PB, but to back up with 11.34 and zero wind is pretty solid for me. I hope we can build on this season and come back even better next season.”
Masters missed a spot in the final but will return to the track as part of Australia’s 4x100m relay.
Bond’s Tokyo Olympic Gold medal winner Jean van der Westhuyzen and his partner Tom Green have bypassed the canoe sprint quarter-finals with a strong and steady performance in the men’s K2 500m heats.
The pair started well and held a comfortable gap on their opponents all the way to the finish line.
They’ll be back in action for the semi-finals on Friday.
“We just want to be like a dog on a bone out there, we just want to go for it,” Jean said.
In the men’s K4 500m, Jean’s younger brother Pierre joined with Riley Fitzsimmons, Jackson Collins and Noah Havard to reach the quarter-finals, where they set an Olympic best time of 1:19.39.
The semi-finals are tonight.
Artistic swimmer, Kiera Gazzard is in the Australian team that finished ninth after the acrobatic teams event today.
The ADCO Sports Excellence Scholarship recipient returns to the pool on Saturday for the women’s duet event.
Earlier in the games Bull Shark Maddison Levi set a new Olympic record with 14 tries for the Australian 7s side that finished fourth while alumni Hayden Sargeant was a member of the men’s side that also finished fourth, the Australian Men’s best ever result at the Olympics.