Fifty-three athletes from the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) have been selected to represent Australia at next week’s 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Chief Executive Officer of the VIS, Anne Marie Harrison said the VIS scholarship holders would make up 11 per cent of the 474-strong Australian Team.
“The journey to these Games has been extraordinary and we congratulate all those who have been selected to represent Australia,” Ms Harrison said.
“They have shown resilience and determination to keep motivated and train, with many innovative approaches being adopted and different paths to achieve their dream,” she said.
“I also take this opportunity to acknowledge the amazing team at the VIS who have supported the athletes over the past five years and thank them for their passion and dedication.”
Ms Harrison said the team of VIS-selected athletes consisted of 30 women and 23 men, who would compete across 17 different sports.
She said the largest sport to be represented in Tokyo by VIS scholarship holders would be athletics, with 14 to be part of the largest-ever athletics team, followed by rowing with 10 VIS athletes and shooting with five.
“Excitingly, VIS-supported athletes will compete in two of the sports making their debut in Tokyo, skateboarding and sport climbing,” Ms Harrison said.
She said there would also be 22 past/graduate VIS scholarship holders competing and 35 other Victorian athletes.
“This means that overall, 110 Victorians will represent Australia in Tokyo, making up 23 per cent of the team,” Ms Harrison said.
