Riley's Story
Fast Facts
Sport: Athletics
Event: 200m
Olympic History: Tokyo 2020
Highlights: Semi-finalist 200m Tokyo Olympics
Coach: Paul Pearce
Year Born: 2000
State Born: Beaudesert, QLD
About Riley
Riley's athletics journey began as a nine-year-old when her mum enrolled her into Little Athletics in her hometown of Beaudesert, QLD to keep her fit and healthy. Little did she realise, she was setting her daughter on a path of Olympic glory.
In 2014 when she was 14, Day ran her first sub-12 100m time, then two years later, in 2016 aged 16, she ran two sensational times attracting much interest from the athletics community.
In the Queensland schools championships, she ran 23.51 (200m) and a wind-assisted 100m of 11.39w. Two months later she proved they were no fluke, running 11.36w and 23.52w, winning the National schools title.
In early 2017, Day was involved in Athletics Australia’s Nitro series, starring alongside Usain Bolt.
She was selected for the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games, where she won silver in the 100m and gold in the 200m. While in the Bahamas, she received an IAAF invitation to compete at the senior IAAF World Championships in London in August 2017.
At the Australian Championships in February 2018, still aged just 17, she won the 100m national title, but her stunning performance was in the 200m where she clocked 22.93 into a headwind - a time only bettered by two Australian juniors - Raelene Boyle and Jenny Lamy when they finished on the podium at the 1968 Olympics.
Riley was selected for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the 4x100m relay and the 200m where she made it to the semi-final.
In 2019 she was a member of the 4x100m relay team at the World Relays who clocked the third-fastest time in Australian history.
In June she won the Oceania 200m and in July, made the semi-final at the 2019 World University Games.
After a gradual start to the 2021 domestic season, at the Sydney Track Classic, she clocked a stunning 200m Olympic qualifying time of 22.77. It moved her into the Australian all-time top-10 and in the last two decades, only one Australian athlete had run quicker.
She then added the national title in April to confirm her Olympic debut. Going to Tokyo Day boasted more experience on the track than most 21-year-olds after rubbing shoulders with the likes of Usain Bolt at a young age. She harnessed that experience clocking 22.94 in the heat to progress to the semi-final, where she smashed her PB clocking 22.56 to finish fourth. During 2021 she had moved from 13th to 8th Australian all-time.
When she's not competing on the track, Day is also studying a Bachelor of Business at Griffith University.
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