The 63-strong team made a lasting impression on the world stage with several inspiring performances at both the Olympic Stadium and in Sapporo for the marathon and race walk, but it wasn’t just the medal performances that captured the hearts and minds of the Australian public.

Australia placed among the top-ten nations on the World Athletics Placing Table, with the contingent that included no less than 38 debutants delivering 14 top-eight finishes, five Australian records and 16 personal bests across 10 days of competition.

A trio of podium finishes

Australia’s athletics team made fans at home wait until the final night of competition at the Olympic Stadium before delivering a cherry on top silver medal in the women’s high jump after an already successful campaign.

Nicola McDermott wowed audiences with a performance that saw her sail over a 2.02m bar to break her own Australian record for the third time this year, joined on the high jump runway by Eleanor Patterson who placed 5th with a season best 1.96m clearance.

Not to be outdone, the world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber had the weight of the world on her shoulders as she entered the stadium for the women’s javelin final.

Despite a chequered season of inconsistent performances, the two-time Olympian put together the series of a lifetime to throw a season best 64.56m to win bronze.

Ash Moloney rounded out the medal-winning performances, standing up against experience campaigners to claim bronze in the most gruelling event on the Olympic programme – the men’s decathlon.

Moloney broke his national record in the process, as well as achieved four personal best results across the 10 events in which he duelled.

His training partner Cedric Dubler impressed too, pushing Moloney to the podium in the closing stages of the 1500m to showcase sportsmanlike behaviour that makes the Olympic Games special.

Historic results showcase depth of Australia’s athletics team

The Olympic Stadium also delivered a series of historic performances that showcase the depth and breadth of talent in Australia’s track and field team.

Matt Denny threw 67.02m to place fourth in the men’s discus throw, his roommate and best friend Brandon Starc soared a season best 2.35m for the same result in the men’s high jump and Peter Bol captured the imagination of the nation with two national records and a finish just outside the medals in the men’s 800m final.

Jessica Hull’s national record in the women’s 1500m final continued the excitement on track, as Rohan Browning clocked 10.01 to become the fastest ever Australian at the Olympic Games in the men’s 100m.

Hull was joined in the women’s 1500m final by Linden Hall, who ran a personal best of 3:59.01, as two Australian men – Ollie Hoare and Stewart McSweyn – started in the men’s metric mile final. These stunning results were complemented by 10th place for 44-year-old Sinead Diver in the women’s marathon and top-eight finishes in the race walk by both Rhydian Cowley (men’s 50km walk) and Jemima Montag (women’s 20km race walk).

Kelsey-Lee Barber was joined in the javelin top-eight by Kathryn Mitchell and Mackenzie Little, while Brooke Stratton matched her Rio 2016 performance with a 6.83m leap to place 7th in the women’s long jump final.

The next chapter of Australia’s athletics story starts today, with athletes traversing the globe to continue their seasons as preparations commence for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and the World Athletics Championships in Oregon.

Paris 2024 may seem a distant target, but will be here as fast as a 100m sprint, as Australia’s developing team looks to build on a performance that’s enthralled.

Cody Lynch & Sascha Ryner