Kathleen's Story
2003-04 WNBL Rookie of the Year Kathleen Macleod made her junior Australian debut at the 2004 U/19 Oceania Championships and won gold. Macleod went on to compete at the 2005 U/19 World Championships and 2007 U/21 World Championships where the team won silver medals. She joined the senior Australian squad in 2005 but missed selection for the Beijing Games. Having gained experience playing in Hungary and France, Macleod earned her spot on the 2012 Olympic team.
In London, Macleod and the Opals finished second in their pool after the preliminary rounds. They defeated China in the quarter-final (75-60) and then faced the USA earlier than expected for a berth in the gold medal match.
As they had done in three previous Olympic campaigns, the world number one USA beat the Australians (86-73) and went on to take gold over the French. Australia faced Russia for the bronze, winning 83-74 to continue the Opals’ strong Olympic record.
