The Victory Lap

The Olympics have started! I can't even imagine the anticipation the athletes are experiencing right now. It's been on my mind all year and has dominated this newsletter for the past month. With less than a week until track and field events begin, let's dive into the exciting news!

Track Spotlight

Buchanans Backup

Andy Buchanan is heading to Paris!

First up, huge respect to Brett Robinson for giving Andy the call to tell him that he would be running in the Marathon at the Olympics. Brett deserved that spot and would have become a three-time Olympian. Offering the spot to Andy due to a glute injury was an incredible gesture.

Andy has been on an absolute heater this year, and it's exciting to see how he'll match up against the world's best. His results for the year are:

• Lakeside 10: 29:45

• Hamburg Marathon: 2:08:58

• Gold Coast Half Marathon: 1:02:25

The win at Gold Coast shows he's in form, and rumor has it he's been training in the heat chamber, just in case the impossible happened—which it did. His cross-country background should be useful on the hot and hilly course in Paris.

Check out this recent podcast with the boys at Good Good running hot off his win at the Gold Coast Half Marathon:

Odds On

While I’m not a betting man, I do check out Sportsbet to get an idea of how our athletes stack up. Here are the odds for our top contenders:

• Nicola Olyslagers - $4.50, just behind recent World Record Holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh.

• Nina Kennedy - $2.10, the outright favorite to win the Pole Vault. With the fire in Nina’s eyes recently, I wouldn't bet against this.

• Jessica Hull - $8.00. It’s wild to think Hull is favored to come second, right up there with world record holder Gudaf Tsegay.

• Mackenzie Little - $4.00, trailing only Haruka Kitaguchi and Flor Dennis Ruiz. After taking down Kitaguchi in the Diamond League, the bookies might have this one wrong.

Olympic Media

If you’re like me, you’re probably seeking out as much Olympics track and field information as you can. Here are some must-follow content creators:

Straight At It: Our boys Mitch and Jacob are on the ground in Paris, posting constant updates on Instagram. I’ll try to put out a mini newsletter daily while the Aussies are competing.

Cheeky Run Club: The girls at Cheeky Run Club are your armchair experts, explaining their favorite events and providing daily updates. Check out their latest podcast featuring Jess Hull.

Inside Running Podcast: One of my go-to podcasts every week. They’re dropping daily track reviews and interviews with Olympians during the Olympics.

Tokyo Track Nights

If you’ve been reading this newsletter, you know I’m a huge fan of On Track Nights. Their Tokyo edition coinciding with the Olympics was an interesting choice. The event saw the OAC Oceania team dominate every event:

• Bendere Oboya - 800m: 1:59.37

• Jesse Hunt - 1500m: 3:38.98

• Maudie Skyring - 1500m: 4:07.33

Check out the fantastic shots from the night by Natalie (@beyond_theroad_).

Gear Up

Black Sheep

This review is particularly exciting for me! Most reviewers focus on shoes, but apparel is equally important. In collaboration with Zato AC, I’m focusing on Australasian brands creating high-quality products.

Black Sheep, a well-established cycling brand, has ventured into running apparel. After a conversation with the founder and my gear review, I’m impressed. Their latest Paris 24 drop leans into the heritage of running and looks fantastic.

For more details and an in-depth review, check out my full review.

Around the Track

Other News

• The tipping competition closes on July 31, so make sure you get your tips in for a chance to win incredible prizes. We’re at 327 entrants and counting, so if you know your track and field, the odds aren’t bad.

End Credits

That’s it! This is the moment we’ve been waiting for the last four years and what the athletes have been dedicating their lives to. The excitement is building, and I know many of you will have sleepless nights, but it will be worth it to see our athletes tear it up on the track.