CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
The Olympic Spirit has well and truly made it’s way into the living room of one Betoota Downs household this week, as local dad Ian Everitt (57) automatically updates his encyclopaedic knowledge of every single athlete that Australia has sent to Paris.
After not missing one minute of the water-based first week of early morning sports, Ian has been casually discussing the gold medal tally with his family as though it is just simply common knowledge that Jess Fox comes from a family of multigenerational Olympians and attended Blaxland high school, most probably because it was only a stones throw away from the Penrith Valley Canoe club.
He also knew that Kaylee Mckeon was going to bring home gold for the 100m backstroke because it’s her strongest event by a long shot, and she’s been training specifically for it ever since she became the youngest woman on the Swimming Australia roster for the 2018 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships.
As attention turns to the track and field events next week, Ian says our best shot for a medal is the 28-year-old Queenslander, Matt Denny, because there’s been whispers about this bloke talent with the discuss for years in his hometown of Allora (population 1000, located 60 km outside Toowoomba).
“See he grew up playing rugby league” says Ian.
“Big family of footballers. Hence the big breeding. Big fella’s probably German or Austrian background if he’s coming from the Southern Downs. Lots of Lutheran churches out that way.”
“Will be interesting to see how he sends the disc. Remember he’s 6 ft 5 and weighing in at a buck 20.”
“His personal best is 69.35m, and he only clocked that on the 13th of April this year. Now in Tokyo he nabbed 4th, but the gold medal winner was the Swede, Daniel Stahl, and he only managed 68.90m”
“So yeah, we are well and truly on here”
