Olli sets the pace
Middle distance star Olli Hoare will lead the way at the Paris Olympics for a Trinity group that has already set a new School benchmark.
The reigning Commonwealth Games champion lines up in round one of the 1500m on Friday at 7.05pm Sydney time, coming fresh off a victory at the London Diamond League.
He is one of three Old Boys competing in Paris, along with his Class of 2015 schoolmate, sprinter Rohan Browning, and triple jumper Connor Murphy (’19).
It’s the third time Trinity has produced three competitors at an Olympics, after Athens in 2004 and Tokyo in 2021, when diver Sam Fricker (’20) joined Hoare and Browning.
The Trinity connection grows to four with the addition of recently arrived athletics coach Liam Adcock, 28, who is competing in the long jump.
And it could grow to five if former Trinity water polo captain Tristan Glanznig (’20), a travelling reserve, is called on in Paris.
Hoare and Browning are competing in their second Games while Murphy is making his debut as the School’s 11th Olympian since 1956.
The US-based Hoare became the first Trinitarian to run in an Olympic final in Tokyo, claiming a spot in the 1500m decider where he finished 11th in stamina-sapping heat and humidity.
Browning will be the second Trinitarian to step out in Paris, running in the first round of the 100m on Saturday at 6.35pm.
He will be hoping to go one better than Tokyo, where he fell short in the 100m semi-finals after winning his heat in a personal best time of 10.01 seconds, making him the second fastest Australian ever behind Patrick Johnson.
Adcock, a gold medallist at this year’s Oceania championships, will appear in the long jump qualifying round on Sunday at 7pm before Connor Murphy, the reigning Australian champion, competes in the triple jump qualifying round next Thursday (3.15am Sydney time).
Murphy’s Trinity connections are difficult to match. The Old Boy is also a current Trinity coach; his own coach and father Andrew, a three-time Olympic triple jumper and Australia’s high performance coach in Paris, is also a former Trinity Director of Athletics; and his mum Liz Murphy, the CAS manager for the Trinity Track & Field program, is a PDHPE teacher who has taught at the School for 14 years.
“The Trinity Track & Field squad is right behind Connor, Liam, Olli, and Rohan in their Paris Olympics campaign and we wish them the very best of luck,” said Director of Athletics Matt Wade.
On top of the athletic representation for Trinity Alumni, former School Captain, Spiro Christopoulos (’20) will be covering the Paris Olympic Games in his role as Sports Presenter and Producer for 2GB Sydney.
The schedule for the Trinity group’s first appearances is (all times AEST):
- Fri, Aug 2, 1905 – Olli Hoare, 1500m, Round 1 (with semi-finals to follow on Monday and final early on Wednesday)
- Sat, Aug 3, 1835 – Rohan Browning 100m, preliminary round (followed by round one at 1945, with semi-finals and final both scheduled for early Monday)
- Sun, Aug 4, 1900 – Liam Adcock, long jump qualifying (with final on Wednesday)
- Thu, Aug 8, 0315 – Connor Murphy, triple jump qualification (with final the following Saturday).
